Purple Haze

The rain and wind haven't let up for days here, and although it makes it hard to get outside to mow the grass, the spring flowers are loving life these days.

The lilac bush we planted last spring is rewarding us with a handful of blossoms that smell like heaven.

And columbine flowers in shades of deep purple and magenta are spreading like wildfire in our front flower bed, even with the weeds trying to take their place.  Hang in there columbine...when the rain ends we'll come to your rescue!

I ventured out during a break in between downpours today to cut a few of these lovely blossoms to brighten my house and fill my senses.  There is nothing quite like the scent of a fresh lilac bloom...it makes my heart skip a beat and reminds me of my grandmother who loved lilacs as much as I do.

I think flowers are medicine for the soul.  And though I would probably never fill my home with purple or even lavender furnishings or accessories, I still love the color and enjoy having my own little purple haze each spring as these regal colors fill my garden, and ultimately my vases.

Do you have a favorite color springtime blossom?

Beauty

Autumn has tiptoed its way into our house, and with the arrival of October, I am finally ready to break out my fall decor.

At the house where our children are renting, there is a lovely huge old Beautyberry bush, and I've had my eye on it in anticipation of stealing a few branches for my fall decorating.

These berries are the most beautiful shade of purple, and I often wonder if that's why we see purple used in Halloween decor since they are abundant this time of year.

I didn't steal too many, because they won't last unless you take the time to dry them properly, which I likely won't, and because they are a favorite among certain species of birds.  I wouldn't want to be accused of taking food from the mouth of "birds" now would I?!

But I did pilfer just enough to create an arrangement atop some ironstone for my dining room table.  Next year, I plan to have my very own Beautyberry bush to enjoy, but for now, these will do just fine. 

And Just Like That

It was just a few days ago that I was wandering my yard and admiring some of the flowers, including the Morning Glories which have taken over the fence line on one side of the backyard.  Their colors are so vibrant and if you squint just right you can almost ignore the other changes going on around you that tell you their time is nearing an end.

Muggy weather and warmer temps may still linger but you know that change is coming, and I think with age you can almost sense the changing of the seasons in a way you aren't able to when you are twenty something.

I think that is why I wander my surroundings more often than I used to, and I sometimes feel as though I'm now privy to a little secret that mother nature only imparts on people over 35.  A sense of time passing, of seasons changing, and a need to soak it all in a bit more than we once did.

Try as I might to hang on to Summer, even the nasty hot, drought ridden one we've had, there are some things you just can't ignore.  Today, after months of very little rain in our area...particularly in our section of the county we live in, the skies opened up and let go.

It was like watching someone who had held it in for far too long finally having a good cry, the kind that makes you feel better afterwards.  I had to wonder if even mother nature has those days, when she just has to let her guard down and let the tears flow as raindrops.  If so, then this was surely one of those days for her.

And just the mere image of rain drops pouring down my windowpanes, made me want to bake comfort food, unpack sweaters that haven't seen the light of day for months, and snuggle up beside a fire.

I guess we aren't unlike the tiny hummingbirds that are so frantically gathering at our feeders, fortifying themselves with much needed strength for their long journey southward in a few weeks.  I suppose that we too have our own internal clocks that tell us that when the tomato vines start to bend and brown, and the fruits start to mimic the colors of fall that we have work we need to do to get ready for the changing season.

I know that come this afternoon it will be hot and humid once again and the sun will shine brightly, but I also know that those endless stretches of sunny days and asphalt too hot to tread on will slowly give way to falling leaves and cooler temps.

But today, amidst all of the evidence to the contrary, I will pretend that summer is never-ending...because a little denial never hurt anyone right?!

Go Your Own Way

It's been a few weeks since I posted, and although I would love to tell you that I've been lounging on a beach somewhere or taking in the sights of some exotic locale during that time, the truth is I've been working instead...sigh!

In between working until 1 a.m. some nights, we've moved kids into a rental house, celebrated Mr. Tide's 50th Bday and generally been running ourselves ragged doing the things that life demands of all of us much of the time.  I know so many of you can more than relate!

I know the payoff for all of this hard work will be worth it, but man oh man, sometimes you have to stop and wonder don't you?!  But just as soon as I think maybe I should put a few pipe dreams on the back burner, I get a sign, a phone call or an email that tells me I'm on the right path.

And I'm fortunate to have friends and family who are right with me every step of the way saying, "do it your way and you'll be much happier in the long run," so I soldier on and hope for the best.

And I am also lucky in that this road I'm on, no matter how bumpy has allowed me to meet some amazing people, some of whom are heading in the exact same direction that I am heading.  One friend in particular is traversing the path right alongside me, and when I'm down and out she gives me a nudge to keep moving forward, and hopefully I do the same for her.

It's nice to go your own way, but it's even nicer when you have someone else who is going "your" way too...I think we all need that in life.

Friends, partners, and confidants who can take one look at your face and say..."I get it, been there, done that!"  Misery may love company, but I prefer company to keep misery at bay.

In a few weeks I will be selling my artwork online.  Oh, I've had a website for awhile now, but this will be the real deal...no foolin' around.  You'll be able to purchase stretched canvas prints and framed prints thanks to a partnership I've made with a wonderful online gallery.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to share with you some of the artwork I've been busy creating.  It's brand spankin' new stuff, and it's not like anything I've really shown you before, so I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed creating it. 

Below is a sneak peek at a few of the prints that will be available, and I'm working on some very cool printing and framing techniques to make each piece special.

In the meantime it's back to the grindstone for me.  I do come up for air every now and again and I'm still out there nosing around your blogs, though I'm often bleary eyed and not up to commenting, so for now lurking will have to do.

And when I'm a little crispy fried from long hours and too much time on the computer, well I stop to smell the lavender.  I can personally attest to its soothing aroma!

I hope all is well in your world, and thank you for providing me with the motivation and the inspiration to follow a path that makes me happy!  When you go your own way you go with the knowledge that whether you flop or you fly high, you'll be contented trying...and that's what matters, right?!

Lovely Lilacs

Hello lovely lilacs...I've been waiting for you.

For the sweet fragrance of your blooms.

For your delicate petals to open so that I could capture them and turn their beauty into art.

Though your blossoms are already works of art.

Not requiring any manipulation on my part...yet still I do.

Because I can't help myself.

Maybe because I am delirious from your heady fragrance which smells like sunshine and sweetness all rolled in to one.

We wait with baited breath for you to return each spring...and oh the wait is so worth it!

And so I will leave you just as you are, beautiful in your simplicity, able to conjure up childhood memories, and the perfect compliment to white pitchers everywhere!  Thank you lovely lilacs...until we meet again!

And The Winner Is...

Lately I've been feeling a bit more artsy with my photography.

Wanting to step outside the box a bit and try new things, look at things from different angles.

And I've come to appreciate how color can transform some things...


 

While other things look even more beautiful without any color at all.

I think that that truly is the beauty of art, and especially photography, that depending on your mood, where you are in your life, what you find beautiful at any given moment helps you in the creative process.  I love how one day bold bright colors are my thing, and then the next I'm seeking a more subdued look to my images.  How fun that I get to live in a time when I can satisfy all of my creative urges!

Ok, so now on to the winner of my latest Giveaway.  Mr. Tide, my trusty number selector, chose lucky #5...Z of Old Grey Mare.  Z and I met through the lovely Chania, and I'm happy that Z, who has been a faithful follower of my blog for a long while now, finally won something! 

Just shoot me an email Z and we can discuss which image you would like and which frame you want to use!

Iris

It was a lovely weekend here at LTHS.  On Friday evening, we went out in the kayaks for the first time this year.  It was the earliest we've ever been out in them since we moved in nearly 5 years ago, and although the water temps were still quite chilly, the air temps were just too good to pass up.

Saturday, our daughter Angelfish and her dear friend "S" came for a quick visit and we had lunch at a favorite restaurant.  It was wonderful to have everyone together for lunch, including our son. 

After our daughter and her friend headed back up the road, our son Bugs decided he and a friend would spend the night at our cabin, so Mr. Tide and I settled in for a quiet evening alone with a movie and big bowls of soup.

If you knew me in real life you would say, "what, you ate soup?!"  You see I sort of hate soup, but as the day wore on it got colder and it was rainy, so soup sounded good to me...a rarity. 

The movie we watched was not for the fainthearted as the subject matter is about the atrocities of WWII, but it was so well done and well worth watching, I highly recommend it!  It, stars Kristin Scott Thomas (such a wonderful actress) and it is called Sarah's Key.   HERE is a link to the trailer for the movie and just be forewarned that you will want a few tissues close by when you watch it.

Today was somewhat dreary, with showers off and on and much lower temps than we've had the past few weeks, but I won't complain, we've been very fortunate to have had incredible weather for this time of year.

And that weather has given us so many beautiful flowers, including this lone Iris that Mr. Tide cut and brought in for me to photograph.  I wish you could smell it, the scent is beyond amazing.  

I hope you each have a wonderful week, and if you do watch Sarah's Key, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

What Would They Say?

If you were run over by a truck tomorrow what would you want people to remember about you?



 

I know that's a crazy #$$ question, but I think it's one we should all really ponder from time to time.

Would you want them to say that you were an awesome blogger, or that you were an awesome mother, father, wife, husband, sister, brother, daughter, or son?  Or would you want them to say both?

Would you want people to say that you were kind, considerate, giving, helpful, loving or that you were cut throat, ruthless, and #1 at whatever it is you do?  Are all of these things incongruent with one another or do we each have a little bit of all of those things rolled into us as human beings?

Yesterday and this morning I pondered all of these questions...and more.  And as I looked in the mirror and wondered if my skinny jeans would ever fit again I had to wonder who I wanted to be and what I would be willing to give up to get there.  And I had to remember that every day can't be perfect and neither can we, but it can be pretty darned close if we focus on the positives and not the negatives.  Nurture ourselves and others, not try to build ourselves up by tearing others down...what a waste of precious energy that must be.

These are tough questions my friends, hard ones to answer and some that just can't be answered.  But I think that as we push and pull ourselves to succeed, be it on a blog or anywhere in life we have to also remind ourselves to not lose a bit of ourselves in the process...unless of course you are losing the bad things, then I think that would be a good thing.