The Cleverest of All

“The cleverest of all, in my opinion, 

is the man who calls himself a fool 

at least once a month.”

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

Being

"Love is not thinking, but being."

~ Antoine de Saint Exupery

Take Your Best Swing

Happy Birthday, Mikioi

"In playing ball, or in life, 

a person occasionally gets the opportunity 

to do something great. 

When that time comes, only two things matter: 

Being prepared to seize the moment 

and having the courage to take your best swing."

~ Hank Aaron

Result of Practice

"Inspiration comes and goes, 

creativity is the result of practice."

~ Phil Cousineau

What You Believe

"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, 

because you become what you believe."

~ Oprah Winfrey

Ultimate Sophistication

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci

Life Itself

"Goodness begins simply with the fact of life itself."

~ Gwendolyn Brooks

Rise to the Occasion

Happy Easter

Decent Fellow

Happy Birthday, Rodney

"Inigo Montoya: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.

The Man in Black: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."

~ William Goldman, The Princess Bride

Best of Both Worlds

"Creativity and freedom are two sides of the same coin... 

 the best of both worlds."

~ David Allen

The Sun Will Rise

for Zoe

"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."

~ Victor Hugo

Respect

"Never spend time with people who don’t respect you."

~ Maori Proverb

The wind and rain last night were fierce and kept me awake. I listened to the trees sway with vigorous ardor and worried one could become a projectile in the gusts of gusto. The new day is calm and beautiful now. 

A New Me

"I wake up every morning 

and I surprise myself. 

I wake up to a new me."

~ Gina Carano

We had an Homeowners meeting this morning on the ridge, so I dashed to the store to buy a welcome gift and missed the sunrise. But on my drive home, I was mesmerized by the clouds and pulled over and caught this shot of Biltmore Lake. That is Mount Pisgah in the distance.

Something Awesome

"There was something awesome 

in the thought of the solitary mortal 

standing by the open window 

and summoning in from the gloom outside 

the spirits of the nether world."

~ Arthur Conan Doyle

Truths Are Easy to Understand

"All truths are easy to understand 

once they are discovered; 

the point is to discover them."

~ Galileo Galilei

The morning light streams into the kitchen with a force so strong it hits me hard and everything seems to glow with rich life. 

I play with the colors and notice, no matter what the combination, the sun responds to them all with delight. Celebrate your unique light.

Celebrate Those Differences

"It is not our differences that divide us. 

It is our inability to recognize, accept, 

and celebrate those differences."

~ Audre Lorde

Watching black birds rest against the sun light and I think, we are all so different yet the same. Why can't we celebrate our diversity? ♥

Yours Forever

"Memorize places. Settle your eyes on a place and learn it. 

See it under the snow, and when first grass is growing, 

and as rain falls upon it. Feel it and smell it, walk on it, 

touch the stones, and it will be with you forever."

~ Tony Hillerman

Home Is

"Home is where one starts from."

~ T. S. Eliot

After days waiting out the big storm and aftermath in hotel rooms from Greenville to Asheville, we were so anxious to be home. We tried to drive it, but our road was covered with ice, so we parked the car and walked up to the top of the ridge. As we arrived home, the sun was setting and the deer prints zigzagged across the front lawn.

We made it.

Happy, I wrote the word "home" in the snow in front of our house.

Peace

“Peace cannot be kept by force; 

it can only be achieved by understanding.” 

~ Albert Einstein

Loving the Ride

"I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m really loving the ride."

~ David Bowie

Great Things

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

~ Georges Seurat

Your Best

"If you'll not settle for anything less than your best, 

you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives."

~ Vince Lombardi

Becoming New

"Everything is perpetually becoming new."

~ Alan Watts

Entertainer of the Spirit

"The storyteller of our time, as in any other time, 

must be an entertainer of the spirit 

in the full sense of the word, 

not just a preacher of social and political ideals."

~ Isaac Bashevis Singer

In our personal sanctuary, we plant our dreams and grow our miracles. We touch the sun. 

For Now

"You don't write only for now."

~ Flannery O'Connor

Waiting. Watching. Thinking.

Precious Gift

"Such as I am, I am a precious gift."

~ Zora Neale Hurston

Reminded

"The world does not require so much to be informed as reminded."

~ Hannah More

I still have lots of time before Christmas, but I also have lots to do and a friendly reminder is always nice, especially while watching the sun...

See the Music

"See the music, hear the dance."

~ George Balanchine

Watching Venus dance with the crescent moon.

Hear Heartfulness

"In Asian languages, 

the word for mind and word for heart are the same. 

So when we hear the word mindfulness, 

we have to inwardly also hear heartfulness 

in order to grasp it even as a concept, 

and especially as a way of being."

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

The air is cool this morning, but the sky is clear and beautiful. The sunrise reminds me that no matter what challenges or sadness enter my life, I will open my heart, hold on to the beauty, and share this moment. Gratitude is the light.

Difference of Opinion

"Difference of opinion leads to enquiry, 

and enquiry to truth."

~ Thomas Jefferson

Let's discuss our differences and find our truth...

The air is cold this morning. Dots of ice glistens on the deck glass table. Visibility toward Asheville is clear. Not a cloud in the sky.

Day By Day

"I am always waiting to finish the next thing.

Absurd, I know. I go day by day."

~ Carmen Herrera

After a memorable three-day stay celebrating Kayla's birthday in Alpharetta, Georgia, I checked out of the Fairfield Inn, walked a bit, and watched the empowering sun rise through this patch of tall trees.

A few moments of warmth. I then was ready for the drive home to Asheville.

Captured For Eternity

"A photograph can be an instant of life 

captured for eternity that will never 

cease looking back at you."

~ Brigitte Bardot

♥ My Society6 Art Gallery \(‾◡◝ )/ 

Cool and Composed

Swannanoa River Greenway

"Let your soul stand cool and composed 

before a million universes."

~ Walt Whitman

Two happy friends exploring a million universes: Walking in the cool morning sunrise with Kolo enjoying the gifts of this new day.

Mindfulness Is the Miracle

"Mindfulness is the miracle 

by which we master 

and restore ourselves."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh 

Doesn't take long for the dawn sky to glow and transform to gold. 

Fog Is Rising

"Let us go in; the fog is rising."

~ Emily Dickinson

Invest Yourself

"Invest yourself in everything you do. 

There's fun in being serious."

~ John Coltrane

Still overcast this morning after days and days of rain. Yesterday Asheville had a record 2.23 inches of rainfall. Yes, I miss the sunrise. But because of the rain, the light is vibrant and the colors glow.

Every True Friend

"Every true friend is a glimpse of God."

~ Lucy Larcom

The rain and cloudy skies continue. But for a moment, I could glimpse the sun and the light made the sky so holy.

Beautiful Life

"The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes."

~Frank Lloyd Wright

Tenderness of Heart

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart."

~ Jane Austen

Be True to Your Work

"Be true to your work, your word, and your friend."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Walking the mountain ridge with my camera this morning and my neighbor just asked, "Did you get your perfect shot?"

I said, "Everywhere I look is one." He nodded in agreement.