Seasons of Change

wilting sunflower

Fading sunflower at daybreak – Conneaut Lake, PA

Night fades to day –
the moon retreats as the bright sun rises.

Summer beckons Autumn’s reprieve –
when green becomes yellow or orange or red.

Flowers shrivel and wilt –
creating seeds of new life before they fade.

People wrinkle and shrink and age –
transforming the definition of authentic beauty.

Eyes blur and squint and fade –
erasing the wrinkles but not the sweet memories.

Seasons of renewal,
Seasons of hope,
Seasons of growth,
Seasons of age –

All of these seasons
are seasons of change.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Connected

connected storm drain NOLA

Sidewalk Storm Drain Grate, Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA

No beginning…

No end.

Infinitely intertwining the past, the present, and the future,

the physical and the spiritual…

all plants and animals and minerals.

Eternally merged…

Continuously connected.

Life.

I recently captured this close-up photo of a storm drain grate on a sidewalk in the Warehouse District of New Orleans.  It was beautiful!  So much lovely architecture and  structural elements in NOLA!  It reminded me of the Celtic Knot and the inter-connectivity it represents.  This week’s WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge is ‘Connected’.  I had to share this photo.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Why?

monochrome black and white leaves trees

Why do I get a little knot in my stomach
when the days grow a bit shorter,
the air a bit crisper,
the breeze a bit lighter.

It is gentle
and beautiful
and comfortable.

But my heart remembers
summer ending,
school beginning,
Autumn breezes bringing school buses
and schedules and new beginnings.

I recall old endings…

and I am melancholy.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Nothing is Ordinary

black eyed susans on white nothing is ordinary

Nothing is ordinary…
so don’t try to be.

Be your own kind of EXTRAordinary…
it’s the best recipe.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Inspiration

Wishing you…

rose of sharon buds morning dew

Wishing you the freshness of morning dew,
the promise of bursting buds,
beauty and goodness in your surroundings and in your soul,
with colors as rich as the purple Rose of Sharon.

Moments to be cherished,
memories to be embraced,
a full life discovered…
at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Queen Anne’s Lace

queen anns lace
Queen Anne’s Lace
in a vase
on the patio by the door.

Sweet memories of summers past
and a Grandma I did so adore.

She could make bouquets from weeds,
bring life to seeds,
make soup from bones,
and homemade ice cream cones.

We played Old Maid
while we drank lemonade
or sipped on root beer
or cream soda floats.

We would sing and laugh on the side porch swing
making up words to our favorite songs.
She would tell me sweet stories of her life and her past
while we dreamed of the future and who would be part of the cast.

We’d watch the morning glories close
while the moon flowers arose.
They were perfectly entwined
in an ornate grate
which bordered the slope
and the colorful splendor
of the portulaca flower bed
I will always remember.

Oh how I hope
that I can someday be
the kind of grandma
she was to me.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Gold Finch Mountains to Climb

gold finch watercolor card

After painting Spooky earlier this week, I still felt like doing more.

I was on a watercolor roll.

So while the paints and brushes were still out,

I saw a Youtube video by The Frugal Crafter.

Lindsay made painting a gold finch

look like a cinch.

So I made the one above.

Then I felt like Jodi’ing it up a teensy tinch,

which meant loosening it up and splattering a pinch.

So I went at it again – on my own this time.

That’s why this original is having a bit of a bad hair day…

Oh dear…..

I sure have mountains to climb!

gold finch watercolor bad hair day

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

It is our Hearts that you Feed

rose breasted grosbeaks

Male Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Mars, PA

So elegant in your tuxedo
with your bold and bright red tie.

You sing such sweet melodies
as you spread your wings and fly.

You grace us with your beauty
as you come to eat some seed.

We put it there to nourish you,
but it is our hearts that you feed.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

After the storm…

hanging basket flowers after the rain

The showers beat down,
the wind blows strong.
We drip and wilt –
all tousled about.

But afterwards…

we are refreshed
and renewed.
We are given new life.
We are nourished and vibrant and ready to grow.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Don’t Take that Route Little Squirrel

squirrel

the little grey squirrel that visited our deck

Hello little Squirrel…
are you a boy or are you a girl?

I love the way your fluffy tail
has such a happy curl.

We thought you were so cute
the first day you gave the bird feeders a whirl.

It was fun to watch you leap and jump
and prance and dance and twirl.

But you were a bit of a piggy…
eating more than your fair share.

So we had to give a shout
that gave you a little scare.

I sure hope that your feet – that are a little biggy
withstood that leap and kept you springy
from the tromps and claps and shouts
of that old meany Papa Bear McKinney.

Have fun climbing trees and running about,
but please watch out – – -don’t take the route
that causes us… to chew you out.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi