Little

As insects go praying mantis' are on the large side and yet for such small creatures they have this humanoid aspect about them, they turn their heads and fix their gaze on you and grimace with their tiny mouths. Last week a praying mantis was inside my house casually walking down the wall. I was thrilled and thought at first maybe I should just leave it to roam about to randomly scavenge indoors. I wanted to show the mantis to my kids but considered it cruel to hold such a creature captive. My husband thought it wouldn't get enough to eat inside so I put the praying mantis outside on a bush. Later that week my son reported a squashed mantis in our driveway.

Without notice or discernable provocation
this free spirit is apt to plunge into free
flying interpretive dance mode- swooping,
soaring, leaping and gliding, and of course
whirling and twirling.

I've taken my cues here from my young
students who are much better artists than
me. Often they have fashioned mind boggling
extemporaneous songs and dances. I'm always
amazed at their wellsprings of creativity.

Strength

In this fast-paced modern world of ours maintaining a home
demands herculean strength. This particular set of parents
strives to be 'in the know' about all the latest teen trends.

I heard the following the following this week on some scratchy distant
barely audible radio signal which added to the mystique all the more:
"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of
Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength."

Leaf Crunching

Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above,and comes down from the
Father of lights

Night

Wild nights frolicing and gamboling over walls and rooftops had Nick and Nora aflutter with glee

Cafe

This is for my mother-in-law who I just got to visit. We shared mint ice cream in a French cafe although I ate most of it.