SMILES...............

Have you ever seen a smile so bright it lights up an entire room?  Have you ever seen a smile that would just wipe the frown off anyone's face?  Have you ever seen a smile that sits just right, even when you know that someone is in pain?  Have you ever noticed how smiles just make you feel rays of golden sunshine, warming your insides?  Have you ever noticed how smiles are universal?  Have you ever noticed how a smile can sometimes be the only, and the most beautiful form of communication between two people?  Have you ever noticed that you feels better when you smile?  Have you ever noticed how smiles breed smiles?  Have you ever noticed how a smile just lifts your spirit when nothing else can?

I can't help but smile when I see a field of sunflowers.  It's like a golden shower of a million smiles gently placed in some wide open space.   I always imagine what people are thinking and feeling as they walk or drive by these fields.  I can't help myself.  I have to stop and soak it all in.  There is no way you can witness the birthing of a field of smiles and not feel good.   It's one of those moments when you can't help but be thankful for the gifts of Mother Nature.

Every year, I drive by this field once a week, and I wait.......patiently, for the arrival of "the land of a million golden smiles."  Today, I stopped to take pictures and the two farmers who planted the field snuck up from behind, approached me and were ready for an altercation.  They thought I was "stealing" their sunflowers.  When they saw my face and camera in hand, we exchanged smiles and I shared with them how much I appreciated having this experience to look forward to every year.  "I'm not stealing your sunflowers,"  I said.  "I'm stealing a big heap of sunshine and a whole lotta smiles to take home with me."  They grinned and replied "take as many as you'd like ma'am" and walked away.

SUMMER INTO FALL

The light is changing.  Colors are beginning to fade.  Trees are a little more dull in their shades of green.     Cloud formations are changing with the change of seasons.  The air is cooler at night and in the early morning hours.  Outdoor activities slow down and indoor activities take over.  The noises outside are different now. 

The early onset of Fall.  My very favorite time of the year.  

But still, I am not ready to give up the beauty of Summer.  I will relish in the change as it is unfolding.

HAPPY DAYS..........

I've been struggling all day to figure out what pics to post, what to write about because I did promise myself that I would do a weekly Sunday post when I started this venture.  Just to keep myself accountable and motivated to keep moving forward.

Truth is, I haven't been taking many photos in the last two weeks. Not that I haven't thought about it.  My wheels are always turning.  I am thinking about some inspirational Fall projects that will motivate me to try some new things with my photography.  But for the last few weeks, my life has been incredibly FULL - with many other things.  

As a matter of fact, I've commented more than once about feeling like I might have a moment of spontaneous combustion. My heart has felt very LARGE!  I am so very full - of joy and gratitude.  There is just too much to write about.  And the only word that comes to me is HAPPY.  My heart is full and I am happy.  And for that, and for all the reasons I am that, I am grateful.

So in going through all of my albums, I  randomly chose a few pics that just make me happy.  I hope that in sharing them, I can spread a little sunshine and a little happiness.

Enjoy!

Harvest time.....

Slow fade of Summer 

Cricket serenades, crisp nighttime air  

Harvest time

Coming home......

I love to travel. to explore new places, experience new adventures.  But no matter where I am, no matter   how beautiful my surroundings, or how much fun I might be having, no matter how much I am enjoying the company I am with or the memories I am making, there is nothing like the feeling of coming home after being away.  Back to my routine, with a fresh appreciation for my surroundings.

My home is my sanctuary, a nesting place.   It is where my heart lives.  It's my place of routine and rituals.  Where I wake each morning to my cup of coffee, and sit in my favorite spot to write.  Saturday morning farmer's market, Sunday morning NY Times and cooking for my week.  A place for friends and family to visit, share stories and laughter.

My current home is a transitional one.  But a place I call my own.   The walls are adorned with my photography, artwork and needlepoint.  The shelves are lined with my favorite cookbooks and spices, novels and pottery.  A collection of my favorite pieces of furniture that have moved with me from place to place, including my decrepit dining room table, where many a meal has been shared amongst family and friends.   And always a space where my creative endeavors happen.

I don't have room for my perennial gardens in this place, so I look for creative ways to create color and have places to get my hands in the dirt.  In the meantime, I treat myself to a weekly fresh bouquet of flowers from the farmer's market.

My love of life begins at home, no matter where that might be at any given time.  It's not about the "things" I own or the geography I am surrounded by,  but rather, a feeling I create in the space around me.  It's a place of comfort, a place where love resides in all its many forms.  So welcome, my friend, to my home.  Pull up a chair, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee, a fine meal and some good conversation.

DAYS GONE BY.....

I love anything aged - old buildings, old farmhouses and barns, old cars, vintage clothing, antiques furniture, weathered machinery, aged people (notice I didn't say "old" - that's a subjective term :)

I was out driving along country roads yesterday just for fun.  My eyes were diverted from the road many times over with the sight of some beautiful old and abandoned farmhouses,  junk yards full of old, rusty vehicles, and my favorite which was a completely rusted out bicycle, still holding its plastic basket on the handlebars, with a fresh bouquet of flowers.  One of the few times I didn't have my camera with me.

I love a good story.  I am always curious about the history behind these things.  If walls could talk in these old buildings, what would they be saying?  Who and what were the people like that walked through their doors? What were the conversations and interactions that took place within the rooms?  Who wore the vintage clothing and was it hand sewn at the hands of a fine craftsman or woman?  What was the work of these old machines and how did it assist in the daily lives of people at some point in time?  Where did the cars and bicycles travel to and from and what was seen along the way? There is no greater blessing than sitting with an aged person and hearing their stories of days gone by.  So much wisdom to be had from those that have gone before us.

I think about the many chapters of my own life, and the stitching and weaving of those chapters that together, make up the story of who I am and where I've been, the lessons learned, the wisdom I've gained, and the stories I have to tell.   A blending of the old and the new, the past and the present, and the curiosity of the future, the days that have yet to come, which will one day be a part of the history.

REFLECTION.....

Time away on Martha's Vineyard was time well spent.  I had all good intentions of seeing things, visiting places that I love on the Vineyard and engaging in all sorts of picture taking.  Instead, I spent a lot of time doing nothing, and everything.  Thinking, reflecting, feeling and healing.

It was great to connect with old friends that know me so well, and remind me of who I am and who I wish to be, when I can quiet the storm that brews inside me.   Sometimes I get lost in my own flurry of activity as I try to sift through the rubble and reconnect to the core of who I know myself to be. It is wonderful to have such intimate connections with people that can reflect back to me who they know me to be when I am at my best.

I came away with all that I needed - new insights, new energy, new excitement about what is and what is to become.  I am so very grateful and fortunate to have friends that embrace my authentic self, that stimulate and challenge me to be the person I wish to be, that lift my spirit when I am down and fill me with love and laughter.