Inspired

Outside My Door

The prompt for this week at Lens-Us-Together is Outside My Back Door.  

Outside both my back and front door, we’re surrounded by concrete and gravel…no, it’s neither beautiful nor poetic…although we do have a wooded area behind us where masses of green leaves have magically appeared since we arrived home from Panama.

In the last week or so, we’ve been scouring garden centers for trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds…trying to brings some colour and life to the outside of our  new home.  We planted a Magnolia and an Acer (small Japanese maple) near our front door a few weeks ago and then again today, we emptied our wallet at the nursery for a hedge of rugosa roses.

Our lot is small and the plan is for low maintenance…no lawn to mow!  In our last home it took almost two hours (at a fast trot) to mow the lawn twice a week so when we moved, the pendulum swung a wide arc to no lawn at all.

It will take us a few years to create the vision we have but in the end it will be a place for rest and relaxation; a small studio, two separate patio’s with an outdoor fireplace and water wall and a roof top deck with views of the ocean.  I’m looking for as many scented plants as I can find (that will live in this temperate rain forest of ours!) and for colour that unfolds with the seasons.

The instant gratification part of me wants to rush through it and get it done RIGHT NOW, but truly, what I really want is to enjoy the process and watch the vision unfold. 

but meanwhile, it looks like this…

and this…

(These pictures were literally just snapped a few minutes ago with Mr. I’s iphone with the funky Hipstamatic app. Fun!)

Thanks for stopping by today and blessings of nurturing and growth to each of you,

Earth Day…roots and reach

During the day, dare.

At night, dream.

Live, love and listen to one another.

Give generosity and gentleness to others.

Celebrate, cultivate and contemplate each moment.

Have humility, honesty and sincerity,

Rebuild, renew and restore.

Breathe, balance, and believe again.

Pepper Lewis/Gaia – The Peaceful Planet

Today was Earth Day and I marked it with a long walk that was sorely needed.  Yesterday I sat in the car (and ferry) for eight hours...so today I needed to move.  By late afternoon I was able to escape commitments and enjoy a beautiful walk through the neighbourhood.  There are lovely, quiet country roads and wooded trails where I live…beaches to enjoy and benches to rest upon.  And the blooms…those amazing spring blooms…are everywhere.  The lilacs…my favourite...are just coming into bloom here.  Oh, Instant bliss!

I’m over-the-moon-happy that finally…FINALLY… I’m able to go for walks again.  For the last six or seven years I haven’t been able to walk without pain for more than 15 minutes at a time.  Thankfully this has changed over the past six months and I’m now walking again…almost every day!  It’s nothing short of a miracle to me and I’m so very grateful.

I hope you were also able to enjoy this beautiful planet we share today...did you take a walk...dig in the dirt...swim in the ocean...plant a tree...sit in the sunshine...dance in the rain?

(the photograph above was taken earlier this week at Skaha Lake in the Okanagan Valley of BC.)

 

Blessings of balance to each of you and thank you so much for stopping by.

Fresh Growth

The topic this week at Lens us Together is “Fresh” and this tiny shoot (about 2” high) which is pushing it’s way determinedly through the sidewalk pavement, is about as fresh as it gets.

(I lay down on the sidewalk to get this one...hoping no one was watching out their window and calling 911!)

I'm in awe of nature...it's amazing strength, perseverance and flexibility. Nature's ability to overcome seemingly impossible conditions and find it's way back to balance is inspiring. Equally heartening is nature’s easy and graceful response to tender care…oh yes, she has much to teach us.

Speaking of all things fresh…may I be just a little cheeky and direct you to my daughters beautiful spa website which is named…re:fresh! 

There’s nothing like a little pampering to help us resurrect our wilting spirits and rejuvenate “the fresh”.  ;)

A big thank you to each of you for stopping by and I send the freshest of blessings to everyone today! 

Five Senses Friday

Today I am:

Seeing: 

The ocean and Gulf Islands…Galiano Island on my left and Mayne Island on my right, as the ferry passes through Active Pass from Vancouver Island to the mainland.  Beautiful seaside homes line the waterfront and a lighthouse makes it all picture perfect.

Hearing: 

the rumble of the ferry engines, the chatter of fellow travellers, a child talking, a baby fussing, newspapers rustling.

Smelling: 

a faint whiff of the eggs and bacon that’s served for breakfast is finding it’s way up from the deck below

Tasting: 

I just finished my porridge with milk and a little brown sugar, followed by a Starbucks coffee.  Maybe this will jump start me. 

Feeling: 

Tired.  A late night (why, oh why do I eat chocolate when I know it will keep me awake!) + an early morning to finish packing = not enough sleep.  A long drive ahead!

 

Blessings to each of you as you journey through your own weekend…may it be filled with oodles of spring goodness.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Spring Baby

THEY'RE BACK!

Our nesting eagles are back and the newest chick was born 2 days ago (Sunday morning, April 11).

There were 2 eggs again this year, but unfortunately one was taken by a raven, just a few days (April 5) before it would have hatched. 

Mom and dad feed the fuzzy little peeper fairly frequently.  Check them out here...and scroll down.  If the screen is black that means we’re all asleep here, as it's a live streaming video!  This nest is just a few “country blocks” from my home.

Blessings to each of you and lets all play well in our own nests today!  I'm so glad you stopped by.

The Eye of the Soul

I have looked into your eyes with my eyes.

I have put my heart near your heart.

Pope John XXIII

I close my eyes so my soul can see

it’s truth;

a lightness

a flow

a warmth

a depth

a love

and a completeness

that defies the senses.

There are days when I wish

I could package up this knowing

and deliver it by UPS

to your door.

If it arrived

would you sign for it?

Kate Iredale

 

Blessings to each of you and thanks for visiting !  I'm so glad you stop by.

 

Five Senses Friday

Seeing: Ocean, sky, crows sitting in the arbutus…and oh yeah, laundry in the basket that needs folding

Hearing: seagulls crying, crow’s cawing (is that what it’s called?), my husband opening and closing drawers, the radio tuned to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 

 

Tasting: my morning cup of tea, sweetened with honey

Touching: the sheets on my bed…stroking Molly’s warm and very hairy body (yes, it's early and I'm still in bed)

 

Smelling: the fresh but chilly morning sea air drifting in through an open window

Intuition:  after nearly three weeks of a cold, sore throat and utter fatigue…I finally have the energy to feel positive and expectant. The sun is shining…this is a good day!

Thanks to the always inspiring Andrea at Fit To Be Seen for this prompt. It’s an interesting one as it required me to be aware of, and appreciate "the moment”.

 

See, hear, taste, touch, smell and know all the blessings that surround you today

Hope is…

 

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all

Emily Dickenson

This week’s theme at Lens Us Together is hope. As I was thinking about this, I realized that I don’t really believe in the concept of hope anymore….wait, wait…before you gasp and wonder what’s happened to Pollyanna over here at Inspired, let me explain!

To me, hope feels like a very passive energy…even a bit helpless, as in…“There’s nothing I can do, I can only hope”.   I prefer to use the word “intend” or “intent” as it feels much more pro-active to me… ”I intend that “fill in the blank” will happen”.  I usually add “if it’s in the best interest of myself and all concerned” as well.

I may just be playing with words but that’s OK if my mind feels better about it.  I believe in the incredible power of the subconcsious mind to create, so when I tell myself a strong statement of intent, it’s sounds a lot more powerful and possible to me than a wishy, washy hope. 

The “bird” in the photograph is a cast iron crow that sits in my kitchen.  I like the irony (lol) of this guy in that he’s made of such a heavy material for a creature that’s designed to fly!   I once had an artist friend who, tongue-in-cheek, made a teddy bear of cast concrete…he definitely wasn’t made for cuddling!

Mr. Crow sits here to remind me not to take myself too seriously: if we want to soar, we need to lighten up!

Sending light hearted blessings to each of you and thanks for stopping by to visit.

Changing The World

…by changing our thoughts.

A sweet alchemy begins to happen in our lives when we focus our thoughts on a world of beauty, grace and ease...and by ease, I mean letting go of the idea that life is a struggle.

The nest of eggs in this piece, represents the power we have to rebirth or begin anew in every moment. We really do hold the magic and power in our own hands to create the life we dream of.

So turn off the news, read uplifting thoughts and ideas, watch inspiring movies, surround yourself with people who believe in you and allow yourself to do whatever it is that makes your heart sing...even if your life is far from perfect right now...especially if your life is far from perfect right now!  Oh I know there's so much more to it than this...and yet there isn't...it's really that hard and yet that simple.  I wouldn't say so if I hadn't been there and back again myself.

Blessings of renewal in every moment to each of you,