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

Thankful {things I love} Thursday

 Photos have uploaded in a different order than  expected :-) but then again ... 2020 has been like that!

When I tried to put them in the normal (is that even a word anymore?)  order that I usually do, they deleted... so will keep things the way they are.

for my soul

candle light ~ always , in all 4 seasons but especially lovely and soothing and comforting to my soul in the  Autumn &Winter .

From the moment I wake, I light candles. When it is still pitch black outside I sit with my tea and candle light and gently ease into my day. 

"The only people for me are the mad ones:

the ones who are mad to live, 

mad to talk,

mad to be saved,

desirous of everything at the same time,

the ones who ... burn ,burn ,burn,

like fabulous yellow Roman candles.

Maybe that's what life is ... a wink of the eye

and winking stars"

~Jack Kerouac~

for my hands

I've been gathering up so many beautiful leaves from my garden and in absolute awe at the beauty and colour variations in each. Our maple tree leaves our front yard in a blanket of red/yellow/gold and green. In the back garden, it's filled with pussy willow, honeysuckle and trumpet vine leaves.

I picked up 2 of the biggest leaves I could find and painted an Owl on one and a Sparrow on the other.

People often ask me "What do you paint on?" and I always reply "anything ... if you stand still long enough, I will paint you!"

"Some people hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door,

mine says "Already Disturbed, proceed with caution"

... I stumbled across these words, not sure who wrote them, but I would love to meet them! ;-) 

for my feet

always grateful for the many walking paths/trails nearby. Each day brings a new walking adventure.

"She craves adventure in life,

but anyone that meets her knows

she is an adventure

all by herself"

~j.iron word~

for my mouth

a favourite and easy to prepare dinner , perfect when you have been out walking.

Couscous * fresh, raw vegetables (such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes) * raisins * walnuts and a homemade dressing of oil/freshly squeezed lemon/ turmeric/ freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of honey. 

"Health in the body.

Peace in the spirit.

Love in the heart.

Clarity in the mind"

~Unknown~

for my ears

it's been a very rainy week and most of our walks have been in the rain.

Even when we waited for the rain to stop, it usually started up again mid-walk.

Thankfully, Archer and I love the rain (and walking) and the sound of the rain trickling through the branches of the trees is music to our ears.

"The mountains are my bones.

The rivers my veins.

The forests are my thoughts

and the stars are my dreams.

The ocean is my heart

it's pounding is my pulse.

The songs of the earth

write the music of my soul"

~Unknown~

for my soul

looking up - always-for this beauty which speaks to my soul

"I hope you're as smitten with the moon as I am.

The silence and serenity and wild mystery it demonstrates all at once.

We don't always have to talk or explain or do to be radiant.

There is power in the subtleties"

~Victoria Erickson~

happy thursday

d xx

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

for my ears

the sound of very happy hooves

I think someone may have been showing off :-)

for my eyes

taking in all the changes of the season ~ the colours and shapes and textures ... the unimaginable beauty of nature xx 

"Keep some room in your heart for the Unimaginable"

~Mary Oliver~

for my mouth

This is the red lentil soup I mentioned two posts back and it was so yummy that I made it again a few days later!  The recipe called for 2 Tbsps of tomato paste, so I used that as my "excuse" for making it again ... I mean, I couldn't let the paste go to waste :-D  Recipe is from two kooks in the kitchen - how fabulous is that name?! 

I love to bake and biscuits are one of my favourites . I could have used my new food processor for the biscuits, but there are some things I still like to do the "old fashioned way" and making biscuits is one of them. Wild blueberry cobbler.

for my feet

one of those "somewhere only we know" places - this spot holds so many wonderful memories. Wide open space to walk leash free, where there have been deer and owl spotting ~ bliss.

for my hands

always thankful for my connection with nature. A few peanuts in my pocket "just in case" a little chippy crosses paths with me ... I wouldn't want to disappoint.

"Release all energies and emotions that are not yours to carry" 

 for my soul

I came across an oldie of Archer with his shiny, jet black fur. We were in the backyard and he picked up one of the fallen honeysuckle leaves and brought it to me. Yes, he's my dog!!

happy Thursday

d xx

If I paint a wild horse ...

"If I paint a wild horse, 

you might not see the horse ... 

but surely

 you will see 

the wildness

~Pablo Picasso~

It's been all about horses - particularly wild horses that have been on my mind & art table lately.

In the past, I think I've painted a half dozen horses. I remember being filled with such joy seeing the wild horses in England and their wild knotted manes , the look of pure contentment in their eyes and absolutely no fear of the cars that drove beside them. Such a sense of being! Perhaps I'm channeling those emotions when I paint, for all their manes are wild! 

this is Sadie and this is her story, written  underneath all the paint 

Sadie

Sweet Sadie

like an angel on this Earth

Won't let anyone tame that wild spirit

her gift since birth

You can't conquer

a heart like hers

One that has the unsettled gene

who leaves the moment it stirs

You won't tame her

don't even try

She will leave so quickly

you'd swear she could fly

She loves her freedom

is only one with the land

A lover of the soil

and dry, soft sand

~deb dunn~ 

Shiloh

An older horse, Shiloh is well traveled. While painting Shiloh, I thought about all the amazing Muskoka views taken in over the years driving to the cottage. Always beautiful, but especially so this time of year with the changing leaves. 

Shiloh

She's a well traveled girl

knows the paths so well

There's a look in her eyes

Oh, the stories they could tell

Having walked through the hills

grassy fields and lakes

Through the joy of the journey

she has what it takes

And she'll explore the unknown

for as long as she can

She's a solo traveler

her mane is her wind span

~deb dunn~ 

Much like the mythical winged horse Pegasus. Shiloh & Sadie are travelers with wild, mystical manes.

 "Blame it or praise it,

there is no denying the wild horse in us"

~Virginia Woolf~

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

for my ears

the sound of soothing water

{and happy, happy birds splashing about}

for my eyes 

the colours of the leaves are changing ... oh what a glorious sight they are! 

 for my soul

early morning walks and fog

walking gently on the Earth

for my mouth

I treated myself to a food processor a couple of weeks ago. A sale was on and after years and years of chopping (which I actually enjoy), I decided to finally purchase one.

I love making soups and plan on eating lots of them through Autumn and Winter. Tonight's is going to be red lentil which I haven't made before and looking forward to tasting. I've already made the bread (brown bread with cornmeal and molasses) for dipping! 

for my hands

a pocket full of peanuts for the squirrels and chipmunks.

I had quite the giggle a few days ago. Archer and I were walking along quietly and slowly when out of the corner of my eye I spotted what I thought was a skunk digging for grubs.  Archer is deaf and his sight isn't the best but the two of us manage to communicate. I will stroke his face to get his attention & I certainly wanted his attention :-)

As we crossed the street, I realized that it was in fact a squirrel ... one with a leaf on it's back!!! 

for my feet

this gorgeous bridge, the view of the lake on one side, woods on the other

black capped chickadees that will feed from your hands * swans, ducks and geese * squirrels and chipmunks galore. It is a little slice of heaven at my feet.

happy October!

d xx