sperlygirl

some days...

do you remember when life felt this easy, this carefree? when it was all about what you could pack into those magic twilight hours before your mom called you back in for supper? and all that mattered was how much magic you could uncover?

some days i long for that -- some days living in the adult world just plain feels hard. some days dealing with adults just plain feels hard. some days i wonder if some adults ever moved past their childish ways and behaviors. some days i wonder why i ever thought it was cool to be an adult.

some days it's just plain hard being and adult and dealing with adults, period.

slowing up to take in the world...

sometimes love sneaks up on you -- of course it's tangible in the big moments in our worlds - it's obvious there, but there are other times when she just sort of whispers in your ear. that's what i felt when i snapped this photo of kai. it had been a long day of walking. he was trying so hard to be big and wanted to walk much of it, like a big boy. but there came this moment when he just needed to sit with his gelato and take in the world and it was here that love whispered in my ear, causing my heart to open up just a teeny bit wider. it is amazing how much of the world we forget to notice once we become big...and how sometimes a simple seat on a step to enjoy a gelato becomes a peaceful respite for a little man and a powerful lesson for a big adult.
**and this is for my little man as he navigates his way to being big**

striving towards balance...

sometimes it's easy for me to catch up with blogs and see all the amazing projects, paintings, and photos that you all are creating -- and i become envious -- that so many of you have figured out how to balance your time to allow for so much creativity.

i crave that, but i struggle with fitting it in in the way i envision, between working full-time, enjoying my family time, much needed workouts, and relaxing time. i do not get to turn out work in numbers but i am becoming ok with this and just trusting it is all evolving as it should. the important thing is it is becoming concrete - bringing to life the swirls of ideas in my mind.

as i finally finished this painting and poem this weekend - there is another waiting in the wings to be completed. and that makes me content and gives me the urge to continue.

the full painting can be seen on diventare - the blog i share with my friend katy. we have revised how often we will share there too so as to help free up some time for us to create more easily.

i would like to share also that the inspiration for these two paintings i have finished and are finishing came from the talented and lovely kelly rae, as i continue to work towards evolving my own true voice with my painting. these two paintings, i feel have cracked a door open to where i'd like my painting to travel and with more and more i feel my voice will become stronger than a soft whisper inspired by a talented friend.

i will share the original poem that is inscribed on and around this painting here...

"one day her heart followed her eyes back to a time, back to a memory where her heart felt boundless, limitless, and free. she held onto a wish with all her might. held it close to keep it near. and finally one evening, she set it free - up into a starlit sky." ~sperl 3/2009

planting possibility...

this weekend almost chilled out our goal to get the garden in the ground. luckily, sunday warmed up enough to make it happen. we spent a late morning trimming back herbs and the evidence of winter, turning over hardened soil, and digging holes for the veggies starts to call their new homes. the sunshine warmed our backs as we worked and the potential of a fruitful garden filled me with such a sense of possibility and excitement.

precious moments...

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory."
~Susan B. Anthony

may you find beauty waiting for you at your 'door of memory' this weekend, may you find some moments of peace, quiet, rest, and joy. may you discover something new, plant a seed for later growth, uncover something precious, protect something dear, and conquer something fearful -- and all the while remember that your journey is lined with friends (far & near).

**a tune for your lovely weekend**

the love in my world, right now...

this thursday i am thinking of the things i love most in this world right now...

the interest kai has in having a new little person to play with and teach to be big~ this little baby growing in my belly~ fresh strawberries~ sleeping in (ok, sleep in general)~ weekend morning breakfasts~ fresh cut flowers~ hearing from and reconnecting with old friends~ painting~ long walks with my little boy~ homemade chocolate chip cookies~ oh, and this video that j showed me tonight - it made me smile

beyond fear...

i was reading my friend, kelly's, post this weekend and it got me thinking...about fear - and how that one little word winds up putting so many road blocks in our lives. the fear of being happy, the fear of never finding happiness, the fear of commitment, the fear of being alone, the fear of failing, the fear of being successful, the fear of growing old, the fear of not being able to put ourselves first, the fear of change, the fear of stagnation... it amazes me the paralyzing power this one little word can hold in our lives. the true challenge is to acknowledge our fears -- walk through them -- and be changed in the process. i know this isn't easy when you are 'in the moment' but i am wishing you all the courage and possibility you need to live fearlessly. :)

preparing for green...

inspired by a bright, sunny weekend - we found ourselves picking up all the lovely vegetables that will find a home in our garden. we spent the day clearing out the evidence of winter from the garden beds and prepping the soil for the company of green starters. i know i have said it before, but there is something so wonderfully peaceful about the action of raking, clearing and turning of soil. the scent of the fresh earth gives way to such promise of what the warm weather will produce.

**a tune for gardening in the sunshine**

fourteen weeks...

i am at that point in pregnancy where you feel more tarnished than glowing -- your regular clothes are too tight and you're having to rig them to make them stay on, yet the maternity ones are too big. your emotions are riding a roller coaster of their own along with your concerns and estimations of how different life will be come august.

it is also the point where i am really starting to wonder how we will navigate the public italian hospital when it is time. we mastered the private one where kai was born, but unfortunately my doctor doesn't practice out of there any longer. so we move to the university hospital - which is wonderful for how equipped they are but a nightmare at figuring out where to go, how to pay, and what to do. but this is also the point in pregnancy where i feel like i am on the brink of really getting excited of all the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead.

so many big things going on in this little bulge in my belly...

watching the world pass by...

as we walked the wall of the city on such a beautiful day, we passed by this older woman quietly watching the world go by. it's one of the things i love most about italy - the fact people take the time to sit and watch the world pass. she looked so peaceful, i couldn't help but wonder the wanderings of her thoughts, her daydreams, her memories, her dreams. as i snapped this photograph, i sent a silent thought to her, "i hope you always have the courage to live your dreams!".

**a tune for a beautiful day to watch the world pass by**