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Beth Patterson

Host, Virtual Tea House

looking for love in my backyard

 

Been thinking about frogs lately.

There's one, yet unseen, that has been somewhere in the vicinity of the northwest corner

   of the yard all summer long.

He's still there, singing a lonely song

   as the cool creeps in.

No one joined him, or at least if they did

    they didn't sing--or at the same moment anyway

    and my ear is not acute enough to tell the difference.

 

And then the gentle man who helps me do handy work

   found a sole turtle in my back yard yesterday.  

Also in the northwest yard quadrant, but in a different part

   like the difference between Seattle and Portland.

Over by the woodpile.  

'About the size of a softball', he said.

He couldn't get in touch with me, so he brought the turtle home with him,

   gave him an apple slice and some water.

Today Ramon is taking the turtle to the Humane Society to see if they know what kind

   he is and what we should do with him.  

If he's native, I want him back in my yard, where he choose to be

   even if he is the one eating the low lying tomatoes after they ripen

   I want him back.

If he's not and someone thought their children might love him but then decided that

   no one loved him

I hope the good folks at the Society can find him a warm home before

   the frosts come and entomb him in his protection.

 

Why do I think these lonely creatures are he?

Why am I writing about frogs when the prompt is fog?

 

Maybe the frog and turtle were looking for each other and maybe they found each other

    and the turtle was doing her best to sing like a frog and the frog was doing his best to

    move at the turtle's pace. 

And that's why I heard one voice, in the same place, for four months. 

   And then the turtle showed her face.

Maybe I should ask Ramon to bring her back or at least take the frog with him to the Society to join

   the turtle.

 

What the hell do I know about love?  It's all very foggy.

 frog 
frog thinking about love

This is an offering for this week's One Single Impression prompt: fog.   Visit here for a plethora of great stuff on the topic at hand. Thanks to Sweetest in the Gale for this week's prompt.

 

Published Friday, September 25, 2009 5:47 PM by Beth Patterson

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Comments

 

gabrielle said:

Sometimes it's so hard to know what to do.  Your heart breaks.

September 25, 2009 7:28 PM
 

Beth Patterson said:

So my friend D. has already emailed me and said that she hopes 'my' frog is not

Limnonectes megastomias

Find out about this unusual fanged guy here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33022805/ns/technology_and_science-science/?GT1=43001

September 25, 2009 7:29 PM
 

SandyCarlson said:

I enjoyed this so much. Why oh why do we think we need to interfere with the natural way of things? How we get in the way. I love the love story. This reached deep into my heart where I have a tremendous affection for turtles.

You have a great sense of humor.

September 25, 2009 7:51 PM
 

DancesWL said:

I'm anxious to hear if 'turtle' is indigenous or pet, how do you tell when a turtle is "thin"?

Perhaps turtle and frog's song was being sung at a level the human ear cannot hear, but an open heart can...

You always keep us thinking Beth, God Bless.

September 25, 2009 7:52 PM
 

zoya gautam said:

.. i'm  frogged _ err  fogged ! -

" What the hell do I know about love? " _

i know all  there is  know about it --

i know it's spelt  ' love ' &  it's found in all  the dictionaries

&  i know that many a  times a lonely frog loves to sing about it ! ..

September 25, 2009 10:02 PM
 

Jim said:

Beth, I sure did get caught up in all this frog, turtle, and fog not.

You can tell if a turtle is fat, "If the turtle is kinda bulging out around the legs and neck, and cannot completely pull into its shell, it is overweight."

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Turtles-3543/Fat-turtle.htm

Then if it isn't fat, it is thin.  Turtles are supposed to be thin.

I was thinking all kinds of thoughts, I do believe the frog has gone into hiding until the turtle situation is resolved.  :-)

My thought now is that you've been worrying over the creatures in your back yard with fog on your mind and are just now doing OSI.  I have been missing you.

..

September 25, 2009 10:13 PM
 

Meech said:

This is quite a beautiful statement about letting things be.  I suspect they were/are both quite happy to be in your backyard.  I know I always am!

M.

September 25, 2009 10:52 PM
 

Beth Patterson said:

You all make me smile, and possibly realize that maybe I know more about love...from youse guys teaching me...than I realize!

Now, who said anything about the turtle being 'thin'?  Ramon said 'he' was about the size of a softball.  But where is anything about him being 'thin'.  But I did enjoy your description of how we can tell if a turtle is fat or thin, Jim...

Yes, I've been paying a lot of attention to both my back and front yard.  As winter comes on, I'll be drawing my attention indoors, inside, and more writing will probably ensue!

Here's to finding things in your backyards to love and be loved by...

September 25, 2009 11:09 PM
 

patti said:

Love it!!!  You will have to let us know what is found out!  Listening to the sounds outside at night is one of the most fascinating things- it's a whole different language out there!

September 26, 2009 10:15 AM
 

Deborah Godin said:

I think we might learn a lot about love from frogs and turtles...

September 26, 2009 10:48 AM
 

Jo said:

Sometimes best friends commiserate about love lost in their own language.

September 26, 2009 9:55 PM
 

Beth Patterson : looking for love in my backyard China Best Tea said:

October 5, 2009 3:46 PM

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About Beth Patterson

The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.

With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.

Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.

I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.

Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.

Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.

Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB

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