If I Go Straight

01-12-1015-If I Go Straight by Teri H Hoover©
Link to: Sunday Whirl- #195 and Heart Macro #86- Shine the Divine


 

 Cascade Trail, Pembroke, VA

The story is not new.  I write words of wondering every once in a while. I muse along, wandering. I may find a point to share - or I may just be grateful. This will be a place holder for today. If I go straight with intention I will find myself in just this place. It is the intention within the faulty prayer I pray. I am consoled in my moments of awkward searching. My intentions are made straight with Gods grace. My mind wonders, I wander. But in  this intention I go forward with grace. I repeat myself. With so many words. The curves I love, wind around me embracing this heart. It must be winter again.

 Lichen Hearts

Cascade Trail, Pembroke, VA

I do not capitulate myself to an inky channel. Rather I render myself free. I am not listless; appearances deceive. I am only bobbing up and down on the nearly frozen water.  A single leaf  with an invisible anchor.  Smudged into a layer of  lethargy and resigned to the ennui of winter, where the smell of life is remembered. To generate a thought the heart must first hear more than silence. If I go straight there will beginnings after this ends. 

 
A list of words from the Sunday Whirl #195-  

Late Summer Musings

Shine the Divine- I Heart Macro week 18 Sunday Whirl #128- September 22, 2013
 

 

 The late summer shadows in the alley behind my house.

Though summer is making way for autumn, my dill plants are celebrating with an exuberance of seeds.

 These seeds will dry and fall to the ground, ready for their winter rest. 

Still and quiet, waiting without distress for the warmth of spring.

 So I will curve into autumn.

The Huckleberry Trail- Blacksburg, VA- September 2013

In honor of friend and fellow blogger Laura Hegfield  Shine the Divine

I took this photo with my cell phone the other afternoon -

 when I downloaded the image it reminded me of Laura's image on her blog.

It reminded me of her inspiration that always awaits me when I visit.

 AND then of course there are hearts-

 Finland 2013

The Well Used Heart

So I have been away. The curve got hold me. I flew off into the ozone for awhile. 

Here is a small selection of life since May....

 How are you?  

Shine the Divine- I Heart Macro week 17

Sunday Whirl #125- September 8, 2013
Poetic Bloomings September 8, 20123 Prompt 119- "Looking Back- Looking Forward" 
   
The Well Used Heart  by Teri H  Hoover ©

One small brush with a stranger, at the magic edge of idleness.

One little push at the top of the curve; there is no turning back.

Traveling the avenue of thought only to lose my answer.

Stains of intrigue stamped upon my passport.

Approaching the borders without dimension. 

Where is my country?

Only a heart full of emptiness can return home.

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Gently

Linking with Tina's Pic Story- Bottom Up, and  Tuesday Muse and Random Hearts

Next door neighbors weeping cherry tree- Blacksburg, VA- April 22, 2013

All that room

outside.

My heart finds safety.

Through these gentle blossoms
Light.

I have considered "going dark" as the cool bloggers say. Taking some time off from the online space. But as soon as I say that I will want to post. Such is the nature of being me. So for now despite some behind the scenes meltdown and fumblings. I will continue with my little weekly posts. I can feel the deep sigh of relief from the universe. Onward with my leaking and lurking and rambling.

On the bright side on July 6, 2013 our garden will be a part of the 18th Annual New River Valley Garden Tour .  Sponsored by Friends of the Montgomery County Library (proceeds to benefit the Montgomery County Library). And while the preparation for such an event is a bit daunting I am enjoying the time outside.

Sending blessings of love and light to you and yours.

Huckleberry Trail Blacksburg, VA- April 2013

                                                     A walk that curves right into my heart-

The Waiting Place

The FIRST photo is Linking with  Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art, - COLLAGE , ABC Wednesday , -LONG WAITING LOVE  Our World Tuesday ,Wordless Wednesday NC Sue,,  Random Heart Thursday.

This collage was created in response to a prompt by Bonnie over at Pixel Dust Photo Art.
See below for the process.


The Waiting Place

around and behind 

apart 

curved into the waiting place
of long waiting love

I have a husband who travels. I used to really like when he would leave. It gave me time to find what ever it was and create and move things around. But I think I am over that, or I find I can do all that even when he is around. I have curved into a new me that would just rather have him around. This surprises him as much as it does me. 





The image creation process: I am a bit photoshop challenged when it comes to integrating layers so this was a big attempt. So here is the first photo I used. It is of a wall around a huge statue of Buddha in China. I went to China with my husband in 2007. I have almost recovered.  I took over 4000 photos. It is lots of fun to play with some of these photos.
 

I settled on using the last version (I think I used the "find edge" filter- or it could have been posterization filter.) Just look at all those CURVES!  (my focus word for the year.)

Then I added several other images of mine and came up with the image above. I must say I am pretty pleased.





On another note. It is April. In the Northern hemisphere in Virginia it is usually spring time. I had 16 cubic yards of mulch delivered at 1:30 today. It is now covered in 4 inches of snow. This little angel in the backyard collected some snow in her basket. I don't think I need mulch if the yard is covered in snow. 

 Backyard garden, Blacksburg, VA April 4, 2013

  

Journey

The SECOND photo is Linking with  Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art, -self portrait

The first photo is linking with: 

Studio Waterstone~ I Heart Macro  the last one. :-(

ABC Wednesday , -J is for Journey  

Our World Tuesday ,Wordless Wednesday NC Sue,, 

And down below a heart  image for Random Heart Thursday.

Huckleberry Trail, Blacksburg, VA- 03-06-2012

Unplanned Journey

This journey started from a point I know longer remember.

How many curves have I slammed straight into?

  To see elegance in this bending and winding

I must find a still space.

Is a trip unplanned if it is just a trip you have avoiding?  The reluctant traveler sagas continue. The night before my trip, I thought I would actually become ill with panic. This was a trip to Buffalo. Time to bite the bullet and get in the car for that 10 hour drive. Of course there were snow squalls before we (my 18 year old nephew on spring break made the trek with me) even hit the West Virginia border. There were at least 10 of these delightful and blinding white outs on the 70 mile per hour curves of West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. By the time we reached the flats of I-90 the snow had pretty much abated. The family was all visited and seen.

I was as always most happy to be home in my own bed on Sunday.

Self Portrait - taken by my dad, edited by me

Coffee Stain Heart on the Counter

Kitchen Counter, Buffalo NY- 03-14-2013 

And just one more thing-

Connections

The first photo is Linking with  

Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art, -CONNECTIONS

Studio Waterstone~ I Heart Macro  

ABC Wednesday , -F is for FLOWERS and FAITH

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

And down below a heart  image for Random Heart Thursday.

Pure grace connects us with light and love.

All else falls away 

my heart will find

light.

Kitchen Sink, Blacksburg, VA-February 18, 2013
-water droplet heart-

Between

Linked with 
Random Hearts

 

Huckleberry Trail, Blacksburg VA- Sept 24, 2012

`

In between the shadows, 

lies a bright heart.


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Photo Fun Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Everyone-

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Buzzing my way through my week. I am ever so glad to pause and add some photos for the following challenges

I heart macro Sunday ~ Macro Monday ~Black and White Wednesday~ Black and White Wednesday (MAM)~Random Hearts Guest Heart Thursday ~Take a Word Challenge- Dream

Key West Botanical Garden, Key West FL- April 2012 

I heart macro Sunday - (But it is I Heart Macro Wednesday for me!)

 Backyard Garden, Blacksburg VA- April 2012

Macro Monday

Backyard Garden, Blacksburg, VA- April 2012

 Black and White Wednesday
 Black and White Wednesday (MAM) 

 Huckleberry Trail Blacksburg, VA April 2011

Random Hearts Guest Heart Thursday

Key West, Florida- April 2012 

Created with one standard image and 3 image layers from my collection. 

Take a Word Challenge- Dream

Every Tuesday Margo Roby brings the blogging world a new writing prompt. (I began my journey into writing two years ago on my sister blog a small stone Gathering) This week she asked us to look at the concept of self. This little poem is my beginning .

 

I am the dream 

I linger close

my body drifts away.

Margo Roby's Tuesday Tryouts- "Self" 

2012-My Creativity Challenge

Photo fun Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Everyone- yup I am just a bit late. `
Despite myself and the dreary weather I have been able to lose myself in some images.Here are just a few of the photos I have played with this week-
First-a simple close-up linking to:

I heart macro Wednesday (over on Studio Waterstone)
Random Hearts Guest Heart Thursday 
Flowers for Stephen - the Round Robin Photo Challenges 


I love how "in focus" the stamens of this amaryllis are. This is one lucky amaryllis; it is in my house and still has its stamens. When my husband is home I cut off the stamens  and it keeps him from sneezing. BUT since he was away I was able to leave them on! And if you look close, you will see two lovely hearts, hidden in this flower.

Kitchen Table- Blackburg, VA March 22, 2012

Next up, was a nice neat organized book case, at my son and daughter in laws home, in Nashville. I took this photo a year and a half ago. It now looks as old as it is.

Bookcase- Nashville, TN April 2011

Next, I went into photoshop with this photo taken during a recent photo session.  The original was exposed incorrectly, (yes that happens) so I took the opportunity and gave it some lovely layers.

 Backyard Garden- Blacksburg, VA - April 29, 2012

And last but not least, a photo from the same client session. To me, there is nothing more exquisite than the human face and all the layers of blessing it holds. A perfect day when little ones come to play in the garden.

Backyard Garden, Blacksburg, VA- April 29, 2012

You have heard me go on about creativity. Creativity blends the life's contrasts; brings light to darkness. Creativity has in many forms. At the core, creativity is seeing a connection. Some times that seeing is enough. Other times we are compelled to find outward expressions.  Writing, sewing,drawing, knitting, biking, painting, quilting, cooking, gardening,walking, photographing, digital painting and we won't even go into the sciences. Life at is very core is creative, finding ways of being. Allowing blessings- giving and receiving.   

I continue to honor my New Years resolution to expand my use of Photoshop.   Although I am busy with client work, I continue to really enjoy seeing where Photoshop will take me.

Added Note: Photoshop is only one tool among many for photo editing. I have been using my outdated Photoshop CS3 for many years now, only because that is what my husband used. There are many wonderful editing programs out there, let me know what you use!


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Spring Time Pause

Backyard Garden, Blacksburg, VA, April 11, 2012

Laying in the dirt

to catch the last of the evening light

My dog snuggles close -

 her head resting on my foot.

I type this on my three year old laptop. Duct tape holds the connection cord into the computer. It has lost its sheen, where my base of my palm rests on the keyboard. There is a folder, named 2012 Hoover.  This years, non-client photos, live there. All 1,567 of them.(And yes they are backed up on two external hard drives, and copied onto CD's-) Each photo, a pausing to see.  I pause a lot.  It has been such a lovely beginning of 2012.

A Gift for the Heart

 Winnie the Pooh- and heart candles 

Two gifts from two wonderful friends

Feb 15, 2012

My heart has been unsettled... which makes for a quiet blog.  There are things that this photographer just edits out and we will leave it at that.  I don't know about you, but I find it hard to blog (and do lots of other things properly) when I allow dimness to creep in. Insidious little tyrant. 

Yesterday was Valentines Day. And for no good reason my mood shifted back into better place. Well, that is a lie - there were probably a million reasons; including a wonderful husband who sat with me, on Valentines Day Eve and  rubbed my sore shoulder.  And then pulled up the "Adopt a Manatee" website and let me pick out a Manatee to adopt.   Silly? Yes.  Save the world?  No. Just what I needed?  Definitely.  But only because I had that very afternoon made a conscious decision - again- to turn toward what I know is right. So here is to the 364 other days. Where we continue to return our hearts to Gods light.

Today was extra special too- A friend came with me and my dog Pepper on our afternoon walk. But first she gave me the Winnie-the Pooh ornament pictured above. (Pooh is my personal hero.)