"She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom."
— Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter)
I just finished read Alice Hoffman’s latest novel . It is full of all the good things she does so well: beautiful words and sentences, strong characters, and a bit of magic. Now I will need to re-read The Scarlet Letter.
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
― Roald Dahl
I walk daily in my garden searching for hidden secrets that have yet to reveal themselves. Somedays I am successful, but lately it has become more and more difficult to find the secrets I ache for.
Wonder what I will do about this?
"You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it."
~ Elisabeth Gilbert
This will always be the August where I found joy again. The August where I allowed myself to do things that brought me happiness, without doubt or guilt. The August where I figured out how to allow myself to live life.
The tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness.
~ Pablo Neruda
It is the best tomato season in years, and I eat them at every meal. Sliced on toast in the morning, pizza one night, and a tomato and corn galette the next. But they are best eaten warmed by the sun, out of my hand, in the garden.
“There is no explaining this simple truth about life: you will forget much of it.”
― Ann Patchett, Tom Lake
I have traveled to the four corners or our beautiful state this summer. Dipping down to the Oregon coast for a few days and even into Idaho for a bit. In these travels I have reconnected with family and old friends, bringing them back into the fold of my tiny world.
In each of these places I have also found bits and pieces of myself. Bits and pieces that I had forgotten, or buried deep because the pain was too hard to bear. Some I had just given up on, or simply lost somewhere along the way. Memories of every age I have been, along with every stage of my life, float around now in my soul.
These photos were taken on our last trip of the summer as we drove home from Eastern Washington where we both grew up. Some were taken out the passenger window as the car traveled 70 MPH. Some were taken at a rest stop along the Columbia River, where I was too “rattled” by the snake sign to meander through the paths. I am okay with that, as I have learned, with no apology, that I am not a snake person.