Gone

A puff of breath and the light is gone. A scratch,sulphur burns my nose and BAM! its back. Let your light shine.

Door Knob Epiphanies

It seems like such a humble thing. A tool to be used without thought. A thing that is almost invisible in its use. The humble Door Knob. How many times a day do you touch a door knob in some form? Out of the room,into the bathroom,out of the house,into the office.... You reach, you grasp,you turn, you pull. All on automatic pilot I bet. I know I do. But, what if, for even a handful of those contacts we turned them into something else. Something with more purpose. We might take those fleeting moments to become mindfull. Reach and remember something for which you are grateful. Grasp and acknowledge that you have turned the iron off, nothing to worry about half way to work. Turn and dispense with negative repeatitive thoughts. Pull something into your life that brings you wonder. Embrace those Door Knob Epiphanies one entrance and exit at a time.

Ironstone Maiden

I got a message today from a stack of bowls. Let me tell you what the largest one told me.

"Hello Dear, I've been elected to speak for the stack. We have collectively begun to be called 'Ironstone Maidens' and we need to discuss this with you. Decades ago we had a purpose in life. We served and held, sang when washed and gleamed. But just recently, the last couple of decades at least our jobs have changed. Once so practical we are now merely decor. While its nice to be admired we miss the day to day knock and ring of utensils. We never get to catch up with the soup spoons any more and you know how outrageous they can be. We implore you. Take us down, dust us off and let us work. You've never really tasted vegetables until they've cooled in our embrace. Yours most sincerely, The Ironstone Maidens."

Have you used your ironstone lately?

Travelling

Defined as: to go from place to place; make a journey.

I think I've mentioned before that I think of myself as a "noticer". To see and be somewhere new is a wondrous thing for me. New things to catch a glimpse of out of the corner of my eye,whip my head around and spy a hidden gem. Its a bit of a joke among those I travel with. If there is some wildlife to spot, an abandoned building barely glimpsed, weird weather phenomenon about to appear, I'm the girl to point it out. This well used case is home to my maps and travel journals. Visted place names are highlighted. Village names are spelled out phonetically in the journals so I can whisper them aloud once home and make them appear again. Travel is magic for me. It makes me more than I would otherwise be. I hope you can travel with me.

The Book Kiss

Have you ever noticed if you say the word BOOK slowly,its like a kiss? Go ahead try it. I LOVE books. Paperback,hardcover,new,used or garage sale find. A world you can hold in your hand. A world someone else was so enamored of they wanted to write it down for you. They worried about just the right word or turn of phrase. They wanted you to see in that world what they did. Pick up a book. Kiss this world away for a bit and discover another place to be,in the pages of a book.

Bone Button Romance

Have we talked about my love of bone buttons? I've got jars of them sitting around the house. I've been known to tap old buttons against my teeth to determine if they are bone or not. Do I let the fact they've been sitting in that jar in the antique store since God was a boy? Oh hell no! Tap tap tap, SCORE! Wrap em up, I'm takin em home.

The Cypress Sirens

The Cypress Sisters spend every summer at the river. They cool their weary feet and knees in the cool, flowing water. The perch dart, then nibble and provide a pedicure. The girls sing their siren song into the wind and we all return each year to hear it sung again and again.

Silk and Needle

Lavishly lavender light leans languidly and loosely over the slightly slippery and silken spool of thread. All pierced by the hard sharp point of the tool. The needle.

The Hills I Eyed

This photo safari was another afternoon spent on my ongoing search for the ulitimate cliff/hills photograph for a camera club assignment. This is The Devil's Backbone. Part of the Hill Country north of town. I captured limestone hills,cedar trees, smoke from brush burns and I just know there is a rattlesnake or two in there. Did I mention the sunburn? Its not the same as the Scotland I love so well. But it isn't concrete and manicured lawn either and that is just fine by me.