Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

Happy December!

for my ears

Even though we have scaled back with the decorating inside (big time), there are still those traditions that carry on. Bringing out "Tinker" is one of those traditions and one that my children have continued in their own homes which I love! In their homes, they have Mr. Sparkles and Thomas.

 We've had Tinker since the 80's (long before  Elf-on-the-Shelf ) but this is the first December 1st that he arrived wearing a mask! How 2020 ;-D  We will be listening out for his quirky movements this month.

for my eyes

Our kissing ball that hangs from a chandelier. I made this years ago out of cotton rosettes with holly and berries and pinecones.

for my mouth

I know I have shared this before, but I made it again the other day and it is so delicious, and warming and satisfying. Quick to make - ready in a half an hour. Red lentils*garlic*celery*potatoes* onions*tomato paste*vegetable stock* ... the sprinkling of fresh lemon juice makes all the flavours pop!

 for my feet

"When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf

~Wendell Berry~ 

for my hands

Well ... my hands have been very busy. They will be covered in glue, glitter and paint most days leading up to the 25th ... and I love it! 

 This is the time when my Sparrow studio shares space with Mrs. Claus :-) I've been creating little paper mache animals * paper clay snowmen * seed packages with seeds from the garden * paintings * ... something special for all the people I love xx

for my soul

I love this interpretation of a Prayer.

"What is a prayer? Prayer doesn't only happen when we kneel or put our hands together and focus and expect things from God. Thinking positive and wishing good for others is a prayer. When you hug a friend. That's a prayer. When you cook something to nourish family and friends. That's a prayer. When we send off our near and dear ones and say, 'drive safely' or 'be safe'. That's a prayer. When you are helping someone in need by giving your time and energy. You are praying. When you forgive someone, that is prayer. Prayer is a vibration. A feeling. A thought. Prayer is the voice of  love, friendship, genuine relationships. Prayer is an expression of your silent being. Keep praying, always ..."

~The Minds Journal~
 

Hello December ...

The loveliest way to welcome in the month of December ... waking to snow ... lots and lots of gorgeous snow. It's been falling softly since I awoke early this morning and now, mid afternoon, it is still coming down!

let it snow * let it snow* let it snow

Archer and I had our morning walk, then filled up all the bird feeders, brushed away some snow (not too much) ;-) and then I made a little snowperson. Making a snowman on the first big snowfall has always been one of our family traditions. I remember looking out the kitchen window as I made hot chocolates, watching my children rolling balls of snow in the garden, a faithful black labrador retriever following their every move, and laughter being heard through the windows ...

Once it stops snowing, I will take the camera outside and take a picture of my little snowperson... she is pretty cute!

This is Teddy. He's like me and wakes up early :-) so he's the first to be fed and can enjoy his breakfast with no worries of the others trying to take it from him.

Window seat Winter wonderland... drinking tea and taking in all this beauty!

"We need beauty

because it makes us ache

to be worthy of it"

~Mary Oliver~

Happy December

d xo

 

Happy are the painters ...

~english robin~ 

"Happy are the painters for they shall not be lonely.

Light and color, peace and hope will keep them company to the end,

or almost to the end, of the day"

~Winston Churchill~ 

~keep your eye on the prize~

I love this quote by Winston Churchill. Surrounded by paints and brushes and sheets of paper, blank wrapped canvas's just waiting for me... to keep me company.

This time each year, Sparrow Studio doubles up as Mrs. Claus's Workshop :-) so along with paints, I have wooden blocks waiting to be stenciled , grapevine that will be twisted into wreaths, paper mache snowmen needing little faces and hooks to hang from, knitting needles holding stitches, needle punch sitting in hoops, a bowl of gathered seeds from the garden waiting to be slipped into seed packages just to name a few things. Gestures of love for family & friends.  I also have some wonderful Hallmark Christmas movies taped to watch as I create.  

Happy Saturday

d x

 

Paper Mache ...

How could torn up newspaper, masking tape, and a bowl of flour and water make someone smile the entire time?

Watching this little hare come to life did just that for me!

Now that "Harriet" has been painted and sealed and has a little hook on the back, 

she will be hanging around Sparrow Studio, keeping me company & making me smile! 

 With a little crown of dried artemisia from our garden, she has quite the personality & I am totally and completely smitten with her!

~Happy Friday~

d x

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

Poppy

for my soul

Remembering

(November 11th) and forever Thankful and Grateful

to our veterans who knew the meaning of sacrifice

for my hands

Journaling

Starting my day with tea, candles and my journal. Jotting down my thoughts for the day.

"Reflecting on our day we find what is sacred.

Through our senses the spirit speaks.

Walking the path of life we tread on holy ground.

Ordinary everyday events and things radiate the divine"

~Sr. Stan~ 

for my feet

We have been experiencing exceptionally gorgeous weather and have been taking full advantage of it!

Biking as much as possible taking in the weather  and gorgeous scenery. 

"Maybe the journey isn't so much about becoming anything.

Maybe it's about un-becoming everything that isn't really you,

so you can be who you were meant to be

in the first place"

~Paul Coelho~ 

for my mouth

Made a dozen delicious dinner rolls. They were perfect this week for the black bean veggie burgers I made! 

I formed the patties a little bit smaller and turned them into sliders :-) 

"The elimination diet:

Remove anger, regret, resentment, guilt, blame and worry.

Then watch your health, and life, improve'

~Charles F Glassman~ 

 for my eyes

Gift from the Sea has always been one of my favourite books and I find myself taking it off the shelf and re-reading it often.  Here, it sits amongst my own "gifts from the Lake". 

"I want to live simply.

I want to sit by the window when it rains and read book I'll never be tested on.

I want to paint because I want to, not because I've got something to prove.

I want to listen to my body, fall asleep when the moon is high

and wake up slowly, with no place to rush off to.

I want not to be governed by money or clocks or any of the artificial restraints

that humanity imposes on itself.

I just want to be, boundless and infinite"

~author unknown~

***

Happy Thursday

d x

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

"Here is an amazement- 

once I was twenty years old and in every motion of my body there was a delicious ease,

 and in every motion of the green earth there was a hint of paradise,

 and now I am sixty years old, and it is the same"

~Mary Oliver~

Happy Thursday... well, just like last Thursday's post, the photos are uploading in the opposite direction.   I deleted the first attempt and tried it again uploading in a different order and still it came through like this, so  going with the *flow* we will start backwards with Reflecting on the week :-) 

I adore the words of Mary Oliver and came across the above quote a few days ago which I *loved* Mary Oliver's words/quotes/stories resonate with me and I find myself jotting them down in my quote books so I can reflect on them.

Archer and I are home from our  lovely, slow, morning walk. We actually took a different route this morning and were greeted by a tree filled with sparrows happily chirping away, something I would have missed had we not changed things up a bit.

Walked around the garden to take some photos for today's Thankful post. The weather is gorgeous. Puffy quilted vest, warm knitted hat and turtleneck kept me toasty warm.  

for my soul

this book... I have read and loved it for many, many years. It's a perpetual date book which I especially love as you can pick it up daily, read the days story and quote, and then when the last page - December 31st is read, start the New Year again. Written by Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, it tells of the beautiful order of the seasons through mindful thoughts and meditations which speaks to my soul.

I picked the last of the Cosmos in the garden as I walked and gathered up *almost* all the seed. I will fill little glass tubes with the seeds from our garden to give to my daughter and daughter in law to sprinkle in their own gardens {a little bit of home for their home}

"For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone.

The shell cracks and everything changes.

To someone who doesn't understand growth,

it would look like complete destruction"

~Cynthia Occelli~ 

for my hands

one of my needle punch creations, a whimsical little pumpkin and the Scarecrow I painted years ago.

They make me smile when I walk up to the front door ;-)

for my feet

a walk around the garden fills me with thankfulness and gratitude.

My sanctuary. Cooper's Hawk was visiting earlier in the week sitting on the fence behind the cedars!

 The colours are so magnificent this time of the year when my garden is dressed in all my favourite hues.

The flowering pear in my meditation space. It's sweet branches hang over my head and it feels like a little cocoon. 

honeysuckle vine cover the arbours

and our pergola

for my mouth

bowls of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter

Bananas, red Gala apples & pears. Tonight's supper is roasted vegetable lasagna and I will use a few of the apples and pears in a cobbler with vanilla  custard for desert.

"The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music.

It is needful to have the instrument in good order"

~Henry Ward Beecher~

for my eyes

spotted this sweet tiny leaf atop of a very large honeysuckle leaf

for my ears

a sweet little grey squirrel was sitting on the edge of one of our birdbaths taking a drink of water.

He made me smile as he balanced the very large walnut in his mouth keeping his eyes on Archer and I as he drank just in case we may have wanted it! 

The trees have dropped their leaves into all the bird baths and while it looks very pretty, now that squirrel has moved on , I will tip it over  and refill with some nice fresh water.

 happy Thursday blessings

d x

that lived* that loved* that liked* that looked with cheer ...

I save my brushes.

The worn and bent, twisted out of shape bristles.

Not only do they create the most gorgeous brush markings (especially wonderful for creating fur strokes), but each one holds a story. From the finest, most delicate  to the big chunky brushes that I use when painting on a large canvas, each one is filled with memories.

that lived * that loved* that liked * that looked with cheer look

My studio companions all pilled up in a wooden caddy (with a heart shape in the holder.... of course)

Years and years of  holding on to my paint and stories ,,, Thank you!

"Looking behind I am filled with gratitude.

Looking forward I am filled with vision.

Looking up I am filled with strength.

Looking within I discover peace"

~Q'ero Tribe~ 

 "Creation is a need,

a call to the life of ideas"

~Mary Kerr~

***

happy Monday

x d