Happy to be feeling well. Still flaring in various parts, but the energy is better. Might be the sun and nice weather? Adjustment to time change? Getting outdoors to move is so good for me. Spent some time in the past two days emptying out the barn of detritus. Little by little, the stuff is going. Everything is ruined in there anyway. I can almost see the corners now. I found something ghostly beautiful yesterday, in the far back corner. As I lifted a box, a form jutted out of the shredded papers on the floor that was unmistakably organic. It had perfectly aligned white shiny teeth and two really large eye sockets. It was a skull. "Please don't let it be a cat," I thought, thinking of the horrible 'trapped in a garage' experience Theo had several years ago. I picked it up without touching it directly to find it was completely clean -- just bone -- and it was a young raccoon. Only the top part of the skull. After almost screaming and then calming down, I decided that was enough excitement for one day and wrapped up the dumping efforts. There may be more in there, but I saw nothing with a cursory look. I brought the skull inside and it is now soaking in hydrogen peroxide to further bleach out the surface.
What a gorgeous object to draw. Maybe make it really large? A section of it's sensuous curves (think Georgia O'Keefe, here.) You never know what launches inspiration. At very least, my students will like to draw it. The thought that it is a raccoon, a mysterious, elusive, but ever-present critter that has lived along side my family for almost fifty years, is relevant to me. It is sad that it is so small, as I think that is a juvenile (Carol might need to help me, here) -- but at least it didn't die in vain and anonymity. Nature is sad. A photo is here but only because my friend Judy doesn't like seeing things like this!
Onward to the day. Teaching my seventh graders how to embroider is an anticipated highlight!