Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Ten days ago...

Armeria maritima var. californica, 2011

transcribed from my Moleskine, shown above:

November 20, 2011
close to 7 AM

I am 44 years old today, officially in about an hour.

Again, my dreams were filled with wild cats.

The sky is a white tending toward a very light grey tending toward the lightest of blues. There was a little rain, but it has stopped, for now. The tree branches on the east side of the house wave, the branches on the west side are still.

The heat is filling the glass house, the sun is rising, and I sit here upon the Jetsons-style sofa taking it all in through transparent walls, documenting with sleepy hands and thought patterns.

Chris is asleep.

I believe I saw our grey owl again, but he disappeared into the trees before I could confirm.

The large moth was searching for light in the kitchen this morning while I poured my first glass of sparkling water. We've been drinking sparkling water exclusively because the orange-tinted tap water, although promised to be perfectly fine, does not appeal to us.

Yesterday Chris suggested I give the large moth a name so he would seem less menacing. He thought Bernard might work. I agreed. Bernard has now followed me into the living area. Last night Bernard was in my shower. I think he likes me.

The heater pauses and the cold sets in quickly.

This beautiful home was not constructed for heating efficiency. Understood. This is California. But there is quite a chill up here.

The local paper leads me to believe the National Park Service will reclaim this land, along with this glass tree house, in April of next year. What will the park service do with a glass studio perched on stilts, accessible by small tram? A meditation space for rangers?

I think I'll crawl back into bed.

The Jetsons

37 comments:

  1. happy birthday, beautiful.

    an owl! you are lucky.

    bernard IS an excellent name...

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  2. Happy birthday, belatedly, Denise. I hope your glass tree house will be safe, and the owl returns.

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  3. happy belated birthday, denise. the glass studio sounds like a lovely place to celebrate...bernard and all.

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  4. Happy belated birthday! What a lovely, peaceful entry.

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  5. Many happy returns, Denise.

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  6. Happy Birthday, Denise. Welcome to the 44 yo club.

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  7. Happy birthday to you! I do love the name Bernard. What a lovely piece of writing.

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  8. Happy Birthday lovely one. What a great year in a great decade. I loved 44, 45 made me cry though in retrospect it was just another day.

    You two are always up to something special. I admire this mucho.

    xo Jane

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  9. Happy Birthday, dear Denise. The glass tree house must have been amazing.

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  10. happy belated birthday ma belle!

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  11. How wonderful to spend your birthday in a glass tree house!

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  12. Denise: the atmosphere in this story is very Kafkian, that's why I think Gregor (and is Gregor Samsa) would be a fitting name for your moth.
    Happy 44: perfect, even, double numbers always make for interesting birthdays.

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  13. Dene, Happy belated Birthday to you old friend:) So sorry I missed the actual date. I love to see how fulfilled your life is, and I am truly amazed by all of your talents. Lots of love to you.

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  14. Happy Belated Birthday, Denise! How enjoyable to hear the National Park Service will be reclaiming the land. I like thinking of all the possibilities for this glass tree house.

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  15. I am exiting 44 just as you are entering it. Your birthday sounds poetic and beautiful and just perfect. Warmest wishes to you. I need to hear more about the glass tree house and its land.

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  16. such delicate drawing and letters on your notebook. glass walls and a warm bed to leap into when the strain of befriending a moth get too much sound perfect. from my lofty 'just 45' I'd say that these years are good ones.

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  17. i'm glad you take the time to put the words out there. to form them and shape them. you write firmly and simply and well.
    and i hope this year is a wonderful one for you.

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  18. I wonder what Bernard calls you?

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  19. Happy birthday Denise, my fellow Scorpio.

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  20. Happy belated birthday dear Denise! Lovely and mysterious collage of thoughts, and the moleskin drawing inspires - X

    Jetsons :^)

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  21. Thank you for not saying anything negative about your birthday, as so many people tend to do. I'm getting ready for mine this month and I intend to celebrate another time around the sun.
    Happy Belated Birthday.

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  22. Happy belated birthday, Denise. Watch Bernard. I'm sure he has a voracious appetite for all of your skeins of wool.
    Hope you had a wonderful day.

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  23. Please accept my belated wishes for a happy birthday, as well. And best wishes to Bernard, too, may he prove good company. The drawing on your Moleskin is lovely.

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  24. Thank you, all of you! You are good to me.

    Michele, Hello there! Thank you.

    Tracy, Your question is excellent. Lady in Long Underwear?

    Nicole, We should definitely be celebrating another year. I wonder if those who complain consider the alternative... It's your month and I hope you've begun celebrating.

    Beth, It's good I got out of there while my wool was still safe. Close call.

    Kate, Janis & Sharon, I really enjoyed making that drawing. I haven't drawn in a while and it was fun.

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  25. Denise--belated wishes for your 44th. I know it will be filled with wonder and creativity. Your grey owl sighting is fine omen.

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  26. Happy Birthday Denise! Your glass tree house sounds intriguing...I like the sound of it being only accessible by tram...kind of tucked away, amongst the trees, peering out at the world, but remaining somewhat hidden. A moth called Bernard...hmmm he sounds strong and brave as his name suggests, but also seems as though he maintains a quiet, gentle calm about him...
    I hope you, Chris and Bernard are well.
    Annie x

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  27. Happy belated birthday to you Denise. I hope the moth is not a sweatertarian...

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  28. Happy late birthday Denise, hope you had a wonderful day. I love the fact that these creatures are part of your everyday life; we don't have a regular moth but there's a fox and an owl I've named Archimedes. It's good that you can at least knit many things to keep warm; my apartment is also cold in winter although the heating's on full so wrap up snugly.

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  29. Happy Birthday! Thanks for letting me see the world through your eyes for a moment, it was a lovely thing.

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  30. "Again, my dreams were filled with wild cats."

    Such delight! I love the visual I see as I read this line. It is beautiful.

    Here's to a magical year bright with brilliance and plenty of quiet moments too. Happy Birthday to you (for a few days ago now).

    g xo

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  31. beautiful, beautiful writing!

    such a pleasure to dabble in your words. :)

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  32. Thanks, ladies!

    Emily Vanessa, A fox and an owl named Archimedes -- fabulous.

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  33. Happy Birthday Denise! I'm closing in on my 40's very fast but surprising am okay with that. I hope that you had a wonderful day in a glass tree house(!!) with a moth named Bernard!

    I like your drawing.

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  34. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. and happy belated birthday.

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