Today, was a day of errands. After church I was busy gathering ingredients for a soup, and then to a craft supply place that still had their special sale on. With the holidays around the corner, I have once again, begun to work at my “work table.” I want to finish cards that I have promised for a few “retail” outlets, and want to make a few personal greetings that need to be posted soon.
To accomplish this, I wander and look at everything that I discover along my path, one never knows when an idea or a creative moment will present itself. Funny I go into a shop looking for a very specific item or theme, and come out with way more than I had anticipated. Anyone else, know this curious “happening” it is as if an elf is putting things in our basket when we aren’t looking. When we do see it, we realize that ..”wow! that is a great ^whatever^ guess I will keep it.”
Fortunately, more often than naught, these are the items that will be the first to be consumed or used in the creative process.
If you are someone who delights in homemade soup… then you are likely familiar with the above utensils… maybe not these, but a strainer of some kind.
I start my soups with bones, for me the most delightful of tastes is the meat that is closest to the bone. Exquisite flavour can be obtained by combining the oddest ingredients, then after hours of slow simmer, straining the broth, only returning to the liquid ambrosia, the jewels you want to feature. Sometimes they have absolutely nothing to do with the making of the broth. But their taste, harmonized perfectly to offer up a feast not only for the eyes, but for your taste buds … not to mention the aromatic teasing of your senses
All this to say… I’ ve got a soup on the back burner, and I steamed my veggies to put on my rice, in a Pad Thai sauce. Hmmm must be time for me to eat.
Hope you all had a great week-end. Tomorrow we start a brand new week! Soon a new month will appear too… YAY!!!!
Make every moment count, and enjoy all that life has to offer.. The more you succeed, the merrier life will be.
Oyashikiri
Cranberries and turkey ….stuffing and mashed potatoes ….gathering of friends, sounds like holiday cheer. My sister was telling me about her menu, for today’s Thanksgiving feast (she lives in the States). It was interesting to learn that mashed potatoes were not just “mashed potatoes” as I know it, but, how she specially prepared the potatoes for guests on this special evening of sharing.
Potatoes being carefully peeled and cooked, so they could be mashed and presented in a certain consistency etc. The care and thought she has put into serving up a dinner for her friends I found heart warming. Just listening to her explain the shopping for, and the prep done days in advance, the settings, the placement of chairs to accommodate the gathering so that all would be comfortable and feel welcome, was all “new” to me. Our family has our own “Martha”… I was impressed.
My long time personal friends, will all chuckle and know that “yours truly” does not share my sister’s flare. I felt really proud of her, as she went on about her dinner today. These were/are her friends, and she for years now, has them over to share in a now, “traditional” Thanksgiving in appreciation and love for their part in her life. My little sister, gave me a warm glow of love and appreciation for HER, I am still basking in it today.
LOL she will be busy today, and seldom reads my blog.. so I can get away with saying nice things about her today…hahahaha
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends…. let us ALL embrace and share the meaning of Thanksgiving, in our lives today and always.
PL Principle #3 I will live with a mind of appreciation towards others and things.
having fun =^_^=
Thank you everyone for your kind wishes, and the healing healthy vibes you sent our way today. Meeting was a good one, surgeries will be early December. Approx. 2 weeks apart. There will be a lot of scheduled planning done. The team of doctors practitioners, therapist and educators is impressive. They work together to keep us informed.
Your prayers and ongoing support is very appreciated. Thank you. We feel very blessed.
I loved this little orange tree. Every year I would prune it back and bring it inside so it could survive our Canadian winters. Circumstances were that it grew very big, and we simply were unable to bring it back in.
Fortunately, our niece knew of just the right home and the little, now larger orange tree, went to live somewhere new. Happiness is letting go, knowing when it is time to say good-bye so that life can continue to grow and bring joy to someone else.
For months now we have been trying to declutter. We have been finding things we forgot we had. They are leaving to begin their lives again. Going where they can be rediscovered, and enjoyed and used in the light of day. Not stored away and forgotten.
When I see piles of this and that.. I’m heartened knowing it is temporary, every day a bag or box leaves for somewhere else. It is a work in process.
What are you working on today? Strive towards a positive outcome. Life is good!!!
“Happiness is giving it away”
Oyashikiri
PL Precept #15 All is a Mirror
Yes, the time has come, I’ve put if off, but now need to focus on getting a few more cards done. We had such a gorgeous fall, that I simply couldn’t get into the ho ho ho mood. Now, whether I want to or not, I know that I must meet my deadlines.
After all, people want to prepare, and if cards are being sent abroad, even out of country i.e. the States, there are deadlines for the items you send to get there on time.
I was taken aback the other day, I sent my sister a handmade card, she is in California, Canadian postage to the States is $1.20 for a single card of standard size. I thought that was what I was sending, however, there is a rule, that the card must pass though a certain size of slot to go at that price, and if it doesn’t the price more than doubles. What a whopping surprise that was.
Now I understood why customers look for cards that are not built out, or designed in a way that they impeded machine sorting at the postal service. Explains why card companies have resorted to thinner card stock… not always producing a quality (in my opinion) product.
For the creative person who makes their own cards, we are faced with a poorer quality of card stock being offered. Didn’t understand at first why the better card stocks were being reduced in price in some merchandise outlets. Now the light bulb goes on, because the consumer is wanting to build a lighter card, so that their clients will want the cards, because they will cost less in postage.
Wow is the postal system the “scrooge” machines don’t have warm fuzzy feelings, they just mechanically move the product along. It rips, it tears so what, unless a human catches it……..end result you receive a really battered product.
Hmmmmm….
It is Friday, you bet! Holler and Shout, jump and Pounce, Saturday is on it’s way.
quiet reflection
a moment of silence
a prayer for peace
a prayer for understanding
join in prayer today
reach out
show you care
kindness, love and compassion
communications that come from the heart
is how we start
to do our part
world peace
begins with us
we can make a difference
Believe, have faith
it can be done
seasons come and go
“life is art”
Oyashikiri
top photo – Hillwalker (D.Su)
Taiwan Jiancing Historic Trail, Taipingshan National Forest elevation 2000 m http://floralia.centerblog.net/rub-autour-du-monde–20.html
photo from internet
Hey, how was your day? Decided to drop in to the Diabetes Fund raiser in Second Life. It is a good cause, of course since I was there, I felt I should look around. Found myself a fun costume.
I wasn’t ready to do a lot, change worry about hair style etc. so you can see, I chose accordingly, the virtual world, is no different from our day-to-day, we still have to deal with choices.
My ribs are showing. You can’t see how hard I had to resist having one of the special Halloween cupcakes I got for hubby. LOL it was hard, but knowing I had just committed to not having dessert for a month, and I mean JUST…. I settled for the plastic spiders on the icing.
I actually took up needle and thread today, instead of applying more bond, or glue to the fabric piece I was working on. I sewed the part of the roof that had not bonded properly to the background material
Now I’m at a dance with some fab music happening while I am busy sharing time with you. Multi-tasking at its best. You can see my avatar is dancing behind Nick, he and his wife Mel are dressed in identical outfits. They are rather clever. The party is just getting underway. Will go and be social. Meanwhile, we are ending October, tomorrow we start into a very busy month… some time soon we hope to here when the operations will be. I do know that we already have a lot of medical appointments set up for November.
Please understand if I am not as regular with my posts…. I will do my best, because sharing time with you all, is good for me. Over the years, you have all inspired me at some time or another. I love the connection we share. You are all the best!!!
Here is looking at you… “wink”
Q
The fun of starting something new, is that one never really knows what it will end up to be. what I showed you yesterday, and this today, are beginnings. Like one would sketch an idea, I am using fabric. Already when working this piece last night, I could see a glimmer of what I was NOT doing, that I think I will try when I continue playing,
When we look at a visual, it leaves an impression, that our gray cells will process in different ways, over the course of minutes, hours, days, who knows when what you saw, will reclaim a moment of your “now” to present itself in a different way.
Whatever your medium, photography, paint, ink, text, fabric, if you are expressing yourself, through a visual, the colours, patterns, shapes and textures that impressed themselves on your psyche will show up. Some colour combinations will never draw my attention, because, my “personal” makeup is drawn to shadows/light and colours that are attractive to me.
This is one of the reasons I love life, and find it so fascinating. I “see” the world in such a magical way. I loved this picture, didn’t know why till I got it home and saw it on my PC screen. When I took the picture, it was instinct. Now all I see is the wild animal preparing to chow down. =^_^=
Beginnings never have to end. Love the choices you make in a day, embrace the adventure of life. Appreciate your friends. Life IS.
Oyashikiri
dymoonblog 