• Art,  lifestyles,  quotes,  shadows,  spirituality,  still life

    …everyday life

    March 18, 2023

    In the end, the only thing that will matter will be how well we loved. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to pay attention to the person we encounter, more so, to be attentive to the ones we love (and often take for granted). To be present in the moment, heart and soul, attentive to the sounds of life in the midst of anxiety, laughter, sorrow, and wonder…. The moral of the story is that grace is everywhere and love abounds, but it must be received and celebrated. This is the sacrament of everyday life.

    Ilia Delio, The Hours of the Universe

    Looks like snow and cold in the upper Great Lakes while rain in the southeast. Clear and sunny here but cold and windy. I do believe in her words that grace is everywhere and love abounds. However, far too many aren’t aware of it or don’t believe in it or don’t live life as if it is. I wonder could it be that each of us must fan that flame to live it. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, enjoying the sacrament of everyday life we each have, no matter the weather!

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  • Art,  Art/Design,  Creativity,  John O'Donohue,  lifestyles,  quotes

    Standing on Different Ground

    March 22, 2021

    “No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it. Thus it is impossible to ever compare two people because each stands on such different ground. When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.”

    John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
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  • cattails,  haiku,  John O'Donohue,  natural areas,  Plants,  trees,  writing/reading

    Along the Trail

    December 8, 2020

    along the trail
    cattails aflame in sunlight
    field of candles

    ms

    John O’Donohue in his book Beauty asks a couple of questions about landscape that cause me to smile, to pause and wonder. He asks the following questions: “Could it be possible that landscape might have a deep friendship with us? That it could sense our presence and feel the care we extend it?” These questions may never enter the minds of some, especially for those who ravage the landscape for profit. To them landscape is an object to consume that has no reasoning, intelligence as we do. These questions may seem like a waste of time because our ego has convinced us into believing we are the ultimate of all creation, and for many are playing god themselves.

    I have not always believed in having a friendship with the landscape as something more than an object. Maturity, drawing closer to the end of life, and experiencing the landscape with more than my physical senses has brought on this change. Sharing in this friendship with the landscape is the reason I have spent more time within it. I want to protect, respect and care for this friend of ours. I like how O’Donohue is asking us to be open, moving beyond our finite thinking. How different would our world be if we treated the landscape as our friend that wants to be our friend?

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  • John O'Donohue,  lifestyles,  quotes,  shadows

    Sojourners

    June 12, 2020
    Morning shadows in my bedroom

    “We rush through our days in such stress and intensity, as if we were here to stay and the serious project of the world depended on us. We worry and grow anxious; we magnify trivia until they become important enough to control our lives. Yet all the time, we have forgotten that we are but temporary sojourners on the surface of a strange planet spinning slowly in the infinite night of the cosmos.” 

    John O’Donohue, Eternal Echoes
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  • architecture,  Art

    Candle Sconces

    July 28, 2019

    This an image of three candle sconces in a hallway with multi-colored window curtains in the background. An abstract I like. This is my last week at the Mercy Center. I will be heading home this coming Friday. It has been good for me. Learned a lot about myself which was a major reason for coming. I have also met some really neat people that may be friends for years to come. The five week course has gone by quickly. And, I must admit I have put on about 5 pounds in the four weeks. I’ve got one more week to go! Have a great week!

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  • shadows

    Long Winter Shadows

    December 23, 2017

    Long Winter Shadows
    Long Winter Shadows

    “Ordinary people seek entertainment. Extraordinary people seek education and learning.” -Benjamin Hardy

    It’was 1 degree this morning at 5:24 am. Brrrr! Fresh snow and heavy frost. Brrrr! Humidity is 83%. Brrrr! Brrrr! Glad I don’t live where is really cold. Stay warm and enjoy your holidays. 

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  • architecture,  Black and White,  lifestyles,  window

    The Quiet Place

    January 30, 2017

    The Quiet Place
    The Quiet Place

    I like to start my day with a few minutes of quiet contemplation and this is usually where I practice. I have a sort of bay window in my bedroom, about 18 inches of space to collect dust. I have a battery powered candle sitting which I use sometimes to change the mood. I’ve had the wicker rocker now for several years and have it broken in to fit my tush. It is beginning to be brittle so every so often I find pieces on the floor. This window faces the south-southeast so early morning sun will be my companion during the summer. I use the fleece blanket, draped over the end of my bed, to wrap around my legs on those colder winter mornings. It is my quiet place.

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