Memorial Day

Memorial Day first known as Decoration Day. That holiday that heralds the arrival of summer, warm weather, family and good times. All around our neighborhood flags are flying, cars are being washed, I smell bbqs, and see flowers ready to be planted in the garden plots. Memorial Day was set aside to honor those who lost their lives protecting our country, this year with 1000 dead in Afghanistan it takes on an especially poignant meaning. During all our celebrations and fun times today we should stop for a moment and remember. There is a time set aside for this called the national moment of remembrance and it takes place at 3pm your local time. I myself will stop for one minute and give thanks for all that has been given to me at the expense of so many. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Glorious Saturday

It is a glorious day in the Lilylovekin home, the sun is shinning and it is warm. Our back yard is full of growing things, bees, wasps and birds. Sitting on the deck the distant sound of neighbors lawn mowers fill the air. I've finished watering my plants and am relaxed in knowing that my garden is happy. I bought some green bean plants that later today when the sun cools down I'll put into the ground. Lately I've not been feeling too creative so I've gone back to following rules and patterns and have been doing a needlework project. It is called "THE PROMISE" and I've promised myself that I would do it for several years, it is a sampler of Noahs Ark. I love the different stitches and the little charms that are used in it. Before I was able to start I had to go to the craft store, buy a good light with magnifier on it so I could see the linen. Oh the joys of age!!! I hope you all are having as good a week-end as I am.

Self portrait Friday-cherries

My cherry stick is loaded this year. I mentioned last year that I have a cherry tree in my back yard that has few limbs on it so I call it my cherry stick. This year it has over done inself in its crop of cherries and I have requested that my husband get out the ladder and pick them. I am anxious for him to do so because I've seen many a bird sitting on the tree pecking away to their hearts delight. I love cherries they are one of my favorite fruits. "ONE MUST ASK CHILDREN AND BIRDS HOW CHERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES TASTE" goethe.

Sunday hike

I can't believe that May is nearly over. Our weather is cold and still rainy, this is very unusual for northern CA. at this time of year. In fact we cancelled our camping trip because there is suppose to be thunder storms and snow in the mountains and we just did not want to deal with it. Now with no plans for the Memorial Day week-end I'll just have to be creative. This past Sunday we went for a hike up in the hills behind our house. The hills can't decide if they want to turn brown for the summer or stay green with the late spring rains. Clover was abundant but I was not lucky enough to find one with four leafs. Dragon flies and butterflies followed us up the path and the oak trees shaded us with their new spring foliage. At the top of the hill is an old windmill from long gone farm, it was creaking in the wind and slowly turning its old rusty paddles. I'm sure my week-end will include more explorations up the hill.

Lazy Sunday

It was good to stroll the isle of the farmers market again. I know that spring and summer are truly here. Onions, asparagus, strawberries, and walnuts were some of the produce at the market. My favorite vendor was there with the most beautiful display of flowers. His sweet peas were gorgeous. I bought flowers instead of food. We now have a spicy bouquet of multi colored sweet peas in our living room. This was the best Sunday, I got to spend time with my best friend sitting on my deck discussing our week and our lives. It is so good to touch base with a kindred spirit-it always helps me to see things more clearly. With all our traveling to Bambi it is nice to be home for a week-end, I've missed the routine of a lazy Sunday and today has not let me down. I hope you all had a good week-end and are rested for the week ahead.

Persistence

Walking up a rocky mountain ridge this past weekend I was surprised to look down and see the tiniest flowers hidden among the rocks. I was impressed by the persistence it must have taken for these little flowers to grow-there was no shade, water or soil just rock. Their grey color reflected the color of the rock as if all their energy had gone into growing and none was left over for colorful display, yet in their own way they had beauty. A bit of softness against all the hard rough surfaces. I wondered about my own patience and faith in situations when I cannot see the light and know that I have something to learn from these flowers that start in a dark place and eventually reach the light. "The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside." hammarskjold P.S. Do you see the heart? I send my love.

Self portrait Friday-frustration

I am sitting at my computer confused, lost and frustrated. Technology is suppose to make our lives easy and it has introduced things I can't imagine living without. One of those things is my ipod. Unfortunately I don't understand alot about it just the basics like how to buy music and download it on to the player. Somehow I lost my original music library and can no longer down load music from the new library I've created without erasing my old library. I don't want to do that. I know there must be a way around this but for the life of me I can't figure it out. Any ideas would be appreciated. So today is a picture of me sitting frustrated in front of my computer trying to figure this darn thing out.

Time heals

That old saying time heals all wounds is true, at least for this wounded heart. I'm feeling better and more of myself. Things at work have not really changed but time and distance always helps a problem and I am feeling better. I still miss my friend who is no longer at work, and will continue to miss her but know I must move on. This week-end away in the forest was great. We are unable to go to our favorite ridge because the snow is still too deep. So instead we went to Mono Lake and the forest area around it. Many trees have fallen and make wonderful homes for chipmunks and squirrels, I spent hours trying to get photos of the frisky beasts but eventually gave up. Instead took pictures of logs they were much better at holding still!!! Driving home the mountain passes were full of budding aspen trees, and dogwood trees. It was beautiful and mesmerizing I got lost in thought and time passed swiftly. Now I'm mentally preparing myself to return to work after having 6 glorious days off.

Self portrait Friday-posted Monday

I spent my Friday in a sandy forest of Jeffrey pines. It was a beautiful forest not too crowded full of light and open space, I did not get that feeling of claustrophobia like I do in so many dark deep forest. A Jeffrey pine has deeply furrowed bark that is a beautiful red/rust color. Guide books say the smell of the bark is vanilla or butterscotch. I'm not sure but it did smell sweet and piney it was wonderful. The pinecones have a needle that grows towards the inside of the cone thus the pine tree is known as the "gentle Jeffrey". I liked that being in a forest of gentle giants, their arms lightly swaying in the breeze reaching for the sun. I leaned my back against that tree and felt its firmness and power. All starting from a little seed from a cone I could hold in my hand, I marvel at nature at is simplistic power. There is so much I can learn from that-about keeping things simple.

Wednesday

"Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts" minor white

We travel to Bambi again this weekend, we leave in the morning. I'll be taking my camera, good food, my art supplies, and warm clothes. I hope you all have a wonderful and happy weekend.

Heaven-to Mothers

If there are any heavens my mother will (all by herself) have one. It will not be a pansy heaven or a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but it will be a heaven of blackred roses my father will be (deep like a rose tall like a rose) standing near my swaying over her (silent) with eyes which are really petals and see nothing with the face of a poet really which is a flower and not a face with hands which whisper-this is my beloved my (suddenly in sunlight he will bow, and the whole garden will bow) e.e. cummings

Images of Saturday

An early morning walk, started my day. Many where out and about this morning it was a lovely day for a walk. Bright sun on my face, the smell of fresh cut grass, the sound of lawn mowers cutting away. I went to the local bookstore and splurged finding several books that called to me. Returning home I went to the back deck and quickly lost my self in the pages of one of the new books. It was a beautiful day for sitting out back and reading. I love getting new books, it is not as if I do not have enough books, but one can never have too many books. I read myself to sleep every night so I read a lot of books and always have one going. "Some books leave us free and some books make us free" emerson.

Napping

Friday, it is here after a short work week for me. But I love it just the same. I started the weekend early by getting off work early and taking a nap. My body and mind must have needed it because I slept dream free for several hours and work up refreshed and relaxed. I am one of those fortunate people who have few responsibilities outside of work so when I feel like laying down and sleeping I can do so. Of course many things would be better done around my house if I wasn't always sleeping, my garden might be greener, my cupboards more organized, my piles of crafts more complete. But I enjoy my naps too much to give them up. I hope you all have a fun and safe week-end.

Disconnect

It is a lovely spring day, beautiful sun, a bit crisp in the air. Yet it is warm enough for me to wear sandals and get my first pedicure of the season. It feels good to have my toes look nice and it felt so good. I stole into my neighbors yard and borrowed her roses as models for my photos today. She has the most beautiful plants. I've finally been able to put into words what is troubling me, sometimes it takes me ages to figure things out. I feel disconnected. My life is good and yet I hold sadness, anger, and frustration inside me. What I feel does not belong with what I experience. That is because these feelings belong to others and I am "borrowing" them for the time being. I don't know how to do things half way and so it is hard to sit with a feeling knowing I only have to hold it and not take it in and own it. Recognizing that I am only holding these feelings for a short time is an eye opening experience for me and a step towards reconnection.

Things a changing

Arriving home always feels so good. No matter how good the time away is, I always love the approach of home turning in the drive, the click of the engine shutting down after mile after mile of road. It was a good road trip. Traveling from the desert to the mountains, discovering that our favorite mountain camp ground was buried beneath many feet of snow. Rocks are some of my favorite of natures many wonders and they are in abundance in Alabama Hills a place we stopped and spent a night during our little adventure. Sitting in the doorway of my trailer beautiful view before me, coffee in hand I thought much about my life and my luck. I've been shaken with my friend loosing her job, it could have so easily been me. I don't listen or watch the news because I don't like to hear all the depressing things that go on in the world. This past week, depressing things entered my world that I had no control of. It has been hard to find the way back to the protected world I've built for myself. Maybe this is the world telling me it is time to grow again and allow some painful things to enter. I'm not sure I just know that things they are a changing.