Mossy ????

Silence.  I have NOT found it to be very golden.   November 2nd was the last time I saw Mossy as she rode away with a herd of buffalo.  Thinking she would "appear" as she so often has, I didn't think much of the silence until it stretched on and on and on...........   Obviously, the return from Yellowstone was without one small gnome.  Was this it?  Mossy appeared one day around three years ago.  Would she disappear as unexpectantly as she had appeared?  These questions as well as a thousand others kept me company in the silence of the shop, in the silence of the house, in the silence of the gently falling leaves.....

I found myself going back to the beginning.......  Wee Thomas jumping from one pumpkin after another, as if they were tiny trampolines.   I was digging through a vast supply of dried safflower, pods, hydrangeas, etc......   Alone, or so I thought.  Admittedly, my eyes were somewhat glazed over from several hours of creating lovelies when I heard the tinkle of a bell.  Drawn to the sound I watched with fascination as a small boy sprang from first a Fairytale pumpkin to a Cinderella, to a Wee-Be-Little, and then to a Baby Boo.  Don't you just love the names of all the varieties of pumpkins?   No sooner would I open my mouth to speak, he would disappear, only to reappear elsewhere.  The first afternoon of this "gnome-spotting" continued in this manner.  If I drew nearer to the Lil Pumpkemons, no appearances.  If I returned to my creating, bells and sightings.  Truly, I regretted the end of this day!!!!  I left whispering of my return.  Surely, I would see him again!!  Memory fails on the exact amount of time, but I do know that Thomas entertained me for sometime before he ever spoke.  Customers would be browsing and suddenly he would appear hanging from their purse or sitting on their shoulder.  His favorite (or so it appeared) would be to ride on the pumpkin arrangements straight to the checkout counter.  How this was done without detection, I have no clue but the pure entertainment value was priceless!  Many a moment, I would duck behind a counter stifling my giggles.  Seriously, customers are not quite sure how to take unexplicable sudden outburst of laughter.    

"You left it on."  These were his first whispered words to me.  He pointed to the glue gun as he spoke them and POOF. 

Oh POOF on me!!!!! Memory lane has just created a rather "well done"  pumpkin loaf!   I shake off the memories as reality needs a few burned edges pinched away.  "Mossy?" I question outloud.   Mossy, would most definitely have a comment or two for my latest culinary feat.   Silence.

I miss my friend.

where the buffalo roam........

in Yellowstone park, to a complete stop we came.  A huGe herd of HuGe buffalo stood casually on the road.  This was after all, their territory, their park, so move over vehicles!  This is not an everyday occurrence, however for this East Texan.  So, grabbing a camera and rolling down my window, I snapped this pic of one looking straight at me.   "Crooked Horn."  Mossy informed me, was his name.  Mossy came into view riding one of the smaller of the herd.

 Please explain, if you can why any of this would surprise me.  I found myself asking the obvious, "Mossy,  what are you doing?"  She flipped a red curl back and rolled her eyes heavenward.  "Wouldn't you ride a buffalo, if you could?" she retorted.    Well, she had me there.  Seriously, wouldn't you? 

Who, indeed, wouldn't want with the abandon of our Native American ancestors to run with a herd of buffalo?  To know the wildness of an untamed land and to see a vista of which few had viewed?  Yellowstone gives one a glimpse of that possibility.   It fires the imagination in it's rugged beauty.   One can easily picture:  crouched with bow-pulled taut,  a moccasin's-clad fellow at the edge of the treeline.  Before him an elk and his cow.  With nostrils flaring the elk starts as he catches the scent of danger.  The arrow flies, but in a rare occurrence misses its mark.  The two run free as does their hunter.  Free, freedom from so much of what fills our ever-waking moments.  

Slowly, the buffalo move around our car, seeming to pretty much ignore it and it's occupants.  And for a while I moved on with them.  In my mind, Crooked Horn and I rode alongside Mossy and her friend.  We headed down the rolling hill listening to the occasional snort and rumble from the herd.  A crystal clear stream beckoned ahead as it dipped and bubbled over rock.   As Old Faithful could be seen in the distance I wondered if they sought it's warmth in proximity for a night's rest.   With a toss of his head the largest bull  broke into a trot as we grew closer to the stream.  Funny, he didn't drink but stood proudly with his head held high as most of the herd did.   Why, was that a stagecoach splashing through a shallow area of the stream? 

The buffalo is a symbol of a vanished past, a link to a frontier heritage.  However, no romantic notion of such should ever cloud one's view of an animal that still remains wild.  Buffalo at Yellowstone number close to 4000 in the park and can weigh over 2000 tons.  They still can and do inflict injury on any observer who fails to maintain their distance.  So despite my daydream, as Crooked Horn steps toward the car, I lean back and quickly put up my window.  The herd passes on.  But despite, a quick warning from me Mossy continues her journey with them.  Maybe Mossy can tell me where they will rest for the night...............  Now was that a parasol I saw in the window of that stagecoach?

Mossy's Moose!!!!

Clippity-clop, clippity-clop. What an odd noise to hear growing louder by the moment in a hotel hallway.  You know the saying....curiousity killed the cat......  But, admittedly, I prefer the ending of.....satisfaction brought him back!   So with this in mind, I slowly opened the door, peeking out....

  GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY (or Mossy, in this case)! Mossy had made it to Wyoming!

The adorable moose moved steadily along as Mossy pirouetted upon his back! Transfixed, I watched as she dropped to each side.  "Just like Wild Bill!" she cried.  Together they rounded the corner with a snort from the moose and a YeeHaw from Mossy.    Wasn't that the moose stationed down in the lobby?  THE BRONZED STATUE?  Where had the little imp been for 2 days?  More importantly, could I manage to get that little moose back to Texas?  Do you think the resort would notice anything missing? 

Realizing that I was standing in the hall alone, with yes, my mouth hanging open yet again.   I jumped back through my doorway  and yelled after the two performers.  "Have a grand day, Mossy!  You betcha!" she yelled back. "Me and this Mangy Moose are heading to Yellowstone!" 

Hmmm.....Yellowstone may never be the same after this particular twosome.  I couldn't help wondering if I should warn a Park Ranger or two!

Walk a caterpillar!

Glancing out the window, what should I see?  Mossy leading the very green creature pictured above with a leash.  Granted, the going was a wee bit slow, but both seemed to be very content and in full conversation. 

 I  love the way Mossy knows how to embrace a moment.

Seriously, she seems to grab hold of it with both tiny hands and absorb every minuscule of it.  Now please don't misunderstand.  I do NOT mean that she is a whirling dervish of productivity, or a multi-tasker extraordinaire or even a mountain moving momma (anthill in her case).

She simply knows (perhaps instinctively) how to embrace the simple things of life.  I heard something today and was struck by the truth of it.

 Dear Diary, I notice we put more and more emphasis on our homes and spend less and less time in them.  I just came back from a neighborhood full of lovely houses in the middle of the day and they were all empty.  They were like vessels to hold the life you want, but have no time to have.

  Mossy gets time.   She knows how to fill a moment, so most certainly a home.  She can rip through it with total abandon or sit still and hear it's rhythm.    She knows the sound of the clock in the hall, the whirl of the living room's ceiling fan, the creak of the pantry's door and the faint music of the fountain outside the window.

When was the last time I "heard" the music of my home and filled the vessel to the rim?  

I WANT TO WALK A CATERPILLAR!

Now having said that, I look out to find Mossy and the wee green creature on the rim of the fountain!  The two are waltzing!   Yes, just picture the commercial of the father with his daughter's feet on top of his and you can get the gist of the two outside my window.  Bells tinkled.  Enchanted,

I watched and wished for myself and you too,

a vessel not only filled to the brim,

 but running oVer with whimsy today!!!!

excerpt from Deanne Fitzpatrick's Diary

DRUM ROLL PLEASE..............

 

mOSSY's first ever contest has a winner:  2dayisgood   CONGRATULATIONS!!  

When I say drum roll please,  I am only stating what I am experiencing!  Midnight, yes, midnight cymbals clashed in the computer room/office/craft room/guest bedroom (a room of many hats).    Five thirty seven found Mossy marching down the hall with a what appears to be a band uniform on and a large baton!  I found evidence of confetti on the coffee table and a wee bottle of champagne was empty on the kitchen counter.  Hmmmmmm........ 

BUT, the ultimate was not a rooster crowing this morning in Tyler, Texas, but a rather noisy series of firecrackers!  I grabbed my phone and got these shots of a display just for Tammie!!!!!! Our total corn count was 1515 and YOU were soooooooo close.  Our second place is a wee dark-haired beauty with 1101!  Mossy insist on a second place prize as well, for Miss Kylee Grace.  We do, however, need a mailing address for our winner.  Please email and a goody or two will be winging its way soon!

Now, with a huge day ahead of us and more goodies to make we bid you adieu!  OH NO!  more fireworks!  I crack the window to warn and hear instead of some talk of another contest..........SOON!  Who on earth is she talking to?

What will it be?

KaPow!

Zing!

Stay tuned...

same Mossy (Batman) channel....

p.s. you have to be oooold to "get" the Batman reference above!  :)

Time's ALMOST UP!!!

Mossy warns all that midnight is approaching fast......  We have been making lovelies all day and I have included a few pics.  We are however, exhausted!!!!!  Forgive us if the winner does not get posted until the morning!  GOOD LUCK!!! 

Everythings coming up RoSeS!!!!

I must confess....I've been keeping a secret from Mossy!  Yes, this morning it was reiterated to me at FOUR O'CLOCK that this was a wise decision.  For you see, 2400 roses have arrived at Harvey Hall for MOssy to play with.  As we both have been counting "her corn" I knew she would be able to relate to the amount (even though she's watching-I'm counting) and I just knew this knowledge would be too much...... 

"Mossy, guess what we are doing tomorrow and WHERE we will be working?" I sorta slid this in while heating dinner.  "Hmmmmm,"  she replied rather distractedly, as she appeared behind the cookbooks carrying something in her hand.  " Mossy," softly I called.  "TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED ROSES"  I yelled this jumping up and down (I guess Mossy's not the only rather excitable one around here).  She staggered to the middle of the counter, she zombie-vied leaned this way and that, she spun, she circled and KERPLUNK.  Unto her back she fell, stiff as a corpse, holding a small rosebud in her hands straight up.  Need I say what she looked like?  The show was most worthy of applause and more jumping up and down which she joined me in this time.  As the evening wore on, I believe her number of questions rivaled the number of roses!  "No, Mossy I don't know exactly how many vases.  No, Mossy I'm not sure there are any Fema Roses (my favorite-she knows this), or Tea Green Roses (her favorite)".  We talked of all the lovelies to be created until the wee hours.  I slept with roses dancing in my head until I awoke with Mossy's feet dancing on my pillow.  The wee one could not contain her excitement.  "Lets go!  Let's go! she nudged as she jumped from one foot to another.  "Oh, oh, how many boxes of moss?" this she asked almost reverently.  "moSSY, SLEEP I MUST OR NARY A ROSE WILL YOU SEE!  I threatened.  This is rather an empty threat.  For how would I keep her from going?  "I want to see sheep not roses, pleeeeeeeeease." 

Let me just interject at this point that it's SIX a.m.!  Neither sheep nor sleep were to be found since FOUR!  I would like to say tis ALL been the pixie, but truthful that would not be.  But then, let's face it......how often do any of us (forgive me) stop to smell the roses?  When, indeed,  will I EVER have twenty-four HUNDRED roses to play with again?  Mossy's right.  Why not fully enjoy each moment we have of the gift of such beauty?  So, eagerly we both await, the moments of today.  Wishing for you, too, a day of roses, of realization, of moments to pause, of roses to see......