Thankful, Grateful, Blessed #4: Thankful for Garden Flowers

Today I am thankful for the beauty of the flowers that grow in my gardens. I am thankful for good soil, perfect weather this summer, and resonably priced water. Here are a few photo images of my garden flowers.

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed #3: I Am Blessed With Music Everywhere

I remember a time when we heard good music on an AM station, but that was shaky. Our local station went off the air at 10:00, I think.  We also heard good music if we were fortunate to have record albums, 45s,  and later cassettes and CDs. There were some good shows on television like American Bandstand that played good music also.

Fast forward to today. I never would have dreamed that in 2019 you could have music everywhere. Music on your computer, your smart phone, in the car, on an I Pod, on the television set, and also on a Dot that has a woman named Alexa that finds your music.

What I find amazing is that lots of it is free. I can explore all genres of music, oldies, new tunes, whatever I want. We have come a long way from those 45 records in the early sixties. I am truly blessed, but do you want to know something? I still listen to my favorite '70's songs more than anything else. 

Here is a favorite on my playlist always. It was the most played song at The Perch at the U. of I. during my college years. "Hello, It's Me" by Todd Rundgren.

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed #2: Grateful for Four Seasons

Throughout the whole year I pause and take time to be thankful, grateful, and blessed. November is a perfect month to share things that surround me that make me thankful, grateful, and blessed.  Here is #2.

Today I am grateful for living in a place that I can enjoy four seasons. I have always been an autumn girl, but now that I am retired and can be home to enjoy the changing of the seasons, I love parts of each and every season. 

Growing up in Kellogg spring was late in coming and very short. There was a long period after winter of gray, foggy days partly due to the smelter smoke. When spring came and the lilacs bloomed it was wonderful, but it came late. 

I have learned to love summer much more in recent years. I enjoy watching the gardens come to life with blooms and a bounty of vegetables. I also enjoy the longer days, the slower pace, and garden tours with my camera.  A highlight now is birthday gatherings and family dinners outside in the yard.

Autumn has always been my favorite season. I remember that smell of Dad burning leaves in the street after he raked the leaves. Even with the smelter smoke, the trees burst into vivid colors of red, orange, and yellow when October came around. Autumn also evokes memories of comfort food on Sunday and birthday celebrations,  Today autumn represents the slowing down time of the year. It the time for dinners in the slow cooker, putting the gardens to bed for winter, warm,cozy sweaters, and coffee in the morning by the fire. Also, there is Thanksgiving, a holiday I truly love.

What I loved about winter as a child was building snowmen, sleighriding on Chestnut Hill, hot chocolate when we returned home, and Christmas. What I didn't like were slick roads that made Mom nervous and getting wet on the playground and trying to warm up back in the class. Now I love winter almost as much as autumn. Why? I don't have to go anywhere unless I want to. It is a photographer's dream when the snow falls and it is frosty and cold. It is hibernation time. Life slows down even more. More books get read, more craft projects get done, and the holidays bring friends and family together. 

Here are some favorite photos of the four seasons where I live: 

Cataldo Mission in autumn

Winter sunset at 514

bird in the spring

summer up the river

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed #1

Throughout  the whole year I pause and take time to be thankful, grateful, and blessed. November is a perfect month to share things that surround me that make me thankful, grateful, and blessed. I am a little late into November, but I will catch up.

Today I am thankful for my digital camera and the camera on my phone. I was revisiting photos from the last ten years today as I prepared to order some prints and create some gifts. I am thankful that all my photos are intact in one place,  I am thankful that they are in chronological order so I can easily find a photo based on the time of year I took it. I am also thankful that I have remembered to capture so many images with both cameras.

Photos tell the story of your life. They capture moments, vivid images, those special places, and important people and they are in a cloud, on a back up drive, on my phone, and on my computer so I can revisit them over and over.  For that I am thankful.

This is one of my favorite quotes by a favorite photographer of mine :
“You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
― Ansel Adams
There it is... everything I love brought together with photography. Here are a few of my recent favorite photos.

The Shed Notebook: National Poetry Month: Ending With William Stafford

I have enjoyed celebrating National Poetry Month by revisiting favorite poems, finding new poems, and sharing my love for poetry on the blog. I am going to wrap up my poetry poets today with this poem by William Stafford. I have taught this poem, I have read and reread this poem, I have shared this poem often, and have always loved it. It provides the reader with a simple reminder. Be present. Capture this moment now and embrace it, then "keep it for life".

You Reading This, Be Ready
by William Stafford

Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?

Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?

When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life —

What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

The Shed Notebook: National Poetry Month: "Why We Write"

My sister first introduced me to Julia Cameron many years ago. I have been inspired by many of her books, and practiced her writing techniques. This poem has always been a favorite at helping me articulate why it is important to write, whether is it a journal, notes on a scrap of paper, a blog post, or an essay. Enjoy.

Why We Write

By Julia Cameron

There are many things which resist naming,

And that is why we write.

We write because language is slippery,

And the truth is.

We write because

The light we have to see by

Is always shifting

Never forget that writers are prophets.

We speak in tongues.

We testify.

We are for each other a believing mirror.

Our words make us visible.

Our listening makes us heard.

Never forget that writers are soldiers.

Our writing is the long march,

The walk into time.

Each word is a drum.

We sound it across great distances,

Reaching one another and ourselves.

Every poem is a day's march.

A celebration more necessary than water or wine.

Every poem is a drink of blood.

Never forget that writing is an act of courage -

Not on the days when it is simple and we discount it.

Not on the days when it is hard and we write like sand.

Our words are torches.

We pass them hand to hand

And mouth to mouth

Like a burning kiss.

Never forget to say thank you.

Every syllable is a grace.