Showing posts with label Saturday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saturday. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

MORNING MEDITATION


Sitting on the deck on a cool Saturday morning. Listening to the drone of the lawn mower as Joe mows the front lawn -- love the sweet smell of freshly cut grass! Also listening to a variety of bird songs & the occassional bark of a neighbors' dog.

Watched a hawk circling overhead. What would it be like to drift along, high above the world, on currents of air?

I've seen many other birds from my perch on our deck as well -- two little chickadees, flitting from branch to branch in the pine trees. A fat robin, sitting for a brief moment on Brenda's fence. A blue jay, just passing through. A crow in our neighbors' yard, looking for breakfast.

Joe found an abandoned birds' nest in the acuba bush -- a carefully woven home for fragile eggs & baby birds. How do birds know how to take bits of twigs & leaves & pine needles and sculpt them into perfectly rounded bowls, just the right size for their eggs?

The vinca I planted in the big black pot have all put down roots in the rich soil, & are showing off their cheerful blossoms. Bright white petals surrounding a hot pink center against shiny green leaves, well-watered & reaching toward the sun. They look happy!

Soft, almost transparent clouds cover the pale blue sky. A gentle breeze is rustling the leaves in the treetops.

Passing by -- an ant, a wasp, a bumble bee, a painted bug. Salem, our dog, comes out to lie down next to me in hopes of having her ears scratched & her back rubbed. Now, the soft swoosh-swoosh-swoosh of water as the sprinkler sprays the green grass...

When I came outside, just a brief time ago, I felt sooo tired -- yes, & even irritable. Now I am breathing the sweet air & I feel refreshed, renewed, quieted.

Thank you for these restful moments, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy what You have made. I feel better now.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6

Written 6/10/06

Friday, April 28, 2006

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD


Beautiful Saturday morning!...

I love being here on the deck! It's cool, shady, breezy, and quiet (as quiet as things get at our home here in town!). So many birds singing! I've been watching a monarch butterfly, who seems content to fly all around our yard. The azaleas are blooming, and the dogwood next door is covered with white blossoms. So very peaceful...

Joe has been transplanting hostas from our neighbors' backyard this morning. Little by little over the past year, he has seeded and watered and planted and weeded and patiently waited to see the fruits of his labors. Our yard is looking lush and green as a result now. I am so grateful for all of his hard work! And now I am understanding better his vision.

I think Joe saw potential out here that I just didn't see. I have to admit, I thought his one-man war against the wild violets that had overtaken our backyard was a little crazy -- they were green, weren't they? Wasn't it futile to fight against them when they were so determined to migrate over from our neighbors' untamed yard? Wasn't Joe just fighting a losing battle?

But I was wrong. And this Spring has proven it. This was a battle worth waging. Joe has taken back the yard from its' overgrown state, and now it is healthy and green... a testimony to Joe's hard work and diligence.

Jesus often used metaphors about gardening in His parables. Weeds. Fertile soil. Rocky soil. Water. Growth. Fruit. Seed planting. Tilling. Persistence. Providence. Hope. Faith. Harvest... There is much to think about here in our own backyard.

Written 4/15/06

Sunday, April 16, 2006

MY ART SPACE


A quiet Saturday afternoon. I'm sitting in the studio, enjoying the sun that is shining through the window. This is one of my favorite places to be! I am blessed to have a room of my own where I can surround myself with paints & brushes, punches & glue, polymer clay & an assortment of little creative projects.

Of all the rooms in our house, I think this one best reflects me. This is a place where I feel happy!!... Looking around the studio for me is like looking at a timeline of my creativity: cartooning, lettering, paper piecing, acrylic paintings, and colorful polymer clay. These are all little experiments I've done over the years -- some more successfully than others. Actually, I guess they have all been successful, since they all have taught me lessons about color, design, and using a variety of art & craft materials. None of these projects would win any prizes; but, for me, they all add up to a colorful, one-of-a-kind, personal, not-to-be-found-anywhere-else mixed-media quilt -- my art space.

This is where the little girl in me comes out to play. This is where I journal & think & pray. This is where I brainstorm & plan my next creative project. This is where I read & learn from others. This is where I come to catch up with myself. This is where I can happily be me...

Thank you so much, Lord, for this place!

Written 3/25/06

AN ORDINARY (HAPPY!) SATURDAY MORNING


It's 10:30 on an ordinary Saturday morning. I have no place to be, no schedule to keep. A whole empty day stretched before me -- pure bliss!!

So far, I've had French toast coffee with my husband, Joe (usually we have pancakes, but today just felt like a French-toast-kinda-day!). Mine had Grandma's homemade strawberry jam, made with strawberries grown on the family farm -- YUM!!! Fed and talked to Salem, our dog (who loves the extra attention). Let Salem in & out of the back door at least ten times (she likes to see what's goin' on in her neighborhood!). Checked my email and my eBay art groups. Listened to my husband laughing his big, happy laugh from the next room as he watched a SciFi show he'd taped (how I love that laugh of his!!). Considered all the many ways I might spend today -- vacuuming? (nah!), folding clothes? (definitely!), washing my hair & getting it cut? (great idea!), changing the sheets? (yup, put that one on the list), going outside? (it's 60 degrees today in January -- much too nice to be inside all day!), wandering around in my favorite craft store (what a treat!), doodling? (just haven't had time lately, and I've missed being creative)...

Lord, I'm so grateful for this ordinary Saturday, when I can JUST BE!! Thank you for time to regroup, catch up with myself, and play a little!

Written 1/28/06

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