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.

Golden Progress

"The heavenly-harness'd team 

Begins his golden progress in the east."

~ William Shakespeare, King Henry IV

Some mornings, it is all bending light.

Making Peace

"Never, never let the sun go down 

without making peace. 

Never, never, never!"

~ Pope Francis

Jewel of Strength

"Women are blessed with a jewel of strength 

that glows all the time."

~ Judith Jamison

Physics of Vulnerability

"If we are brave enough often enough, 

we will fall; this is the physics of vulnerability."

~ Brené Brown

Youthful, Hopeful Eyes

"All things in this world

must be seen with youthful, hopeful eyes."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Hidden in the Heart

"A seed hidden in the heart 

of an apple is an orchard invisible."

~ Welsh Proverb

I feel the disconnect
but have no words
to bridge the chasm.

So I will wait for time
to build what we need.

Drowsy With Harmony

"When Love speaks, 

the voice of all the gods 

makes heaven drowsy with the harmony."

~ William Shakespeare

Free Love

"Free love? 

Is there any other kind of love?"

~ Walt Whitman

Believe In The Light

“You can overcome whatever is going on around you if you believe in the light that lives within you.” 

~ Justine Edward

Where Sunlight Streams

"Big Wheels roll through fields

where sunlight streams."

~ Bruce Springsteen

Land of Hope and Dreams

Breath of Kindness

"A friend is one to whom one may pour out 

all the contents of one's heart, 

chaff and grain together, 

knowing that gentle hands 

will take and sift it, 

keep what's worth keeping, 

and with a breath of kindness, 

blow the rest away."

~ George Eliot

This month makes 10 years that I have been watching the sunrise off my back deck and sharing the photographs I capture with you.

It is astonishing that 10 years have past so quickly. Where did the time go? It just evaporated like dew on the front grass.

Reviewing my archive makes me happy and I invite you to do so. I feel so grateful and lucky to be here and have this to share and can write this from my heart. And I am smiling because no two sunrises are alike and life is so good.

A Gift to the Next Generation

"If I were given the opportunity 

to present a gift to the next generation, 

it would be the ability for each individual 

to learn to laugh at himself." 

~ Charles M. Schulz

When I rush, I make mistakes. I get careless, I miss things. Basically, I reveal my human-ness.

When I blunder, I envision my parents in heaven shaking their heads. I hear my mom scold, "Didn't we tell you to always do your best?"

Yes, Mom, you did. 

Now that I am older, I realize my parents were not telling me that mistakes were bad, they were just trying to teach me that if you do things with care, you are less likely to make mistakes. As usual, they were just trying to make life easier and protect me.

Besides, I agree with Gretchen Rubin who said people "don't notice your mistakes as much as you think." My husband Steven seems to echo this thought. He played bass and sang with a local garage band and said if you're performing live, "When you hit a clam, just keep playing."

Keep going. Don't let mistakes stop you.

So this morning, while photographing the sunrise, I missed a shot and my parents and their lessons on mistakes came to mind. My heart said to the sky, "I don't like to make mistakes, but they do help me to do things better next time."

As I write this, I am looking at the sky's colors. The sunlight on my face sure feels like my mom's laughter. The wind is my Dad's smile.

Looking for the Unexpected

"Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected 

and stepping outside your own experience."

~ Masaru Ibuka

What Is Possible

"Knowledge of what is possible 

is the beginning of happiness."

~ George Santayana

The Power of Memory

"Perhaps it is the power of memory 

that gives rise to the power of imagination."

~ Akira Kurosawa

Moves Us Forward

"Awe is what moves us forward."

~ Joseph Campbell

Beforehand

"Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand."

~ George Eliot

Corresponding Advantage

"To every disadvantage there is a corresponding advantage."

~ W. Clement Stone

Between Two Gardens

"Sadness is but a wall between two gardens."

~ Kahlil Gibran

The Artist Finds

"The scholar seeks, the artist finds."

André Gide

To Wake the Soul

"To wake the soul by tender strokes of art."

~ Alexander Pope

Life Is Worth Living

"Laughter is wine for the soul-- 

laughter soft, or loud and deep, 

tinged through with seriousness-- 

the hilarious declaration made 

by man that life is worth living.” 

~ Seán O'Casey

Great Gymnasium

"The world is the great gymnasium

where we come to make ourselves strong."

~ Swami Vivekananda

A Confession

"A guilty conscience needs to confess. 

A work of art is a confession."

~ Albert Camus

The Creative Urge

"The creative urge is the demon 

that will not accept anything second rate."

~ Agnes de Mille