Goodnight Moon ~ Hello Sun

 

Leaving offerings, this time bracelets, at the bridge.

When an email is a gift...

My book friend sent an alert that in 2025, Goodnight Moon would be making its debut on a USPS Stamp. How wonderful!

At the bottom of this notice, one is directed to the post below...I got lost for a good long while. 

Which lead me to the Substack "Looking At Picture Books" where I read along, studying the words and illustrations...and went on to read every comment. So fascinating.

The sun was absolutely not this big! However, I love that it photographed this way.

You can kind of see the air quality in this pic. Not the best day, but still okay. I walked as far the "fence change" as we call it...where the wooden split rail shifts into white fabricated fencing.

My Goodnight Moon explorations led me to this. I thought of Liz.

Goodnight Moon | Rabbit hOle Team Rises to the Challenge of the Great Green Room

LINK 14:27 minutes

Offerings...a beaded bracelet...one of the rocks someone placed on a fence post (there were a few) and hard to see - fluffy bird feathers trapped in the rough wood. This last one really caught my attention, as I've never seen feathers here in the past. So, then my mind goes to the Why? Why are there small feathery fluff feathers stuck in two of the posts? Was it a natural occurrence? Did an animal or bird of prey play a part in this happening? Mmm...?

The constant green, moisture and trickle of the river stands in deep contrast to the dryness in the air, the browned plant life and the devastation from the fires. The air is the quality of brown haze that I tried to capture in my latest weaving. I love when the shots hold the shadows of the bridge. 

This is that weaving, the one I started and basically wove mostly in one night. "Pacific Pallisades" or "Sea, Fire, Sky" or?? The sea sits quietly, beautifully along the bottom...sea, sand, growth ~ calling us to remember. Earth and growth then meets the rage of the flames. A reservoir waits. I think the fire reads as fire here. I wanted to weave it as layers, not shapes or exact representations. So the fire and the scorched earth is added in as layers of reddish, yellow and brown/red. The sky holds haze and smoke and blue shining through...because the blue skies will always return. I used the found, rusty nail to hang it from. It the end, I like it quite well added on after the weaving was done. I awoke this morning with the idea to finger crochet the hanging string. I like how it thickened up the string to hang it from. A single strand, plain was to thin. This one small Ah-Ha made a difference, to me.

All of the Goodnight Moon explorations reminded me of the small blanket I'd made years ago and my own copy, which I thought was the one gifted to me by my mom when I was 13. I went looking. Instead, what I found was this copy is from almost 45 years ago when the two young women I'd babysat for years (when I was 9-14 years old), threw me a baby shower and gave me this book. Sweet. I also found the rest of the Goodnight Moon fabrics.

What favorite memories do you want to keep and savor?

May you relish a deep dive now and then 

May you keep your passions alive

May you weave a good life story

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2025 

#goodenough

Words, Illustrations and Paperwork & Poetry

❤️

Today was a day to get stuff done. I was mildly successful. Lots of searching for a piece of paper I need and could not find. Lots of finding old papers I don't need one bit. Some shredding. One of those days that feels productive, even if parts are not at all so.

This splendid link was in my niece's substack today. We all know how I love children's books, so this was a real treat to read at Picture Book Builders. I enjoyed seeing this process from an illustrators viewpoint. I remember years ago my mom told me how there are times when the author and the illustrator never even speak. They each do their part and a book is published. I never much liked that thought. This post was interesting because I hadn't really considered how the influence of the publisher might fit in. Thinking about that.

This beautiful Maya Angelou video came to me a few days ago. I've listened more than once. Hearing her voice, her laugh is magic.

MAYA ANGELOU reads "When I Think about Myself/We Wear the Mask (Dunbar)/Song for the Old Ones"

LINK 3:37 minutes
 

🖊️

When I think about myself, I almost laugh myself to death. My life has been one great big joke, A dance that’s walked A song that’s spoke. I laugh so hard I almost choke When I think about myself. Sixty years in these folks’ world The child I works for calls me girl I say “Yes ma’am!” for working’s sake. Too proud to bend and Too poor to break, I laugh until my stomach ache, When I think about myself. My folks can make me split my side I laugh so hard I nearly died, The tales they tell, sound just like lying, They grow the fruit, but eat the rind. I laugh until I start to crying, when I think about myself And my folks and the little children. We wear the mask that grins and lies, It shades our cheeks and hides our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask. We smile, but, O my God, our tears To thee from tortured souls arise. And we sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world think otherwise, We wear the mask! My fathers sit on benches Their flesh count every plank The slats leave dents of darkness Deep in their withered flanks. And they nod like broken candles, All waxed and burned profound, They say, "Honey, it was our understanding that made your world go round." Deep in those pleated faces I see the auction block The chains and slavery’s coffles The whip and lash and stock. My Fathers speak in voices That shred my fact and sound They say "But darling, it was our submission that made your world go round." They laugh to shield their crying, They shuffled through their dreams They stepped ’n fetched a country And wrote the blues with screams. I understand their meaning, it could an did derive from living on the edge of death They kept my race alive. By wearing the mask! ~ "When I Think about Myself" & "Song for the Old Ones" from "The Poetry of Maya Angelou;" "We Wear the Mask" from "The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar."

⌘

I'm still working on moving through these current times. Some days and moments feel better than others, but not really. It all just really stinks and hard days are tiring. If it appears, in my recent posts, like I'm all over the place...I am. I am all over the place and stuck internally as well. sigh.

"We have to stand on what still stands" -ECM 11/13/24

✏️ 🖊️ 

I had recently pulled out this book, wondering what to DO with it. "The True and the Questions" by Sabrina Ward Harrison (I enjoyed the video at her website). I was very into her art years back and had 3 of her 5 books. This is the last one left. I began my plan by taking out the pages I had already journaled on, because I wouldn't need to pass those on! I had thought to just donate it as is (with those pages missing)? I don't know. But as I flipped through, looking for my own writing to remove, I had a new thought. It is meant as an interactive book, a book to journal in, to be creative with...so maybe I can use some of the pages separate from the book itself. If you happen upon a letter from me, the paper it is written on may have come from this book. This is a new thought for me. I don't usually like book altering arts. Books are BOOKS to me. Anyway, we'll see.

May you find what you are looking for 

May you get rid of all you can

May you embrace new ideas 

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

Wisps

 

Wisps of clouds floating by, like unfinished thoughts in my mind.

Many people do not know the secret of the safety pin.

LINK 4:34 minutes

I'm sure I will never use this needless (for me) information, but it was eye-opening to see.

Outside the local Social Security office, the beauty fills me.

Even when things get prickly, we have to still look for that beauty...still look up, right?

Four books heading off to my great-niece and great-nephew. One signed by the author/illustrator, one signed by college age me and two signed by my mama. May they read them with the joy of connections in their hearts.

May you try to hold on to the wisps

May you avoid the prickly

May you sink in with a good book 

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

Beauty Surrounds Us

 

When one is on the floor doing stretches and exercises, one has a tendency to glance around. That is exactly how I rediscovered my copy of The Snow Goose. Many of you may be quite familiar with this book, but evidently, I was not. It was a gift from a close friend of my mom's, my 'godmother', way back when I was an older child or young teen. In her beautiful script, she wrote me a note inside. 

But, here's the thing, I don't remember if I ever read it. So, that's what I did. I sat right where I was and read the whole little book. What a treasure. I read the jacket flaps and I got curious. I read the Wikipedia page and the BOOKBOUND BLOG - which tied the blog author's family history to this story location and the artist of a 1946 edition, Sir Peter Scott. This was very fascinating and satisfying. I looked at a sampling of his prints. I also discovered a spoken/musical version here.

My copy is the 1941 version, so no artwork to add to the story, which I did not mind one bit. It was published in 1972, 7th printing.

I hope you enjoy this absolutely stunning video.

For Everyone Who Knows My Name / Liziqi Channel

LINK 12:27 minutes

The crow laughed "Haw, haw, haw" as it engaged in a free flowing pairing dance with the hawk.

 I carried the tiny feather with me and tucked it into the hanging crystal in my car, reminding me that even if you are a teeny bit of this world, it still belongs to you.

May you hold and share the stories that are beautifully heartbreaking

May you engage in your life

May you believe in yourself

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

What is a Regular Day?

 

Today was kind of regular, normal, typical...it was kind of something. We drove into The Valley for a medical appointment, which went mostly just fine. We grocery shopped. We talked about how the fierce winds had really blown the air clean. I wish I could dictate to those winds which 'things' needed to be cleansed.

The Mountain Fire doubled in size and burnt down many homes. I feel so awful for these people who have lost everything. This is always an awful thing...but now? Now on election 2024 day? Sigh. We are fine, about 30 minutes away, but I know folks who are out that way.

These roses caught my eye today. It is good to have something beautiful to look at while unloading groceries.

There was culture to be had at the medical center.  While we sat waiting for my appointment time, we heard someone tickling the ivories. We heard "Bicycle Built for Two - Daisy, Daisy", "What a Wonderful World", "Putting on the Ritz", "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"...and many others. We stepped out of the waiting room to see him playing. A few minutes later I chuckled when I heard him play "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and "Baby Beluga"! I felt like I was work 🙂

The exam room had this lovely piece of art by Michelle Oppenheimer. This is a style of painting I really like. You can see more of her work HERE.

A beautiful clear day, where on the downhill drive, one can see across the whole valley. It appears like any other day, like another day in America - flags blowing in the wind. sigh.

I recently found this little book on the shelf and decided to read it right away. It was a gift from my mama in 2001. Upon rereading, I realize I didn't recall any of it. Ha.

May you allow moments of regular

May you look and look and look for beauty

May you let the winds carry off the unwanted, unneeded 

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

Lines of Communication

 

Ultimate Truth - Our Purpose on Earth

LINK 11:19 minutes

This man's calm demeanor, the cadence of his voice and the message & wisdom of his words will call me back to listen again again.  If you choose to listen, I think you'll agree.

Today's sky was cloud filled, shifting light filled...magic filled. It was about 64°...beautiful. Today my camera-eye was interested in this sky and the numerous power lines. This uniquely shaped clouds or grey looking sky was criss-crossed with the touch of man and in that collaboration between nature and man, there was beauty.

🪶 ⌘ 🪶

This afternoon I went over to Liz's place to see the new pins in her Peace Pin project. I was not disappointed. I never am over at her place. Anyway, that led me to the blog of another reader, Betty.  I read this post of hers and really enjoyed learning about this exhibit. I was intrigued by the Moby Dick artwork exhibit, since that is one of J's favorite books.

Draw Me Ishmael: Book Arts of Moby Dick, Herman Melville, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

LINK 10:38 minutes

If you haven't listened to any of the inspirational speeches lately, poke around...you may find some joy.  I've really enjoyed listening to Michelle Obama the most. This live one today, with Alicia Keys, was great (along with every time I've heard her).  Searching for joy is a good use of my time.

I received a phone call today, encouraging me to Vote. She spoke in a calm and hopeful voice for a view moments before I interjected: May I interrupt you for a moment? We have already voted on the first day of early voting, we voted blue up and down the ticket. I could feel her smile through the "phone lines". I could hear it in her voice. I let her know that I appreciated her work and did not want to waste her time...because we have voted!

May you hold things in balance

May you employ many ways to communicate

May you share Wisdom and build your own

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024