Stick #9 and Two Awards!

Susan Sanford from ArtSpark Theatre (blog) made some wonderful art wandish sticks. She had a wish to have different people place these sticks in different lands and places. I had the pleasure of receiving stick #9. I have had her wonderful stick for a while. I thought it was a great idea to place it in the snow, but it has snowed and snowed and I thought it might get buried. So I waited till I found the right place and time, until then I placed Susan's stick on my Christmas tree enjoying it daily.


Yesterday I went with friends to Glacier National Park. It was a snow storm type of day. Nearing the park clouds parted revealing blue sky and light that lit up the landscape. We placed stick #9 at an illustrious spot; the boat dock at Lake McDonald for folks to find and enjoy.


Recently Genie Sea visited and gave me the Tree of Happiness Award! She touched my heart with this gift! I highly recommend visiting Genie Sea at Reality Insanity to see her wonderful art card deck she has been creating, as well as her heartfelt sharing!

This award comes along with a request to list six things that make me happy:

* time with loved ones
* snowflakes
* kindness and being kind
* soft warm cloths
* fresh air
* seeing my sister on skype (she lives so far away!)

This award also comes along with a request to pass it on to six people. I love letting folks know how much a appreciate, admire, enjoy and love what they share and offer to us in their blogs, but I always feel shy to give them an award that asks them to pass it on to others. Just me. So my suggestion is that you visit any and all the wonderful people that leave comments on my blog!!! Each and everyone has wonderful gifts to share with you, so go to my comment section after each post and start visiting, if you wish!



Today, Lady Serena Pia from Dream With the Fishes blog has honored me with the : 'One Lovely Blog' award! This is very kind Serena, I thank you with smiles and a heart full of gratitude! I also think that Serena has a lovely blog and spirit! Once again feel free to visit all the lovelies (bloggers) who visit me!

AND:
I won 'restoration'
a wonderful ATC art card
that
Rose at What I Made Today made.

Thank you Rose! I love it!

One more image from my day in Glacier National Park:

Peace

Morning rays of light begin to ignite the day
I wonder
who wandered along this freshly made path in the snow:

Peace

I believe that peace is possible

I believe that we are one
I believe that what separates us
rises from the spirit of fear
fear of our desires
not being met
yesterday a friend told me she liked this quote:
peace is joy at rest

I like it as well

feeling
the spirit these words emanate
takes me to the place they speak of
reminding me of John Lennon's words:
give peace a chance

These little creatures look like something out of Doctor Suess to me!

Wishing you a peaceful
and joyful 2009!

Sunday Scribblings prompt: I Believe

Winters Gift

Winter flavors my days
soft flakes of snow float through the air
the world is quiet
trees are bare, looking like bones
reminding me of the ancients that went before
their wisdom buried deep
within the quiet of my bones
inspiring a sincere stance
within myself
I feel the breath that animates all life
energy is enhanced

I offer you my deep appreciation and thank you all for visiting me here in blogland! Your visits, insights and appreciation have touched my heart and life. My dream for you is a wonderful winter, joyful holidays and fantastic 2009!

In Winter's Presence

Late last winter
I felt regret
I never twirled under the winter sky
dancing in the snow
this winter will be different

Memories come to me
in real time experience
so many things I love about
winter:

driving into the snow, high beams on and all I can see is the dance
of snow twirling in front of me
a wild chaotic dance
so extreme
that I have to turn my high beams off to see the road ahead

our 3 miles of dirt road is no longer full of ruts and dust
it is packed snow, white, smooth and dust free

tai chi in the snow under the full moon

walking at night
snow falling
a unique quiet fills the air
my heart
my belly

every snow fall
is unique
from any other

only some snow falls
and not many
make lacy snow
flakes

fires to warm by
hot drinks to cup in ones hands
gatherings with candles

snow shoeing
xc skiing
watching folks skate

twirling
arms outstretched
looking skyward
as snow falls
on my face

driving fast and watching snow fly off the hood
and roof of my car

ice crystals
ice crystals
ice crystals
in all their various forms

tracking animals
who are they
where did they go
what were they doing
will I see them

sun on snow
blue sky
invigorating air

layers of cloths
gloves
hats and
BOOTS
yes
boots

people looking out for one another

shoveling paths
heart beating
heat rising
a natural workout

a breeze stirs
snow flies
through the sky
a wonderful sight

I won't be late this year
for all the things I love to do in winter
for I am already cherishing these treasures
and winter has just begun

Sunday scribblings: late

Where would your left hand be without your right?

Waking in the night
thirst is obvious
I reach for my stainless steel litre
of water
it is full to the brim
and heavy
lifting with my left
balancing with my right
I take a long drink of the cold stuff


the companionship
of one hand to the other
is a great and obvious
teacher
this is how to be with
ALL LIFE

helping hands


let us be the hand that helps the other
for truly
there is no other

Christmas Tree & Dropping Temperatures

A few days ago I sawed down my Christmas tree, that was a first for me. My friends Annie and Charlie have a meadow and slowly but surely the forest is attempting to reclaim it. So I thought I would help them to keep their meadow and get myself a tree. A & C even came over to help me fill its branches with lovelies. The ornament above is one my mom gave me years ago, it may just be my favorite!



It's a bit of excitement around here as the weather reports warn of dropping temperatures. Minus 25 F tonight and dipping deeper tomorrow night. Everywhere I go folks are chatting about what these deep temperatures might bring. Well we all know that weather reports are not always accurate. I must say that when I went out to shoot images of ice crystals this morning, it did not take long for my heavily gloves finger tips to freeze! Also there were not many crystals about.... but I did find some. Imagine a crystal cave, where does it go, what will you find?

Exploring heART and a tale of Winter

An arctic storm is blowing through, literally. Tis rare for us to have much wind, yet it was the song of wind that woke me at dawn. Trees heavy laden with lumps of snow, so thick it looked like globs of white icing were swaying to the song of the wind. Snow went flying through the air making trees green once more. Still with the deep temperatures today, around 5F the snow was fluffy and light. I donned my xc skis for the first time of the season and off I went into our back country. Cheeks half frozen and stinging, wind inspiring tears from my eyes that froze on my checks and finger tips begging to be buried in my arm pits so as to warm up. I stopped to satisfy the need of my fingers. The breeze stopped, the world was quiet, then the rat a tat of a wood pecker, a breeze wandered through and tall trees undulated and a similar rhythm was inspired in me. Then I could hear the roar coming in the distance, real wind. I pushed my gloves on and headed home to sip hot tea near the fire. Winter is no longer coming, she is here!

Recently I won a give away from Kara at her Mother Henna Blog, a lovely ornament made by Kara herself arrived in my mail:

Photo taken by Kara or her hubby?

Mother Henna is hosting an Artist Collaboration: heART cards. Perhaps you would like to join us in the artistic fun!

How To Participate

1. Limited to 20 artists. Sign up for a spot by leaving comment here - feel free to leave link to your blog if you want that listed with your name for "participating artists"! Click the "contact me" button in the left side bar if I can answer questions!
   
   
2. Each artist creates 20 cards of heART theme in any size from 2x2 inch to 5x7 inch. Think about when you were a kid and made a Valentine card for every one of your friends. This is a pack of Valentines loveliness to be exchanged with other artists! Consider what heART means to you as you make your art for this project.
   
   
3. Must be handmade, please. Collage is fine, but please use materials of your own making, not of others. Hand printed, painted, fabric art, photography, etching, anything goes.
   
   
4. Make your card in an edition of 20, and be sure to number and sign each card.
   
   
5. By February 1, 2009, send the following:
   your 20 cards,
   self addressed label for return, and
   $2 for return shipping to
   Kara Jones, MotherHenna, PO Box 514, Vashon, WA 98070
   
   
6. Kara will sort the cards so each of us gets a full packet of 20 heART cards back for Valentines Day!
   
   
7. Please consider adding a badge to your blog or site to let others know about your participation:
   
   badge #1
   please save copy to your computer for use on your blog
   

Please go to Mother Henna and sign up if you are interested! Hurry before all 20 spaces are full!

Can I have this dance?

It's Friday night
I could be out dancing the night away
instead the hot wood stove is singing it's song
as snow falls to the earth
piling up in inches

an arctic storm brews
and is heading our way

Still some dresses are made for dancing
swaying
and twirling
some dresses
are worn and meant to be swirled
in the arms of a man
slinking about the thighs of a woman

expressing the passion and joy
of a song
mixed with the heat
between
smiles
and
dips
dresses
and
dancing
yes
dresses
and dancing

inspired by Inspire Me Thursday : prompt; Dress

Last Night

lacy figures of trees

paint the snow
with their dark shadows
in the
nearly full moon light
of this hazy
somewhat starry night
tai chi feels thick
as my boots move through
snow
ponds blanketed in white
fog billows overflowing meadow
at this midnight hour
bed calls

Journey Home

fog
like a veil across the road
doubt rises
will I find my way
looking to the gray night sky
clouds part
dark sky and stars
revealed
moon light reflected
on snow covered earth
turns shades of gray
into a night of striking shadows
on white
is there a difference
between what I see through my eyes
and what lives inside
my belly and heart

today is a new day
I awoke to light fluffy snow
painting my world
white
blue sky
and sun
lighting up each facet of ice and melting snow
in glistening colors

a gentle breeze
puffs of snow
fly through
the sky

Trip Pics

Still sharing a few images from my past drive to California~

Seems ice crystals will grow anywhere:

I wonder who lived here, who was born here, who grew up here,
what was their life like,
were they warm in winter?

Montana endlessly captures my heart.

Sunset to Live For

Winter nears
snow graces the earth
in a thin layer
of white
5 degrees F
greets me this morning
the wood stove hums all day
the sun rises and sets in color
tonight the colors
ignited life
deep in my belly

Tis my way to share the beauty of our natural world
but the wild is not always beautiful
it can be extreme
danger
I found this little frog this morning

was it thinking it was still summer
was it out for a hop about
how did it freeze beside the only hole in the ponds surface
I do not know
but ice crystals claimed it's body

if you are squimish
do NOT look:

Late afternoon I walked in the golden day light
stopping to take in the deep silence
not even a tree swayed
wolf tracks lured me along
and the wee tracks of deer
I wonder if someday
I will come upon the owner of
these big old tracks!

The Mission Mountains of Montana

I love the magnificence of HUGE mountains rising from a valley floor.
Look at how tiny the houses and barns are!
These amazing beings are called:
The Mission Mountains

A Winter's Tale

Winter's dance is near

a light snowfall

ponds freeze at night

thaw in the day

earth under feet

is hard

no longer gives with each

step I take

days are cold

folks talk of wanting

snow to arrive

for we live in a ski town

when I lived in the south land

of California

winter was a subtle season

I wondered what a true winter would be like

my heart whispered

"if you don't live where seasons rule, you will never know"

"live your life fully, try different things"

and off I went into the world

traveling to far off lands

landing in a place I call home

Montana

I never knew that winter changes every day

snow comes it goes

ice comes it melts

sun comes not often

forests are white dressed in snow

temperatures rise

forests are green

when the temps drop deep

the land becomes a magical ice palace

frozen crystals grow everywhere

that is when I have the natural world to myself

rarely if ever

do I see another person out wandering in that deep cold

the sun dances on these crystals

and nothing else exists

for me

nothing but the beauty of the moment

for it is profound in it's fragile magnificence

For Sunday Scribblings prompt; A Winter's Tale

Landscapes that Delight

Sensory
delight of sunrise
light


I sense that over the next few days I will post a couple images
daily
from last weeks drive
I hope you enjoy them

strata dressed in pastels

Home Again

Tis early morning,
fire heating the cabin,
sipping hot cocoa,
the day is gray, many shades of gray.
I have just returned from a road trip to California,
pulling a trailer
then
hauling my earthly possessions, north.
As I drove south I felt as though I revisited fall.
Trees had leaves again, towns were golden with fall color.
Layers of clothing were peeled off and stayed off,
until I journeyed north again, entering back into
the deep season of fall
nearly winter.

This image was sunrise
in all her glory.

Thanksgiving

This past week I drove down to lovely Santa Barbara California to bring my belongings that have been in storage to Montana. Tis a very long drive, even more so pulling a trailer. Perhaps 25 hours! Today holds a mere 5 hours drive before I arrive at the home of friends for a lovely celebration of appreciation, food and music.

As I sit at the keyboard my heart smiles. This is inspired by all the people I have met in blogland, I so enjoy our sharing! My heart also smiles as I feel how meaningful each and every relationship I have is to me. Truly I am thankful for this life I have been given. I feel that we are endlessly creative beings, capable of anything we can dream of and more. So cheers to each and everyone of you. Thank you for being in my life!

Tea Fire

This past week I was in Santa Barbara, California. I went down tie up loose ends I left behind four years ago. Loose ends in this case is belongings I left in storage. In this moment I am deeply aware of how possessions can be quite a burden. One buys them, they then care for them, house them, move them around and if they no longer want their possessions they have to find away to get rid of them. I am exhausted. Still I feel as though I accomplished quite a bit.

In the middle of the week the Tea Fire began! The energy of the town changed in an instant! People drove with fear, excitement and fast. The news of the fire was on every television, smoke and ash filled the air and news of homes destroyed touched folks hearts with sadness and distress. I was staying with a girlfriend, near enough to the fire that we evacuated taking her precious belongings.

This trip only a little point and shoot camera accompanied me. I never got out and took pictures of the fire as I was too busy with the living of life. Still these two images I can share. The top photo is sunset through smoke the last night of the fire. The photo below is sunrise through a dirty plane window as I flew off to return home.

My heartfelt prayers and best wishes go to the folks that have lost their homes this past week. May you find your way with grace and the support of many people.

Momentary Treasures

There are moments in a day that are treasures
these moments ignite the heart

this mornings treasures lay in the morning sunlight
as it sparkles the tiny crystals that coat the earth
it lasts for a short time
then the crystals melt
in the warming sun

being in the presence of light
dancing on the edge of a sparkly leaf
somehow takes my breath away
then fills me with the spirit of life
~

This post is my birthday greeting to all my Scorpio
friends:
Paschal today is your day
Lorie I shall see you soon
Maxine (once upon a time)
Roberto of Italy
Jill
Lindsay
Darra
Brian of Norway


May your day, your year be full of treasures!

What a difference a day (or week) can make...

A week or so ago I posted a fall image of my wee cabin in the woods. The image showed the season in her glory reflected in this very pond, scroll back a few posts to see the image. Today is our "first" snow. It began as rain gently falling upon the earth. Soon I noticed large raindrops that fell slower than the others, reminding me of winters snow. Then they were here, flakes like feathers floating through the air, landing one upon the other, building a white layer upon the earth. Trees coated in blankets of white. Something special about an autumn snowfall is that you see fall colors dressed in white. Very beautiful.

As a photographer I feel timid posting an image that is not dramatic or fantastic, but the part of me that wants to tell a story, wants to share my joy in our first snow shares this image to show how nature has her way. In a moment the green grass can become winter for a day or a season. I bow to and feel great respect for the natural rhythms in life.

I Heart your blog

Tanya Gwen Minnick has awarded me with:

She writes " I must give a nod to Tammie Lee with her beautiful blog aka "Spirithelpers" Tammie Lee has a gift of photography and writing. Combine the two and you get wonderful stories, poems and beautiful accompanying photography. I love the way Tammie Lee sees the world through her camera lens..it fascinates me to no end- "How does she get such wonderful snapshots of our world?" Tammie Lee is kind, patient, brave and wonderfully gifted. I appreciate her contributions to the world, and the world of blogging."

Myyyyy goodness, so kind that she has shown appreciation for what I share on my blog in this way! I highly recommend that you drop in for a visit at Tanya's blog and have a leisurely look about enjoying her wonderful blog of art, sweet sensitivity and appreciation life!

Now as most of you know, these awards come with suggestions that we pass them on in certain ways. I am not the best at following guidelines, rules, recipes or other folks footsteps. So I will do it a wee bit different.

I have recently found some blogs that have greatly excited and inspired me. I sense you might enjoy a visit as well:

There is Sarah of Little Paper Bird: She is amazing with paper and making books!

Valerie Greeley of Acornmoon: her art makes me want to look and enjoy endlessly!

Rima Staines of The Hermitage: I feel as though I have stepped into a magical realm full of mystery and whimsy when I visit her!

Lisa Hurwitz Art: Lisa's art is full of creative wonder and charm that makes me smile with delight.

Eleanor Jane Cardwell: A Good Idea on Paper. Another amazing blog with paper magic and wonder.

If any of you feel inspired to honor this award by passing it on to others: Enjoy

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2.Nominate at least 5 blogs (more or less).

3. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

4. Link to this post to the person you originally sent you your award.

Enjoy and wishing you well on Dia de los Muertos.

A Song for Halloween

There's a witch hanging from the moon

sitting on her broom

swinging swaying to her own tune

looking down on the earth

across the universe

she spies a bird in flight

is filled with delight

noting that is

another way to fly

across the sky

anything but vacant: Illustration Friday

Fall Evening

It's a lovely fall evening. The warm sunlight pours through the sky, igniting the colors of the earth. These colors touch something deep inside. As I wander about my pond I see a mirror reflection of life where the surface is no longer frozen due to the nights dipping temperatures. In my heart I feel peace and gratitude to live in this wee log cabin in the north west corner of Montana. I feel peace and gratitude for all the people in my life.

Many a time I have been asked to share an image of my little cabin that I call home. Tonight's beauty inspired me to do so.

Carved by Time

Winds and waters
of time
carve
magnificent sculptures
for us to behold
nature's
rugged glory


and
for fun
last years owl
jack-o-lantern:

In response to Inspire Me Thursday's prompt: Carve

Why are these Raindrops different colors?

Be the first to tell me
why these raindrops are different colors
and
I will send you one of my greeting cards
your choice of image!
Leave your answer in the comment section.

and
the winner
(due to a Random Generator)
is
Murat11
Congratulations!