owl shadows

I saw the owl today.
He was facing the other way—his back to me.
Silently he peered beyond where my eyes couldn't see.
Higher and higher,
I beckoned him this way, quietly.
I gave up too quickly, perhaps.
He wasn't looking at me,
But I knew he sensed my stare.
For as soon as I circled round
Just a few moments later,
He was gone from his high-in-the-sky perch—
That old gnarly tree in the swamp.
And I immediately felt—
Too little too late—
That I had wasted a perfectly good acquaintance.
My one chance to speak with the owl one on one,
Gone.

finally, designer kitty!

Remember when I was whining about the lack of stylish litter boxes in the market? Well, I haven't yet found the box of my kitty cats' dreams, but I have found one company that brings us all a step closer. What's more, they're located right here in Burlington, Vermont!

Hepper Home is a pet products company that sells a line of stylish, modern furniture for cats and dogs. My favorite is a herringbone tweed nest bed, lined in fuzzy wuzzy sherpa fleece. Don't worry, I sent a request for litters and turns out they're already working on it. But for now, enjoy the fun offerings!

www.hepperhome.com

mushrooms come popping up

Every month, I receive a welcome missive from my good friend Madeleine Vedel. Together she and her husband Erick run a cooking school in Provence, France. It is there I stayed for several months after college, and the memories from that time run deep and vivid in my mind.

The most recent missive in my mailbox talked about mushrooms and reminded me of when we went mushroom hunting during a stay in the gorgeous lush hills of the Cévennes mountains in Southern France. I was very homesick at the time, and the green, rolling forests reminded me very much of my home in Vermont.

At the end of an adventurous treasure hunt, I had found a total of 3 large cèpes (also known as porcinis). A proud moment! We brought them by the local pharmacy (to check for poisonous varieties) and then whisked them home to cook up a fabulous supper.

And here is Madeleine's letter...





Photos: Penelope, Madeleine and friends mushroom hunting in the Cévennes in Southern France, 2002.

hi ho london!

We've been itching to get ourselves to England for a while now. I wanted Colin to meet my grandmother and the Illingworth clan. We're too late for Granny Dot, but we're off to England to meet the rest come March. All 8 of us—Mummy & Papa, Hannah & Brian, Emma & Kev, Me & Colin. Yippee! Oh and we're spending a weekend in London too. We've already booked our hotel. Maybe we'll see the queen. How posh!

bath time

There's nothing like a nice hot bath to revive the soul. All morning, I felt cold and achy and tight. I tried to sleep it off. Tried to lounge it off under the covers watching T.V. But it wasn't until I dipped my toes into the tub that I felt a warm swell ripple up my muscles and loosen all of the anxiety from the last few days. Now my headache is edging up and I'm ready to attack the night!