This is one of our property lines, yet we seldom see it from this perspective. I love all the arching branches. During the rainy season, there may be water in the depression. Not at this time of the year.
A grand view from the neighbor’s property.
May was a busy month for making cards. Many were needed for June events. Here are a few of my recently completed creative pieces.
What has been your creative release?
We do not remember days
We remember moments
Cesare Pavese
July has been my staycation month, which has been great!
From beaches to garden spaces
From tourist spots, to less known beautiful locations
From bustling to quiet…
Sharing time with a friend is a gift.
The moments of the last few days have provided many memories.
Time spent with friends is refreshing to the soul.
Summer is running,
already running away
It just arrived…
We spent a day at the county fair,
what a day it was
On a whim
we entered the Butterfly Farm exhibit
Enclosed environment filled with
beautiful
fragil
graceful
free
curios
butterflies
And people
All captivated or standing in awe
Numerous varieties of butterflies
each with their own colors and markings,
different species were drawn to various colors
They were emboldened and landed on whatever drew their attention.
The people moved among these winged creatures.
Enchanted by their movement,
their color,
their beauty.
We left the butterflies
Enjoyed other exhibits
Went out to dinner with friends
Returned home, contented
Reflection afterwards
brought the realization
most were smiling in this butterfly environment.
Leaving one wondering
when and where was the last time so many people were visibly happy?
why does it not happen more frequently?
Yes, we left the butterflies
yet a part of their spirit remains within me.
I say,
Bring on the butterflies!
A weekend at the shore
Seemingly at the very edge of the world,
Steps from the deck descend the rocks
Then end.
High tide rolls in
Obliterating the bottom steps
And sand below.
Waves crash upon the rocks
Spraying high into the air
Then dropping on the deck
before returning to the sea.
Other waves role in splashing against the house.
The tide recedes
and the ever-constant cycle repeats.
The sun comes up and then,
The sun goes down with
God’s majesty on full display…
As his hand stamp sunset ends each blue day.
Here’s a peek
at what’s to come
after the storm…
Packed and prepared to leave
Blurry-eyed I grabbed my purse
Sat and buckled in.
Relative quietness hung upon the town.
Entering the freeway
Ribbons of white or red lights
Streamed down the roadway.
Who would have known so many
Would be on the road long before light?
Dawn presented first signs of the day to come.
Heavy clouds hung on the mountain tops.
Light peaked through revealing the foothills
beneath the shrouded peaks.
Spots of pink adorned the clouds.
Traffic intensified.
At times its pace was a crawl
Resembling more of a parking lot than streamers.
Drawn back to the coast—
We stand on the rocky shore
Listening to the crashing waves
Watching sea lions bob and play
Surveying crumbling walls
Succumbed to an earlier hurricane.
The air, the light, the beauty of the sea
on such a day as this.
To town we travel
Where we traipse from one art shop to another.
Early dinner on Main Street, then off to the lodge
Where we enjoy a hot drink, a fire and live entertainment
With other guests of the establishment.
We fall into bed, drifting off to sleep.
Morning comes.
Opening the shutters, I find the marine layer
And local ecology all decked out in preparations for
Halloween.
The Beginning
Dinner in Milwaukee
Stage set for five days of non-stop activity.
Trip was planned around a family wedding.
Sister provided our resting location.
Visited with as many family and friends as time allowed.
Good times and memories abounded.
Last sight in Milwaukee
The Ending
We’re home. Landed, unpacked and adjusted to another time change. We’ve had time to process the early months of 2022. It feels good to be home. We returned changed; different from when we left in January. We immersed ourselves in the Irish culture of County Kerry; we reconnected with old friends and made new. Any time one opens themselves to another or something new, they change.
Our return in 2019 and again in 2020 started me thinking I needed to slow down and not rush through life as I was. I had no plan for implementing this change, but recognized it was something I needed. (Enter Covid), which made the change possible. Ha-ha.
The Pandemic left me (Linda), believing God was refining his church. What Ireland revealed to me convinces me of this belief even more. Pastors would tell us they lost some members, they gained some members during Covid. We saw them last in January/February 2020, just prior to the world closing its borders because of Covid. The difference in those congregations/fellowships between 2020 and 2022 was discernable, and so encouraging. People appeared more committed to their faith, and so much more compassionate and committed to their fellow believers. Covid did not surprise God, nor has he stopped working in the hearts of believers around the globe. These communities were more confident in themselves and what they believed. I returned to America with hope in my heart. Hope that we too in America will draw strength from our faith, that we’ll become more committed to the basis of our faith and that we’ll have more compassion for those around us.
When I think of the friendships in County Kerry, my heart is overflowing. I’m grateful for the time I spent with fellow believers, fellow writers, friends of mine.
Between Ireland and home, we spent a week with friends/family in Dorchester, England. It was a time of relaxing, refreshment, and renewed friendship. Sometimes I wish the Atlantic Ocean was not between me and my friends.
There may be more thoughts later, but for now, I’ll just share some of my favorite photos.
Bougainvillea plants explode with color
Petals are thin
Each bloom holds four to six petals tightly together
Two white dots fill the center of each as identifying marks for the species
Some tower to the sky growing against the house
Others fill large areas of the garden
Whichever, they fill their space with color and gaiety
Colors vary depending upon plant
The blossoms dry then flutter to the ground
They swirl in the air, ultimately landing below
Like tissue paper scattered and left after a celebration
The yard represents life
Family visited for two weeks
House filled with laughter
Children played games, ran in the garden
Shared cooking experiences
A glass of wine enjoyed in the evenings
Tomorrow’s adventures planned
Car loaded
Family departed
Time flies
Memories are left scattered around
Different shades and hews
Much like my bougainvillea tissue flowers
Journey to the Heights 