wisdom

A “Woohoo” Journey

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

A Woohoo Journey.

I was talking to a friend the other day
whose family just returned from their annual weekend amusement park vacation.

It made me think about how many “rides”…. how many difficult situations… how many journeys…
I closed my eyes and waited until it was over.

Instead of enjoying the ride… Instead of appreciating the journey,
and shouting “Woohoo!”

Roller Coasters…
literally and figuratively.

I think of all the things I missed….
just waiting to get to the end – the destination.

No more!
No more closing my eyes and waiting.

Eyes are now wide open.
I am watching.  I am appreciating.  I am enjoying the journey!

(Just please don’t hold me to this on the Thunderbolt at Kennywood!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

As If I Were Dancing Myself…

/ Jodi / 72 Comments
Graceful Ballerina Watercolor 11x14 Saunders Cold Press

Graceful Ballerina Watercolor 11×14 Saunders Cold Press

As If I Were Dancing Myself…

I’ve always admired the delicate gracefulness of a ballerina…
As a little girl, I dreamed of being one myself.

I had a little jewelry box with a tiny ballerina that twirled to music when I opened it.
I wanted to be able to do that and look so delicate and graceful and beautiful.

But I wasn’t delicate or graceful or beautiful.
I was chubby and a bit clumsy and loud.

I tried tap and jazz and ballet classes,
but my mind and body didn’t cooperate with the rest of the dancers.

I was heavy-footed and exuberant and impatient.
When the rest of the class moved right, I moved left.

I continued to grow into being a “big girl” with a “pretty face.”
Just what every teenage girl wants to hear – right?!

I had short, wavy mousy-brown hair – with bangs no less –
when all I wanted was long, straight hair.

I had a full round face, and when I smiled or laughed,
I completely lost my eyes, which became tiny slits (still to this day!)

I had big feet –  a sturdy foundation Grandma claimed –
not delicate ballerina feet that could point and hold me up so gracefully.

A ballerina I was and am not,
but that is finally ok with me now.  (only took 50+ years!)

If I can’t be a ballerina,
I can paint one.

And I can feel the same delicate gracefulness
as if I were dancing myself.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Painting inspiration from Pinterest (no credit identified).  Three colors used:  Daniel Smith Neutral Tint, Azo Yellow, Alizarin Crimson.

Sometimes I Wonder

/ Jodi / 19 Comments
Goldfinch and Grosbeak at the feeder - Mars, PA - June, 2017

Goldfinch and Grosbeak at the feeder – Mars, PA – June, 2017

Sometimes
I wonder
how you put up
with me.
Then I remember,
oh I put up with you.
So we’re even.

Author unknown

Lovingly dedicated to a guy I call “Merv.”
He calls me “Gert.”
I put up with him.
He puts up with me.
Let’s do it until eternity. ❤

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Brilliant Bird Banter

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Purple Finch - Mars, PA June 2017

Purple Finch – Mars, PA June 2017

Brilliant Bird Banter.

Rise early.
Sing a joyful tune.
Share with your friends.
Spread your wings and soar.
Spend time in the woods.
Make a cozy nest.

(This is just one of the many beautiful purple finches  that visit our backyard.  He’s enjoying a sunflower seed from a feeder that hangs on our deck.  We so enjoy sharing our woods and yard with our bird friends, and we can learn a lot from them too!)

Cheers & Chirps,
Jodi

After the Rain

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

After the rain
the world is a little softer –
edges blur and drip and shimmer.

After the rain
bright, beautiful reflections are illuminated
through droplets like liquid mirrors.

After the rain
the earth smells of growth
and life and freshness and hope.

After the rain
my heart feels renewed
and cleansed and full of new possibilities.

After the rain.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#Reflecting

 

The Secret of Life

/ Jodi / 78 Comments

The Secret of Life.

Do you ever think….
“What’s it all about?”
Life – that is…
Why are we here?
What is our purpose?

My BFF, Jill, and I have asked each other this so many times throughout the almost 30  years of our friendship, I couldn’t even count the number.

It’s become a bit of a joke, but also a bit of a reminder too.

When we first met, we were young “stay at home moms.”  And (sadly), those ones who judged working moms as lesser than we who cared for our children and homes and served on the PTA and were the best-ever “homeroom moms” who created the field day obstacle course that all other homeroom moms envied.

Sigh….

We now mock, but also guiltily regret, our young naive selves, as we have become those crazy workaholic successful business women we once despised.  And we both have the absolutely most amazing daughters (mine is a daughter-in-law, but I love her like a daughter) who are beautiful, successful working women and amazing, loving mothers.

And you know what?  No judging…  No mocking…

Life is too short for all of that!

We all do what is right for each of us.
And our children.
And our families.
Period.

And what have I learned along the way?

The secret of life is finding the JOY in the ordinary!

There are so many moments in the ordinary days of living that bring us joy…
that bring us contentment…
that make the ordinary – well – EXTRAordinary.

Like marriage.

Hubby and I have been married for 35 years!  And you know what?  I am proud of that!

I was 19 years old and he was 23 when we married.  I had no idea what life was all about.

But that same cute Hubby was on a business trip this past week and away for three nights.

He rarely travels.

In fact, I have been the one to travel many, many more times for work than him as the years have passed.

And though I was not “afraid of the dark” and the “bogey man” like I was when I was young and he went away (and that same wonderful best friend and her hubby and family actually stayed at my house with me when same hubby went away), it just wasn’t “right” without him here.

Sometimes an evening goes by with barely 50 words spoken between us.  But we are together.  He is here, and I am here, and we are together.

And sometimes that is enough.

I now wonder why we all cannot see, and wish I could share with so many who strive for and desire so much more and cannot find it, that it is okay.  In fact… it is more than okay.  It is the secret of life….

The secret of a joy-filled life….

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the “ordinary.”  The ordinary is a blessing.

The secret of life?
Finding joy in the ordinary!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  My same sweet, wonderful daughter-in-law painted the gorgeous sign pictured here  that is available in our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy Shop.  She gets it!  And I am so proud of her I could burst!  

And when Hubby came home from his business trip Friday afternoon, what did he find?

… a perfectly content wife/mom/grandma/business woman (with a nasty Spring head cold and not looking her best – to say the least) sound asleep with the most beautiful  granddaughter on her chest and a half-read book.  That is joy.  That is ordinary.  That is joy in the ordinary.

 

A little birdie told me…

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

goldfinch-winter-010617

Goldfinch – Winter – Mars, PA 01-06-17

A little birdie told me…

When you love what you have,
you have everything you need.

 
(Oh to be so pretty AND so smart!!  😉)

(author unknown)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Wisdom in the Wind

/ Jodi / 66 Comments
wind in acrylics

Abstract Wind in Acrylic – 6×6

Wisdom in the Wind

Wherever you go…
carry seeds that spread and plant joy and beauty.

Recognize that some seasons call for soft and gentle whispers…
while others call us to blow strong and loud and bold.

And the same breath that creates a cool and gentle breeze
can also fuel a fire.

Realize that adjusting your sails
will allow you to sail smoothly and dance freely.

And when you aren’t sure what the question is,
consider that the answer just might be blowing in the wind.

This is my third and final in the series of Lessons from Nature.
It follows Reflections from the River, and Truths from the Tree.

The “art” above is my first attempt with Acrylic Paints after about a year of watercolor adventures.  I am still learning to master watercolor, and it is still my first love, but I’ve been itching to try Acrylic after seeing so much beauty created by other artist friends and the encouragement of Laura at CreateArtEveryday.    For this piece, I simply wanted to feel the paint and see how it moved, so I decided to create “Wind.”  It is done on a 6×6″ Aquaboard, and the beauty of that is, I can just wash it off and create something else over it.  I must admit, it was fun to be able to “over”work with acrylic paint and even add white!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#NatureDoodlewash

Truths from the Tree

/ Jodi / 52 Comments
truth from trees nature lessons maple tree mars pa

Maple Tree, Mars, PA

Truths from the Tree

Stand tall and proud,
and reach for the sunlight.

Grow deep roots where you are planted,
and you will be braced and secure from threatening winds.

When those winds do blow,
bend and be flexible, and you will survive.

Stretch out your arms far and wide,
and welcome those that rest in your shade.

Delight in sharing with nature’s creatures
with nests and burrows and nourishment.

When your life is over,
give back to what gave life to you.

This is in follow-up to yesterday’s post – Reflections from the River – and a continuation in Lessons from Nature.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pure

Reflections from the River

/ Jodi / 60 Comments
Kiskiminetas River lifeinbetween.me

Kiskiminetas River, Pittsburgh, PA

Reflections from the River

Still water grows stagnant…
keep moving.

Enjoy the journey…
it’s not always about the destination.

A single rock thrown…
can cause a ripple effect far beyond its initial target.

Sometimes what is reflected back from us…
is bigger and better than we are – so shine on.

It is hard work to traverse against the current…
but it is possible, and it is often worth it.

Hubby and I took a little boat ride Friday evening down the Kiskiminetas River – a peaceful little body of water that flows into the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, PA.   With the sweet scent of honeysuckle still in my nose, I’ve been reflecting on the many lessons we can learn from the river.  Nature has so much to teach us if only we take the time to listen.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pure