Hydrangea Leaf

I have this photo above my work table, it’s one I took last fall. It was one of those perfect moments of being in the right place at the right time. The lighting was perfect. Believe it or not, I didn’t have to do any “post production” on this photo, this is how it appeared out of the camera. I enlarged the image to a 16” x 10” photo, which is about four times the size of the actual leaf.

Yesterday I was looking at this image. Really looking at it. After awhile, I became so entranced by its intricacy and the unbelievable variation in the colours, that I could hardly believe it was “just a dying leaf”. It is amazing is so many ways. It took me on one of those journeys through my own being, which is a pretty amazing experience. It became my meditation for the morning. Inside this image there is magic and wonder, miracles and joy. I experienced a calming power. This is what nature wants to offer us every day.

Unexpected Treasures …

I met my friend Jan this week, for a catch-up coffee. We always have such a great time together, talking about creativity and what we are working on. We also share our love of old things. Jan suggested that we wander over to a new second hand store, just around the corner from our coffee shop … and that is where these two treasures came from.

Admittedly, I could have spent much longer, and a lot more money there that day. There was lots that wanted to bring home with me. But I am glad I didn’t “overload” myself with new projects. It’s not something I want to do. I chose these two pieces, brought them home, and immediately started working on them. It felt perfect. I was right to bring home only what I am able to work on right away.

After months of having a studio full of stuff, and then clearing it all out and reorganizing it, I am loving the space, and the freedom that space gives me. This is a good lesson to learn, for sure! It makes working on these two pieces even sweeter!

Website Antics …

Working on my website is often not the easiest task I undertake in my studio. Sometimes is just plain old freaks me out. My technical skills in this area are nil. Zero. Don’t exist. The template that I work with allows me to work on the “front end”, where I see what I am doing. Sounds easy, but sometimes the technical gremlins play very nasty games on me. Like they did on Friday.

I was making some additions to the site, and all was going well, until it wasn’t. Suddenly all of the changes that I had spent an hour doing, disappeared. On the screen, it had all gone back to the way it was.

Now, years ago, I learned to SAVE every few minutes, if the program doesn’t do that automatically. But it looked like everything was just gone.

My trusty, wise and in the moment, very calm partner, Mary Ann, suggested I just go look at the site outside the editing program. I did, and the changes were all there. Whew … relief … frustration level dropped. Ahhh.

And of course in all of this, I must remember, Mercury is currently in retrograde, so anything to do with technology is susceptible to going a bit wonky. Breathe. Just breathe.

All at once …

This last week has brought news from all the corners of my world, about people who are experiencing health concerns. Each of them, although working through different issues, have a common thread. Breathing.

Of course I know well enough that when that many people “appear” in my sphere with the same need, this must also be a message for me. And so, I started to pay better/more attention to the act of breathing, and lo and behold, I wasn’t doing a very good job. I was doing what most of us have been doing for months, some for year, shallow breathing. Never really filling up our lungs.

Breathing is a simple thing. Sometimes I laugh at myself, recognizing that breathing is an involuntary muscle action, but without it, we are gone.

So, I am going to pay attention to all of these messages that have reached me, and actually practice my breathing each day, several times, and enjoy all the health benefits that will come from that simple act of self care.

Gift Giving Season is coming …

The pandemic has changed my buying patterns, dramatically. I have purchased far less over the past 7 months, but I have also been much more aware of where I choose to buy. Small, local shops are my top pick. Anything online is way down on the list. Online stores do absolutely nothing to support my local economy, and in some cases, don’t even support anything in Canada.

It is one thing this darned pandemic has crystallized for me, it’s that every dollar I spend is a vote for what I want my world to look like. When I take that to heart, it changes how I buy. I want to have my local merchants, and in order to do that, I have to support them. I don’t want ship-loads of cheap plastic stuff filling up my world, so I don’t shop in places that rely on that as their focus.

If shopping locally costs more, it doesn’t mean I don’t do it, it means that I buy less. This is a good thing. For me, this feels like a much needed change in my world, especially coming into the gift giving season!

P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna … THE BOOK … is out this week!

My friend and fellow cat lover, Sarah Chauncey’s new book, P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna is being released this week. I have had the honour of reading a review copy, and it is FABULOUS.

Sarah has written a book to help people who are grieving the loss of their companion felines. It came out of the loss of her own cat Hedda after 19 years, and the condolence card her friend and illustrator, Francis Tremblay sent her.

The card was the catalyst for creating a book to help other people through the terrible and sometimes excruciating lonely grieving process. Sarah and Francis combined their considerable talents to create this wonderful book. It is generous of heart, yet simple in design and message. Like a good friend who can just sit with you and know exactly what you are going through, without saying a word.

This is a wonderful gift for anyone who is grieving the loss of their cherished companion animal. Whether the loss is recent or not, P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna is a reminder that their furry bodies may be gone, but not in spirit, or from our hearts.

See it here .. and if you are able, buy it locally!!

P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna
©2020 Sarah Chauncey and Francis Tremblay
Published by Sounds True
ISBN 978-1-68364-697-6