Share the Joy–New ways of BEing

In spite of the 6 inches of snow we are expecting today,

I can feel the seeds of some new stuff

germinating inside me.

(Germinate – created in 2011, 6X6” canvas, acrylic and collage)

Like the little green shoots of the first crocus poking through the white stuff,

new, better ways of BEing are beginning.

And there is a lot of sweet heart joy in that.

 

***********

The delightful tiny clay bowls

pictured above are from the quirky and awesome Etsy shop,  Hobbitware.

My new soft, inexpensive and wonderfully green, long sleeved cotton tee is from Old Navy.

Wishing you lots of sweet heart joy today, Beautiful Ones !

 

For more Thursday joy sharing, visit Meri’s Musings.

Share the Joy Thursday–Right in my own backyard

Some of the things on this weeks Joy List come from my very own back yard !

There were some lovely messages from some of the plants back there as well as such joy in spending time with that incredible green growing !!!

The elephant ear hosta, sent me some messages as I watched it basking in the morning sun!

Look at the size of these incredible leaves !

Talk about Living Big in the present moment!

A month ago, it was a small tuber in the ground and now it is bursting with life and power.

Wowza !

What would my life look like if I took on the hosta challenge ?

Hmmm…

Then there was another message of the glorious lupine leaves.

Their leaves are as beautiful as a flower !

The message I received from them is to

yourself just as you are in this moment.

Don’t wait for the big bloom to shower yourself with appreciation.

You are remarkable just as you are today.

Mmmm, that feels good.

Cutting a sweet blossom from the Chica Bush also brought me some joy this morning.

We have this very pretty bush at the end of the driveway and we have no idea what it is really called. It blooms with these sweet white/pink trumpets every spring and on into the summer.

Way back when, before we fenced in our back yard, Chica used to be tied near that bush to do her business.

And whenever she could, she would chew on its branches as if it were the sweetest candy !

Hence the name “Chica Bush”.

Luckily, Chica now has full rights to the whole back yard and the bush has now become full and healthy again.

I brought some joy into the studio and put it in a sweet vase that reminds me of my friend, Bethie.

Hmmm, look-y here !

I guess this is the message for today from the back yard of the Yellow House on Orange Street.

Not a bad one at all !

Happy Thursday, Beautiful Ones !

For more joy, head on over to Meri’s Musings and see what all of the joy seekers have found !

Haiku My Heart Friday–Amongst Other Things

every perfect drop

holds a reflection of sky

amongst other things…

 

****************************

The sun has not shone here in 7 days.

Not one sunny period since last Friday.

It is getting to me a little, I think…

Amongst other things.

Trying my best to focus in on things that are good.

Like the raindrops on the lupin leaves.

Have a sweet weekend, Beautiful Ones !

 

for more haiku, visit Rebecca at recuerda mi corazon

Simple Woman’s Day Book–Monday, May 16th, 2011

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...cold, drizzling and grey, grey, grey… but also green, green, green !

I am thinking...what a lovely weekend I had with my Mom. It was so wonderful having her here at my house and I loved all the time we spent together, just the two of us.

I am thankful for...my close relationship with my Mom and how wonderful David is to her as well.

From the kitchen...coffee and cereal for breakie, and for lunch, left over fajitas and homemade guacamole from last night’s supper.

I am wearing...a long sleeve black t-shirt, jeans, black flats and a bright pink pashmina scarf.

I am creating...pages about the month of May in the first swap sketchbook from my Creative Sistah, Andrea at Falling Ladies.

I am going...to spend some time just reading today and maybe napping as I had a lousy sleep and got up early to take my mom to the bus home to Montreal.

I am reading...Switched (Trylle Trilogy, Book 1) by Amanda Hocking on my Nook (for reading “fast, playful stuff”, I will still by proper, paper books for books I love),  and Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation and Inspiration for Making Mixed-Media Art Every Day by Pam Carriker, a copy of which my friend Bethany sent me as a giftie ! Love that !

I am hoping...that the forecast is wrong and we will not be having rain and cold every single day this week !

I am hearing...my sweet red boyfriend, Eddie tweeting and twertling up a storm outside my window in the maple tree.

Around the house...Dog and cats are dozing, bouquets of lilacs and tulips picked Friday are wilting, and my Nook and a blankie are calling…

One of my favorite things...is how cool my Nook looks in my new cover and decal skin from Bundle Monster…

A few plans for the rest of the week: Meditation class tonight, Tuesday Arty time with the Girlfriends tomorrow afternoon, and an appointment with the oral surgeon on Thursday, re : consultation about the removal of 4 wisdom teeth. Have I mentioned that dentists/doctors bring out the woosiest part of me ? Extreme anxiety warning !!!! Let’s keep on saying  that Thursday is still far, far away…Be in the moment…Breathe…Can anyone say “Xanax.”?

Here is (another) picture for thought I am sharing…

Bleeding hearts and hostas growing in the back garden under the maple trees. I am thinking of each blossom as a prayer for some loved ones who really need them today. Consider them yours if you need them.

Big Love and happy Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Share The Joy Thursday–The Green-ness

I have to honestly say that I was not overly joyous this week.

In fact, there were a few days where I was having a really hard time finding joy in anything.

Even the simple everyday graces that usually blow my mind were not doing it this week.

I get like that sometimes.

Just overwhelmed by the “bad”.

I am just so very grateful that my strength, my big heart and my love for this precious life

always prevail.

I woke up this morning feeling far more like my Self.

I also awoke to the joyous explosion !

Just two days ago, before we had a rainy day Wednesday,

all of these maple buds were on the trees.

Now they cover the deck, the backyard, and pretty much the entire neighborhood with this yellowy green carpet!

And just look what they have left behind on the trees!

New born leaves, with the most magical green-ness you can imagine.

Still like butterflies opening their wings, tender, yet ready to sway in the wind,

soak up the sun and warmth and bring it to its roots way far below,

and offer shade and homes to the birds, squirrels and other creatures on the ground below them.

Each leaf a part of one huge amazingly miraculous being.

In spite of the wounds in my heart, the scars on my world,

and the incredible sadness I feel when I think other dear hearts who are suffering and in pain,

the birth of that green-ness brought me joy deep down inside today.

And I thought I should share it with you.

One big Love, Beautiful Ones.

For some more doses of sweet Joy, head over to the wonderful Meri’s blog.

Share the Joy Thursday–Going Green…

Green is my favorite color !

All of these photos are of the green plants I have in my house.

During the winter, I find them especially wonderful.

I love that my windows have some green in them, so I can look past them out to the white and/or grey of the winter starkness. Together, we soak up whatever light we can until the days get longer and the sunlight gets stronger

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and while I do not have a drop of Irish blood in me that I know of,

I love the fact that it is also a day to celebrate my very favorite color !

The fact that Spring arrives officially in three days (on my sweet Nephew Thomas’ birthday!), is also a thrill !

The promises of so much more glorious green to come !

I hope there is a lot of joyful green in your world today, Beautiful Ones.

Happy St. Patty’s Day !

(For more joy sharing, go and visit our hostess Meri at Meri's Musings)

Thankfulness Thursday - Loosening Up and Going Green

In a world that is trying so hard to make things black or white,

this Queen loves herself some GREEN !

Here's one of her favorite art journal techniques when things are a little too tight,

a little too stiff...

Get thee some ink...

This is what the Queen has on hand...

gorgeous grass green, of course !

Pick up an eye dropper or a spray bottle or mister with water...

(image from Yahoo)

or a Mister With Water

if you are a single lady

not married to a hunka hunka burning love like I am, right David, Honey ?

But I digress....

Ya, like I said, some ink, water, paper (preferably watercolor)

and go to town making ink blobs.

Then take a break.

When the ink has dried,

start looking for what you see in the blobs...

This is what I saw on my page...

Hmmm, big boobs, firemen with hoses...

Hey Queeny, this is a PG blog !

Anyway, that is what I saw...

I started filling it in with paints

- Inktense Water Color Pencils, acrylics, Twinkle H2O's...

Any tools that jumped in...

Then I got out the old faithful black India ink and my dip pen,

as well as the Elmer's Paint Pen in white

and added some detailed pen work...

and I ended up with this Dolly Parton-esque, super loving gymnast hanging out with the birds,

called

"If I ran the Circus"

just like the Dr. Seuss book of the same name.

No tightness or stiffness there...

just some rather fearless play with my favorite tools and favorite COLOR !

For my ability to loosen up and go with the green,

I am truly grateful.

*****************************

Finally feeling a little more like myself after three days of really taking it very easy.

Today is absolutely gorgeous here - sunny and with a high of about 83 (28 Celsius) so I am looking forward to some afternoon time outside.

I am also tidying the house and getting things ready for my Mom's visit this weekend. I am so excited she is coming! Mommy and me time is lovely ! Some shopping, some gardening, lots of chatting on the porch and the best hugs a daughter could ask for. Yay !

I hope you have a beautiful Thursday, Lovely Ones !

Red, an White, an Green All Over

In honor of the beautiful crop of basil that grew on my back deck container garden (one of the only things that thrived with this crazy growing season),

today's post is called

"Red, an' White, an' Green, Capiche ?"

Red...

White...

an' Green...

Capiche ?

No I am not Italian - not a drop as far as I know.

But the color scheme just came together when I made one of my favorite

Summer Tomato, Basil, Herb of the Gods, dish yesterday.

The recipe is actually my friend Suzanne's which is funny because

she's the type of gal who's favorite cookbook is the Yellow Pages, especially the pages with

restaurants that say "We deliver." This is the one and only recipe in her repertoire I think, but it is a goody !

This is Suzanne's version of Pasta Primavera.

So simple and soooo yummy !

Ingredients :

4 or 5 ripe summer tomatoes, diced but chunky

One 7 ounce jar of Salad Olives (lazy Chick's way - you can slice the whole Green Olives up if you hate pimentos but I like 'em)

A big handful of fresh Basil, Herb of the Gods, chiffonaded or chopped, or ripped or whatever

A block of mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes

One clove of garlic, put through a garlic press or grated on a mircoplane

A couple of tablespoons of olive oil - I do three swirls around the bowl

Lots of fresh ground pepper (no salt needed, the olives are very salty).

Chop,chiffonade, grate, press, swirl, all these ingredients and throw them into a bowl. Toss well.

Allow to sit for at least an hour.

Youra kitchen is gonna smell soooo gud, capiche ? Just like Luigi's Momma's kitchen...

Then you cook a batch of linguine up, nice and al dente.

Drain the pasta but DO NOT RINSE !

Plate the pasta up. Add the room temp. tomato mixture on top of the hot pasta and inhale the sweet aroma of melty cheese, tomato and garlic and olive yumminess...

Eat it with friends who love olive and basil as much as you do and it is even better ! (David hates olives and is kind of allergic to too much garlic so I ate mine alone yesterday for a summer time comfort food lunch.) This recipe serves about 4.

It will make you feel so good and comforted that you will feel like putting a whole lotta Love right back out there...

(Some Rock My World rocks, packaged and now on their way to Blogland friends, who ordered some Rock Fairy Love from my Etsy shop.)

Now, go and have a happy Wednesday, capiche ?