December 31, 2012

picking up

months of poop

a crow caws

laying out

two quilts

birthday lunch

with a friend

reading

December 30, 2012

a robin

in the birdbath

sun break

binding

two quilts

reading with

two cats 

in my recliner

December 29, 2012

a halo

surrounds the full moon

cloudy night

running errands

quilting

and squaring

two quilts

internet games

December 28, 2012

folding laundry

my new bracelet

jingles

early morning

vet appointment

therapy and errands

sewing quilt backs

two quilts pinned

December 27, 2012

piecing

a quilt top

chirping birds

piecing

another baby quilt top

dinosaurs abound

playing an internet game

with my daughter

December 26, 2012

adding water

to the hot tub

birds singing in the firs

a quiet morning

before teaching bridge

therapy appointment

vet visit

phone call to a friend

December 25, 2012

heavy rains

with a few snowflakes

Christmas morning

sleeping in

watching

multiple versions

of A Christmas Carol

sister’s e-mails

December 24, 2012

playing faeries

with my granddaughter

the cats sleep

holiday visit

with son and family

playing with my

four year old granddaughter

a wonderful day

December 23, 2012

resetting

holiday light outlets

a slug

finishing 

the wrapping

talking on the phone

with a friend

watching holiday movies

December 22, 2012

wrapping presents lights twinkle in anticipation

two sick cats

conjunctivitis

an undiagnosed fever

blood and urine taken

eye drops and a shot

December 21, 2012

sitting

on the neighbor’s roof

mountain peaks

morning appointment

followed by errands

catching up at home

sun appears

Happy Solstice

December 20, 2012

chickadees

darting fir to fir

morning shower

a few errands

playing the piano

finishing another book

listening to

holiday music

December 19, 2012

framed etching

a holiday gift

from friends

sleeping in

vacation begins

teaching bridge

therapy appointment

pouring rain again

December 18, 2012

bird songs

echoing in the firs

a dusting of snow

last day

before the holiday break

helping students

going to see The Hobbit

with a friend

December 17, 2012

floating

in my hot tub

large firs swaying 

strong winds

lesson slightly

as temperatures drop

snow in the forecast

reading with fur friends

December 16, 2012

a maple leaf

on the deck

falling rain

rain

and more rain

winds yet to come

reading and 

playing computer games

December 15, 2012

chickadees

chasing being chased

wind in the firs

rainy day

reading

playing 

online games

a few more lights

December 14, 2012

voices

forever silenced

the world weeps

therapy

and errands

reading

in my recliner

playing the piano

December 13, 2012

night walk

to the mailbox

stepping over the slugs

helping students

morning and afternoon

adding more lights

two books sold

one review

December 12, 2012

holiday lights

on the penguin and giraffe

a pink cyclamen

helping students

teaching bridge

therapy appointment

vet visit

more holiday lights

December 11, 2012

a mountain top

through the clouds

the dog sleeps

cataloguing

five books

tutoring a student

more lights

another student

December 10, 2012

high in the firs

a single bird calls

morning soak

new track lighting

no more shadows

during tutoring

more holiday lights

can there be too many

December 9, 2012

the spider

climbs the purple post

a coyote howls

Island Arts Tour

one studio visited

reading with friends

in my recliner

with holiday music

December 8, 2012

putting up

indoor lights

a cat helps

more lights

indoor and out

a holiday tree

santa flies

across my garage

December 7, 2012

one cat

stalks the other

furniture jungle

therapy appointment

sending out more books

lunch with a friend

Chauncey’s biopsy

great news

December 6, 2012

a fallen branch

on the lawn

holiday lights

tutoring

running errands

my students

string holiday lights

front and back

December 5, 2012

firs swaying

across the sky

white tracks

working at

Student Link

giving away

copies of my book

Chauncey’s biopsy

December 4, 2012

wind in the firs

a flock of bird

takes flight

tutoring

and errands

signing

twenty-three copies

of my novel

December 3, 2012

quiet afternoon

three dogs

at the groomers

four inches of rain

over the weekend

and more today

reading in my recliner

with dogs and cats

December 2, 2012

washing dog poop

off the deck

a fuchsia

reading

Small Kindnesses

a wonderful book

great way to spend

a rainy Sunday

December 1, 2012

fir branches

twisting in the wind

a dog barks

my novel

on Amazon

unbelievable

author’s copies

given out soon

November 30, 2012

firs drip

rain into my collar

a walk to the mailbox

my first novel

published today

tutoring a student

therapy appointment

heavy rains return

November 29, 2012

turning the corner

the wind and rain

in my face

tutoring

in the morning

errands run

work week ends

quiet afternoon

November 28, 2012

washing dishes

the full moon centered

in the window

tutoring

and teaching

therapy and

a vet visit

the rain returns

November 27, 2012

between Jupiter

and the full moon

a fir tree

tutoring resumes

morning and

afternoon

errands in between

busy day

Small Kindnesses Blogsplash

Today I'm joining the Small Kindnesses Blogsplash and writing about a special small kindness someone did for me in the past. You can read all about it here. The Blogsplash is organised by Fiona Robyn to celebrate the release of her novel 'Small Kindnesses' which is free today on Kindle. 

I have thought of many kindnesses that I have experienced from small (someone opening the door for me) to large (my friend, Kay, coming twice a day for nearly a year to help me medicate my cat Sasha), and all sorts in between.  There is the student who always sets up and takes down our study table; the friend who drives me off island for my appointments; the same friend who lugs my sewing machines in for servicing and then brings them back again; my daughter who texts me regularly; my son who surprises me with lovely long e-mails now and again; my internet friends who are so supportive of my efforts; my bridge class students who show a continuing interest in my novel writing adventures; and the list goes on and on.  I feel very fortunate that I have so many wonderful people in my life.

But for today, I shall pick one kindness to write about.  Last summer my son had to work hard to get me my summer visit with my granddaughter, but he never faltered in his determination and thanks to his efforts I got to spend a lovely day with him, his wife, and my wonderful granddaughter.  Here is a haiku for that kindness:

a summer day

her little hand in mine

granddaughter’s visit

November 26, 2012

hot tub steam rises

a lawnmower breaks

the silence

one book 

finished

another started

the holiday break

coming to an end

November 25, 2012

rearranging

the cat furniture

wind in the firs

fourth day of

the holiday weekend

two cats and I

in the recliner

reading

November 24, 2012

the cat

stealing raw spinach

nearly a full moon

household chores

reading

in my recliner

Robin Hobb’s

Dragon Keeper

November 23, 2012

a cup of tea

half inch by half inch

winter rains

morning appointment

a quiet day

reading with

fur friends

rains continue

Small Kindnesses

On Tuesday the 27th of November I'm joining the Small Kindnesses Blogsplash and writing about a special small kindness someone paid me in the past. Would you like to join me?
The Blogsplash is organised by Fiona Robyn to celebrate the release of her novel 'Small Kindnesses' which will be free on Kindle on the day. All you have to do is write something about being kind - a memory of someone who was kind to you, a list of kindnesses over the past week, or something kind you did for someone else. It'll be a celebration of kindness in all its forms, especially those little kind acts that make all the difference (like this one Fiona wrote about).
To find out more visit Fiona's blog (http://www.writingourwayhome.com/2012/11/what-small-kindness-do-you-remember.html), or join the Facebook event (http://www.facebook.com/events/226720897457793). Do ask your friends to join you, and feel free to copy this blog onto your own to help us spread the word.
See you on the 27th!

November 22, 2012

snuggling

with my fur friends

temperatures drop

enjoying 

the day reading

with cats in my lap

and dogs close by

Thanksgiving

November 21, 2012

looking 

at Saturn

looking at me

last day

before break

tutoring, teaching,

errands, therapy

vet appointment

November 20, 2012

sunlight

strikes the rainbow flag

storm debris

two inches

more rain

tutoring 

sun breaks 

between cloud bursts

November 19, 2012

fresh lakes

in the backyard

record rains

sorting

my haiku

for a book

alarming rains

continue

November 18, 2012

high above

the cat pounces

not a feather

quilt top pieced

reading a new novel

napping

playing games

another rainy day

November 17, 2012

fir needles

on the skylights

a dog barks

craft bazaar

household chores

napping and reading

with two cats

rainy day

November 16, 2012

two cats

sleeping curled together 

pouring rain

therapy appointment

hair cut

errands

cutting fabric

for a new quilt

November 15, 2012

cupboard doors

not cat proofed

temperature drops

proof corrections

submitted

tutoring morning

and afternoon

nice nap

November 14, 2012

a cloudy morning

flakes of paint

in the hot tub

tutoring

and teaching

therapy appointment

vet visit

bad skin and feet

November 13, 2012

getting the mail

in the dark

slugs on the walkway

on my doorstep

the proof copy

of my first novel

tutoring and more

tutoring

November 12, 2012

hot tub frog

morning soak

under the clouds

writing my novel’s

final three chapters

doctor’s appointment

hot tub serviced

weather warms

November 11, 2012

writing 

moving side to side

around the cat

writing

lunch with a friend

more writing

four chapters

current total 53,111 words

November 10, 2012

frost

on the hot tub lid

morning soak

three chapters

writing, writing, writing

best day to date 

8518 words today

current total 44916 words

November 9, 2012

waning moon

frost settles

on the roof

therapy

errands and 

appointments

two more chapters

current total 36,398

November 8, 2012

rescuing

a spider

from the cat

cataloguing 

books and

tutoring math

writing two chapters

word total now 32,277

November 7, 2012

tutoring

a student

the light dawns

tutoring geometry

teaching bridge

therapy appointment

two more chapters

word total now 28371

November 6, 2012

out of the fog

steam rising

from the hot tub

a chapter

before Student Link

another after

word count climbs

nearly half way

November 5, 2012

the rubber duck

sailed across the hot tub

windy night

friends from Kalamazoo

visit for the day

another chapter

word total hits

20677

November 4, 2012

crows

in the firs

caw after caw

day four

7285 words

3 chapters

current total: 17,730 words

NaNoWriMo rocks

November 3, 2012

streams

in the backyard

a frog croaks

a day spent 

writing and reading

5329 words today

current total: 10,445 words

the rain continues 

November 2, 2012

again

and again

the sky drops

therapy appointment

and errands

3415 more words

weekend begins

with more rain

November 1, 2012

cloud cover

the full moon

darting in and out

first day of

NaNoWriMo

1701 words written

two students tutored

paperwork completed

October 31, 2012

one day

two inches of rain

dogs howl

proctoring exams

correcting math papers

teaching bridge

vet visit

exhaustion

October 30, 2012

waiting

at the sauna door

my cat

lots of math

to correct

a quilt bound

fabric picked for

a baby quilt

October 29, 2012

plotting 

my next novel

a frog croaks

one quilt pieced

another quilted

and squared

clearing the decks for

NaNoWriMo

October 28, 2012

washing pine needles

from shower shelves

sun break

laying out

three more quilts

tutoring a student

weaving 

a few more inches

October 27, 2012

warping my loom

green on green

the cat watches

finish the warping

I began a year ago

cutting some squares

for the next set of quilts

pouring rain

October 26, 2012

a tree frog

scooting under the hot tub

winter approaches

waiting

for my car

to be serviced

finishing

a quilt top

October 25, 2012

gliding

along the shower wall

a banana slug

thirteen books

catalogued

four students

tutored

more squares sewn

October 24, 2012

first tattoos

mother son

bonding

tutoring geometry

marking attendance

therapy appointment

starting to piece

the next quilt

October 23, 2012

a cat’s whiskers

tickle my cheek

morning alarm

volunteering

a doctor’s appointment 

costochondritis

a quilting injury

torn cartilage

October 22, 2012

the slug glides

below the shower handle

a flock of birds

my novel

sent to layout

squares cut

for a new quilt

all laid out

October 21, 2012

clouds drift

souring overhead

a crow caws

new bed quilt

finished

novel revisions

ready to send off

temperatures drop

October 20, 2012

falling raindrops

making bubbles

hot tub soak

quilt laid out

nearly finished

my novel revisions

watching a student in Grease

quilt half quilted

October 19, 2012

a small slug

above the soap dish

morning shower

appointments

and errands

quilt top finished

flannel back

washed and sewn

October 18, 2012

school budget

no money for books

a crow caws

students waiting

for tutoring help

history, decimals,

algebra and 

geometry

October 17, 2012

wet feet

tracking pine needles

autumn storm

cataloguing books

tutoring students

teaching bridge

vet farm visit

exhaustion

October 16, 2012

racing

to an appointment

a slug on the walkway

Student Link

in the morning

tutoring and reading

in the afternoon

wind lessens

October 15, 2012

a sandwich

for dinner

power outage

five pairs of

pajama pants

tutoring a student

lunch with a friend

island power outage

October 14, 2012

pine needles

floating in the hot tub

autumn winds

three more rows

on the quilt top

prologue revised

pajama pants cut out

one pair sewn

October 13, 2012

dew drops

on spider webs

hot tub soak

two more rows

pieced on new quilt top

2376 words in the prologue

for my novel

flannel pajama pants

October 12, 2012

one quarter

of a quilt top

the cat watches

therapy 

followed by errands

piecing a quilt top

doing laundry

granddaughter turns four

October 11, 2012

tutoring a student

a robin splashes

in the birdbath

work week ends

tutoring several students

pressing seams

cutting squares

quilt top ready to piece

October 10, 2012

piecing

a quilt top

the cat sleeps

tutoring and

teaching

piecing squares

Calliope helps

weather turning cold

October 9, 2012

front yard

awash in birds

the cat sleeps

tutoring geometry

doing paperwork

rearranging

my bedroom

third dog crate

October 8, 2012

gently lifting

the hot tub lid

a tree frog sleeps

sewing 

a few more squares

most of the day

spent reading

a great novel

October 7, 2012

sitting 

in the sauna

joined by a cat

cutting strips

into smaller strips

sewing them

into squares

quilt piecing

October 6, 2012

a plump robin

in the birdbath

indoor cat watches

sewing and

pressing

quilt strips

cat portal

finished

October 5, 2012

two frogs

in the hot tub and shower

an island mourns

therapy appointment

and a haircut

new housecleaner

sewing quilt strips

doing chores

October 4, 2012

weight of the world

too soon

a freshman’s suicide

paperwork

and tutoring

running errands

finishing a book

the dogs sleeping

October 3, 2012

glass-topped desk

the cats steps

uncertainly

volunteering

teaching geometry

and bridge

acupuncture

for a dog and a cat

October 2, 2012

a hole

in the closet door

cat portal

learning about

the library database

tutoring two students

algebra and geometry

marking papers

October 1, 2012

a woodpecker

on the utility pole

a squirrel jump

cutting fabric

sewing strips

a new quilt begun

watching anime

sun sets

September 30, 2012

talking

to my deaf cat

the dog barks

four quilts

bound and 

finished

helped by

a new cat

September 29, 2012

opening

the front door

a hummingbird

a new cat

checking out 

our family

four quilts squared

binding cut and sewed

September 28, 2012

opening

the hot tub lid

full moon

a sparrow

hits the window

stunned on the deck

before recovering

and flying off

September 27, 2012

reaching for the handle a snail 

week ends

in exhaustion 

fourth quilt top

quilted

student tutored

September 26, 2012

bees hopping

flower to flower

the temperature drops

splitting headache

tutoring and teaching

therapy appointment

reading a good book

a quiet evening

September 25, 2012

the robin sits

on a concrete frog

a hummingbird flies by

tutoring

another quilt

quilted

my finger tangles

with the needle

September 24, 2012

a robin

sits atop a hemlock

the sunset’s red rays

another quilt

quilted

and a book finished

hot tub and shower

both homes for frogs

September 23, 2012

a tree frog

behind the soap dish

cyclamen bloom

one quilt

quilted

a few papers

marked

nice nap

September 22, 2012

sparrows dodge

in and around the fountain

a frog croaks

a day

of quilting

four quilts 

assembled

and pinned

September 21, 2012

spider webs

dangle over

my shower

therapy appointment

running errands

and reading

playing mahjong

with friends

September 20, 2012

yard sculptures

a penguin and a giraffe

work week ends

tutoring geometry

cataloguing books

algebra and chemistry

afternoon tutoring

the sun sets

September 19, 2012

breathing

more easily

sauna heat

geometry problems

bridge hands

therapy session

vet visit

long day

September 18, 2012

no phone

internet out

iPad

volunteering

tutoring

reading

phone line down

no internet

September 17, 2012

piecing

quilt tops

a crow caws

another 

quilt top finished

one book finished

another started

nice nap

September 16, 2012

tree

frog

returns

morning 

soak

fighting

a cold

quilt top pieced

reading 

and napping

September 15, 2012

sunset

a robin

in the birdbath

attendance charted

homework marked

more squares pieced

quick nap

quiet evening

September 14, 2012

feeding the cats

a spider moves

along its web

therapy appointment

novel revisions

completed and submitted

next round of editing

sunny day

September 13, 2012

the tree frog

on my hot tub edge

a princess 

work week ends

tutoring and more

tutoring

novel editing

vet visit

September 12, 2012

waking

in the night

Jupiter shines bright

tutoring

at Student Link

teaching 

my bridge class

revising more chapters

September 11, 2012

a tree frog

peaking over the edge

hot tub soak

geometry

and English

weekly meeting

afternoon spent

with two more students

September 10, 2012

bouncing

from task to task

the sun sets

morning hot tub soak

tree frog watches

novel revisions

lunch with a friend

dogs to the groomer

September 9, 2012

free-motion quilting

a hummingbird

dances in and out

novel revisions

chapter by chapter

a little piecing

of a quilt top

quiet day

September 8, 2012

free-motion quilting

a hummingbird

dances in and out

novel revisions

chapter by chapter

a little piecing

of a quilt top

quiet day

September 7, 2012

folding laundry

black capped chickadees

in the birdbath

therapy appointment

laundry and a nap

Facebook friend

stops by for a visit

quiet evening ahead

September 6, 2012

snuggled

under two cats

owls hoot

lots of students

hectic morning

errands to run

a new student to tutor

reading and napping

September 5, 2012

Strawberry Festival

amusement rides with

my son and granddaughter

tutoring geometry

organizing

my new desk

teaching bridge

therapy appointment

September 4, 2012

a maiden

kissing a frog

finds her princess

a hummingbird

trapped in the classroom

rescued by

a new student

school year begins

September 3, 2012

on the edge of the hot tub a tree frog

three flash fiction

stories revised

and submitted

a quilt top

pieced

September 2, 2012

turning on 

the heat

summer’s end

sleeping in

relaxing morning

writing and revising

tutoring chemistry

reading The Fur Person

September 1, 2012

a hummingbird

in the fuchsia

new school year

rearranging

the Student Link

classroom

doing laundry

relaxing

August 31, 2012

a bluejay

on the utility lines

full moon

therapy appointment

errands and

laundry

playing mahjong

with friends 

August 30, 2012

sitting on the fence

students changing

class schedules

day at home

one quilt top

half done

a friend’s phone call

house roof cleaned

August 29, 2012

tutoring chemistry

a squirrel runs

along the fence

kale chips

baked by

my student

teaching bridge

therapy appointment

August 28, 2012

writing

my first novel

a lifetime dream

piecing

the last squares

four quilt tops

laid out

a few errands

August 27, 2012

on the edge

of the hot tub

a frog

planning meeting

for the new

school year

piecing more

quilt squares

August 26, 2012

seventeen years

nowhere near

enough time

tutoring a student 

in chemistry

Harry Potter movies

Eric completes

a 100 mile trail race

August 25, 2012

eating candy

lying on a grassy hill

waving to passing trains

rough day

brightened by

floral tributes

and e-mails

we miss you Sasha

August 24, 2012

saying goodbye

to a dear sweet friend

Sasha, the miracle cat

difficult day

Sasha’s last

Dr. Nell, Kay, and I

see her on her way

empty home

August 23, 2012

between the 

walkway boards

a slug rises

finishing one 

novel and

half way through

another

quiet cloudy day

August 22, 2012

removing a sticker

from the new sauna

rainbows on the wall

teaching, therapy,

and vet visit

cat’s upper respiratory

infection worsens

new antibiotic

August 21, 2012

three chickadees

in the birdbath

a crow caws

quiet day

reading

The Hunger Games

defective sauna 

swapped out

August 20, 2012

surrendering

to the pain

a cat purrs

kept standing

waiting for 30 minutes

by my doctor’s office

struggling from bus to ferry

pointless effort

August 19, 2012

in the birdbath

a pair of goldfinches

loads of laundry

doing laundry

dog and cat cleanup

novel revisions

piecing squares

watching anime

August 18, 2012

cleaning soot

from my shower

the neighbor’s yard waste fire

heat wave ends

lovely cloudy day

novel revisions

piecing quilts

playing games

August 17, 2012

one cracker

two crows

many caws

an appointment

errands and 

a haircut

heat continues

staying inside

August 16, 2012

the birth

of an idea

novel revisions

doing chores

revising

two chapters

playing games

staying cool

August 15, 2012

looking out

the kitchen window

a baby robin

Sasha sleeps

with me two nights

this week

doing laundry

teaching class

August 14, 2012

first one

then another and another

hummingbirds

piecing

quilt squares

novel revisions

games to play

nice nap

August 13, 2012

downward dog

on the deck

birds singing

a quilt

squared and bound

laundry done

lots of games

iced tea

August 12, 2012

filling 

the birdbath

a dragonfly

cutting fabric

household chores

reading outside

on the deck

hot summer day

August 11, 2012

a snail

on the shower floor

summer breeze

quilt back sewn

quilt pinned

and quilted

garage floor

turning purple

August 10, 2012

hit and run

injured fawn

mother and twin watch

my miracle cat

Sasha’s 17th birthday

21 months after

a cancer diagnosis

gave her two months

August 9, 2012

crows cacophony 

the cat joins in

a new day

games

and more games

piecing quilt squares

long arm quilter

returns