Blog Archives - A Cottage by the Sea

Love ‘em, leave ‘em and let ‘m go~

5/31/2014

Our three robin chicks have fledge; at least that what we hope has happened. Yesterday they were flapping their wings and pushing each other about in the too-crowded nest. This morning the nest was empty and they were nowhere in sight. When I went out to take this picture, Father Robin shrieked at me from this guard post in the tree. That’s all the activity we’ve seen today.

     During these past two weeks we have felt like grandparents watching our children be parents to their offspring, knowing that we had no say it what they did or how it was going. It seemed simple because these robins knew what to do. Now we’re feeling a little sad, like empty nesters, and a little let down because they didn’t even say goodbye.

    Love ‘em, leave ‘em and let ‘m go, so the saying goes. But we’re hoping that Ma and Pa are getting ready to start a new family.

      Um, I wonder if Khalil Gibran’s thought applies to birds?

“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.”

It's just the atmosphere~

5/29/2014

Nothing profound; just an observation. The atmosphere that permeates silence, solitude and simplicity differs from rainy day to sunny day. Yesterday was a rainy one. It was hard to settle into my writing; my body was slow; unspecified sadness snuck in. Today is a sunny one. I’m getting more done, moving faster, and not having to deal with mood. I can’t be more specific about any of this. I guess it’s just in the atmosphere.

Memorial Day in Sudbury~

5/27/2014

Where is the silence, solitude and simplicity in a Memorial Day parade? Our town parade goes by our house and stops across the street at the library to commemorate the Civil War. Minute Men, Civil War soldiers and servicemen representing all the wars then continue marching to Wadsworth Cemetery to remember those in the Revolutionary War. By the time they arrive at the Town Center, the repeated firing of guns and the playing of ‘Taps” will have reminded us of all our country’s wars.

It’s a moving experience hearing the prayers with words of remembering and peace. It’s a distressing experience hearing the guns, with sounds of remembering and war. Sometimes it’s hard to understand where the peace is in it all. All those deaths echoed in “Taps”. And yet, there is something peacefully silent at that moment as we all simply stand in solitude.

Comfort Italian Sausage Soup~

5/25/2014

I’m back into soup. The recipe that I just posted under ‘Cottage Companions, Comfort Food’ is from my friend Barbara who got it from her friend Susan. In adding more pasta shells than the recipe calls for, I end up with a hearty meal. Cornbread and salad completes the meal. Well, not entirely. There are always my Comfort Brown Sugar Brownies.

The reward of silence~

5/23/2014

Father Robin right in the center.

We had a scare the other night. Screeching birds woke us up and we feared that some enemy had attacked our robins. In the morning all was quiet and we didn’t see Mother sitting on the nest. Melancholy set it. But then, there they were, both parents foraging for seeds and worms and taking turns feeding away. Just now I saw Mother satisfying three gawking beaks, while Father guards the territory.

Ah, the reward of silence.

Trofeo Marzocco: flag waving in Florence

5/21/2014

A month ago today I arrived in Florence. A week and a half later, there I was, viewing the Trofeo Marzocco, a flag-waving contest organized by the Bandierai degli Uffizi, the official flag-waving group of Florence. My friend and I had enjoyed a delicious pizza before heading over to the Piazza della Signoria to watch. Fortunately we arrived 45 minutes early and thus secured a front-row, standing-only spot right up at the barrier. We witnessed the parade of the six groups representing towns/cities throughout Italy, followed by their individual presentations. Flag wavers and band members were dressed in Renaissance attire. What could make me happier?

I am aware that this post as nothing to do with silence, solitude and simplicity; quite the opposite. But that’s the point: we need variety. And besides, I want to show you the pictures.

Striving for a simple life~

5/19/2014

Here I am, trying to simplify my life; but to do so takes a great deal of physical and psychic energy. I truly want to lead a life of silence, solitude and simplicity, but it isn’t easy, as we all know. So, I ask myself: what of my own doing holds me back? what can I eliminate?

     Definitely getting rid of stuff. But here’s the catch; I need to do it more simply, more efficiently. For example, I must stop perseverating about every book, paper, and piece of clothing that I want to toss or keep.

     Then there is letting go of TV and the newspaper. I keep working on that one. Easier to do when the Red Sox keep losing. Glancing at the headlines today was more than depressing. Tough stuff going on around the globe. Negative attitudes by everyone, but maybe that’s what is ‘fit to print’. Feel good stories won’t sustain a readership.

     I have to keep believing that the silent, solitary, simple life that I long for and work toward might just bring a little balance to our noisy, crowded complex universe. It’s the best I can do.

Getting rid of stuff--again--some more~

5/17/2014

Mrs. Robin is still sitting; Mister Robin is feeding her. That’s what it looks like from here. Of course, I put it all in anthropomorphic terms. I like to think that Mister is doing his share, and we know that he’ll be helping with the feeding once the babes are hatched. Remember, “Make Way for Ducklings”? Mr. Mallard disappeared for the entire pregnancy but then showed up to show off his progeny.

    On the human front around here, once again, we are getting rid of stuff. Jim does a much better job than I do. He’s fast—makes a decision and goes with it. As I write (I could be tossing stuff instead of writing about it) he’s out in the garage getting stuff ready for our daughter’s yard sale in Pennsylvania. Actually, we could get rid of it right now; put a sign out, and it would be gone in an hour. Living across from the library there’s plenty of traffic and excellent parking. Oh, need I mention that all the stuff Jim has accumulated is from the put-and-take? It’s not even our stuff!

      What I am dealing with, however, is my stuff, mainly papers and books. I don’t have enough papers to warrant a dumpster, but the recycling facility at the dump will suffice. It also has a first-rate book exchange shed: and then there are friends, the yard sale, and the library book fair.

     I’m going to activate IT’S TIME TO GO; LETTING GO OF STUFF http://lettingofstuff.blogspot.com/ as a way to shame myself to get going. I’d rather write about it than do it. That’s pathetic, Bobs. I just want a simple life, not a stressful one.

Backyard robin~

5/15/2014

Believe me, she's there.

A robin in nesting in the rhododendron by the side of our house. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, to be privy to. There’s something mighty simple about it. For the most part, Mother Robin just sits there. Occasionally she gets off and once my husband saw Mr. Robin sitting with her. How about that for a tender touch? We starting noticing this about a week ago, so perhaps she has a week to go. Then the feeding activity will begin.

Nature is awesome. When we don’t tamper with it, it seems to be simple. ‘Let nature take it’s course.’ But when we try to understand it and explain it in words, it shows it’s complexity. Fortunately, we backyard observers have the luxury of choosing to sit in mystery. Well, so do the ornithologists.

Attention on the news~

5/13/2014

As I’ve mentioned several times, I’m not much into following the news. Sure, maybe I just want to avoid all the sad stuff and live in bliss. My serious reason for staying away from the news, however, has to do with how I choose to spend my time, both physical and psychic. There are just so many hours in the day; my brain can take on just so many thoughts and ideas. I try to spend my time and energy doing some kind of good in the world. A news reporter, I am not. Generally speaking, the news doesn’t support my longing for silence, solitude and simplicity.

The girls abducted in Nigeria, nevertheless, have my attention. I’m reading about them and turning on the TV to try to understand and be informed. I can’t experience silence, solitude or simplicity if I ignore them. It’s as simple as that.