Mother Earth

(Image Source: Pinterest)

Tomorrow is Mothers' Day. I can't say I had a good relationship with my mother. She was orderly, strict, conventional. I am unruly, spontaneous.  During my younger years I was willing to follow orders but as I got older it became more difficult to conform to her rules. We disappointed each other over and over. I will always wish for things to have been different between us, but I find consolation in the fact that both my children and I are the best of friends. 

We can't always get what we want or wish, the trick is to try and find the positive in what we do have. Albert Einstein said:

"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better"

and so I'm looking...

PS. I would like to thank those of you who, in spite of my sporadic entries, still find it in your hearts to read my Blog and leave encouraging, heartfelt comments. They mean more than you will ever know!  XO

Welcome Spring

(Image Source: Google+)

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all doing well and getting ready to put those coats and gloves away. I know I am :0) The heavy Winter slumber is slowly giving way to brighter days and I can't wait until every leaf turns green and the warm breeze whispers in my ear.


This past Winter, as the snow and sleet pounded on our windows and covered our streets and cities I buried myself in what my brother calls "the laboratory." Quite frankly, I don't know how to call it. Since I don't consider myself to be an artist, I am afraid to sound pretentious if I refer to my "area" as an art studio but then, according to Wikipedia, an artist is someone described as.   

"A person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts, and/or demonstrating an art"

Whether the title fits me or not, that is where I've been. Drawing, painting, making art journals and leaning from so many talented people who dedicate their time to teach and guide others like myself. I am referring of course, to YouTube. Such an amazing place! I would love to share my work and thought of having a separate Blog just for that purpose but quite honestly, I love this place so much I would hate to use another site. I am trying to learn how to have tags in which to place separate topics but all this technology could be so hard!. I will be back as soon as I have this figured out.

Wishing you all a wonderful Spring. May it be a magic one! 

On Valentine's Day

(Image Source: Pinterest)

"Love is just another word until someone comes along and gives it meaning..."

The Sound of Snow

(Image Source: Pinterest)

"I pray this Winter be gentle and kind--a season of rest from the wheel of the mind"- John Geddes

Every season has a sound. Spring is birdsong. Windows that were shut for months creak as they are opened. The humming vacuum cleaner, the click of pruning shears. It's like yawning when waking up from a deep slumber. Summer is just loud. Ice cream trucks, children playing, the blasting radio from a passing car, people walking, dogs barking.  Autumn is quieter, but there are still some distinct sounds: leaf blowers, the swish of a rake, rustling leaves moved by gusty winds. The voices of passing "trick o'treaters" on Halloween Day.

Winter arrives bringing a sign that reads: "Silence spoken here." Everything is muffled, everyday sounds crash against tightly closed windows but when snow falls there is a certain sound. It's the sound of nothing. The sound of a city pushed by Nature to stop  and seek shelter. The world as we know it stands still. It is such a night here. As I stand by my window I feel my soul relax and close within itself and I am thinking, this is good and just for a while, I will let myself go. I will stand here and the only sound I'll hear is the beating of my heart.

A child's dream

(Image Source: Kemal Kamil Photo.net)

A child's dream by Rexa Lamaar

A child’s life is very simple. 

They do not want a lot. 

They want to explore and be stuffed with knowledge to feed their curiosity. They want to see all the individual green strands of grass reaching up to the pastel blue sky.

They want to live.    

Hope your day is filled with the magic of a child's dream...

Let it snow

(Image Source: Pinterest)

Every Winter when it snows, just like clockwork I get emails from my cousins in Florida: "Are you guys okay?" "Its nice and warm here in South Florida." "We love you, keep dry and warm." It makes me want to laugh. I am touched by the concern but I don't think they realize that it really IS okay. True, snow makes everything slower and sloppier. Roads can get slippery and treacherous. Power may go. Shoveling is no fun but  only the people that live in places where the four seasons happen can truly appreciate the change of each one. There is no bigger thrill than that found when snow melts and days get longer and tiny green buds pop up from the soil. The anticipation of wearing flip flops and shorts, the vacation planning, the thrill of an open window, the smell of Autumn leaves. All that and more is worth all the shoveling, at least in my humble opinion :0) I have lived in places where it's always Summer but I would NEVER go back. 

We were hit by the first snow storm of 2014. Limbs ache from the cleaning but we are warm, cozy and dry. A nice glass of wine, a good book, dim lights and I say: "Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow..."

Here comes the New Year

(Image Source: Pinterest)

January opens

The box of the year

And brings out days

That are bright and clear.

And brings out days

That are cold and gray,

And shouts, "Come see

What I brought today!"

Leland B. Jacobs

Here it is.  A brand new year. A brand new January. What is it about this date that makes everyone stop and have a look? For most its a clean slate, a chance to start over and try to avoid making old mistakes. For others its a day like any other, life stinks and no matter what the calendar says, it will continue to stink.  Sort of like looking at the half empty or half full glass, right?

As a teenager I used to keep a Diary into which I'd pour my laughs and my tears. Remember those? Small, square with a tiny metal key?

(Image Source: Google Images)

Those Diaries are long gone. All that remains are a couple of keys as a memento from a faithful confidant. 

I started keeping a Diary again in 1992. I was going through some difficult times and I needed to express myself without worrying about how it was going to be perceived or understood. I can honestly say that putting my thoughts on paper truly helped me understand and cope with many things. Spoken words seem to fly away, written words stay, we have a chance to go over them without altering their meaning or message. I continued this Diary journey until December 2009. I am not sure why I stopped, perhaps I was sailing through calmer waters. Perhaps I found my entries monotonous and non-eventful. However, looking back, I regret not having continued to write. As normal and predictable as my life may be, I still like to read past entries and have a glimpse at my then state of mind. It's interesting to see how that younger woman slowly shaped the woman  I am today. 

I  once heard (not sure which movie, or TV show) this quote: "Nobody did anything important while they were happy" In a way this is true. Laughter, sun, parties, carefree days make us act differently. Important tasks get pushed back, a general sense of decadence takes over. I doubt that any profound thoughts would occur, at least not to me :o) I find that my best and most revealing Diary entries happened during Winter and during my most trying times. 

I don't have many specific plans for 2014, I will, however, keep a Diary. I need to be anchored to a writing routine. I need my old friend to listen to my random thoughts. They may be banal, they may be profound, but they will still be a part of me and after all, that's what it's all about.

I  wish each and everyone a healthy and happy New Year. May it filled with magic and light!

XO

A Christmas Birthday

(Image Source: Google)

I turned 60 years old today. Someone asked me if I was afraid to get old and I answered: No, I'm not afraid to get old, I'm just afraid to get old and not have a chance to do the things I have always wanted to do. Things that got put on the back burner while I was busy raising a family, taking care of my aging parents, putting everybody and everything first. Does it sound familiar? Oh, I bet it does!

Do I feel 60? I don't know. How's 60 supposed to feel? I mean, in my Amazon wish list I had Monster High School dolls (which by the way, my sweet, sweet daughter and son in law got for me, LOL) Is that normal at 60? Maybe not, but who cares? The point is, yes, I am 60 years old, yes, my face is  not what it used to be but not my spirit and soul!

I do have a list of things I want to do before I get "too old." On top of that list (some people call it the 'bucket list') is my wish to go to England. Why? I have no idea. All I know is that since I was 8 years old and I read Alice in Wonderland I simply  fell in love with anything and everything English. Then came The Beatles who were, are, and will always be such a big part of me. I was blown away when I saw my birthday cake:

(I had a very hard time cutting this cake. I did not want to ruin it!)

I hope to never loose my faith in people, my sense of humour, my wish to try new things, my love for Nature and above all, my innocence, the one thing that will keep my heart forever young.

XO

Merry Christmas

(Image Source: Pinterest)

"What if Christmas doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more..." The Grinch

What if indeed! This 'little bit more' is so easily overlooked.  I wish you all a wonderful day. May you never be too busy to enjoy the holidays for what they are, not for what they should be. 

Love always,

Forever a Daddy's girl

(Image Source: Pinterest)

Hello everyone,

Amidst the neverending sad, unpleasant, and depressing news constantly making headlines on the Web I found one so special I just HAD to share with you. This will surely strike a loud chord in those who were, are, and will always be a Daddy's girl.

http://www.today.com/news/dying-father-has-last-first-dance-daughter-6C10703525

I am always in awe by the incredible power of love.

Sparkles and Fireflies

(Image Source: Pinterest)

July has arrived and so have the fireflies. I find it hard to come indoors, all I want to do is sit in the garden and watch  their magical light show. Who needs fireworks?

Hope everyone is doing great and that your Summer season is filled with love, sparkles and fireflies :0)

Mother's Day Wishes

Hi everyone!

Just popping in from under what seems to be an ongoing, never-ending project: my Art Room! Been busy trying to make my working space cohesive and easy to manage, but this room must be a true self expression. No matter how hard I try, it remains unruly and wild at heart! LOL

Anyway, I am here to wish all my lovely ladies a beautiful day. Please read this post I wrote a couple of years ago. I hope these words echo some of your memories.

http://thepurplecaravan.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-05-11T00:01:00-04:00&max-results=6

May you always be surrounded by peace and love.

Happy Easter/Happy Spring

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

Just popping in to wish everyone a wonderful weekend. No matter how you observe (or not) this religious holiday hope you get to spend time in the company of family and good friends.

Cheers!

Make your own kind of music

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

But you've gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song.
Make your own kind of music even if nobody
else sings along...
(The Mamas and the Papas)

And so, on these final days of Winter as I try to hold in check my impatient heart and tell myself not to keep looking for the first signs of Spring, I grow restless. Cabin fever sets in.  I don't really feel like shopping (gasp!) so I go for a ride. 

Driving aimlessly I turn on the radio. One by one I flip through the stations but its no good. I can't find one to please me. I drive in silence for a while when suddenly I remember something my father said back in the days when I entered the tumultuous teenage years and he became middle aged: "You know you are getting older when you no longer like the songs on the radio."  Deja vu...

Growing older is tricky. You go about doing your thing when suddenly: BAM! "Maturity" jumps out of nowhere. The thing is, IT had always been there, a silent ghost, an invisible companion that's been by your side from the day you were born. IT waits patiently until IT decides is time to come out. Shy at first, IT plays hide and seek. You catch a glimpse here and there but is only a matter of time. IT will grow more confident. IT will let you know its here to stay...

I wait for Spring with great anticipation. I have been busy teaching myself how to crochet and I have fallen in love with Granny Squares. Here are my humble first attempts...

 I am looking forward going back to my Purple Caravan.

I ignore the radio and play the music of my generation. Just like a Mantra, the familiar words and sounds manage to still bring a spark of magic to make my heart jump and skip a beat. 

Time marches on.  I know IT is hiding nearby but I'm not worried. I dance and sing. I play my Blue Tambourine.

The music is loud, Abby joins the celebration. 

She barks and I laugh. IT doesn't stand a chance ;0)

 Wishing you all a weekend filled with magic. Rock on!

As the snow falls

(Image Source: Weheartit.com)

She said she usually cried at least once a day, not because she was sad but because the world was so beautiful and life was so short. (Unknown)

Woke up this morning and found our bit of the world has been painted white. On days like this I tend to feel soft inside. I roam around unable to concentrate much on anything. Of course this leads to thinking and thinking usually leads to trouble. I much rather daydream than think...

On a Winter Afternoon

(Image Source: Bing)

There's a party outside my window. 'Local Wind' has company. She dances hand in hand with 'Arctic Blast' and 'Frosty Spell'... 

Inside our home everything feels warm and cozy. Chairs look more inviting. They seem to whisper promises filled with sweet silence...

As the wind howls I go round sorting, updating, organizing. These are my days to do what is usually done during the Spring but I know that once the weather gets warmer I will not be able to concentrate. 

 I keep a mental countdown. Only 54 days for Spring to arrive and for another cycle to start.  In the meantime RED continues to dominate and fascinate me and so does this new painting I stumbled upon. 

Red is here....

and here

Valentine Day has arrived early and red hearts are everywhere

Standing by my window I watch the three winter ladies dance away and I dream of the coming season when their heads will wear flowery crowns...


May you find the magic of these Winter days... XO