Sunday Stroll…

The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.

~ Masanobu Fukuoka

I spent a few days, recently, in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia at a beautiful place called Berriedale Farms. I’ll tell you more about Lizzie and Nelson – who have built up a gorgeous herd of Red Poll cattle and a menagerie of horse, mule, chickens, rooster and dogs, to boot – another day. There’s quite a story involving me, a mule named Cassie and an electric fence! For now, I just want to show you some of what reminded me of the true and natural pace of life.

What a gift.

We took a carriage ride – drawn by their very strong Suffolk Punch horses, Dolly and Bonnie – up the mountain, passing by a variety of buildings and lovely spots.

The farm itself has some interesting “artifacts”…

These two keep an eye on everything…

though they were happy to let the little black dogs play, too.

Jet was in heaven.

I got to photograph I have no idea how many cows (and one impressive bull) feeding…

something they take very seriously!

You can hear the lowing all the way through the woods.

Which perks up the horse’s ears, too.

The chickens and JR, the resident rooster, forage in the woods…

and walk this way.

Bonnie and Dollie take a well deserved break.

Before Nelson and Lizzie get them all hitched up in their finery. More on that next time.

Here they are, au naturel!

Despite the surprise ending to my trip, I can’t wait to be around all this again.

I’d forgotten what heaven was like.

Sunday Stroll…

It’s been a long time since I did a Sunday Stroll!

Here are a few favorite shots from my first trip to Rome…

Some seem very familiar…

Others, not so much.

The Christmas market in Piazza Navona…

where the sun really tried to come out.

We saw art everywhere, from the historical

to the very new.

There’s beauty in the mundane,

in the details,

and definitely in the shop windows!

Beyond the art, there are a few other things that seem omnipresent:

pigeons, statues,

and scooters.

We ended the day by climbing the steps from the Piazza Popolo,

joining the crowd watching the sky turn colors,

the late afternoon sun casting shadows

in the park of the Villa Borghese.

We took in the sights – the sun descending over the city,

changing places with a full moon, the same one you saw, wherever you are.

.

And found our way back, led by  the beautiful lights.

Sunday stroll…

Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.

~ Albert Camus ~

It’s been so long since I’ve done a Sunday stroll here, and today was the kind of day that really required one, for me.

I was shooting holes in everything I’ve been dreaming up – seeing what seemed impossible, rather than all it could be.

(Yes, I have those days. We all do.)

So I put the leash on Jet and the camera strap over my shoulder and we headed out in search of signs of change.

And we found them. Splashes of color in the otherwise grey morning…

Wide open, end of season blooms…

Signs of new life mixed with the inevitable decay autumn brings.

Patterns on patterns on patterns, showing it all goes on.

One season ends, another begins.

It all served to remind me that there is a rhythm, a purpose, to everything.

Or as the song goes…

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

~ Semisonic ~

The heart breaks open…

God breaks the heart again and again and again until it stays open.
~ Hazrat Inayat Kahn ~

This has been a heart breaking, heart opening month or two.

Births, losses, deaths, shifts of all kinds.

I don’t really have words for it all.

I do, though, have images.

Here is what spoke to my breaking and opening heart,

as I traveled this spring.

To all those I’ve met along the way…

my profound thanks.

I carry you with me, wherever I go.

At play…

Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.

~ Joseph Chilton Pearce ~

 
I am learning, a bit later in life, just how important play is. And yesterday,
we headed up to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for the day to do just that.

The Harbor is full of patterns, playing against each other…

and against the blue, blue sky.

I was delighted to find that, on this brilliant spring day,

everyone seemed to be out and playing, in one way or another.

There was plenty to do…

in the water,

in all kinds of boats.

Or you could watch these masters of play,

as they did their best to get everyone wet,

one way or another.

Some took the day off entirely.

And others just found ways to rest…

or take in the beauty of the water…

the season…

and all that the Inner Harbor holds.

Pattern,

color,

and light.

What matters…

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

There is very little that matters to me more than what I see.

For a long time, I thought my greatest fear was that of going blind.

Now I know it’s more a fear of forgetting to see what is right in front of me.

I hope that I never lose this ability, this incredible capacity to see the beauty in pretty much anything.

It is, truly, what matters to me.

And it is, in essence, what is me.

The end and the beginning, and everything in between…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,
with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”

~ Hal Borland ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I put this post together, it is New Year’s Eve.  The last evening of 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am still on London time, and as I go through the images from my holiday trip,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I realize how long I have been away from this space,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it seems clear that a Sunday stroll might be in order to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

London certainly knows how to decorate for the holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere you look, there are lights…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and ribbons,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and bows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The traditional holiday meal in England is, of course, the Christmas goose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy seemed wary…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate well – this is probably my favorite restaurant in the world –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

walked for miles and miles,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and marveled at it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even did a little Boxing Day shopping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t help thinking, though, that it seems like so much, all at once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I wandered the streets, I wondered…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

what would it be like if we kept the holiday spirit alive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

all year?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if we celebrated the good in each other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

everyday?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that each of you is such a gift to me, on each day of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish you, of course, peace and joy, health and wisdom, wonder and love in the New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll be right here, bringing you little bits of that, I hope, all year long, just as you bring it to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that makes every day worth celebrating, doesn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday stroll…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To understand is to perceive patterns.

~ Isaiah Berlin ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Sunday, I strolled in a meditative way, looking for patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patterns of light and shadow, patterns of color, of patterns on patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to capture quite a few, and brought them here to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I  hope you’ll find a quiet moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and breathe in the wonder of this world,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

even in the places we often overlook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as ordinary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday stroll…

All the windows of my heart I open to the day.

~ John Greenleaf Whitter ~

I thought, given that yesterday was the one year anniversary of Carry It Forward, that I’d do a Sunday stroll of my favorite photos of the year. It became clear, quite quickly, that it would turn into more of a marathon than a stroll, so I decided to narrow the field a little. Windows have been a favorite subject for me for as long as I can remember, so here you go – a stroll through twelve months of windows from around the world!

Wyomissing, Pennsylvania

Malaga, Spain

Ronda, Spain

Washington, DC

rural Virginia

New York, New York

view from my window

Washington, DC

Washington, Virginia

Freeport, Maine

Falls Church, Virginia

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

Somewhere in the sky

Phoenix, Arizona

Ferry from Seattle to Victoria, BC

Carving Shed, The Wick, Tofino, BC

Tofino, BC

The Wick, Tofino, BC – on my fiftieth birthday

Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, New Mexico

Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, New Mexico

window shopping, Calistoga, California

my dining room

Falls Church, Virginia

Green Gulch Farm, Marin County, California

greenhouse at Green Gulch Farm

Sunday stroll…

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.

~ Buddha ~

Today, I thought we might go for a Sunday stroll through the magnificent and magical grounds of Green Gulch Farm, in Marin County, California. Green Gulch is a working farm, known for their organic produce, and a part of San Francisco Zen Center. It is now, thanks to Tara Mohr and the incredible retreat she led there last month, one of my favorite places on earth.

The farm and zen center are situated in an extraordinary setting, between mountains and the sea.

I wish you could smell the pure essence of green, of the ocean, of life here.

You walk first through the flower garden, with its many alcoves to explore.

Even this late in the season,

there is color everywhere you look.

Continue past the rows and rows of vegetables, shining like jewels in the sun,

,

visit the horses and watch the quail skitter about, hiding between the planted rows,

wonder at the history and beauty of the age old trees,

marvel at the foothills – the way they are always both in shadow and in light,

and eventually, end up at the ocean.

If you’d like to read a truly wonderful book about life, gardening and Green Gulch, pick up a copy of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate , by Wendy Johnson - it’s an even better escape than this stroll! Many thanks to one of my dear readers for recommending it to me – it’s a retreat, in and of itself.

I can’t bring Green Gulch to life for you – the scent of herbs, the echo of the gongs, the well beaten paths. I hope, though, that this does bring you a moment of peace.

Namaste.

looking for light…

There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

~ Edith Wharton ~

In the right light, at the right time,
everything is extraordinary.
~ Aaron Rose ~

A sensible man will remember that the eyes may be confused in two ways -
by a change from light to darkness or from darkness to light;
and he will recognize that the same thing happens to the soul.
~ Plato ~

From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things,
and makes us aware that we are nothing,
but the light is all.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
~ Maori proverb ~

To love beauty is to see light.

~ Victor Hugo ~

I went for a walk today, just for a little while, looking for light. This is what I found.
It’s everywhere.

Sunday Stroll…

I do not understand the mystery of grace —
only that it meets us where we are and
does not leave us where it found us.

~ Anne Lamott ~

We talked about grace today, on #soulcall.

Grace, for me, is feeling welcome in this world.

And it is feeling connected to God, to spirit, to myself.

If I am a little (or a lot) off track, I pull out my camera and go for a walk.

Actually, I do that when I am clear that we are all woven into one, too.

This weekend, grace was all around me.

Color everywhere, and form,

with a breeze that felt like spirit itself.

Look around you…

you will find beauty in the most unusual places.

Sometimes, it’s more obvious than others!

on the unimproved trail…

If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it,
for it is not to be reached by search or by trail.

~ Heraclitus ~

After weeks of being busier than ever, I realized this morning that I actually had a few hours free of appointments. I can’t remember the last time that happened, and I also can’t remember the last time Jet the Wonder Dog and I went for a nice long walk with my camera. The swamp like September weather has given way to cooler temperatures, the air has cleared and the rain has finally ceased it’s daily appearance. So I decided to pack up the car and head to Great Falls National Park for an hour or two.

Once upon a time, when we lived in the far northern suburbs of Chicago, we walked in nature every day. There were four Open Lands areas within ten minutes of our house, and unless it was really pouring, we rarely missed a day. But now this sort of outing has become a rare treat. There’s something in me that balks at the idea of taking 30 minutes each way (in non rush hour times) just to take a walk. And that is pretty silly. I am extremely fortunate in that I make my own hours, but on the other hand, there never seem to be enough hours. Even though taking photographs clearly is part of my work (again, lucky me) I don’t seem to be able to find or make blocks of time to get out there and do it. So as I dealt with some correspondence and a couple things that had to be taken care of early today, the gremlins started to attack…

“Really, you should just stay put and write!”

“It’s probably still muddy out there! You might slip…”

“And Jet just had a bath!”

“You have to go out tonight – what if your hair gets MESSY?!?”

I am really hoping I am not the only one who hears these things. It’s what happens, though, whenever I want to just do something FUN. I do much better with SERIOUS stuff, you know, and I have done a whole lot of that lately, so I was due for some f.u.n. I told the gremlins to take a hike, that I would be just fine, thanks. And that I would be back in time for my afternoon meetings. And off we went.

As soon as we arrived, it seemed those voices had known exactly what they were talking about. There was construction tape everywhere, and the parking lot was cordoned off, so we had to access the path along the Potomac in a different way. When we got to the part where we had to go right or left, there was a huge sign that read “Caution. Trail Damage. Unimproved Trail.” I am guessing that given the hurricane, the earthquake, the tropical storm and daily rains, the river has likely been higher than in recent memory, and that must have wreaked havoc with the trails that run parallel to it. I thought about turning back, that maybe I should have stayed home.

And then I thought again.

I laughed out loud, loudly enough that Jet cocked his head at me.

Isn’t that just like life? Since when I have I walked an Improved Trail? I am actually quite accustomed to going on the unmarked, hard to navigate, Danger Will Robinson trails, when it comes right down to it. The sun was still out, I had my camera and my dog and a free hour or so. I was game, and so we set off. Sure enough, there was mud. And a lot of it.

And yet, every time the path got really muddy and sticky, there was another way around. Either a small path veered around the bank, or there was a tree to hold onto, or Jet found solid ground somehow. We were surefooted even though there were tree roots exposed where there used to be packed dirt, and the gravel and stones I remembered seemed to be completely washed away, likely now resting at the bottom of the constantly swirling river. Just like life, you know? Just when you are sure you can’t do it anymore, that things are too slippery, a way out becomes apparent.

I did have to pay a lot of attention to where my feet were going, and didn’t take as many pictures as I might have if things were different. I stopped from time to time and attempted to focus while Jet pulled on his leash, eager to get to the next sniffing spot. I got some beautiful shots, but was sorry, for a while, that I couldn’t keep my attention on the view. And then, in a clearing I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I never would have seen it if I’d been looking at the horizon instead of at the muck and the leaves. Standing so still he might have been a statue, and keeping a careful eye on us, there was a magnificent bird. I’m pretty sure it was a Great Blue Heron. I certainly think it was pretty great, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

He was huge. And regal. And cautious without being scared. He stood so still for so long, then would slowly and surely and steadily stroll down that fallen trunk, taking his time. And I forgot. I forgot about what time it was, and how muddy I might get and did nothing but breath and watch and click that button. After a while (and more frames than I could possibly need), I just stopped everything. My body didn’t complain about the cramped, crouched position it was suspended in, and Jet didn’t make a sound. It was one of the most meditative experiences of my life. I was so glad I made the time.

After a while, I decided to leave the great bird in peace. I bowed and walked off smiling, with my camera and my dog – and the poop bag – swinging as I stepped away from that magical spot. Down river a bit, I thought I might take a few more photos, walk a little further. It was no surprise that the little window on my camera read “Memory full”.

No kidding.

Sunday Stroll…

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.

~ George Santayana ~

The word around DC this week was that, after a very, very long summer, fall would arrive this weekend. And the temperature did fall about twenty something degrees between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, but no one had said anything about more rain! I had pictured an autumn Sunday Scroll this week, recording a lovely walk that Jet the Wonder Dog and I would take on Saturday, breathing in fresh, crisp air.

That’s not quite the way things went. It was cold and really, really wet. I sat inside after a very damp farmer’s market outing early in the morning…

where there was gorgeous produce of both the summer variety and fall favorites beginning to show up. Hello cauliflower, I missed you!

I decided to ignore the weather, put the leash on Jet, and off we went to see what signs of the changing seasons we could find.
Here’s the last of our tomatoes…

and a hidden jalapeno.

Happily, even given that we have had rain almost every day in September, the clematis have returned for a repeat performance.

Although the spiders seem to be decorating them for Halloween!

The hydrangeas are changing colors…

along with their leaves.

The roses are just happy to be done with the heat and humidity.

And the crepe myrtle is getting ready for the winter – it blooms and then closes up almost overnight.

Out in the pouring rain, the last daisy standing stood tall somehow. A last sentinel of summer.

Sunday stroll…

Even though I wrote about it a week or two ago, right here, September snuck up on me. It always does. So I am thinking that today’s Sunday stroll should be an ode to the summer of 2011, and what better way to do that than go back to the beach? One last walk down the shore of the West Coast of Vancouver Island? Here we go…

One of my favorite times to walk any beach is in the fog…

Apparently I am not the only one!

There were intrepid types in the water…

and on the beach.

Although others seemed to think it fine napping weather,

or found other ways to bide their time til the sun came out.

This guy came out of nowhere…

as did this one.

The photos from that walk look like they were taken in black and white –

at least, most of them do.

And then, the sun decided to return, and the fog burned off.

So there was time to investigate all sorts of things along the shore.

And all too soon, the sun started to lower in the sky…

and then quickly started to disappear.

Just like summer itself.

When summer gathers up her robes of glory,
And, like a dream, glides away.

~ Sarah Helen Whitman ~

Sunday Stroll…

I think I am in heaven…

Today’s Sunday Stroll may be a day late, thanks to the very eventful week of weather here, but I am so excited to take you to a place that felt like heaven to me. We were walking down a street in South Philly, eating our way through the neighborhood, when I saw this wall. I didn’t have my camera, having decided to focus on being with my family, but thankfully, my trusty iPhone was ready to be called into action. I stopped in my tracks when I saw this mosaic of “The Real World” and was so happy that we just happened to be able to retrace the route our cab had taken earlier.

 

A few steps further down the block, though, we saw a sign and gates for “Magic Gardens”, a place that my husband had heard about and knew that I might like. Understatement of the century. We entered into a small area with a desk and small gift display. There were a couple of young volunteers who were happy to tell us a little bit about the project, but mostly I think they just had fun watching me try to keep my eyes in my head.

It quickly became clear that the entire rowhouse was covered – floor, ceilings and walls – with the most amazing mosaics. We started in the basement, where we found faces…

faces…

and more faces.

Faces of all sorts and styles…

clearly the artists (I was assuming plural, at this point) had many influences!

And then, still in the basement, I started seeing quotes, like this one,

which was so big, I had to photograph it in three parts!

Armed with a map of actions to be taken – he/she could then revel in the process…

And another one I found later, in the courtyard, I think.

And in the courtyard, there was sculpture…

and there were paths and a whole maze…

and more figures.

The exterior of the building was, of course, completely covered, too.

There was a gallery for self taught artists, which made me feel even more welcome, if that was possible. Magic Gardens does all sorts of work in partnership with local artists and the community. I can’t possibly do it justice here, and I hope you will visit – either on their site or in person. I know I’ll be back. As we headed out, I took the time to learn a little more. I was really floored to discover that all of this incredible art is the work of one man, Isaiah Zagar, who has spent the last forty years or so embellishing over a dozen buildings in South Philadelphia. He still leads mosaic classes and I hope to head back and get to know this incredibly generous man someday soon. I left inspired and hopeful, not just in an artistic sense, but in a social sense. The world needs just this kind of guy. And the people who support him, too.

And I left dreaming of meeting him, at some point. As I walked down the street, trailing my family and taking in Isaiah’s work here and there, I saw a figure up on a ladder. My day was made. It was the man himself, hard at work, with a smile on his face.

Heaven.

Sunday stroll…

I thought maybe we’d go back to Tofino, BC for this week’s Sunday Stroll, and
look for the bears again… I promised you more bears, and here they are, along
with the beautiful inlets and always watchful eagles. Enjoy!

Sunday stroll…

I thought, given that these are Sunday strolls, that maybe I would post
some of the many, many religious images from my trip to New Mexico.

It seemed that everywhere I looked, there was a cross, or a bell, or an
intricate mosaic. Here are some of my favorites from Chimayo, Taos
and Santa Fe… you can see the history of the area in them.

The overwhelm and the undertow…

Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity,
we shall harness for God the energies of love,
and then, for a second time in the history of the world,
man will have discovered fire.

~ Teilhard de Chardin ~

This week’s Sunday Stroll takes us to Long Beach, on one end of the Pacific Rim
National Park in British Columbia. These photos were taken on some hallowed
ground – the former summer camp of the local tribe – used, possibly, as late as
the 1950’s.

I’ve been noodling this post all week while battling the Summer Stomach Virus
and I think it will make sense to you now. I hope so.

I really want to show you what I see – the overwhelm and the undertow that is
both literal and figurative. We all feel it, every day – the pull of the tides, of the
moon, of who knows what else. If we are still enough, it is there.

Life builds up in just this way. Look at these waves grow in power,
in strength, in size – just as the daily-ness of life does.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, the every day neediness of
the things that run our lives begins to stack up on itself. It rolls over
and over, momentum growing…

until it crashes against what remains solid in you. Those walls you build,
the beliefs you hold, the stories you repeat over and over until they
become more real that what is, in fact, actually right in front of you.

I do it, too. We all do. It is part of human life on this planet. And
after the crescendo, if we have found a way to bring peace within
our selves, it begins to subside. At least a little bit.

Slowly, the waves move out and there is more room. Room to breathe,
to learn, to find a way to know that this will happen again, but that
we don’t have to suffer so much. Hopefully, we find room in our dailiness
to make space for the inevitable rising of the tides, for that flow which
turns the planet, and us, literally.

Still, it can stir everyone up and reorganize life in a way that can take
some adjusting…

Or it can leave us feeling pretty beached – high and dry, alone and
exposed until the next high tide reaches us where we are.

If you are lucky, we begin to try to find some high ground. A vantage
point from which you can see the big picture, and begin to see a new
way to look at things.

In any given day, there is both the overwhelm and the undertow.
It’s all in how you ride those waves. Or let them wash over you, knowing
all will be well, in the end.

Sunday stroll…

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.

~ Sam Keen ~

This week’s stroll is the first one since the official start of summer, and as I was taking photos today, I passed the sign pictured above. School’s out, the summer solstice has passed, and it has been absolutely steamy here most of this week. I’m told that Washington was built on a swamp – although no one told me that until after we moved here – and having been here for a few years now, I think that must be true.
It is really, really hot. In June.

The other day, the day following the nearly 100 degree/100% humidity afternoon, the air was so thick that taking Jet for a walk seemed nearly impossible. But a happy dog makes for a happy home, I have found, so off we went.
Check out that sky – this was at 9:30 a.m.! And it is rare for crepe myrtle to droop…

Same thing goes for hydrangeas. I took my iPhone along as a way to bribe myself to keep going. I looked for things I had never noticed before…

And I found them! Apparently this is what remains after a magnolia’s petals drop.

Here is in full flower. These blooms never droop. No wonder there are so many here!

Even the lilies were sagging…

To say nothing of Jet. He slept for a couple hours after we got home.

Today, though – today was different. Low humidity, which makes even mid-eighties in the early morning tolerable. Even for a heat wimp like me.

The weeds were stunning…

here’s a huge Queen Anne’s lace.

Does anyone know what this is? It makes my eyes water like crazy, which could explain why it is out of focus. I’m thinking it’s milkweed.

The crepe myrtle was much happier today.

And the sky was that blue, blue that I love so much. Even the power lines look good in this light.

The hostas were oh so much happier,

as was the hydrangea.

Even the pots looked great, despite the strong sun. These will be tomatillos, I hope.

I love these – can’t remember the name, but the design fascinates me.

You might think this is a fountain, but really, it is the water bowl

for Jet the Wonder Dog.

Have a lovely Sunday… Happy Summer to you!

Sunday Stroll…

Even the wildest dreams have to start somewhere. Allow yourself the time and space to let your mind wander and your imagination fly.

~ Oprah Winfrey ~

This week’s stroll will be different in a couple ways. Rather than walk, we are going to fly. Sort of. These photos are from a recent trip from Washington, DC to London, England and I hope you will find some time and space to really drink them in. The skies above us both change and stay the same and it fascinates me to watch them, always. As I am held captive in the plane anyway, it seems like the perfect time to allow myself to dream, you know? Hopefully, through the magic of the iPhone, you will be able to see a bit of what I saw.

The other first is this – I am quoting Einstein and Oprah in the same post. Hopefully, the sky won’t fall! I’d like to think that they would both be pleased… or, at least, amused.

Here we go…

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious.  And why shouldn’t it be? – it is the same the angels breathe.
~ Mark Twain ~

The sky is that beautiful old parchment in which the sun and the moon keep their diary. ~ Alfred Kreymborg ~

The clouds, – the only birds that never sleep.
~ Victor Hugo ~

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.
~ Rumi ~

A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space.

He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures…

~ Albert Einstein ~

Sunday Stroll…

To get to New Orleans you don’t pass through anywhere else. That geographical location, being aloof, lets it hold onto the ritual of its own pace more than other places that have to keep up with the progress.

~ Allen Toussaint ~

A month or so ago, I finally got to New Orleans. It’s been on my list for a long time, and it did not disappoint. In any way. There is something in the air, an energy about the place, a way of being that feels comfortable and familiar to me in a way that is hard to describe. I can only try to convey it in images, in this week’s Sunday Stroll. I know, I know – two strolls in a row, to the same destination. I love it, that much and more. I hope you, too, will find yourself there, some day soon.

If New Orleans is allowed to die, a crucial part of the world’s music heritage will disappear.

~ Ray Davies ~

There’s nothing like New Orleans. When it comes back, it will be a tremendous highlight for America.

~ Peter Max ~

About fifteen miles above New Orleans the river goes very slowly. It has broadened out there until it is almost a sea and the water is yellow with the mud of half a continent. Where the sun strikes it, it is golden.

~ Frank Yerby ~

And you find as a writer there are certain spots on the planet where you write better than others, and I believe in that. And New Orleans is one of them.

~ Jimmy Buffett ~

I love New Orleans physically. I love the trees and the balmy air and the beautiful days. I have a beautiful house here.

~ Anne Rice ~

I’d love to join Anne Rice – maybe I’ll add “ A house in the Garden District of New Orleans” to that Dream List I have just started….

Sunday Stroll…

I love New Orleans physically. I love the trees and the balmy air and the beautiful days.

~ Anne Rice ~

Tonight, as I listen to the pouring rain from the top floor of my safe, dry house on the top of our hill, I am thinking of the people in Louisiana, along the banks of the Mississippi River. We had a fabulous four days a week ago in New Orleans. It was magical, mystical, better than I imagined, and we were the recipients of first class hospitality and graciousness.

So for this week’s Sunday stroll, I thought I would share some images of New Orleans – not the usual shots, but just the little things that caught my eye. The good things – and there were so many…

Walking through the garden…

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
~ Cicero ~

Okey dokey. It’s been a little bit heavy in terms of subject matter this week. I took a break today and went to lunch and a movie with my favorite guy and I thought we might all take it easy here today, too. My in laws were supposed to visit this weekend, and had to cancel, so I sent them photos of what is blooming in my garden right now – I took them in the evening, so the light is kind of cool. And I figured it couldn’t hurt to share them here, too. Then I found these quotes… enjoy!

“The garden is a metaphor for life, and gardening is a symbol of the spiritual path.”
~ Larry Dossey ~

“Cultivate the garden within…”
~ Proverbs ~

“Gardening is not a rational act.”
~ Margaret Atwood ~

We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?”
~ Wendell Berry ~

“All gardening is landscape painting.”
~ William Kent ~

“The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.”
~ George Bernard Shaw ~

“When seeds are buried in the earth, their inward secrets become the flourishing garden.”
~ Rumi ~

“When a dog runs at you, whistle for him.”
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

“The glorious gifts of the gods are not to be cast aside.”
~ Homer ~

“Show me your garden and I shall show you what you are.”
~ Alfred Austin ~

“A healthy garden is the reflection of a healthy soul.”
~ Anonymous ~

Sunday Stroll….

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.
~ Edward de Bono ~

There has been a wonderful trend this week, among my favorite blogs – Walking on My Hands, A Design So Vast and Life After Benjamin – which I think Pamela started. We all tend to get into deep and somewhat serious subjects and, I think, often do not let our lighter sides show much in our posts.So I am getting on the bandwagon, joining my friends and thinking about what makes me smile. I figured this little collection would make a perfect Sunday Stroll. Here we go… a rather odd collection, at first glance, but all things that float my boat in one way or another…

Often, what catches my eye has to do with patterns. The intricacy in simple things – like the bark on a tree – just amazes me. Or a fern, just starting to unfurl….

And once it unfurls, there’s even more to be amazed by….

Plants are just full of detail and color and shapes.

And sometimes, they are just stunning, no matter what stage of growth they’re in!

I love the way they reach for the sky, too….

Or find the perfect little space to grow in…

Sometimes, it’s all about your perspective.

Ok, just to prove that there are things in the world that make me happy outside of nature, here are a few recent favorites. I love hand lettered, hand drawn and colored stories.

And anything that moves in silhouette against the sky.

And hand lettered signs with great messages!