Thoughts Ahead

G'Evening, Dears!

Today was filled with polka-dot balloons, streamers, brownies, and giggles, as we celebrated my beautiful Mommy's birthday. It left me giddy with excitement for the next several spring months of hopeful picnics, garden parties, and sunshine.
Thought I'd share a couple of happy things I'm anticipating once the weather decides to cooperate:


~ The sun itself. Oh, and the sea, always the sea ~

~ Shakespeare in the park, my seasonal joy ~

~ Picnics with delightful foods and beverages ~

~ Taking this little man and his sister to the Zoo ~

~ Baseball games - nothing more nostalgic, nothing happier ~

Also not represented here are farmer's markets, concerts in the park, berry-picking, water-wading, walk-taking, flower-gathering, book-reading, sun-tanning, toe-nail-painting, mountain-hiking, and a plethora of other mirthful things.

Adoringly,
Yours

Surreal

Good evening, dears!

I was marching around the restaurant at work earlier this evening like the post-finals zombie that I am, when I realized something quite unique. Today was surreal. What happened today that made it so “surreal,” you may ask? Well today, I took my final exam in Biology, walked out of the room, and drove to work.

Huh. Well now that really is quite something (sarcasm). Let me explain.

I began thinking about the moments in my life that I counted as being “surreal;” this is what I came up with (in no particular order):

1. Walking down the isle at my brother’s wedding
2. Flying over Ireland and seeing the hillsides just precisely as I’d always pictured them to be
3. Holding Benjamin and Joanna for the first time
4. Performing at my old dance recitals
5. Standing three feet in front of my first Van Gogh
6. The day my braces were taken off
7. My last day at Capernwary
8. The day my grandma went Home
9. Hearing “Yellow” played live
10. Watching the sun set behind the Alps

These are just a couple of the moments that I would say, without doubt, are some of the most memorable, surreal days in my life thus far. I remember them each with such clarity, and I remember during each of these moments thinking, “I will recall this moment - it will be with me - forever.” Sort of eerie - mostly beautiful.

I feel like there are levels of “surrealness.” Today, for instance, would be a level 1, perhaps. It was surreal, but not enough so that I will always relish it. It was surreal in that, after leaving the exam, I felt a sort of euphoria, lightness, happiness…peace. I’ve been grappling with taking time off since I declared that to be my plan (if you know me, you know my zealous dedication to school), and I’ve thought for a while that today would be a tough one for me – I didn’t want to feel lost or as though I’d made a wrong turn. Instead, as I left, I let the love I have for school, the excitement for the things unseen, and the confidence in doing what I felt was right wash over me - I know I’ll return to school, perhaps not that one, perhaps so.

Regardless, things began falling into place for me today that I suspect have been dawdling in the shadows - things I haven’t been allowed to see or be aware of until I followed through with what was right for me. I think a lot of life is a test (hence life of school – ha), and a lot of it is aced through follow-through and faith. I’m trying desperately to attain completeness in both. I’m trying.

Today was surreal.



Adoringly,
Yours

Of the Sea

Do you feel the despair,
That courses through each course of each
Day – moment - breath – gasping for repair?
I know this space within this place of despair.
It encounters me, when in infinite solitude I find
Myself searching the sea -
Searching for another time.
When perhaps you’re beside,
Beside me enraptured by the sea – you and me.
Don’t cast your heart out to the sea –
Darling, wait; wait for my heart and me.
Wait for my heart beside the sea.

Adoringly,
Yours

p.s. I am quite fond of the sea, and life is heart-filled quagmire. Goodnight, my dears :)

Oh, Today!

Hello my dears!

So today began with all the signs of being a dangerously ordinary day. With that in mind, I decided it would be the most opportune day to practice what this blog is all about - noticing the little moments throughout the broader course of the day. Please take note that these little moments may still be classified as "ordinary," perhaps even "dull," but tra la la - that's life!



~ My little cacti I wake up to on my window sill every morning ~


~ Dear little friends ~


~ It was decided today, most definitely, that my tights are in fact a ravishing navy blue, not black, as first suspected ~


~ My newly aquired "book-bag" has been making me most cherry with it's flashy colors ~


~ Courtesy of my local library, where I frequent quite often ~


~ Footsies ~


~ Hoping to finish this lovely read before the book club meeting ~


~ My sweet little bunny joined me outside for some study time ~

So today, despite the last minute studying, the errands, and general distraction due to the sunshine (see below post for sunshine obsession), turned out to be quite nice. Some exciting possibilities for the future have been bubbling in my head today, and I am also looking forward to posting about more art, some Impressionists, and, quite soon, my lifetime devotion to Van Gogh.

Please have a splendid spring evening, I'm making tacos and planning on studying the night away - nearly finished!

Adoringly,
Yours

Heavy, Beating Hearts

Good evening, my dears,

We all are carrying heavy hearts these days with recent news continuing to unfold about Japan; my thoughts and prayers linger across the ocean at each passing moment. One thing I did want to briefly touch on is a quote I highlighted while reading C.S. Lewis’s “A Grief Observed” several months ago. He noted, “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” We seem to be fearful creatures, as we come by it quite easily – most especially when we are struck by confusion or devastation. Or grief.

However, I don’t believe that fear is what we were meant for. I believe with every ounce of my beating heart in the Maker of the ocean, of Japan, of me… I believe these words to be true as well, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). This is the only Peace I know, the only Peace this dear little planet will ever know. It, like fear, is easy to come by, however more difficult to hold on to. But isn’t that so with the things worthy of living in this life? Is that not part of the plan? There is trouble, but there is also a greater Love.

I’m praying for Peace for Japan, and for us, this tiny little planet of sweet beings. We are loved. Japan is loved. Please remember this.

Adoringly,
Yours

Monday, Monday (Coffee, Coffee)

Happy Monday, my dears!

So, I’m planning on establishing some sort of organization (depth, perhaps?) to this blog once I’m on a more regular out-of-school-no-finals-manipulating-my-time path (Watercolor Wednesdays, etc.), taking place in two short weeks! (Eep!) But, for now, little snippets of mildly boring, artless posts will have to suffice. Bear with me.

It’s fascinating to me how you can live with yourself for x-amount of years, and still learn new things about yourself everyday. My new revelation? Despite the fact that I am, in fact, of no relation to a plant, I have very heliotropic tendencies. This morning, on my way to class, my car and I emerged from a torrential downpour and came upon a patch of too-blue-to-be-true skies and a hint of sunshine. Without knowing, my entire body shifted to the left side of my car, and my hand involuntarily plastered itself to the left window – in an effort to reach the sunshine? I rest my case; I’m heliotropic.

In other nature news, before this incident, I saw what I had for the previous twentyish years of my life believed to be a farce, that’s right, I saw the end of a rainbow. Naturally it was sans any pot of gold or little man in green but, regardless, I’m feeling very in tune with nature today (Did I mention there’s a lovely rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” playing at the coffee shop I’m currently ‘planted’ in?). How splendid.

Clearly spring is on it’s merry way – I’m a’waitin’ with open arms. In honor of spring (and out of a necessity to bring more images to this sparse little blog), here are some little guys I spotted during my happiest of springs to date several years ago in beautiful England.





Adoringly,
Yours

Emerging from the Cave

Hello my dears,

This is (one of) my attempt(s) to get out of this present cave, or creative lull, that I find myself in.

I've decided to take a generally unpopular hiatus from my studies this spring in an effort to further pinpoint some direction and explore some passions of mine (I have some inklings as to what they both may be). While I'm excited about this little jaunt, I'm acutely aware of the unspoken timeframe that our society has placed on each of us. The drumbeat we've been taught to follow goes something like this: school, highschool, college, career, career, marriage, career, children, career, death. I do realize how utterly offbeat I am to that drum at the present; but despite the looming beat, I'm rather excited to break out some paint brushes and watch the green grass grow for a season. After all, time is what we all have, one minute of it at a time.

This blog is just a log I plan on keeping in order to keep myself accountable - accountable for keeping my eyes wide open to all the little wonders in everyday life. Read along if you like, I'd love to have you walk beside me.

Along this bendy little road I'm ambling on, I'm taking plenty of stops along the way to observe the trees swaying and the people passing. Therefore, this path may take me a while, but I'm working on it.

Spring is upon us, time to awake from hibernation!
Adoringly,
Yours