Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Friday, July 15, 2011

BLOGjam

You may have thought that when I do more than two days of photos with "sayings" that it's because I'm busy doing something, gone again or being lazy.
" Good guesses.", says Farmlady.
Mostly I've been lazy, but I have been helping with the potting shed too,
which is coming along nicely. Our cool weather is really perfect for building something and being outside. We get up early and get a lot done. I hold things, measure, check the bubble on the level and hand nails to the Prospector. It all helps.
I had to put a SWEATER on this morning . It was chilly out there. The dogs were fine with their fur coats but a t-shirt wasn't enough for me.
Do you see what I'm doing here? I'm going nowhere. I've got very little to blog about.
Sweaters? Dog fur" holding nails? It's a blogjam. A "What do I say next."  kind of day.
I'm kind of tired of everything.
I didn't even go to my gourd meeting yesterday.
My feet hurt and I'm tired.
Yes, I'm whining.

Take a look at this... I just went and took some photos of the bed in my extra room.
My extra room/craft room/guest room/ computer room is a mess. There's a bed underneath all that stuff. There are gourds from friends for the shows and workshops, meeting clipboards and new dyed fleece that I didn't need, a new garden claw and miscellaneous bags of miscellaneous STUFF.
On the floor.... at the foot of the bed.
More fleece and felting paraphernalia.
Good grief! Hobbies gone amuck!
And Look!  Here's the clearly/confusing oxymoron* of my life.
This is my grandson's desk for creative endeavors when they are visiting.
Look at this mess...
Do you see the small 2011 calendar behind the basket, against the mirror. Look closely...
The calendar is called SIMPLICITY.~ Inspirations for a Simple Life.
HA! It's July and I haven't even opened it yet.
All of this bring to mind my life long quest for simplicity of thought and what comes to mind is another oxymoron: sadly/amusing. I look at this room and then I look at the unopened calendar and I see a huge gap between what I seem to be doing and what I really want to do. I see too many things going on at once. I'm too old to be multitasking this much.
It's straining my brain.
It's time to slow down and do one thing.
I know...
I will just do KNITTING and felting....
and, of course Blogging. I can't stop Blogging.

...and a little gardening. After all, I can't not garden.
...and what should I do with all these gourds?...
...and the acrylic paints, pencils and glues?
What about the jewelry stuff?
AND MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY!!!
My cameras are permanently attached to me.

This is not as simple as it seems....

  A friend said recently that my house was full. I was listening to you "C".
I think "Your house is full." is a koan*. As in "When you can do nothing, what can you do?  (Zen koan)
I think that I will go for a long walk tomorrow and think about all of this.
I guess I had more to say than I thought.
If anyone has advice....direction... answers?
I'm listening....

************************
Koan: A paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.

Oxymoron: A combination of contradictory words; like grotesquely beautiful or white chocolate.


Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Magic of Now


"Always say “yes” to the present moment.

What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is?

what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now?

Surrender to what is.

Say “yes” to life —

and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you." ~Eckhart Tolle~

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Saving Valentina

My friend, Lory, sent me this video. I have to share it with all of you. It's beautiful!
I hope that it touches you as much as it did me.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Light and Shadow



"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in our own sunshine."
~Henry Ward Beecher ~ 1813-1887