Tuesday Ramble

"Hope" is the thing with feathers--

That perches in the soul--

And sings the tunes without the words--

And never stops--at all.

Emily Dickinson

This is a picture of my new votive candle holder. Had to go to Rite Aid, and, of course, I always take the time to check and see what kind of trinkets they are offering for the day. Hummingbirds have always been one of my favorites, and I have found lots of joy in following Phoebe and her broods throughout the years. According to legend,  hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. A Mayan legend says the hummingbird is actually the sun in disguise, and he is trying to court a beautiful woman, who is the moon, and Pueblo shamans use hummingbirds as couriers to send gifts to the Great Mother who lives beneath the earth. 

I am determined to live my life and not sit around waiting to find out what's wrong with me, so I went to the senior center and registered yesterday.  Had to show my ID to prove that I was old enough.  Haven't had to do that since I was 26 years old and trying to buy a drink. Already I feel very comfortable there.  The people I met were so pleasant I am looking forward to going back.  I especially liked the fact that dreamcatchers and meditation mandalas were noticeably present.  Today I am going to go to the city run center.  There they offer oil painting as well as a swimming pool.  

Anyone ever try broccoflour?  It's a cross between broccoli and cauliflour.  You know me, always ready to try something different.  It tasted okay, but it's not something I would buy again.  And with that, I'd like to end today with one of my favorite little hummingbird tales.  It comes from the ancient Mayans.

'Tzunuum, the hummingbird, was created by the Great Spirit as a tiny, delicate bird with extraordinary flying ability. She was the only bird in the kingdom who could fly backwards and who could hover in one spot for several seconds. The hummingbird was very plain. Her feathers had no bright colors, yet she didn't mind. Tzunuum took pride in her flying skill and was happy with her life despite her looks.

When it came time to be married, Tzunuum found that she had neither a wedding gown nor a necklace. She was so disappointed and sad that some of her best friends decided to create a wedding dress and jewelry as a surprise.

Ya, the vermilion-crowned flycatcher wore a gay crimson ring of feathers around his throat in those days. He decided to use it as his gift. So he tucked a few red plumes in his crown and gave the rest to the hummingbird for her necklace. Uchilchil, the bluebird, generously donated several blue feathers for her gown. The vain motmot, not to be outdone, offered more turquoise blue and emerald green. The cardinal, likewise, gave some red ones.

Then, Yuyum, the oriole, who was an excellent tailor as well as an engineer, sewed up all the plumage into an exquisite wedding gown for the little hummingbird. Ah-leum, the spider, crept up with a fragile web woven of shiny gossamer threads for her veil. She helped Mrs. Yuyum weave intricate designs into the dress. Canac, the honeybee, heard about the wedding and told all his friends who knew and liked the hummingbird. They brought much honey and nectar for the reception and hundreds of blossoms that were Tzunuum's favorites.

Then the azar tree dropped a carpet of petals over the ground where the ceremony would take place. She offered to let Tzunuum and her groom spend their honeymoon in her branches. Pakal, the orange tree, put out sweet-smelling blossoms, as did Nicte, the plumeria vine. Haaz (the banana bush), Op the custard apple tree) and Pichi and Put (the guava and papaya bushes) made certain that their fruits were ripe so the wedding guests would find delicious refreshments. And, finally, a large band of butterflies in all colors arrived to dance and flutter gaily around the hummingbird's wedding site.

When the wedding day arrived, Tzunuum was so surprised, happy and grateful that she could barely twitter her vows. The Great Spirit so admired her humble, honest soul that he sent word down with his messenger, Cozumel, the swallow, that the hummingbird could wear her wedding gown for the rest of her life. And, to this day, she has. How did the humility of one long-ago hummingbird cause its descendants to sport brilliant colors?'

Have a wonderful day.