In The Neighborhood...

I've just started walking 30 minutes first thing in the morning... and, in order to encourage myself to keep at it each day, I'm taking iPhone pics of beautiful & interesting things I see in the neighborhood while I walk.

I saw these purple coneflowers today & thought they were lovely, planted against a simple white picket fence background... Made me smile! :)

Spring Has Sprung!

It always seems to happen this way... temps are in the 40's, I'm wearing my turtlenecks, fuzzy socks & fleece... and overnight SPRING suddenly appears! It teases at first with a crocus or two in my neighbor's front yard... and then unveils itself with drama & flair.

This year the cherry trees that line the streets in our neighborhood were truly spectacular! And now the dogwood trees are beginning to blossom... and yes, the azaleas are not very far behind. So far, I've watched out my kitchen window as a mama starling built her nest... and I was entertained by a squirrel very carefully filling a notch in the big oak tree to make her cozy nest. All the baby leaves are unfolding, making the whole world green again.

NEW LIFE!!... Just when it seems that winter will never end, along comes HOPE, and the whole world sighs in relief.

Thank you so much Lord!... for the gift of beauty, for the promise of hope, for new life that springs up when we least expect it. We can see You in all You have made... The whole world is praising You!!

Counting My Blessings

"Cozy Winter Home"

We had an unexpected early taste of Winter here in North Carolina, as the temps dipped down in the twenties overnight... No snow yet, but it sure has been cold enough for snow! First dog walk of the season, I bundled up in my scarf & hat & my winter coat, with a scarf I'd knit wrapped almost up to my nose.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

"Boy, I'm not ready for Wintertime yet!... I really don't like being cold!... Wasn't Halloween just a few days ago???" that little voice in my head begins to whine & complain...

And then I remember (something I'm prone to forget if I'm not very careful)...  

This is a very good day to count my blessings!

So, today I'm thankful for...

• A warm house on a chilly day
• A hot cup of Chai tea in my favorite mug
• The space heater that's warming my toes-ies
• The fleece blanket my sons gave me for Christmas... I'm cozier because of their love for me
• A sunny 'Carolina Blue' sky with not a cloud in sight 
• The sound of my dog snoozing right next to me while I type
• A brand new book I can hardly wait to read
• ... And a wide-open day to enjoy being creative!  :) 

Lord, I have so very much to be thankful for!... Please teach me to notice and count the big & small blessings in my everyday life... good gifts you have given to me!

Autumn Days...

"Pumpkins4Sale"

Without a doubt, Autumn is my favorite time of year!  :)  ...Time once again for pumpkins & chrysanthemums, colorful leaves & cooler temperatures. Time for apple crisp & handknit scarves & my favorite blue jeans. Time to light the first fire of the season in the fireplace & cozy up with a favorite book & a cup of hot tea. Time for farmer's markets & apple cider & long walks with the dog while enjoying the crispy crunch-crunch-crunch of the leaves underfoot. Time to watch the squirrels busily collect acorns, diligently storing them up for the cold winter months...

When my youngest son was in preschool, the highlight of Autumn was always visiting a nearby farm with his class for a hayride & the chance to pick-your-own-pumpkin... Nothing like searching through rows of orange goodness with the little one you love to find the perfect pumpkin!  ;)

Autumn's not quite here yet in North Carolina... Indian Summer days still linger on into September. The walnut tree out back is unceremoniously letting loose its' leaves & the temperatures continue to creep up into the 80's by mid-afternoon. But I am watching for the first signs of Autumn!... 

I am ready to celebrate its SPLENDOR!!

"Folk Art Pumpkin"

Finding Creative New Ideas Every Day

 "Backyard Gardeners"

So, where do new art ideas come from anyhow?... Well, everywhere really. I'm finding even life's ordinary everyday moments can inspire fun & creative ideas for art!  :)

On an average spring or summer Saturday morning around our house (after blueberry pancakes & coffee with my husband Joe!), it's time for Joe to head out into the yard. He puts on his straw gardening hat & I know he's about to be in his "Happy Place." I can almost see him start to relax as he mows the grass & pulls the weeds & moves plants from one location to another more suitable home. Watching him from our kitchen window, I feel like I'm watching him "paint" his own very beautiful picture.

Of course, our Lab, Winnie, is sure to make it known that she wants to be out in the yard with Joe too! She lies by the basement door & whimpers (loudly!) 'til Joe has finally finished mowing the grass. Then it's time for her to head out into the backyard & "supervise" the gardening. I'm convinced this is the highlight of Winnie's entire week!  ;)

A simple, every week scene at our house... Who'da thought that something so normal could inspire anything creative???

A little side-note here... Winnie is a black lab, so I cheated when I colored her brown! I'm still figuring out how to work with areas of black in art & not have them look like a great big black hole!  :)

Back2Nature

"Back2Nature"

My husband & two grown sons are in the process of preparing for a major hiking/camping adventure (I love that they want to spend time together this way!). The trip itself will hopefully be in the summer of 2014... but in the meantime, there is research to be done about the trail, camp-y things to plan, & lots of equipment to gather... My husband is savoring every bit of the process!

My family teases me, saying I love the IDEA of nature better than the REALITY of nature (read here... not a fan of snakes, spiders, mosquitoes & sleeping on the ground). Vacation-wise, I'm more of a cottage-lover. Give me indoor plumbing, a porch with a rocking chair and the sights & sounds of the great outdoors, a camera, my journal & sketchbook, a coffee maker, simple healthy foods, a good book, the company of family & our sweet dog Winnie, a nice clean bed at night... and I'm a happy camper!

My Recent Rx for Creative Block

There's a funny thing about my Creative Blocks... No matter how hard I try to push those big old blocks aside, they just won't budge! And that's just what I found this month as I sat down to update my blog... I was completely at a loss about what to write.

Now normally, my tendency would be to press on, hoping that inspiration would magically reappear. But this time was different...

This time I got busy!

I am NOT at all excited about house cleaning (or cooking either, for that matter!). But since I was getting nowhere with my writing efforts, I jumped into cleaning my studio & "This Old House." It felt good to chase some of the dust bunnies away that had multiplied during the winter months.

My wintertime reading had been James Herriot's book, All Creatures Great and Small. I enjoyed traveling around the English countryside "with him" so much as he cared for the animals & the farm people there, that I immersed myself in his second book All Things Bright and Beautiful ... Nothing like a trip to faraway places (even if only in book form!) to bring new inspiration to me.

And since it's been so pretty outside...

...I've spent extra time enjoying the newness of Spring in our neighborhood. I must say, though I'm not a photographer at all, I've had so much fun capturing pics with my new phone camera as I've walked our lab Winnie on the block each day!

Taking pics has really challenged me to see with fresh eyes... There are interesting things, inspiration & beauty around me everyday!

So... Yet another lesson learned for me about being a creative person... Sometimes it's best to put my project aside for a while & let my creative brain gain some fresh perspective.

Thank you so much Lord for "wiring" me to be a creative person. Please help me to honor You while I allow creativity to grow in me.