A Cottage by the Sea
  • Home
  • On My Mind
  • Quotes
  • Secrets of an Old Woman
  • A Solitary Traveler
  • Compassionate Reading
  • Comfort food
  • Books
  • Suggested reading
  • Poems
  • About me
  • About me and my blog

Our bunny is back

5/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
We thought Grey was a male; we though Grey was our fox, living somewhere on our propter. Wrong and wrong. 
     Grey is a female living up the street in under our neighbors shed. Actually, she is not living there anymore but it was the home she picked to birth her nine (or was it eleven) cubs. Our neighbor has videos showing the cubs appearing and disappearing from under the shed, but unfortunately I don’t have copies. The family disappeared for a week, then reappeared to the birthing shed, but now they are gone. 
    There have been many sighting of  Grey throughout the neighborhood, along our busy street, and on the side streets behind the cemetery. Bunnies have returned to our yard, which convinces us that Grey hasn’t been here since she gave birth. We wish her and all her cuties well.

0 Comments

Animal watch

5/19/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureA resident is peaking out of that hole
Just a catchup on the latest animal watch around here. The last time I saw Grey was a week ago as he proudly strolled across a neighbor’s front yard. I was on my way home from my evening walk to the cemetery when I saw him; he hardly gave me glance. They say fox are not afraid of humans.
      Much to our relief our resident bunny made an appearance near our patio a few days ago.
      Today I must purchase a humming bird feeder and stand. Two hummers arrived yesterday winging around for food.
    Finally, I am still concerned that when we cut down one of the big maples in our yard, the families of squirrels living there will have to find another  apartment building. We’re sorry to have to evict them, but if we don’t take the tree down, it will find its own way—probably not onto our house, but maybe toward our neighbors or across the road.

0 Comments

Solitude is not synonymous with sedentary

5/17/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
 Solitude can be a challenge for ADHD type like me. I don’t/can’t sit still for long. Actually it’s only a challenge if I think I should sit still for a long time.  As a kid I was sometimes told to sit still, or at least people comment on continual moving about, although they were always nice about it. Probably because I was a happy-go-lucky kid. I learned early that people are kinder to kids who smile. True for adults, too, but I think it’s harder for adults to catch onto that if they didn’t grow up acting happy. They have to work at it, that is if they are even aware of what they can get away with by smiling. 
     As a kid, even though I was social, I loved spending time by myself. Many memories, still vivid, are of playing alone in my room, or wandering in the woods checking out my forts. I was always on the move. 
    And so today, in my solitude, I move from post to post, from activity to activity. Solitude is not synonymous with sedentary.

1 Comment

Resident fox

5/13/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
We have a resident fox. Grey, as in fox, first appeared a few weeks ago, and has continued to visit every few days, at daybreak of late afternoon. At least, that’s when we’ve noticed him. 
     One morning I saw him dash away from my kitchen window where he must have been enjoying the birdseed dropped from the feeder. No wonder I haven’t see our resident bunny later. In fact, my son saw the dinner remains of some furry animal in our woods. 
     We love seeing Grey once in a while. He is more afraid of us than we might be of him. Truth be told, a resident fox doesn’t get in the way of our solitude. 


According to humansociety.org, “A fox cutting through your yard is probably just passing through on their way between hunting areas and no action is necessary on your part.”

0 Comments

Serious Lock Down Advice

5/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture


This from Raven’s Bread, a newsletter for people who appreciate solitude.
http://wwww.ravensbreadministries.com

Serious Lock Down Advice: Please be careful because people are going crazy. I was just discussing this with the microwave and the toaster while drinking my tea, and we all agreed that things are getting bad. I didn’t mention this to the washing machine because she puts a different spin on EVERYTHING!! Certainly couldn’t share with the fridge ‘cause he’s been cold and distant. In the end, the iron straight- ened me out. She said the situation isn’t all that pressing and all the wrinkles will soon get ironed out. The vacuum, however, was very unsympathetic...told me to just suck it up. But the fan was VERY optimistic, giving me hope that it will blow over soon. The toilet looked a bit flushed but said nothing. I asked its opinion but the front door said goodbye 2020. I was becom- ing unhinged and the doorknob told me to get a grip. You can just about guess what the curtains told me: they said to “pull myself together.” We will survive. 



0 Comments

We only need one car

5/10/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Now here is simplicity for you. No, not for you to follow,  but as example of what we are able to do to simplify at this juncture in our life. “We now only have one car.” That’s the positive way of reporting it. I could have said, “We got rid of one of our cars,” which isn’t a negative statement, but may give a little clue to how delighted we are. 
    We don’t need two cars anymore. We can share. We are saving money by not paying insurance, registration, yearly inspection, and maintenance. We have more room in the garage. We gave the car to our son who will pass it on to one of our grandchildren. We kept it in good condition, but his mechanic will give it a look-over to be certain it is still good for the road.
     That 2004 green Camry made important trips with me. Trips around town; trips to visit my mom; trips to the cottage-by-the-sea. Throughout it’s entire life, it proudly wore an Obama-Biden sticker, which I told me son, may be worth more than the car itself.

0 Comments

Water of Leith Walkway

5/6/2021

0 Comments

 
I came across this post that I had written June 6, 2017 in Edinburgh. I was there writing for a week and for some reason I never posted this one. Maybe I had saved it for this special moment of longing to be wandering about Edinburgh. I am grateful for the memory. In fact, those of us who love solitude, and spend time in it, are always appreciative of memories and seem to be able to call them forth with ease, and with enjoyment and gratitude.
Picture
     After a productive morning writing at the National Library, restless set in. Isn’t that the way—a burst of energy and then a letdown! I find that a change of pace, which often includes some exercise, usually lifts the fog.
     There’s always something new to discover when I wander about a city. Today, it was the Water of Leith Walkway, “a public footpath and cycleway that runs alongside the small river of the same name through Edinburgh, Scotland, from Balerno to Leith.” I came across it during my walk to the Royal Botanical Garden.
     Tomorrow, my last day, I plan to return to the walkway and tour the gardens. That is, after a visit to Holyroodhouse. I’m skipping the Castle this trip. Today the lines were way too long, which means way too crowded for a solitary travel like me.


0 Comments

Keeping solitude

5/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Now that things are opening up, and now that I personally feel more comfortable being out in public, I have to be careful that I don’t wake up one morning with a calendar full of  social activities. How easy it could be for solitude to become no more than a good idea, something I long for, a dream for the future.  
     Since the beginning of the millennium twenty-one years ago, my life in community has found balance with my life of solitude. Those solitary trips to Italy and Scotland, and those winters at the cottage-by-the-sea are now in the past, but my solitude times at home remain deeply rewarding. There is no reason those shouldn’t continue, but I am aware that I must stay attentive so that the social me doesn’t take over the introverted me.

0 Comments
    Contact me: bobbifisher.mac@mac.com

    Categories

    All
    3rs
    3S's
    Aging
    Andre Dubus Iii
    Ann Patchett
    Anticipation
    Art
    Assisi
    Barbara Kingsolver
    Being Alone
    Beyond Words
    Boo
    Books
    Cantice Of The Sun
    Celebrations
    Choices
    Churches
    Community
    Cor
    Cottage By The Sea
    Cottage Day
    Courage
    Curiosity
    Dad
    Dalai Lama
    Death And Dying
    Depression
    Desiderata
    Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    Donald Hall
    Dr Alex Tang
    Edinburgh
    Eleanor Lerman
    Emily Dickinson
    Environment
    Esther De Waal
    Faith
    Field Trip
    Florence
    Fo
    Follow Your Bliss
    Food
    Friendship
    Frugal
    Gifts
    Giving And Receiving
    Gratitude
    Health
    Heart
    Hermits
    Hope
    Impermanence
    Independent And Close
    Inspire & Affirm & Encourage
    Introvert
    Iona
    Ireland
    Italy
    James Hollis
    Jane Austen
    Jan Sutch Pickard
    Joan Chittister
    John Dear
    John Masefield
    Joseph Campbell
    Katherine Paterson
    Knitting
    Li
    Lonely
    Longing
    Love
    Marsha Sinetar
    Mary Oliver
    Max Ehrmann
    Meaning
    Memories
    Mom
    Moving
    Museums
    My Day
    Nature
    Nina Sankovitch
    Now
    Oliver Herford
    Pamela Dalton
    Paris
    Passion
    Paulo Coelho
    Peace
    Philip Koch
    Place
    Play
    Prayer
    Present Moment
    Quiet
    Rachel Carlson
    Radical Compassion
    Read
    Reading
    Resolutions
    Restlessness
    Retirement
    Richard Rohr
    Rita Golden Gelman
    Robert Kull
    Rome
    Routines
    Rumi
    Sankovitch
    Scotland
    Seen In A Draper's Shop
    Service
    Silence
    Sim
    Simplicity
    Skye
    Sol
    Soli
    Solitude
    Soul Work
    Space
    St Catherine Of Siena
    St. Francis
    Stress
    Susan Gain
    Tenzin Palmo
    Thanksgiving
    The Uncommon Reader
    Thomas Keating
    Thomas Merton
    Three Sieves
    Time
    Travel
    Tru
    Viktor E. Frankl
    Walking
    Wonder
    Writi
    Writing

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.