Category: Garden

Search, Seek, and hopefully find.

The title seems to go with the word FOCUS? I read a blog/website called Daily OM. I get daily emails from them, sometimes I skim it, sometimes I don’t read it at all, and sometimes it grabs me. This one caught me and today’s post I am merely reposting…

path in a clearing
Lots of options – many paths.

I started reading it because of the title “Empowered Storytelling” – I am ALWAYS looking for ways to help me figure out how to tell the story of The Botanical Beauties & Beasties. But of course, the piece was about a different kind of storytelling. It was about our own life tales/stories. A good topic-I often wonder just how many more times I am going to be “reinventing” my story?  I recently realized I am not necessarily “reinventing,” I am just trying to get the story adjusted to the route I would like. Never easy, but I feel worth the effort. It would be MUCH easier to go along and  ‘bounce’-but I am trying for a conscious path.  I choose the image above left for it is definitely about paths: It is right here where I live, I added Beau for he is Minister of Wisdom, Gordy for he is a local artist and the recent sketch I created of an Maryland Whopping Crane flying in the trees-seems to cover the bases!

The piece is written by: BY MADISYN TAYLOR

Empowered Storytelling

“We all have a story to tell, but sometimes we get stuck in that story and become our story.”

“We all have our own life story. It is filled with relationships and events that help shape who we are and what we believe to be true about the world. Depending on our perspective and willingness to grow, our experiences can become fodder for negativity and patterns of playing the victim, or they can fuel a life of empowerment and continued self-development. It is the story we tell ourselves about what happens that makes all the difference.

Take a moment to look at the life story you create for yourself on an ongoing basis. If you generally feel peaceful about the past and trust in your ability to handle whatever comes your way, then you are framing circumstances in a manner that serves you well. On the other hand, if you retain a lot of guilt or resentment and often feel weighed down by life, you may want to start telling yourself a new version of past and present events. No matter who the characters are in your story or what they have done, you are the only one who can give their actions the meaning they will have for you. You are the only one who can define what role you will play in your own life. By taking responsibility for your story, you are able to learn and grow, forgive and find compassion, and most importantly, move on into a brighter future.

From now on, you can choose a life story that supports you. Let it be proof of your own resilience and creativity. Be kind with the roles you give yourself and generous with how many chances you get to learn what you need to know. When you remember that you are the author of your own story, you are free to create a masterpiece.”

http://dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/articledisplay.cgi?aid=61036&aff=0

Is your ear to the door?

If you listen carefully, you may be lucky and hear the cracks of the next door opening. Of course, you must be looking for the openings, the threads of light; the tiniest crack may be the one that opens and floods your world with light. Here’s to hope.

Birdelini at an open door and in a holiday designer skirt
Break open the doors

As we close in on 2017 and with the dawn of 2018 is seems appropriate to think about what you are looking for, hoping for, working for, trying to manifest (whatever the words are that work for you) in the new dawn. I know I am looking down all the alleys, walkways, doorways and passages. We will see what I can find. Stay tuned. I would love to hear what you may be looking for behind your closed doors? ♥

It’s also the Winter solstice, so we can all jump for joy, the days are getting LONGER and BRIGHTER. Let’s take it as metaphor and have high personal hopes for a more brilliant 2018.

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Can you fly?

Always loved this song – rumored to be sung to me as a kid – maybe that’s part of the reason it resonates with me.  Regardless….Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is beautiful in this YouTube piece.
“One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing
And you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky…”

The big questions are –
❓Are your wings spreading out…
❓Are you trying to fly…
❓Are you singing…

I’ve been thinking a lot of late about taking chances, i.e., spreading one’s wings. In chatting with friends, we often comment on how some people, particularly younger ones, are willing to just throw something up, whether it be on Social Media, in life, in business, or even just an idea.  It’s pretty much an anything goes and let’s see what sticks attitude. As an “older” person I often feel like I have to know something about what’s going on before I do ‘X, Y or Z’ for BBB3 (Botanical Beauties and Beasties.) The curiosity is that in many other parts of my ‘creative life’ I seem to be able to throw the spaghetti up and see if it sticks. I even enjoy doing that. For instance, I have just started playing with acrylic paints. I know NOTHING about them, and for that matter, I know virtually nothing about painting. And yet, when it comes to this I only have smiles-I have no shame, little fear, and I just allow myself to play and paint knowing that ‘something’ will turn out on that small canvas lying in front of me. I am so sure of my fun play that I bought a package deal of 14 little blank canvases-Chutzpah!!! So there I am, having a grand time, mixing paints and mediums, using paint brushes, cotton sticks, whatever, with a minimal idea as to the outcome. I have only a vague concept if I am playing within the lines or the rules, and couldn’t care less. It’s exciting and fun to just be like a kid again-just DOING WHATEVER. Surprisingly the painting(s) are not too bad. One I like quite a lot (see below)- as do some of my friends.

So…why is it that sometimes a level of laze fare and ‘confidence’ exudes, while other times fear and one’s mind stop us? What it is that lets one throw caution to the wind and just try things out?  I think it may have something to do with private verse public? What are your thoughts?

And with much hesitation – Izzy shares my first painting! Izabella and Blue Painting

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Travel is fatal to prejudice

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain.

Summertime arrives, and many of us travel near and far, and that’s great.  As our world gets smaller and smaller, and seemingly crazier, an escape, an adventure, a mind opening experience, a new path, all seem appropriate.

Picnic table image
Find a new table in a new spot
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

The journey might be five minutes away or 5,000 miles-both count and both matter.

Spread your wings, fly, walk, run, ride (whatever is your pleasure) and discover your destination.

(Note-background is from the series of illustration backgrounds that I am creating for Book #2 – Working Title of Garden Bud – stay tuned!)