May the day bring you endless possibilities, new beginnings
and bright blessings.
till then,
live well.
enjoy the sun.
Showing posts with label Spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring. Show all posts
when trying to garden
on warm April mornings, it is always handy
to have a snake charmer.. on hand.
till then,
live well.
better him than me.
Getting into a rhythm
When people originally heard of this hair brain idea, the first (and unanimous) response was..."how on earth are you going to make it through the winter?" followed by a variety of suggestions and warnings of cabin fever and how to survive it. The problem, though, is not the winter itself (if you are prepared). it is winter afterall. You head into it fully stocked with provisions, heat source, secondary heat source, back-up to secondary heat source, fuel for the generator in case all else fails and a large array of reading materials. You expect large amounts of snow, intense cold and long hours of solitude. It is winter afterall. And when the temperature isn't cold enough to take your breath away or instantly freeze solid the tears from your wind stung eyeballs- it is a glorious place to explore and wander, a sanctuary of mother nature's hardiest creations. No, it is not the winter that is the problem. In reality, and most obsurdly, it is the Spring that gives the most issue when trying not to go one hundred percent, over the edge, bat-shit crazy.
let me explain.
There are months of snow up to your arse, winds storming off the lake at a blistering speed and ice jams higher than you can reach. weeks of being entertained (and some what amused) by the scufflings of predator/prey survival dances outlined in snow. Days of walking to the end of the drive and standing, swallowed in the silence and in the knowing that, besides your one 'neighbor' there are thirty miles between you and any other human. all surreal and empowering experiences (which I strongly recommend be experienced) and yet, the spirit longs for a change. whether through nature or nurture, we look forward to the time of sunshine and growth. Long, warm days. Cool starry nights. warm earth and green leaves. It lingers in your mind, teasing you as if a dream you can almost remember.
one day, you wake up to the most glorious sunshine. Spring has sprung, the Equinox has passed, the ice shards have receded and little pokes of life start to emerge. The lake turns brighter blue, you hear the cry of a far off gull returning home and your wonderful warming world looks like this:
Yeah! it's Spring! it's Spring! you brave the still brisk morning air, crawl out of the cave fresh with coffee in hand to sit and revel in the splender of the day. Warry but hopeful.
The next day- oh can it be??!! more of the same! It must be true! Spring is here!sunshine and the twitter of birds. Breathe deep, take it all in. The crisp blast of oxygen hits the brain like a drug and you can't help yourself. you know your just setting yourself up, but, oh its so good. and Plans. you have Plans. lots and lots of plans. Plans that have been fostering in your mind these frigid months come spewing out like a volcano. Garden layouts, seed catalogs, deadlines to order chicks and keets and onion sets. Fences to repair and grounds to shore. winter storm damage to be repaired and cleaned up. Time to get out the equipment, check all the lines and gauges and fuel levels. Rake. where is the rake? oh, but life is grand. and happy. and sunny. and you have been set free unto the world again. YIPEEEeeee.
The next day, you leap from your bed fresh from the dream of thawing earth. Distracted by the thoughts of garden beds and baby goats. brush your teeth, brew the coffee, toast the bread. scratch that, you'll eat later- it's still early. Boots on, coat. work gloves. open door...... BAM
your world now looks like this:
oh what a fickle mistress this mother nature is! Cursing the wind, slam the door, strip the clothes. Return to bed with covers securely tucked over your head. Avoid news and weather for three days. Start process over again.
And so it goes. Hope and disappointment. Sun ladened mornings and harsh, icing nights. an entire month. and then the next. month. Those beautiful months the rest of the world knows as Spring, we just simply now refer to as. ugh.
So here we are at the end of April and it seems that the farm is starting to get into a rhythm. The weather has held for one week. and by held, i mean to say that we have had no snow. atleast none that has reached the ground and has had the nerve to stay. Loads of rain- but then that is always a good thing.
and yesterday, in a moment of defiance, I donned my winter get-up, masked my face, grabbed the keys and scooted around the Point. I may have froze my arse off, but I think mother nature has gotten the point. I will not go quietly.
and I was rewarded for my efforts with this beauty.
let me explain.
There are months of snow up to your arse, winds storming off the lake at a blistering speed and ice jams higher than you can reach. weeks of being entertained (and some what amused) by the scufflings of predator/prey survival dances outlined in snow. Days of walking to the end of the drive and standing, swallowed in the silence and in the knowing that, besides your one 'neighbor' there are thirty miles between you and any other human. all surreal and empowering experiences (which I strongly recommend be experienced) and yet, the spirit longs for a change. whether through nature or nurture, we look forward to the time of sunshine and growth. Long, warm days. Cool starry nights. warm earth and green leaves. It lingers in your mind, teasing you as if a dream you can almost remember.
one day, you wake up to the most glorious sunshine. Spring has sprung, the Equinox has passed, the ice shards have receded and little pokes of life start to emerge. The lake turns brighter blue, you hear the cry of a far off gull returning home and your wonderful warming world looks like this:
The next day- oh can it be??!! more of the same! It must be true! Spring is here!sunshine and the twitter of birds. Breathe deep, take it all in. The crisp blast of oxygen hits the brain like a drug and you can't help yourself. you know your just setting yourself up, but, oh its so good. and Plans. you have Plans. lots and lots of plans. Plans that have been fostering in your mind these frigid months come spewing out like a volcano. Garden layouts, seed catalogs, deadlines to order chicks and keets and onion sets. Fences to repair and grounds to shore. winter storm damage to be repaired and cleaned up. Time to get out the equipment, check all the lines and gauges and fuel levels. Rake. where is the rake? oh, but life is grand. and happy. and sunny. and you have been set free unto the world again. YIPEEEeeee.
The next day, you leap from your bed fresh from the dream of thawing earth. Distracted by the thoughts of garden beds and baby goats. brush your teeth, brew the coffee, toast the bread. scratch that, you'll eat later- it's still early. Boots on, coat. work gloves. open door...... BAM
your world now looks like this:
And so it goes. Hope and disappointment. Sun ladened mornings and harsh, icing nights. an entire month. and then the next. month. Those beautiful months the rest of the world knows as Spring, we just simply now refer to as. ugh.
So here we are at the end of April and it seems that the farm is starting to get into a rhythm. The weather has held for one week. and by held, i mean to say that we have had no snow. atleast none that has reached the ground and has had the nerve to stay. Loads of rain- but then that is always a good thing.
and yesterday, in a moment of defiance, I donned my winter get-up, masked my face, grabbed the keys and scooted around the Point. I may have froze my arse off, but I think mother nature has gotten the point. I will not go quietly.
and I was rewarded for my efforts with this beauty.
another defiant creation. did you know, that when the willow warms with the spring, its new tendrils are flamed in the most delightful yellow? The willow is fast becoming a favorite in my love affair with trees.
till then,
live well.
be happy.
rainy days are good for...
Today it rains. and rainy days are good for sleeping in and hot cups of tea. fresh baked bread to warm the lower rooms (and the tummy!), long naps under big fluffy down comforters, movies and endless hours of painting.
while I do look forward to sunny days and the plotting of the garden, i think for now it's nap time.
stay dry.
live well.
love each other.
Spring: New People to meet, New Places to Go, New things to See- Oh mY!
Spring has finally SPrOiNgEd here in the Northeast. And what a blessing it is. I saw my first robin this morning. And I have to ask. Do they have an alarm that goes off? an invisibility cloak that gets lifted? First Day of Spring and **PoOooF** there they are. Is there a memo or an announcement that goes out? "all right guys... ready? three, two,one..Go!" Stage left, enters the robin- like a well rehearsed play. directly on cue.
I love the Spring, most of all because of the full sense of 'new' that takes place. Time to fly open the windows, clear out the cobwebs, dig in the dirt. plant the seeds of a new season, a new year. All things start over in the Spring. All things start fresh. And the Studio is no exception.
Cleaning out the cobwebs of both the studio and the mind.
Like a vortex- swirling and whirring. Spring cleaning takes on more than just the physical -
it also is emotional. Finding things discarded and unfinished, "dirty" with the negativity of the cold dark months preceding- blown off and given the chance for new life.
I completed my very first ever ATC. I don't know why I avoided them for so long- maybe because of the size. not bad if I do say so myself. I have to send out a BIG thanks for encouragement, guidance and those little extra pushes out to Lisa of C&T Publishing. She is this sweet little light, encouraging us all to try new things and ever so passionate about what she does. (not to mention a formidable Scrabble opponent!)
Lisa is going to be featured in a live interview with Cool2Craft- on March 29th at Noon- You can find links and all things Lisa at her very cool Business Site: LisaLizaLou You can also follow LisaLizaLou on their Fanpage on Facebook where Lisa hosts monthly ATC swaps with a variety of talented artists!
The Creative Connection Launched live last month! A must read. The Creative Connection Event is A must attend. Mark you calendars. September 16,17,18. Minneapolis, MN... Where will you be? So very exciting! I know where I will be!
And while we are in the vicinity of the WWC realm don't forget to stop and say hello to Jo over at the WWC Blog. She is forever having these amazing give-aways from her featured artists. Fabulous Fridays are. truly. FAbULoUS!
Oh- and there is a huge Spring clean out sale over at The Giggling Goblin. If you are into Vintage items- check it out! most things 40-60% off- Like i said- Nothing is excluded from the Spring Cleaning. gotta dust up those cobwebs!
I have been spending a huge amount of time over on Facebook. Huge amounts of new friends, contacts- neglecting my blog horribly. I think it is the human tendancy for instant gratification and connection that has made FB such a huge success. Have a question, get an answer. Need Feedback. get feedback. Realizing this, now, of course, I am going to make every effort to not to neglect my other "child" anylonger. and spend equal amounts of time in both places. I can thank this realization to CK- a very talented artist who popped onto FB on day and announced "Where did ALL the Bloggers go???" aw crap- thats right. Facebook. alright. So lurkers and comments stand tall- we shall return.
On that note- I have several people following that are from other countries. Particularly those in/around Asia this message is to them.
Thank you so much for your comments. negative and positive- I have to tell you though, that I can only ever read half of them. Blogger only translates "at will." If you could find a translator (ie: freetranslator.com) and leave me a message with what your native language is and how you found this blog- I will work on finding and auto translator to install for the comments section. I know i have seen them out there! but they are specialized per language.
okay. enough. Spring Has sprOiNGed and I need to tend to the flower beds!
Have a wonderful week!
Live well.
Enjoy each other.
I can feel it, smell it.....
and taste it on the air.
Spring is on its way.
The earth will soon start to thaw soon.
The buds will soon begin to break through their winter shells.
Sun shines, gentle breezes blow.
Tall trees rustle with activity of the forest creatures
venturing out of their winter nests.
shades of greens and browns and yellows.
The world becomes vibrant and alive once more.
*sigh*
i can hardly wait.
live well.
enjoy each other.
It's Finally Here!
I Love Spring. The earth warming, little bits of green popping here and there. New life everywhere you look.The stream that runs along the Studio has exploded with life. It is just so exciting to watch everything come back to color after the long winter months.
The days have still been a bit chilly with showers on and off - but I always remind myself of the little rhyme we learned as children- "April showers bring May flowers"- A promise of the end of the cold, wet and chilly days and the wonders of warm mornings, sunny skies and brilliant bouquets where ever you look. 
So instead of continuing my momentary pout, I bundled up and headed out of doors to see what the day was going to offer.
Beautiful Blues Skies! Now okay- we all know that the brilliance this time of year is mainly due to the coldness in the air- but wait. I'm ignoring that, remember? So instead I'm going with the "My my- it's super warm out here- look at all that sunshine!"
The royal staircase. I love dancing down these stairs. Though you probably can't tell from the photo, the bottom two steps that you see are super sized. Instantly dwarfing whoever steps on them, like Alice. Zooooop. Your small again. Sort of like finding that chair that you can sit on and are still able to swing your legs back and forth. I think that is one thing that I miss being all "grown-up"- being able to swing my legs when I sit down. I could always build a chair, I suppose- but seeing that I am over 5' 10"- that is going to be one big chair!
Look- another heart! I am wondering why I never noticed this before. Sitting atop the grand staircase, you'd think I would have noticed it before. The thing is, about this property, it was truly love at first sight. I drove down the lane and announced quite excitedly to my dad (who had just called me on the cell to find out where I was) "I'm HOME!" It took about three months to seal the deal- and about two more hours to find the "first" heart. They are everywhere. And, much to the chagrin of most people I know - I have added them to my rock collections. Yes. I collect rocks. I'm not sure why. They call to me.."pick me up" "move me here" "I want to go there". It is all quite silly considering the Southern portion of the property- way up the hill- was where the glaciers stopped. Thus, I could pick up 500 rocks 
every day for the rest of my life, and some 50 years later than that - and still not have touched every rock on this property. Crazy- right! but they are all so beautiful; quartz, sandstone, jasper- in blues and reds and pinks and greens- thousands of little deposits of stones and rocks that shouldn't be here- but are- deposits of history- Just begging to be picked up!
every day for the rest of my life, and some 50 years later than that - and still not have touched every rock on this property. Crazy- right! but they are all so beautiful; quartz, sandstone, jasper- in blues and reds and pinks and greens- thousands of little deposits of stones and rocks that shouldn't be here- but are- deposits of history- Just begging to be picked up! So they get piled here and there, some for function, some just for design. But, don't you dare move them - because I know where every one is.
This one is my favorite. Have you ever seen anything so perfect? Just a little reminder- that love is everywhere and the universe is willing to give us these little hints- if we only look around and listen once in awhile. 
This has got to be the coolest stone I have ever found- mainly because of its location! This piece has become my house talisman. Warding off evil spirits and unwanted visitors. Wouldn't you be a bit wary if you were up to no good? lol.
(feel free to click on the photo to enlarge and you will see what I mean) The tree grew right around the stone as if holding it in its long spindly fingers. Quite a tight grip I must say too. I keep checking to see if, as the wood ages and shrinks, it gives up a bit and will let the stone fall out - but so far- it is not budging!
We must be reaching the end of our adventure, and the wind chimes are starting to stir- warning of impending winds. I'm not sure I can put off the urge to get warm much longer :o)Beltane is around the corner- and the warm winds will be here soon. Time to sow and tend to the garden. I can't wait to see what will grow this year. So much work, yet so worth the effort.
So many things going on- that's the beauty of Spring- perfect chaos - the music of the spheres. Energy everywhere.
I am working on so many project pieces, custom orders and pieces for publication - that I am actually hoping to get some down time in the studio when I can just "create". Silly - I know- but free art is a welcome break from goal art. Creating for the sake of creating- slapping paint here and there. The goal is that if the weather starts to hold- I can open the studio and bring out the encaustics again. (Its a huge no-no to work with encaustics in a closed area) Which will be uber fun! And having that extra time means that I will finally be able to finish the pieces I have slotted for Etsy and Artfire.
Thanks for joining my on my little adventure into Spring! I'm running back to the house for some hot coffee!The Guardian at the gate will show you out. (Don't worry -he's harmless - just give him a little pet on your way by and you'll have a friend for life.)
Have a great week!
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