Wild Places

the wild places call to me.

their succulent whispers

dripping with honey

and ripe

with shimmering seduction

nature in its purest form

wide open skies

endless prairies

ancient rocks

seas… lakes…. rivers

the cry of the coyote

the song of the bird

it must be deep within my dna

or perhaps some ghostly nostalgia,

molten memories

of a former life…

i do know it’s a call

that i cannot ignore.

i can’t begin to define

with mere words

the magnetic bond

 that i feel with these places

beyond time and space

and hints of a doorway

into the eternal

powerful

 by time you read this, i should be finding myself in some brand new wild places on the big island of hawaii.  thanks so much for stopping by!!

Just for Fun

 

so i've been having some fun playing around with adding the iphone winter and snow filters to some rather incongruous scenes of palm trees, cactus and flowers.  i mean, what will they think of next??

 

i'm ever so grateful for all the sweet comments and thoughtful insights that you all left on my last post.  it's not the first time i'm saying..... you guys are THE BEST!!!!

Can Things Get Any Better??

Scanned image of sunrise over Haleakala - 1986

my life feels pretty exciting right about now and i’m a little afraid to talk about it for fear i could burst the bubble or something.  but anyway, here goes…..

next week we are going to the big island.  it’s going to be amazing.  i just know it.  the photo above was taken on maui, the last time we were there.  it's been way too long!

we are working with the san diego spaniel rescue group and, while i can’t reveal too much at this time…. let’s just say it looks very promising! (my heart gets all pitter-patter when i think about this!)  stay tuned.

New doggy fence.... getting ready!

 our new deck is finally finished and while replacing it (due to termites) is not something we planned on doing and (of course!) it cost way more and took longer than we planned… we are so happy with the end result.  thinking maybe a little deck-warming party might be in order!!

 i just got my postcards for the april retreat and i love them.  honestly, i’m not quite sure this retreat is even going to happen… i hope it does, but if not, that’s ok too.

 i also received my first journal prototypes for the “insideout” project, published on blurb. they are a combination of plain and lined pages with images and quotes interspersed.  i made a little deck of prompts to go with them to get things started and there is a short intro at the beginning explaining about the journals and what i hope them to accomplish.

Front and back of "Inside-out" journal

Interior page

Interior page

Journal prompts

and if that’s not enough…. i am working on a super exciting project related to the inside out journals that i can’t reveal just yet.  can’t wait to tell you more of the details…. but it will have to wait…..

now i have to say it felt a little uncomfortable writing this post.  for some reason it feels easier to share when things aren’t going well than when they are.  why is that?  or is it just me?  i think it makes me feel like you might think i’m saying:  “look at me – my life is so wonderful” or something like that.  or that you can relate to me better if i'm having problems.   if you’ve been around a while, you know i’ve shared plenty of things on the “other side of the fence” too.  hmmm – any thoughts??  is it just me??

Hiking Haleakala with a friend, 1986.  Check out the curly hair, huge shades and short shorts!

Animal Fix

as some of you know, we are “between dogs” right now....  when you are used to having that creature presence around you on a daily basis, there is definitely a noticeable void when it is no longer there.

we are so lucky, here in san diego county, to live near one of the most fabulous zoos in the world.  wouldn’t you think we would go there all the time?  

  

 well, as i’m sure i’ve mentioned, we tend to mostly take dog-friendly vacations, and that includes short excursions.  so unless someone is visiting from out of town... we rarely visit our wonderful zoo.  given all of that, the time seemed right for a zoo-visit this past week and we were not disappointed.

 i think as i get older i am becoming much more appreciative of just being in the presence of these amazing creatures.  it’s definitely a powerful (spiritual even) experience to stand so close and know that on a very deep level.... we are all connected.  loved it!

Breaking the Rules

we all need toys, don't you think?? (no matter what our age!)

playing with our toys is what gives life its spice and enjoyment!

to me, it's so much fun to break the rules.... like holding the camera steady all the time.  who says you have to do that anyway??

go out and have some fun this weekend.... and break a few rules!!

Oh - new spring retreat details right here!!