{i see her} inner light

i see her...

extending her hand 

reaching 

into the unknown

surrendering

knowing

she is guided.

i see her...

giving up her story

conquering

the fear

that binds her.

I see her...

looking inside

embracing

her courage

and owning

all she is.

I see her..

empowered

joy emerging

passion ignited

I feel love. 

{i see me} the beautiful flower

This quote spoke to me when i came across it the other day - years of putting up walls to protect myself from hurt & disappointment then realizing these walls built for protection also kept me from living fully.  These walls were built from fear...not love.  Without these walls I am able to embrace the breadth of my essence...my true self - to experience unconditional love of myself & others. 

i know...there is more growth ahead

~ always more growth ~

but now...

i am...

the beautiful flower

no longer hiding 

but blossoming

exposing my true beauty 

encouraging others

to grow alongside

radiating magnificence

into the world.

{here i stand} blue toes & taffy

{noticing colors...blue toes, colorful taffy & bright sundress}

{a different pathway} 52 Photos

{taking a new look - shooting from ground level - a view of fallen rose petals & rain drops}

{on the ground} new view

taking look from a new view...shooting from the ground -

 this is a trail of rose petals that have fallen from the bush 

and in the background are the chives growing in my herb garden.  

{i gather} signs of love

Stepping outside my front door, 

I notice a petal from my rose bush in the shape of a heart on the ground. 

 I love finding heart shapes in random places & feel like they are little notes from the Universe...

a little reminder - LOVE!

{i gather} a reminder

As I was walking to my car this morning, I noticed the beautiful colors on this leaf laying on the ground.  The colors looked more like a Fall leaf than Summer.  As I picked it up, I noticed the tear...

reminding me - you don't need to be perfect to be beautiful.  

i seek {simple pleasures}

together in the back yard

underneath the patio umbrella

eating our strawberry shortcake

as the rain falls gently around us

darkness overtaking the sky

i pause & notice...

the peacefulness

of this moment

just him & me

enjoying

simple 

pleasures

of life.

{senses from my past} my grandmother

This photograph of my Grandma Marge and me hangs in my bedroom along with her lockets.  The only thing I wanted of hers, after she passed two years ago, was these lockets that I remember from my childhood.  I would always get them out of her jewelry box.  I never noticed the initials on the larger locket until they became mine - initials of my great grandmother - which made it even more special.  My Grandma was a huge part of my childhood and most of my childhood memories involve her.  I can't explain why, other than she was always there for me...always!

My Grandmother was a housewife - always cooking, cleaning & watching her soap operas (or her "stories" as she called them).  She would spoil my brother and me every time we were with her.  She always kept our favorite foods and treats on hand.  For some reason, I loved chicken noodle cup-a-soup and she always had it in her cupboard.  She made the best hamburgers and I still make hamburger patties just like hers.  To this day, I can not eat toast with peanut butter & jelly without thinking of my Grandma.  I remember sitting at the desk in the kitchen pretending I was a secretary.  She kept a drawer of old papers in the desk that I used for my pretend office.  I remember the other big wooden drawer in the hallway filled with coloring books, crayons & markers.  I remember hours & hours of playing kickball, whiffle ball & basketball with the neighborhood kids.  I remember the chairs she had in her living room that twirled.  My brother & I would spin in them until we got caught. :-)    

I remember her saving the plastic bowls & cups that butter (or I guess it was margarine) came in and re-using plastic silverware.  I remember her making instant coffee & the sound of the tea kettle whistling on the stove, doing dishes with her at the sink, my Grandpa smoking Camel cigarettes, sitting around the kitchen table with them, her packing my Grandpa's lunch in his lunch box for work every day and the bread box that had all the goodies in it.  I remember her taking care of me when I got my tonsils out when I was seven & letting me eat bacon when I wasn't suppose to eat it.  When I was sick, she would warm a towel in the dryer to wrap around my neck before she put Vicks on and tuck me in.  I'm not sure why any time I remember being sick I was at her house...maybe because my Mom worked.  She would make chili without kidney beans just for me.  She had the softest skin, pretty finger nails and beautiful blue eyes.  I remember how good she was with house plants, hanging clothes on the clothes line outside, Puff, the cat & Nioki, her spoiled dog, playing cards & yahtzee with the jars of pennies she would keep for us, going up north every summer and having the best time...and, most of all, her unconditional  love. 

I took this photo next to the red rose bush I just bought the other day - red roses were her favorite.  She would have been a couple years younger than I am right now in this photo, which seems unreal to me.  I miss her and hope she knows how very loved she always made me feel.  I feel blessed for having her in my life as not everyone has the opportunity to experience such a loving Grandmother and for so many years.

{my grandmother's lockets}

{good morning} senses

Moving on to week two of Inner Excavate-along, we are exploring our senses.  This morning I chose to take the time to notice all of my senses while sitting on my patio enjoying my coffee.

With the beginning of another day 

My cup of coffee in hand

I eagerly make my way outside

To enjoy the fresh smell of the morning

To feel the warmth of the sun.

Leaning back in my chair,

Breathing in the fresh air

While admiring the blue sky,

The aroma of my coffee is comforting

As it warms my hands.

I relax & just listen…

Birds cheerfully singing,

Squirrels scampering & 

The breeze lightly rustling the leaves.

The green of the trees, the grass &

The array of colorful flowers

Make for a beautiful view.

Walking bare foot thru the grass

A puddle from the evening’s rain

Leaving foot prints as I go.

I feel grateful for this quiet time

To reflect on the day’s beauty

Knowing starting my day

Appreciating all that is

Is the perfect beginning

I seek.

{a corner of my back yard}

{words} a poem

Another prompt from Inner Excavation along...using words for writing inspiration.

Using a page from Liz's book, I circled words that spoke to me.
My favorite words from that page are "whispered truths"...something about those two words - makes me think of God whispering love into your ear.

This is the poem that came from those words.

I used to write poetry quite often, but have not written my own in some time.  

I loved choosing these random words for inspiration. 

{this photo i took this morning as i was leaving the house & noticed a new flower budding}  

{take a walk}

Another prompt from Inner Excavate Along for week one was {take a walk}, so I decided to first take a walk thru the flowers in my front yard.  I love walking outside each morning to all the beautiful colors.  Last Spring, I removed a lot of old bushes in the front of my house and replaced them with flowers, so it has been a joy watching everything bloom this year.  I have surprised myself how much I have enjoyed gardening.  I am a huge fan of color, so I have loved searching for different colors & textures of plants.

The white flowers below are from a Yucca plant in my backyard.  This is the first year it has bloomed and it is full of these lovely white hanging flowers.  So. pretty.  I choose the coral bell below because of the variegated coloring of the leaves, but I still want to get a dark purple one too.

                
               

{i am...}

The prompt that stood out to me right away was the "I Am..." prompt!  I recently began reading "Wishes Fulfilled" by Dr. Wayne Dyer.  In the book, he emphasizes how powerful the words "I Am" are when spoken. He challenges you to listen to what you are declaring as you speak these two powerful words.

I feel these words & statements I use above are words I wish to follow "I Am" as thoughts are streaming through my mind or are spoken by me.  I am affirming & choosing to focus on the good, the beautiful, the possibilities in my life.  I wish to use these words to re-direct my thoughts when they get "off track" - when I begin doubting my path in life - to bring myself back to the Divine in me.

{i begin...}

Today, I begin...

a read-a-long with Liz Lamoreux and her book Inner Excavation.  I love the idea of the read-a-long since Liz's book has been on my Amazon wish list for the longest time.  I don't know about you, but I always have the best intentions of going through a book and doing the exercises, but don't always manage to get to it.  Now I have others to join with and be inspired by...to keep me focused & motivated.

I discovered Liz and her book during a self portraiture workshop with Vivienne McMaster.  After taking my first course with Vivienne, I fell in love with photography.  I always wanted to take some sort of photography class, but this was much, much more than I expected - in so many wonderful ways.  I can say wholeheartedly that combining self portraits, photography & words has been tremendous growth experience for me.  I am excited to take another journey inside from another viewpoint to see what I discover.

Looking forward to what is to come...

Check out Inner Excavate-along here.