sperlygirl

halloween tidings…

  tonight we transformed into kai "the world's coolest little soccer player" and grabbed the pumpkin to do some trunk-r-treating! it made me think back to halloween back in the day...ohhhh, that sun couldn't go down fast enough and then you'd finally get to gear up in the costume you had bragged about to all your friends for weeks, and finally hit the street to collect that candy! kai was mesmerized by it all...he loved how different everyone looked (and he waved to everyone he passed), that folks would put candy in his pumpkin, and he even got to taste the fruit of his labors...BEFORE dinner. he was in heaven! we topped the night off with pizza and many the old school halloween cartoon. nice.

creative surroundings…

  when i started to write tonight, i felt a bit disconnected - so i surfed a bit...and came across this video and for whatever reasons it brought a smile to my face. i miss that "electricity" that would happen at scad when a project was due -- no matter your major, everyone felt it and it was truly magical and inspiring. we'd work late into the wee hours of the morning...some wouldn't sleep for days...there was such a buzz of creation all around you - constantly. it was like a cocoon of creativity. that has been the hardest thing for me since leaving college (many years ago) -- stepping outside that cocoon.

fall, a time for gathering…

  fall always feels like a time to gather - to gather up what's most important to you and keep it close by to help you through the long, cold, winter months ahead. gather up warm drinks, your child's hand in yours, a scarf around your neck, your family and dearest friends, savory foods, festive occasions, ,comforting memories, warm comforters and quilts, and those moments of simple silence that fall seems to offer as she gracefully transitions into winter.

a bird at my window…

  almost every morning for the past several weeks now, this little bird taps at my classroom window. he stays for a long time - sometimes the whole morning. it's as if he has something urgent to tell me. he doesn't mind if i tap back to him or stand and watch him for a while. he keeps on trying to reach me. there is a lot going on right now...so the comfort of this new little friend at my window is a welcome presence.

**today was rainy, cold and gloomy and my little winged friend didn't stop by for a visit...funny how i had quickly grown accustom to his gentle taps upon the glass, perhaps tomorrow will bring some sunshine and the little bird back.**

control…

the theme of control is an interesting one...it's one i battle with often. i am a planner and i like to always feel "prepared" for whatever in this life. i don't ever want to be hit with something and wind up saying..."wow, i never saw THAT coming!". i have been there before - it was too painful. but i realize that all of my most successful creative moments come from releasing control...in fact some of the best years/times/moments in my life have followed in this path too. i have come to understand that control is an illusion. truly, what in life can one control? nothing...so the wisdom lies within the letting go of control, the surrendering to the possibilities - good, bad, painful, or joyous -- but it is through the release that growth can occur. so this is my ultra long-winded explanation to my self-portrait about control. i like this photo because i just totally surrendered to the possibility -- wasn't even looking through the lens. (now, toss out the daily planner -- well, i haven't released THAT much yet!) ;)

fall days and meandering markets…

  a chilly fall day - spent meandering through the markets. bundled up and winding through tables of antiques...i always try to imagine the life those objects lived before they landed on a table with a price tag hanging from them. what family they were part of -- what memories are stored there. to many it's just someone's old "junk" but i always believed there was more to it than that. my father used to work in an antique market. i loved to walk the aisles and see what collections of "stuff" the various vendors would bring. there were so many stories...much like here.  but then again - i have always believed my stuffed animals would come to life when i was away or asleep. ...such is the magic in our lives...

race, su, race…

 (that's me on the right running at the finish - pic by j)     it was truly a beautiful day today as we set out for the 10K. the ipod was loaded, music pumping, nerves present, legs ready, smile set, as i took in the amazing scenery along the way. around the 1/2 point i met up with one of my students and we ran the rest of the race together - which was really cool. this was the longest distance i've ever run - a PR just to finish (which i did w/out stopping - goal accomplished!). my time was about what i had expected - but what i hadn't counted on was how good it all felt. there is something about running - when my mind gets out of the way - that's so zen like and freeing. i was surprised when we passed the 6 mi mark and thought, man - i could run longer than what's left. not to worry - this length is a challenge enough for me. now i will train for improving speed...but tonight i am still just soaking in this beautiful day.

the bigger picture…

  what i have been trying to remember lately is how life can change on a dime - and to, as my dear friend rosa would tell me..."ride the wave!". surfing through life - i like that analogy. it's so easy to get caught up in the hassle or stresses of the day to day but the key is to step back and see the bigger picture (easier said than done at times)...so amidst today's stresses...i am stepping back. gearing up for my run on friday... and in the mean time..."riding the wave."

an evening stroll…

  this is what i love most about living here...on sunday late afternoon / evenings everyone is out for a stroll. you see families walking together - young and old - having a drink or sharing a gelato - but spending it together to watch the sun set silently into the sea. it's magical...

little fingers - deep in thought…

   as i ran yesterday, this song came on the ipod...and soon i found i was smiling while running rather than combating the mental mind chat that seems to tell me that by all accounts i should stop...this song brings up so many memories for so many reasons....to "my girls"- "give me atlanta, give me savannah - gimmie little peace of mind". it's the little things - that i try so hard to notice and appreciate each day. like this moment of little buddy - who when he's deep in thought - loves to play with the ribbon on his bear or the pull on his sweater zipper.