mumma yaga

 dec. 31 Here is Fig, more like his old self. Fig is better today: still can't see but he is beginning to be aware of obstacles and locates me more easily. He is holding his tail up again after carrying it down in fear position and he is wagging more. He came for a walk off-leash yesterday and followed me very well. K and I walked over to the second meadow and Fig walked part-way on leash. When we got among the trees I put him in a carrier I fashioned from a pashmina for the rest of the walk. I carried my children in an Indonesian-style baby carrier like this until they were heavier than he is, so it wasn't difficult. He seemed happy with it and didn't growl or wriggle. I hope he will get the hang of following us while finding a path between the weeds and bushes, perhaps begin to follow our footsteps more closely.                                                ...

 dec. 28 Fig is okay. He is eating, going outside and wagging his tail (a little) and fiercely scolding Blackie when the big dog comes to visit. These are all good news, because Fig had an accident late Tuesday night.  He fell all the way down the loft stairs (16 steps) thumpity thump thump thump, and I leapt out of bed cursing and ran to the stairs. He was standing at the bottom looking a little bewildered but otherwise okay. I took him outside, and then carried him back to bed. The next day he seemed sore and was limping badly on his right foreleg. I felt him all over and although he seemed bruised and tender I didn't feel any bad swelling anywhere, even on his foreleg. He acted shaken, however, and confused. As the day went on we realized he could no longer see! He tried to walk under the table and ran into the cross bar. We contacted a vet: the closest one open on the 24th was 45 minutes away.  But by Thursday morning I had decided his leg was not broken (it would hav...

 dec. 27 The moon last night.  " It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."* There was much talk and moaning about missing friends and relatives this Christmas, missing parties, gift-giving, impromptu visits, but what I saw on social media (for which we must be grateful!) was a lot of connecting with friends and relatives, and sharing - photos of Christmases past and this Christmas too, small feasts, favorite ornaments, gingerbread, candy canes, a goat in a court jester collar (!), cats under Christmas trees, families in Santa hats, snowmen in PPE, freshly fallen snow on Christmas morning. This will be a Christmas to remember, with unplanned and unprecedented wonders, special moments that happened beca...

dec. 23 Yesterday, driving home from town.             Today, the sun will be out soon.                                     Blue sky and new snow.         https://youtu.be/Zm7Goz05MrU  Van Morrison, I wanna roo you . "Twenty-third of December Covered in snow You in the kitchen With the lights way down low I'm in the parlor playing my old guitar Speaking to you, darling, to find out how you are I wanna roo you, wanna get through to you I wanna woo you, woo you tonight" Snow, and being with someone you love: that is my Christmas wish to all. No wrapping, no ribbons, only firelight and chestnuts, a glass of wine, let's be "stranded for a week". There are photo albums and jigsaw puzzles, Christmas movies, recipes to try while the kitchen is uncrowded. When did that last happen on Christmas day?  "Snowstorm's on the way and we'll be stranded fo...

 dec. 21 the winter solstice a candle for sun-return  The oldest human ritual, the prayer for sun-return, is today. The sun at its most southerly position, and the shortest day of the year, mark the beginning of winter, and the beginning; for which we light a candle, burn the fire bright, and bring evergreen boughs into our homes; of the sun's slow return to the land, and the rebirth of the year. Light and fire represent both our faith in the promise of spring and the hope of sun-return, and the hope of warmth to see us through the cold and dark.  The dawn today The circle of the sun, the phases of the moon, the awakening of spring, the harvest, and the gathering of fuel for winter's coming again: these are in our bones, these patterns. For generations and generations people have depended on the natural world for shelter, food and clothing; how could those dances not be our dances, their breath and life our breath and life? The sun, the sun from whence comes all of life: ...

dec.17   Mumma's golden chickpea curry 1 cup chickpeas, dry - this is the secret of the recipe! Rinse and soak overnight in 2 inches of water. Drain and replace water and boil 70 minutes. Set aside. 1 med. onion chopped fine 3 or 4 cloves garlic chopped fine or crushed  3 slices ginger root chopped fine 1/3 tsp turmeric powder or equivalent root chopped 2 tsp your favorite curry powder (mine is Cool Runnings Jamaican) or your own blend, mild and sweet.  shakes pepper 1 1/2 C chicken broth or veg. broth 1 398ml can of coconut milk salt to taste, before serving. 1 C rice cooked - 1 C before cooking that is. : cook chickpeas (as above) (or use canned, rinsed) saute onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric root add to chickpeas add spices except for salt. add broth and coconut milk. simmer and stir 10 minutes.  now add salt if needed. Note: you may wish to add 1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice to cut the richness, esp. the next day. Thais would use cilantro too. for garnish. Serve in a...

Sun Dog                  dec. 16  Today it is 18 degrees below and sunny: perfect for sun dogs, with which we are familiar from Edmonton, but which I have seen on occasion in Toronto, mornings and late afternoons. They are created by some atmospheric magic not unlike rainbows. Sometimes there are two complete mirage suns, one on each side of the true one.  It is too cold for Fig to go out without a coat and boots. Here he is outside and here are his coat (second-hand) and baby mittens for his feet, also second-hand (the mitts not his paws), laid to dry. Actually my coat and K's are also second-hand although we have new boots: snow-trudgers from Canadian Tire.  **** Forty weeks: the length of a pregnancy. That's how long we have been in the covid-19 pandemic. In many countries it seems to be just hitting its stride. The pandemic's slow and misleading growth has taken us by surprise even as the vaccinations begin. Looking at how ...

dec. 13      This afternoon the sky is showing promise of a clear night. Tal put the chairs on the porch for us to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower tonight. It is warm in the sun but with clear weather often comes colder temperatures and the wind is picking up.  Winter Tea 1 or 2 bags or teaspoons of tea, black, rooibos, chai, your favorite. 4 or 5 thin slices ginger root. 4 or 5 thin slices of turmeric root. 1 hot chili pepper.  Warm teapot. Add ingredients. Add boiling water. Steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove teabags.  Sweeten with honey or agave syrup.  A warm robust tea with healthful ingredients. ***** This morning Fig and I discovered a little stream at the west edge of the meadow, just inside the forest. It has been above zero and the snow is melting. The roof of the house is free of snow now; we heard the snow slabs plopping in the night. It was raining a little and the clouds have come to lie in the valley. And so dark! I lit a candle for comfor...

dec. 11 Here is the morning sky before the sunrise. Last night's dinner was all prepared in the microwave. Veggie burger chopped up with red pepper, red onion, garlic and seasoning was prepared by first cooking the vegetables and then adding the burger and some HP, pepper, salt, and a bit of Frank's hot sauce. That done, I microwaved broccoli spears and then re-heated previously microwaved squash (from Rain's cellar). I have one bowl big enough for the first dish, and cereal bowls for the others. I felt very resourceful! One day my pots will come!  The sky cleared last night and the stars were as bright as I have ever seen them. There were two very bright lights in the east, low on the horizon, twinkling red and green! We thought: alien invasion? military espionage? satellites? but we finally discovered that they were stars! The brighter, more southern one was Capella, the other higher in the sky and farther north might be Sirius. They flash red and green because they are l...