The Outside of the Curve

The first photo is Linking with Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art,   ,Studio Waterstone~ I Heart Macro 

,ABC Wordless Wednesday ,Our World Tuesday ,Wordless Wednesday NC Sue,, ,and Tina's Pic Story "wordless Wednesday".

And down below two hearts images for Random Heart Thursday.



I am exploring the curve. I thought I would be dancing inside the curve. I thought I would be comforted by the curve. January found me outside the curve. Clinging, grasping, sliding - surrendering to the free fall. I slide off the edge. 

Down

Down

Down

Looking closely at this close up-  you can see a layer from Bonnie over at Pixel Art Photo- Thank you Bonnie!

You helped me hang on

The curved umbrella of faith poofing open with a muffled grace. 

I step back from the edge onto a clean kitchen floor.

I stoop to to fill the empty dog bowl with water.

I see it was not empty after all.

 

It is a bowl full of sunshine.

Over and over again, life is strung together by moments of grace.

  

Kitchen, Blacksburg, VA- February 14, 2013

My dog wants still wants water.

Stained Glass Window TV Room, Blacksurg, VA- February 14, 2013

Continuing to study the curve.

Front Porch, Blacksburg, VA- January 13, 2013

These little bird statues study a heart shaped leaf on my front porch. Happy Valentines Day - I hope it was lovely.

Blacksburg VA-February 13, 2013

And here you must look closely to find a little angel watching over a sideways heart. Everyday I am blessed.

Thanksgiving

                                                                   Buffalo Mountain, Floyd VA- Nov 8, 2011

Like the leaves - November is almost gone. 

I have not been inclined to post much this month. It has been a good month.  A bit like running a marathon. I was well prepared, so I am doing ok.

One more week and the "man with a plan" will return, I cannot wait. He will laugh to read this. Yes he will. I am not a "lovey dovey" sort.  And he kinda, sorta thinks I do "better" with out him home. Better... better than what?  I do get lots accomplished while he is away- and he misses out on all my misgivings, as a I push myself forward.

Lucky guy.

The list looks like this. I hung curtains in the living room, and bought a new ladder just for the occasion, removed all the leaves out of the backyard garden,(well until last night, when Mrs Willow dropped her remaining leaves) dug up the iris bed, fixed (spackled and painted) various holes around the house- (they have been there for about 5 years), started a new quilt, got Christmas packages in a state of readiness, client work...LOTS of client work, and of course my daily walk with my dog.

So, in this time of thanksgiving, I say thank-you to all the friends that walked with me, took me to movies, had dinner with me, sent me emails or commented here,and  and kept me in their prayers. Ah, the prayers!! The prayers are what carry me through any given day.

I could minimize my efforts to get through this month, but I won't.  Learning to stay balanced, even in every day life, is a good thing. Moments of re-balancing. Balanced in faith.

So I remain thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends,

and blessings of thanksgiving shared with all.

I am off to Philly for Thanksgivng- and I leave in just a bit- SOOOO exited  

xo teri

a last bouquet, backyard garden-Nov17, 2011

On the Path

Life is sprinkled with turning points, and stand out moments. The kind that pull you up from where you are comfortably standing and plant you somewhere else. On this day 31 years ago my daughter was born. I find myself recalling the 20 year old me, holding this small being. I started to cry. How would I ever do this?
 

In times of unbalance I tend to doubt my strength and resolve- only to find that I am stronger than I  know. Creativity born of love and faith.

 

May you find the strength that you need today to follow a path that is sometimes hard- but oh so filled with blessing. xo teri

Some Answers

The ebb and flow of faith.

The writing below is prompted by the month long  e-course Writing Our Way Home.  During the month of March I have attempted to participate in the course called Writing as A Spiritual Practice. For the month of January I participated in writing small stones  as a way to observe the world around me- and felt very comfortable doing this. I have been using photography as a spiritual practice since 2009, so I thought incorporating writing would be something to try.

To put it bluntly the course had me crawling around some areas of my mind that I have worked really hard to packed away. I know for a fact there are things I need to let go of - so I can embrace gently. Never the less I have in my fashion gotten through this course- I have read and thought about everything that Fiona sent out. My small stone writing has all but disappeared- well that is not true- most of my small stones are in my notebook that I left at my sister-in-laws in Florida.

 "Praise" - this weeks essay.

Praise that I took this course 

 Praise that is is over. 

Praise that I persevered

It began with the question- "Do you have faith?"  I answered yes. But the forces that coordinate life lessons timed a perfect question - "Are you sure about that?"  I was away from home on a 5 day trip I did not want to take. I had little or no internet access. I was returning to  2009 (the year from hell). I survived -again. But alas I was behind on my course assignments and that was that. Unplanned house guests arrived and I left on a another trip that lasted 2 days longer then I thought- and I left my notebook and all my papers for the course in Florida. So now four course days are left - no notebook in sight.  I feel a bit like when I dropped out of typing in high school. But now look at me, I can type in the dark. With that in mind I am thinking I will do one assignment a month- on my own. I will return to keeping my mind on my photos and seeing God grace in the moments He presents to me.

Oh and I have started a new blog-A small stone Gathering where I put the small stones I will continue to write.  

Two Mile Circle

Blacksburg, Va- March 10, 2011

The Two Mile Circle

(or Yesterdays Walk)

Heavy and wet-

Torrents of rain

Cold and damp,-

I saw snow flakes.

There was reluctance, and procrastination.

I called it contentment

There was avoidance by napping.

I said I was tired.

Getting dusky-

                      the

                               rain

                                           stopped.

Ever so annoyed I put on a coat and a rain coat over that.

I was NOT going to carry a dumb umbrella.

I put on my hat and my gloves,

miserable in every way
I did not want to be back to walking through drab.

Pepper black lab and princess of all that is right with my life-
looked at me quivering in anticipation-- "a walk? oh really!! A WALK!!! Oh I just can't stand it -
          I
                am
                    so so so so so
                           SO

                       exited.!!!"

  "What? You say it is cold and wet?
                             What?  A Walk- oh a walk..."

So out we go.
It was so much better when I was writing small stones- walks were full of wonder.
Even though it was January.

But now this month I march with the discussion of faith on my mind.
Nothing is tidy, nothing stays were I put it.

Just when I think I can express things clearly the fog rolls in, someone tracks mud on my ideas, the dog throws up on the rug, I notice my closet is too full,I loose my train of thought, a plant needs watering, the phone rings, a brother gets evicted from his house, a bowl shatters, and most of these things I could handle before I thought about faith...
Or
Or what?
Or I just knew the sky would clear, the mud got wiped up, the rug got cleaned up, I removed a a piece of clothing and that was enough, I laughed, brought water to the plant, answered the phone- or not. Did not fret about my brother, yelled at the dog for breaking the bowl, and moved on.
Or did I?
Half way home - I begin to warm up, my heart lifts, I know I will be alright.

Yesterdays stone-
My faith in understanding faith
Made a two mile circle in my mind
Good thing I left and came back home.

Today I was mercifully gifted with two perfect permissions to breathe- and when I mindfully breathe I allow room for faith- even if I don't understand it.

Fiona's writings on Perseverance -
(I am taking part in Writing as a Spiritual Practice this month with Fiona)

My Daily Calendar reminder -"Patience is the best remedy for most trouble..."
"It is not good to have zeal without  knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way." Proverbs 19:2

May your guideposts to faith always come at just the right time. But know this~ if you loose your faith there will be those of us praying you through. Blessings- teri

One Year and One Day

Seams

All

Sewn

Upstairs sewing area, Blacksburg, VA- Jan 5, 2011

Seems

Bedroom, Blacksburg VA- Jan 5, 2010

All
Sown 

A River of Stones- a 30 day challenge in observing

One year and one day ago I started this quilt top.

I had a pattern but of course I did not stick to that.

I had a timetable.

A very realistic time table
with plenty of time to wander and return.

The next step will be to hand the quilt over
(to a friend)
to be machine quilted-

Another realistic move-
it is 
too BIG
to hand quilt.

Over on Joanne's blog Whole Latte Life

she posed the question -
"Do you come into the new year as a lion or a lamb?"

The responses in the comment section 
make this post really fun.

My answer:
  I am a lion in sheep's clothing-
kind of scary huh? 

My work style tends to be rather 
 me
                 and
ering

and
indirect -

but my courage bubbles up 
and keeps me moving in a general direction.

With that my quilt top is completed!

Delayed by a day- 

Delayed by a dog- 

Done in a year and a day.

Here is a link to the day I began my quilt top- 

Just over a year ago --January 4, 2010

Taxi Cab, Baltimore MD, May 26, 2010

On a journey of faith-