Feathered fun

I love watching birds (I know... it sounds slightly little old ladyish but what can I say?) and have several feeders in my back yard. One of these days I'm going to figure out how to put up houses for nesting...

Below are some pictures I took over the past few weeks:



A male downy woodpecker













Blue jays at a peanut feeder. I've seen as many as 8 at a time hanging around, waiting their turn.








Black-capped chickadees












A male cardinal

Must-see movies:

I saw two movies recently that were really, really good: Into the Wild and The Reader. I know, I know... these movies have been out for a LONG time. However, I seem to go at things at my own pace. Both of these movies moved me, touched me. I so enjoy when a movie takes me beyond... beyond my expectations, beyond the little box that I live in. These pushed me and made me feel.

If you haven't seen these yet, add them to your list. You won't be disappointed.

Beaver Moon

I took this picture last night of the Full Beaver Moon. Technically, it culminated 2 nights ago but, still, it was gorgeous. As to the name... seems that back when these names were given, November was the time to set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.

There's something about full moons...

Honoring Pudding

My sweet, sweet kitty passed suddenly 4 days ago. My heart is broken. He was only 6 and it seems so unfair. He came to us as a baby, just this tiny fur ball, like he had to grow into his fur. My kids named him Pudding because he reminded them of a pudding snack pack. We called him lots of names, though: Puddy Two-shoes; Puddy Pie; Puddy Loo; Toody.

What is life without pets?

Great reads:

I've finished the latest issue of Another Chicago Magazine (the one I picked up a couple of weeks ago) and really loved Caeli Wolfson Widger's "Danger Everywhere." This is a 2nd person POV and I admit that 2nd person is usually a turn off for me (not sure why, but there it is). But! This was different. It grabbed me right away and kept me. Fresh, engaging, real. Terrific.

Also enjoyed, from the same issue, Tracy DiBrincat's "Gardenland."

I stumbled upon Sotto Voce over the weekend and found a great story written by Sandra Maddux-Creech: Neptune's Reinvention. Very creative and well written. Check it out.

Lit Journals

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and stopped by the literary journal section. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many to choose from... must've been the timing because I've never seen it so stocked before. Here's what I brought home: The Southern Review (Summer 2009); Cream City Review (Spring 2009); Another Chicago Magazine (#49); Zone 3 (Spring 2009). Of these, I've only read Cream City Review before so am excited to see what the others have to offer.

I'm also reading Cliff Garstang's In an Uncharted Country. I'm only a couple of stories in (where do the days go?) but I *loved* "Saving Melissa." The characters were so real, so honest--it had me from beginning to end.

The weather is perfect for sitting outside and reading. I need to find a way to get back to the story I'm working on.

Pretending

I'm thrilled to report that my story "Pretending" is up at Staccato Fiction! If you haven't checked this journal out yet, what are you waiting for? Here's a link.