Stirring Turquoise and a Little Snow

Blacksburg VA- February 13,2012

This is a photo I took on February 13, 2012.  The turquoise bell sits quietly most days in our garden.

Two days ago, while I was working in the garden, a little breeze sent the bell into a frenzy. It was the harbinger of the winter snow, that finally found us yesterday.

In the image below I blended my image with a pre-made background, from digital artist Alice Popkorn. (her other links are Faceook and  flicker photostream). She is a master of the digital image.

This image is my contribution to Take a Word Challenge  with Marie.  The word for this week is turquoise. 

February 20, 2012 Take a Word Challenge, Small Stones

Stirring Turquoise by Teri H Hoover

Stillness falls between the branches,

just before the wind finds its way.

Stirring the turquoise bell.  

  

And on another note it snowed yesterday~ the first snow of the season. February 19th and it is the first snow.  I suppose there were other little snows... but for a girl from Buffalo, NY this was the first SNOW. And while I am not necessarily a big fan of the white stuff, when God gives something gorgeous my first impulse is to want to run out and photograph it .  So I did.

Dogwood in Snow, Blacksburg VA- February 20, 2012

 

Front Porch, Blacksburg, VA- February 20, 2012

just my imagination

February 9, 2012 

just my imagination by Teri H Hoover

 `

the warm outlines of naked trees in winter

waiting on the pointed hill

I walk on

Airport Rd.,Blacksburg, VA- Feb 9, 2012

On my walk today, sunny and bright.  Almost home and had not even made any attempt to observe the world into words. Then it happened, there on the side of a house, the shadows of trees creating a hilltop scene. Snap goes the cell phone. 

Here's to a quick observation on a long day-

Here is the original image prior to adding a bit- ok a lot of contrast, several photoshop filters and one layer. Time to pause for some sleep. 

waiting seams

From my writing page- a small stone Gathering

January 26, 2012- Small Stones
waiting seams  by  Teri H Hoover


`

the day flips by 

and a quilt waits.

Exposing all those seams.

`

Living Room Floor, Blacksburg, VA - Jan 26, 2012

 

So January slips by- and it seems (- ah those lovely seams,) that the whole world has discovered how to pause- even my quilt.  Maybe this weekend I can cut out the pieces for the backing. Been a busy girl though... how about you? 

return to normal

From my writing space-

January 25, 2012- Small Stones   
return to normal by  Teri H Hoover



Like a deflated balloon, 
the house is suddenly calm and quiet.
Scattered dog toys, 
an exhausted dog,
and one off-kilter human, 
surround themselves with sunshine.
Things return to normal. 

Note: Yesterday while walking my black lab Pepper- we found a little terrier running loose on a busy street near my home. I easily caught him while he sniffed my dog. Tying my purple scarf to his harness we went home to my house. There was no collar, no ID info and no microchip. (I took him to the vet to have him scanned- they need a phone app for that!!! ). So we spent the afternoon yesterday making signs and posting; "DOG FOUND" notices on Facebook, Craig's List and notifying all the dog agencies in town. Happily after less than 24 hours later the owner contacted me through Craig's list.  PLEASE if you have an animal, have proper, up to date ID, with a phone number on your pet.  

host and banditry

January 22, 2012-Prompt-Photography by Dan Habermehl

host and banditry by Teri H Hoover

A changing sky of bright white clouds,

emerging into a snowbound contentment 
` 
observing
`

A cheerful insurrection of chickadees and sparrows,

painted into the passive leaves of winter.

`

photography by Dan Habermehl- Jan 2012

Process notes- Thanks to my brother Dan  who takes wonderful photos. He posted this one on his Facebook page on Sunday. It seems we both immediately saw a collection of birds among the dried leaves. It took a bit of untangling the image into words. And then came time for a title.  I was aware that there were many collective nouns for groupings of birds... but not THIS many!! A shout out to Red and The Peanut - a great birding blog I just found.  I learn so much in the time I pause to write.

pausing between

Muted pink clouds 

~embracing the world with love~

The morning sky.

December 30, 2011- Small Stones
pausing between  by  Teri H Hoover


There between back door and the alley;
basket of recyclables in hand,
I become an angel, with a dusty pink  halo.

Directions

Some new directions-

not even the new year yet,

blending,

turning,

pausing

...

Creating.

The Three Muses Challenge- All About Me-December 28,2011 

Three Muses Challenge- What Makes me Tick? December 28, 2011 

A New Years Resolution a bit early... I hope to be joining the Three Muses challenges once a month.

empty house

December 27, 2011- Small Stones
empty house   by  Teri H Hoover

`

Clouds relinquish the sun. 
The sun fills dark places. 

Brightly through my kitchen window.
Filling now the quiet spaces.
Now settling on my dog and warming my shoulder.
Plunging the world into light.
The computer screen covered in my reflection.
Trusting fingers to type through mouth lines and golden hair.

`
PST (Post stone thoughts)

Like a whimsical melody, husband glides by my window on his bike.

Momentarily he is through the door,

"It rained and sunned on me-".

He disappears into the bedroom to change.

From the closet, I hear my husband singing a childhood rhyme;

"We do the hokey pokey and turn ourselves around- that's what my Teri is all about."

He likes to insert our names into songs... I am sure he was not even aware of his singing. Coincidentally, I am pondering my word or phrase to "think on with intention" this coming year. (2011 I had the word "balance" as my go to word.- and it was most useful-I should write about it, I am unsure I will get to it). I have played with the word trust- trust in  leaving fear for brief moments to allow joy. But also trust that I can be unjoyful and know there is the option of  turning myself around. I tend to be a joy minimizer. (This has been a step by step process for me.) Sadness, contentment, gratefulness, sure. However, joy seems over the top. I think I see my direction. Time to walk the dog.

a half mile from home

December 08, 2011- Small Stones
a half mile from home  by  Teri H Hoover
`

 I live in Blacksburg, Virginia. Almost everyday, my dog Pepper and I walk  the Huckleberry Trail- less than a half mile from Virginia Tech. For nearly a year now I have been writing while I walk.  I made it to the fourth line of my thought (by talking it into my phone-) when my writing was stopped by the Virginia Tech alert sirens. 
`

Two days of rain,

leaves this trail clean

Two days inside-

the whole of me leans into the joy of moving...

Forward-

toward unknown endings.

I approach the cornered fork.

where once I saw a fox-

straight-

from pointed nose to muffled tail

straight -

as a bullet from a gun.

I approach the cornered fork

Slamming into a sound of a mind numbing alert.

Someone lays dying-

The wailing of sirens beneath the words

“This is not a test... seek shelter now.”

Down the hill, a quarter mile from Virginia Tech.

A half a mile from home.

 

A postscript - this evening they released the name of the Virginia Tech Police officer who was shot and killed.
Slain Officer Identified

God bless the family of  Deriek W. Crouse.

`

two years later

  writing from my other blog a small stone Gathering

 October 21, 2011- Small Stones 

two years later by  Teri H Hoover


 

Sitting in the small strip of shade 

created by a closed deck umbrella-

the final bit of quilt binding is sewn in place.

My dog looks up from her place on the quilt 
and goes back to chewing quietly on her willow branch.
 

`