Say Thank You

"You cannot say good-bye until

you say

thank you."

I have been reading Kelly Rae Roberts e-book: FLYING LESSONS.
She shares this statement in her book; something she learned from a friend.

It melted my heart when I read it.

My moving day approaches!

Before I can say good-bye to my apartment,
Will say thank you for keeping my daughter and I safe, for being our home.

Before I can say good-bye to my downstairs neighbors,
I will say thank you for making us feel welcomed and for providing laughter in the early evening that would come up through our door.

The list goes on.
I will hold this thought - especially when it comes time to say "thank you" to my family.

Simplify

Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplify, Simplify.

-Henry Thoreau

In anticipation of moving in June, I have been shedding old stuff.
I've taken many donation drop-off trips to the library and the Goodwill.
Alas...I think I've made a dent but it still seems like I have so much STUFF!

Simplify. I'm trying.

Tuesday

Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come.
- Carl Sandburg

Rainy Day Prayer

God help us

to live slowly:

to move simply:

to look softly:

to allow emptiness:

to let the heart

create for us.

Amen

-Michael Leunig






Tomorrow I shall share the wonderful gift I received from a fellow blogger.

Today it rains! I LOVE it!

YES!

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive.

One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

A simple prayer: YES!

100°

she remembered there is no Golden day

It was close to 100° today in Southern California.
It was hot! I wanted to complain (and probably did)
but I couldn't deny it was a very beautiful day.

Sunshine is delicious,

rain is refreshing,

wind braces us up,

snow is exhilarating;

there is really no such thing as bad weather,

only different kinds of good weather.

-John Ruskin

Click HERE to see my other new drawing! :)

God's Handwriting

there was reason to move in the
cold morning air

there was reason to uproot in the
middle of congealing

there was reason to claw at the
dirt stuck in the pot

she held herself until she wiggle free
kindness was the answer because
kindness had been forgotten

come play with me
laugh until we cry
but let us not forget to return to love
softly on the back of my hand

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful,

for beauty is God's handwriting.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Click HERE to see my tiny Toaster Oven Holy Family.

One Loose Thread

the wee bird

kept her eye on the loose thread

it wasn't often she revealed to anyone

even the smallest of her unravelings

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Will you not open your heart to know

what rainbows teach, and sunsets show?

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Click HERE to see my fish in a sweater. :)

Unexpected

it was just what I needed to See

Absolute attention is prayer.

-Zen saying

New Heart

the drone of the vacuum allowed
her to hear the still, small voice

she knew her heart was embellished and adorned in a new way
new earrings didn't matter

it made her smile in the empty room
as she stood by the dusty window

You know, God does visit us.

A lot.

It's just that most of the time we're not at home.

-Anonymous

New Paper Doll

Listen
and attend
with the ear
of your heart.

-St. Benedict

New Drawing & A Quote

The thoughts that come to us

are worth more than the ones we seek.

-Joseph Joubert

Heart

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

-Confucius

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My heart will smile first, then my eyes and my face.

-Paramahansa Yogananda


Artwork - 1 square inch on 2.5 x 3.5 inch paper.
Pen and water soluble oil bars.

Sweet News

they listened to her sweet news

A good laugh and a long sleep are

the best cures in the doctor's book.

-Irish Proverb

The Day Came...Again

There came a time when the risk to remain

tight in the bud

was more painful

than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin


Regarding my artwork, I showed this new piece to my daughter. She said, "Your artwork seems a lot happier these days."
Yes. The colors are brighter and the eyes are open.
Funny thing is I never meant any of it be sad. It all comes from the same place for me. In fact, this drawing was brought out by a touching story of a father who just lost a daughter.

Regarding the quote: I have shared it before but it seems timely and appropriate.

Great Love

Where there is great love there are always miracles.

-Willa Cather

What We Do...

What we do for ourselves dies with us.

What we do for others and the world

remains and is immortal.

-Albert Pine

Sit At Your Table

Stay at your table and listen.

You need not even listen, just wait.

You need not even wait, just learn to be quiet, still and solitary.

The world will offer itself freely to you, unmasking itself.

It has no choice in the matter.

It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

-Franz Kafka

Open To The Sun

The


windows


of my soul


I throw


open


to the sun.


-John Greenleaf Whittier

Sail Away

Throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

-Mark Twain