astonished

"are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?
Let me keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished...
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy..."
                                              -Mary Oliver from the poem Messenger, Thirst

(from one of my art journal pages)

I have been feeling buried under the weight of years these past few days. And not in an entirely melancholy way either. But in a way that has me feeling both the sadness of things gone by and the wisdom of lessons learned.
In a way that is all at once colored by memories buried and created and made rich and worn with time. Do you ever feel that way? As I get older, I am realising how all we really have is the here and now...this moment. I am soaking into it. Deep.

                                                            (beautiful Ca. coast-today)
I woke up this morning and Summer has packed her bags and left...without even a goodbye. I am sad to see her go...even though I am eagerly awaiting Lady Fall with her brisk winds and leaves turning russet, orange, red, yellow...We went down to the harbor this morning for a short cruise and watched birds, sea lions and boats.

                                                     (watching sea lions off the coast)
Tara is such a nature lover.  She is especially interested in animals! I read her tons of books with animal themes and then try to show her real life examples. Then we paint and create them too!

                                             (a few books I am currently reading)
Immersing myself in words...tumbling off pages straight into my heart. Words thick and ripe...raw with heat and sorrow. I just started reading Naomi Shihab Nye and this book is an amazing compilation of her work.