November discards

 

a small walk to the EL

 

walk of lines in leaves

 

November blues

 

stay on your side of the line,Shorty

 

broken line

 

party line

 

taking the wall

The End of The Line

 

I am new to photo taking, but have rather enjoyed the creativity. The camera is another outlet for saying something, only without saying a single word. This month at www.gardeninggonewild.com there is a November Picture photo contest. The subject: The End of The Line. The guest judge is Joshua McCullough.
I know my entry will seem at odds with the theme "line." But look closely, see the lines of the fallen feathers,the line of the stem of the Tulip Tree,the line of the single leaf stem of the Horsechestnut,and finally the lines of the mosaic tile in the birdbath that lead to the center,the center that holds fallen leaves under the thin layer of frozen water,in a bowl..a circle that symbloizes the eternal line.

All of this represents what happens in November,what has to happen,but also a reminder that life is a cycle.

Feel the season moving?

 

The hip hurts,the knees complain,the back takes a bit before it straightens out in the morning....and I workout! I guess I can no more stop the aging process then I can stop the season from moving on into winter. Oh yes, it will be autumn for awhile yet, but those chilly morning temperatures are whispering old man winter's name. And I think this year he'll arrive looking more like Vincent Price than Johnny Depp.
So even though it takes an act of God sometimes to rise out of bed,I do with a grateful heart. Life...how wonderful to have another day to love. No one has promised me tomorrow...this is it...not even today...only now, only this moment. So I see how important what comes out of my mouth is...I see that what I do is important, maybe not to the world, or the country, or my town, but to my family and to those who I have drawn into love's circle.
This morning I looked for beauty while walking in my yard in the chilly air. Frost glazed the faces of all the plants that had held onto to this bit of Indian summer, now only to get the final curtain call. A new play is rehearsing and a new set design is being built. But still there is beauty. How wonderful our God is to reveal his majesty this way....all you have to do is be there...

Wednesday evening and I'm pooped

Just got home fromthe North side of the city helping my oldest daughter. She is on bedrest. She was a happy camper with mom around. She ate well. My youngest daughter stopped by after work to see her mom too. It was fun..they picked on me...their favorite sport.
Then homebound to welcome the little ones from California....Beef sandwiches from Pop's...brownies and chocolate milk..enjoyed by all.
Now to bed. I'm not getting any younger and I don't know how I ever did it.
Love you all..truly you are a gift to me.
I did take some pictures. And oh the shoes I saw along the way to the city...but too dangerous to shoot any pictures...but I can tell you about them tomorrow.

Comfort

I wanted to draw the little girl shoe today. I was feeling a burst of creative energy that wanted release. You would think writing would do it for me, and it does, but painting or drawing has a special purpose for me, unlike writing. It's play. But today is not a day of play.
Today is a day set aside for prayer and reflection.
It is incredible how many hurting ones have come before me and wanted me to pray with them.
So today instead of lighting a candle inviting creative energy into the room. I will light a candle inviting God to hear my prayers for Sara, Elena, Robin, &Susan.
Their's are the very concerns of life. These are the times when we experience the other side of calling ourselves human. We suffer. But we are not alone. To have friends who pray for us is another blessing of being human....we are a tribe that circles the big tent.
So today I will paint on a spiritual plane. ....for my sisters.

The pods have opened and the seeds have sailed away like prayers.

Today's shoe

This one I almost drove up on the median strip for. I slowed down just enough to take a picture of this little shoe. The guy behind me beeped, so I couldn't get another....then my battery went dead. But actually I think it captures what I felt when I saw it.

Enough of that. I know I bore you with my ramblings....but I'm made up of ramblings.....in my mind...won't shut down...always soaking in....everything on an emotional level. I guess that's what makes me tick.

I've been working on my outline and it's coming along. It keeps changing. I hope I'll know when it is what it should be. Then the real writing starts.

My daughter spent the night in the hospital, released this morning with instructions to stay in bed. Hopefully little guy can stay in the dark comfort of the womb for awhile yet.

The Laguna Beach sweeties are coming in Wednesday. I can't wait to see them. She'll be 3 in Dec and He is 18 months. They're fighting now with each other....this should be fun. I better have lots of books and paper ready!

Back to the picture:
I've known many little girls in my life whose shoe this could have been. They wore shoes like this one: Old, worn, dirty, broken.
The only thing that wasn't a metaphor for their lives was the word --old.
They were children.
I think I will draw this shoe...'cause it's drawing me.

So golden...like heavenly jewelry

Don't you just love the red arrow? I didn't see it looking out the window of the car trying to take a photo as fast as I could....driver impatient. Isn't it true in life, that which is often not obvious to us holds the power. Whether it is a long held anger,an unforgiven grievance,or a deeply hurting unrequited love. That which is not seen can still be telling us which way to go. So maybe we should enjoy the sunsets of our days but be on the look out for those red arrows that really are the navagators.

Light Light everywhere

Light across the post

Light tiptoeing across ground cover

Oh warm light

Look who I spied

A lit up volunteer