Mindful, Day 268, The North RIm

I have always wanted to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and here we are! There is really no way to capture the immensity of what you see. And nothing makes it seem real.  The drive through the beautiful open country to get there was also beautiful and the aspens were glowing - especially in the areas where they have filled in the burned out spaces.  Makes my heart happy to know these places exist and have been and will be here forever.

Mindful, Day 266-267, Travel Pleasures

We are taking a road trip from Park City, UT to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, then on to Lake Powell, Zion, Bryce Canyon and who knows where else.  Leaving Park City and driving into the low lying clouds in the mountains but then on to beautiful, uplifting mountain views.  Ahhhhh.

Mindful, Day 264-265, Temperature Control

We went from 90 degrees in Woodstock, IL to 37 degrees in Park City, UT yesterday. My body is rebelling against these extremes. When we arrived in park City in snow the sight that gave me a good laugh was the sprinkler system in front of some large complex shooting out streams of water through the snow.  Not something you expect to see.

MIndful, Day 263, Over the Stile and Into the Woods

Not something you see much anymore but this stile is on the path through the beautiful woods and prairie at Boone Creek Conservancy. It reminded me of the  hundreds of stiles (in many different styles) that I went over during my coast to coast walk across England. Such a difference between the way land is treated and used there and here so it was a surprise to see one on my walk.

Mindful, Day 261-262, Make Someone Happy

 Spent a couple of days creating a superhero teddy bear for my grandson. Not my favorite kind of sewing but it felt really good to imagine what his reaction will be when the package arrives in Houston!  I am mindful that his happiness will be a good thing!

MIndful, Day 260, Shadows Again!

The windows at the studio again! I love all these undulating, overlapping textures and subtle color and what can be done with the image.

 

Mindful, Day 259, Golden Days

One of those special fall days where everything seems golden.TIme to store it up!

Mindful, Day 257-258, Falling Leaves

This week has started with the honey locust tree dropping leaves like snowflakes.  Beautiful to watch the golden leaves falling  and covering the ground in all directions.

Mindfull, Day 256, Pattern and Color

At the Farmers Market this morning I see these gorgeous eggs - they look like they are meant for Easter. The farmer told me that she has chickens that lay pink and blue eggs. Who knew!  Just looking at them made me happy.

MIndful, Day 254-255, Marks of TIme

Having spent the majority of the last 3 days in a car driving through a myriad of construction zones I could not wait to come home, sit down, and look at some of the calming images that I am going to work on stitching soon. I am mindful that I need some time of peace and quiet to renew.  Hopefully tomorrow!

Mindful, Day 253, With the Time You Have Left

/johnpavlovitz.com/2017/09/03/with-the-time-you-have-left-here/

As we head out this morning to drive to West Virginia for the funeral of Larry's last sibling, and because I have just had another birthday, I find this article an approrpiate reminder to live gladly and richly.

Mindful, Day 252, Layers of Beauty

As I walked out of the studio today I noticed all the windows along the back part of the building were catching the light in a beautiful, soft, golden way. And even more interesting were the layers of shadows that I could see into and through.  I think I shot about 50 photos. can't wait to see what they might become. Or maybe I should just sit and look at them for a very long time.  I love the layers and the dissolving nature of the light.

Mindful, Day 251, Dizzying

Late afternoon sun creates a dizzying pattern on the back stairs. I felt like I was walking through the openings.

Mindful, Day 250, Sounds of Summer Evening

Late this afternoon I am sitting on the screen porch enjoying the sun inching down but mostly listening to all the sounds of late summer. A few small birds, especially the goldfinches twittering about, the low, steady hum of tree crickets, someone playing music over on the next street, the tree leaves waving in the breeze, traffic sounds undulating up and down.  I love the tree cricket sound - that constant, steady layer of sound feels like it just surrounds me as I sit here. Calming and relaxing. I will enjoy it while I can!

Mindful, Day 249, Gold, White and Blue

The colors today were intensely bright and rich. Every day brings some new richness at this time of year.

Mindful, Day 248, Beautiful Tools

While photographing my old calligraphy brushes I am reminded that tools can be beautiful as well as functional. When they are both they are a joy to use.

Mindful, Day 247, On the Edge

Some of the treasures I picked up earlier in the week are starting to be incorporated into possible new work. I like the fragility of this leaf, on the edge of curling, on the edge of crumbling.  It is what fall feels like to me right now.  Everything on the edge of of ending.  Each beautiful warm day now is a precious gift.

Mindful, Day 246, A Glimpse of the Past

On Sunday when we went to the Rock River Thresheree I picked up this book at the flea market. I picked it because it said it was a 1920 Income Tax service book which seemed like it could be an interesting reading. To my surprise, it was re-invented as a cookbook binder.  It was so much fun to look at the old, handwritten recipes and to open up the newspaper clippings and other ephemera that was tucked inside.  A small glimpse into someones' life from 1920-1930.  It was definitely worth the $3 it cost me!

Mindful, Day 245, Persistence

My autumn flowering clematis starts out every year cut back to about 6 inches of spindly looking vines and by now it has grown 12 feet straight up and through the railings and floor of the deck! All the beautiful star shaped white flowers are just starting to open. Soon it will be covered in white. The ironic part of all of this is that my neighbors get the best view of it in bloom. Every year I am re-astonished by how profuse and strong this scrawny little plant is in the end!

MIndful, Day 243-244, Gathering

I am mindful that it is TIME to start gathering up the beautiful things that summer has created that I can be working on this winter. I love this golden yellow hollyhock leaf. I think it is going to make a great addition to the Still Life in Indigo series.  I am looking forward to working on it - when it gets cold out!

Mindful, Day 242, Being in the Way

"I cannot cause light," Annie Dillard writes in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. "The most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam." 


This quote sums up what I am most often trying to achieve with my continuing to work away on my artwork.  The daily observations are one way to try to be in the path of the light. And often it comes, usually in unexpected ways or thoughts.

MIndful, Day 241, Today's Treasures

This morning's walk in the woods yielded lots of goodies that are potential for future work. And it was a beautiful day, sunny, cool, hardly any mosquitoes! What more could I ask of an early morning walk?