Cat Walking: Glitter-flies

My friend Maureen almost never dreams and when she does it's generally not about my family. But on the nights my mom and sister died she dreamed about them.

This was her dream when Mom died:

"Dreamt of your mom. We were in the church bathroom but really it was a daycare with lots of kids, their moms, craft supplies, people coming and going, children's church music and your mom happily in the midst of it all. I'm assuming that she's sending you an 'all is well' message since I only ever have my one dream!"

"Just like your mom, your sister popped into a dream of mine. This is what she sent me for you. She was quite happy, laughing and covered with glitter as she went smiling on her new journey. I wonder why God uses glitter?!"

Maureen is a public school teacher and so has the right to be morally opposed to glitter. I was once attacked by a dress with mini glitter that actually gave me a bad rash so I do too.

That's why it was a stretch for her to give me this for Christmas:

And a stretch for me to like them.

Not just the glitter but in the 80's when I looked like this...

my fronds (ha ha Siri) and I hated butterflies too. I don't know why. We hated the colours purple and yellow as well. I like all of those things now. Except glitter.

But I love my glittery butterflies because they remind me of Mary Lynn and the dream Maureen had.

I held them beside theses two pictures for a reason.

I like the idea of a happy glittery Mary Lynn headed to heaven. But I'm not happy about what she had to leave behind.

ML was a super confident Christian but she didn't want to die. She was never ever resigned to it. She felt pretty invincible. Maybe even to a fault.

It makes me angry that she died. At the same time I believe that she's happy now and that makes me happy. So I like this song. I didn't know you could be angry and happy at the same time. Well mostly I'm sad really. So this is my current favourite Christmas song. If Pink Floyd wrote depressive Christian Christmas carols this would be it.

But the glitter-flies remind me that she's smiling too. But again I'm conflicted because I want her to miss us. When she'd been married about a year ML asked me if I thought about her every day. I was 16 so I basically only thought about myself everyday but there would be a different answer now.

I'm happy that you guys don't try to explain this stuff because I'm not really asking questions, I'm just figuring out what I am feeling. Thank you for respecting that.

I found this lobster trap languishing in the grass on the Georgetown beach one summer when we went out to see ML in Dad's pickup truck in the 80's. It made a perfect cat bed for a while till my cat Mosey chewed the string so much I couldn't repair it anymore.

I highly doubt that the butterflies are meant to be used outside but I know Maureen won't mind that that's where I want them. I want them to get snowed on and act as the background for my ice bubbles should we ever have weather cold enough. If they run and rust all the better to represent my feelings. I was pretty impressed that the glitter kept its hands to itself and didn't shed at all. Did not see that coming. It's a Christmas miracle.

And listen I don't go around looking for symbols in clouds but these were my next few pictures.

Back to squirrels.

These thistles avoided the fall clear cutting.

They might be what I follow this winter if I can get over to them when it starts snowing.

A few weeks ago someone or something left a piece of bread on my air conditioner. Today there was a biscuit.

No idea.

If it's my neighbours who read my blog how about money instead?

When Harry came out with me I assumed he would do his usual 30 second porch tour and was taking pictures of a bird...