Thursday, January 30, 2014

Six Word Fridays ~ Eye


Wandering through a gift store on
a summer afternoon, a colorful scarf
caught my eye. Many months later,
while the fibers were keeping me 
safe from winter's chilly grasp,
the vibrant greens and watery blues
would catch the sun and carry
my dreams to the Caribbean sea.



My Memory Art six word fridays



Two are better than one....


...and have been for almost thirty years.

There's a moment at the end of each work day when my phone rings.
And it means that my husband's in the car, leaving his office....it means he'll be home in twenty minutes. It's this moment....and the moment he walks through the door, that are the best moments of my day.

It's not that there aren't good moments without him ~ of course there are! There are activities and friendship and chats with my kids. There's creativity and nature walks, good books and favorite tv shows. Blogging. Plenty of good.

But add it all up. All those good moments....they just don't compare to that all-is-now-right-with-the-world feeling that fills me full to the brim when we're back home together at the end of a long day. Or anytime we're together...day, night, work day or weekend.

In my world, two really are better that one.



Linking up with
and 


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Black & White Wednesday ~ New England


Winter in New England isn't all about the snow.
But these beautiful old churches sure do look dreamy
on sunny days under the branches of our giant old trees
and surrounded by a blanket of the white stuff.



My Memory Art
And joining 

This



For this.
For this, I turned off my office computer at 4:50, instead of 5:00.
For this, I cleaned my desk, put on my coat and jangled my keys at 4:55, instead of 5:00.
I was handed one last folder to file
{with my coat on!}
and one more form to scan...
But, for this, I was out the door and in my car at 5:00 exactly.
For this, I hurried along, willed the cars in front of me to "move it" so we'd all make it through the light.
I could tell from my office window that the sunset was colorful.
Dramatic.
And I wanted a few minutes of this light by the edge of my pond.
Even just a few minutes at the end of the day, are exceptionally refreshing.
Like a palate cleanser.
The icy winds were gusty. Bone chilling.
But, for THIS
I braced myself against the cold,
took many long, deep breaths
and a few color-filled photos.
Thank you, God, for this.



Linking up today with
Just WriteTexture Tuesday and Sweet Shot Tuesday

Monday, January 27, 2014

Look What I Made {4}

"Memory is the power to gather roses in winter."
{unknown}

In the middle of winter,
over a period of several weeks,
we all receive handfuls of holiday cards!
They come like roses,
to cheer us
and to help us remember those we love
from near and far.
Beautiful faces to gather and cherish.
This is good.

 I put together a little gift book for a young married couple.
It's a small 8x8 inch scrapbook with one page for each year. 
As the years pass, they can put all of their own Christmas cards in one place
and jot down a few highlights from the year.
It's a fun gift to make!
I decorate the pages, and they get to add their cards each December.
It was nice to give a few of these as Christmas gifts....would make a nice wedding present too!

 My daughter wanted a larger scrapbook so she could keep their Christmas card,
write down a few highlights,
and add the cards that they receive from friends.
What a great way to keep some precious memories safe
and savor all the wonderful holiday cards they get each year!

 A little random fact about me...
I don't ever feel quite right without a splash of color on my nails.
{and love the macro shot of my glittery pink!}
I had some fun with my daughter on Sunday.
We went together to help my mom arrange some furniture,
grabbed a bite and talked each others ears off. 


Joining Tamar for 
and linking up with
and

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Let It Go

"Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know.
Let it go."

Childhood good girl, that was me. Someone even signed my high school year book saying, "You're the kid all our parents wanted us to be." Yup. That was me...the good girl. The only place I felt free to let people in, to let them see, was when I was borrowing the words of others and acting a part in a play. As a young adult, when I took on the role of minister's wife, my expertise at playing the good girl seeped right into my "spiritual" life....and it took me a lot of years to unravel the differences between spiritual and religious. 
Religion can trap us. 
Spirituality has the potential to set us free!

"It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all....
Let it go."

It is funny. I've worked hard to get the "shoulds" out of my head. Out of my soul! I've worked hard to take responsibility for the fact that I allowed other people to dictate how I was supposed to feel and act. And it's good. The taking responsibilty stuff.....except that instead of blaming others, it can be hard not to blame myself. To be mad at myself. But the words of this song ring true for me...the more distance there is between now and then. Between me and the people I yielded to...the smaller it all seems. And the fear has been replaced by peace. And freedom. 

"Let it go. Let it go.
That perfect girl is gone.
Here I stand.
In the light of day.
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway."
{Lyrics from Frozen}

.....me thinks I should see this movie!!

Linking up with Kathy for
Song-ography

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Six Word Fridays ~ Pine



O, pine tree clothed in ice
and snow, your green is bold;
your needles glisten, twinkle and glow!

My Memory Art six word fridays


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Release



clenched fists punched madly
until outstretched fingers raised
a prayer heavenward


 Joining
and

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Black & White Wednesday ~ In flight


Icy New England

Long Island, NY

Landing in Philadelphia

It was a clear day,
and I surely did enjoy my "see forever" view.



My Memory Art
{also linking up with Communal Global}



Simply


"No act of kindness,
no matter how small,
is ever wasted."
Aesop


In a world, where glitz, instant fame and social media trending have become actual goals...where selling, and winning and earning seem honored above all else....where what's right often takes a back seat to who's right....and where bigger we're told is better... Yes, in the midst of this world, it was a gift to sit next to my father on Saturday in the back pew of my childhood church, and absorb the stories being told about a friend of ours. About her life well lived.

As Sue was remembered, there were stories of courage and generosity. Of wisdom and tenacity. There was praise for all she did as a wife, a mother, a friend and a contributing member of whatever community surrounded her. But it was the kindness - the repeated mention of the gestures of kindness from a woman who seemed to know no other way - that stood out above all.

Kindness is a quiet, understated and often invisible quality. I think it's easy to minimize it. To down play it...oh, anyone can be kind. It's no big deal, really. Sure, I can be kind...but what else can I accomplish? How can I have a broader impact that just little acts of kindness? Oh, kindness. Simple, available-to-every-human-being kindness. How very misunderstood you are.

On Saturday, from the back pew of my childhood church, kindness spoke boldly through the life of our friend. Kindness announced its presence. Kindness was visible, tangible, noticeable...remarkable. As passionately as the wail of the bagpipe filled the old, stone chapel, so the power of kindness penetrated to the depths of our souls. And we were called to remember.

Not only to remember a life. But to be reminded of a most powerful way of life.




Joining others for

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Look What I Made! {3}

It's crock pot season!
And my Pinspiration is going strong.
One of my goals for 2014 is to try a new recipe or craft each week...
so stay tuned!

This chicken tortilla soup got rave reviews from the men in my life.
{and I loved it too!}
You can find the recipe HERE
{I added rice because I had some left over...and I'll do that when I make it again}

Yup. This was GOOD.

Over the weekend, I took a very quick trip to Philadelphia.
There was a group of people from New England that all traveled to my home town
for the memorial service of a dear friend. 
At the invitation of her family, 
we were flown down and back on a private jet.
This was a first for me.
It was odd to have such a "ritzy" experience in the context of something so sad.
Totally RANDOM.
{if I'm being honest....it's a really nice way to travel!}

While I was gone,
we got snow in Boston.

Once the sun came out on Sunday,
I took my iPhone outside and used my Easy-Macro lens to catch these shots.
Ice and pine needles.
Yes, it's true.
I'm having way too much FUN with this silly iPhone macro lens!!



Linking up with
and

Nothin' at all....

ooh
today i don't feel like doing anything
i just want to lay in my bed
don't feel like picking up the phone
so leave a message at the tone
'cause today i swear i'm not doing anything
nothing at all
ooh, hoo, ooh, hoo, ooh, ooh-ooh
nothing at all
{The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars}






The gift of a snow day.
Perfect, perfect excuse for doin' nothing at all!


Joining Kathy and the gang for
Song-ography




Thursday, January 16, 2014

Six Word Fridays ~ Leap




Theses days, it seems to me,
that faith seems less like a 
leap...and more like the sun
that burns through the morning fog.
Faith doesn't send me over or
around...but like the warm, steady
morning light, faith leads me right
through life's murky, misty, mysterious days.


My Memory Art six word fridays

What do you see?

"It's not what you look at that matters,
it's what you see."
Henry David Thoreau















That simple, every day moment.
I gather my lunch and my purse, check the cell, pick up the keys and walk out the door.
Down the four side steps, across the the driveway... I head for the car.
The day is in full swing.
Skies are clear, the air is crisp and the sun warms me with its glow,
even if I can't feel its heat.
These are some of the most ordinary of moments.
I take the same few steps,
look at the same white fence, the leafless bushes and the old black car....just about every day.


Yesterday, my oh-so-ordinary steps were interrupted by the
stunning, artistic display of frost on the roof of my car!
There it was, catching the morning rays.
Gatsby-like, art deco fan patterns.
And feathers!
All waiting to greet me,
to remind me not just to look....
but to really see.





Joining Kim 
for
Little Things Thursday

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Black & White Wednesday ~ Lost

Lately, I've been lost.
oh, not in the "can't find my way home kind of way" 
or the "clouded over, confused kind of way"
But, I have been lost.
Captivated.
Riveted.
Absorbed.
I've been wrapped up in a micro photography world.
Wowed, and wooed by the fuzzy buds already making an appearance at the end of tree branches.

Intrigued by the intricate veins in the fallen leaves that resurface from under the melting snow.

Enthralled by the end of a pine needle nestled in the moss on a frigid stone wall.

But the real magic.
My most favorite of all my lost-in-the-micro-magic moments lately...

...are the moments I've spent caught up in the fanciful beauty of these teeny, tiny dried flowers.


"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and to see heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hands,
and eternity in an hour."
William Blake

{all this micro magic brought to you by the iPhone & the Easy-Macro lens}


My Memory Art
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