The wonderful thing about taking a walk with my camera
is that even though I may take the same route every day,
when looking through the lens,
there is always something new to see.
Don’t fence me in!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Photography
The Little Log Cabin
Oh Little Log Cabin on the edge of the woods, what is your story?
What tales would you tell if you could
of life now and life then?
Are we doing it right?
You stand so solid and sturdy and beautiful.
You remind me to slow down, breathe deeply, gaze intently.
You do speak…
to my soul.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Our Children
My copy of “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran arrived a few days ago.
And what a treasure it is.
It is a book to be savored in small bits and pieces,
with words to be read over and over.
Several people told me about the section on Children, so it was the first place I went…
On Children by Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
I love this.
I hope to think I have raised my boys this way…
respecting that they have their own thoughts…
not forcing mine on them.
It was the greatest privilege of my life to house their bodies,
but I will never own their souls.
I’m so proud of the men they have become.
Sometimes we have different opinions, sometimes we disagree, but I have, do, and will always respect them immensely…
and love them all the same.
This was not necessarily the way I was raised, but that only makes me feel all the more convicted about it.
I am honored to bend my bow with gladness, and shoot two blazing, sharp, strong arrows into the world.
May all of our children be as unique and individual as they desire, like each snowflake that falls and blows in the wind and catches on thistly bushes. And may we love them all and cherish their beauty.
With much love and pride to my Jake and Nick,
Your Mom
Freeze, Thaw, Melt, Drip, Repeat
icicles glistening and dripping from the back of our house 1/31/15
On Joy and Sorrow
A dear friend shared this amazing piece with me yesterday, and I had to share it. It was in response to yesterday’s post, Untold Story.
And this photo I took on a brief walk yesterday afternoon seemed to perfectly align with the message in the poem.
On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Untold Story
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
– Maya Angelou
Monday again
I swear this cardinal is blowing a raspberry at us saying “Na Na Na Na Poo Poo – It’s Monday Again!”
Oh Monday…
You are a beginning,
and you are an end.
Like a glass that is half empty to one,
and half full to another.
You are just another day,
but oft with dreaded suspension.
Let us hang on to the hope,
that comes with your inception.
– – – – – – – – – – –
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Express Yourself
Sometimes we blossom and bloom and exude radiant brilliance.
Other times our thistles and thorns protect us and guard us and hide us.
Reach, stretch, discover, grow.
Bloom where you are planted.
Evolve with your seasons.
Never be afraid to express yourself.
This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge asked us to post a photo to “Express Yourself.”
As I contemplated the subject, this photo I took a few months ago on a walk spoke to me. It inspired me to express myself – as this thistle – in all of its ages and stages does.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Winter Months of Life
In the winter months of life,
there comes a balance between hanging on and letting go.
Should we stay or should we go?
Do we get to choose?
What do we have to lose?
My Marty’s 92-year old Aunt lost the second love of her life this week. Her near 93-year old fiance.
Rest in Peace dear Tilford. Thanks for loving Aunt Francie. Thanks for bringing her such joy in the winter years of her life. You will be missed. You were a good man.
Christmas 2007
Hugs,
Jodi
Happy Chinese New Year Party
We had a great time this weekend celebrating Chinese New Year! (a couple weeks early – but as our Host “Oh Rob” would say, “Who has more fun than us??!!)
Such yummy food… like these crunchy egg rolls,
the MOST AMAZING homemade dumplings and dipping sauces,
fresh crisp lettuce wraps, oranges (for good luck), and of course fortune cookies,
along with tender tangy teriyaki beef skewers to start of the festivities.
And after our bellies were satisfied with tasty treats and wine and Moscow mules,
and we all received our special hat and learned what animal our birth year represented (I’m a tiger in case you couldn’t have guessed – LOL!)
and we were wished good luck by our happy hostesses (Mimi and Ella) in matching smiles and attire.
We learned a new game that, though we all had heard of, none of us had ever played.
and though we don’t believe it has ANYthing to do with Chinese New Year,
we patiently listened to the instructions,
fought to hang on to the “Bunco Sheep,”
and had a great time.
Then, of course, it was time to eat again!
So fresh veggies got tossed into…
Chicken Stir Fry…
and Shrimp Stir Fry, with lots of fluffy steamed rice.
We visited some more,
hugged some more,
and ate some more,
and more…
until the end of the evening, when we we lit Chinese lanterns,
and made wishes,
while we watched them float away over the lake – carrying our hopes and dreams for good luck in 2015.
Thanks for a wonderful time Joyce and Rob! xoxo
Cheers & Hugs for a Happy New Year,
Jodi
the creative life in between 