November Reflections

Ah November!   when glorious Earth shouts a last hurrah! 

and beauty fades to a more tattered and well-worn form.

when whoosh!  leaves abandon trees

and the wind in a blustery whirl bites cheeks

I'll sit by the fire contemplating and dreaming of what is past and what is to come

and hope for life's miracles to reveal themselves.

Soon silence will have passed into legend.  Man has turned his back on silence.  Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation.

~Jean Arp

My Blogging Business Artisans team sets forth a new Challenge every month.  The purpose is to encourage us to explore our creativity, to stretch our imaginations.  Perhaps we are re-working something we've done in the past or still do.  Perhaps we're making something entirely new.  
It's always fun to see how others interpret the Challenge!

The Blogging Business Artisans team Challenge for the month of November was created by me.

November is a time of changes.  In much of the Northern Hemisphere, the weather turns colder and we begin to look inward.  Through your art, express what this means to you.

I am inspired by beauty in the world-- and relationships.  Instead of being specific, I am encouraging myself to reflect and letting my imagination run and my dreams percolate.  I am hoping for renewal of spirit and mind.

QUESTIONS:  
What inspires you?
What renews your spirit?
How do you reflect?

photos by me © 2009-2016   all rights reserved

metal

kitty on train in playground in Phoenix, Arizona 

part of the playground 

coming home to snowy Cincinnati after a December trip to (only a little bit warmer) Arizona

aaahhhh....nothing like a warm toasty fire on a cold Winter day!

all except #2 are iPhone photos. 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "M."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun! 



photos by me  © 2013     all rights reserved

a few fun Fs

frosty

January 2009

fiery

Christmas Day 2012

fragrant

 

My Meyer lemon plant is blooming again!  It recently produced 3 lemons!

festive

Earnest loves the Christmas lights by the front door.

fun

 

air plants! a favorite Christmas present from my son's girlfriend.

feline

Lying under the Christmas tree is a favorite activity for Oliver.  Biting the branches is even better!

frilly

Lately I've been knitting ruffled scarves.

Alphabe-Thursday is so much fun!  This week our letter is "F"  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!

 
photos by me © 2009 and 2012

Radomly Favorite Ms

Today I give you some favorites, chosen very randomly, all because they start with the letter M.  (very important as you'll see at the end of this post!)

MAGNOLIA  MACRO

In this Wintery part of the world, who isn't longing for Spring and its lovely, refreshing beauty?! 

SINT MAARTEN

sunset on the beach on a favorite island in the Caribbean.  Does it get any better than this?!

MEOW

All through the night, the kitties bring us their favorite toys.  All the while they softly chant, "meow...meow...meow...meow...meow...meow."

These yellow strips are a current favorite because they're new!  They arrived wrapped around boxes I received in the mail. 

MESMERIZING

mmmm

My friends Claire and Marc got married last August and held the reception at their farm.

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE. Come join in!  This week our letter is "M."



photos by me © 2010-2012    all rights reserved

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Come with me on a scavenger hunt!

abstract

Can you guess what this is?!  (above)

round 

fire 

seeing faces in unexpected/strange places

checking out the mirror--Oliver and

Earnest

stars 

photographed on a silk scarf I dyed

Come on over to Scavenger Hunt Sunday on Ashley Sisk's blog and see some wonderful, creative entries.  Link up, too!

I'm linking up with Artful Risings' It's a Wrap Party!  Come HERE and link up your favorite post from the past week.

photos by me ©  2011  fire by me ©  2009
The "abstract" is a pumpkin!

snippets (number 5)

of happyment

petals soft purple

awaken the sleeping earth

glass raindrops shimmer

"snippets of happyment" is inspired by a post on Rasa's blog happyment. I just love that word because it is a combination of the words happy and content. Sometimes something small can just fill your soul with a thrill. So, from time to time, I will capture one snippet of happyment and post it here. 

Some past snippets of happyment:
fire with an explanation of, and link to Rasa's visual diary, Pieces of Happyment
crocus open blossom macro
daffodil macro and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" poem
snowdrops photo and haiku 

This post is linked to Today's Flowers.  Post a flower yourself and come link up with us!   Today's Flower's was created by Luiz Santilli, Jr.  His teammates are Denise of An English Girl Rambles,  Laerte Pupo, and Valkyrien.   

photo and poem by me © 2010

snippets (number 1)

of "happyment"

This post is inspired by a post on Rasa's blog Happyment.

I just love that word because it is a combination of the words happy and content. Sometimes something small can just fill your soul with a thrill. So, from time to time, I will capture one snippet of happyment and post it here.

Rasa was inspired by an art class assignment to write down 100 things she sees in a week. This she has now translated into capturing with a camera instead of words. She has a visual diary called Pieces of Happyment.

Check out Rasa's blog post here: http://http//rasaspulle.blogspot.com/2009/02/pears-in-plastic-bag.html

Oh you're wondering what that is, are you?! That is the fire in my, yes, wood-burning, fireplace yesterday at the end of my birthday night.

photo by me

PS the Curious Rabbit has a wonderful post about "Lots of Little Things that make me smile everyday." http://http://thecuriousrabbit.blogspot.com/2009/02/lots-of-little-things.html