Star Fish

Sometimes I don't have a whole lot to say.

Silent as a starfish.
Yet reaching out, linking arms, seeking connection.

Peacefully aware that, in this deep sea of quietness,
I am still a part of a larger constellation.

Light on Dark

It's almost as though it is trying to capture all the light it can before the day fades away into night. I can imagine, it slowly closes its petals and wraps itself around those collected sun rays, huddling into a tight bud to keep warm. Until the sun rises again.

While most living beings seek out and thrive in the light, I think there is much to be said for the darkness too...

Candlelight would lose its warmth if it wasn't swaddled by the night's heavy arms.

There would be no wishing on the afterglow of falling stars and no tracing satellites as they glide across the sky. The ooh's and ahh's of meteor showers would be silenced. Aurora Borealis would shy away, feeling as though her true colours were unnoticed.
The man in the moon would be lonely indeed.

Ghost stories around a campfire would lose their fright. And trick or treating would not be the same on a sunny summer evening. The spooky atmosphere, with moonlit bare branches and flying broomstick sightings would be lost. Jack O Lanterns would have no personality and would turn into mere carved pumpkins that even Cinderella would disapprove of.

I am no vampire, no nightcrawler, no nocturnal creature of the night...but I celebrate the darkness, for it has its mysterious charms.

Ethereal Microcosm

The sky let out a heavy cry this weekend... a much needed release.
And if it wasn't for the darkness that the clouds cast over the forest, I just might have missed the enchantment waiting for me there.

The scene was mystical... a dim forest thick with rain and fog. But little beings were glowing all around me. Tiny tiny winged creatures, a luminescent white, fluttering around me like snowflakes caught in a current, reluctant to land.

I stopped and tried very hard to get a closer look at one as it hovered alongside me, but it was so small and sporadic in its movement. Not all of them were airborne so I peered onto a fern leaf where several had landed and discovered that they were wee little moths, in the shape of perfect hearts... no bigger than a button hole.

It's no wonder that I also happened upon this little heart a few months ago in the bark of a tree in the very same forest. It wasn't a man made heart, and it only looked like a heart if you were looking at it from the right angle ...but it too was tiny. Perhaps it was carved out by some rather curious little fireflies of the rain forest?

Aging Gracefully

There is something about her that exudes a beauty that was not achievable as a bloom newly burst out of bud.

Her petals are slowly showing fine lines and the odd wrinkle or two, but the ripeness of her complexion more than makes up for it.

She stands tall, holds her head high and moves with the breeze like a symphony.

She may be aging but she is not fading. Her self assurance is almost tangible.

She is evanescent and knows the power of seizing every fleeting moment before it evaporates.

She also knows that like a full-bodied red wine, good things come with age.

Oh, I LOVE this...

Green beany vines that look like hearts. I would love to climb this beanstalk.

Clear night skies filled with silent winking asterisks.

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies.

Standing under tall rainy dripping trees... so I can look up and watch the drops fall down, down, like tiny minnows swimming head first toward my squinting eyes.

Looking at things upside down, then right side up, then upside down again.

Scavenging the beach for smooth Saturn-like stones with mysterious rings around them.

Dog sneezes

Books of wind up birds and sugar queens and elegant hedgehogs.

The complete and utter charm that has overtaken me by a sweet little girl who loves bellybuttons. Hers and yours.

Getting a Hug in the mailbox from my thoughtful, hugable Grandma.

Deciduous trees just starting to glow. (I love the word deciduous.)

Static cling sparks in the dark.

The world just keeps infusing my soul with loveable things!

Through the Grapevine

The sun, with all those planets
revolving around it and dependent on it,
can still ripen a bunch of grapes
as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

~Galileo~

Windows to the Soul

When I go for evening walks in neighbourhoods where old character homes line the quiet streets, I love to look into windows.

I found this beauty in France. The warm glow peeking out from that tiny crack looked so inviting. I can just imagine the cosy nest someone has lovingly created behind that window.

My intention is not to peek in at the people who live there. I am more interested in the living space. I love to see how other people live, how they decorate. What colours have they chosen to paint their walls? In what ways are they expressing their own individuality? What favourite beloved treasures do they display on their window sills? Are there flowers growing there? Do they have bold colourful paintings on the walls or have they chosen a more subtle, serene colour scheme? Are they simplists or clutterbugs? I myself am a simplist, but looking at other people's clutter can be fascinating and revealing.

It makes me want to adopt some of their ideas and in my own unique way, make them my own. It nourishes my desire to be the completely original being that I am ...even if I am borrowing ideas from others. Does that make sense? It sounds contradictory, doesn't it?

It's kind of like being immersed in a good novel. As you read, you merge with the character and become one. You exist in an imaginary world completely different from your own, which sometimes entices you to take tiny fragments of it and make it yours.

Reading blogs is engaging in the same way. We each have an open window and when we invite others to read our thoughts and ideas, we are sharing a little piece of our soul. I read blogs in much the same way I look into windows. What new thing am I going to discover there that inspires me to live a tiny bit differently than I did yesterday? Or think a bit differently? Or see something with a new set of eyes? Or cook something completely different for dinner tonight?

Thank you for leaving your window open.

France 101

Some things I learned on my travels through France...

My previous Canadian notions of what an *old* building is has been forever changed. I stumbled along cobblestone roads in medieval villages that were so old they were hard to walk on! What was life like back then for the people who inhabited these wonderful villages? My imagination took on a life of its own as I wandered old alleyways, touched ancient stone walls and tried to peer into vacant windows.

Castles aren't just the stuff of fairy tales...they really do exist! I saw my very first castle (been waiting all my life to see one) on the plane, flying over France on my way to Lyon. I was adamant that I go visit that very castle, all in stone, nestled on its own hilltop. It wasn't until I was on the ground that I realised castles and chateaus and old churches were EVERYWHERE.

Riding trains is fun fun fun! I have always loved trains. It's a childhood thing. The smells and sounds of old freight trains reminds me of camping when I was young. The train would come by every morning and every night...my brother and I would race to put our pennies on the tracks and frantically search for our flattened treasures once the train had come and gone. Well, passenger trains are just as wonderful! They are so fast, and so smooth you would think you were gliding. What a great way to take in the landscapes of France and England.

Paris is much larger than I thought.
The Mona Lisa is much smaller than I thought.

The mountain that I climb every morning isn't really a mountain to me anymore. I think of it more as a wee mogul compared to the peaks I summited in the French Alps. But if it weren't for that little daily mogul climb, I don't know if I would have made it to the top of these crazy rocky towers! The cliffs at the top were straight vertical drops, right to the bottom. I had to get on my tummy to look over the edge. The views were breathtaking. And the sweet flocks of sheep that grazed the grassy mountainsides with their little bells around their necks were adorable. One in particular grabbed my heart as he just stood there, for the longest time, head slightly turned, ears out sideways, just staring at us. He was so cute, I wish I could have taken him home.

No matter how beautiful France may be, I realised that there really is no place like home. I have never been so far from home. I have never been away from home so long. And although I saw and experienced some unforgettable things, I am happy to be home. So I say a fond farewell to the rolling hills of endless sunflowers, corn and vineyards...and warmly embrace my trees of turning leaf and oceanside haunts...oh how I've missed my ocean.

Oh, how I've missed you!

Parlez Vous Francais?

This picture makes me giggle...inside and out. It looks like how I feel. It looks like a crazy bundle of swirling excitement about to take flight. Do you see its wings hovering above?

I am about to take flight. To France. On Wednesday. This has been a dream of mine throughout my whole adult life, and in three days its going to be a reality. Yep. I feel just like a twisting, curling, twirling spiral of energy.

What kinds of experiences am I going to have? What new and wondrous things will my eyes open up to? How many memory cards should I bring with my camera? I better go get an extra one...just in case.

I am so sorry I haven't had a chance to visit you. I miss reading your blogs. July has been a frenzy of activity and I have found it challenging just getting the odd post up on my own blog! I miss you all so much and will try to make a quick visit before I leave.

I will be gone a month, and I hope to collect all kinds of interesting photos, some of which will no doubt end up here in this space when I return. I can't wait to see what kinds of things I will post! It is such a big unknown. All I know is that I will surely find myself captivated by a hundred million things....and I will surely run out of room on my memory cards. For sure.

Tell Me a Story

This flower is called Love in the Mist. Isn't that beautiful?
Well, the scientific name is Nigella, but I prefer the other name. It tells such an enchanting story...those delicate fern-like tendrils look like they could vaporize into a misty blanket, cradling the soft purple in its protective loving arms.

I passed a man on the mountain yesterday who I see quite often wandering the hilly cliff sides, his lab by his side. It had rained the day before and everything was moist and deeply fragrant...nourished after a long dry spell. He mentioned to me how his dog loves to be out on days like this, exploring everything with his curious black nose. He said, "A dewy morning tells many more stories than a dry summer afternoon."
Hmmm.

Although, the story the mountain was telling me yesterday was an upsetting one. As I continued on my way, I discovered to my horror that a large part of the grassy cliff had recently suffered a brushfire. To my nose, it felt as though I was walking across a giant ashtray. I always worry during the summer that the mountain and surrounding forest will burn, especially when it is so dry. If something happened here, I don't know if I would ever get over it.
As troubling as it was to see half the mountainside charred and black, I was so grateful that it didn't reach the trees. It was a reminder to appreciate every moment I have in this sacred space. The whole forest could be quickly wiped out with one careless flick of a cigarette.

I may not have the nose of an inquiring golden lab, but I too am attentive to the stories of the natural world. Life is fragile and precious and we need to lovingly protect it, like the gentle arms of a Nigella.

Baby Love

I have fallen off the blog map. Life has been a bit crazy these last few weeks, but I did manage to escape last weekend and visit with my new favourite little person...my beautiful little niece Sarai. It's amazing how much love one can feel for a baby. It was instant. As soon as I looked at her, as soon as I held her in my arms and looked into those sweet baby blues, it was pure love. I miss her already.

And I miss you too! Next week is when summer mode sets in for me. I hope to be here much more regularly, and I can't wait to come visit all of you and see what beauty is to be found on your corner of the blog map. I long to feel connected again. I am feeling a wee bit homesick for this wonderful community.

I will see you very soon!
Love to you all.
xo

Room to Grow

And the day came when the risk to remain
tight in a bud became more painful
than the risk it took to blossom.

~Anais Nin

Fuzz to Flight

This little guy might not know it yet, but he is about to taste a freedom he has never experienced before.

I think butterflies may be one of the happiest creatures on earth. They don't come into this life knowing how to fly. They are small and vulnerable as caterpillars. The world must seem so large and treacherous. As they teeter on the edges of leaves, the slightest wind threatens their stability. They must be wary of hiking boots and bird beaks, raindrops and spiderwebs. Crossing a patch of grass must be slow and exhausting. And one must not be afraid of heights if he wishes to survive as a caterpillar.

But if he does make it through this uncertain phase of life, the rewards are astounding. He will grow beautiful colourful wings and lift above all those previous struggles.

I think birds take their ability to fly for granted. They are born feathered and have not known any other way. But a butterfly knows how limiting a life without wings can be.

No wonder they flit and flutter around so deliriously... seemingly drunk on air, madly catching breezes and currents like flying tulips.

So I say to this little caterpillar perched upon this leaf...hang in there fuzzy one...life is about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Take it Lightly

Are you having an off day? Feeling a little blue? Wish you rolled off the right side of the bed today? Try not to take things too seriously...

The poppy buds are sticking their tongues out at you.

The ferns are blowing party favors at your nose.

And the dandelions?
Well, take heart....Mother Nature has her bad hair days too.

*wink*

Dreaming Tree

I found a new spot to dream away the warm spring days.

A shady place to put down a blanket and watch the heavy bumblebees flop from flower to flower. A place to feel the soft breeze pass through the tall grasses making them shimmer a soft hue, whispering secrets to my soul.

What a lovely place for a tree to thrive. She has space to stretch her arms and rustle her leaves. She can peek at the sea from where she stands. She can feel the sun warm the deep crevasses of her bark, and she can feel the rain drops fall from leaf to leaf, to ground to root as it satisfies her thirst. She can quietly eavesdrop on the ramblings of all who take shade under her.

A dreaming tree, she is.

Sun Petals

Bring me then the plant that points to those bright
Lucidites swirling up from the earth,
And life itself exhaling
that central breath!
Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light.

~Eugenio Montale

Through the Cracks

Isn't it funny how things can grow out of the most unlikely places? How can there be enough soil for this little plant to grow? I can tell you that the place I found this little guy receives very little sunlight. And I don't know how much rain water gets in there. Yet a tiny seed blew into that fine fracture in the stone and decided that this would be the ideal place to sprout and grow.

This is a marvelous planet. Life explodes out of every nook and cranny. It doesn't matter how inhospitable the space may seem...there is almost always some form of life that has adapted to live there.

There is an electrical box outside my door. A big ugly green box that used to be covered in ivy...until the power company came by and cleared it all away, much to my despair. But right now, as the ivy is trying so hard to regain its place on that box, right on top, in the center seam, a little plant (ok, it's a weed) is growing there! Right on top. On metal. On a box of electrical current.
How does that happen?

How do mushrooms grow out of door mats? How do baby maples spring to life on top of dead stumps or fallen trees? How do seeds break open and regenerate entire forests after the pine cone has been charred in a forest fire?

This may seem like a tiny insignificant little plant growing in this jagged crevice. But I think it is brave and strong. It has a will to see the light that has been pouring into that little crack since its early days, enticing it to poke its head out and see the big wide open world.

All Curled Up

Like a locket of hair, a ringlet curl tickling a soft cheek.

Like a seahorse tail, curling and unfurling as it dances and enchants.

Like a winding hidden lane, cozy amongst the trees, enticing the wanderer to see what's around the next bend...and the next...

Like the head of a cello, its beautiful curvature swaying to a haunting melody.

Like the trunk of a baby elephant, curiously exploring its new sensory world.

Like a breaking wave, its thunderous echo calling to the sea birds overhead, spiraling above as though lost in an airy whirlpool.

Like sweet pea vines and butterfly tongues. And toes curled as they touch down on a carpet of dewy grass.

Can you curl your tongue?

Beautiful Sarai

You are a new little person, my sweet little niece, and although you have only been in this big wondrous world for not even a month, you have been born into so much love.

I am still in awe that you are here and that a new relationship is about to bud between you and I.

What will it be like to hold you for the very first time? To connect with you through smiles and giggles and the softest touches? What will it be like to watch you grow from a tiny baby to a walking talking little being with ideas of her very own?

What will we do together you and I? Maybe we will throw your parents out of the house and transform the living room into a giant fort with heaps of blankets and pillows and hide for an afternoon reading adventure stories and sharing secrets...munching on extra chocolate, chocolate chip cookies we made ourselves?
Maybe we will adorn ourselves with colourful flamboyant hats, paint flowers on our fingernails and have distinguished garden tea parties.
We could investigate puddles like mad scientists on rainy days and chase our shadows across open fields on sunny days.
We could discover entire universes inside a tidal pool or a dew drop and marvel at the mystery of it all.

There is so much I want to share with you sweet Sarai.

What will it be like to watch you grow and mature into a beautiful young lady? What passions will bloom out of you? What paths will you take and what adventures will you choose to fill your days and months and years with all that the world waits to give to you?

Whatever you do with this new life of yours, I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I will be someone in your life that you can always turn to , to offer you an ear, a hug (lots of hugs) a laugh or a cry. I will be there to show you just how beautiful your soul is and how colorful your wings are.

I love you so much.

xo your Auntie J

Between Lovers

I've spent some time away with my Love, wandering into vast and rugged spaces and savage oceanscapes. We explored stones and dying seastars, lost ourselves in the kaleidoscopic colors inside mussel shells, and stood over the ocean as the wind stretched clouds across the open sky.

We gazed up tree trunks, 800 years old and were humbled by their beauty, wisdom and silent essence...they are like soft bristle hairbrushes swaying through the clouds, gently untangling the rain droplets as they fall to scent the earth in freshness and renewal.

We watched cottonball snowflakes swirl in windy frenzies as we took silence by the fireside.

We explored tantalizing tastes in cozy Shelters and indulged in the sweetest and richest of chocolate treats.

How quickly I have become so longingly nostalgic of this favourite place of mine with this favourite soul of mine...for our souls mingled with the soul of the landscape, and we will forever be a part of it, as much as it is a part of us.

It Begins With H

The lovely Meg has invited me to play a letter game. She asked me to write my most favourite ten words beginning with the letter H. This was not an easy letter! But here is my list...

Heliotrope
I love this little purple flower mostly because it smells so good. To me, it smells like Thrills gum. Do you know this gum? My mom used to chew these little purple chicklets when I was young, and well, you know how powerful those olfactory memories can be.

Hosta
The leafy green picture above is what I love to plant in my garden because it doesn't see a lot of sun. Hosta love the shade...but unfortunately, deer love hosta. So my big beautiful hosta plant never lasts more than a few weeks before it becomes a sweet afternoon nibble for my big eyed, long-lashed innocent looking visitors.

Happy-go-lucky
I wish I was a little more of this at times. Happy people are contagious, so even if I can't consider myself always so happy-go-lucky, I can surround myself with others who will hopefully infect me with their joie de vivre!

Haberdasher
Ok, I got this one out of the dictionary (H is not an easy letter) and I have never seen it before. A haberdasher is a dealer in men's hats, shirts, neckties etc. Did you know that? Have you ever asked someone what they do for a living and were given the reply....*I am a haberdasher*? I like the word so much I kind of wish I could call myself a haberdasher.

Hippopotamus
It's just the most excellent word to say. It's especially wonderful when young children try and say it. Hippopopamos. I wouldn't want to run into one in the african safari though...apparently they can be not so happy-go-lucky!

Hodge-podge
I don't use this word often enough. It can have so many uses too...very versatile. Can be used for a whole hodge-podge of situations. ;)

Hug
All these big impressive words, but this little three letter word is one of the most wonderful. I love all kinds of hugs...bear hugs, warm and cosy hugs, long meaningful hugs, short goodbye-see-you-soon hugs, surprise from behind hugs, love hugs, friendly hugs, family hugs, and hugs to our loveable pets too. Have you ever hugged a tree? It is wonderful too.

Here
Right here, right now is the best place to be. In most cases, it is the most peaceful space to be. It is the most genuine place to be....and the most comforting when the world feels heavy from future worries or past hurts.

Hula Hoop
Do I get extra points for doing a double H word? When was the last time you picked up a hula hoop and swung your hips in hysterical laughter? We adults are really way way too serious. Hula hoops should be a required activity in the work place...to get over that mid afternoon slump. Don't you think?

Hocus-pocus
Magic is everywhere. This is a perfect spell to conjure good things and to believe in things that can't be seen but can definitely be felt. Try it. Say those words out loud and manifest something extraordinarily wonderful into your life.....right now!

Some other faves are hedgehog, harmony, heart, hibernate, hickory (had a sweet little kitten named Hickory once) happenstance, honeydew, hummingbird, huckleberry, and home.

Would you like to play? Send me a message and I will give you a letter too!

Evermore

A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

~ John Keats

A Moment Shared

I sat on the rocks next to that cobalt chair for over a half an hour. The entire time, a seagull stood on his own little piece of rock behind me. He did not move. He observed me, I observed him...but he stayed as long as I stayed.

I finally got up, gathered my things and passed him as I wandered back to the beach. He still didn't move.

I paused and turned to look at him once more, this still creature, and slowly moved toward him to take a picture while a stream of sunlight seemed to pass right through him.

I'd like to think we had an understanding, him and I. For a brief time, we were one in the same. I wasn't human, he wasn't bird... we were two living beings sharing an ordinary moment in time that didn't seem quite so ordinary. While the world kept hurtling through space, while the waves swelled and receded from the shore, while the airplanes and satellites and comets tore holes through the sky, while all the people and birds and ants busily carried on with their many important tasks, we shared a space of stillness.

He stayed until I was gone.
And he continues to stay within me.

A View of all Universes

Look what I stumbled upon in my wanderings?
Someone has placed a chair on the edge of the world.
A perfect place to view all other universes, for when you look out beyond the edge of the world your scope of things is limitless.

You can see the ancient histories of the oceans from here...the expansive futures of the skies...and the infinite present moment of the horizon where past and future collide.

Past, present, future....which universe would you direct your telescope?

If I were to sit in this old cobalt chair nestled high on the rocks, I would point mine straight at that sliver of a horizon line, shining like a golden thread, catching the light of this very moment. I would focus carefully, allowing that light to fill my eyes and fill my soul.

It is a beautiful view.

Perspectives

I passed by a rather large tree stump yesterday. Surrounding it were sweet little snowdrops, like a ring of faeries, holding hands, quietly encouraging the poor tree to deepen its roots and gather the courage to grow again.

But maybe it isn't like that at all. Maybe those pearly white blossoms are happy that the tree is gone....relieved even. Maybe they decided to take root around that lonely stump because without the shady cover of towering leaves and branches, they have a much better view of the sun?
They do bloom in January, after all. They need all the warmth they can absorb.

But personally, I would like to encourage that tree to grow. If only the sunshine that tickles the winter blooms was enough to bring a beautiful oak tree back into its magnificence.

Just like me to root for the underdog.
If the story was a little different...if the tree was flourishing and the snowdrops at its feet were wilting due to lack of sunshine, I might be singing a different tune.

;)

Pear Fuzz

Newborn babies are often covered in a delicate coat of fine hair affectionately known as peach fuzz. Did you know that baby pears are fuzzy too?

I took this picture back in July and fell in love with this sweet little pear, but for some reason I never posted it. Maybe it wasn't time.

But now, in this sleepy month of January a new heart connection is born.
A new collaboration.
A new inspiration.

We call ourselves The Four.
Four wonderfully unique Canadian women who have come together to create something beautiful. Every two weeks, one of us will present a challenge to the group. We will each take a photograph that reflects our own personal expression of that challenge and post it on our new blog.

Please come visit our creative space and see something different every second Sunday.
Our project is in the pear fuzz stage... It is new and exciting and I feel a sense of deep gratitude to be able to work with such amazing and inspiring women.

Hope to see you there :)

I Want to Fly

The word freedom has been resonating deep inside my soul like the buzzing whirrrr of a hummingbird wing.

I set myself free from any false sense of control.

I set myself free from the expectations I may have placed upon myself or others.

I set myself free from fears that no longer serve a purpose.

I set myself free from the opinions of others.

I set myself free from my own destructive thoughts... *you really don't have to believe everything you think!*

I set myself free to be who I am... to make lot's of mistakes and be perfectly imperfect.

I set myself free to experience joy ~ every single day, even if it only takes shape as a single flower, or a single piece of chocolate, a smile, a hint of sunshine, a soft pillow at the end of a hard day....

I set myself free to love and be loved.

Most of all, I set myself free from this list. These are gentle intentions...not expectations.
Today, I let go and fly....and see where my new wings will carry me.

Snowdrifting

I was away visiting family over Christmas, and it turned out to be the whitest Christmas on record here on the island. It was a quiet and magical winter wonderland enlaced with many gifts...peaceful walks under sunlit sparkling trees, feeding apples to an old lonely horse, watching deer come right to the door in search of a snack, warming toes by the fireplace, sipping tea and nibbling on shortbread.... feeling cozy and comforted and so much in the Christmas spirit.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I look forward to visiting you over the next little while, to catch up and share in some New Year's cheer.

Winterscapes

Icebound

As the temperature dips lower and lower, the yellow flowers are coated with snow and icicles hang like wind chimes outside my bedroom window. I've been trying to keep the hummingbird feeder from freezing. There are at least two little birds who depend on me as they puff up and try to keep warm. They hover near the window and watch as I warm their hummer-juice and start drinking before I can hang the feeder up! One almost flew into my cupped hands the other day. I'm sure he could feel the warmth...and maybe the love?

Shiver

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?

~J.B. Priestly