Where Stars are Born

My living space is aglow with little white fairie lights. They hang from my window, tipped with little glass stars at the ends that catch my eye when they twirl and bounce the light. Would it really be so bad if I kept them up most... no, all of the year? Not all of them.. just a little string of white lights? They make me happy. They release a warm inviting light into the room that has the same effect on me that a good paint colour does.

Hmmm. But I guess they wouldn't be as special at Christmas, if I had them up all year.

I am in full nesting mode. It's as though all of my senses want to be coaxed and nurtured... whether it be the spiced gingerbread fog wafting from the oven, the soft fuzz of my new slippers under my toes, the hypnotic rhythm of the raindrops tapping at my windowpanes, or a cup of creamy nut oolong warming my hands and cheeks.... all of these simple pleasures entice me to stay in, to slow way down and to be exceptionally mindful. And most grateful.

I just want to be home. In my nest. Until the flowers come out.

Psst....

Just wanted to say 

I miss you.

I'm coming over.

Put the kettle on?

We Made Some Serious Eye Contact

What a beautiful creature.

He took my breath away this evening... I was photographing a friend near a lovely little pond, and this guy flew into a nearby branch and stole the show. He seemed sleepy and winked at me a few times... such long dreamy eyelashes... I wish I could have captured them for you.

What is it about owls that leave us so much in awe? Is it because they are so rarely seen in daylight? Or is it because when they look at you with those great big intense eyes, it's as though they are peering right into the very depths of you?

He was a rare gift on this fine summer day. He must be an early riser.

Counting Sheep

Family portraits of the four legged variety?

It was instant love as soon as I saw them. In that second picture, do you see how the shaved one is hiding behind the one still sporting his wool coat? I think he was feeling a bit naked... a bit vulnerable. A bit camera shy. I can't blame him. But I adore him, nonetheless, and found him to be just as photogenic as his next of kin.

And the llamas. All standing there, perfectly posed as though they knew they were getting their family portrait done. And just like humans... getting the littlest one to look at the camera was just not going to happen. At least he was doing better than that guy in the distance, who was having nothing to do with this portrait business! There's always a difficult one in the crowd.

Rumi Love

Birdsong brings relief to my longing

I am just as ecstatic as they are

but with nothing to say!

Please, universal soul, practice

some song, or something, through me.

~Rumi

New Growth

On one of my morning mountain climbs, I overheard one woman say to another that she could hear the moss and flowers growing. I wished my ears were as acute as hers, just so I could listen in on the rest of their conversation. How completely out of context did I take that statement, not knowing anything else about the conversation? Who cares? It's fun to think about...

What would that sound like? I imagine it would be a soft sound... like a baby stretching. Or the yawn of a field mouse. When they drink the raindrops, do they sound like fish bubbles? When they open to the sun, do they let out a satisfying sigh?

Wouldn't it be amazing to be a robin for a day...silent on the lawn, a tilt of the head, listening to the movement of the worms under the soil... what does that sound like? I imagine it might sound like soft static from an old record player.

I may not be able to hear these things, but I can see them, and take in their delicate fragrances... and who can walk by a fuzzy bud without touching it? I know I can't resist.

Happy Spring everyone...welcome it with all your senses.
May the Easter Bunny twitch his whiskers at you and leave you something special... and chocolatey!

In the Clear!

This little pumpkin stayed the night with me last night... and it was so good to see her! As some of you might remember, my niece, Ivy was dealing with a tumour on her kidney this past summer when she was only seven weeks old. I wrote about it in this post.

She spent the last few days in Vancouver doing follow up tests, and everything is normal! She's a healthy happy little baby. I didn't want to let her go this morning. It will be summertime before I see her again and she will be walking. Why can't babies stay babies for much longer?

Just wanted to share the happy update.

Shayne and Carly, it was so good to see you. I love you, and I miss you already. Give Sarai a big hug and a kiss for me. xo

Sproutz

They are a happy little vegetable. I mean, look at them all spilling out of the container like they know they've got to live it up while the going's good. That kind of youthful energy must be good for the body. Baby broccoli sprouts are not my favourite veggie... to me they taste a little like dirt. But I eat them anyway because I know how incredibly full of nutrients these little guys are.

And they are kind of adorable too. Some of them are even shaped like little hearts. That alone has got to do something good to the body, right?

Hurry Up and Slow Down

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's a life lesson that keeps presenting me with opportunities to become more aware and grow. I think I have had more trouble with patience than almost anything. It's part of who I am... I am eternally patient when I am teaching, when I am supporting a friend, when I am focussed outward... but when it comes to my own needs or wants, my resolve flies out the window like a trapped bird. If I want something to happen, if I want to accomplish something or learn something new, as soon as I decide that I want this thing, whatever it is, it needs to happen yesterday.

For eight months now, I have been trying to recover from a nerve injury in my arm. Progress has been excruciatingly slow. It feels as though I take a couple of steps forward and then I push myself a little too far and stumble backward.. again and again. I can't do the full body exercises that I want to do... I can't restore my strength, I can't do physical activities that I really want to do... until. Until my body decides to heal completely. Until I stop the battle within myself, surrender to the situation and allow my body the space to heal. 

I wonder what it is within me that has decided that I am on rush time? What's the hurry? The trees don't bud until their limbs feel the gradual warmth of the sun. And the blossoms don't open up to the world until the time is right and they are confident they can flourish. Spring doesn't happen overnight. Most essential things don't. Everything evolves with its own particular flow.

Perhaps I need to absorb more fully what I see through my lens. Each beautiful thing I observe has brought itself into fullness at a slow and gentle pace. Even decay has its own unhurried process. Nature is providing me with an answer, if I would just slow down and take her seriously.

Feel it in Your Wings

It is the spirit that knows Beauty, that has music in its soul 

and the color of sunsets in its headkerchiefs;

that can dance on a flaming world and make the world dance, too.

~ W.E.B. Du Bois

Windows

We've all heard the phrase the eyes are windows to the soul.
Well, could windows be eyes for the soul?

I was on my way home from a friend's house yesterday when I saw an elderly man standing in front of an antique shop window. He was wearing beige trousers that were rolled at the ankle, a long trench coat and a black hat... he looked so distinguished and gentlemanly. He was leaning on his cane, peering into the window at one of the items on display. I wondered what held his attention... Was it a trinket that reminded him of a boyhood possession? A nostalgic object that caused his heart to skip over his long lost love? Whatever it was, it had a hold on him... he moved ever so slightly as though he was going to walk away, and then turned back again into the window, bending over a little to get a closer look at the object of his affection.
Clearly something in that window stirred his soul.

I felt that very same stirring when I woke up to sunlight surging through my bedroom window after days and weeks of cloud and grey. It was enough to make me tumble out of bed and reach for my camera. And after a few quick shots, and a moment to pause and bathe in the beautiful light, I fell back into bed... and closed my eyes.


ps... if you are craving the light, visit the Four and soak up the beauty there.

My Little Taro Beans

He looks kind of disapproving, doesn't he? But really, he's just as fuzzy on the inside as he is on the outside. Ummm... sort of.

Except when he's mad at me. He lets me know with a swift thump to the floor with his back foot. Any number of things could cause him to do this. If he gets under my bed, for instance. He's not allowed in that room, and he knows it, so if opportunity knocks and he does make a run for it, he will hide under the bed and thump and thump as though he is telling me haha, you were too slow to catch me...now back off, lady!

He will also thump at me if I pick him up to give him a kiss on the cheek. I do this a lot... I can't resist. He hates being picked up, which is only natural...in the wild he would be a prey animal, so confinement of any kind is not comfy for him. So he tolerates me, but soon after I put him down, I get thumped.

But, if all four feet are on the floor he's a cuddly as can be. He loves to be rubbed under the chin and around the ears and will push his nose into my hand in demand ... but he rewards me by licking my hands or my forehead if I snuggle up to him on the floor.

Despite his little grudges, I love him. I adore him. I could gobble him right up I love him so much.

I am a Storm Chaser at Heart

Winter finally arrived. It was like a thick and pillowy duvet blew off the clothesline and settled right over the island. But it only lasted 2 days before torrential rains washed away any evidence of white and left everything green again. Which is just about perfect. I love being snow stranded... it provides automatic permission to do nothing but cozy up with a blanket, hot tea and a good read. I love those kinds of days. And because they come so rarely in this little part of the world, it makes them even more delicious.

And just when we thought everything was returning to normal, the winds came today. Powerful 110 km/hr gusts that knocked down trees (I grieve for those that fall) and power lines (including mine) and made the ocean roar with rage. It was quite spectacular. In the eleven years I have lived here, I don't think I have ever seen winds that strong.

So I am wondering... what is coming next? Some pretty lightning? That would be nice. We don't get nearly enough thunder and lightning here.

I LOVE storms. It doesn't matter what kind. I love them even better than sun-in-your-eyes days. Better than hazy blue skies. Better than unrippled waters and swayless trees. They shake up the ordinary. They make our eyes grow wide and our hearts beat stronger. They wake up the spirit and make us feel oh so very small.

I will be scanning the skies for the next thrill ride.

What Holds the Light

The sunlight is painfully shy these days... hiding behind Old Man Winter's knees, sneaking a peak every now and then... not wanting to be forgotten.

But if you are patient, she can be coaxed. You might find her wrapped snug around twigs and branches like a spool of golden thread. She may be filtering herself through the papery shell of a hydrangea, offering it one last day of grace. Or perhaps you will find her sweet talking the baby buds, making them appear to glow from the inside. Perhaps that is what they need... a little bit of a pep talk to encourage them to open when the air is still bitter cold. Poor things. I hope they know it is much too early to wake up. I want to whisper to them... go ahead. sleep in. take your time.

That timid sun. I know she has her days, whole seasons even, when she's bold and demanding of attention. But not now. The heavy clouds are intimidating, threatening snowfall, pushing her aside as they steal center stage. No doubt, the tiny snowflake is deserving of love and attention too. As much as we love the sunshine, who doesn't love a good snow day?

White Out

I think I am detoxing. I am coloured out.

I love the clean slate feel of January. As wonderful as the holiday season is, when it is over, I am ready for it to be over. Funny.... that happens at the end of each season, too. So here I am, beginning again ... resurfacing after a long blogging slumber. Hoping to be more present with you this year. But I am not going to make it a resolution. Because, you know what happens to most resolutions.

No, I am thinking in terms of intention. To find more beauty... to share it with you ... to get more of that goosebumpy feeling when I see the beauty that you create in whatever form it is that stirs your soul.

I wasn't around a whole lot last year. I think I found it all too overwhelming. I found myself feeling very guilty much of the time because I wasn't keeping up with the goings on in the blogging world. It's a busy place, this beautiful universe we have all created with our art, and words, and pictures. And I am so happy that I found a little place within it. But, I'd like to try a different approach... little bite size pieces at a time, and less marathoning when it comes to trying to keep up with my favourite blogs. Do you know what I mean?

And yes... I also intend to take breaks when I need them. Long ones if I need them. I think I am getting better at honouring my own needs without judging myself for them. Makes me a happier being.

I am actually smiling right now. :)