In what seems like the blink of the eye, the whole picture has changed out on my wonderful porch. Many days of summer were spent out on it.
Now, one need not look any further than the porch door to see the squirrels foraging for winter.
How about you? Are you beginning to stock the larder with soup and stew makings? Things to keep on hand – basic soup stock or bouillon, dried beans and legumes ,barley and rice. Then there are veggies that hold in a root cellar – carrots, potatoes (russets and sweet), turnips, onions, leeks, shallots for the daintier tasting soups (such as leek and potato) and of course plenty of fresh and dried seasonings. A heavier hand in seasoning brings better results. Something I need to take note of.
Many old-world master paintings as well as many of today’s contemporary artists have chosen to feature items from the pantry or root cellars in their autumn paintings. The fall season has arrived! Enjoy it in your own creative way of living.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” ~ Matthew 9:38
Do you ever have those days where you need an encourager to walk the road with you? The other day I found such a person in a very unexpected place. She was up on a roof and completely unaware of the impact she was making.
Here’s what happened. About a week ago, I walked slowly through the streets of a neighborhood, my pace was slower than usual because it was only 7:30am and it was already hot. That day it reached 93 degrees. Most people with common sense would probably not purposefully venture out in it. But, I was determined to get my daily steps in.
As I neared a house, I heard a woman’s voice and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Finally, as I grew nearer, I identified what it was. A house was being re-roofed, and the only female of the crew, was singing a spiritual song, it’s rhythm syncopated with the banging of the hammer.
Songs in the workplace have long been part of many culture’s history – from those of the industrial workers making garments, to sea shanties of fisherman, to field workers pulling tobacco for harvest, to those who sang “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
As I walked on, I considered the singing worker’s role. Was the woman the spark that helped drive each and every worker? Was she innately called to be an encourager? Were the spirituals she sang deeply ingrained in her from her ancestral history? Her song motivated me to keep moving forward and gave me new perspective on the task I had set out to do in the heat of the morning. Surely it was not as hot for me, as it was up on the roof in the blaring sun. I was able to dip in and out underneath the shade trees lining the street, but it was not to be for her and her working companions.
“Some of the greatest sermons that have ever been preached were preached by the singing of a song.” —Spencer W. Kimball
I am feeling most appreciative for time spent writing a memoir for an inspirational woman. As her memoirist, it was my duty to get at the heart of her life story and I hope I have adequately done so. There is a certain level of trust which goes along with this honor and privilege.
Yesterday one proof copy of the book arrived on my doorstep, which will give me one last chance to go over it before it goes to print. Hopefully, between myself and the editor, we have found all the oops between the dots and the dashes.
My client’s request for privacy is important to both of us, so the publication will not be sold in the market place, but, I’d like to give you a little insight into her story. So, I will share the summary which appears on the back cover.
My takeaway from her narrative is exactly as John Dewey stated it, “…education is life itself.” I gained insight into how very important it is to keep learning new things and growing throughout one’s lifetime.
“The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.” — Ram Dass
I’ve been doing a little experiment with one of my houseplants to give Chloe, my writers muse a more creative look. In my opinion, she is now looking rather jaunty with her tresses swept to the side! Her transformance has taken some months but now it is coming into full evidence. How timely! Her new look became apparent just as the horse racing season began when the southern-set women put on their fascinator hats, placement atilt on their heads. I didn’t rotate her position for many, many months, thus, her tresses have been leaning toward the greatest source of light – the nearest window.
Isn’t it wonderful that in our Universe, our Creator thought to give us both dark and light? The basic truth is most of us crave the light rather than darkness, it’s the reason why we are more joy-filled in the brighter seasons or when in life we are actively moving in a positive direction.
An authentic Gaelic writer, also known as a seanchaí, I am not, but what fun it is to play with words while thinking about the characters found in Irish pubs on this day celebrating Saint Patty. Many are doing what seems to come natural to them – oral storytelling.
Hundreds of years ago the Irish placed great value on things of the spirit, mind and imagination because material goods were hard to come by. They put faith in their gift of gab to deliver a good tale in the local public houses, bars and pubs.
On this day when everyone seems to find a little Irish in them, Happy Wearing of the Green!
Have you ever known anyone who seems to make an art out of everything they do? I have. I greatly admire them for it. I try to put a little touch of creativity into my every day tasks and bring beauty into my home any which way I can.
I enjoy casual crafting and find personal fulfillment in that. I had fun handcrafting a few simple Christmas gifts. Decoupage satisfied my desire to dabble with something I hadn’t done in a decades. The colors held pretty well on the pansies I had been pressing between parchment paper inside a book since last spring.
I attached a little watercolor tag to each of the decoupaged bottles which said, “Bottle your hopes and dreams, but remember to uncork and act!”
Photo Above: Three decoupaged art journals. Most of the pages were left blank, so the recipient can use the booklet however they wish. My sister called me immediately after receiving hers. “I know exactly what I am going to do with mine!” I look forward to seeing it. She received the journal on the right.
In my writing as with my crafting, I don’t wait for inspiration to strike. I’ve learned to start and see where my Creator leads me. Living without overthinking too much gives us freedom to live by what comes naturally. That’s wholesome living in and of itself.
Cheers for a creative New Year! Hard to believe the first month is nearly over.
The way I see things, enriching the fabric of a community is it’s thread of cultural offerings. And in this county where I live, there is a real appreciation for all forms of art. On Sunday before Thanksgiving, I attended a concert that wove music and the fabric arts together for a lovely evening. The setting of St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church in Hickory, MD magnified the event further. The church squares the block with it’s gorgeous tall, gold-domed presence. And colorful handmade quilts stitched by Flying Geese Quilters Guild were displayed across backs of pews and at the front of the church.
The musical program of the evening stitched together themes of all the things a life filled with goodness should include. The opening composition of the program had commissioned lyrics written for it, titled “Fabric of Gratitude.” Each one of the other songs was sensitively chosen for the stories they told, many remixed, patching together some of the complexities we face throughout our lives. But the words and music of Annie Lennox and Craig Hella Johnson tell how there is beauty even in brokenness in 1,000 Beautiful Things. But Thanks be to God, even in brokenness, there is always hope for rebirth. The music of George Frederic Handel from “Messiah” told of this truth.
Measure me Sky! Told of possibilities, dreams and adventure which was a great segue into the next part of the program which included the Deer Creek Youth Choirs who sang of what childhood ought to be filled with – joy, laughter, nature, finding independence and finding purpose. However, purpose may come at anytime, even in later years, with wisdom, acceptance and truth.
One of my personal favorites incorporated the words of Mark Twain and it was sung by the children. The humor in it hit my heartstrings, because I identified so strongly with the words on several levels. “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” Thanks be to God, the challenges did not last a lifetime. Two other favorite compositions, about literature/bold adventures and A Welsh Prayer, music by Paul Mealor and words by Grahame Davies told of the spirit of giving and service. The prayer was sung with accompaniment of soloists, as were a few other songs. Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide) spoke of family heritage and making sense of life.
The final composition How Can I Keep from Singing by Robert Lowry arrangement by Daniel McDavitt focused on hope; the perfect ending to anything! As it’s been said, “Always walk on with hope in your heart.”
People are generous of spirit. I’ve met many in my lifetime. Sometimes the only way we can return appreciation for it is to pass it on to others. And that feels good; it’s a way of sharing our gifts and talents and hope someone might benefit.
Many decades after I learned to knit, I laugh to myself because the woman who taught me to knit asked me what I wanted to learn first. I said, “I want to knit a pair of socks.” Oh, how innocent I was to think it would be an easy task to teach a complete non-knitter something as difficult as that. But, she hung in there with me through every trial and error. Under her voluntary tutelage, I finished a pair of socks and several more pairs after that, along with sweaters and other items. Truly, she had the patience of a Saint.
So in this month of Thanksgiving I’d like to thank all who have shared with me what they know about life, writing, publishing, art and all the other creative fulfilling things that I enjoy. If it hadn’t been for your friendship and goodness, many things that bring me joy would not have become part of my lived experience.
“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.” – George Eliot
“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Last weekend it was showery. But it was filled with the harvests of intentional living bringing a mix of fulfilling things to do beginning on Thursday at a lecture and slide show given by Adrienne Stein and Quang Ho at the fabulous Ladew Topiary Gardens.
On Friday evening, The Maryland Center for the Arts provided a second opportunity to see the exhibit of the 2023 Harford County Plein Air Painters. Local art, painted outdoors at many cultural and familiar sites around the county in which I live. The talented artists who participated provided plenty of visual pleasure for me – one who is drawn to representational paintings at it’s finest.
I self-created my own seasonal blessings on Saturday by spending the morning listening to George Winston’s Autumn selections while I cooked. Winston is well-known for solo piano compositions which are said to be, “melodic, warm, pastoral music.”
So what did I cook? Seasonal favorites, of course! Butternut squash muffins filled with warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of clove and ginger, made even better topped with apple butter. And green split pea soup – flavors enhanced with hearty chunks of ham and a hint of thyme. A gastronomical melding of autumn flavors. A little sweet and savory.
At the end of the day, through a simple choice I made about what I value for this website, I attended an event that brought more coziness to my heart and soul. I went to a small village where the people who settled it in the 1800’s shared many of the cultural values I also try to embrace in my every day living.
Won’t you join me? Come on back in four days hence, on the 16th of October, and we will revisit a time in our nation’s history when life was very different.
A family home, built in 1898 by Dr. Howard Atwood Kelly, was the venue of a special evening last week. I, and perhaps others, would consider the man who owned and built the home to be a “pioneering medical intuitive.” The gathering was all about art and connection bringing the energy of creatives, of all mediums together. Visual artists, literary artists, floral artists as well as performing artists were present and were among those who believe in the power of art to inspire, motivate, heal and illuminate our lives. People who understand and embrace the concept are especially well-tuned into improving the wellness of communities.
Medical practitioners are beginning to fully understand some of the ideas Dr. Kelly presented in his writings, published more than 100 years ago, about the connection between nature and health and happiness of the mind, body, spirit. Our own creativity, given to everyone by a “higher being” is another holistic, life-affirming force. If we are open to this concept we can improve our moods, lift our spirits and help ourselves by alleviating stressors detrimental to our health by being one with nature and using our creative energy.
All Things Fulfilling 