… Since then, every night
I leap through doubt, eager to find
many more truths to tell.
And scared as I am with my blood full of sharks, I lie
in the dark and believe that whistle our dog's ears could hear
but no one else heard – it skewers my dream; and in crystals
finer than frost I trace and accept all of the ways
to know:-they tell me a lie; I don't say "But"-
there are ways for a lie to be so.
You don't hear me yell to test the quiet or try to shake
the wall, for I understand that the wrong sound weakens
what no sound could ever save, and I am the one
to live by the hum that shivers till the world can sing:-
May my voice hover and wait for fate,
when the right note shakes everything.
(a poem fragment) Believer by William Stafford from The Way It Is: new & selected poems
It's freezing cold in Los Angeles. That means it's 57 degrees in the middle of the day. Oh thank you winter, for finally arriving! I will stay inside and wait for ice crystals to form on the windowpanes, drink hot things, wear 2 nightgowns and extra sweaters. I will ignore the lukewarm sun and keep my eye on the moon's return instead.
Make more ecru pages in my book. Rustle through the box of paper. Find things that are hidden in the house. Set the kettle on the stove. Make pots of stew. 
Chop wood. Creep out of the house in the frosty morning air to make pictures of the moon before she sets.
Make new things from old things. There is winter work to be done. And I will do it!
we still wear shorts here when it’s 57 degrees…you weenie !!!….hee hee
I’ve been wanting to have homemade gifts for giving this year but couldn’t decide what to make. Thank you so much for the directions for the fingerless gloves. I’m pretty sure I can make these.
I need full-fingered gloves at the moment, but I’m keeping your tutorial for future use–probably tomorrow since Kansas weather is so goofy. Our temp dropped from 56 at 8 a.m. Sunday to 3 at 8 a.m. today. 53 degrees in 24 hours! Love your sense of humor.
you’re silly. freezing and silly.
Ohhh..57 in LA is cold. So silly when we are having warm weather. In fact I opened one of the kitchen windows so the cat could have a sniffabout.
Drop live gorgeous moon!
I know I’ve told you how much i love your visuals but I love your words too. And the poems you include. Thanks. great fingerless gloves, what next? Hummm.. Well it may be winter in LA but its 70 degrees here at the Jersey shore (for today). Thanks again Mary
Monday 10:08am
temp: 51 degrees
wind: a lot
rain: big, fat drops a plenty
Love the beauty of the poem…creamy goodness of your beautiful pages. Cold here too…8 below zero! It’s all a matter of perspective, eh? I too am loving the return to winter this year. Busy fingers hand sewing and lots of tea. Thanks for the great share of your sliver of the world. I will hang out with “leap through doubt” today. xo frannie
wonderfulful poem,… i must check out the book. your house sounds so cozy, i want to amble the floors in my old slippers with you and eat stew.
i’m going to play your song playlist this morning while i work in the studio – we have very similar tastes and i’m always learning new artists here.
10 easy steps?
::snort::
1. You Californians are weather wussies. My brother called from the valley to tell me the temperature had “plummeted” to 60 and could I send rations.
2. I love the folded cakes! You always come up with cool stuff. Isn’t repetitive folding so relaxing?
3. Have I mentioned how much i love your blog? Oh, okay.
Beautiful poem, great pages,lovely moon and great tutorial for the mittens. LOL
I’m so glad your winter arrived in L.A. Check out my blog and you will see that we actually had 5 inches of snow in Louisiana on Thursday. I know I’m still in shock. I posted a couple of pictures. It was beautiful.
I just tossed out fingerless gloves. I didn’t know you needed them!
I’m jealous that Judy and Ro read your blog and comment.
THAT’s how evolved I am!
Wow, that moon! I love it. That’s gorgeous.
Just went outside and saw the clouds and felt how cold it is; wouldn’t it be great if it SNOWED? here? It could snow, even if it wouldn’t last, and I would be very happy. Really lovely pages. It’s great to putter around, slow down, find things you didn’t remember, and use them, make cookies, make soup, make tea or coffee. I am so glad that winter is here!
Sounds like a great way to spend winter.
I have enjoyed following your blog for some time, so thank you for the delight I feel when my reader tells me there is a new post here at Dispatch From LA.
And thank you for sharing William Stafford’s words … his poetry sinks into me and touches a space that I am sometimes startled to know I possess.
thanks so much for the fingerless glove photo…it was the first real belly laugh I have had all weekend!!!
Needed a quick tutorial for homemade gifts. Thanks.
hahahahaha – my sister chopping wood! I mean let’s face it our other sister is the wood chopper in the family.. not that I’m being skeptical – No not me.
like your way to make fingerless gloves…
don’t you just love winter in la?
people here in virginia just can’t grasp the concept that there’s winter in southern california…chuckling to myself.
You have some serious photo mojo going on, M.A. – those L.A. sky images are magical. Do you actually have a place to burn that wood you chop?
Oh, how I love a good tutorial!