Inspiration

Time

/ Jodi / 31 Comments
sun-dial

sun dial and hydrangeas, conneaut lake, pa, october 2016

Time…

Can fly or crawl,
is free yet priceless,
is forever or an instant,
can be treasured or wasted.

Can be measured by clocks or by moments,
can be traveled in dreams or books,
can be stopped by a kiss or a look or a touch,
can be managed, but never recovered.

We all have the same
seconds in a minute,
minutes in an hour,
hours in a day.

But none of us know
how many days
or hours or seconds
we will have.

Cherish the moments
not measured by clocks
or sundials or calendars
or schedules.

Cherish the moments well spent
with people you love,
or with yourself,
doing the things you love.

Cherish all the moments…
every single moment…
at life…
in between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Do Small Things with Great Love

/ Jodi / 22 Comments
september-sunrise-mars-cemetary-mars-pa

September Sunrise – Mars Cemetery – Mars, PA

“Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.”

-Mother Teresa

Don’t let it stop you
because it’s not grand…
because it’s not important enough…
because it’s just something small.

Do it anyway…
knowing it matters,
because it has been done
with great love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Leaves

/ Jodi / 41 Comments
first-fall-leaves-the-old-dogwood-tree-0916-mars-pa

First Fall Leaves – The Old Dogwood Tree – Mars, PA – September, 2016

Leaves

Leave time for the people you love and the things you love to do.

Leave your mind free of doubt to welcome new ideas and the opportunity to grow.

Leave disagreements to maintain peace and harmony.

Leave people better than you found them – hug the hurt, kiss the broken, love the lonely.

Leave your past in the past and live for what today has to offer.

Leave a mark – not a scar.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

 

Happy First Day of Autumn

/ Jodi / 53 Comments
autumn-tree-watercolor-5x7-140-lb-fabriano-artistico

Autumn Tree Watercolor 5 x 7 140lb Fabriano Artistico

For the past few days,
I’ve so wanted to create an Autumn landscape scene…

The colors… the leaves… the trees… the beauty.

But,
each time I “TRIED” too hard,
I ended up scrapping what I created.

Then, the other night,
I just decided to do a single tree,
and I kinda like how it turned out.

10 minutes…
of relaxation
and joy
and contentment.

Sometime I have to step back and quit trying so hard to create the next “masterpiece” and simply enjoy the process.
It seems that is when the magic happens.

It’s similar to how I used to hate Fall –
mainly because it meant kids were going back to school…. summer was over… winter was coming..
and I completely missed the real beauty and pleasure Fall itself has to offer.

Enjoy the “present!”
Cherish the moments.
All the little moments…
of life
in
between.

Happy Autumn…
Happy Fall
Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

The Song of the Stream

/ Jodi / 40 Comments

rocky-stream

If it weren’t for
the rocks in its bed,
the stream
would have no song.

–Carl Perkins

 

Listen for the sweet songs
amidst the rocky stream
that is this journey of life,
and keep singing.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Foreseeable Fall Frolicking

/ Jodi / 55 Comments

orange-chrysanthanum

Chrysanthemums in shades of orange and yellow.
Snuggly flannel shirts and cozy hooded sweatshirts.

Snapping and crackling of well-dried wood in the fireplace.
Sipping warm cinnamon apple cider spiked with bourbon.

Spongey pumpkin bread slathered with honey butter.
Crisp, tart apples with slivers of sharp cheddar cheese.

Brightly colored leaves swirling in the breeze.
Gingerbread and gingersnaps and ginger beer in Moscow mules.

High school and College and National and Fantasy football.
Soft socks, comfy crocs, and fuzzy slippers.

Roasted steaming cubes of butternut and acorn squash.
Popcorn munching during binge watching movie marathons.

Fleece blankets, tight hugs, and doggie snuggles.
Foreseeable Fall Frolicking.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Alleys In Between

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

alley marietta georgia

Alley at Marietta Square, Marietta, Georgia

On a recent visit to Atlanta, Georgia,
I visited the quaint town of Marietta.

Marietta Square
was so lovely.

Quaint little shoppes
with names like Lizards and Lollipops

where hubby and I giggled over stuffed pink owls
and old-fashioned toys,

and shared our excitement
for the upcoming birth of our first grandchild

while sipping peach tea
and frozen lemonade.

And I strolled through the most beautiful art museum
where local artisans displayed their heart and passion and craft

with the only criterion for this annual Metro Montage juried exhibition
being American citizenship,

but where I saw art that touched my heart even deeper
than the beautiful Monets

I had the privilege of viewing
at the Atlanta High Museum of Art only the day before.

The antique shoppes drew me in
with their charm and smell and nostalgia.

And we traversed the railroad track
envisioning the hustle and bustle

of the train station
that once was

where kisses and hugs
and waves goodbye

were followed by tears of joy and sorrow,
and dreams were created and shattered.

But the things that drew me in most
were the alley ways

where real life
happens.

Where shoppe owners
and restaurant chefs
and museum directors
do what they need to do

so we can enjoy
the things they have to share.

It’s that “in-between stuff”
that always draws me in.

The lives, the stories,
the struggles, the triumphs.

The day-to-day moments
that make it all real,

that make it all charming,
that make it all worth cherishing.

The in between alleys
that create our lives.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Seek the magic

/ Jodi / 44 Comments
jelly fish georgia aquarium

Jelly Fish – Georgia Aquarium

It magically floats
creating beauty
and light

in the depths
and darkness.

Glowing
with hope
and inspiring

the possiblility
that magic

can be created
and can happen
anywhere

Seek the magic.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

A Beautiful Hello

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

summer phlox

I smiled at you,
and I said “hello.”

You smiled back,
and we both continued on our way.

When we crossed paths again
in the next aisle of our local supermarket

you stopped me,
and you looked directly into my eyes,

and you told me
I was the most beautiful person you have ever seen.

I looked back at you
more than dumbfounded.

I am clearly not the most beautiful person
even in the supermarket that day

let alone being bestowed such an honor
as the most beautiful ever.

I told you
I am sure you are mistaken.

You said, “Oh no,”
I’ve seen many.

I’ve lived a lot of years,
and I have seen my fair share of people.

These days, I rarely encounter
anyone who even notices me passing by their way

let alone one who looks me in the eyes and smiles
and genuinely greets me.

You are the most beautiful person
I have ever seen.

I will never forget you
though many years have passed.

My skin is becoming more like I remember
thinking yours was.

You made my day.
You made my week.

Heck – let’s face it –
You made my year – maybe two.

I am still far from the most beautiful,
but you made me realize

beauty is so much more
than the physical appearance.

You – sweet, gentle man
may be the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

You impacted me so deeply
and so profoundly.

You taught me a lesson
I have carried with me through my life.

A lesson that has carried me through times
of darkness and doubt.

Beauty can take on many forms
and be seen through different lenses.

Sometimes beauty is a simple, sincere
“hello.”

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Full Moon Musing

/ Jodi / 56 Comments
full moon august 2016

Full Moon, Mars, PA, August, 2016

Full moon musing
illumination of the night

Casting your glow
amidst the ambiguity

searching for clarity
through the unseen

providing a glimpse to
unravel the mystery

transforming darkness
to reveal the light

full moon musing
magic of the night.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi