The tree is wearing a set of white opera gloves, we see a glove covered branch holding a mirror in this painting. The tree bends her trunk to catch her reflection. If I were her I wouldn’t be impressed with my small eyes, they’re squinting almost shut thinking an invidious thought.  From where we stand we see the lower portion of a circle in the sky. The circle is formed by flying trees and the upper part of this circle is reflected in the mirror.

Once I watched a nature program in which the narrator mentioned a man in Mexico who studies trees communicating to each other through their roots. Often they “talk” together and “decide” to help another tree in their midst by sending it food or moving their upper branches to give it extra sun. This gives a new slant to the word hierarchy doesn’t it?  (In English the first part of the word hier archy sounds like ‘high’ as in moving high branches aside, the end of the word implies one group is more important than another.) Nematodes in the soil carry messages from one individual’s roots to the others’. The trees sometimes decide they don’t like another tree and cut off its sun and send bad chemicals through the nematodes soil to it.

I hope the man in Mexico studies why some trees are treated with animosity. Did these tree individuals do something or communicate through their roots something invidious, in other words, did they do or say something to incur this anger and resentment?   nancymauerman.com

Invidious Tree In Opera Gloves – Framed

Once I looked up at a college wall where people had taped advertisements and saw something glorious; “dessert shoes for sale $10.00”.

Immediately my mind saw round pink frosting rings on the floor. They were left by four layer cakes, chocolate, surrounding both my of feet and half way to my knees. Dogs would follow me everywhere. I wondered if I could get them with five inch heels. I didn’t have ten dollars but the idea was so delicious I pulled my friend from his project and I was speechless so I pointed to the sign. “What?” he said, “You need desert shoes?  Boots would be better.”

What a disappointment, but I never lost the visual image in my mind and the dream. nancymauerman.com

Dessert Shoes – Framed

John feeds our local crow family, calling them when he serves something especially good. They regularly leave him thank you notes on his wind shield.  nancymauerman.com

Two Crows – Framed

Little kids twist around and search my eyes for truth. “Are you him?” they whisper and seem so filled with reverence they’re almost afraid to speak. I always know who they’re referring to; Harry Potter.

I wear round black glasses and because of them I get to meet very young people. I’ve worn glasses from the time I was four and have always hated them until now. Things despised can become benefits like holes.

“Oh, no! There’s a second hole! Oh, no! Now there’s thirteen holes!” This might be bad if you’re wandering through the Sahara and find leaks in your canteen.

To some people when clouds break into pieces they see sun. To others of us who love the rain chinks in the dark clouds are viewed with disdain.   nancymauerman.com

Blue Holes – Framed

Coco Taylor and Marion Anderson- blues and opera; are all the same to me.   nancymauerman.com

Coco T – Framed

We don’t squabble over things like the last half of an avocado. It’s sitting open faced around it’s seed in the frig., so I tell John, “If you’re hungry, don’t forget the avocado.” “Thanks,” he says, “but if you’re hungry first you can have it; I’ll buy another one.”  “No, no,” I answer, You like them better than I do.”

We’ve been verbally passing the thing back and forth so long the conversation began to take on the trappings of a dare,”You can eat it.” “Oh, thank you very much. You eat it.” Then as the avocado dried and shriveled into leather, “You’d probably like that avocado better if you put a full spectrum light bulb in the refrigerator first and let the thing sprout roots and grow.”  “Yea,” he said, “You  take it’ you’d have something else to bonsai.”

The picture below shows how delighted I am to have a marriage that anti- argues over produce.  nancymauerman.com

Mary faces a suitcase full of band aids. Many of my friends have wondered at Mary’s strength because she knew the scriptures well and knew the importance of her son and of his mistreatment to come.  nancymauerman.com

Madonna In A Suitcase

Thinking bibically of snakes some say, “Ooo. Bad,”  but I like the story of Moses in the desert and when flying serpents bit the people Moses was told to make two brass snakes, fasten them to the top of his staff representing the Lord, and if the people would look to the Lord and look at the snaky staff they didn’t die of snake bite.   nancymauerman.com

Snake Box – Framed