home from the hills

We are home. After two weeks at the cabin.

We hiked, spent time with beloved people, cooked and ate extravagantly, played Speed Scrabble (no board--no commitments to pre-placed words), swam, listened to podcasts, saved a baby hummingbird (with the help of visiting loved ones), slept outside, had long conversations, read and read and read, and in general just enjoyed being there.

It was good. It is also good to be home.

overheard at the campus gym

guy with muscles wearing Gold's Gym shirt:

"We'll get you in shape. It's just gonna take work."

slightly chubby guy in baggy sweats (lifting free weights and huffing):

"Right....okay.... yeah."

guy with muscles wearing Gold's Gym shirt (flexing in mirror):

"First thing you need to do is stop eating for pleasure."

slightly chubby guy in baggy sweats:

"Right. Okay. Yeah. Wait....what?"

nothin like a stack of books

After this busy week we will go to the cabin. There, we will hike, play in the creek, lounge in the sun, visit with some friends, cook and eat great meals, and have lots of time to read.

I have been "squirreling away" (Brad's words) books for a while now, and have this gorgeous stack just sitting there waiting for me. I have placed it strategically so I walk by it several times a day . And every time I do it cheers me.

The one I am the most excited about is Velvet Elvis. Thanks to the lovely B.K. for bringing it to my attention.

Sitting by the creek is good for the soul. Doing it with a good book might just bring it to the level of full-on bliss.

planet earth nerds

Brad and I are officially Planet Earth nerds.

Probably everyone who has TV has known about this forever... but we have just discovered it. And you'd think we'd invented cheese or something, we're so excited.

But seriously, if you haven't watched these DVDs yet, do it.

i'm putting this in the amazing discoveries department

Yesterday I spent the day with Grampo.

Made pasta. Took a long walk in which I picked nectarines--some of which I fed to one horse and two mules, and the others which I hauled back to Grampo's house in a bucket; took some random pictures; made another six loaves of zucchini bread; planted zinnias; made a good dinner for two men I love; and generally just enjoyed myself.

And then there was this interesting discovery... Behind my uncle's house, which is a grape ranch, and is where I lived as a child with Grams and Grampo, there are abandoned living quarters. Migrant farm workers used to live there but have not for many years. There are still remnants here and there of human life... rusty pots and mattress springs...that sort of thing.

On the walls there are the usual girlie type pin-ups--quite tame by today's standards... and I also saw these pictures of Jesus and Mary, with some writing around them. Upon closer examination, I realized that the letters stood out from the wall a bit. And upon even closer examination, realized that what actually formed the letters were worms. Earth worms. Like stuck to the wall and dried there.

I had to ponder. How did they make the little worms hold still long enough to dry in the correct formations?

There is just so much stuff I don't know.

overheard at the tulare and cedar bus stop

guy on cell phone:

"No, dude, I'm not kidding. She was wacked out pissed. Yeah. She threw all my shit out of my backpack and everything. And I was like, 'Mom, what is your problem?"

undecipherable chatter coming from cell phone

"Yeah, seriously. And she was like "I'm pissed at you,' and I was like 'Yeah but did you have to kill all my pets?' So yeah, dude, let's play tonight. Yeah. Hoops."