At this moment we are listening to a cd of classical music.  I am sipping hot chamomile tea from my big yellow mug.  My boys are building with Legos.  There is an apple cake in the oven and laundry in the dryer.  It feels so peaceful and perfect.

I thought I'd sit here for a moment before tucking into some bill paying.  There are pictures I wanted to share, an item of good news, and one wise quote.

Over the weekend we took in a Native American water festival.  Basically it was a street fair with Native American artwork, clothing, and jewelry.  There were performers on the main stage and canoe races out in the water (where else would you race a canoe?).  We watched some of the races which were, surprisingly, very intense and heated.  We walked the length of the street fair and ate huge hot dogs from the Lion's Club (I regretted that later!).

This grouping of pictures is from the festival.

This musician played unaccompanied.  He played his own pieces from memory.  The violin had a warm, breathy sound that guided a tear down my cheek.  

The race of six-man teams:

We walked out onto the wooden pier and looked at the town from a different angle.

The good news:

I sold my first three picture postcards today!!!  The woman was just raving over my pictures.  She asked me to autograph them even!  She was just certain I'd be successful with a website but that feature will come in time, I'm in no hurry.  I just wanted to cry out of sheer happiness.  My pictures capture how I see the world, they reveal my heart, and it just feels surreal to place all that out there in front of people.

The wise quote comes from a book a friend sent me.  I knew by the title that I would adore this book and, I do. 

In turning the pages to find the quote I wanted to share I found another that struck me.

"Time unused and only endured still vanishes, as if time itself is starving, and each day is swallowed whole, leaving no crumbs, no memory, no trace at all."  -Elizabeth Bailey

The second quote is from a physician that lived 100 years ago.

"Think not of the amount to be accomplished, the difficulties to be overcome, or the end to be attained, but set earnestly at the little task at your elbow, letting that be sufficient for the day."  -Sir William Osler

It reminds me of the verses in Matthew about taking no thought for tomorrow, for your Father knoweth you have need of all these things.  Found in Matthew 6:25-34.

If we could just slow down and fully BE in the moment in which we are and let God provide for each moment as it comes. 

Ah, then everyday could be like that hot cup of chamomile tea and warm apple cake set to the tune of classical music no matter the circumstances.  God knows, He's got it handled, and we can just be thankful for His grace and mercy in every moment.

Rest was needed.  Work saps me of my energy and I've worked a lot lately.  I begin to revert deep into myself when I'm that tired, leaving a shell of a person for the rest of the world to relate to while I huddle in a dark corner within.  It's not a pretty sight.

As things happened, three days off in a row stared at me with all the promise of a budding tree. 

Day one was wonderful and amazing and restorative.  I woke up and recognized myself in the mirror, feeling light and bright and human again.  My home received some attention, my boys and I soaked up time together, we spent the afternoon with friends and the evening relaxed at home. 

It is now day two.  After schoolwork and chores I treated my boys to Wendy's then some time at the park.  Now I'm fixin' to go take a short snooze before it's time to make dinner and head out to church. 

Day three is, as yet, unscheduled but full of promise.

We've been spending many evenings around the campfire in our backyard.  One evening we feasted on roasted hot dogs and watermelon.  Another we had BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, zucchini and summer squash.  Of course, there are smores for dessert.  What kind of campfire would it be?

When not huddled around the fire we huddle around Netflix and watch the Blue Planet documentaries.  These are truly the best I've seen.  All about the world's oceans, well put together, tasteful, and beautiful.  HIGHLY recommended!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008044n

My youngest son and I sang a duet at church on Sunday (Mother's Day).  It was our first with just the two of us and I loved every moment of it!  I loved practicing with him, and praying with him beforehand, and listening to his bravery as he sang a verse alone.

In lieu of a snooze I will now make myself a yummy iced coffee and seize the rest of the afternoon with vitality and vigor!

Finding treasures is not for the lucky, it's for the looking.

In the simple act of looking and seeing and noticing, a wealth of beauty and gifts present themselves.

My son's treasure was found while he was doing yardwork.  This boy has eyes like a hawk, let me tell you.  And he notices the little things.  While his eyes see, his mind ingests the details in full color.

He may, or may not be, a little goofy...always.

My treasure presented itself very early on a drizzly wet morning.  The sky was just beginning to lighten, the birds were already singing and I was leaving for work. 

There on the ground next to my Jeep I spotted something colorful.

I thanked God (and the bird) for leaving such a gift just for me, because I knew it was for me.

One day I will play a cello.  I crave this experience like some may crave bungee jumping or deep sea diving. 

The haunting, emotional voice of the cello reaches out and grabs my soul like no other instrument can. 

I want to cause that sound,

                      feel the vibrations in my fingertips and running up my arm straight to my heart.

These videos inspire me, evoking tears and goosebumps at the same time.

(If you want to watch them you must first pause the music player at the very bottom of my page)

The spiritual inspiration of "Nearer My God To Thee"...my prayer.

Inspiration from Bach. 

Silliness that makes me giggle E.V.E.R.Y. time!!

Beethoven, he was an odd duck.  It is thought that he was afflicted with bi-polar disorder.  Beyond this, he was a musician and honestly, I've never met a musician that wasn't a little "off" one way or the other.  This is hard to explain in just a few words so maybe I'll take the time to elaborate this more in a separate post.

Anyhow, I came across two quotes from Mr. Beethoven that really struck a chord with me (pun intended ).

As a lover of music, as one who attempts to be a musician, these words are meant for me....

"Don't only practice your art but force your way into it's secrets"

And, appropriate for me each and every time I sit at the piano....

"The real artist has no pride. Unfortunately he sees that his art has no limits. He feels obscurely how far he is from the goal.

While he is perhaps being admired by others, he mourns the fact that he has not yet reached the point to which his better genius, like a distant sun, ever beckons to him."

Yes, Mr. Beethoven, I mourn what could be and is not.

It's a drizzly afternoon.  Spring showers are washing away the yellow pollen dust that covers everything.  Birds have been industrious and I'm seeing a few more varieties stopping by.  I'm wondering if it's a good time to fill the hummingbird feeders.  I know it's possible to keep those going all year, I've just always been a spring/summer feeder.

There's a warm fire burning in the fireplace and I have no where to go, no where to be except right here.  I worked this morning but since I gave my students the day off of school, there was no schoolwork to oversee when I got home.  My husband is off of work today, hence, no school.  But, just because there is not any "official" schooling happening doesn't mean there is no learning.  Oldest son has been immersed in a book all day, reading without end.  Youngest son is baking peanut butter cookies, measuring, mixing, shaping, all on his own!

I'm working on the formatting of my greeting cards and postcards.  I have eighteen images chosen to start with and have my signature "stamped" on each image.  I'm trying to decide on a company name of sorts to print on the back of the cards.  I seem to be at a standstill here.  I'm not really ready to do a full blown business or anything so it really just needs to be a simple way to distinguish my cards from someone else's.

So, I painted my nails yellow yesterday while helping my students with Math (they were doing a Unit Test so there wasn't too much I could do).  The yellow turned out to be awful but I left it on anyway.  Went to work today with my ugly yellow nails and received many glances and odd comments.  As soon as I got home I stripped off the ugly yellow.  Now what color?

Dinner tonight will be ravioli casserole.  I'm beyond excited for this one.  Love ravioli and meat sauce and gooey mozzarella.  And peanut butter cookies for dessert  (thanks to my awesome son who has decided to display his creations in my fancy covered glass cake stand).

Well, enough chit-chat...back to the formatting of cards!