My favorite, dear Bleeding Heart,
are you happy or do you mourn?
Your bright color smiles,
but your tears look so forlorn.
You show us the beauty we oft overlook,
and elicit a pause when our own hearts are shook.
(My bleeding heart plant is my favorite of all in my yard. It has moved with me a couple times as it was a plant given to me by my Grandma. It is a symbol to me of her very special heart every year when it blooms. It reminds me of the joy and the sorrow of love. It demonstrates the intense and powerful artistry of Mother Nature. I could never create or imagine anything more beautiful.)
I caught this cute little Downy Woodpecker hopping along the deck railing heading for the feeder while taking turns with the others late yesterday afternoon.
The “music” in my backyard is something I cannot even describe to you.
Nothing soothes my soul – especially after a hectic work day or times of stress – like the music of nature in my backyard.
So… While watching the motion and listening to the sounds…
Well Mama Cardinal finished shaking her tail feathers and building her nest, and is now growing her family!
Check out this little video that I cannot believe we captured:
And look what is in the nest now!
Houston – We have Eggs. Cardinal Eggs.
And an Early Bird Bird’s Eye View from our bedroom window. Can you believe it?!
So it looks like our sweet new neighbor’s family is growing…
And I hope to keep you updated. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to capture some video or photos of the little hatched baby cardinals as they fledge?!
Oh the anticipation! Stay tuned.
And speaking of birds, I must share with you a beautifully-created artistic piece by one of my blogger friends, Jill from Jill’s Art Journal.
Jill and some others have made a pact and commitment to draw/create/paint and then post a new bird every day for a year.
And WOW, you wouldn’t believe how fun and exciting she makes it!
I fell instantly and totally in love with one of her drawings – a whimsical bird named Curly.
And I shamelessly begged to have it.
Jill was so very kind to oblige and send her to me! So all the way from the other side of the U.S. from Spokane, WA, Curly arrived this weekend in her full glory! Could you just die how cute she is?!?! Somehow, I feel she is a portrait of me. 🙂 Don’t ask me why?!
And not only did Jill send me the adorable Curly, but she put a sweet note in the package and added this beautiful handmade bookmark that featured a bird on one side….
… and a “Home Sweet Home” sentiment on the other side that Jill said she thought was just perfect for me! How sweet is that?!?!
Thank you so much, Jill! I am beyond thrilled and grateful.
And peeps, I so encourage you to check out her blog: Jill’s Art Journal. You will so enjoy her daily postings and her wildly creative talent!
So I’ll be on cardinal nest watch “in between” everything else going on around here.
Hope you are having as much fun…. at life in between. 🙂
I hope you had a nice weekend. We sure did! And there is so much to share… I’m certain it will take all week.
Our “Best Book Club Ever” started up again for this year, and Hubby got to choose the book and lead the discussion. He rocked it talking about one of his favorite real-life adventure books, “Touching the Void.”
It was so great to see friends we haven’t seen for a few months, spend time at one of our favorite places on earth with some of our favorite peeps – the hosts – my cousins Joyce and ‘Oh Rob,” and drink wine and share some good food and discussion.
Joyce is another one of my artistic mentors, so the poor thing hardly had a chance to open her eyes and have a sip or two of coffee Sunday morning…after a very late night…. before I started drilling her with watercolor questions. We sat in her studio for a couple hours yesterday morning (while the guys went out to breakfast) where she shared with me about the type of paper she uses, brushes and paints she likes, and a chest full of books she has used through the years for inspiration. My discouraged passion was re-ignited, and I wasn’t home long before I was perusing the books and mixing paints and at it again.
To top that off, we arrived home to find an amazing package in the mail from a fellow blogger – and artist extraordinaire – Jill Kuhn @ Jill’s Art Journal – with a special drawing in it that I fell in love with and an extra gift to boot (I’ll be sure to share soon!).
The sun was shining, the air was crisp, trees are budding, flowers are bursting open, and we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend.
I took about an hour to paint these two little paintings.
After reading through some of my newly-borrowed books and watching a YouTube video by Art TV, I did these two poppy watercolor paintings. The fun thing about these is that I did NOT sketch them ahead. Simply took water and paint to paper and created. It was quite liberating and enjoyable!
These will become thank you cards for a few special peeps I need to thank.
Momma Cardinal has been working for days right outside of our bedroom window in the rhododendron bush building this beautiful new home.
It is sure to add value to the neighborhood! Don’t you think?
I have never been more fascinated watching such diligence and perseverance as she flies in one tiny stick at a time, places it on the pile, then shakes her tail feathers to form the “cup” shape.
The new home has been under construction for about three days now. I cannot believe our good fortune to have such a view of this little miracle of nature. I can’t wait to see the eggs and then baby cardinals! Can you imagine how awesome that will be to watch!?!
According to Wikipedia, cardinals mate for life and stay together year-round. Isn’t that romantic?! Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak. If the mating is successful, this mate-feeding may continue throughout the period of incubation.
The nest typically takes three to nine days to build, and cardinals do not usually use their nests more than once. The eggs are laid one to six days following the completion of the nest. Three or four eggs are laid in eachclutch. The female generally incubatesthe eggs, which takes 12 to 13 days.And then, the young cardinals fledge10 to 11 days after hatching.
Camera and tripod are set up, and I’ve taken about 50 kabillion photos already.
I love this one of her shakin’ her little tail feathers and looking at me while she prepares to nest.
Well, today I invite you to experience a little “taste” of the shower. Charrie and her mom and the lovely hostesses gave me permission to shoot away and then share here with all of you.
The weather was sunshiny perfect, the hostesses smiles were just as bright, Charrie was beaming, and the details were amazing. Enjoy the little visit to the party.
And you may notice I was completelyslightly obsessed with the petit four and cupcake display! 🙂 I can’t wait to get the petit four recipe, and if successful, share them with you here. They were TO DIE FOR! (I know hubby will love them! Layers of raspberry and apricot yumminess!)
Add to that blueberry pomegranate sangrias, pickled marinated asparagus, chicken salad, fresh fruit kabobs, and chocolate galore – oh my!!
Here is the lovely bride to be with her sister and maid of honor. Aren’t they beautiful?
Click on any of the photos to enlarge. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.
Cheers & Hugs to Charrie and Corey! Looking forward to celebrating your big day with you soon!
I’ve spent too much of my life trying to be like the rest.
Trying to fit in
with the right look, the right clothes,
and the right way to be.
Trying to please the wrong people,
worrying what they would think
if I do my own thing
if I choose to be me.
I now choose each day
to stand tall and stand proud.
Embrace that I am me
And that is okay to be.
Like the crisp, clear white crocus
amidst bright yellows and rich purples.
Reaching and stretching…
and standing out in the crowd.
Mikey and I headed out for a lunchtime walk yesterday when the clouds cleared briefly on a gray, rainy day. I took my camera along intent on capturing a clump of purple crocuses that had caught my eye on a recent drive by a nearby church. But once I got close, what stood out amongst the rest was this crisp, clean, pearly white one – so unique amongst the others. And that is what inspired this “poem.”
In the car the other day, I asked my son, Nick, if we could stop for a few minutes along the railroad tracks and take a few photos.
I’m always thinking there is a good photo there and have tried a few times, but have never been completely happy with what I’ve taken.
When we stopped and got out of the car, Nick proposed a challenge: We each take five photos, and then we’ll see who gets the best one.
After literally laying on the road and standing guard for each other to warn of approaching cars, Nick took the prize with this photo I am sharing today.
I love the different perspective he found… I love that he turned the camera to portrait, which I rarely think to do…. I love the blur in the distance, but also the way the lines draw you to the “dreamy, mysterious” distance…. I love the blur of the smooth track and the detail in the rusty fasteners and am fascinated with how this simple hardware design creates the track that holds a train in line…
And I love that this photo and the memory created in those few short moments brings to mind an oldie but goodie song, The Tracks of My Tears … as I smile… and my eyes tear up with pride.
the creative life in between 