Lynx Pass. July 12, 2022
There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew. ~ Marshall McLuhan
Wordful Wednesday
quotes
Unlike you and me
Plants are not like us,
and the more you study plants,
the more different and deep ways
you see that they are not like us.
~ Hope Jahren
Magic is welcome here
Poppy’s world is a magical place, and it’s the most free part of the entire universe.
~ Poppy
June 19, 2022
Confession: I didn’t know there was a singer-songwriter-YouTube-personality named Poppy, but when I went in search of a poppy-related quotation and happened upon their above quote, found myself in complete agreement.
A poppy is most definitely a magical place. How else to explain these other-wordly images of my neighbors’ front yard poppy-crop?
Gratitude to these trippy flowers for helping me find joy and wonder during these very difficult days. Magic is always welcome here.
Twofer Tuesday: Maya Angelou edition
April 20, 2022
I’m interested in women’s health because I’m a woman. I’d be a darn fool not to be on my own side.
********
You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lines. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Head full of songbirds
“Your head is a living forest full of songbirds.“ — e.e. cummings
Bushtit. September 24, 2021
Black-capped Chickadee. September 24, 2021
House Finches. December 12, 2020
Scrub Jay. November 14, 2021
Listening to the trees
April 20, 2022
I like to take the time out to listen to the trees,
much in the same way that I listen to a sea shell,
holding my ear against the rough bark of the trunk,
hearing the inner singing of the sap.
It’s a lovely sound, the beating of the heart of the tree. ~ Madeleine L’Engle
Twofer Tuesday: prairie dog wisdom
Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. ~ William S. Burroughs
South Boulder Creek Trail. March 1, 2022
Now I know the things I know, and do the things I do;
and if you do not like me so, to hell, my love, with you.
~
Twofer Tuesday
I can imagine no more comfortable frame of mind for the conduct of life than a humorous resignation. ~ W. Somerset Maugham
October 9, 2021
As documented earlier, Marcel and Loki “cooperated” with Zippy for a very good cause in that photo session and no felines were injured in the making of this photo.
Few clever enough
If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows. ~ Henry Ward Beecher
Photo by Zippy. November 22, 2021
Unfortunately, that also goes for many women. I don’t see crows mucking up things and then gaslighting everyone into thinking stuff’s just dandy. That’s purely the province of rich and powerful men/women.
Wrinkles and torn wings
As much as I loathe this aging thing, I’m beginning to recognize that I am now a healthier person in terms of self-worth and knowing who I am and where I fit in the world. That’s been a good trade-off for the wrinkles. ~ Patty Duke
June 24, 2021
Life does have a way of leaving its mark upon the body. But hey, it’s good to know we can still fly, torn wings or not.
Autumnal state of mind
Dark-eyed Junco. November 12, 2021
Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight. Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Telling it slant
Tell all the truth but tell it slant. ~ Emily Dickinson
Eaglesmere Lake Trail. September 28, 2021
Was Emily the original spin doctor?
#Caturday wisdom
Boldness is sexy, especially when it’s done with a wink. ~ Matthew Hussey
October 12, 2021
Happy Caturday from bold, sexy Marcel.
Light my fire
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~ Albert Schweitzer
October 21, 2021
I’d also extend thanks to autumn’s vibrant foliage for doing the same.
Love is a rose
My most recent post was about the cat card I made for my neighbor’s birthday over the weekend. Turns out, she received yellow roses from her sister. And then an identical delivery of yellow roses due to florist error. Instead of keeping all that glory for herself, my generous neighbor offered me one of the bouquets. I just collected it from her and decided I wanted to document it on this ol’ blog, so set it on the floor in a patch of natural light.
Marcel immediately came to investigate.
October 12, 2021
“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.” – Kahlil Gibran
And Marcel? Well, he sees the rose and its thorns, then proceeds to snack on the surrounding foliage.
#Caturday
Creepy is better than just plain scary because you can’t look away from creepy – you want to know the truth! ~ Ransom Riggs
September 13, 2021
The truth? Marcel is an exceedingly sweet cat with a penchant for creepy and just because it looks as if he’d eat a corpse, I really don’t believe he’d follow through.
The best reward
All those who love Nature she loves in return, and will richly reward, not perhaps with the good things they are commonly called, but with the best things, of this world–not with money and titles, horses and carriages, but with bright and happy thoughts, contentment and peace of mind. ~ John Lubbock
Blue Flax in the open space. June 24, 2021
Pressing pause
Sometimes you need to press pause to let everything sink in. ~ Sebastian Vettel
Arizona Woodpecker, Cave Creek Canyon Ranch. May 16, 2019
Three perspectives on shut-eye
An artist’s perspective: I shut my eyes in order to see. ~ Paul Gauguin
May 8, 2021
A dog’s perspective: I shut my eyes in order to better feel the breeze and smell the odors. ~ Emma Jean-Jean
A woman’s perspective: I shut my eyes in order to momentarily pretend all the horribleness in the world isn’t happening. ~ Tracy
Increasingly true
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White
On the patio. August 22, 2021
Taking refuge
The love of Nature, again, helps us greatly to keep ourselves free from those mean and petty cares which interfere so much with calm and peace of mind.
~ SirJohn Lubbock
Wild Aster along Oh Be Joyful Trail. July 15, 2021
Sunday Confessional: stealthy art
I get where Patti Smith is coming from in this quote: “In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.” And I think when I originally drafted my work-in-progress, I did approach my art with abandon.
But today, as I continue to revise, I’m feeling a bit stealthy as I sow bits and pieces of backstory throughout the first 50 pages of this middle grade novel. I need the reader to know certain things, but I don’t want the reader aware of my presence. I very much do NOT want those bits and pieces to scream
BACKSTORY!
INFO DUMP!
WARNING: HEAVY-HANDED AUTHOR ON THE LOOSE!
Instead, I’m trying my best to adopt this squirrel’s attitude.
July 30, 2021
No sudden moves. Only careful and deliberate revisions that I hope won’t call attention to my presence.
(Note: Patti’s quote resonates with me so much I previously used it here.)
All in a day
What nature delivers to us is never stale.
Because what nature creates has eternity in it.
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer
June 24, 2021
June 24, 2021
June 24, 2021
June 24, 2021
Truth
We live in a rainbow of chaos. ~ Paul Cezanne
July 1, 2021
Mutualism
Hayden Green Mountain Park. June 24, 2021
Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. ~ Ram Nath Kovind
Tracy Abell 