The bareness of the winter landscape
has its own unique and particular charm.
The trees – unencumbered with leaves –
reveal their unique character and form.
Feathery branches and sturdy trunks
unveil intricate lace designed by nature.
The moon – no matter it’s phase –
shines brighter than ever against the clear, yet soft grey sky.
It brightens our path during the shorter days
creating shadows that stretch longer and more mysteriously.
Winter solstice beckons us home
to comfort and clarity.
To crispness and gentleness –
a clear view of this beautiful world we inhabit.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
December 21 begins the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Where many look upon this time as negative and dreary, I have grown to adore this season – even more so after reading the first few chapters of a beautiful book I just began, The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater, who practically creates a hymn to winter. Thanks for the recommendation Lynda!
When I awoke yesterday morning,
I squealed like a elementary school girl anticipating a snow day.
We had our first measurable snowfall,
and this is the beauty I get to behold from my back deck.
As I took in the bright sunlight, the tall trees, and the long shadows they cast,
I felt very small realizing the expanse of nature and our world.
And it reminded me of a quote from a sweet little book I just read
and have been itching to share, because I think about it every day now.
If I got to talk to
me when I was little.
I’m not sure who
would be smarter.
Little me telling me
what not to forget.
Or bigger me telling
little me ‘if only I’d
known.’
Colleen is also a blogger, who shares little bits of insanely insightful wisdom with simple, adorable illustrations that really draw you in. Check her out at The Chatter Blog.
So I already told you how much I love this book. Remember?
I couldn’t wait for our book club discussion about it, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it empowered. It really connected me with a special group of family and friends in a meaningful way.
There is so much I could say about it…
About how I connected right from the start when Brene talked about “not belonging” to her own family.
This paragraph sucked me in:
“Even in the context of suffering—poverty, violence, human rights violations—not belonging in our families is still one of the most dangerous hurts. That’s because it has the power to break our heart, our spirit, and our sense of self-worth. It broke all three for me. And when those things break, there are only three outcomes, something I’ve borne witness to in my life and in my work: 1. You live in constant pain and seek relief by numbing it and/or inflicting it on others; 2. You deny your pain, and your denial ensures that you pass it on to those around you and down to your children; or 3. You find the courage to own the pain and develop a level of empathy and compassion for yourself and others that allows you to spot hurt in the world in a unique way. I certainly tried the first two. Only through sheer grace did I make my way to the third.”
But there is so much more…
About authenticity, vulnerability…
and dehumanization.
About the paradox of things like love, the NRA, politics and religion (just to name a few).
And though there was and always will be great differences in opinion among the group on these important issues and values, everyone respectfully listened to each other share, and we grew closer for it.
So after three or four hours of powerfully connecting conversation and breakthroughs in belonging, our gang bundled up in parkas, knit hats and woolen mittens and boarded the infamous Barbara J Paddle Wheel Boat on Conneaut Lake to set sail at 10pm and spend an hour touring the lake and the homes surrounding it lit up with Christmas trees and colorful lights.
25 degrees. Snow flurries. Dark night. Bright lights. Even brighter spirits.
These are my Christmas light reflections after Braving the Wilderness.
I stole away early Saturday morning before the day got too busy and allowed myself some time to paint.
Everything seems to get so busy and stressful this time of year. Work schedule… holiday shopping and preparations… All wonderful things, but busy nonetheless.
And it seems my painting is one of the things that takes a back seat in times like this. Understandably so – but still something I miss.
So I’m trying to allow myself at least once a week to stow away in my art room for an hour to relax and do what I enjoy so much – watercolor painting – something – anything – as long as I can put some paint and water to paper.
This week, I painted this cozy little cabin in the wintry woods… maybe wishing for the coziness and relaxation that it evokes.
When finished, I thought it would make a lovely Christmas or Holiday Card or even thank you note for holiday gifts, so I’ve added this painting and prints and cards to our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy shop.
We were away this past weekend and awoke Sunday morning to a beautiful blanket of snow. When we returned home, however…. no snow.
So I’ll just pretend, for a while, that I’m snuggled under a fleece blanket by a fire in this cozy cabin while the snow is falling outside, and then I’ll go about my busy work and holiday schedule – feeling thankful for it all!
With Jodi’s kind permission I’m sharing some of my favourite posts from her fantastic blog, of which you could say that I’m a devoted follower. If you enjoy beauty, art and inspiration (not to mention mouth-watering food recipes) then Jodi’s blog simply has it all! I feel honoured that Jodi so generously allows me to […]
I was so honored by this beautiful post created by Liz at Exploring Color, I had to share. Thank you my sweet friend Liz from the other side of the world in New Zealand!
I hope you enjoy this beautiful post she created about the Four Seasons from my blog. My heart is so touched. I hope you will check out her lovely blog.
Four Seasons with Jodi
Autumn
I’m starting with Autumn because this recent post of Jodi’s prompted me to do ‘Four Seasons with Jodi’. It touched my heart…
Let the Rain Fall
Goldfinch in the Rain – Autumn, Mars, PA
I watched you as you sat proud and beautiful
while the rain fell on and around you.
You didn’t need
the sun to make you shine.
In fact,
you stood out even brighter in the cloudy drizzle.
And I was reminded
true beauty comes from within.
It can’t be soaked or drenched
or washed off.
It can’t be dampened or doused
by the storms of life.
Let the rain fall.
Let the storms crash.
And continue to shine
your authentic beautiful self.
the creative life in between 