Dancing petals

A ballerina 

waiting for her music cue

a dress of petals

waiting in the wings

the music intensifies

and taffeta skirts rustle and move

a graceful pause

a swirl of crinolines

and hidden petticoats

giving frothy volume

a butterfly with trembling wings

and the grand finale 

before the curtains fall.

The Snowstorm: a real-life story

She strode up the street in the deepening snow

the laces on her boots swinging out with each step.

She had forgotten her gloves that morning and had pulled the sleeves 

of her sweater over her hands.

I could hear the scrunch of her boots as she walked

and imagined the soft thudding sound that the snow must be making on her umbrella.

The snowstorm had brought everything in the city to a grinding halt.

The cars could hardly get up my street without their tyres squealing and slipping

on the slippery surface,

and those going down the hill slid down sideways when they hit the breaks.

Dogs still had to be taken for walks

and red cars showed off their red paintwork

gleaming against the white of the snow.

Passers-by dashed past

wanting to get home as soon as possible

and thankful they had taken their umbrellas with them that morning.

But I was snug in my apartment

watching the big flakes floating down against the building opposite.

I ventured out onto one end of my balcony,

feeling as excited as when I was a child and I used to rush outside

in the snow with outstretched arms

as if to catch all the flakes in the sky!

I zoomed in on the nearby small park to capture the beauty of it all.

embracing the scene with my eyes

in its tiniest detail

I went outside a little later and captured this bench on which no one would sit that day.

A bush with red berries gave a welcome splash of colour

My pot of purple flowers, which had survived since the summer,

looked a little shocked by their sprinkling of snow.

I pulled them nearer to the kitchen window to protect them as best I could.

I returned inside to the warmth of the kitchen where there was the aroma of soup

simmering in the cast-iron pan.

Carrot and sweet potatoes were cooking with grated ginger.

Perfect for a day like today!

When I looked outside again, the snow was coming sideways ...

or was that the window which had turned when I wasn't looking...?

Well that was the story of Friday

and now it's already Sunday

and an array of coloured crocheted hearts

are sitting on my work table.

Red ones and pink ones with assorted chocolates

Turquoise and orange

made into pouches with handles

Some with frilly edges

... and one just for you with a Lindt chocolate heart

just in time to wish you all a

Happy Valentine's Day!

This pattern is called Granny Heart Superstar

which you can find

here

When Words Conjure Up Images

BEGINNING

A new beginning emanates such creative energy that I'm swept away 

in a whirl of vitality

towards new horizons shining in the dusk of my day.

CONFESSION

Not all confessions reveal wrongdoing. 

For example, a confession of love is often considered

positive, both by the confessor and the recipient of the confession, 

and is a common theme in literature.

Wikipaedia

To confess is to recognize, acknowledge and embrace a part

of who I am to myself and to others.

FORGIVENESS

To forgive myself and to forgive others gives me freedom.

This street art I discovered says it all!

CRISIS

For me, the word crisis is when a situation is coming to a head 

with tensions mounting.

This situation pushes us to make a decision.

It's a turning point where an explosion of energy allows us to decompress

and liberate ourselves.

A crisis is an opportunity of starting anew.

In this image,

the thistle head has exploded

liberating new possibilities of growth elsewhere.

MATURITY

is the plenitude I feel

through my ongoing life experiences.

They contain the past, the present and the continuation.

Maturity is the embracing of events or situations as they are.

It's about connecting with the essential,

gathering treasures and letting some things go

it's also in the hesitations I may have and finding flow.

Note:

These words were taken from a book called

"Consolations, The Solace, Nourishment 

and Underlying Meaning of Everday Words"

by David Whyte.

I am part of a group with

Kim Manley Ort in the study of these words

and our personal interpretation of them.

The photographs we choose to go with our words

express visually what the word of the week means to each one of us.

Impressions

Mysterious and enticing

We are drawn into a world of muted colours

Soft, dreamlike shapes take form

Like folds of flowing satin

Could there be a pearl hidden within?

So many frills and curves

in a beautiful Amaryllis

We Need to Be Ready

"For things to reveal themselves to us,

we need to be ready

to abandon our views about them."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen Master

I love this phrase because it helps me let go of all preconceived ideas

of what I think things are and how they should be.

With an empty mind and an abstract eye,

I'm able to enter into the essence of a subject.

The image above was taken down by the lake, and what drew me in completely

were the gorgeous dancing reflections on the side of the boat

created by the moving water.

I stayed in this spot for a long moment, just immersing myself

in the beauty and aliveness of what was before me.

Wavy reflections

 and a contemplative mood

All yellow and blue

It was a windy day and the colourful bunting drew my attention

towards the sky.

There's something incredibly joyful about bunting flapping in the wind,

don't you think?

It's true, when we abandon our views

things are revealed to us in a truly magical way.

Take the Time

I stretch my arms wide

to embrace a new day

a new dawn

a new year!

Against the blue of an unencumbered sky, 

a silhouetted branch shows me a journey ahead

with many choices of side paths along the way.

The choice is mine.

Many people like to choose an inspirational word for a new year.

I have noticed that short phrases speak to me better.

They take me by the hand and lead me to pastures new.

Take the time to live each moment fully

just the way it comes to me.

This is an idea which speaks to me in all areas of my life.

Taking the time to drop everything when a magical lighting

draws me out of my home.

How to resist this sky, the silhouetted trees and houses

and those suspended street lamps which say:

"Follow us, follow us and you will never lose your way!"

Just before Christmas, I joined my family in the mountains.

The wide view of the valley and the surrounding scenery 

showed me a view on a larger scale to the one I see in the city every day.

I love the lights on the roads and in the homes

which illuminate the hills as night advances.

I was up early to witness and enjoy the sunrise on the mountain tips

from the terrace of the chalet.

Back to my neighbourhood to find the beauty in my own environment

and take in the gracefulness of the tree silhouettes at sunset.

Taking the time to slow down and catch those golden rays

of the setting sun shining through glass on a small building.

The weather-vane shows me a direction, 

but I know how changeable it is - according to which way the wind blows.

I like this unpredictability

which is just like life!

So I smile and just follow the light

and know I can't go wrong!

A pure white full moon

shining brightly in the sky, a mandala

waiting for me to design the pattern of my year.

I will start in the middle and work my way outwards

choosing my colours with care.

This photo was taken on my balcony on December 25th.

But for now,

the time has come to lift up my anchor and sail.

Let the adventure begin!