WHAT CAN BE CERTAIN?

Sitting down to write after a stunning sun-drenched coastal day I am serenaded by a plethora of small birds, each singing a lovely song of joy as a paean to the glorious day that this has been. Peaceful and full of the calm for now, I do know that this can change in a moment's notice. 

One certainty--tides roll in and out each day

Benjamin Franklin got it wrong, I think, when he said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. Change is also a certainty, I believe. There are so many moments to be captured in the instant they happen. Those moments are there, that is for certain. And, yes, they will change. That, too, is for certain. 

The sun will fade away. The birds will still their song. The cool breeze may become a dry heat. The only thing certain may just be that everything changes. Tomorrow will be different.

Today, failure? Tomorrow, success. Today, sadness? Tomorrow, joy. The revolving door of change is like that...for sure!

So if you just happen to be in a bad place right now...know this will change. And, if life is treating you well, enjoy each glorious minute. 

 

FULLNESS

Making the happy more visible...I feel this is what happens with the coming of spring. And rather than dwell on the horrific of news cycles, the happy that spring brings out is what I will choose.

There's a tingling in the air and in our veins as early signs of spring arrive. The days seem fuller and richer. Joy joins the tingling...and off we go.

Breathe. Relax. Listen. Let go. These seem so much easier to do of late, even as the world and nature and human nature continue to throw the adverse our way. 

Is it just the pervasive birdsong or the flittering about of tiny goldfinches and wrens? Could it be the warm sunshine and cool breezes or the sparkle on the water? Maybe it is the rich deep color of buds on the branch or the whir of the hummingbirds' wings that bring on the delight of springtime.

People are getting out more, to walk, to dine, to mingle (safely, I trust) and this, too, lends some joy to the season. Plans are being made to play, to create, to join together in small gatherings. The longer days seem to call for filling up to the brim with springtime delights. The world begins to shine. SHINE ON!!

AH, SPRINGTIME...ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

 

Having a lot of fun with these bleeding tissue papers. Different sizes and shapes and vast amounts of possible play. The fun playtime got me thinking of missed workshops, missed camaraderie of friends together creating....and so...a possibility was born and the first workshop of 2021 is scheduled and full with safety in mind throughout all the planning. It does the heart good for sure!!

In the meantime, I will continue keeping the post office in business by creating and sending cards. 

There are so many lovely days of springtime ahead...what are your endless possibilities??

TWO + TWO= ONE

Two doses of vaccine + two weeks = one happy gal. What a weight off! And what a thrill to be able to spend time with family celebrating our daughter's birthday! It's funny how I didn't realize the weight I was carrying in trying to maintain all the careful edicts to avoid bringing covid-19 into our milieu. And what utter joy it was yesterday to be able to hug and laugh and just be together again. Even if you don't think you are worried, go get the vaccine when you can. You might be surprised. I was.

FALL OR FLY??

Doesn't this say it all?

 Rain gave way to sunshine gave way to rain gave way to sunshine....It's just that kind of a day. This got me thinking about changes (yes, again) and how often we fear both what is  and change as well.

Seneca, the Roman philosopher, said that if we let things terrify us life will not be worth living. So you are terrified of falling? Well, what if you fly? And there is always that possibility, isn't there?

Sure, we have economic woes aplenty, covid-19, discontent among so many, and more. But how should we approach these?  As if we will fail or is there to be hope that we can succeed in moving toward better times?

Even as we face these challenges there is so much to which we can open ourselves...if only we choose to do so. Hope and optimism can work in tandem with wisdom to surpass the negative. 

Ever hopeful on this changeable day, i look forward to both the sun and the rain. It's all part of an exquisite moment to moment life of joy and sorrow and back to joy, after all.

CHANGE AND CONSTANTS

Morning comes in my neighborhood with an ever-swelling crescendo of bird chatter, From small wrens an finches to the soft cooing of doves to the crow of the rooster across the canyon to the hawk circling overhead on the hunt, the canyon is alive with the sounds of birds. As spring approaches and nesting begins, the ante is upped by a considerable amount. 

Changes. Nature is full of them.

The season changes. The sky changes constantly, even as we watch. What makes us think things here on earth should be different? 

Change is a constant, though that seems to contradict. So many changes in this past pandemic year have caused consternation or hope or fear or so many other of our human emotions. And yet, the changes have and will continue. What is it about change itself that causes us so much difficulty?

I don't know the answers. Just try to go with the flow as best I can. What about you??

MUSING ON MUSES

A slut? No, I don't think my muse is a slut. I've heard the muse called this, but.....

Slut (n)--a lazy, careless, or slovenly woman; a lewd or dissolute woman.

The muse after which I chase is spunky, quixotic and often flighty. She is quirky and changeable. At times elusive or downright evasive, she is definitely a tease.

My muse is not lazy, careless, or slovenly. She is neither immoral nor depraved, though at times self-indulgent. Now and then a little crazy, perhaps, but in an endearing, charming and delightful way.

This muse of mine definitely keeps me on my toes and there is never a dull moment with her. Sometimes she is serious and intense and at other times wonderfully fanciful and filled with laughter, even giggles.

I trust my muse to know more than I do as she leads me at times down mysterious paths that seem far too difficult--challenging, beckoning, daring me to at least try. She constantly asks me to use all my senses--to see more deeply, to listen with greater intensity, to touch with heightened sensitivity, to taste the exotic strangeness of flavors, to smell the subtle nuances of fragrance.

The end may not always be in sight, but rather unknown and unplanned. This is both exciting, titillating, and even a little bit scary. Invariably, the risks lead to an opening of creativity. Out of what often appears chaotic comes that wonderful something that each artist seeks.

No slut my muse, but a seductive and intriguing character that I shall continue chasing after. She IS inspiration.

And you muse? Tell me about her....