A different kind of Friday

and the end of my summer

This won’t be my typical kind of Friday post — y’all know I usually do my question and answer thing at the end of the week, but today I feel more reflective and just want to to you — I missed posting on Wednesday — but in all honesty, I never made the time for it. It’s been a busy and emotional week. All is well, but life can sometimes be a lot, as you know.

John Henry and I are heading to NYC tomorrow because it’s time for him to return to school. We had a lovely summer all in all, with few mishaps and fewer scary moments than I remember in previous summers. That doesn’t mean I didn’t grab him at nearly the last safe second before he reached the street in a neighborhood we’d never been to before, just yesterday. That doesn’t mean we haven’t had some difficult nights of little sleep and too much stress. But we’re in a place today I wasn’t sure we’d ever reach. And that’s absolutely incredible to me. It makes me so deeply happy to see my son progress and grow more and more into his incredible self. It is a blessing to be his Mama — some days it’s a high challenge, but on all of them, it is a high honor. I’m abhorred at his teenage ennui, but I also feel deeply connected to him and know that he is one of my most important soul mates. I learn from him everyday.

I’ve also been working on the front yard and doing some end of summer/fall is almost here planting. I grow a lot of things in pots around here because our soil is kinda contrary and we also have small front and backyard spaces (the back is total courtyard with no soil) as we live in an old, historic in-town neighborhood — but H. helped me transplant some of my bigger babies to the front yard, which is mostly rock and only has a tiny patch of grass. We also have a dog that’s bigger than I am and her pee kills that patch of grass, so I’ve been struggling for several years about how to make it look its best. Constant tinkering has been required. But that’s making a home, and especially when you live in one that’s one-hundred years old. It has been so good to get really dirty, sweaty, and use my body to do physical labor. I pulled about 4 square yards of dead vines off the front fence (our ivy died in the harsh frost last winter and I left the vines for a while for the new growth to use as scaffolding so it will easily grow back up the fence) and had a pile of it — and y’all know me, my mind starts to work on what can be done with a thing like dead vines, so here is the beginning stage of the nest I decided I’d make out of it. I’ll keep you updated on the finished product, but I’m using the five real nests I have in a branch in my house as inspiration. Have y’all ever studied a bird’s nest? Architecture, intelligence, sensitivity, beauty.

I plan to add some fabric pieces, some lights — it will be a living art piece. I’m thinking of setting up a teepee in the front yard. Yes, I’m the weird lady on the street that makes eagle size bird’s nests out of dead vines and wants to sit in a teepee from time to time.

Is this an obsession? My sister whittled those birds. That tiny nest is a hummingbird’s and it came from her house in California.

Last Tuesday was my Mama’s 79th birthday. It hit me hard this year, and I wanted to do something to mark the day and to honor her. I went to my favorite garden center and purchased a tree I’ve always wanted — a Japanese maple — and a lovely Italian pot for it to go in. That’s a go to mix for me, by the way — Japanese and Italian — doesn’t seem like it would go but in my house, it makes perfect sense. The elm is now called Mama’s tree and was delivered yesterday. The plan was to make it the first addition to the meditation garden we have plans to build alongside the house, but I like it so much where it is, I think I’m going to just pot it where it sits. That’s a great excuse to get another one anyway.

the mournful beauty and elegance of the Japanese Maple brings me to tears.

So, I guess I’ve been soaking in domesticity this week, trying to be present in as many moments of these sweet days as I can. I decided at the beginning of it that I wanted it to be as slow as possible. And though there have been hectic days, and we’ve been busy at times, it has felt like what I’ve always imagined summer could be. Sweet, languid, even spontaneous. I have been so conscious of joy.

heliotropism is another fascination of mine.

The other place my mind has been going is to the novel that’s still 99.9% in my head. I’ve gotten some scenes out lately — but here’s what’s going on — I’m developing developing developing, thinking thinking thinking, letting my mind run free (and is it ever) and last night I ordered a pile of books on the arts of hydromancy and water lore and spirits. At this time, I’m planning a supernatural element for this story. At this time, this will be an 800-page book. At this time, I know I don’t want to write an 800-page book and hardly anyone wants to read one. So, At this time, I’m letting myself have all the fun and I’m taking some good notes that I can’t wait to put to use in that writer’s room at the Nashville Public Library in early October. I’m gathering a list of materials I’ll take to it in my mind — a big map, photographs, fabrics, all of my research books, paints and paper, a bluetooth speaker to play really softly (there’s a closing door — a room to write in with a closing door!). I’m excited. I smell the beginning of school in the air. I always loved that time and still do, apparently. Though I will miss having my son in my home 24/7, I can rest easy knowing that he is with his beloved teachers and friends at his school, and that if I know anything, I know time passes quicker than I’d like. We have years of full-time adventures ahead of us and they’ll be here before we know it.

I hope y’all are having a fantastic week. I’ll be back Sunday.

Peace. Love.

Allison

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coming soon.