I did it!

NaBloPoMo
I can't believe it is over...
What a month to start a blog
What a challenge

~

Regardless of my lack of knowledge of blogging
I posted every day for a month
even though my blog isn't fully constructed!
~
When I wonder around all my favorite blogs
I think
I will never get that clever
nor will I be able to take 'those' kinds of photos
~
But the truth is
it doesn't matter
the truth is
each day I learn something
new
about myself through
others posts and photos

~

It has been a really great adventure

I have learned a lot 

and met some 

really wonderful 

people 

~ 

I think I've caught the bug

as I find I am looking at my world

through new eyes

~

Thank you all

for stopping by 

for your kind words

and encouragement

and helpful advise and hints

~

Thank you for your wonderful inspiration

your amazing photographs

and heart felt posts

~

It is an honor 

to witness your creative expression
and dedication to your passion and craft

~

Thank you for welcoming me

I feel parts of me opening to the sun 

and a voice once silent

wanting to sing

~

It's all because of you

you lovely, open, creative,

blogger's who are willing to share how you experience 

the world

for the sheer joy of sharing

A photographers bucket list must include...AFRICA

Orphan cub

There is no place in the world

like Africa

~

Aside from childbirth

I have never experienced

anything more raw, wild and

and touching upon the infinite

~
 the untamed, untouched, and 

lonely beauty of this dark continent

~

both breathtaking and brutal

I was in awe of both 

man and nature 

~

their ability to
survive and thrive

on nothing more than

 their senses
as guides

Illusions...

Family

has gone back

their own homes

and busy lives

~

the house is quiet

~

leftovers in the fridge

serving dishes put away

and recipes filed

~

everything is back

in its place

organized

ordered

~

as if 

it didn't happen

~

except for

the evidence

of my full and heavy

heart

The last of pumpkin fun...

Pumpkin heads

Look at what I found in the garden this morning....

a fairy sprite!

Lucky...

These got away...

My brother has a flock of wild turkeys living on the 'back fourty' of his property
Each Thanksgiving he hunts down a bird for the family dinner
I don't know if I could eat meat if I were to have to kill the animal
One minute I am admiring it the next it is on my plate
~
At least I know it had a good life
A wild life
Not the life of a butterball turkey
Those I can NOT eat
I will not eat
~
I did learn how hard it was to photograph them though
They are fast!
And my brother says they are mean
I'll have to take his word on that one
~
I would be mean too
Wouldn't you

The Gratitude Lists...

Me and my girls...

I am grateful
because
~

I'm employed
Since in reality about 14% of the country is unemployed this is a blessing
~

I'm overweight
an implied blessing 

(meaning I am not starving and that I have the luxury of sitting on my butt for my job)
~

Aside from the weight I am pretty healthy

 I have all my teeth
Which is really handy since I like salad and meat
~ 

I have both eyes
which provide both sight and insight
~

 No noticeable scars
~
 Ears both working
~

 Still have plenty of hair
and enough money to have it highlighted
~

 My spine is somewhat healthy,
no fusing, bulging disks, compressions

 This is great because people "my age" are really
starting to have "issues"
~

 Bone densiety-excellent
~

 Cancer free eighteen years
~

 Strong arms
to carry those new babies around
~

 Legs that can carry me on all the hikes
providing most of my photos for this blog
~

 Both big toes

(I know this might sound weird...but big toes are really important for balance)
~

I live in a great little apartment overlooking Two Trees
and
only a mile or so from the beach
~

 Aside from the nutcase soccer parents on Saturday mornings
screaming on the soccer fields outside my window

it is heaven
~

 I have a great, fun to drive, dependable car
~

 I own a MAC and an iPhone and a Cannon Rebel
~

 My stomach and fridge are rarely empty
~

 I have a closet full of clothes
~

 More shoes than days in a month
~

 Enough blankets and towels for a small village
~

 College degree
~

 Thoughtful friends
~

 The most wonderful boss
~

 I get to facilitate writing groups

 (How fun is THAT?)
~

 My colonoscopy was 'clean' (no pun intended) 

which means I don't have to go back for five years
~

 I have both hands which allows me to type, write, take pictures, 

have this blog, tie a bow, open a can, zip my pants

This IS a big deal because 

I have a friend who doesn't have hands anymore and I know what life is like for him
~

Bushka, my cat is still kicking after 16 years
~

Aside from food and gas

I have enough 

"stuff" 

to last

a 

long 

long 

time 

~ 

And 

if that is not enough

take a look at this

and this

and these

and this

and these

doesn't this just make you want to giggle

My Blog Cloud could not contain the gratitude list I have for 

these little bugs

~

I cannot forget this new family

or this one

or this darling family

and I can't forget this one

these have been my life
~
they are what has made life worth living
~
and last but not least
I am thankful for a new community of
like minded people I may find as I explore this blogging life
~
May all you be blessed with
health, love, gratitude and joy

With Thanksgiving
Julia

With Thanksgiving approaching...

Daniel and Achillies

Its time to look back

over one's year

or life

and 

reflect on 

what is important

~

and then

with gratitude

consider the burden

of the overwhelming bounty

we take for granted every day

~

Tomorrow 

let the list begin

Just Imagine...

Coming upon this

only to find

it is just

the 

beginning

 of 1,200 feet 

of 

meandering

waterfalls

while walking
almost four miles

amongst this...

~

heaven

for 

sure

November in Vail...

There is nothing more 

peaceful

than 

an

Aspen grove in fall...

This post is dedicated to the 

"Through the Looking Glass Project" via Kanelstrand Organic Living Blog 

(see link in my Inspiration tab below)

~

Photos were taken while on a hike through an Aspen grove behind Vail Village in Colorado USA.

I was hiking with my son and his new baby girl ~ Ayden.

We are a family who values nature and do our best to care for the earth.

Thanks for including us in your project!

What if...

What if we knew without a doubt when...

suffering illness 

 overwhelming loss 

 heart is breaking 

 struggling with a decision

~ 

What if when

 consumed with worry 

for our children 

our future

the planet

~

Or when

 treated unfairly 

buried in doubt

awash in sorrow

filled with rage

wrestling with injustice

engulfed with loneliness

 isolation

~

And

on the brink of despair

the edge of tolerance

end of patience

finished 

done

~

What if

in those most

critical and personal moments

we knew we were suspended in the embrace

of the strong arms of a benevolent and peaceful angel

~

Could we then 

in that moment of refuge

find the courage and strength

 to endure

Be aware of what lays beneath the surface...

Sometimes

the most obvious solutions

to our most heartfelt desires lay

not buried deep within

but float

just beneath 

the surface waiting

for us to notice the 

enormity of our possibilities

Artful skies....

Life whispers.
Listen closely.

Sunset...

Some people say I am lucky 

to live where I do

all things considered

I guess I am
~

but it is lonely business

to stand at the beach at sunset
~

it is like

being called unexpectedly

to stand before god

Some things just make my heart sing...



Do you like my new hat?



A Walk in the Woods...

Aspen grove

couldn't you follow this trail forever

forget about politics

wall street

the office

war

~

in stillness

~

remember

what is important

necessary

vital

~

and then somehow

find the courage

to take action

to preserve

this place

of peace

within

Sisters...



I can tell you anything



remember when

she was

your best friend

she didn't mind 

your stinky breath

and she giggled when 

you farted

~

remember how 

she listened 

to everything you said

as if she cared

as if

what you said

 was important

~

she who 

slathered your back with lotion

and then drew pictures 

making you guess what she had drawn

~

Remember how 

the two of you

were inseparable 

as if she were your secret twin

~

remember growing up

growing apart

moving

away

~

but

always

carrying her

in

your heart

A Little Splash of Color...

no bigger than a knuckle

he sat
catching the suns rays
until
he could catch a bug

What Will Bee Will Be....

  

unless there is something happening behind the scene

i didn't notice anything change on 11.11.11

maybe its because 11 is not my number

maybe next year when it is 12.12.12

those are my lucky numbers 

so since nothing

"happened"

i decided

to follow the 

zen of the bee 

i decided to focus on

the nectar, the flower, and to gathering 

i decided to stay on task, to focus in the moment 

i decided to stay more in tune my nature and my instincts
to be in purposeful industry

Letting go...

the beauty of letting go

My Heart Goes Walking...



Kaitlyn 8 months



"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. 

It is to decide forever

to have your heart go walking outside your body."

~ Elizabeth Stone

Simply toes

Kieran

Memoires wash over me
like a gentle surge from the sea
sun, sand, family, fun, footprints, tide pools
joy

 

Put On Your Dancing Shoes

Lauren  Age 3

"Please send me your last pair of shoes, worn out with dancing as you mentioned in your letter, so that I might have something to press against my heart."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


She 
is almost four 
and I am not her mother.
I am her Nana so I see her differently.
I see her as perfection just standing there. 
I watch as she stands poised waiting for instruction. 
Her eyes are wide, her expression eager.
She is so adorable I want to cry. 
I want to snatch her up and run away with her to
somewhere safe, 
where her feelings will never be hurt, 
somewhere where she can just be herself and 
never, ever change. 
Somewhere where she can't be 
caught up in the expectations of others. 
My heart hurts just thinking about it. 
I know...the fears are all mine. 
They are tangled 
with memories of my childhood,
with my hurts and heartbreaks.
And I have to remind myself
 she is not me.
She is full of 
spit and vinegar.
 Self assured.
Determined. 
Supported.
Loved. 

Sweet November

 I love this time of year

It is a delicious secret 

that is not being passed around 

It is a time to catch one's breath

 between Halloween and Christmas

 November is the highly underrated month
It is a sweet sigh

  A wonderful surprise

The deep tones of golden, russet, and scarlet 

Smells of cinnamon, spices, bonfires, and burning leaves 

A time to harvest pumpkins, apples, and tether cornstalks.

The temperatures rise and fall

Time to reflect, and revel in the dwindling light
before the bitter bite of winters chill

African Sunset

"One should absorb the colour of life."
-Oscar Wilde

My Religion...

Stillness


When I was a child
church was sitting on hard pews, in forced silence,
listening to men
 preach of sin, weakness, and depravity.
It frightened me.
It made me think we are all bad,
lost
hopeless.
Now in my fifties
I prefer to sit on a mossy log
among the most glorious of creation and
listen to the love
spoken in the stillness of the forest.
I am humbled, grateful, and joyous.
I am filled
with hope, love, peace.
I am committed to walk softly, thoughtfully,
and with awareness.
Without guilt.

Empty Bowls

 Empty Bowl 2010

 Santa Barbara hosts 

"The Empty Bowls"

a fundraising event to support 

the community food bank

~

local artisans and school art programs

donate hand crafted bowls

~

for your donation 

you get to select a hand made bowl

and fill it with

 soups and breads

from some of the best restaurants in town

~

there are drawings and silent auctions

and beautiful art for sale

all proceeds go to feeding the hungry

~

emilda, my dear friend

is treating me to the event this year

~

it is the best kind of gift

a thought-FULL gift

 a gift that is so her

it feeds both my body and soul

it quiets the cynic in me

to experience 

the outpouring of generosity from 

individuals and the community

~

 last year

 I filled my bowl 

with objects infused with meaning

rocks from walks on the beach

feathers from ginnie fowl from my trip to Africa

a painted soap stone heart from Namibia

and a "Hope" stone

the bowl reminds me

it was once empty and is now full.

It reminds me no one should go hungry

and to contribute 

to filling someones bowl

in some way

every day.

Holy Trinity

 Love      Reason      Service

I'm not a big fan of organized religion.

To many obstacles and rules to navigate. 

It's not that I am opposed to ritual or worship. 

It is ritual turned to rule that I resist.

It is some man's interpretation of what's right for me I resist. 

We are wired like homing pigeons to return to what is sacred.

The path does not have to be complicated.

But it can be difficult.

There is a difference between the two.

Love is not complicated.

To love when wronged can be difficult.

We are given amazing brains with which to reason.

Should we not exercise this gift rather than let it go fallow 

before it can produce its fruits? 

And what of service? 

Is that not the byproduct of love and reason?

For me, for now...

It is not about heaven or hell.

It is about learning to trust 

not in man

but in the truth of 

my soul.

What are your holy three? I would love to hear from you.

Honest Self Love

I, myself, am made up entirely of flaws stitched together with good intentions. ~Augustan Burroughs

I  had the best of intentions

 to compose my piece for today

and have it  posted before I traveled home.

I also had the best of intentions to  

send post cards,

buy trinkets,

and  accomplish lots of writing.

But Mother Nature beckoned me

each misty morning

to walk with her along deserted paths,

and the birds twilled in agreement

as if it were a conspiracy.

Even these delicate fairy bushes

twinkled against the sunrise

as if daring me to not notice their delicate beauty.

So I said, "tomorrow I will write.

Tomorrow it is supposed to rain."