nature's gifts

experience is never limited,

and it is never complete,

it is an immense sensibility,

a kind of huge spider web

of the finest silken threads

suspended in the chamber of consciousness,

and catching

every air-borne particle

in it's tissue - henry james

we should all try

to experience life

as a small child

full of wonderment

and joy

in the gifts nature gives

to us

mu

"one must forget oneself. it is like trying to see nature's reflection on the surface of a pond rippled by the wind; until the ripples subside, there is no clear reflection. in zen buddhism, to reach this point of no-self is call mu." - professor kinsaku nakane

yugen

"yugen........tranquility, stillness of movement, the eternity within the transient......mystery and depth. yugen can be the thin cloud veiling the moon or the autumn mist wrapping the scarlet leaves on a mountainside.....or the reflection of a flower's color in a dew drop at dawn......." kathryn lasky

hope everyone has a safe and happy halloween don't eat too much candy!

david gosling

david gosling............another environmental artist.......... uses his background in tapestry weaving to create willow and steel sculptures.

check out more of his art here.

hope

"to love is to risk not being loved in return. to hope is to risk pain. to try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." - unk

My BFF

ya know.....every now and then ......the stars line up just right .......and wonderful things happen. i just reconnected with my best friend during our teen years. as it turns out..........we've both been trying to track each other down over the years with no luck until i happened across her cousin on facebook. SCORE!

after a quick catch up session..... i'm amazed at how alike we've turned out to be.......gardeners, coffee enthusiast, wine lovers, bread bakers, junkers............oh..... i've missed you...... my twin sister from different mothers!
she's in virginia and i'm in south carolina....... but...... if i don't miss my guess....some day we'll hook up for a face to face reunion.... good for a kzillion belly laughs about our past antics.

judy.....judy.....judy..........wow........how great to hear from ya!

my star crossed lover

i remember you

my star crossed lover

from ancient times

until now

our hearts have always been linked

our souls born over and over again

seeking the other half

and only when we meet again

will the cosmic dust

of a million stars

rain down

in joyous celebration

they are one

they are one

the remains of the day

i had my daily walk in the gloaming …….soaking up the last vestige of summer……heartbreakingly beautiful today. the smell of newly mown grass ….and earth…..and leaves filled my head…. triggering memories of childhood ……simpler times..... with each step…the melting away of the days stress…..leaving behind a content….peaceful…heart.

returning home in the dark… i grab a much needed cup of coffee…. retreating to the porch where I am the grateful recipient of an amazing sonata of cricket song…… a sliver of moon hanging low in the sky……there is music in my head…..and in my heart……as i slowly rock to the beat of the cricket’s singing…..sipping coffee…..all’s well in my small part of the world………

in fall

the cricket

beneath the rosebush

watches

as the roses fall

to the very ground

that is his kingdom also.

so they're neighbors

one full of fragrance,

the other

the harper

of a single dry song.

we call this time of the year

the beginning of the end

of another circle,

a convenience

and nothing more.

for the cricket's song

is surely a prayer,

and a prayer, when it is given,

is given forever.

this is a truth

i'm sure of,

for i'm older than i used to be,

and therefore i understand things

nobody would think of

who's young and in a hurry.

the snow is very beautiful.

under it are the lingering

petals of fragrance,

and the timeless body

of prayer.

- mary oliver

god's beauty

a simple cotton boll.........it's texture.........it's shape........god's beauty abounds............

the joys of porch sittin'

this is where i begin and end my day.......in the mornings the smell of that first cup of coffee mingles now with the damp smell of fall. i sit quietly and listen to the sounds of nature awakening.....letting them wash gently over me.....feeding my spirit.

as i age i find great comfort in "porch sitting"........to just......be. i'm trying to break the habit of feeling i always need to be doing something......the dishes need washing.....the bathroom scrubbed......... all those things will still be there tomorrow.

and late at night.....after the comings and goings that make up my life..........i ease out here with a glass of wine and let the light of a thousand stars illuminate the path to an easier.....more gentle place.........and feel blessed................

the fun theory

patty prom queen

"all i ask is that you treat me no differently than you would the queen.........."

it's that time.........

i'm enjoying the last of my zinnias................ it's getting to be that time of the year.........

i've started collecting seeds for next years flowers.........

they're all tucked in waiting for their winters sleep...................

these seeds don't need to be collected.......they're happy to return.....year after year.

i don't know about you but this gardener is ready for cool evenings.....sitting by the fire.....with a good book....... a great cup of coffee.....and dreams of next years garden...........

its the great pumpkin charlie brown

i made my annual trip to the local market for my pumpkins. it takes me forever to choose just the right ones.........i have to look at each one. perfection is never the goal....i look for the eccentricities.....picked out my pumpkins and gourds and hope to get my fall decorating done this week.

i've got the week off and hope to spend a good bit of time in my studio. i'm overdue for some downtime...............every so often i need to get myself back to good.

remembering.......

i remember having a neighborhood store like this as a child......it was called pucketts. they carried a little of everything.....there was a butcher in the back with meats and hoop cheeses, fresh vegetables, washing powder in boxes, and of course a whole assortment of penny candy. the old wooden floors cracked and popped, announcing your arrival as you entered and were greeted by name. everyone's family had charge accounts that were paid up weekly and my mother was forever sending us to pick up some little something and have it put on the account. i remember once having air put in my bike tires and asking "cotton" to charge it to our account.....i didn't know there was no charge for air! a bottle of coke was five cents and when the price went up to six cents everyone vowed they wouldn't buy another one. we always poured a pack of peanuts in our cokes.these old sidewall tires were seen on every "rag top".

an old washer was sitting beside this old store. i don't remember us having one of these but i saw them at other homes.

i do love the comforts of today but i miss living in the times when the world seemed a happier, kinder place.

what big eyes you have

you're gonna put that thermometer where??? this is gonna be my blackmail picture of my newest grandson!
i can't wait to show it to his girlfriend.........

a good traveler

"a good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." - lao tzu

the land artist

strijdom van der merwe, a self described "land artist" based in south africa, just blows me away with the simplicity of his art. he works with sand, water, wood, and rocks to create geometrical forms whose

fragile beauty is documented with photographs before their transience.

this shot is wonderful on so many levels.....the shapes.....the lighting........

check out his website here for more of his work.

a wee halloween

how cute is this? these are pictures from last halloween posted on the wee garden blog.

oh!.................want! want! want! guess what i'm gonna be doing this weekend!

check out the wee garden site and blog here. she even sells some of the wee kits!

the seed shaman

"plants are a living tribe, an indigenous tribe. plants see life differently. they have different customs. they speak another language. my art is an attempt to translate their language so that the true story of the planet can be told. each seed, root or pod contains the earth’s history."....so says richard solomon.....the seed shaman.he uses gathered plant materials to create stunning works of art. "....i have found a secret that i would like to share with you: in my art, as in my life, i never meet a seed, tree or plant with a bad heart."

your work is amazing, mr. solomon.

check out his art here.

more environmental art

new zealand artist chris booth makes amazing stone and earth sculptures that are a combination of balance, engineering, and sense of place. this one reminds me of fern leaves.

check out more of his work here.

that you buffalo bill?

"When your mildly eccentric and rather earnest paramedic-studying boarder warns you to approach the washing line with caution chances are she's not kidding." from "a day in the life @ chez poppalina"

no............it's not something from "buffalo bill" in silence of the lambs..............just cpr masks!

this is just too funny! thanks for the laugh, poppalina!

monkey song girl

you gonna look like a monkey when you get old

you gonna look like a monkey when you get old

i can tell by your smell and the way you shake your tail

you gonna look like a money when you get old!


(what's this "when" business!)
ok.....monkey song girl........back at cha!

happy! happy! hope you like what's in this present!

u'v been mooned!

it's beginning to look a lot like fall around my neck of the woods. time to drag out the fall decorations and do a little pumpkin carving. i LOVE this time of the year! i 've been keeping an eye on our local pumpkin patch hoping to get first pick. don't ya just love how creative folks can be with their pumpkin displays?

i need this guy in my yard!

a mosaic queen

i'm always drooling over the free people blog. i love their clothes and if i was DECADES younger i'd have a closet full of their clothes!

they also feature some great links. just look at this mosaiced bike by baileywho. there are close ups on her flickr page. and this camera.............wouldn't this make a GREAT lamp base?

i don't know who you are.....baileywho......but you rock!

leggy birds

want! want! want! teresa green, a uk artist, makes printed clutches, tea towels, aprons......well, check out her site for yourself here.

tooooooooooo cute!

csi 102

we just completed a two day class learning to photograph crime scenes and document personal injuries. it was actually a very good photography class. most of our class time was inside but we did do a couple of hours of night shots. it's pretty amazing what some of these little point and shoot cameras can accomplish. i don't think most people are aware of the manual settings that can give you some great shots. our road officers use the point & shoot and our investigation division all have the nice nikons and canons........except me!!!!.....i got stuck with a p&s! my personal camera is a canon eos 30D and i feel like i'm shooting with a toy using the p&s.

we had a lot of fun with our assignments..........as you can imagine....it wasn't a good day to let your guard down!i'm sure a lot of us are gonna end up on myspace and facebook so be on the look out....... speaking of myspace.....check out this link.

who says the po po don't have a sense of humor?

ancient highways

hello again...........

well, i've survived my yearly bout of wonderlust.......the call of ancient highways.....the whisper of a past sage.... soft in my ear......beckoning me.....where?........i don't know.....only that there is a space out there somewhere that is missing my exact shape.....waiting for me to complete the picture. it's harder each year.... as i age.... to turn a deaf ear to the call....to resist the pull.

i turned a year older last week. i've spent a lot of time lately thinking of the past.....of good times.....and bad....missed opportunities......past loves.....mistakes i've made.........hurts i've caused.....things i've given up to please others........so many things i wish i'd done differently.......always running away.........still running away. i remember my mom talking about when i was a small child. i ran away daily......daily! even then........

it's stormy times in my soul lately.......it feels like the picture above........swirling clouds engulfing me in their mists..........my saving grace?........look closely at the picture........on the right......there's an angel blowing his trumpet........playing beautiful music........always music .......i'll bet it's a van morrison tune...........

Van the Man

happy birthday van the man.........you've stoned me to my soul for years!