The Wildness in the kitty and we

Winter Solstice is less than 7 nights away. Our journey as old ones living from the dandelion colored wheelie home will find us welcoming the promise of longer days and shorter nights ... more light in this tiny nest with muted light. Coming through the darkness I am grateful for the truth of connection with people and matters that are of value. An email from a sister MCSer told me of her courageous air travel to be with her dear aging mother. Her first trip, a long one, a toxic and fright inducing plane ride was as expected difficult, exhausting and debilitating and she was without doubt doing the absolute best thing by being with her parent. A first visit in 8 years. There is courage and focus of right intent. Powerful medicine.

JOTS our tamed wild White Center kitty of one year past is becoming tamed and lulled by the warmth of an upholstered office chair and a warm place to eat, drink and be inside. She has never liked cold (do any cats?) and cold and wet together are conditions she would soon dismiss from her domain. It has been six weeks here in the Mill Town, and the wildness in the kitty and we needs to be remembered. In kitty's case, after hours of sleeping on the upholstered commuter chair Pete lifted her totally relaxed black rug of a self up and ooshed her out the door. By the time I had cleaned up the bowls from our delicious stew of tasty chicken and beet greens, wrapped what was left of the done to perfection winter squash I too was ready for a bit of the wildness that this town offers. I can be in the basement kitchenette for no longer than an hour at a time before I feel the need for outside. I imagine and remember the clear and oxygen thick nights back on the ledge, and step out into the night that is Everett. It's been raining and that has cleared the air of some of the mill smell. Rounding the side of the house, I stepped between the tiny balcony on our friends' home and the lanky ledge that divides the two tightly built view lots. As if both JOTS and I were back in the dark nights walking the path on the Ledge, the black streak of feline movement was familiar. She sprang from beneath the balcony and took the lead. She always likes to lead while on the trail. Wildness not so completely lost to the pampered times on an upholstered chair.

Wildness is resilient and her roots run deep. Thank the gods! Here is a wonderful link I discovered after a visit to Julie Genser's place Planet Thrive. The link introduced me to a wonderful herbal wise woman, and the post was about DANDELION. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the reminder of one of our most favorite of wild flowers. I have snipped a small bit of this beautifully written characterization of the wild and beautiful DANDELION, click on the link above to read the entire article. What a wonderful talisman of wildness to take into the week of the darkest nights just before the promise of more light to come. From Medicine Woman Kiva Rose:

...In many ways, Dandelion is the very definition of insistent wildness, of life that survives and thrives anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Perpetually persecuted, it still adapts to nearly any climate, seeds itself in concrete, rock crevices, chemical-laden yards, vacant lots, and even in a sprinkle of earth and rock tossed atop a slab of metal. Dandelion is persistence, joy in the face of adversity and bliss even while broken-hearted. Dandelion is also sunshine with teeth, for her very name is from the French Dent de lion, meaning teeth of the lion."

Are you a dandelion lover?