sperlygirl

walking in the sunshine...

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
~Louisa May Alcott

and so it goes - those summer days...

we've been helping our friends get prepared for their upcoming move. i am realizing too that they leave soon. too soon. summer is winding down - only a few more weeks until school begins, routines begin, schedules begin, and all of that that follows. these summer days are good ones. it feels like we live them well and fill them up - not necessarily doing lots of things- but enjoying all the moments and freedoms. there are some moments i hope to move past...like the fact kai has decided that his bed (and ours) make a fabulous sized mural for crayon or marker drawings. some moments i am really proud of - like the fact i sketched out all the pages of the book i am illustrating for a friend and am now working on the cover art. some moments i wish to savor a bit more...like inspiring conversations and heartfelt laughs with this friend, evening walks with j and the little picasso, and the ample free time to run, do yoga, paint, draw, or sew. and i am listening (really listening) to this song lately, beautiful.

a soundtrack to my summer day...

this morning my little orange cat found his way into a sunbeam to watch the day unfold outside the kitchen door. he looked so peaceful and content basking in his perfect beam of light. i thought of him later in the afternoon as we sat outside to eat a picnic lunch. in every place we live, i try to close my eyes and take in the sounds of the house. the songs of the birds, the whir of the scooters headed to the sea, the buzz of a saw or mower in a nearby yard, the scraping of a rake in a garden or sweep of a broom on a doorstep...all of it i try to memorize as some kind of soundtrack to this moment of my life. i do the same with light. since i was a little girl watching the trees bend and blow outside my window. i can tell you just how each house's light felt to me as it trickled through a window - like my little, orange cat - i find a sense of peace in those elements around me.

home...

"Home the inescapable place, the place to which the heart's compass turns."
~Joanne Harris, Coastlines

living over here i've come to realize home is not a place where roots are planted. it is instead what you make of where you are - for however long you are there. as i watched the tide roll in across the beach today, i thought of all the tiny shells she carries with her - gently leaving some along the protective sands of her beaches while lifting others back out into the vastness of her waters. in many ways, it is a gypsy life we chose with this program. i realize this more and more as my dear friend and her family prepare to move in a couple weeks. with the growing uncertainty of my position, i realize that most likely we too will echo the seashells' journey and face the tide to see where she will care us next.

through his own little lens...

 to my little guy...may you always seek to find images of beauty through your lens. may you keep your eyes and heart open  enough to discover it in this world as you grow older. may you find other's differences inspirational and unique. may you know the power of a kind world or gesture. may you seek to listen to others - and truly hear them. may you  find the courage to express your thoughts and 'art' to the world. and throughout your life, may you always be mindful of how your life weaves into and part of the lives of so many others.

"In high tide or in low tide...I'll be by your side..." ~Bob Marley

 a beautiful bob marley song - covered by two very talented musicians

feelin' the love...

these tender hearts sang out to me from the fence line as we walked to the beach. they seem to so proudly climb the fence toward the sunshine.
today, i am feeling the love around here. it is my birthday and i have been touched by the calls, emails, and expressions of love. makes my heart fill with joy. it's been a quiet day but a enjoyable one. and this evening we'll spend with dear friends at a sagra - which feels like the perfect ending to this day.

'to market, to market'...

this week i have been spending time at the markets. i love the energy there - it's always an eclectic mix of products ranging from dollar store items to linen and name brand clothing to lovely fruits, veggies and flowers. the whole experience is vibrant. these little lovelies are just about perfect for a snack.

the blessing of the sun...

for many years, the sun has been a personal symbol for me - a simple natural reminder of how life continues even when your heart is broken or  when it is full of joy. the sun and her journey across the sky is a constant. i sought sincere comfort in that fact when i lost my father and had an image of the sun inked onto my skin as reminder. tonight as she gave way to night's darkness, she blessed me again with her palette of pastel hues brushed across evening's canvas.

the sunlight from girlfriends...

this was the late afternoon view at lunch today with good girlfriends - little did we realize we had been sitting there for hours. but then again, aren't great meals meant to be like that? lingered over with endless conversation, savored with tasty dishes and vino, and completed with a delicious dolce and cafe. oh, and did i mention the laughter?

the speed of love...

being home all day with this little guy now that it is summer is a joy. and although this photo is blurry it does encapsulate the speed at which he blazes through the day, the speed at which my world now seems to spin since he came into it, and the rapid progression of time.

he's 2 1/2 and all that comes with that (good and bad). he's acutely attune to and aware of the world around him expressing a sometimes over heightened curiosity -- which makes passersby smile and requires mama and papa to answer an ever growing onslaught of questions. he is creative and imaginative and can often be found conversing with, reading to, or preparing and serving play food to his animals, toys, or other inanimate objects -- everything has a spirit to him and he needs to tend to it. he is smart and funny -- and has a genetic sparkle of mischief which winks back at me from his long lashed little eyes. he is kind hearted and often will warm my heart with an unprompted gesture or comment which causes me to pause. he is also 2 1/2 and testing his boundaries, asserting his independence, discovering that his actions have consequences with visits to 'the naughty chair' - and just when i am certain he's given me my first gray hair he's off and running... a blur - just like this photo.

in celebration of the blur of parenthood in good times and bad times - may you slow momentarily to take it in.

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