Walk on by

I need you::I'm here for you

Sometimes I walk by everyday things and don't even notice the beautiful connections until I start to put things together.

Flawed?

Some would say it's a flawed image. I used to.

Now I shoot them on purpose. There's a mystery and beauty to them I can't explain. In my mind I say to myself,

"If I could paint, this is what it would look like."

But I guess I do paint ~ with light. I've started a collection of my paintings ~flaws and all.

Treasured Sacrifice

He died in agony to satisfy the wrath of a holy God and to forgive the sins of humankind. Faith in Christ demands a willingness to make any sacrifice He asks. The hard truth about Christianity is that the cost is high, but the rewards are priceless: abundant and eternal life that comes only from faithfully following Christ.
~John MacArthur from Hard to Believe

sky's the limit

Even the sky looks different
when you look at it from
a new perspective
on the same day!

Led by the Light

Usually, I relentlessly chase the light around the house this time of year. This year I'm trying to be more led by it - noticing how it plays and makes shadows and images as it fills my days with possibilities that I was straining to find before.

Christmas Past

Visiting an old one room school house this past week made me sort of wish for a simpler way of life. I'm not sure my boys did though ;)

Soups On

What is it about the comfort of a hot bowl of home made soup that almost everyone can appreciate? I made Easy Cheesy Broccoli soup a few weeks back and thankfully froze some for a cold rainy day! Recipe here because I like to share - soup & calories :)

Windows and doors have been used by writers to discuss personal issues of characters for over a hundred years. Doors often represent opportunities and may symbolize key relationships in a person's life. A partly open door may suggest new possibilities. Closed doors may represent rejection, deprivation or missing out on something.

Does a locked door symbolize inner turmoil? Does unlocking the door represent inner healing?

Then again...

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore

I've read that windows are literally the visual bridge between inside and outside. They bring both lightness and darkness from the outside. Bright warm light can represent health, growth, and courage. But they can also bring light that illuminates that which we would rather remain hidden in the recesses of our souls.

And these days...

"If God lived on earth, people would break his windows." - Jewish Proverb

sand

sea
&
sky
seaside sanctuary,
salty serenity,
soothing
&
sensuous

Caffe, Grazie

I like mine strong and I prefer to enjoy it in Italy whenever possible :)

But I do like tea too. And I especially like what Eleanor Roosevelt said:
A woman is like a tea bag, you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water!

Buckets of Color

I was thinking how much I take color for granted.

This worn pioneer bucket is a wonderful, natural orange/red wooden color. But the early settlers really had to experiment when it came to coloring their yarns for example.

No running to the fabric store to get dye for them. No, they used dandelions to color their wools a strong yellow. And blueberries weren't just for eating. Beets made a fabulous red pair of mittens - the envy of all the other children in the schoolhouse. Tamarack needles picked in autumn gave homemakers an earthy brown tone for their labor.
There were a number of plants whose roots, leaves, and flowers were useful for dyeing, though some produced neutral grayish, and other less attractive colors.

Talk about infinite patience. First the washing and drying of the wool to remove the natural oils. Then a mordant was applied to make the wool more fade-proof. More washing and rinsing and drying before going into the dye pot.Then keeping the fire going in the hearth to sufficiently boil the plants. Then the endless rinsing and drying...

I like to think of myself as having the soul of an artist, but I don't even come close to how creative pioneer women had to be to satisfy their creative urges, if not just out of love and necessity in caring for their families!