Word Magic

 This week's word is Adventure.

Adventure is a favorite word of mine. I do love an adventure. Personally I am just not happy when I don't have an adventure planned for the future.

 This first picture is an adventure I take once or twice a year to visit my favorite historic apple orchard on an island not to far from where I live. Most often I take tea and sit right here.

The definition of Adventure is "an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. a book recounting his many bold adventures. : the encountering of risks. the spirit of adventure. : an exciting or remarkable experience." Merriam-Webster

                   There is always a couple adventures to the sea each year.

 

                                Or just a drive down a country road to new horizons.
 

I guess I never thought about an adventure having to be "involving danger and unknown risks". For me is just going somewhere out of the ordinary in my day. Sometimes it is an adventure just to go to a new part of town, a new market or flower shop; but sometimes it is white water rafting with my grandson or zip-lining in the rain forests of Thailand. I absolutely love it all.

                     A found old barn deteriorating in the country side delights my adventure.

 

                                   Visiting foreign locations sings to my heart.

As a girl I was often seeking adventures on my bicycle to new parts of town or swinging from branches in a tall tree. I was a bit of a daring young girl. My mother just looked the other way, which she often did. 

Wednesday I am hopping a plane for California for a few days, then home for a day, and then on another adventure north to the Canadian border. I will be sitting right here under that umbrella for awhile. There will be several adventures and taking a two week break here. I will share when I return.

                                        There may be a new trail to explore.

 

              No rafting is planned, but had to put a picture in of a little "danger and risk".

In the meantime, enjoy some adventuring for yourself. Discover something new.

Hugs to you all!  marilyn

What Makes Your Morning Magical?

Most morning quite early I walk in my garden in my pajamas and robe. All the pictures in this post were snapped in just that manner. There is something so magical to me in walking, noticing, and snapping a picture when the dew is still on the grass and the birds are chirping "good morning" to the world.

The daffodils are almost finished, but this morning I loved still finding a few vibrant blooms.

 

The plum tree is beginning to bloom and I am dreaming of fresh fruit later this summer.

Magically the blooms had a visitor, smiling! I posted this picture on Facebook and had two think it was a most unusual butterfly. I was playing with the magic of imagination. I can only dream a real butterfly will visit me soon. I watch for them, but none have arrived for quite awhile. Butterflies are magic to me.

But I do have hummingbirds all year long, just outside my window. As I sip my morning tea I watch them come to the feeder. They never disappoint.

 So for me my morning magic is:

A chat with my cat

A warm cup of tea

A little reading

A hummingbird visiting

A song and a prayer

 I hope your mornings are magical too.

What speaks to you of magic?

Have a terrific weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

 meraki is the word today.

It means to do something from our soul, to put our heart into it. Example: That is a beautiful piece of art, you can tell the artist did it with meraki.

My "live-in gardener" carves one Santa for our grandson every year for Christmas. He put many hours and his heart into each carving. Can you see the heart in Santa's hands? He was bringing it to give to our D.

In my home town in California I have shared before some of the metal sculptures. One man that lived in the neighborhood wanted to recycle metal scraps and started decorating his neighborhood with the sculptures. Now it is a tourist attraction and I have heard the best street in town to go "trick-or-treating" on Halloween.

The more I think about this word "meraki" I think of those that make a beautiful bouquet or cook an amazing meal or bake a spectacular cake or grow a garden in a beautiful way. In so many ways different ones put their whole heart and soul in the beauty that surrounds us.

 

Could it be in the way a photographer lines up and snaps a picture? First of all, the photographer had to notice the subject of the picture, then treasure it enough to snap.

Or makes a special birthday cake.

Or creates a clever piece of art.

Or even builds a bridge when there were skeptics and lives lost in the doing so.

 

Creating a beautiful garden can be from the heart too.

A piece of art that decorated a garden for awhile here in Portland, just said to me it was from the heart and soul of the artist.

 

Even in relics from Egypt I see there was soul put into those faces.

The best part of this word to me is that we notice the meraki (the heart and soul) that surrounds us. As I continue to think about this word the more becomes clear. Creation in many forms comes from this beautiful word or from the heart and soul of the creator. 

Have a terrific week, dear friends!

And Notice what you Notice.

An Adventure to the Sea

 

Soft shades of brown and blue

While listening to over the rainbow

I listen to the silence with a cup of tea in hand

The waves roll in and welcome me

Dark figures walking by the sea

The birds glide in the breezes and catch the wind

The black dog scampers by with the freedom of wide expanses

A winter sea, a time with friends is nourishment for the soul

It delights me

The power of the sea astonishes me.

Walking, savoring the day with dear friends is precious.

Noticing what they notice, what I notice brings pleasure to my heart.

 

And the sun passes by on another day quite silently.

It dips below the sea and I sleep.

Words written in my journal not so long ago.

 

Do you enjoy walking by the sea?

Listening as the waves roll in and out, tumbling over the sand and rocks?

Do you leave your footprints in the sand only to be washed away?

Do you notice the feather left by a bird flying by?

 

I am a girl of the sea and water.

I always have been.

So it soothes my soul and I smile whenever I can walk by the sea. 

 

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Hope you have a special adventure even if it is a walk in your own backyard.

Word Magic

The word for this week is Friend.

          Recently I have been going through old papers tucked here and there in my office/studio. I found that I had written this down in an old journal; so old I am not sure if it originally came from me or someone else. 

 Friend

A friend is one who listens,

hears the tremor in your voice,

the sadness in your heart and

the joy in your eyes.

A friend is one who calls just because

and says "I was thinking about you today".

 

The above picture is me with my friend, Annette.

She is a dear friend of almost 25 years.

Not the greatest picture of my friend, Annette, and Desmond and his dad; but they sat with other special, dear ones around my tea table just yesterday. We celebrate the good times as well as the difficult days with dear friends. This was a good day and much conversation and tea was imbibed.

Here is my friend, Stephanie. We met through blogging and tea. I have met many dear friends through my love of tea. The past year I have invited many tea friends to the garden house so we could enjoy friendship and tea together.

Below is my friend, Ann. We meet for tea whenever I happen to be traveling in her part of the world. Friends make the effort to share time together whether over a cup of tea or something more elaborate.

Here is my grandson on the left and his arm around a friend/cousin.

Even cousins or a family member can be a dear friend.

This is my favorite cousin. She is a dear friend to me.

I look forward to visiting her soon.

I had hoped to find a picture of Judy, but could not find one in my files.

My oldest friend is Judy. Judy's mom was leaving the hospital after having given birth to Judy and her twin brother when my mom was entering the hospital to give birth to me. About two years later we became neighbors and playmates. Even though I have not seen Judy in many years I still treasure her friendship with occasional notes and greetings and prayers. 

My best friends from high school.

I treasure these dear friends and many others, including you.

Embrace them, for they are a treasure.

 

Seeking Beauty

Recently I mentioned to my "live-in gardener" that the difference between us was that he looks for the quickest way to get somewhere and I look for the most beautiful way to get there. I love taking the road less traveled just to find the beauty or the art of the way. I love making the cards I send to friends just to share the beauty in the little things.

I visit the antique mall with my camera so I can enjoy the beauty.

 

 

Walks outdoors in the early morning when I snap a daily picture of the garden fills my heart with beauty and peace.

 

I look for the small things each and every day.

They delight my heart.

 

Recently I came across this quote and it just made me smile, it was me.

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”

― Helena Bonham Carter 

 

I remember when I was about high school age, I shared a bedroom with my sister. Her side of the room would be messy and she would be jealous because my side was pretty and neat. I had realized even then how important beauty was to me and so even a small vase of flowers touched my soul.

 

If I hadn't been paying attention or noticing what I notice I would have not seen Joey invite himself to tea. Even Joey notices something of beauty from a sniff of a flower to a lap of warm milk.

Easter is always a beautiful time for me as it includes sweet bunnies, chicks, new growth and flowers, and the laughter of children. May you be blessed with all of that and more this Easter.

 Have a special springtime weekend.

Word Magic

 

 

 A chair to sit and dream in, A place to remember, grateful for all the joys in life.

The word this week is Gratitude

 

To remember a place to stand in darkness,

A place to let the light shine

A place to look at the positives and strengths

A place to focus on what we have.

"Images of Life,

Open to possibilities

I am grateful for the mistakes

I make today 

They make me who I am." 

 Quote by Mother Frances

Grateful for the sun and rain for blossoms soon will appear.

It settles on our hearts today, a joy, a peacefulness in remembering to have Gratitude.

May you be blessed this week with thoughts of Gratitude.