Monday, January 31, 2011

that january morning (to the north)












the north side
seems to beckon

"come hither,
yes, enter"

give not fear a favor
by holding back

Sunday, January 30, 2011

that january morning (to the south)
















the tire swing
waits patiently

she is not
unwanted

this is merely
the season
of rest

Saturday, January 29, 2011

that january morning (to the west)
















january
is almost
over

i daresay
i will
miss her

she has been nothing
but good
to me


*One morning, this past week I woke to a wonderland of blue haze. The picture above is the scene I saw from my living room window. I hurriedly grabbed a jacket and my camera and slipped on my husband’s house shoes. Fog has always intrigued me and I knew the landscape would be changing every second as the sun made her way onto the scene. The next few days will feature the landscape around my house “that January morning”. I hope you enjoy.


**The photo below features my adventure for week #4….making those fabulous chocolate chip zuchinni muffins in my brand new “muffin top pan”. After all, an adventure doesn’t have to be BIG, COSTLY, or EXTRAVAGANT…(though those are fun too.) An adventure can be the smallest and coziest of things.



Friday, January 28, 2011

piano day

Today is my day to go to the Manor where I play piano over the lunch hour for the folks who are in “assisted” living there. I’ve decided it is one of the most important things I do all week. AND, one of the most enjoyable. The following excerpts from my journal reveal some reasons why:


Ed quietly sets the small carton of ice cream on the top of the piano as he sits down beside me. “For you” his eyes twinkle. Such a lovely man —gone on ahead now. But I remember him, oh so clearly. . . singing “Home on the Range”, “Oh, You Beautiful Doll,” and so many others. I’ve never known a nicer gentleman.

Marjorie is almost blind. She needs her walker too. She makes her way some days across the dining room just to say “thanks for coming”. She’s expressed her doubts to me, in tiny little snippets. Marjorie is honest, tenacious, and tender in a strong way. To sum it up, she’s wonderful.

Mike loved the Irish tunes—but I remember him best for singing “Silent Night ” in German. What a lovely rich voice he had. I hardly noticed the oxygen canister, hoses and wheelchair.

*The image above is an illustration by Pierre Le-Tan from the book Lessons for Grown-ups from Children’s Books. Quotations collected by Amy Gash. The quote at the bottom of the illustration is this:


“Find something to make his heart sing, little one…For an old man that is the best gift.”
                          ~Sumi’s Special happening, Yoshiko Uchida, 1966




Thursday, January 27, 2011

before sunrise (blue series #11)
















before the blaze
of orange

there hangs a haze
of blue

yes, gently
comes
the morning



*This image reminds me of something i read several years ago. I don't remember the book but the author was making a point that one should "go" with one's gifts. She realized that she had longed to impart "enthusiasm" to  the world when, in fact, her gift was "peace." So if you are blue, be blue. If you are orange, be the brightest orange you can be. All the colors are extraordianry and all the colors complement one another in making the world a beautiful place.

**I am including a 2nd photo today as i think it shows such beautiful shades of blue that my series didn't capture.  It is entitled "Art in Ice" and was taken by Harold Green, a friend i met at a photogrpahy workshop last fall. He is an amazing photographer and wonderful inspiration. To see more of the beautiful images he has taken all over the world go to:
http://web.me.com/haroldgreen40/Photography/Home.html

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

encased (blue series #10)























God above
what power
you show me

in the simple scenes
of a
creekbed

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

blue shirts (blue series # 9)
















i never see blue shirts
without thinking
of my youngest son
who looks so
good in them

he has those
"baby blues"

and they are
filled
with thoughtfulness

he's one of those people
whose eyes
are very noticeable

because

they look straight
into your heart
every time you
speak


*"The first duty of love, is to listen."   ~Paul Tillich

Monday, January 24, 2011

happy face (blue series #8)
















this happy face
is sent your way
in case
you are experiencing
the winter blahs
or blues, as one might
say

smile, my friend
spring
is round the
bend


* We will never know all the good a simple smile can do.
                                       ~Life is Good quote

**This "blue series" is making me smile
    So i'm continiuing it awhile. :)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

evening in the smokies (blue series #7)
















and when evening
settles in

she chooses
blue

Saturday, January 22, 2011

blue bowls in my kitchen (blue series #6)























i found them
at a thrift store

and
using them

makes me
happy


*"Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts
   to be claimed by whoever shall find."      
                                  ~William Wordsworth, 1806

Friday, January 21, 2011

january (blue series #5)
















january in kansas:
a hidden source
of inspiration


*Taking a moment to share my “new experience (for week 3). We recently had a large snowstorm pass through which left us with 7-8 inches of snow. Last night I decided to do my “new thing” and take our dog, Boone, on an after dark winter walk. Here are some of the highlights:


~ The dazzling stars.
~The absolute stillness.
~The joy of Boone’s enthusiasm at this unexpected outing and seeing snow dust fly in his wake.
~Gasping out loud upon seeing the moon (a colossal orange ball) rising in the east. I’ve rarely, rarely witnessed it so large and beautiful.
~The phrase; the “crest of the moon, on the new fallen snow—gave a luster of midday to objects below” coming to mind.
~Diamonds at my feet.
~Feeling so very alive.

I can only ask, "why don't i do this more often?"

Thursday, January 20, 2011

my blue bottles (blue series #4)
















thank you God
for bottles blue

and for a hue
of such
simplicity


*Have nothing in your homes which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
                                                             ~William Morris

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

blue (#3)
















so pleasing
to the eye
it is

so calming
to the soul

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

blue (#2)
















cool
comforting
nonintrusive

blue


*The praire often reminds me of the ocean.....espcially when it looks like this.

Monday, January 17, 2011

january sunset









i receive your gift
of winter
God

thank you
for this

sabbath season


*I've been noticing the wonderful hue of blue lately; in part, i think because of the blue i'm seeing in nature this time of year. It has, however, caused me to see blue afresh in many things. So, this week i'll be featuring "blue". Hope you enjoy.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

winter question























who would have guessed
that white on white
could wrest from man
such sense of wonder


*"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." 
                                         ~William Blake

Saturday, January 15, 2011

winter blue












the mornings have been
blue
lately

soft
subtle
and truly

beautiful


*"The whole world as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color."
                                                          ~Hans Hoffman (artist)

**People who think Kansas is boring need to come visit and ride around with me." :)

Friday, January 14, 2011

red jacket #6

when in doubt
wear
red


*A few days ago while driving through the Barnes and Noble parking lot i saw an elderly woman getting out of her car. She was wearing the most beautiful bright red hat. It was a splash of color in the gray lot and brought an instant smile to my face. I parked and hurriedly got out of my car so i could catch her on her way into the store and tell her how she had brightened my day. As it turned out, she was a woman i had worked with thirty years ago (the librarian at a school). What a delightful surprise for both of us.  She told me she was 94, feeling well, and that the Lord brings her and unexpected blessing almost every day ("like seeing you" she said.)

Moral of the story: When you wear red, you don't know who you might be blessing or how you might be blessed.

Moral #2: When we look for blessings, we find them.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

red jacket #5
















oh, she's still red
but the flick of a wrist
and the click of a key
have changed her appearance
to you and me



*I couldn't resist how beautiful the shadows of the branches were when i changed her hue.

**This post causes me pause and consider "change" in my own life and the lives of others. Change often takes time. God is never in a hurry. But He can and sometimes does make changes in the "blink of an eye".

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

red jacket #4























sometimes
when we feel
out of place
we could be
in the perfect space

to lend
a new
perspective

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

red jacket #3
















oh baby, it's
cold
outside!

         ~from the song "Baby it's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser

*My thermometer reads zero degrees this morning and the wind is to pick up today.  Brrrrrrrrrr

Monday, January 10, 2011

red jacket #2
















nature's children
both

you look
made for each other

brother bark
and sister wool

what strength
and boldness
thou dost show

Sunday, January 9, 2011

red jacket #1
















i found her
at the thrift store
tucked among the browns and blacks
like a cardinal
in the bushes

she sang out
"joy"



*My "new" experience this week (week #2) is to photograph an item in an unusual setting. I've chosen my red jacket as the item and the woods behind my house as the setting. So this will be "red jacket" week. I thought we could all use a little more color this time of year. Hope you enjoy.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

through the branches












sometimes the view
is obstructed
and blurry

but we must look

always look

for the
beauty



*"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better."
                                                                ~Albert Einstein

Friday, January 7, 2011

my stacks
















as you can see
(if you read yesterday's post)
my stacks
are
what i might call more "free"
than my husband's

not that he would agree
with my
terminology

sure!
i'd like to come to my office
each day

knowing everything was put
neatly away

but in truth
i must say

when i get organized
again

in never stays
that way!


*In defense of my bad habit of letting things go (no matter how hard i try).......it really is fun to discover that Far Side cartoon or scrap of paper with the beginning of a poem i had forgotten about.

**Thus, my NEW thing for week #1.....viewing my cleaning and organizing as an adventure rather than a chore. Let the sacred sorting begin. :)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

quarters























yesterday
while walking through
my husband's office

i noticed
these quarters
neatly stacked
in front of his
"corkscrew collection" poster

thirty years of marriage
and i never knew
he stacked his quarters!

this morning i smile
thinking of him
coming home
day after day
emptying his pockets

(i wonder where the pennies
go)



*After writing this poem this morning, i asked my husband about the quarters.
"How long have you been stacking them there?"
"Since i started bowling."
Ahhhhhh! His winnings! That would be a year's worth of quarters. So i haven't been quite as blind as i thought. I hadn't seen them in a year...(at least it wasn't thirty!)
And though his little ritual isn't daily, i still smile at the thought of it. :)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

sketch
















something has me wanting to "sketch" lately. . .
where that desire is coming from
i have no idea

but maybe
it's the slowing
down

the "taking a moment"

i bought a little sketch book
and started in november
thinking i'd do one a day

that hasn't happened

but
at least i've done a few
 and i do

like
my little
wide eyed
fish



*"One of the best things about paintings is their silence--which prompts reflection and radom reverie."
                                                 ~Mark Stevens

**Perhaps this applies to sketches too!?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

words
















"I learned that words are something--
that words have color, depth, texture of their own,
and the power to evoke vastly more than they mean." 
                                ~Frederich Buechner


as i read
the inscription
i was startled
as it were
by the word
"threshold"
and i knew
in an
instant
that i was
crossing
one

       ~terry wiechman

*Sorry to you morning readers, for the late post. (computer problems!!) :)

Monday, January 3, 2011

new
















"Everything she learned became a part of herself,
to be used over and over in new adventures."
        ~From Gypsy, Kate Seredy, 1951

"Morning by morning
new mercies
i see...."
      ~From the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness, Thomas Chisholm, 1923

"Behold, I am doing a new thing."    ~Is. 43:19 (740-687 B.C. )

Sunday, January 2, 2011

enter
















"wherever you are
is the entry point"



*From an entry in my journal while reading The Right to Write.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

january 1st
















so soon
has the year gone by
and i find myself
not quite ready

to give up my
"post a day"

seems it's become a way
of life
for me

that little nudge
to see something
anew

to put into print
the fleeting thought
that went through my mind
so quickly

continue on
i will

thankful
for another day
another image
another word



*Happy New Years everyone!! May your year be filled with much laughter, purpose, and....hmmmmm, i was going to say love, peace, or hope (and of course i wish you those for you).....but how about "adventure". Whether you be young, old, or in-between; whether you travel often or not at all;  every morning there lies before each of us a new day, and with it the opportunity to try something different; even if it is just choosing to see something with a fresh perspective. However big or small it be; find a way to stretch yourself.  As writer Julia Cameron says: "The soul thrives on adventure.  Deprived of adventure our optimism fails us.  Adventure is a nutrient; not a frivolity.  When we ignore our need for adventure, we ignore our very nature."

**If you are following the blog, you might notice a few slight changes. The written portion will not be limited to my own poetry.  Some posts willl consist of quotes from other writers or prose excerpts from  my own journals etc. I still plan to keep the entries short and simple.

To keep myself aware of trying new things (adventure) i will be dedicating a post a week to something new i have tried. (Let's see....52 weeks in a year.......52 new things!!) I hope you will comment back with stories of your own new experiences.

***Today's image is from my new Wolf Kahn calendar. I so enjoy his work.