the emperor of oranges

The most delightful thing I have seen on the internet in AGES.

do-overs

As an artist, I am often ... oh let's call it "unsatisfied"... with the way a certain piece ends up.  The above altar, which was created last year as part of a group project for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was originally done in shades of pink - a color I am not generally fond of (except hot pink, of course!).  Why pink was chosen as the "official" color for breast cancer awareness I will NEVER understand, but... I went with it, and was pretty much unhappy with the results from the get-go.   So this weekend I re-worked the whole thing in shades of gold, silver, copper and bronze, and I like it ever so much better.  It's now in my shop over at Etsy, if you'd like to take a look at some of the other pictures of it.  (Or if you'd like to support a culturally-starving artist... LOL)

Such a wonderful reminder this was - it's NEVER too late for a do-over.  Sometimes it's an easy fix, like this little altar was, and sometimes it's a long, involved process to get to where you want to go (yes, flabby thighs, I am talking about you) - but I'm pretty sure it's always worth the effort.  

ooooh, shiny!

Distractions, distractions.  So many things to keep our minds and hearts busy so we won't have to really dig in and feel what is deep below the surface, where the important soul work awaits.  So hard to tell that inner child (the one who always wants what it wants) to hush now and let the grown up make the wiser, tougher decisions.  Nearly impossible some days to stay focused on the big picture, and not let momentary impulses carry us away.

Whatever piece of the superficial circus has you mesmerized today - I can relate.

dodging a bullet

Wow.  Well, every life has its firsts - this weekend was my first brush with tornadoes.   The fierce storm that was sweeping across the south blew through NC yesterday, and we brushed up against tornadoes twice - once while shopping in Raleigh where we caught the edge of one that wiped out several businesses along highway 264, and again when we got home to find that another tornado had danced around our neighborhood and caused some pretty significant devastation in our community at large.  The house pictured above, which is 2 blocks from my home, had the top of this tree in their front living room.  1 block in the other direction, several other large trees were blown over and power poles were snapped off at the base, knocking out power on our block for about 22 hours.  The area where my husband's office is located was one of the hardest hit (his building is remarkably undamaged with just a couple of broken windows).  We totally feel like we dodged a bullet on several occasions this weekend, and our hearts go out to the people in our town who have had homes blown apart, businesses completely destroyed and lives up-ended.  I have not heard of anyone being seriously hurt here, for which I am eternally grateful.

Just goes to show you how quickly things can change in a life.  Yesterday afternoon we were having fun at my son's elementary school fundraiser and shopping for gadgets at REI, and in a heartbeat things sort of went sideways.  Fortunately we were untouched, but 3 minutes or one block one way or another and it could have been a very different story.  A poignant reminder to take NOTHING for granted - and to stop procrastinating on the things that are most important.

being astonished

So today, I am being astonished, and now I am telling about it.

Today is my nephew Michael's 18th birthday.  18!  I'm pretty sure it was just a couple of years ago that he was perfectly at home hanging out on the upstairs deck butt naked and sucking on a pacifier while peeing over the side just to see what would happen (and MM, if you are reading this I know you are mortified, but you can thank me later that I did NOT post my photographic evidence of this).   Just about every person I know greeted the news of this milestone birthday of his with some version of  "OMG, how did time slip away that fast???"  I can only imagine what his mama is feeling today - undoubtedly her own version of astonishment, perhaps mixed with some panic, relief, and thankfulness that the wonderful human being she brought into the world has reached this new and exciting jumping-off point.

It's almost inconceivable to me that Michael should be an adult now.  This means that not only have I experienced MY childhood in its entirety, but now I have walked alongside someone else's childhood from beginning to end, and it boggles the mind.  Especially since some days (many, many more than I care to admit, actually) *I* still feel like a fledgling...  Why, just today I had a moment or two of feeling 16 again, and most days I don't feel a day over 30!  (emotionally, anyway).  

Oh, our darling days are numbered - and today I am feeling that more than I ever have before...

little mama

This lovely little robin has made a comfy home for herself on top of one of my front porch pillars (way up high, where the resident four-legged feline serial killers can't get to her).  Ray and I (and the dogs) had lunch out on the porch this afternoon, and she kept a VERY watchful eye on the noisy intruders.  I honestly hate to butt in on her tranquil little haven, but now that the weather is nice we will probably be spending a lot of time out on the front porch - I hope she decides to stick around, in spite of the undesirable element populating her 'hood.

yes

With apologies to Kaylin Haught, whose marvelous poem I twisted and twirled to suit my particular situation.

How many times in your life have you put the brakes on a particular passion, interest or adventure, waiting for someone to give you permission to move forward?  Waiting for a "yes" from someone - anyone - because you didn't feel like you were enough of an authority in your own life to grant yourself what you needed and wanted?  I have lost count of those sorts of things in my own life.

These days, I am digging deep to find the God that dwells within me, as me.  And she is, more and more, telling me - yes.