Stop and Look Moments

We've had a couple of beautiful spring days so I've enjoyed being outdoors...taking walks....and doing more work in the gardens before more rain comes in a few days.

I came across this Strikingly Pleasing scene on a morning walk with the red barn and wooden fence punctuated by the bright red tulips and white groundcover in the background.

And I thought the lawn filled with violets was quite striking in the foreground. I love these makes me stop and look moments.

And I always have to stop and look at sidewalk chalk art...who doesn't love hopscotch! 

I stopped and looked at the tulip patch again. They were opening up wide and so beautiful in the morning light. This particular tulip really stood out with its beautiful color and lines.

Normal?

Trudi posted this quote on her Facebook page....and it made me stop and think.  

"Only when normal things are not normal anymore do we realize how special normal things are."  unknown

I will say....I do like what I call everyday normal: no surprises or problems to face...no big decisions to make...and plenty of time to putter. 

But maybe abnormal is really the new normal....and we need to remember to make time to putter and dance. (see the poem at the end)

Spring was in the air today....and it was a delight to be out for a couple of walks.

It was foggy this morning....so most of the trees and shrubs were covered with water droplets.  It was magical.

 

This particular view was Strikingly Pleasing.  The hazy sun through the distant trees....the small pine (shaped like a water droplet by the way) next to the perfectly placed rock...alongside the towering birch and tall pines.....made me stop in my tracks.

It's hard to tell....but the birch branches were covered in water droplets reflecting the sunlight.....it was an everyday normal kind of magic.

And another beautiful poem came to my inbox...this time from Patty. It's just the message I needed to hear today.

I sometimes forget

that I was created for Joy.

My mind is too busy.

My Heart is too heavy 

for me to remember

that I have been

called to dance

the Sacred dance of life.

I was created to smile

To Love

To be lifted up

And to lift others up.

O'Sacred One

Untangle my feet

from all that trap

Free my soul.

That we might 

Dance

and that our dancing 

might be infections.

Rumi

One Of Those Days

It was one of those days filled to the brim with all things joy.  Even the chores seemed a little better today.  

I plugged the phrase "one of those days" into the search box in the upper left hand corner of my blog and several posts came up.  I've used is many times.  I love days like this.

It started with waking up to 5 inches of fresh sticky snow that was clinging to everything.  I got out in it...and took lots of photos....and here are just a few.

The street view of our condo with the gorgeous morning light.

And I thought this view was Strikingly Pleasing.  

 

The snow coated trees against the morning sky along with the stacked chimneys and peaked rooflines of the condos made me pause.

Then I got to take a closer look at the late night session with my gelli plate play....and this isn't all of them.  Once that brayer starts rolling...it's hard to stop.

I played with color...stencils...and other mark making tools and many of them may benefit from another layer of texture.  That's the joy of a gelli plate and acrylic paint...you can always add another layer.

Some I like just the way they are.  

I added speckles and swirls to a few.

 

Did you know it was National Puzzle Day?  It's actually a thing....and a nice addition to this joy-filled day.

Philippa's puzzle has been finished on my table since last Wednesday....and I honored National Puzzle Day by putting it away and starting another.

The day continued with conversations with many of you about papers and supplies....and I'm enjoying all of it.  I'm making progress on the orders...but please be patient with me as I continue to make hearts and fill both small and large envelopes with goodies.  I'm enJOYing every minute.  Thank you!

Dotty wondered how I pull the stitched threads to the back of my little pieces.

Once the image stitched I gently tug on the bobbin threads from the back and that usually pulls a loop of the top threads through the hole.  I grab the loops with my fingernails or a needle.  Sometimes I catch/split the thread with the last stich...and they don't pull through.  

In those cases I thread up the thread on the front....and poke it down the next hole.  I either tie off the threads on the back...or tape them down.     

  

  It was just one of those days.

Not Enough Days

There aren't enough days this time of year to post all the interesting and beautiful things that are right outside the door.

It was 36 degrees this morning when we walked and we saw the first frost in the low areas.  The frosty edges on the leaves and grasses glistened in the morning light.

 

And just around the corner I was drawn down the street to look closely at this hydrangea shrub.

The color combination was quite striking.

Strikingly Pleasing I should say!

As I was tidying up my craft table last evening I used some of the scraps to make a little starburst on the back of my "Look Again" tag.  I didn't realize at the time that the colors would match the hydrangea so well.

It's simple...but that's why I like it.   

I think I'm going to call her Betty...Betty The Bear...and I found her.

Do you see her?

Sassy Redhead

"Sometimes the path that will bring you the most joy will need some clearing." Curly Girl Design

Paul found a couple unusual objects: an orange rope bracelet you can see on my wrist...and a sassy looking little redhead. Now that I think of it...Paul used to be a sassy redhead too. I think that's what I was attracted to most.

There's something about sunflowers against 

the blue sky that are Strikingly Pleasing.

I covered 100 of the match boxes today....50 more to go. 

Once I adhere the paper......I press the boxes under the small cutting board for a minute or two. I kept pushing them back in my little assembly line going while I watched art videos on my computer. Not a bad way to spend a little time this afternoon.

Bigger Ball?

The city of Portland is committed to having some sort of public park and green space within a 10 minute walk of every home. They want to preserve and protect the tree canopy and provide ball fields and trails to promote family friendly outdoor activities. Paul and I are proud to live in a city with that as a goal.

There is a new trail just a few blocks from our condo that leads to the new 24 acre North Deering Park. The park, which already had some ball fields, will go through various phases of development over the next few years but as of today, is officially open. 

We walked the trail this morning...and attended the ribbon cutting this afternoon.

The morning sky was incredible...and this particular view on the way to the trail was one of those Strikingly Pleasing scenes that caught my eye.  The tall pointed pine mimicked the two peaked roof lines and and that fabulous sky had lovely layers of color and light. Oh what a beautiful morning!

And since it's Seed Season, I'm celebrating Paul's found object that kind of looks like a seed.  It certainly is the right color for fall...and maybe if I planted it, it would grow up to be a bigger ball that we could take to the new park! 🏀 

My new love clematis is starting to produce seeds with white whimsical curls.  

I may like the seed pods even more than the flowers actually.  

This is what it looked like just a month ago.

Hyacinths

"In the end, I decided to let it go, because who in the world would understand its meaning once I was gone?" Ann Patchett

Grape hyacinths are one of my favorite spring flowers....and they're sprinkled all over our walking neighborhoods right now.  I love the shape and habit as well as the intensity of color....which is both blue and purple at the same time.  

This particular scene from this morning's walk was one of those "strikingly pleasing" ones that made me pause.

The three varieties of hyacinths were the first thing that caught my attention...both blue and purple.  But then I noticed the angles of the soft green house in the background contrasted by the rigid granite lamp post....all highlighted by sparkling rain drops. I loved everything about it.  Paul walked in circles while I took it all in.

I put my drawer quote in my journal opposite a purple page that was already there. It's not the most visually pleasing spread....but this journal has turned into a place to record things I want to remember....with whatever art and color that finds its way there.

The painting on the far right was done by one of my boys....using bubble art if I remember correctly.  Today....I added the hyacinth with some fused scraps that were on my table...and a few more quotes I wanted to preserve from Ann's "How to Practice" article.  Words of wisdom that are hitting home.

More purple than blue...but the colors in this 

Kaffe Fassett fabric coordinated so well with the bubble print.

" I found little things that had become important over time for no reason other than that I'd kept them for so long." Ann Patchett

I planted these hyacinths last fall in front of our condo...

and they are coming along nicely.

Behind the Scenes

Happy Easter!

This "Strikingly Pleasing" scene caught my eye on our morning walk.  That minty green door, the picket fence along with the Pride Flag blowing in the wind made for an eye catching moment.  Enough so that I took a photo from another angle.  

And as I was looking at both photos this evening....I was struck by not only the colors, but also the pleasing variety of the lines and shapes. 

And this sweet little fairy door along our path was pretty pleasing too.  

It's not more that 4 inches tall....and it made me smile.

I thought I would catch you up on a big event that is happening in our lives. 

Behind the scenes of my joyful puttering Paul and I have been quietly supporting Margie (my mother-in-law) while she made the decision to transition from independent living....to assisted living.  There have been many phases and layers to the process starting with tours and conversations and now sorting and the final packing. 

Paul and I packed up most of the last things today, we will take Easter Sunday off as a day of rest (and travel for Paul) and the move is this Monday, the10th.  

Paul is heading out of town on Sunday afternoon, so with the help of the movers, Margie and I will be managing the transition on our own next week.  But we can do it....we make a good team!

Margie will be moving from her cozy one bedroom apartment into a slightly smaller one bedroom apartment in a new facility less than a mile from where she is now. It's a blank canvas....giving us a chance to rethink...redorate...and restart.  Stay tuned!  It's where much of my creative energy will go next week...and I'm happy to be in a position to help her.  She deserves nothing but the best.