Sometimes, the timing means everything.

Ten days ago, I was in California with my grandmother. If you’ve read this blog long enough, you know Svensto. And if you know Svensto, you love her. She left earth this weekend. She was 95. She said Sam, my grandfather, had been waiting long enough and she was ready. It’s still hard.

One little glimmer: she died in the early morning of August 22nd. My grandfather died in the early morning of August 22, seventeen years ago.

Her life was full of adventure and weirdness and art. She traveled through the Panama Canal three times. She boiled fish eyes for me to play with when I was little (they turn opaque, and bounce). She once knit everyone in the family (nearly 20 individuals) slippers that looked like converse high tops.

I’m reposting one of my favorite stories from her blog here. It takes place in NYC 1943 or 1944. My grandfather had just gone off to war.

He said: Send cigarettes.
Next morning I went to the drugstore I used when I lived in NYC before. I asked the druggist for a carton of Chesterfields. He said “where have you been? Don’t you know there is a shortage of cigarettes?” In Texas I guess we never worried about the shortage for S could get all he wanted at the Post PX. He said “I can’t sell you even a package of Chesterfields. But I have some…” and he mentioned a brand I had never heard of. I said thank you, but no thank you.

And so I laid plans on how to get them. There was a radio program called Thanks to the Yanks. I had heard it in Texas. The emcee asked “Do you want an easy, medium or difficult question?” And if you wanted a difficult one you could win 3000 Camels. So I went to the National Broadcasting Studios where some of my old chums worked and asked if they could get me a ticket for that American Broadcasting program and they said, Sure, no problem. Come back Monday afternoon and we will have it for you. I was there, got my ticket, walked over to Madison Ave and took the seat that was available. It was fairly far back in the audience. And I was not selected to try my hand at competing. But I learned something. All the people who were selected from the audience had something outstanding about their person, either the lady with the red hair, or the gentleman with the mustache. So I knew what to do.

I had a navy blue hat as big as an average garbage can lid. And I knew I had to sit in either the second or third row. I went back to NBC and they said Yes they would get a ticket again. I said I would like to pick it up on Sunday so I could get a front row seat. Monday came around again and I was early and I sat in the third row. I was the first person selected. When I got backstage I had a minor problem. “Was my husband in the Army, Navy or the Marines?” I told them Army. “You know you can’t send anything to an army person unless it is requested?” Yes, I knew that. So I will send the cigarettes to W who was still in Texas. And then I will ask him to keep half of them and mail the other half to me and then I will fake a request.

And so the program started. “Do you want an easy, a medium or a difficult question?” I said “Difficult.” Now everyone, remember I looked like a dumb blonde. People applauded when I dared say that. So the question was “There are three plays on Broadway. One is A Touch of Venus, which comes from Greek Mythology, the second is ??????? which comes from Shakespeare and the third is The Voice of the Turtle. Were does that phrase come from?” My answer: The Bible. Thunderous applause. The Emcee was obviously surprised. “How did you know that?”
“My husband read the Gideon Bible to me on our Honeymoon.”
The applause and laughter increased beyond thunderous.

. . .

Click here to visit SVENSTO. I’m so glad so many of her stories, in her own words, are here forever. {I highly suggest reading her blog in chronological order, from first post forward, which you can do via the archive section in her sidebar. Click “2008”, then each month: July, August, etc. and continue moving forward in that manner.}

Leila Licking

Little known cow fact: Cows (and bulls and calves and steers) lick the air when they are being scratched in a way they love, like a dog kicking the air with its leg. I filmed Leila while I was scratching her back. Caution: my video skills continue to hover in the D- range and my animal voice is ridic – save your eardrums and set your volume low!

Leila Licking from daily coyote on Vimeo.

Works of Wonder

Soooo, I was all gung-ho to write, here, more and often…. which quickly got derailed by some health baloney of my own. Facing a health scare is never pleasant, and this has been extra fun thanks to my $10K health insurance deductible.

I’ve spent entire days calling every doctor and facility within 300 miles to find the best pricing schedule when I get kicked off to a new person or specialty, since I’m writing checks every step of the way. Thanks, Obama! PS: I still don’t have affordable health care!

I’m working on not feeling like a victim and not feeling sorry for myself. I have savings. I go to great lengths to live outside “the system” so I can’t really expect the system to take care of me. I give myself little pep talks the mornings I wake up with a bad attitude – and it actually works, though the health care system is still a huge source of anger for me right now.

There’s a ton of beauty going on around here, too. The moon has been spectacular, even when just a sliver. The animals are happy and keep me overflowing with joy. I’ve been snowshoeing every chance I get. There’s a lot of good connecting going on – with people and with nature and with myself and with something far beyond myself.

And I received these incredible origami spheres that are works of art and wonder. No glue. Just patience and beautiful paper and the fingertips of a fairy. From the artist: ‘each one is made of 30 identical units that interlock and stay together without glue or tape.’ They have me mesmerized.

Notepads Are Back!

By very popular demand, the notepads are back! And this year, they’re better than ever, with double covers: instead of a blank white back cover, there are two gorgeous prints of Charlie acting as front and back covers for each notepad.

For the last two years, I’ve had my local family-owned print shop print Charlie’s calendars on their printing press. These are stacks of prints waiting to be cut down and bound into calendars:

They always make extra prints as they’re perfecting the ink levels, so that any imperfect prints may be culled. Last year, I was at my printer’s after I’d picked up the calendars and saw the stack of loose calendar prints. Many of them were absolutely perfect – they were just extras, with not enough partners to make a full calendar – and it felt a shame to have them thrown away. I pulled out all the beautiful prints and asked my printer to turn them into notepads. They were a huge hit, and we’ve done it again this year.

Since they’re made from extra calendar pages, the back of each cover does have a calendar grid printed on it, but who cares when the front is so beautiful? They’re great toss-around doodle pads, perfect for kids, and I keep one by my bed for midnight thoughts. Awesome stocking stuffers, just $6 each ~ find ‘em in the Shop.

Random Numbers

I just returned from another quick trip to the Northwest; I drove this time and got home hours before Winter hit in full force – we have serious snow outside right now!

The morning I left Poulsbo, WA, I woke at 4:30 am, jumped in my truck while still in my PJs, and caught a very early ferry to Seattle in order to get the 10 hour drive to Bozeman, MT done in mostly daylight. I used the ferry ride to get dressed and have coffee, then wandered the boat taking phone pics of random numbers I saw. The Giveaway recipients!

This particular boat had the capacity to ferry 188 autos, according to a little chart on a bulletin board by the First Mate’s office.

The walls of the ferry showcase vintage photographs and prints from local artists. This gorgeous print was signed by the artist in ‘91.

The Seahawks obsession is still in full force after their win at Superbowl 48. Flags, posters, even football-shaped cookies frosted in blue and green are EVERYWHERE.

In case of ferry fire, station 31.

The delivery van parked beside me, with the Seattle area code 206 stickered on the door.

So there we have it: 31, 48, 91, 188, 206! I’ll be emailing you directly.

THANK YOU to everyone who shared a bit of themselves for the Giveaway. I have loved reading all your words, which, together, created a truly awesome mandala of life and experience and heart. So beautiful and real. Thank you.