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Mary Oliver Poem from the book Thirst

I don't think I will ever get tired of Mary Oliver. Here is another of her beautiful poems:

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird--
equal seekers of sweetness.
here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished. The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
--From Thirst: Poems by Mary Oliver

My Sauna Friend Graham

One thing that makes me feel richest of all is the fact that I talk to everyone and value the daily connections I make just about every day of my life. By being open, I am always running into interesting people with stories to tell. And I realize that much of life is made up of these little, seemingly insignificant encounters we have every day--with the UPS delivery guy, the person serving us our morning coffee, the kid who overheard I needed bug spray and ran and got hers from her mom...

What better place to strike up a conversation than by sweating in a 180 degree (yes you read that right!) sauna at the Penobscot Bay YMCA. That's were I met Graham, who shows up just about every day with energy and a positive attitude, despite the fact that he lost his leg as a result of that rare condition called necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh eating bacteria that gets into your system through a break in your skin and proceeds rapidly, destroying muscle, skin, and fat tissue.

It was a seemingly minor injury that caused Graham to lose his leg. A slight fall in an otherwise very active life caused a rupture in his quadriceps tendon. It required surgery but a simple one. It went smoothly and he was home in just a few days. Three days later he got a high fever as an infection set in. Turns out 97 percent of the people who get this die...But Graham was a fighter.

His surgeon explained the amputation left very little residual limb. Not enough to support a prosthetic. Graham, obviously strong of mind, nodded his understanding and thought, let’s get on with it. And with the support of my wife, nurses and physical therapists, his many days, weeks and months afterward became consumed with hours of occupational and physical therapy.

Graham shows up now every day at the Y in Rockport for daily exercise, going between the gym, the pool and the sauna. In his own words: "Forty years of handball and biking are now a memory. Our home in Hope, Maine (aptly named) is one level and has a ramp. I do get out on Church Street for exercise weather permitting. Seventy years of life in Chicago and Minneapolis didn’t exactly prepare me for rural Maine. My wife has a beautiful garden. We read, listen to Classical music, and subscribe to Netflix shows. I am a sports junkie. Friends from many cities come to visit. I do realize how many elderly people kind of shut down over time. I’m not one of them!""

I am writing about Graham here because he inspires me every time I see him--he always has a smile on his face, a positive attitude and a will to go on no matter what. It is that indomitable human spirit I celebrate here--thank you Graham for reminding us!

Crows vs. Ravens

This is a crow. Click image to learn more.

This is a raven. Click image to hear a fun story.

Photos clockwise from top left: Common Raven, Ed Oakes/Audubon Photography Awards; American Crow, Brian Kushner; American Crow, Arend Trent/iStock; Common Raven, Andrew Lunt/Audubon Photography Awards

How to Tell the Difference Between a Crow and a Raven

I always wondered about this. Maybe you did too. The Audubon Society, that great nonprofit organization that is dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats has provided us with a guide on how to differentiate these two bird species.

Here are a few tips for starters:

A crow makes a cawing sound--caw caw caw whereas a raven's voice is lower pitched and sounds more like croaking.

A crow's tail feathers are the same length and spread out like a fan whereas a raven's feathers are uneven--the middle feathers are longer than the outer ones.

Ravens travel in pairs while crows are usually seen in large groups.

Ravens kind of hop around on both feet at the same time.

Ravens beaks are larger and more curved.

Painting of the Week

Living Green (in progress) mixed media on canvas 54” x 84”

Charity of the Week:

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.