Thursday, January 31, 2013

Six Words Friday: Fine






Floating atop the frigid, black water,
chunks of ice jangled, one against
the other. As the wind whooshed,
I wondered....was I was hearing
the echoes from hundreds of dancing
wind chimes? Or the rattling of
thousands of tiny ice cubes gently
kissing the side of fine crystal
glasses? Standing in shadows, at the
water's edge, this sound was magical.
Mesmerizing. I was in the glass,
one of the cubes. Enveloped. Blanketed.
...my soul soothed by winter's song.


My Memory Art
Please join us here ~ link up!
FINE is our word this week.
And head over here to see
some more beautiful winter nature photography!


Winter Red






I love winter reds.
oh, sure...
soft spring reds,
saucy summer reds and
fiery fall reds
know how to charm us...
no lack of beauty there.

But I love the winter reds.
The misfit reds.
The standout reds.
The against all odds reds.

Can't freeze them out.
Can't bury them completely.
They just appear, as if from no where,
to remind us of all the life that's
brewing under the surface...
to remind us to find beauty today.
Now.
Beige and brown and gray and white beauty.
And some berry beauty.

Yeah, I love the winter reds



Sharing this Simple Moment that helps me see the Bigger Picture and linking up here.
Also linking up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop




Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Black & White Wednesday: Winding Road


Today's snow crunches under my boots
I wander
The air smacks, kisses,
Numbs and wakens me
I wander
I wander because I need to
I wander because I can
No destination
Just movement
Keep moving
Listen to the crunch of each step
Breathe the air
Notice
Enjoy
Let go
Wander
Dark and alone
I wander
Along the way
There's another
and another
Light
One step at a time
A word
A prayer
Another...
Light



My Memory Art

Won't you join in?
Share your {black & white} stories....

Monday, January 28, 2013

Project 52 "Catch Up"

Week One
 Celebrated the New Year
 And celebrated the New Grad

Week Two
 Sunny Winter

Week Three
 Snowy Winter

Week Four
 Looking at the world from the Inside Out

Today Dawns
Getting back on my feet.
Getting back out there.
This past week I was sick. And sad. 
Time to shake it off!



Kleinworth & Co.
Joining fellow Bostonian for her link up!
See more Project 52 linkups here.


Saturday, January 26, 2013

Scenes from a night out

"Celebrate we will
for life is short
but sweet for certain."
Dave Matthews Band

 A tiny bit of bling

 a favorite scarf - don't you love this material?

bar window with a lace-like design

 the birthday boy and his lovely wife
Mr. and Mrs. Wood
{really, that's their name!}

a fuzzy, full moon



Linking up with
and

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Handle


Dipping my fingers into the can
of olives - hating the smell, sickened
a bit by the slimy feel -
I began to make the penguins.
The silly little penguins. Chopping little
carrot feet, and tiny carrot beaks,
I took great care with each
of the silly little penguin apetizers.
Stuffing bellies with cream cheese and
attaching the body parts with toothpicks...
I laughed at myself. I stood
at the counter for an hour
or two...chopping, stuffing, smiling, sighing.
As my fingers played with the
bits of food, my heart worked
to process the reality. My baby
boy had graduated and we were
having a party. And I was
making silly penguins. Hoping he'd know
that each penguin meant love. Pride.
Knowing that {at least} he'd laugh.

I stood, processing....trying to get
a handle on the fact that
nothing I will ever give, or
have ever given...not the all
nighters, the meals, the laundry or
the worry...not the game watching,
the long talks or the hand holding....
no, nothing - not even penguin making -
will ever compare to all I've
received because he calls me mom.



My Memory Art
Link up here to share your six words...
and I'm sharing mine at Jade's
with my Bigger Picture friends.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Black and White Wednesday: Flurries


Hard old rusty rail
sweetly softened as flurries
settle upon it.


My Memory Art

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Winter Market


"We wander for distraction,
but we travel for fulfillment."
Hilaire Beloc

There's a place right down the street from my house -
It's a nursery, it's a shop, it's a market.
It's a wonderful place to wander.


Under the bright afternoon sun, 
I pulled in...found a place to park...
and began to walk around.


There's a lovely old auto,
from the early days of the nursery,
that sits outside one of it's greenhouses.


Half the reason I go to the market
is to people watch.
My favorite are the little groups of  'old lady' friends.


My favorite find today was
recycled glassware.
Plates, bowls...really pretty.


And there are lots of baskets...
{some filled with fruit}


{some filled with flowers}


{and plenty waiting to be filled}


Local goodies
and some good ol' fashioned team spirit!
Love this place!



Linking up with 
and 

Friday, January 18, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Knit


Build me a fire and knit
me a throw. Hand me a
long, winding tale to carry me
far away. Close the doors and
shut out the chill. Warm the 
soup and pour me something fancy.

I hope it snows for days.



My Memory Art
Won't you join us?!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Balance?


In the middle of a work day, while running my typical work errands - post office, photo pick up, stocking up on pens and pencils - I pulled my car into a parking space that it's occupied many times. Right in front of me was a large stick, that seemed to have fallen from a huge tree, and landed, stuck - perfectly balanced - on this side fence. I pulled out the old iPhone, snapped a pic and instagrammed it...instantly!

I loved the notion that this stick just landed there like this. One of those things it would take a while to do if one stood there, stick in hand, trying to get it to balance perfectly. Not to mention how many hundreds of tries it would take if one climbed a really tall ladder and tried to drop it in just the right way so it would land like that!

As you can tell, the image of the balancing stick stuck with me. Partly, I suppose, because I don't like this notion of seeking "balance" in life. Or, perhaps, I don't like the fuss made about it...the stress over the pursuit of some illusive, suburban myth of an idea that might not even be attainable. Perhaps attainable...but sustainable? I think not!

My fifty some years have shown me that sometimes there's a bit of balance - often during times when we choose to let go of a few things and try to juggle less. And it's those out of balance patches that push us to make choices, to recognize our priorities and to learn more about who we are. Some of the greatest blessings, in fact, throw us the most off balance....those pesky new babies....new homes, new jobs. And then there's the pain that comes that can upend all sense of normal...pain of loss, illness...betrayal. Over time, we are all "out of balance" through many moments, months and stages of our lives.

I wonder, in fact, if that proverbial happiness butterfly might not have a close cousin. The balance butterfly...you know, that butterfly. The one which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp. But, if we will sit down quietly, may alight upon us. I wonder.

I went back to see if the stick was still there yesterday. Yes, I actually went back to check on the stick. Sure enough, the dusting of snow was not enough to disrupt it's balance - just made the whole picture even prettier! I've enjoyed carrying this image with me. Pondering the notion....the non-pursuit of balance. It's lightened my step a bit - and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject!

Simple BPM
Linking up at Hyacynth's Place today.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Black & White Wednesday: Favorite Tree


bending
bowing low
and stading tall
trunk twists, meandering
limbs reach, striving
branches entwined, writhing

Moody. Dramatic.

a favorite of mine



My Memory Art


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Mysterious


On Saturday afternoon, 
I stepped outside...


...into a cup of foggy, soupy air.
Not only could I not see one side of 'my' pond from the other...


...I quickly lost sight of the backside
of my fellow walkers.


The pond was iced over.
It was only small pools of melted water that were able to reflect what was around them.


From the moment I got there...


...until I left, 
it was these little things -
these little droplets...


...clinging to the thorny branches that caught my eye over and over again.


One flash of light let me know how many tiny droplets
hung
and clung
and danced in the early evening air.


"Mystery creates wonder 
and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."
Neil Armstrong


Linking up with
Scavenger Hunt Sunday
and
Sunday Citar