taking slow deep breaths
marveling at creation
soft moss underfoot
for the weekend
7-21-17
"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
--Martin Luther King, Jr
7-20-17
I feel like the wicked witch of the west from the Wizard of Oz... "I'm MELTING!..."
It's been incredibly hot, and humid, and sticky... and nasty.
That said... the flowers that have come up this year, look fantastic.
And so I will roll with that....
See you all tomorrow.
7-19-17
Back in June 2016, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will...
And so on Wednesdays; I've been posting an old photograph to inspire your creativity.
Write a poem!
Plot out a short story.
Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.
--and occasionally I write my own sordid story or poem.
(you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).
~~~
Ophelia.
Her parents wanted her to have a regal name, and scoured the local library of books until they found a name they both liked. Having never read Hamlet, fortunately, her parents never forced her to be blindly obedient. They taught her to read, and to think.... and to make choices for herself.
So, it was no surprise when in her early adulthood in Belgium, she learned to not only fly a plane... but fly it well.
She became a one-woman powerhouse in the crusades against the Nazis in WWII, saving countless soldiers from unknown horrors. Flying mainly at night.... she would swoop in like a hawk and bomb strategic camps and vehicles. She bombed train tracks to inhibit the transfer of prisoners to death camps. Little is known of these "mad women of the air"... and that is ok with Ophelia.
She knows what she did... and she is glad to have done it.
Ophelia.
Her parents wanted her to have a regal name, and scoured the local library of books until they found a name they both liked. Having never read Hamlet, fortunately, her parents never forced her to be blindly obedient. They taught her to read, and to think.... and to make choices for herself.
So, it was no surprise when in her early adulthood in Belgium, she learned to not only fly a plane... but fly it well.
She became a one-woman powerhouse in the crusades against the Nazis in WWII, saving countless soldiers from unknown horrors. Flying mainly at night.... she would swoop in like a hawk and bomb strategic camps and vehicles. She bombed train tracks to inhibit the transfer of prisoners to death camps. Little is known of these "mad women of the air"... and that is ok with Ophelia.
She knows what she did... and she is glad to have done it.
7-18-17
Whenever I am stressed, I work on making mandala prints.
They always start out with one of my original photographs... usually a plant, or a tree, or a sunset...
whatever happens to inspire me at the moment. Then, I load the photo through several different
editing programs to get the effects I want... and taDa!
It is always a very relaxing thing for me to do..
and I hope that sense of calm resonates with those who view them.
(you can click on these photos to see them bigger)
7-17-17
It was such a nice weekend.
I was able to get a couple things done, and was able to visit with some friends for a little while.
The sunsets have been amazing.
The garden continues... and although the bugs have decimated some of the produce...
it still looks like we will get some squash, onions, garlic, herbs... and maybe some brussel sprouts come fall.
it still looks like we will get some squash, onions, garlic, herbs... and maybe some brussel sprouts come fall.
I also created some fun necklaces ... (you can click on the jewelry photos to see them bigger)
On the one above, I bought these German glass beads back in 1995. They were expensive (and impossible to find now)... but so very special. Each one is a tiny little teardrop/ petal shaped bead... in a wide variety of colors and patterns. I have strung them on silk cording (super strong) and complimented them with silver foil lined glass beads in a gunmetal grey tone. Hidden in there, is also a handmade! sterling silver bead from Santa Fe, NM.
Total length is about 33-34 inches... so you can wear it as a single strand or wrap multiple layers for a cool bracelet.
There are 200 of these German glass beads (I bought them 10 at a time)... and 50 of the glass seed beads. I used every one of these fancy little German beads that I had... so it is completely unique, and One-of-a-kind. I will be listing this at $50
For this one, I used those same seed beads, and added ruby red Swarovski crystals, Tibetan silver beads and clasp, and a gorgeous hunk of Jasper. It has a flash of red in the upper corner... that is just yummy. This one will be listed at $25
For the one below, I continues those same seed beads, and added stunning moss green faceted Czech rondelles, sterling silver and Tibetan silver beads, a magnetic clasp... and an amazing RAKU pottery focal pendant. This one will be listed at $30
But for today... I am trying to rest. I got a bit of heat stroke yesterday, and again today... and I am wilted.
Hope you are all ok.
See you tomorrow!
Hope you are all ok.
See you tomorrow!
for the weekend
it transpired like it usually does
the curtains of night coming ever so slowly down
every so surely darker, denser...
drawing you in to the blackest center
drowning in that ebony lake
then
a glimmer
incandescent blooms winking in the distance
soft to the touch
smelling of the damp earth
standing tall
unafraid
waiting for the dawn
7-14-17
I think I am going to take today off.
See you all tomorrow for my weekend post.
7-13-17
Today has been a very hard day.
I was upset last night, over some news I heard regarding the safety of the natural beauty of our gorgeous county....
and the people who live here... and was up all night... and most of today.
and the people who live here... and was up all night... and most of today.
It's a hard thing. I want so badly to be involved, and to an extent, I am ... in that I share information as I get it on social media...
look up background information.. and encourage people to be informed. But.. on the other hand... I am so heartsick about so many of the decisions that have been made lately, that I am afraid if I get any more involved than I am.... my health will suffer.
(I have had multiple bleeding ulcers and a stroke in the past).
look up background information.. and encourage people to be informed. But.. on the other hand... I am so heartsick about so many of the decisions that have been made lately, that I am afraid if I get any more involved than I am.... my health will suffer.
(I have had multiple bleeding ulcers and a stroke in the past).
So what do you do when you feel your world is falling apart?
Where can you run to that will be safe?
Is there a safe haven out there in the world? or it is all as messed up as anywhere else?
Where is the line you draw in the sand that tells you when to stay and fight, and when to run...
I worry for this area.
I worry for the animals... and the clear streams of fresh mountain water. I worry for the trees... and the hills... and the birds and the bugs.
I worry for them all. And I worry about the people... those who don't know.... those who have no say... those who feel stuck.
I worry for the animals... and the clear streams of fresh mountain water. I worry for the trees... and the hills... and the birds and the bugs.
I worry for them all. And I worry about the people... those who don't know.... those who have no say... those who feel stuck.
And it was oppressively humid. .. and sticky...
and finally... the rain.
I am taking this as a sign of washing away all the bad.... and trying to focus on the good.
See you all tomorrow.
7-12-17
Back in June 2016, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will...
And so on Wednesdays; I've been posting an old photograph to inspire your creativity.
Write a poem!
Plot out a short story.
Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.
--and occasionally I write my own sordid story or poem.
(you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).
~~~
The air was crisp. .. course, it would be at 6am... I thought to myself.
I had been walking all night... to where, I don't know. But I had to keep going.
I had been the lone survivor of a plane crash in the mountains. There had been 4 of us, a couple of our friends (he was the pilot), my husband and I. We were to fly over some of the mountains here in Colorado, before dipping down into New Mexico and stopping at Butte Lake.
Then we were to go fishing on our friend's houseboat before moving on towards Tuscon. But that was 3 days ago.
Before we all went hurling down from the night sky and into the darkness that was the top of some mountain.
Before the screaming. Before the noise. Before the blood.
Before all the shattered glass that I noticed under my feet started jolting me back to reality. Before I realized it was just me... and the sky.
I grabbed the few edibles I found in the wreckage, tossed them in a bag, wrapped it and a blanket around me as I headed off...
And now it was day 3 ... or 4? maybe... I don't know. Exhaustion has a way of distorting things.
I can see lights in the not too far distance now. I think it's a town. Not very big... but someone should be around.
Then I can call... the police? my parents? friends and family? and for what.
I don't know even where we landed. I can't tell you where I've been.
I just know I had to keep on. Keep on walking. Keep on breathing. Keep on living...
~~~
This is one of my favorites.. of the photographs that I have bought over the years from sales.
It always reminded me of clean mountain woodlands...
or at least... the stuff dreams/memories are made of.
The air was crisp. .. course, it would be at 6am... I thought to myself.
I had been walking all night... to where, I don't know. But I had to keep going.
I had been the lone survivor of a plane crash in the mountains. There had been 4 of us, a couple of our friends (he was the pilot), my husband and I. We were to fly over some of the mountains here in Colorado, before dipping down into New Mexico and stopping at Butte Lake.
Then we were to go fishing on our friend's houseboat before moving on towards Tuscon. But that was 3 days ago.
Before we all went hurling down from the night sky and into the darkness that was the top of some mountain.
Before the screaming. Before the noise. Before the blood.
Before all the shattered glass that I noticed under my feet started jolting me back to reality. Before I realized it was just me... and the sky.
I grabbed the few edibles I found in the wreckage, tossed them in a bag, wrapped it and a blanket around me as I headed off...
And now it was day 3 ... or 4? maybe... I don't know. Exhaustion has a way of distorting things.
I can see lights in the not too far distance now. I think it's a town. Not very big... but someone should be around.
Then I can call... the police? my parents? friends and family? and for what.
I don't know even where we landed. I can't tell you where I've been.
I just know I had to keep on. Keep on walking. Keep on breathing. Keep on living...
~~~
This is one of my favorites.. of the photographs that I have bought over the years from sales.
It always reminded me of clean mountain woodlands...
or at least... the stuff dreams/memories are made of.
7-11-17
I love old photographs, and I love making new photographs that sometimes look very old.
This is one.... of some Musk Mallow blooms in my yard... taken just the other day.
7-10-17
This weekend, we concentrated on clearing out the basement a bit...
It doesn't look like much... but we tore down some very disgusting insulation that was in the rafters...
swept a ton of cobwebs and such out... and moved things around. I think we've donated a small ton of books
and collectible magazines to a friend who has opened a used book shop.
The white table is holding items waiting to be picked up by a friend...
as is the grey tub in front of the rolling shelf unit.
Chairs on the wall are going to be fixed up for our upcycle projects.
And there is a lovely stack of wood waiting to be used for projects... as are some other furniture items and such on the one side.
The wood crib (not pictured) is empty and ready for wood for this winter.
And... we have a new wooden screen door for our front door to put up.
for the weekend
I kept putting off the post for this weekend, because I was intending to work on a haiku.
That said... what I did work on, was cleaning up the basement/studio space. The hubby and I pulled out/down some crappy insulation... did lots of sweeping and moving of stuff. Organizing...
and now I am too exhausted to get a coherent thought going.
and now I am too exhausted to get a coherent thought going.
I will show you the results on Monday's post.
But in the meantime.... here is a beauty from the garden.
7-7-17
....are your colors all running dry?.... step outside, it's Friday.
7-6-17
Just another day in the life of...
Have a GREAT DAY... and I will see you all tomorrow.
7-5-17
Back in June 2016, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will...
And so on Wednesdays; I've been posting an old photograph to inspire your creativity.
Write a poem!
Plot out a short story.
Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.
--and occasionally I write my own sordid story or poem.
(you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).
~~~
Karen was happy to be a mom.
It's all she wanted.
The photograph above was taken by her husband of 10yrs ,George. They had met in college, and although she was studying nursing,
she left and married him instead. She was anxious to start their new life, and family together. 2yrs later, there was little Lisa Ann.
There would be no others, it was not meant to be. And so Karen treasured every moment with her and Lisa Ann.
Shopping, going to the park, even trips to the library... everything was special.
They would camp in the summer, ski in the winter... and had picnics as often as possible.
It was Lisa Ann who grew up and became a nurse.
She traveled all over, doing mission work ... volunteering to be the nurse at Girl Scout camp...
and working at her local Catholic Charities Hospital.
And Lisa Ann knew too, that when it was time... she would "nurse" her mother Karen in her final days as well.
When Karen began to lose her memories from Alzheimer's... it was Lisa who made them picnic lunches...
took her to the library... walked with her in the park.
... and so the circle carried on...
Karen was happy to be a mom.
It's all she wanted.
The photograph above was taken by her husband of 10yrs ,George. They had met in college, and although she was studying nursing,
she left and married him instead. She was anxious to start their new life, and family together. 2yrs later, there was little Lisa Ann.
There would be no others, it was not meant to be. And so Karen treasured every moment with her and Lisa Ann.
Shopping, going to the park, even trips to the library... everything was special.
They would camp in the summer, ski in the winter... and had picnics as often as possible.
It was Lisa Ann who grew up and became a nurse.
She traveled all over, doing mission work ... volunteering to be the nurse at Girl Scout camp...
and working at her local Catholic Charities Hospital.
And Lisa Ann knew too, that when it was time... she would "nurse" her mother Karen in her final days as well.
When Karen began to lose her memories from Alzheimer's... it was Lisa who made them picnic lunches...
took her to the library... walked with her in the park.
... and so the circle carried on...
for the weekend
...these photos were all taken mere seconds apart...and then the rains came pouring down.
Life is an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, events, emotions...
--enjoy it.
See you all on Monday.
6-30-17
This week, this month.... this year has truly been flying by.
Being in a flare... it seems to be a jumble of days spent sleeping, resting... trying to get things done.
There is good news on the horizon though!
First off, the seeds we planted a couple years ago of our favorite hollyhocks that we had in New Mexico...
suddenly sprang to life... and we have a couple gorgeous blooms right now.
Second, today I was able to clean up and completely sort through the storage bin below.
Yes, I know it doesn't look like a big deal... but it's something that has been on my "to do" list since we moved here.. and it's just one of those things that will never get done unless you just make up your mind to sit and go through it. Plus, there is now a gallon bag of random stuff for my niece's upcoming yard sale (screws and such).
Today was so hot, I decided to give ZeeZe a cool bath.. which he loved.
Then he convinced me that I deserved a drink and some playtime with him,
for completing some tasks.
Then he convinced me that I deserved a drink and some playtime with him,
for completing some tasks.
See you all tomorrow.
6-29-17
Yesterday, the hubby decided it was past time to mow the lawn. The issue being, that we have a simple push mower (the kind that doesn't require electricity or gas).. and when the grass gets too high... it is tortuous to use. With having so much rain the past week or so... things got a bit out of hand. And so, we had to borrow my mom's mower (gas powered).
I guess I am a weirdo... because I ran around the yard trying to get every single daisy picked before the big "yard slaughter"... Now we have a gorgeous bouquet on the table.
See you all tomorrow!
6-28-17
Back in June 2016, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will...
And so on Wednesdays; I've been posting an old photograph to inspire your creativity.
Write a poem!
Plot out a short story.
Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.
--and occasionally I write my own sordid story or poem.
(you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).
~~~
Ah June. The month of weddings.
Milton and Claire were not the type of folks who wanted a large wedding.
But Claire was an only daughter, and Milton had 4 younger sisters that were "just dying" to be bridesmaids...
seeing this as the social event of the year. And so they planned the event.
June 28th... at her parent's summer cottage up at the lake.
They would have a short ceremony, performed by their Lutheran minister. Then they were having an "old-fashioned" picnic.
Guests brought dishes of food... some of the menfolk were going to go fishing on the lake. It was a grand affair. Cousins brought their guitars... music was sung around the campfires while fresh bass cooked slowly beside the last of the winter potatoes.
And then they were off to Virginia for the honeymoon.
Claire made sure she had a new hat to wear on the train.
Milton had a new tie for his well-loved suit.
As they looked back at their guests as they got into the taxi... Milton's sisters (all dressed in yellow chiffon)
waved goodbye in sync. It was like a scene from a movie.
Ah June. The month of weddings.
Milton and Claire were not the type of folks who wanted a large wedding.
But Claire was an only daughter, and Milton had 4 younger sisters that were "just dying" to be bridesmaids...
seeing this as the social event of the year. And so they planned the event.
June 28th... at her parent's summer cottage up at the lake.
They would have a short ceremony, performed by their Lutheran minister. Then they were having an "old-fashioned" picnic.
Guests brought dishes of food... some of the menfolk were going to go fishing on the lake. It was a grand affair. Cousins brought their guitars... music was sung around the campfires while fresh bass cooked slowly beside the last of the winter potatoes.
And then they were off to Virginia for the honeymoon.
Claire made sure she had a new hat to wear on the train.
Milton had a new tie for his well-loved suit.
As they looked back at their guests as they got into the taxi... Milton's sisters (all dressed in yellow chiffon)
waved goodbye in sync. It was like a scene from a movie.