childrens play

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: Waltz of the Flowers

eagerly await

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Presents still unwrapped at both houses - ours and my parents - awaiting the arrival of my older brother and his family from Maryland. We will spread the Christmas celebration out by opening gifts at my parents house and then another night opening more gifts at our house. In addition, there will be a birthday dinner for my younger brother's tomorrow and a belated birthday breakfast at our house for the twins who were born on Christmas Eve 9 years ago. We are so fortunate to have time off from work and school for a whole week of fun and to be able to bring in the New Year together as a family with a display of fireworks.
What will you be doing for New Years Eve?

A Very Merry Christmas to You

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas with warmth and love all around you.
-Taylor and Leslye

listening to: Child In A Manger

my home / mom's home

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Christmas gift / Christmas presents

L- Nikon / T - Nikon

listening to: Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

Family Fun

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

listening to: Santa Claus Party

Taylor is home for the holidays, my brother is in town and the Christmas fun has begun. Tonight we gathered around my parent's table and made paper ornaments. Taylor created a Christmas CD for us to work to and completed 3 ornaments long before the rest of us finished 2. Here Oma glues the last seam of her second ornament. It was a fun night. Tomorrow night we may make a different kind of ornament together.

rush hour / quiet hour

solo post - L , iphone, Nikon

listening to: All Is Well

A long day

solo post - L, iphone, Nikon

listening to: quiet

make a wish

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: The Magic of the Night

spice / nice

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: a crackling fire and Let it Snow

(there's a slight prediction of snow for Christmas Eve - I am so wishing for it)

my friend / and me

solo post - T, Nikon

listening to: The Happiest Christmas Tree

Taylor sent me these from a photo adventure she and her friend went on yesterday in Athens. (I don't know what was so funny. : )

last touch / last cup

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: Carol of the Bells

red & green

L - Nikon / T - phone pic collaborative

listening to: My Holiday

bundle up

L - Nikon / T - Nikon collaborative

we talked about the cold - we decided to photograph what we wore today to keep us warm.

listening to: Snow

Atlanta / Athens evening sky

L - iphone / T- phone pic collaborative

listening to: Follow the Shepherd

I was on my way home, before dark for a change, and the sky was beautiful. I took a photo and sent it to her (always only at stop lights). I asked her to do the same - she immediately sent me one (she was at home). minutes apart. around 5:22 pm. It's not snow, but it's cold.

refresh / rest

solo post - L, Nikon

listening to: In the Bleak of Midwinter

glimmer / glow

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

listening to: Peace

make a list / take a rest

L - Nikon 50mm / T- Nikon 30mm

listening to: Wintersong

in the oven / out of the oven

solo post - T, Nikon

listening to: Santa Baby

popcorn / marshmallows

L - Nikon / T - phone pic

listening to: Baby It's Cold Outside

bright lights / white lights

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

up high / down low

solo post - L

I just read, today, about other bloggers participating in Hippy Urban Girl's December Views - blogging photos only for the month of December. No need for words. I like this idea. Not having to come up with words will make it so much easier on me. The "words" part is not my strong suit anyway. So here is my first December views. I look forward to seeing yours.

moon light / Christmas lights

solo post - L

I got home late from work tonight. I guess when you take 2 days off you have to work 2 days worth in one. Anyway, after a very cloudy, rainy, foggy day the night sky was clear, clear enough to see the bright full moon hanging just above my dormer window when I drove up the driveway. (Did you know that there will be 2 full moons in this month of December, making the full moon on Dec 31 a blue moon a rare occurrence.)
I guess the tree will remain without ornaments until the weekend. I'm going to bed.

busy / busy

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

I took an extra 2 days off from work for Thanksgiving and I have really taken advantage of it. I worked non-stop, almost, on new Christmas card designs for my etsy site, filled some etsy orders, and I'm making ornaments to list on there as well (check back later). Plus I got the lights on the tree, the wreaths on the windows, lights on the bushes, candles in the windows and have gradually started decorating inside. This 1st day of December actually felt like December. The temperatures were low and I enjoyed a fire in the fireplace all day long. I think kitty has enjoyed me being home - she's sleeping right here looking so cozy. It's too bad we can't have 3 day work weeks all through December isn't it. Imagine all we could accomplish in preparation for the holidays. It sure will be hard to go back to work tomorrow.
one of my final projects for photography is to create a zine. it's titled "a portrait of an abandoned abode" and i used film images of photos i took at the abandoned house. i worked on the layout when i was home and mom gave me some suggestions on how to put it together but of course i modified it to fit my needs. for instance instead of stitching it together i used black hair bands and i actually like the way it looks. i have to hand out 1o of my zines in downtown athens. should be interesting.

scooting / making room

solo post - L, iphone/Nikon

This Thanksgiving has been very relaxing – no stress, no shopping, no worries. And here it is coming to a close. Taylor has to get back to school and my brother has to go back to B'ham. But before he left he took me on a scooter ride. It was a most glorious day and we scooted all around the neighborhoods, the wind in our faces, smelling the autumn leaves and the fires burning. We went into neighborhoods that we don't bother to drive through in our cars. People were out decorating their homes, hanging the wreaths and placing the lights. We saw amazing homes - some so elegantly decorated and others more classic in their approach. Ever since I was a child I loved driving around looking at decorations. One the scooter it was even more fun - so much fun that we lost track of time and ended up being gone for over an hour. It was my first ride, and to my own surprise, I loved it.
As I'm sure is true for many of you, it is tradition for us to get the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and to start making room for Christmas decorations inside and outside the house. The wreaths were hung outside and candles placed in the windows, the nutcrackers come out and the garland is hung on the mantel, childhood Christmas photos are set here and there and a winter wonderland is created with the snowbabies figurines. But something we always pick out together is the tree. And this year T and I did it in record time - I mean literally seconds - the very first tree T pulled out looked about as good as we've ever had so we went with it, not even looking at any others. I was shocked. I can't believe we went with the first one.

smile / OK

L - Nikon ........ T - Nikon (sign seen today at Spruill Art Center)

This morning my tea tag read "say it straight, simple and with a smile" How appropriate for this day. A simple "thank you" and a smile can mean so much don't you think?
............
my friend from school came to spend thanksgiving with my family and me. it's nice to be someone's solace, especially on a day like today.
this thanksgiving of course i'm not struggling to come up with things that i'm thankful for. i have an abundance. from personal things to things i'm sure we all appreciate – a good friend to confide in and a beautiful autumn day. i do, however, struggle everyday with making my appreciation known to those around me and that's something that i need to work on. so many people in my life have contributed to the person i am today, and to them i owe an extreme thanks. my mom who has been there for me through everything and supported my every decision and fed my creativity, my oma and opa and my grandparents who have taught me so much and given me such wisdom and guidance to ponder, my dad who has encouraged me every step of the way. my uncles and aunts, my best friends, my favorite teachers... at times i don't feel i'm a good enough person to be able to aptly reflect the influences of those close to me. other times, i feel like i'm just putting my own spin on life - an element that is completely and utterly necessary to individuality. i hope that you used this day to make your love and gratitude for your loved ones known [:

Gratitude

solo post - L

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." ~Henry Ward Beecher

On this Thanksgiving eve I will lie in my warm bed, with my eyes closed tight, a kitty at my feet, and reflect back on the year at all the many things I have to be grateful for and say a prayer of thanksgiving to my Lord. Tomorrow blessings will be said, good food and conversation will be shared as we gather at the table with friends and family to eat our feasts of thanksgiving, there will be laughter and games, and then there will be goodbye hugs. Let's remember to keep a thankful heart not only tomorrow but throughout the year and to express our gratitude to those we love at every opportunity we get.
I want to take this opportunity, tonight, to tell you that I am grateful for the friendship we share and to wish you all a delightful Thanksgiving surrounded by love and filled with happiness.
good night.

(photo taken in spring of 2009)

refreshing / dusty

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Bear with us while we renovate a little here on our blog. There can be comfort in the old but sometimes the old gets dusty and worn out – new is usually refreshing and clean. So we're starting with a new white template, fresh new banner, and profile pic. I did a little sprucing up last night. I would love for our photos to show a little bigger but I'm having trouble with that. Can anyone offer suggestions? My original images are plenty big but when I upload, Blogger sizes it down. Is there an simple way to fix this?
UPDATE: I figured out how to keep my images large. Are they too big now?

Curious - these photos were taken on the same day – one in her bedroom at home and one in an abandoned house that she claims as her own. I was making sure her room was in order before she got home and at the same time she was shooting film in Athens at an old abandoned home that she is using for her final photo assignment. She got some really cool digital images and I imagine her film is just as good.

moving forward / waxing moon

L - iphone / T - phone (collaborative)

Today we post our 300th post. It has changed since that first naive post we made back on August 18th 2008. But in some ways I like the simpleness those first entries had - in a way they seem stronger in their simplicity. They represented more of what my original intentions were here - for each of us to share just a tiny bit of our day with each other. Things changed and that's all fine as long as it's for the best. It's changed but has it moved forward? (or should we go back to a photo and one sentence structure). I sometimes feel we struggle with it - she's not always able (or honestly "wants") to send her part and I don't always have words or photos to share either, but we have carried on and have hit almost every day since we started and that feels pretty good. We've definitely gone through ups and downs here on our blog – I'll just consider it an ebb and flow just as the moon wanes and waxes. But tonight being our 300th post, and with the crescent moon shinning down on us, it seems a good time to instill change here at Spread Your Wings - to move forward - to grow. I don't know just how it will happen but, like the moon, it will be a gradual and may recede out of view every once in a while. / tonight mom specifically asked me for a photo of the moon. at first i couldn't see it but i went outside and there it was - a tiny white sliver in the midnight blue sky. i love a crescent moon don't you?

dog / cat

solo post - L, Nikon

When you're too tired to post and have nothing much to say, a photo of a dog and/or a cat are always a safe bet aren't they? Looks like maybe Evee and Kodi are discussing – in a totally puzzled 'what is up with that' kind of way – just why I didn't come up with something better for this, one-shy-of 300th post – on my birthday of all things! I was just too tired from all the partying? No. I have no excuse.

I do want to take this 299th post to thank all of you who read and follow my/our blog. It means so much to me that you have stayed with us even though many days we stray away from our original intent. T seems too busy most days to send her words and photos but I appreciate, so much, your support and encouragement in your comments and the mere fact that you take time out of your day to visit. Thank YOU!

supple / rigid

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

The ginkgo trees have dropped all there leaves now. I collected some of them and brought them inside, put them in a vase as if a flower and placed it on the window sill so that I could appreciate them even longer. The glowing yellow supple fans changed to golden brown and curled - still beautiful to my eyes. / i was so happy to be able to spend time with my dad's side of the family this past weekend- it's something that doesn't happen very often but i'm always thankful when i does. my cousin is a new marine and we went out to California for his graduation ceremony. it seems out of luck that we've become close just in the past few years, but i'm glad it happened before we grew up (too much). it was glad o be able to attend this event. it was very powerful, and emotional for the family. the rigor and structure that went into the program seemed to be mirrored in the yellow architecture that i was very drawn too. this yellow somehow seem to make the sunny state that much sunnier.

peek / peep

solo post - L, Nikon

green eyes and blue skies

slipped

solo post - L, Nikon

There are days I slip. I love chocolate. I always have. Growing up my mom would sometimes let me have chocolate ice cream for breakfast. Imagine that? I guess she figured that would be the only way I was going to get my calcium (I didn't like milk then and I 'm still not fond of it). After all a girl's just gotta have her chocolate – no matter what form it takes. But I do agree with you all who say eat the chocolate - it's good for you. My preference is for dark and I know it's good for you - honestly good for you. So yes, I try to eat "good" chocolate along with my raisins, but some days I slip and eat milk chocolate – that Halloween candy left over in employees candy jars.

“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces” -Judith Viorst

drink / eat

solo post - L, Nikon

I took my camera to work today hoping that I would get a chance to go out at lunch and take some photos of the fall leaves before they were cleaned up by the crew with their mighty blowers. The blowers were at work before I knew it. So much for that. But I did snap a few pictures at my desk. See. I'm trying to drink more water throughout the day and, when that mid-afternoon sweet-tooth is begging for some chocolate, I'm trying to eat something healthy instead. I can tell you I don't always stay strictly to my rules.

two rooms of her own

L - Nikon, T - Nikon

solo post - L

I was getting T's room ready for her visit and I noticed the light was so soft and wonderful - of course I went and got my camera. In her bedroom at home, the morning sun shines in brightly right behind her head - maybe that's why she was always good about getting up in the mornings - I very rarely had to go to her room to wake her. She's very organized about her schedules and what has to be done. Like this morning her dad was picking her up at 7 am in order for them to catch a plane to California. At 6:15 I awoke, worried that she wasn't getting up in time and I called to her. She said, "mom, I have a system". Oh OK. Her "system" - set the alarm for 15 minutes before time needed to get up so that she has time to slowly adjust while thinking about what she will wear, etc. then she gets up and moves about quietly with no, or low, lights on and she's ready before I even know she's up.

The day I cleaned her room, or the day after, she sent me this photo. (She must have been straightening up her room - leaving it clean while she's away in California. Good girl). I'm not sure if this is morning or afternoon sunlight but I think it's morning sun. This glorious light is one of the things she loves so much about her home away from home. And bright light must help, because she has an 8am class and I don't think she's missed one yet.

morning light / evening light

L - iphone / T - Nikon

I'm loving the cool mornings and warm afternoons that we've been having here lately. Low 40s, high 60s - perfect. Looks like it's going to last into the weekend too. I'll be heading up to NC to spend some time with my cousin and his wife. We plan to take the horses right outside their home, head out the trail on a ride to the creek, and paint out in the woods - doesn't that sound delightful? / my room has become my solace- that along with the porch. i pretty much have this side of the house to myself, which is wonderful because these are the rooms with the most beautiful sunlight. as of now, my room is clean and crisp. but my body is tired today and i think it's coming through my eyes. i went to a fantastic concert last night, a group called 'brand new'. i cannot even begin to explain the feeling of being surrounded by people, impassioned by the same words that you are, swaying to the same rhythm you are, screaming the same lyrics you're screaming. i haven't been to a show that exciting in a long time.

affirm

solo post - L, Nikon

I poured the water over my tea bag, the tag said, "We are here to love each other, serve each other and uplift each other " and then I picked up that apple. Do you see it there – plain as if it was stenciled on - a heart as uniform and perfect as any I've seen – it said "love". Now if I would just put those words to practice each and every day.

"Well done is better than well said." -Benjamin Franklin

mysterious / hidden

solo post - L , Nikon

Sunday was a wonderful autumn day –the sun bright and the breeze cool – so I went out, without a plan, looking for something to photograph. I ended up in a very historical city of Roswell and explored the Founders cemetery and then went down to the old mill area and did some hiking. But I was wearing cowboy boots so I couldn't do the hiking I wanted to do – cowboy boots don't give the best traction you know. But I did make it up the steep steps to a trail that overlooked the Vickery Creek and old mill. There were sections in the trail that were scattered with these huge leaves giving the area a eerie sort of feel. I came home and looked at the photos I had captured. None so good, but I kept being drawn to these two and specifically to them together. There seemed to be a tie to them that I just couldn't put my finger on. After doing some research on the area I found that the area where each of these were taken is haunted. At the mills, several recordings have been made of hearing the sound of millworkers moans and of visitors getting the sensation that they are being pushed. At the cemetery, it has been recorded, is home to a more playful apparition: a small girl who sometimes reaches up to hold your hand or scampers behind a tree. I had no knowledge of these things when I photographed on Sunday but now I look at them and they seem mysteriously linked. I don't know what to believe about ghost. I personally have never had any encounters with them, but it apparently makes for an interesting tour of the area. I wonder, have any of you had encounters with ghosts?

Fall

solo post - L, iphone

"l(a
le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
li
ness"
- e.e. cummings

Happy weekend

solo post - L, Nikon

What will you be doing this Halloween weekend? No more costumes for me to make here, no trick-or-treaters at my door to treat. I'll just be at home tomorrow night enjoying a traditional bowl of chili and watching a movie by the fire. Growing up my dad always made the first pot of chili of the season on Halloween night (usually cooked it over the fire) - a good hot bowl to feed us before we went out trick-or-treating into the night. Halloween was a good time back in those days. Whatever your weekend holds I hope it's fun, be safe and don't forget to set your clocks back. yeah for the extra hour of sleep.

The crow above was part of an installation for the Harvest Celebration at Aldridge Botanical Gardens. The tree was covered in crows that children had decorated in festive attire.

mail delivery

L - solo post, Nikon

My mail box is usually filled with nothing but junk mail, every once in a while there's a piece of important mail (got one the other day for my tag renewals) but this time of year it's more catalogs than anything. However, today I got two pieces of mail that I was very excited about. Show tickets and handmade cards from a special friend.
When T was home a few weeks ago we drove downtown and saw a huge tent set up where they usually have the Cirque du Soleil tent. However this one was white instead of yellow and blue so we weren't sure what it was for. Then we saw... Cavalia is coming to town. This tent we saw is the largest touring big top in North America. The show... a larger-than-life fairytale - blending dramatic visual effects, live music, dance and acrobatic with the bold presence of over 60 magnificent horse. I just had to get tickets. The only day that T would be able to go was on 11 -10, so I went online and it kept coming up that none were available. I thought I would have to give it up. but I decided to make a call. Turns out the entire place was bought in groups but a representative called me the next day and said she had some tickets - really good tickets. We will be seated eight rows back, middle right, just one row back from premium seats. I can't not wait! I put those tickets in a safe place. We'll just say it's an early birthday present to myself, and T gets to reap the benefits as well.
See those beautiful cards there on the left? I bet most of you can recognize who did this lovely work. Elk recently opened an etsy shop and I went shopping there as soon as she did. These cards were packaged so nicely and I have to say they are even more beautiful in person - you can tell they are truly made from the heart. I'm not sure if I will be able to part with them - might just frame them for myself instead of writing a letter on them. You should check out her shop for yourself when you get a chance.

evening light / night light

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

I took my Nikon with me to work today because I wanted to capture the leaves. But it's not only the colorful leaves that captivate me this time of year, it's the brilliant sky. I have a wonderful view of the sky all day long and one can catch me clicking my iphone for a shot throughout the day - I might see a bunny in the clouds or dramatic rays of light, but tonight, leaving before dark for a change, as I drove out of the parking lot I saw a spectrum of color in the sky. It seemed unusual because it had not been raining. It wasn't just a trick of the window pane, I was shooting through an open window. Starting next week it will always be dark when I leave to go home. The part about fall and winter that I'm not so fond of... but I do look forward to the extra hour of sleep, don't you? /i think october is the best month of all. fall begins to show itself with the leaves turning and the weather changing and halloween makes the perfect ending to the month! it brings the chance to be creative- costumes, house decorations, pumpkins! i've always had trouble dealing with the positive and negative space on pumpkins, haha. deciding which part i'm allowed to cut off and which i need to leave for support. i think this years pumpkin turned out really well and makes a nice addition to my wonderful porch [:

random / planned

L - iphone / T - Nikon

"Fiery colors begin their yearly conquest of the hills, propelled by the autumn winds. Fall is the artist." 
- Takayuki Ikkaku

This morning there was autumn magic on the lawn – the winds and rain carrying the russet, amber and tangerine-orange leaves down to blanket the ground in a mosaic of color – a work of art really. By this afternoon there will be a thick carpet of color atop the emerald grass and the soft pine straw beds. I will feel a strong desire to rake them up and jump in them – taking me back to childhood. But... I'm too old and besides, it's raining. I'll be satisfied to rustle my feet through them and kick them in the air. / this past weekend we had perfect weather - it got me in the mood for carving a pumpkin. i had the idea all in my head and even sketched it out before i started. i can't say it turned out exactly like i planned but it looks great all lit up. i'll show you that later. : )

warmth / frosty

solo post - L

I may have been without internet this past weekend but, you know what, it was ok because I had a much better way to spend my time. T gave me a surprise visit Friday night. She came back to get her winter coats – but who cares the reason. I had no idea she was coming home and was so excited to see her. So I built a fire – the weather was unseasonably cold for the south. I fixed her some soup and we caught up on favorite tv shows that I had Tivoed for her. Saturday we woke up to a chilly house, I built another fire and we baked Chocolate Banana Monkeybread for breakfast. Of course I knew she would want to go shopping, so we did that. We shopped all day and got hungry wondering what my dad would cook for dinner that night (my brother happened to be in town as well). She thought of her favorite dinners and then we both decided that we hoped it would be spaghetti. But we were too afraid to request it – it being so late in the day. Turns out he was cooking spaghetti! We ate dinner, T told stories that had us all laughing, we ate apple pie and then we went to see Bright Star in the theatre. (the movie was a little slower than we anticipated but we enjoyed it still – the cinematography was beautiful.) Sunday we got up and went to church and then she had to get back to school in time to submit two photographs into a juried show. What time was there to miss the internet?

past-time

solo post - L

Sorry for my absence here. I've been without internet at my home since the middle of last week (something to do with damage to the phone line). Here at work I can sneak in a little reading or commenting at lunch or after hours - like now, but at home I've been gently forced to step away from the computer. It's a refreshing change really. Being away from the computer screen brings me into the other room where I've been enjoying a warm fire and reading a good book. I could get used to this. But I would miss you all so I look forward to getting my internet back and catching up with you. Until then the change is welcome. Please don't cross me off your list just yet.

uplifting / daunting

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

When T sent me this photo late Sunday night I knew I had to put it together with my photo from my Sunday morning walk. Her's being a late night scary walk in the dark, with friends... mine being an cheerful walk in nature, alone. My walk had a one little obstacle, her walk was had several. I did not get lost, she did. / my best friend came into town this weekend from charleston and on her way back home to atlanta. it was great to have her back in town – i hadn't seen her since i moved into my house here. she's such a breath of fresh air in my life. however few and far between our interactions it's always nice to see her. since happenings in my little town were slow, we decided to make a twenty minute road trip with one of my other great friends to watkinsville, where washington farms and their famous corn maze are located. we got there around eleven and.. we did not make it out alone. by the time the field was closing at eleven, we were nowhere near the exit. none of us had ever been to a corn maze before and it was actually a lot of fun, however a little daunting! i would really like to go back and conquer it.. maybe when it's a little lighter outside!

bounty / illumine

solo post - L

I had 3 apples... I was going to paint them – then I saw the recipe for Apple Crostata... no more apples to paint. SO I went to the market and bought some more fruit and those wonderful sunflowers I shared yesterday. This morning I arranged the items I bought and now I have an abundance of photographs and good starts for at least 3 paintings. One of the compositions really excites me. But first I just had to get outside.
The temperature was perfect so I decided before painting that I should get some exercise. So off I went to Big Trees Forest for a nice hike in the woods. Well I can't go for a walk in the woods without my camera but for the sake of exercise I should have left it at home. I kept seeing things I just couldn't pass by. I was stopping every few yards to take a photo. So my hike turned into a leisurely stroll. You know when you slow down enough to "see" – there is all kinds of beauty around us. (To make me feel like I was actually getting some exercise I decided to walk the trail 2 times instead of just once). The walk did me good even if I didn't get my heart rate up.

Nature is man's teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence. ~Alfred Billings Street

Once home, I set to work trying to decide which "set up" to start painting. My mom always said, "Begun is half done." Well I'm glad to say, I am more than half done now. Yeah. It's been a good weekend.

I talked to T – she hasn't totally abandoned the blog. She and some friends went to a corn maze this weekend and she said she took some photos. I can't wait to see them. First she said she had to do marine environment homework and start on her next design project. I'll wait - patiently. : )

sunny

solo post - L

I didn't get a whole lot accomplished today but I had a sunny day despite the gray outside. I went to the market to buy fruits and these sunny flowers to use for painting a tomorrow. And I did a little baking - inspired by Soul Aperture. Mine didn't turn out as pretty as Christina's, and probably not as delicious because I didn't make the crust from scratch, but it did taste rather good with my cup of coffee tonight regardless.
Now let's hope I keep my inspiration and actually start that painting tomorrow.

acorns / picnics

L - Nikon 50mm / T - Polaroid

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.”
- William Arthur Ward

What a wonderful week of renewal and illumination I had while in North Carolina – to be surrounded by so many creative people – dining and dorming with them for 5 days straight – was refreshing and inspirational. I plan to tell you more about it on my autumnsun blog – soon I hope.
I saw, and felt, hints of autumn there in NC – the leaves just barely starting to change but autumn temperatures were definitely in the air. As I walked the soft earthy scented cypress pathway each day to my metalsmithing class the leaves on the ground became an inspiration to me. I gathered leaves and took them to class, drawing from their different shapes I made a bracelet of silver and copper. This tiny oak leaf, not yet changed, and a bright yellow acorn caught my eye on the last day – I picked them up and brought them home with me. / enjoying afternoons of picnics and polaroids. i'm loving it. school is going well too.

real world

I'm back to the real world of 'all work and no play'. I haven't had time to post or even read. Please don't think I have abandoned my friends. I can't wait to catch up with you all and tell you a little bit about "camp".

Renewal

Just wanted you all to know I am away from my computer this week. Remember the very nice gift I received for my birthday last year? I am off enjoying it. I am at the John C. Campbell Folk school studying metalsmithing all week long in the beautiful surroundings of the north Carolina mountains. I'm having a wonderful time here but I miss you all too. I ll tell you all about it when I return.

release

solo post - L, Nikon

I've been holding on to some burdens. Today I released them to the wind.

I took this image today while at an art festival. A little girl lost her balloon and cried out as it floated away - gone. But to me it represented something different... burdens (all those things/thoughts bringing me down) – released to the wind... gone. The day was glorious - the first good sunny day in quite a while and I soaked up every bit of sunshine I could. While I was sitting there in the sun enjoying the music and watching people, I read some of the comments on my last post. Your words, your love, touched me... deeply. The fact that you took time out of your day to make mine better, means more to me than you know. Thank you so very much.


“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.” - Erich Fromm