The Purple Caravan

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T02:29:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

New Year’s Reflections

Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.

Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.

And when I ponder those who do,
I immediately think of you.

Thanks for being one of the reasons I'll have a Happy New Year!

(Joanna Fuchs)

May the coming year bring you health, magic, and joy.

May the magic be yours

2011-12-24T15:33:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

My, oh my, where has time gone?! I can hardly believe it's been a month since my last post! I can only blame it on my new passion: mini albums. If you are a crafter/altered art "connoisseur" you'll probably know what they are. Mini albums vary in size and styles. Most of mine are constructed by folding a single sheet of paper in order to create pockets to insert tags, photos, and secret messages. Fun, simple and certainly addictive :0) I will try and add some photos to my next post.

It will be a bittersweet Christmas. Our son will not be with us this year. Mothers out there will know what I mean...however, our home is ready, shopping is done. As I wrap the last gift and turn down the lights I seek comfort in the things I hold dear...

Family, friends, trinkets, mementos, gathered while taking a walk and discovering a small, tucked in a corner little shop right off the beaten path.

I want to wish each and everyone a special season filled with love and inner peace.

May the magic be yours!

Note: I have tried to leave messages on your Blogs but for some weird reason I've been unable to! Please know I am not ignoring you, I may have been busy with the mini albums but never too busy to drop by and see what you guys are up to!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

We usually go through our days wishing, striving, pushing for more. There's nothing wrong with that as long as that drive doesn't prevent us from enjoying the view, from recognizing when we can't push anymore, from stopping here and there to enjoy all we have done.

On this Thanksgiving Day I am blessed to have a very long list of things for which to be thankful. My husband, my children, my family, my friends, my dear, sweet Abby, my home, my freedom, my health and so much more.

In addition to being Thanksgiving Day it's also my 32nd wedding anniversary. One of the biggest things for which to be thankful!

Just wanted to take a moment and wish each and everyone a beautiful day and magical season.

Belated Wishes

2011-11-03T16:19:00.000-04:00

My wishes for a Happy Halloween for you, my magical friends, is a bit late. We were part of the many thousands without electric power. For almost 48 hours we suffered the damp kind of cold that while it's not freezing, will chill every bone. I have to add my voice to the many who claim never to have seen anything like this in October. Saturday morning this was the view from my window

Autum leaves shining brightly under the soft falling snow...

No one, not even the fairies or the jack-o-lanterns could have imagined the surprise Mother Nature had in store...

The day went by quietly, but towards evening the terrible sound of the cracking branches filled the air. One by one they started to fall. Standing by my window I watched helplessly...

Morning came and we were able to step outside. It was hard to take it all in. Even Abby seemed to be taken aback by the chaos and destruction...

Tears were shed, but we were okay and that's what really mattered. Needless to say Halloween Day was a bit strange but with our precious, dear Abby, who can stay sad? She was a trooper and allowed me to dress her up. She even posed patiently for the photographs!

Such a good little witch! LOL

And so, this is it for now. Please accept my belated, but very heartfelt wishes for a Happy Halloween. May the season's magic continue to be yours!

Amber days

2011-10-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

"The foliage has been losing it's freshness, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first grey hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many"

(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Autumn's luminosity is re-grouping and re-assembling. The sun is getting ready to go on holiday and while it's still quite warm there's a touch of "something" in the early morning breeze.

(Image Source: Magnolia Pearl)

I, too, have been re-grouping and re-assembling. I have stood still and listened to our home's new sounds. Less footsteps, shorter showers, a pantry door that's not opened every half hour...small, subtle changes with such big impact...

Stormy days filled with wind and rain, a frantic rush to hold and capture a dying Summer.

(Image Source: Pinrest)

Long walks, meeting with friends, the glorious feel of holding a cold glass of wine and watch the sunset.

Going shopping, curling up with a good book. Meditating, eyes closed, slow breaths, wondrous walks deep within, opening doors and discovering new chambers that shimmer with a light that's startling new.

(Image Source: Google Images)

I've been sort of quiet, moving about softly, afraid to disturb an inner ripple that came as a result of outer and inevitable changes. I've felt cushioned, enveloped in an aura that has made my senses sharper, keener. In my heart, tiny fairies play songs only I can hear...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

The end of Summer at the Caravan has been spent

choosing curtains and dressing up the makeshift sofa...

watching Abby enjoy the sunshine, mesmerized by the love and loyalty I find in those amazing brown eyes...

Enjoying afternoons in which the dying sun made every special thing even more special...

Summer is gone. Gone too, is the tinkling song of the ice cream truck. Autumn is here. As the light changes, so does the mood of the house... sounds are muffled. Everything seems to be getting ready for the coming colder days...

Beds look more inviting...

Gorgeous leaves everywhere...

Cooler nights spent in my craft room ("studio" sounds a bit pretentious to me :0) creating a birthday gift for a dear friend

A stylish little witch to celebrate the season...

I love altered art. Mixing paper with fabrics, sequins, ribbons and discarded items. Altered art reminds me of ordinary days. A mixture of sounds, feelings, colors and textures. New experiences laying the background for new ones...

Time marches on. Plans are made, birds and squirrels run about busy. Searching. Building warmer nests. All around, the cycle of life is asking to be heard, to be seen. Let us stop and listen!

Times they are a' changing...

2011-07-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

Sweltering heat, wooden floors that feel as if they had a fever. Long lazy days that melt and disappear into glorious golden sunsets. Fireflies that come out and guide my footsteps round the darkened garden paths. The crickets' lullaby, the fluttering of wings, the sound of flowers bursting wide open. The smell of earth after a brief and fierce thunderstorm... I have succumbed. Helpless. Intoxicated. I don't want to move, am afraid to break the spell...

But the spell has been broken and life as we know it has changed. The last of our children, our sweet daughter Adriana is moving out. We are now part of that group called "The Empty Nesters." As I help her pack, organize, shop, and decide, I can't help but wonder: where has time gone?! Already the house is permeated by that peculiar scent of change, of closing chapters. The spirit of Melancholy hides behind the boxes, playing hide and go seek with Excitement. There's confusion when they collide, bewildered, they stare at each other only to turn around and run again.

I am very happy for her, proud to see her making the right choices. I have no doubt she and Mitch will be fine together...and yet, she has not even left and I already miss her... our morning chats, our late evening glasses of wine, our silly tears over a movie or a song, our "fighting" over the bathroom mirror :0) Those carefree moments of everyday life when kids still live at home, and while I'm ready for the new special ones to come, I can't help but mourn for those that will stop. This feeling reminds me of a book I once read (The Other Side of the Fire). My children were still very young and the empty nester years seemed very far away, but even back then these words caught my attention: "Sometimes she wondered whether it was her own childhood she mourned, or the childhood of her children." Amazing.

I am back until Monday, then I will return to the country. The porch is done except for the floor, which will be painted sometime next week before bringing in some pieces of furniture. I want to keep it simple and just allow the surrounding beauty be the focal point.

Abby knows I'm busy so she keeps a look out for unexpected visitors

such as this one.

She also lets me know when the Clematis bloom

My dear sweet Abby :0)

The guest room is finished

There's still a lot to do but for now I need to slow down, try to take it all in, re-adjust and go along with the changes.

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

"We live...for moments...minutes, fractions of an hour...for these intervals are timeless. While they last, we have complete understanding, happiness and strength. We live in a true sense and we perceive the meaning of life."

British Butterflies (an antique butterfly book)

May all your moments be wonderful,

Welcome Summer!

2011-06-21T13:13:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Bing)

"This is June, the month of grass and leaves...already the aspens are trembling again, and a new summer is offered me."

Henry David Thoreau

Hello Everyone,

How I've missed you all! Can't wait to have a chance and stop by to see what you've been up to :0) I am back for just two days then will return to the country. These past few weeks have been a blur of paint, brushes, and trips to the local hardware store. The porch is almost finished. I still need to paint somethings here and there, but the bigger part is done. I am so looking forward to hanging the curtains, and pay attention to the garden. Days go by too quickly, don't you think?

Remember what it looked like?

This is now...

It was a happy moment when I was able to hang the butterfly that had been sitting in the attic for the past three years waiting for the "right spot"

Abby has also been hard at work. She's discovered the joy of digging huge holes in the ground :0)

Some puppies have all the luck!

I must get going but before I do, I just want to wish you all a wonderful Summer filled with joy, magic, and cotton candy fun.

See you soon! XO

Rainy Thursday

2011-05-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Bing)

There is something special about rainy days. One walks about the house lulled by the sound of raindrops softly falling on the windows and roof. A perfect soundtrack for a morning meditation.

But...meditating is tricky. There you are, eyes closed, sitting perfectly still, trying to free the mind from anything mundane, breathing gets slower, you float away, your soul travels to a distant shore and you arrive at the Rithang Monastery when suddenly, leaping out of nowhere, uninvited thoughts arrive. Loud-mouthed ruffians clad in black leather pants...frightful! The lovely vision shatters and you rush about trying to pick up and hold on to the remaining pieces...sigh...

Those horrid ruffians refuse to go away, so for now I'll just stand by the window and listen to the rain...

Wishing you all a "ruffian free" day :0)

Love and light...

Bedtime wishes

2011-05-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Bing)

It's bedtime, the quiet, silent hour when the house finally settles. The shimmering fairy lights guide my way as I make my "rounds" to make sure everything is right.

One last cup of tea, plumping a cushion on the sofa, making sure all candles are out, running a warm, bubbly bath. These rituals, performed almost absentmindedly comfort and reassure me. They are the very essence of being home and fill my heart with peace.

I love to open a window and look up to the sky, whisper a prayer, make a wish or two, and listen to the beat of my own heart. Worries are shed as the peaceful darkness wraps around me like a soft, magical Mantra, and I feel a Divine presence stand right by my side...

Love and light always,

PS. Been back since Thursday but have been suffering with SEVERE allergies. I've missed you all and can't wait to visit and catch up on your latest news. Progress on the screened porch has been made, will be sharing Before and After photos quite soon. Here's a sneak preview of one of the doors :0)

From England with love

2011-04-07T23:12:00.002-04:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

A wet and windy day was magically transformed into a sunny, bright one when I received a most special gift from my dear friend Olive.

All the way from England (land of my dreams :0)

A beautiful bag and a photograph of Penny Lane's sign!

"Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes..."

Abby refused to be left out :0)

The fact that Olive thought of me when she saw the bag and that she remembered my huge love for The Beatles fill my heart. Thank you Olive, you are the best! XO!

I can't wait to use my gorgeous bag this weekend when we finally return to our Purple Caravan. My husband went out this past week and with the help of our friends pulled out the wall to wall carpet. We now must decide on the type of wood flooring to be installed. I love the wider planks (but they are so much more expensive)

The caravan came with one bigger bedroom and two small sleeping quarters furnished with two bunk beds each. They were way too small (even for someone as short as me :0) so we decided to knock down the dividing wall and make just one room.

A platform was built to place mattresses and big fluffly pillows.

It's now a cozier, more private area in which our friends can actually sleep and stretch their legs.

Needless to say my mind is just swimming in pools of colors. I lay awake at night planning and imagining how it will look once it's done.

We will be building a screened porch (hopefully soon) and then I will be able to garden and decorate to my heart's content. I will, of course, keep you posted and would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

And speaking of ideas, I am totally obssessed with this butterfly bench I saw on the Internet. I can't stop thinking about it!

(Image Source: Bing)

Wedding plans are moving along. We have already made arrangements for the venue and photographer, but best of all, the gown has been selected! It was quite a moment to see my little girl stand in front of me with her cheeks aglow with excitement and a sparkle in her eyes. She really took my breath away! I promised her not to show any photos of her gown until "the big day" but it looks somewhat like this...oh, to be young and slim and have all our body parts in their proper places... sigh

(Image Source: Bing)

And so, life goes on, another week is about to close, another month has started. Tiny buds are getting bigger and stronger, the cycle continues. Hope you are full of exciting plans and innovative ideas!

Love and light, always...

A month to remember

2011-03-25T09:40:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Bing)

March did turn out to be quite an interesting month, not only weather wise (we've had very warm days as well as snow) but also full of important events. My mother's passing, an incredible full moon, frantic planning to re-open the Purple Caravan and begin the renovations/additions, and now to make this month even more memorable, our dear, sweet daughter Adriana is engaged!

Adriana met Mitch while they were both attending the university. After five years of being inseparable he finally "popped" the question. The wedding will be October 7, 2012. We couldn't be happier for them, we truly believe they are great together.

A wedding on the horizon and already our home's energy has changed. Tons of magazines are already piling up, lists and plans are being made. We are hoping to find (soon) what we feel are the most difficult: the banquet hall and of course, the gown. Needless to say, we will be busy for a while.

My dear Abby can feel the excitement and is acting "nuttier" than usual, but she is a good girl and has patiently allowed me to take this photo sporting her new Spring bonnet :0) I love her!

Due to all these events I had been unable to thank my dear friend Rosa Phoenix for giving me this:

Thank you Rosa!!

According to the rules of this Award I must share seven things about myself.

Here they go:

1- I can't stand people who constantly praise themselves.

2- When amongst strangers, I may seem a bit aloof.

3- I never really knew the love one can feel for a dog until I got Abby. I had heard about it but the actual experience can't be described!

4- I love the sound of water, whether it's a fountain, a bubbling brook, or rain falling on a tin roof.

5- I adore foggy days. Give me fog and all at once I feel am a mystical creature, mysterious and elusive :0)

6- I love, love Peter Sellers. No matter how many times I watch his movies I will laugh until my sides hurt.

7- I am not interested in celebrities or their lifestyle, nor do I care about designer names or tags at all.

Answering seven questions is easy, the tricky part is choosing who will get it next! So, as I've done in the past, I dedicate this Award to everyone. Your Blogs are not only Stylish, but they are simply perfect. So, please don't be shy, just grab the button, have fun, and pass it on! After all, that's what Blogging is all about, right?

I must go now, have a hairdresser's appointment (I hate sitting there but one must pay the price of beauty :=)

Love and light, always...

Moon Child

2011-03-19T22:52:00.001-04:00

(Image Source: http://www.redbubble.com/people/micklyn)

I step outside with a heavy heart, worried about another possible war. So lost in my thoughts it takes me a couple of minutes to notice the extraordinary light illuminating the garden. Then I remember, tonight's the night when the Moon would be at it's fullest.

I look up and there she was, the grand dame, the royal queen of the sky. It's beauty takes my breath away. Something warm and wonderful wraps itself around my shoulders. I can feel the magic and I cry.

Oblivious to the troubles of the world and just for a little while, the Moon and I become one...

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day,

May songbird serenade you every step along the way,

May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue,

And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through."

Irish Blessing

Beautiful, isn't it?

Thank you

2011-03-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

I want to thank you, dear friends, for reaching out and touching my heart during this difficult time. Your sweet and thoughtful comments are, and will always be cherished.

I've spent the week going for walks with Abby, pondering, reminiscing. It has done me good. I feel better, stronger. Spring is almost here, during my walks I've come across tiny green leaves peeking through the sidewalk cracks. They are timid as they feel their way. They are preparing for that special moment when everything will explode with color. Old Man Winter is waking up. He is getting ready to pack his bags and visit other parts of this world.

I find an anchoring force in Nature. The fact that no matter what happens, the circle of Seasons will not stop. Summer will follow Spring, Winter will bring snow. Our hearts may sing or cry, we may have money troubles or not, we may live or die, but Life itself goes on.

It's hard to feel sorry for oneself when there's so much more sorrow in other people's hearts. I came across this photo and everything fell into the right perspective...

(Image Source: Bing)

Looking at this it's hard to imagine that the sun will shine again in Japan, and that it's people will go on, re-build and someday be able to see and enjoy the beauty of the Seasons.

Love and light....always,

Tears in the rain

2011-03-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

For the past few years I've seen the slow journey of her mind try to leave her body. Her once watchful, alert eyes became vague, dreamy. Her once sure, determined steps became unsteady. Her once clear voice became a whisper. Her once commanding, forceful attitude shifted, she was directed, supervised. I've watched this once beautiful woman shrivel, fade, evaporate, until she became a fragile shell.

My mother passed away. In the still of the night, as she laid peacefully sleeping. Her body has finally joined her mind.

The quiet lingering hope I've always carried that someday things would change between us can no longer live. On this rainy, dark morning, I grieve not only her death, but the death of the mother/daughter relationship I wish we'd had but never did.

I love you Mom

1923-2011

A treasure in the attic

2011-03-04T11:38:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Days are flying by, scattering all around like multi-colored glass beads slipping off a string. I hurry about and try to catch them but I like the sound they make, so I stop a while just to hear them fall...

March has arrived. We are bracing ourselves to face it's typical unpredictable character. Anything can happen in March. Mild days...one last Winter storm (hopefully not!)

My daughter and I have been busy trying to get the house ready for Spring. We've made numerous trips to the local charity shop, this time not to shop but to donate :0) It was during one of the "sorting through" that she found something she had written while at the University. A free style exercise for her English class. They were asked to write about anything, non-stop for five minutes without paying attention to grammar or spelling. She handed me the paper and with the typical carefree spirit of the very young said: "Not sure if you'd like to keep this." This is what she wrote:

"Mom, I see you in the shaded garden holding a glass of white wine. You’re wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants but your hair and makeup are immaculate and flawless. I see your face genuinely light up as you stand to hug and kiss me.

Under the afternoon’s dying sun I see your hair turn different colors: brown, caramel, amber. I feel the love as you embrace me and your hair smells like a blend of vanilla and roses. You smile as you ask me to sit on the swing with you so we can talk. As you go on about the squirrels and the beautiful birds you’ve come across today, I see so much of myself in your face!

Your olive skin and wide brown eyes, your curly hair gracefully touching your shoulders. I see a young child hidden inside a woman’s body. How could it be that at your age you still love and get so thrilled about fairies, dolls, and critters so much? We are so different in this sense, and yet, it is something I’ll never forget about you. I think this is precisely why you were never just my mother when I was a child, you were my best friend.

As we sit here on this beautiful golden Autumn afternoon I still see my best friend in the whole entire world, and I smile as you ramble on telling me about the most incredible fairy door you’ve just bought for the garden…"

Do I want to keep it?! Only a girl who never had a child could ask that question :0) It's funny how sometimes we go through the motions, we follow routines which, while they make us feel anchored, could become too familiar, almost boring. One longs for a "shaking" some excitement, some awakening from the everyday slumber. Well, I'm awake now :0) It's touching to know that in spite of the routine and noneventful sailing, I was "interesting enough" to be the subject in my daughter's English lesson.

There was a lot of old, dusty, useless things in our attic, but amidst the mess and disarray I found a treasure I'll cherish forever.

Before I go, I want to thank those who left understanding and supportive comments on my last Post. Nice to know I'm not alone in this experience :0)

Hugs and wishes for a fabulous weekend. Be happy!

Every now and then...

2011-02-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

"Just once or twice there's a feeling of something

Not yet done with, an intensity that remains..."

(Greg Hill)

I'd like to share something that happened this weekend. Georgina, my friend, is a lovely lady who usually gives the impression of being a "bit dreamy and spacey." She had not been over for a long time thus she was eager to see our basement remodel. I was showing her around when she suddenly said: "I don't want to scare you, but there's someone here." I should have been puzzled but I wasn't, for some reason Georgina's words made sense. They were a confirmation to certain feelings and unexplained sensations.

Only in this house have I felt as if someone was standing behind me. Only in this house have I heard doors closing by themselves. Only in this house I've felt strangely uneasy. My daughter also feels this way and she refuses to stay here alone at night.

It all started right after we moved. A strange incident here, another one there. I became curious as to the history of the house and talked to the oldest neighbor, Rita, who told me the previous owner was very sick and had actually died here. She did not ridicule my uneasiness and reassured me if what I felt was indeed his ghost, I had nothing to worry about because "he really was a nice man."

Moving was totally out of the question so I learned to cope and tried to ignore the feelings with one mission in mind: spread good, positive vibes and hope that whoever or whatever was here would realize we meant no harm. After a while all activity stopped. I was able to do the dishes without that odd feeling of having someone be right behind me, and I even felt comfortable to roam about after everyone was asleep. My daughter's fears subsided, though not completely.

Lately, the calm has been disrupted when Abby has jumped out of my arms barking frantically, hairs on her neck and back standing up, growling and looking intensely at an empty corner in the room. This behaviour is strange, she is a loving, sweet, and extremely friendly puppy. Whatever she sees makes her very anxious and upset and while I can't see it, I know it's quite real to her. I was glad when my husband could witness one of these incidents. However, he insisted she might have heard a noise (we both know there was none)

Whatever the reason, and at the risk of sounding superstitious, ridiculous, or foolish I know we share our home with something or someone. I can't explain it logically nor prove it, nevertheless, it's as real to me as the sunshine on my window.

Life must go on, it's business as usual. Today I went and bought fresh flowers, played soft music, and baked blueberry muffins. Surrounding our home with beauty, peace, and harmony is the only way I can feel safe and be at ease.

Valentine Dreaming

2011-02-14T10:56:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

It's a cloudy, windy day. The snow is quickly melting and every bend and turn is a muddy mess. I am counting the days till we are able to return to the Purple Caravan (54 to be exact :0) I've been pouring over color charts and magazines for inspiration. There are many, but few can compare to Magnolia Pearl's!

(Image Source: Magnolia Pearl)

I LOVE their EVERYTHING!

(Image Source: Magnolia Pearl)

So, as the snow melts I keep busy, while my dear, sweet Abby patiently waits and looks out the window...

Happy Valentine's Day!

By the kitchen sink

2011-02-08T23:53:00.000-05:00

"Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things"

Kakuzo Okakura

After a series of relatively mild days Winter has returned with a vengeance. Unable to go for walks, I roam aimlessly around the house basking in it's warmth, grateful for it's comfort.

I stop by the kitchen sink and watch the morning light play shimmering games upon the tiny leaves of the Angel Tears vine. The serene expression of my fairy friend fills me with peace. Outside, the icy wind roars while I linger and dream...

Butterfly dreams

2011-02-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

I set out amidst the falling snow...

A longing, restless spirit...

I close my eyes for a second and ...

(Image Source: Fanpop)

What's that I see? Could it be fluttering wings amongst the ice?

(Image Source: Bing)

Yes! They are!!

(Image Source: Bing)

First just one, then two, three, four...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

I go up suspended by feathers and wings...

(Image Source: Bing)

The butterflies take me to a field full of color and magic...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

We spend the day, then share some tea...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

We read some poetry...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Try new makeup...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Evening falls and the butterflies must go back to their Magic Kingdom...

I watch them leave but I'm not sad...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

For tonight I'll dream...

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Good night and may you also have Butterfly Dreams... XO

Immortality

2011-01-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com

"There is a certain part of all of us that lives outside of time. Perhaps we become aware of our age only at exceptional moments and most of the time we are ageless."

( Milan Kundera, Immortality)

Sending you hugs and wishes for an "ageless" weekend...

In a Winter garden

2011-01-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Snow started falling early this morning,

tiny, almost invisible specks at first,

which rapidly gained speed and weight.

A few hours later, here it is:

that magnificent silence.

I can't even attempt to describe how much I love it!

Standing on the snow I listen...

my heartbeat, my muffled, misty breath,

the crunch of snowflakes underneath my boots...

Father Winter is here...

He's taking a nap in my garden....

The House of Belonging

2011-01-22T14:58:00.271-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

We were hit again with another round of snow. What's a girl to do? Well, in my case I am finding solace and refuge in my crafting nook.

Tucked in a corner of our basement is the place where I try to give life to my ideas...

Here I burn incense...

read...

listen to music...

sing out of tune...

daydream...

and more...

I am happy in this corner, surrounded by things I cherish...The Beatles...

tiny fairies...

and meaningful quotes :0)

Because I am so torned between a totally Gypsy-Bohemian style and a romantic, tattered garden look my house is also a bit "divided." I am lucky to have this space which I can use as a sort of "style lab" while I try to keep a more stable and uniform look upstairs.

It's VERY cold outside, and while Abby rests (LOL, medication makes her so sleepy!)

I am getting re-acquainted with past projects...

Altered art: fairy with organza wings mounted on oval canvas...

Jewelry made of felt, paper and beads...

An embroidered pillow I made a few years ago when my children were small and I was absolutely obsessed with Unicorns...

The end of the day finds me lost in reverie, evening falls, ice layers cover the city. I head upstairs to prepare a light dinner and it occurs to me that:

"This is the bright home

in which I live

this is where

I ask

my friends

to come,

this is where I want

to love all the things

it has taken me so long

to learn to love.

There is no house

like the house of belonging"

(David Whyte)

A silver kind of day

2011-01-18T15:38:00.000-05:00

It's a silver kind of day, the whole world seems to be bathed in an ethereal light.

Certain corners of the house reflect the color of ice, rain, and snow, and everything seems to shimmer.

While others fight to retain the golden shades of past sunny days...

It's very quiet here, more than usual. I am trying to keep busy and not think about my dear, sweet Abby who is getting spayed today...

I can't wait for her to be okay so we can play in the snow!

Sending you hugs and many wishes for a happy day.

From a distant shore

2011-01-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

(Image Source: Bing)

"Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero"

Marc Brown

Australia's terrible disaster fill the latest news. There are many stories but none have touched my heart as the one about Jordan Rice, a young boy who asked rescuers to save his little brother first. Moments later he was swept away by the ravaging waters.

I've sat for a long while staring at this boy's photo. I am moved beyond tears. From a distant shore, this boy has sent a message. In one split second he reaffirmed the incredible beauty of love and it's trascendental power. His tragic, sad death has touched me deeply, and I am humbled by his lesson.

Jordan Rice, I never met you, but I will never forget you...