find me here

I have moved to this location. I look forward to meeting with you there.

Wendy

my dear friends

 my dear, dear friends ~ I have missed you

~ with angel blessings to you and yours ~

just another day

  

"Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong.

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong."

 

babies, children, life and love ~ day 3

i can hardly believe
already october

i can hardly believe
tomorrow will be
nineteen weeks


i can hardly believe
people's actions
choices

i can hardly believe
my strength
my courage
my hope
my light

i can hardly believe
my ability to laugh
to love
to cry
to pray

i can hardly believe
near ten months

i can hardly believe

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

                                              ~ traditional lullaby 

babies, children, life, and love ~ day 2

the days march on
i dance through
i plod through
i dance through

anger interrupts
i dance through
i dance toward the light

unconditional love
surrounds me
i dance within
i dance through

sadness interferes
i allow it
the tears bring
healing
i dance through
i dance toward the light

love over all
i dance within
i dance through
i dance toward the light

 

 

"Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why, can't I?"

                                               by E. Y. Harburg

babies, children, life and love ~ day 1

this time of year 
i start to think, typically, of that dance 
that autumn dance. somehow, this year, 
that dance is so different. 

somehow
the dance has become intertwined with,
with what?

my new 
everyday life
i suppose.

where sighs,
sighs are mandatory.
frequent sighs.

reminders
to drop shoulders.
reminders
to breathe.
reminders to dance
and sing
and let myself be.
reminders,
to leave all things 
in God's hands.
reminders that my God,
my God, is 
a great God.

Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams my darling, the day is done.
The moon is here to say goodnight to the sun.

Gather your blankets and climb into bed.
Close your eyes and lay down your head.

Rest for now with peaceful dreams,
Of twinkling stars and shining moon beams.

Sweet dreams my darling, sweet dreams my love,
Sweet dreams my precious gift from above.

                                                         © Kimberly L. Brennan-Smith

 

 

neat places:

• Morley for kids
• 79 ideas
• pirouette

Love Lives Here

when words evade me

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations, though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen branches and stones.
but little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save.
                                                   The Journey by Mary Oliver

Monday mingle

I was exploring on pinterest yesterday and found some fabulous blogs around the area of "stitched". For some of these I have linked specifically to a post. Please take an opportunity to look at current information by clicking on top of the blog or where it says main or home.

• Morna
• Louise Richardson
• Kathryn Clark
• Ledanna
• Jude Hill Spirit Cloth                        

  

A quotation posted last week by a friend ~

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”  

                                                     Frederick Buechner

 

trying to remember

Source: dennisselisseth.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Christmas already

the day before Christmas
all in a scurry
still trying to breathe
and find quiet moments 
to take in the glory

a celebration is near
i will be of good cheer
look after myself
and those who are near me

so tired i feel
yet grateful each day
for the strength from within
and the faith which keeps me going

MERRY CHRISTMAS my friends
may your days also be blessed
with strength, courage and joy
plus the spirit of the season

"I salute you. I am your friend, and my love for you goes deep.  There is nothing I can give you which you have not. But there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven! No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant.

Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see.  And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look!

Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.

Everything we call a trial, a sorrow or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there. The gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Your joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.

Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering, that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage then to claim it; that is all! But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together, wending through unknown country home."
                                                                Fra Giovanni, 1513
 

autumn ramblings 11

this is a post i wrote weeks ago. since then much has changed. there has been very little time to create. someday i will get back to it with a renewed energy. for now i will share this.

 rolling through these days trying to get some sense of Christmas approaching ~ feeling discomfort at times.

and so I continue to create.

to this stage in time there was very little creating with this piece. I had acquired the original very dark pastel creation probably from my daughter. I believe she got it many years ago from a visiting pastel artist at her school. I had found it rolled up in the basement in a piece of craft paper. hastily one evening as I was preparing for a visitor I hung it on a wall in one of my basement creative spaces. then I realized how dark the piece was, how very abstract. not really what I wanted hanging on my walls. besides, there were so many possibilities. and so I began. the above pictured is with a number of layers of white chalk added.

another evening I chose to grab a piece of charcoal and sketch this face. the portrait was created using a reference from Misty Mawn's Open Studio class. I find my art being greatly influenced by her teachings even after eleven months. truly I have not had nearly as much time in this past year to be creating as what I had hoped. but the lessons will remain with me. and a great dream I have would be to one day participate in Misty's class in Orvieto. a dream ~ but I do believe that dreams can come true. as a dear friend strongly believes "If you can dream it ~ you can do it."  Walt Disney

so with pieces of charcoal flying as the piece was hung on the wall ~ the lovely lady appeared. 

I gave the piece more depth and feeling with darker lines. now she appears on my wall, yet another piece totally inspired by Misty, but with very much my own twist.

autumn ramblings 10 ~ more stages of creativity

a blue vignette just cause this is a rambling and the image is looking ugly very scary at this point.

As you have probably noticed ~ something went totally awry after the fourth picture. By that time I was getting pretty frustrated. I was nearly ready to paint over and start from new. But thankfully I let her rest for a while. I moved on to a couple of other creations. Not certain why I was panicking stressing. I suppose those nasty life challenges were getting the best of me. Finally I came back to my drawing book inside cover page. Answers came to me. 

I am now calling this page complete. There is probably much more I could do but after all ~ only  a journal page.

"I will always remember

I am strong."

autumn ramblings 9

or "taking a creative interlude"

As you could realize from my latest ramblings ~ sometimes the rambling is a bit hard to take. As I began the ramblings, I believe I had mentioned that what was flowing through onto these pages was very much the way things are within me. Confusing. Making no sense. Never ending. I suspect you have been getting numerous indications of that particularly recently. You might pause to wonder how anyone could survive a continuous, ongoing thought process as that. That is at times what boggles my mind - how to get away from it. How to unwind the tightly wound knob on my back so that the thought process might slow down. 

I am so grateful for a creative soul. So grateful for an awareness of nature and the need to "be still". So grateful for music. So grateful for tools and imagination and eyes that "see beyond".

Truly I have tried to remain creative. Here is one of my more recent creations shown in steps from earlier beginnings of a sketch to looking very gaunt, to looking like a sophisticated young lady very worthy of framing. I often begin sketches on whatever happens to be handy as I prepare to talk with my Momma on the telephone. Those beginning sketches are sometimes "way off" but I have been reminded time and time again to practice. That is another part of what keeps me going in this creative journey.

 Created with graphite, soft pastels, pastel pencils.  

I know. She looks pretty scary above. She would have been very appropriate for Halloween or some very scary movie. Funny. I trusted myself and carried on. I have learned that a very bad, nearly frightening look is typical at some stage in most paintings. Trust in oneself. And I realize now that creating brings about trust. Ah, I think I learned that a long time ago. It was just a lesson forgotten, a lesson which I should allow to be at the forefront much more often, in creating, as in life.  
 

"You know, you do need mentors, but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself."
                                                             Diana Ross                                     

Angel blessings my friends.

autumn ramblings 8

a time when ~

i have found myself wondering about the numbers assigned to these ramblings. the number 8 appeared next in line as i was planning this ramble. i would not have previously thought of the number having significance but i am pretty certain i would have been eight years of age when i first encountered a very difficult year with my diabetes. maybe i should not say "very difficult". i am totally beyond the point of knowing what is important or an emergency or something to get really excited about. over the past few years with our daughter there have been so many occurrences, incidents, as i said ~ beyond knowing what is something major.

a "very difficult" year ~ perhaps it was. i do not remember the details. i do recall spending days on end in the hospital only for them to determine if a newer ~ for that time ~ insulin could be less problematic for my injection sites. i was not really ill you understand. but more kind of like a guinea pig. whatever. i was again hospitalized a few months later with a serious stomach flu and again at the end of June following the last day of school and being found during the night with an extremely low blood sugar, i cannot remember, maybe i had actually passed out.

********

rambling
i will try to get to bed earlier.
i will continue to get outdoors in the mornings even though it is cloudy, always, it seems
and colder and more dreary.
i will try.
i will leave her in God's hands even though it is so scary.
i will try.
i will remind myself there is nothing more i can do.
i will try.
i will try to be positive and cheery
and act as though everything is fine.
i will try.
i will try. 

********

nearly a month ago. i gave myself a huge largish scare. the glass landed on the floor. having shattered. no, not so much a psychological thing, well perhaps. i was in stocking feet. somehow i was on the balls of my feet. it was not so comfortable. mostly there was fear. there was no one else in the house. i had stepped on a piece of glass years ago. our daughter, quite capably for her age, telephoned her Dad who proceeded to come home from work and help with removing the piece of glass from my foot.

now you realize, or maybe you are not aware that i have had diabetes for 51 and 1/2 years. my feet - some might think i am paranoid about them. perhaps so. but the doctors tell me that is a good thing because of the diabetes. i am familiar with those who have needed amputation. at a youngish age. in the summer time. or maybe it was spring i was told i definitely have diabetic neuropathy. my past education and career choice of nursing enabled allowed me to see the long term effects of diabetes complications. too many young people. too much blindness. too much kidney dialysis. too many deaths. young people. diabetes. yes maybe i am paranoid. i say rightly so.

********

concerned about the weather
rain, rain go away.
come again some other day.
when the temperature is not hovering around zero.

there is already enough sadness from the weather
our own mistakes
because of Sandy
because of inferiority
feelings
sadness
huge change coming
huge change happening
everyday
some day
every day
around us
within us.

********

that star key

that number eight

meant to fit together?

diabetes

a difficult year.

********

i hope you are still with me.

i am here

i am strong.

i am able to smile.

i am able to dance.

i am able to laugh.

i am ok.

i hope you are ok.

no, everything is NOT ok

but i am ok and i sincerely hope you are ok.

********

that day the glass fell, shattered, scared me.

Greg was just outside, cleaning the step, sweeping. 

through one thin pane of glass. i called. 

he was there, quickly. i breathed, relief. i was safe.

my brother soon entered as well. 

********

paranoid. perhaps.

so much being reminded, though,

of orange. so many reminders, insisting

i must achieve better control, my diabetes.

only two. doctors. this time.

but so many from my past. so many still there to haunt me.

only if i allow them.

i will choose not to allow them.

orange.

Monday mingle

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
                                                                                                                             Albert Camus

From a few of my friends ~

• Debbie
• Amy
• Yvonne
• Elena
• Sue

"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world."
                                                                                    Leo Buscaglia
 

autumn ramblings 7

a time when ~

i am ever grateful for the choice of spending time outdoors creating, if only for a brief time
while our summer weather was magical
early autumn 
also.

i am happy to have shared my desire with my beloved to sit outside, read
while i did some creating.
so rare for him to do.
on our spectacular last weekend of september, saturday.

for then the weather changed.

the snow capped the roof of the garage viewed through the window.
the pumpkins.

the one misplaced favourite mitten needed to be found
"now" before venturing outdoors.
consideration given a number of times those evenings to the need for ice grippers
to keep safe from falling
as happened number of times that year
how long ago?

yet the delphinium stands, two
and the chives
between the garage wall and the cement path stones
ever beautifully
reminding me of how strong i am
how i can stand beautifully too
sometimes through the most difficult conditions.

  *******

seven stars for ramblings seven 

my mind strays 
again

wondering if what i have to say here merits the wonderful number.

loving the number seven.

*******

"indian summer" waltzes in

amazing me, others

once again everyone outdoors

smells of barbecuing meat

knowledge it may very quickly go out 

with the west wind blowing

big grin with every breath

not caring of our longing for yet another warm day

brilliant sunlight bringing autumn richness

knowing of our need for change of the seasons

yet such angst within as the mood swings 

with every touch of winter approaching

winter approaching.

i am amazed at the honking of the geese to the east

water 

gathering geese

hundreds if not more honking

flying in groups silhouetted

in the distance.

i wonder as i make the road trip to city alone

yet with guides, many.

forecast for cloud filled day.

sunlight peeking, beaming through for me

most of my lone way.

i return home

at that golden hour of light perfect.

again wondering at how the light seems for me alone

as the forecast still says cloud prevails.

i offer words of praise, thanksgiving

observing more silhouettes, ducks, yet more ducks.

water sparkling as the wheels take me by.

*******

i mimic the chickadees high above in the trees

as once again i try to snatch moments outdoors

often with warm jacket about me as i waited too long those days 

to honour myself.

morning walks are about donning cabled gray tights

sage green cords, warm sweaters, denimy blue "barn" jacket, also in cord

blundstone boots, those favourite stripey mittens, lost one found, though not by me

and red soft hat. not usually my colour but being brave these days.

besides, it was handy.

as the wind continues
so i continue to wonder
wishing for more wandering through nature, mindfulness, creating.
some day some time.

 angel blessings dear ones.