corner view~view on my street

These days no matter which way we look, whether out the front door or the back door, we see skies like this.
Lately my street looks very open and optimistic, fresh with cooling rain and possibility.

goodbye 2012

Our 2012...My little Annabel became a teenager!  Shawn played on a basketball team.  I went on a meditation retreat.  Our dear friends visited us all the way from Virginia.  All the kids were in public school.  Sky was in high school, hard to believe!  I began to paint again and to meditate daily.  We took a summer trip and went to Tahoe and Santa Cruz.  We went back to the place where we once lived, where all of our children were born.  We went to Chicago.  We visited the east coast and saw family.  We road tripped to DC and Virginia.  Gary and I went to NYC for a couple of days.  It was a summer of seeing many old friends and cousins and family.  The kids went back to school at three different schools.  We began feeding the homeless monthly.  Sky got her driver's permit!  Gary recorded another album.  Annabel began writing songs on guitar.  Shawn learned to play the piano.  Sky worked on an album too.  And Annabel was in her first big theater production.  It was a great year with many blessings.

I am always blown away by the passage of time -- how it reflects change.  It some ways time moves so slowly and a person can sometimes feel stuck.  But when you look back over an entire year you realize that growth is happening, bit by bit.  And growth and positive change is what keeps me going.

Happy New Year to all of my readers, family and friends.  I appreciate you all.
~T   

corner view~thankfulness

I'm so very thankful for life's unexpected blessings.

And I am thankful for true loyal friends, which I have seen, are pretty rare.

corner view~energy

Where do you get your energy from? 

corner view~time for myself

Last night we were invited for dinner at a friend's house.  When we first arrived right after I said hello, I took a moment for myself and snapped this photo out their back door.

When I have stretches of time alone I like to water the garden, read, take photos, write, and paint.  I can get lost in these activities.  I think it's crucial that we get lost in these types of things sometimes.  For me, it provides balance and is often when the creative ideas come.

p.s. Regarding commenting on each others' blogs...would anyone please be willing to disable the step that requires comments to type in letters and numbers? The one that says "Please prove you're not a robot?"  Last I checked not too many robots are trying to comment on blogs, lol.  Or am I missing something?  I find this step tedious and unnecessary.  I disabled it on my blog and have no more spam or problems than when I had it. 

corner view~seasonal

Where we are 'tis the season of lots of pretty trees and skies -- Christmas trees and sunsets and cooler air and double rainbows and of course listening to carols and making handmade gifts.  

It is also a time for rest and rejuvenation.  A time of looking back on our Christmases past and seeing just how much the kids have all grown.  For me it is a time for reminiscing and sharing with the family about how Christmas was in the "olden days," the stories my mother has told us, and for our family creating memories of our own.  It is a time of silent reflection and appreciation at the year that is about to close, and anticipation for what is to come.

corner view~evening sky

Does anyone see the fingernail moon?  I took that shot with my cell phone!  Where we are there are no shortage of gorgeous evening skies.  This series reminds me of a phrase from one of my daughter's songs, "God's painting in the sky."  Because how else could these be so beautiful?

Thanks to Wanderchow for this theme.  Next week's theme is my favorite actor, and speaking of this little songbird, it comes from Skylar.

winter is upon us

 

We get more clouds in the winter.  Some days it is overcast and we don't see the sun at all.  I like these days, they feel cozy to me, I like putting on a sweater, long pants, socks.  When I swim in the ocean the water is cooler now.  I go to the sea, but not as frequently.  I swim for shorter periods.  The other day we got a heavy rainstorm.  It was beautiful, but some of my lettuces got a bit pummeled, and then more bugs came.  I am going to plant new babies now.  Onion, basil, and a few types of lettuce as well as stir fry greens.  Our compost is rich and fertile, and the birds come and feed from it.  We don't mind, we like to share. 

happy thanksgiving

Hope you enjoy your day.  Here we will appreciate "God's painting in the sky." (to quote one of my daughter's songs).  I am so grateful for all of my blessings, near and far.

Also please check out Gary's newest YouTube video, here -- sure to put a smile on your face.  The song is called, "Sunrise Blinding Way." 

I will be doing a giveaway of his new CD this holiday season, so be sure to check back. 

welcome autumn skies

I love a night like this.  Gary and I have had some time to go out in the evenings.  Things are slowing down a bit, it's a good thing, after such a busy month.  We are in a good rhythm as a family.  I am happy to say hello to October.

corner view~evening

photo by my daughter, Sky

Happy week everyone!  Here are some of my favorite evening photos taken over the last year.  There are images of tropical evenings, mixed in with summertime after dinner strolls through Venice and Paris.  I generally do best shooting with natural light so evening for me and my camera means sunset, or right after.  For more perspectives on "evening" throughout the world go to the sidebar here at spain daily.

And, to celebrate winter, I will leave you with one of my all time favorite poems, which is about an evening jaunt...

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

corner view~contrasts

Sometimes contrasts are obvious and extreme -- day and night, life and death, peace and chaos.  And sometimes contrasts are more subtle, and may go unnoticed by the casual observer.  But when living the experience, these differences are strongly felt.  My experience of contrast is like that.  When you live where we do in the topics the sun shines virtually every day and there is very little contrast in the weather.  In our town, we rarely even get rainfall.  Everyone here is so happy and surprised when it rains! The plants practically vibrate with joy. 

We got a really cloudy day recently, and it stayed that way the entire day, no quick rainshower and then the sun popped out.  The sun was hidden from us all day long.  It was such a contrast for me.  No need for fans, or air conditioning, and a good ten degrees drop in temperature.  I almost got out a sweater!  And I had an incredible urge to bake and make squash soup.

That day felt like an American east coast fall day, sans the palm trees and the sound of the ocean in the distance...but the sky, she was beautiful, brooding, mysterious, moody, grey and colorful and dark.  Like a gentle yet strong female presence coming to make itself known and stir things up a little.  And it was a nice change.

For more corner views on contrasts:  go to this blog and click on the list at the top right: jane

hallelujah

photograph by Skylar Marks

Our summer plans are finally taking shape. We finalized everything today. It's a good thing as we leave town on June 7th for two months. Never has it taken this long for things to manifest. Usually we have a plan by March. I wanted to have a month in California, a month in New York and to see Gary's family. That is exactly what is going to happen. This is truly an answer to my prayers. We found a great place to stay in California in a cute town called Orinda, and a great place to stay in New York in a town called Honeoye Falls. (both from Craigslist) Oh boy! More places to explore and blog about!
I have a lot to do before we leave. I have to pack, shop for clothes for the kids and me, repair our video camera, finish my volunteer hours at the kid's schools, and I am supposed to be finishing a book I have been working on for two years, and turn it in to the powers that be this summer. I was wanting to have it finished before I leave. Not sure that is possible, especially since my kids have been sick for a total of almost 2 weeks, and I am behind, but I'll do my best. Luckily they are all back at school. I will likely be tapping away at my computer on our summer trip. I am so excited!!!

our sky

Beautiful cloud formations during a typical sunset