Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Black and White Wednesday: Nest


it is my winter's tale,
a crying out, a letting go; it
is my empty nest season



My Memory Art

Please join us ~ link up your black and white photos!

Monday, February 25, 2013

Yippee?? {Project 52 - Week 8}


I was so excited when I woke up on Saturday.

It was appliance day! Four new appliances. Four! Lest you think I won the lottery, let me explain. Before we resigned a lease for our current place, I asked the landlord if he would waive a month's rent and let me replace the appliances in the kitchen...most of which were {at least} 25 years old. Well, he liked that idea - so off we went to Sears and bought a basic Kenmore stove, fridge, dishwasher and over the stove microwave. {It's New England - so, yes. I was able to do all that for about the equivalent of a month's rent.} And Saturday was delivery day. 

When I went downstairs to make coffee, I turned over my page-a-day calendar and there it was...."YIPPEE".... {My Mary Engelbreit page-a-day and I are very in sync} I just knew this was going to be a very good day. 

As you can see from the picture, I have a new {working} stove and some shiny new pots. Finally made dinner last night .... Sunday. I'll spare you all the details, but let's just say that one two-hour-late-beyond-my- delivery-window delivery, one dropped fridge {from four feet. off the side of the truck. flat on its face} and one missing part of the dishwasher hook up kit didn't help Saturday add up to a "yippee" kinda day. Thank goodness we have a very good friend {electrician/builder} who stayed with us through it all. And thank goodness I'm just talking about some momentary frustration over THINGS....and nothing serious. And thank goodness there was so much more to my week than this.....but isn't it crazy how these light and momentary troubles can get under our skin? Stress mounts, some odd sense of "injustice" takes over and the joy from moments with good friends or the peace from a relaxed weekend morning gets stolen right away! 

So, as I regrouped yesterday and took stock, I'm still up two new working appliances, one new {almost} working appliance and another new appliance headed my way on Wednesday. By the time the sauce was bubbling on the stove last night, I was back in my right mind and feeling genuinely grateful. All the truly important things are just fine. 

The true highlight of this week was good time with a very special family that was visiting from afar.


And some good time outside...just me and my camera.


"The end of the matter is better than than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools."
Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

Friday, February 22, 2013

Blue....breathe....


"I thank you God


for this most amazing day,


for the leaping greenly


spirits of trees,


and for the blue dream


of sky


and for everything that is natural,


which is infinite, which is yes."
ee cummings




Nurture Photography Challenge
Joining Kristi and Rebecca 
for this photo challenge.
Link up here

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Hand



I settled easily into his familiar
arms. My little girl hands - eager
to find their way into his -
knew every wrinkle, knuckle and spot.
As he gently lifted my tiny
fingers to clip each tiny nail,
he told stories. Told me about
my daddy and his boyhood dog.
Told my about his shop and
told me about baseball. As I
grew, there was less telling, more 
asking. I got to tell my
stories. Every visit, as long as 
he was able, I'd find those 
clippers and wiggle my way on 
to his lap - it was our
time. My young hands in his.
My heart knit to his. Forever.



My Memory Art



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Black and White Wednesday: Silhouettes



Angels on a hill
and ducks on the pond...
I drive past the angels several times a day
and visit the ducks almost every day.

There's been something about the light this week.
For one thing, there's been more of it....more blue skies and longer days.
In the late afternoon,
as the sun sets,
some of the ordinary in my day to day has been transformed...
extraordinarily.

For me, just a simple reminder...
I really believe there's no limit to the things we can discover
if we allow new sources of light
to enter our minds.
our hearts...
our lives.
Light illuminates and
changes our perspective.
Light transforms.
I love the light.


Joining with my friends
who share the little things that 
help us see the
Bigger Picture

And showing up {late} for the Black and White linky!
Sorry! Please link up if you'd still like to!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Angels


I started to really believe in angels when my son was learning to crawl walk run jump...well, let's just say that during his very active baby-toddler-childhood years I'm certain there was some force beyond any of us mere mortals protecting him from harm. I used to joke {secretly really believe} that there were coffee table angels stationed in our living room. One at each corner of the table. Because somehow those corners and edges managed to miss the head of my flying/falling child every single time.

And then there was the freckle on my daughter's eyelid. As she was snuggled in bed each night, I would gently kiss her forehead. She'd close her eyes, and I'd tell her that her angels were kissing her special freckle. Her angels were gentle, protective and aware - just like she was. His angels were just...well...very busy.

As they grew, I wanted them to believe that they were a part of something much bigger than their little lives and our little world. I longed for them to know that they were connected. Never alone. Held dear and held on to by a presence, a force much greater than a mother or father's love. As they ventured off to school and into their own lives, I knew that as my eyes lost sight of them, they were still being watched over. I knew that, though bumps and bruises - both physical and emotional - would come, they were being guided and led far beyond any place that my dreams or vision could take them. And I absolutely knew that they were never, ever alone.

Last week I had a close call with something that really scared me. After I had calmed down I was flooded with memories of all the chats I'd had with those angels for years and years while raising my kids. Now that my nest is "empty" I don't seem to think about them as much as I once did. I certainly don't call on them with any regularity ~ just the occasional request to fly with and ahead of a certain driver that I love. Or to watch over air flights.

Truth is, I think it's just the vocabulary that's changed. My awareness of belonging to and being connected to a being, a force much greater than myself has only grown more certain, more powerful the older I get. And there's no shortage of gratitude in my heart and gratitude expressed for the simple blessings of every day....for the grand blessing of a guiding force. Now, I don't know if  "angels" have wings or how the one I call Father shows himself to you...but I know that this week I was reminded {yet again} to pay attention. To stay alert. To look for those millions of manifestations of that grace and power.

Because when my heart and my mind are open, it is then that I see.




Sharing thoughts from Project 52 week 7 here
and linking to Just Write here

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Photo Challenge: Silver/Treasure

For the first time, this past fall, I participated in a photography challenge co-sponsered by Kristi at live and love out loud and Rebecca at Bumbles and Light. The challenge, which they call Nurture Photography, brings the participants together around a theme, introduces us to wonderful photo bloggers and teaches us many things along the way! Most of the photos I've taken for the challenge have been nature shots. {I might have misread the name of the challenge....and thought it was nature photography the first time around. Maybe..} For this week's challenge - Silver/Treasure - I was a bit stumped....until I started to notice little glimpses of silver that surround me daily in my office.

I work for a Construction Management company. 
When I need to get results {or sound like I have real authority} I call myself an Office Manager.
I'm a secretary - a 'go-for' - doing what ever needs doing.
Sometimes I'm wrapping gifts.
There are errands.
And lots of phone and computer time.

We have the ordinary office stuff - filing cabinets, staplers, discs and clips.

And lots of industry specific stuff...
Racks to hang drawings, door hinges, corner guards, and hundreds of keys - all kinds of keys.

Since my boss is originally from Texas we also have silver spurs and lassos.
No office is truly complete without them!

When I leave the office in the winter it's pretty dark outside.
So I'll add a slice of the silvery moon.
Just because.



Nurture Photography Challenge Winter 2013
To see more, head over here

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Rose


Above a drift of snowy white,
each thorny rose branch turns toward
the winter sun. Rest well, drink
deeply, hold on...for soon spring
will bring abundant kisses of warmth
to awaken you, my sleeping beauties.


Well Loved




Breakfast was in the oven. I turned on the burner and put bacon in the frying pan. We were snowed in,  the sky was blue - that clear blue we only seen after a storm has blown through. I poured syrup into a small pitcher and walked back to the stove.

I growled a bit - quietly of course - when I noticed that the burner under the bacon was not heating up. Again. Crazy old stove. I picked up the pan to jiggle the burner, then felt the heat. I'd turned on the wrong burner. Sitting on the red hot, back right burner was the end of a four quart, heavy glass pyrex casserole dish. I touched it to slide it forward. OUCH. Burnt the end of my finger. I turned off the wrong burner, turned on the right one and turned away from the stove.

Sitting here five days later I still have no idea why I turned away from the stove. Why was I walking away from the bacon I needed to cook? I heard a small crackle, but didn't turn back around.

The next thing I knew there was a very loud crack of an explosion and glass was flying everywhere. I screamed and took the next few steps into the dining room. Before I could even turn around there was a husband by my side and a son bounding through the other kitchen door.

Without missing a beat, they handled it. One held me. The other got the broom. They cleaned. I left the room...I noticed some blood on my thumb and realized a teeny tiny shard of glass had nicked my clavicle. They cleaned glass off the stove, the floor, the sink...the counter. It had flown in, under and onto just about everything. There was even a hot piece of glass that singed the dining room rug.

Somehow,
while in the same room,
right in the middle of all that flying glass -
I had only been ever so slightly nicked.

If I had lingered even two more seconds in front of the stove that glass would have exploded right at my face.

If.

It's so odd to play and replay the events of those few short seconds in my mind and not be able to come up with any reason why I turned and walked away from the stove. All that's left is to be so very grateful that I did.

And grateful for the men in my life ~ for my guy. Who became the husband and who raised the son. Grateful for the son who's grown into a man so much like his father. They swooped in. As any damsel in distress would have hoped her heroes would. To comfort and reassure. To fix it all up, clean it up and take really good care of her.

So I don't need any roses or fancy chocolates for Valentines Day.
There has been swooping...
...and I know that I'm loved.



BPB LOVE1
Linking up Here today

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Black and White Wednesday: Shovel


"Let every man shovel out his own snow
and the whole city will be passable."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Monday, February 11, 2013

Depths of Winter

"In the depths of winter
I finally learned there was in me
an invincible summer."
IAlbert Camus


 Week 5, North Conway, NH

Week 6, My Side Yard

We are, indeed, in the depths of winter. And the view from the inside is wonderful. We had a trip north last week, to the snowy mountains...and this week a winter wind blew a wild blizzard our way. Last week brought cozy fires, laughter, friendships...a cocktail or two. Warmth. This week, snowed in, we were under our blankets, fixing soups and chilis and catching up on some much enjoyed TV. Warmth. The college-grad, traveling, hard working son was home with us for a few days...icing on the proverbial cake. I do so love the beauty of winter...and the special kind of warmth she brings out in each of us.

Linking up with P52 and Sunday Citar

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Photo Fun for Scavenger Hunt Sunday!



This Thursday {Valentine's Day} marks the 30th anniversary of the day my husband asked me to "go steady" ~ yes, he officially asked, with a card and a pretty bracelet. And I said yes! For today's Scavenger Hunt {since I'm feeling romantic and nostalgic}I started with a photo of this watercolor that hangs on my dining room wall. I commissioned a local artist to paint "our" church for us when we got married. It's one of my favorite treasures.


Using the photo, I played around....edited....did some digital scrapbooking...Just had some fun responding to today's artsy prompts! Enjoy!


"The Small Things"
Our wedding story is told in the small details of the painting.
The clock is set to the time of our ceremony - and our names, the date and the place are all included.

"Window Beauty"
We chose this church because it is so typically and beautifully 'New England' in style.
I adore these simple white churches.
No need for stained glass...the light giving windows line both sides of the sanctuary.

"Illustration"
So pretty as an ink drawing...
reminds me of the sketches my father {the architect} did of all his buildings.

"Work of Art"
I had fun with this - adding some then and now photos and creating a digital scrapbook page.
{might have to actually print this!}

"Valentine"
Song lyrics from our ceremony.
And bokeh hearts.
Who could ask for anything more!


Linking up with Ashley for
Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Friday, February 8, 2013

Wonderful White


perched atop a barren branch
under the falling snow
watching
singing
heavens above, pond below


dried, thin fingers
gather the snowy white;
slowly
bending
yielding and still


down-feathered friends
glide through the
icy
waters
warmed only by nature's paintbrush


poised,
silent
sea gulls drift
miles away
from the ocean's edge
to the snowy pond


shrouded
cloaked
a mantle of white
quiet and crisp
this winter wander-land




Nurture Photography Challenge
Linking up with Nurture Photography

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Six Word Fridays: Chill


Oh, the thrill and the chill
going trough me...the epic blizzard
is hurling itself across the land...
heading right to me! One flake
sparkles. One flake floats. One lacy
flake will settle atop another and
create for me a winter wonderland.
I just can't wait for tomorrow.



My Memory Art