Spring has Sprung

 One of my favorite things about spring in the Pacific Northwest is the first trip to the nursery.  After being cooped up all winter, there is nothing better than a little meander through the aisles of 4" and gallon potted plants to set things right.  On this particular day, we had a little rain the night before.  Those little "buttons" in the center of the lupine plants?  Tiny rain puddles.  Awesome.

 I have a few favorite nurseries around town.  This is one of them.  Loen Nursery in Sherwood.  Lots of little pathways and secret corners tucked away amongst the greenery.  This buddha head is about 3' tall.  Love it.

 And this one is only about a foot tall.  Love his little bald head.

 Stacks and stacks of plant saucers, in a bunch of fab colors.

 And around the corner in the next aisle, pots to match, in sizes you didn't even know you needed.

 A flowering plum.  Love these colors.

 Really love them, I guess, since I took multiple shots.  Oh, and there's the blue sky peeking out from the clouds.  Perfect.

 I just love a Japanese maple, but I superduperlove this one with the red limbs. 

 A little pagoda amidst the delphinium and clematis.

 She's about 5 feet tall, and I am in love with her.

 She makes me feel peaceful simply by looking at her photo again.

 The hardest part, is deciding what to take home.

 How does your garden grow?

Oh. Hi.

I've been more of an observer, lately, than a participant.  Well.  I take that back.  That's not entirely true.  I'm in the midst of one of those shifts that cycles through life.  And I'm actively taking part in it: listening to the whispers, feeling the tug at my heartstrings, following the path that doesn't have a destination in sight but feels like the right direction.  I'm journaling a lot.  Making lots of art.  But I've been a bit absent from here.  When I realized that three weeks had passed since my last post, I really was a bit surprised.  Seriously?  Where does the time go?

I'm trying some new things.  I should clarify: they are things that have been on the "big dream list", but that I've managed to ignore, put off, dance around.  Do you do that? 

The thing is, I feel like that saying: if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got.  Something like that.  And in the last several weeks, I've been asking myself why I keep doing those things.  Why don't I bite off a little bite of those big chunky dreamy dreams?  I think I get overwhelmed.  When that happens, I tend to freeze up.  Can't get organized.  Can't move. 

So, I've really been opening myself up to this thought: just let it be what it's going to be.  What I mean is, quit trying to control it, making up excuses, putting it off to another day.  The big dreamy dreams are today.  Life is right here, right now.  All of the answers I'm waiting for are all tucked right inside my heart, waiting.  The "being stuck" is mud of my own making.  Time to rinse the muck off my boots, and get those dreams a-hummin'. 

Then there's this.  Seemingly, out of nowhere.  But wonderfully found it's way to me at the exact time I needed it.  So.  That's where I've been the last few weeks.  Bulldozing.  Excavating.  Dreaming big chunky dreams.  Having the time of my life.  Because that's why we're here.  Can I get a big wootwoot?!!

There's No Place Like Home

I really love going on vacation.  I truly do.  No dishes, no phone calls, no schedule.  What's not to love.  But I also really love getting back home.  Picking up Kip from "puppy camp", crawling into my own bed, getting back into the groove.  And that's exactly what I'll be doing this week.  Getting my groove back on.  Can't wait!

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.  C.S. Lewis

Happy Easter

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.  S.D. Gordon

French Knots, oui oui

Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.  Zen saying

Daisies and Scallops

Just a quick little post.  We're actually on vacation this week, but I didn't want to abandon you completely.  :)  So, I've scheduled a few little random snippets throughout the week.  A little eye candy and a few of my favorite quotes.  Have a great week, all!

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”   Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Stitches and Scraps

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.  Claude Monet