“Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.”
― John O'Donohue
For the first time in many years my time, for the most part, is my own. Suddenly there are hours open to feed my curiosity and wake up my awareness. Hours that I can use to explore what brings me joy. I like the idea that I am the artist of my days and wonder just what I might discover if I can remember to put this into practice.
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I don't ask for the sights in front of me to change, only the depth of my seeing.
-Mary Oliver
The options in the flower garden are limited, as blooms fade and fall arrives. So it is up to me to look deeper, move around, change perspective or focus, and notice the blooms with fresh eyes. In the process I am reminded to take time to look at life in much the same way. Chasing the light and focus just might help bring me closer to an awaking, binging with it clarity and joy, helping me to understanding that I just might be on the right path.
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“This curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
Spiderwebs, sunshine, and fallen leaves ~ all three admired and enjoyed. Have I mentions autumn is my favorite season? I hope you find something to admire and enjoy today.
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“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
There are days where I wake up a bit foggy. I use to fight this somewhat fussy morning perception, by getting frustrated and upset and…. a bit worried. But lately I am able to just let the fog lift on its own by acknowledging it without a fight. I have discovered that if I don’t fight it, but instead give it the attention it deserves, I can often find tiny gifts, reminders to take note of something beautiful, around me, helping me to see it with unhampered eyes
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“On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels. “
- Charles Dickins
Autumn teases us with its cool nights, while the apples send out their tantalizing scent come mid-day, reminding me that applesauce season is upon us.
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“It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are still alive.
There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger for them.”
― George Eliot
I start most of my days in my garden, often in my morning clothes, my latte in hand. Most days the dog comes with me, nose in the air, making sure the yard is free of unwanted critters that he might need to chaise. I stroll excited to see what unfolded overnight. I do an inventory of the bird baths, which will tell me if I need to water now or if it can wait until evening. The garden is never the same, roses unfold as leaves turn color, and I hunger for what I might find.
By the time September rolls around I am more than ready to but the garden to bed. We will get a load of compost in a few weeks and he will turn it into the vegetable beds to break down over the winter. I will dig the dahlia tubers and tuck them into the garage, crossing my fingers they will survive.
As our climate changes I have had to learn to give and take from my gardens. Leaning new tricks and ways to make things flourish.
For there are certain things I feel to be beautiful and good and I hunger for them.
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As long as you make an identity for yourself out of pain, you cannot be free of it.”
— Eckhart Tolle
Male house finch, September 2025 - In the back yard
If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you no doubt have found it a bit depressing at times. For years depression was at the forefront of the images I took. I needed some daily beauty to lift me out of the hole I wallowed in. Luckily my camera fit the bill. It helped to switch off the hopelessness I often felt, replacing it with creative curiosity.
I have come to understand that if we live long enough we are going to suffer pain. A good life, a life well lived, is not always blissful or beautiful, but rather sprinkled with questions, obstacles, fear, uncertainty, pain and bad decisions. The only way to get through unscathed, is to do nothing. To just close your self off and wait. I have tried that, along with too many other things that I won’t mention here. But somewhere in the middle of all that searching for a cure I have come to understand I must embrace both the good and the bad, for we don’t measure a life worth living by comparing our suffering and joy.
For some reason I landed here some 15 years ago, and am still here, with no intention of stopping, for I see the work is not a done deal. But let’s just say I see things a little differently today. Relishing in the fact that I am still around to grumble and have a say about my life is a gift. One I don’t intend to take for granted any longer.
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