Check out my ‘freedom run’ with a little buddy over Here!
Category: Spring
Renewal
Join me at the new blog for today’s post, a few images of Nature’s Renewal We may have lost a lot of things we counted on in recent years, but Nature never falters in its attempt to move forward.
Happy Monday everyone.
In Another Dream
Somehow in this life, this dream, I have challenged myself to function in a most analytical arena, stretching my powers of detailed memory and patience, compassion and tolerance often to the edge of snapping. I love good communication with my fellow humans; however a work environment leaves little time or condusence to pleasant, equal exchange and yet I must communicate all day long. By the time I get home I long to slip out of my work scrubs, slip into comfy clothes, make a drink and sit outside. That is where my truest connections seem to be.
The world beyond our ordinary scope of viewing is vast, fascinating and ever changing. Most people aren’t aware of the precesses going on above, below and around them as they sleep walk through so many of their life moments.
I could bemoan the fact that, if only I’d waited a bit longer before making some of my life choices, I might have chosen a different path. An entimologist? Ornothologist? Veterinarian? The truth is that, although the world of Science and Nature fascinates me, along with all the interesting facts and discoveries that are made daily; I would be bored in a labarotory doing calculations, looking into microscopes and possibly seeing things that would make me sad.
What I really love is just observing the small things that show up whenever I feel down, when beauty seems elusive and my heart is heavy. Just watching how they seem to delight in their work that goes on each and every moment for the survival of their, as well as our, species eases my weary soul.
Have a look through the lens and see what I see….
“What a beautiful flower,” she said as she passed by.
A world of wonder when viewed with a keen eye.
We could take a cue from our little friends
about the nature of cohabitation, cooperation
and sharing.
Unless I get too close!
My faery friends have been slow to show themselves but we have had some interesting moths lately. Many I have never seen before.
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating.
Take a moment to look beyond what you expect to see. Open your heart and soul to the connectedness of the All That Is. Think about being social with a different kind of network.
They were here first..
This post is part of Linda Hill’s #SoCS prompt. Visit her blog for links to more great prompts and meet some fine bloggers.
For some lessons on good social behavior you should pop over to the bar and chat with Dan of No Facilities.
Happy Free 48!
Appointment Only…#ThursdayDoors
Last weekend included a Saturday excursion to Marrietta for the weekly Farmer’s/Artisans’ Market. I always love these events although one never knows if there will be anything worth picking up. This one seemed fairly diverse with some fresh produce, although not quite what we had hoped for.
There were some unique artisans with booths and I picked up a nice block of natural beeswax at the Beekeepers kiosk. I have a grand vision of making some natural waxed cloths for food wrapping and storage. I have a sheet or two I purchased at quite an extravagent price, so wanted to try my hand at and making a couple for myself. Wish me luck! I also picked up a cute little natural beeswax candle. Next time, we’ll try some of their honey! Oh! I also got a small jar of bee pollen. I started taking it some years back since it is purported to help build up one’s immunity to the local flora and lessen allergic reactions but I fell off after a short while.. Stay tuned….
For once, I did the Dan thing and looked for doors. I know we could have found more but the weather was whipping up a bit and our stomachs were growling by the time we left the market and headed down the sidewalks of the market area. This place didn’t help the hunger issue at all….
Oh goodie! A Cakery! Wait…
It was closed…..but…but…
Tasting by appointment? Why? If your cake is so special, why do you not want to share it with the whole world? Brides with money get everything. Oh bother…guess I’ll have to go and make a honey cake..
One thing about this city…there are as many churches as banks! And they are often next door to each other. 🙊Honestly, there are some beautiful church buildings. Here is just one of the half dozen we found in two blocks.
Yeah, there were some cool doors but there was a car or two blocking every view.
Meanwhile, check out this uber cool steel wine container artisan stall at the market. There was some really unique stuff there! And I got two prints of originals by a very talented artist there. Her work is simply amazing.
Happy ‘Almost Friday’. I don’t know about you guys, but I worked for this weekend. I also want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful ladies out there. Each and every one of you is special. 💕
After the rain…
The itsy bitsy spider….
😳
Is a monster in macro! 😱
After weeks and weeks of rain and fickle temperatures, we finally saw a beautiful, mild, sunny day-and just in time for Easter. Everything is flourishing and blooming, both outside…
And in!
And they were tasty too! White cake with Orange Cream Cheese frosting. I hope everyone had a relaxing, peaceful and fun Easter holiday. I have been uber busy with work and didn’t get to post last week and I missed you all! I hope Spring has found its way into all your lives by now.
The cleanup crew
Just what makes that little ‘ole ant….
wait…
Hey guys! Are you sleeping on the job!? WAKE UP!!!
If I gotta go, you gotta go….hi ho, hi ho, hi ho…
In the Garden #SoCS
When the noise of existing
becomes so loud that the
cry of my soul is muted
and the tears I shed
wash over my heart
as the anchor of despair
pulls me beneath
a sea of dark sorrow,
I remember why I came
to this spinning orb,
Wonderland of diversity-
the challenge of survival
a prime directive.
When all that remains is
living, my need slips into
perspective once more
as Illusion slinks into
the shadows of desire.
Sunlight tingles my skin,
a cool breeze kisses my face
as all of Existence whispers
to my weary being,
”Breathe, rest your mind
and join us in celebration
of this brilliant moment.
Time vanishes when
life is measured in
glorious being.
Can you see it?
Can you hear it?
Can you feel the
drumming of
Nature’s heartbeat?”
I can. I do. And all pain
melts into a river of
the Forgotten once more.
Go outside today. Open your eyes. Your ears.
be silent and wait.
Allow yourself to be healed.
Don’t just pay lip service to relaxation and rejuvenation.
Have a truly #Free48!
Thanks to Linda Hill’s #SoCS prompt ‘lip’. Visit her place for other great posts and read about this and other fun blog prompts on her site.
And if you had bad service as a consumer this week, check out Dan’s bar post for this week. Customer Service is alive and well in Hartford!
The Soul of Spring #SoCS
In these very troubled days for our world, life has become a roller coaster of emotions for many people, even those who perhaps don’t acknowledge such things. Depression, mood swings, panic attacks and listlessness are all signs of discomfort of the heart, mind and soul.
This prolonged Winter, along with its erratic weather patterns and anomolies, haven’t helped the situation much. We, as a species, are a contradiction of emotions and desires. While we love the freedom to explore at will and throw caution to the wind for a thrill when we choose, we also love and need constancy in our often fragile existence.
Things like the sun rising each day, our feet staying planted firmly on the ground, and the seasons changing on time are touchstones for the human psyche.
Besides the health benefits of sunlight each day, our souls thrive in the light. Studies have shown the negative effects that light deprivation have on both physical and mental health. This has been a long and trying dormant season for so many people. Even though we aren’t buried in snow here, there have been too many gray and gloomy cold days for this human’s soul.
Hope reigns supreme, however, as Ms. spring is trying to stretch her stiff and frozen fingers, stretching towards the light for energy and inspiration. I see glimpses of her smile.
Too many might not even see these tiny wild violets and tread upon their faces
I see their magnificence and want to peer into their hearts
Her sole purpose is to renew this world, to work her magic over the dead, brown earth and paint the landscape with beauty and color once more.
I know she’s near
so do not fear…
Perhaps her soul is weary
at the thought of what’s to come…
If the human’s don’t remember
where their sustenance comes from.
If every hair on every head
is numbered, as is said,
why is wisdom blind
and we can’t even find
a common ground?
No wonder She is timid, slow to come.
But come, she will, for Nature does not fail.
Her soul knows joy in Creation,
love of life, her sole motivation
and we should be ever thankful
for her grace- her place
within the dream.
As for me, I am heading into the #Free48 with my soul full of hope and my sole reason for getting up to find and appreciate the beauty in this world. Maybe do a bit of my own creating too. 😉
Oh, and maybe to find some good food and a nice brew.
As always, thanks #Wahlburger’s at The Battery.
This post brought to you by Linda Hill. Her #SoCS prompt for today was soul/sole. Check out her blog for all the great prompts and posts from other bloggers there.
And if you need a cold brew and some techno talk, join Dan A of No Facilities. But, be warned, the good bartender is off today. 😏
Metamorphosis #poetry #photography
Stretching her stiff, numb fingers
towards the pale, new light
Spring stretches
and yawns
lovingly lifts her
paintbrush,
and brings the canvas
to life once more.
(We forgive you for oversleeping. 😉)
Look Closely/#photography
As we hustle through life, often barely acknowledging the things that come and go in our daily vistas, it would bode well for us to make an effort to stop and peer into the face of the familiar often ordinary seeming wonders of this world. The things that are constnt and yet so often overlooked could disappear tomorrow, never to be seen again. What grandeur would we miss then!
See Me
Hello there.
Perhaps you think me plain
and every Spring I seem the same,
a lowly blossom in the grasses
not as grand as other lasses-
Rose, Camelia, Gardenia, Rhodedendron, Lily!
How I pale before their light.
But if you come a little nearer
and peer into my face…
In a moment I can erase
all sorrow,
you can borrow
my peace
and in its place
leave your burdens here.
Just a closer look, you see,
and everything-not only me,
will reveal the magic that abounds
in each miracle that surrounds
you.
Take the time to see
the beauty that is me,
Each shadowed line
and crease defines
the one
I have become.
No more,
no less-
Heaven bless
our hearts
that beat with hope
as our minds grope
for lucid thought
in a world so fraught
with desintegration.
I see you,
beautiful and perfect.
Cheryl KP copyright words and images 2019
With Spring finally rousing herself from deep slumber, I am inspired to use my macro lens, even if it is just the one for my phone. Someday, perhaps, I can afford the luxury of a macro lens for my camera. Every time I try to buy one, the techs at the camera shop talk me out of it. 🤔
Happy #Free48 everyone!
Pardon Me Boy…
Well, we never saw the Chattanooga Choo Choo. In fact we didn’t even get to the train “museum” on our recent visit to the lovely little city of Chattanooga, for online research revealed the museum was not your typical garden variety museum. No, it is only a participatory museum, meaning that if you aren’t prepared to pay for one of the scheduled train journeys, you will be missing the history lesson.
I will admit the various train adventures look fun, but I was disappointed there was no museum, historically, to speak of. But…I digress.
If you want to schedule a rolling tour or just a really fun day of seeing some of the beautiful countryside, see the schedules and details Here
We did, however, find a great hotel room with a terrific view of downtown Chattanooga with easy access to the venues there, including everything from the AT&T stadium to the Tennessee Aquarium and much more.
The first thing we did was to drop off our bags and go out for food. We weren’t disappointed choosing Big River Grille and Brewing Pub. The menu is quite extensive, which can be a caution signal in many cases; but in this instance both of us were very pleased with our choices. Hubby loved his Mango Habanero Chicken, and I finally found a pizza I could sink my teeth into. The craft beers were great and well worth the very reasonable prices. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and hope to return there on our next trip.
Simple but delicious Pepperoni Pizza. So hard to get a good pie these days
Craft beers. Mine was a Stout Porter, aged in whiskey barrels. It was a roller coaster od wonderful flavors!
This room was perfectly located
View downhill from the Bluff Art district
Mango Habanero Chicken was a hit for Hubby
The Aquarium is to the right
View from our balcony
Ahhhhhh….away from home
And then there was coffee and dessert. The ‘short walk’ turned out to be a bit farther than we thought, braced against a 30 degree temperature with intermittent drizzle; but Rembrandt’s was the most recommended coffee house in the area, so we did our part as brave tourists and made the uphill climb to the Bluff Art District to check it out. Except for mediocre service, we loved the place. The coffee and Hubby’s eclair were really good. We were so ready for something hot once we finally made it. On the way up we stopped to walk onto the infamous walking bridge. It has a sad history causing many Chattanooga residents to avoid it altogether, but the view is beautiful.
The walking bridge
View downhill from the Bluff Art district
Mocha cafe and a walnut brownie were my choices. Above top photo is hubby’s Chocolate Chocolate eclair.
We actually spent the rest of our evening curled up in the room, warm and cozy, enjoying the view and staying dry. My original hope was to get to Lookout Mountain/Ruby Falls or to Rock City on the way home.
Sadly, the sun on Monday arrived late, leaving things damp and cold still, so we settled on a visit to the Aquarium, just across the street from our hotel. First, though, we went in search of breakfast. That led us to a nice venue called Pucket’s, a bar and grill that, when not serving up dinner and music, makes a pretty decent breakfast and nice cup of coffee. We loved the coffee cup so much we had to buy one to bring home! The restaurant has a train theme and great doors, so look out Thursday, here I come!
Meanwhile….
It was defenitely tasty!
And I found a buddy outside the Mellow Mushroom on our walk.
Okay, okay, the main event! The Tennessee Aquarium, though not as extensive as one might think, was well put together, with a friendly staff and all the habitats very beautiful and well kept. I particularly liked that the local freshwater wildlife was well represented. My favorites? Oh, besides the turtles, of course! The butterfly garden and the penguins are wonderful! So adorable. Here are a few shots from our visit.
Why do I feel I’m just getting nowhere?
Oh dear, maybe we should have spiffed up for guests..
Hellooooo….wanna come in for a little swim?
I also wanted to visit the Hunter museum but it was just a bit late for the three building adventure. Maybe next time. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the beautiful sculptures that are in front of the museum which is located high above the Tennessee River and houses works from key American artists. I’m already eager to go back! Thanks Chattanooga!
The Hunter Museum
This sculpture dating back to the early 1900’s was one of half a dozen placed around the museum.
This? Oh just a gratuitous crane (of sorts) for my friend Dan. Happy Wednesday!
Dreaming Reality 
You must be logged in to post a comment.