A Few Quotes

A good friend of mine urged me a few weeks ago to post again. Thanks, Melissa! I'm working on an article on an unrelated topic so all I've got today are a few quotes I've collected recently. I'll write a real post soon. Remember to enjoy the beauty around you!

“The chearful birds their airy carols sing/And the whole year is one eternal spring.” Ovid, Metamorphoses

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” Aristotle

“Earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quotes about Beauty

I've been busy with my CS Lewis Fellows program but found a few beauty quotes I wanted to share with you. Hope you enjoy!

"A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most nonprivileged of pleasures." Edward Abbey

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." Charles Dickens

"Butterflies are self-propelled flowers." R. H. Heinlein

"The stars are the streelights of eternity." Anonymous

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." Pablo Picasso

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." Anton Chekhov

Saying Grace

"You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” G.K. Chesterton

And, if I may add, "grace before I look at the snow that fell yesterday afternoon." We don't get much snow where I live so when the flakes start falling, this corner of the world tends to stop. It's not the snow that's the problem, of course. It's the ice it leaves behind for the next couple of days. Right now, bright sunlight is coaxing the snow to let go of leaves, branches, and pine needles. Large chunks are falling to the ground. Our neighbor's roof is still covered, though, and the whiteness of it is made brighter, almost blinding, by the sunlight. It's hard to look for long, but then, for this Southern girl, it's hard not to.

What beauty do you see outside your window? Or along your way today?

Beauty in Friends

Hello there. I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted until a friend of mine asked me to start up again. (Thanks, Melissa!) It wasn't an intentional omission. My focus has been on the CS Lewis Fellows program (www.cslewisinstitute.org) and other areas of writing and, well, living.

I have another friend who is very ill right now. She, like Melissa and I, adores beauty. All winter long, Nancy deals with bitter cold and snow and long, dark days. She looks forward to spring and to the first hint of lilacs blooming. When she emails that she saw and smelled her first lilac blossom of the season, I can hear the joy and relief in her words.

Inside her cozy home, she creates beautiful art books with intricate folds, gorgeous papers, a well-chosen word here, a little detail there. When she's done, she sometimes gives these beauties of heart and hand to friends who treasure them as well as the person who made them.

When she felt better, she wrote thoughtful, reflective posts for her blog. Her writing required her readers to think about the deeper things of life.

Last June, I met some friends from my writers' group at a fellow member's home in Alaska. Even though Nancy was ill then, she was able to enjoy the trip to the fullest. Like the rest of us, she drank in the beauty of that wild land and took countless photos of the landscape. I remember one time on a cold, drizzly day, she stood looking at the water below and the mountains behind it while the rest of us huddled inside the car. Later that afternoon, she and I stood together under my umbrella and marvelled at a glacier on the side of the road. Another friend took a photo of us, me looking at the glacier, Nancy smiling at the camera.

Earlier last year, she and I went to a famous art museum in her city. We meandered through many of the galleries, lingering with the Impressionists. We chose our favorite paintings and discussed why we liked them so much. At lunch in the noisy, crowded cafe, we talked about art and beauty and writing. It was a short visit, but one I'm glad I made.

Now that she's so sick, she's not able to keep in touch by email or even talk on the phone much. I miss her. I miss her love for beauty and creativity, her emails, and her smile. I wish we could sit around the table with our other friends and share our stories, our writing, our lives. And of course our chocolate. She's never far from my thoughts and prayers. Even though I can't be, I know that the God of beauty--our Lord and Savior--is with her, comforting her and reminding her how very much she is loved.

God bless you, my dear friend.

Thanksgiving

The memorial service for a friend of ours was this morning. I'm sad that she passed away but glad that because she believed in Jesus Christ as her Savior, she is with him in heaven right now.

As I think about how quickly life passes, I'm especially grateful this Thankgiving. Here are a few things I'm grateful for in no particular order:

* my husband and my daughter
* my family and friends
* a body that moves and breathes and performs countless tasks every day that I take for granted
* a mind that can think, learn and reason
* provision for basic needs and many, many extras besides
* holiday get-togethers with dear ones
* mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, and our family's favorite baked beans
* creation (you knew that would be on this list, didn't you?)
* medicine for laryngitis and sinus infections
* laughter, and lots of it
* beauty, of course
* the arts, especially visual and theater
* tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of compassion
* language, words, and the Word
* grace
* grace
* grace

Thank you for reading. Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

This Week

I'm a little under the weather this week. I'll be back next week. As Thanksgiving approaches, let's be thinking about the beauty around us and what type of beauty we are thankful for and why (ex: music, dance, literature, creation, etc). If you have a minute, leave a comment about it.

In the Mountains

I was in the midst of beauty last weekend. We stole away to the north Georgia mountains for a few days. Along the way up to the cabin, we drove across a small bridge over a stream that was rushing from recent rainfalls. We went through a narrow passageway with the leaves on both sides; the woods appeared to be on fire all around us. When we got up to our home for the weekend, we stood on the front porch and gazed at the mountains in the distance, with the trees below. It was gorgeous. We were grateful.

Inside the simple, comfortable, and newly-built cabin, the fragrance of wood paneling welcomed us at the door. Every window opened onto a different view of creation. Ahhhh...Whatever stress we felt before leaving home began to melt away until what was left was peace. Just what we needed.

A Few Things I Love about Fall

"The day I see a leaf is a marvel of a day." ~Kenneth Patton (courtesy of my friend Bonnie Bruno)

A Few Things I Love About Fall:

leaves in full glory, giving glory to their Creator
pumpkins of every size as far as the eye can see
clear blue cloudless sky
little kids wearing orange
blue jeans and sweaters and rugged old shoes
apples
applesauce
apple cinnamon anything
fall festivals
the smell of a fire
chilly temperatures that turn noses pink
colorful scarves handmade by my nieces and my friend
flannel pajama pants on Sunday afternoons
cozy evenings at home
giving thanks

How about you? What do you love about the fall?

Painted Leaves

"October is the month for painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world. These little leaves are the stained windows in the cathedral of my world." Henry David Thoreau

Fall is just now beginning to make her appearance where I live. Lately, we've had unseasonably warm temperatures and sometimes devastating flooding. I've never seen as much rain as we have had this last month or so. People have lost their homes to creeks and the river rising. The severe drought that I've occasionally written about on this blog is officially over.

But I don't want to write about rain as I sit enjoying the sunlight streaming through my windows today. Sunlight, sunbeams, sun's rays: all beautiful sights to see-- and by which to see. It seems as though the season of fall and the way the sun falls on the earth makes all the colors brighter and more vivid. Maybe it's just the chilly temperatures invigorating me or the anticipation of the colors of the leaves--"painted leaves", as Thoreau says.

We've had some leaves changing here. Our dogwood leaves put on a rich dark red last week and now they're wearing brown. But one tree stands out to me right now. The tree at the entrance to our neighborhood is on fire. It's one of my favorites in the fall because its gorgeous, flaming orange welcomes me home and reminds me of coziness, warmth, and family.

What are your favorite "painted leaves"? Do you have a favorite tree or memory of a tree in the fall? Tell me about it. Leave a comment.

Retreating at Camp WinShape

Last weekend I attended my first CS Lewis Fellows Retreat at Camp WinShape Retreat Center. The retreat center was absolutely gorgeous. The buildings are done in a Normandy, France style with white-washed brick, dark brown wood, spires and arches. The indoor spaces were warm and welcoming, with exposed brick, high windows, and hardwoods. The view was gorgeous, with mountains in the distance and remnants of a dairy farm below. Aesthetically, I was in heaven.

And spiritually too! I spent most of my time thinking, talking and learning about the Creator. To be in that place with other people who are serious about pursuing God, about knowing Him better, made the surroundings and the weekend all the more beautiful.

Have you had a similar experience of finding a place even more beautiful because of the people you are sharing it with? Tell me about it.

My Daughter's Art Piece

"What nature-lover's tongue can tell,
What golden pen portray,
The outpoured, flaming splendors
Of a bright September day?"
Charles G. Stater

Happy September! We've had so much rain this week we are feeling water-logged, but I am not complaining. We've been in severe drought these last two years, so I'm grateful to see, feel, and smell that wet stuff that falls from the sky. But right now, the sun is shining and for the moment at least, it is a bright September day. This is one of my favorite months because my daughter was born in September. It's also a nice transitional time between the heat of August and the coming fall.

Speaking of my daughter, right now I'm looking at one of her art projects that hangs in my office over my printer. A landscape done from pastels, this piece shows the sun setting over purple mountains with a green valley and blue lake below. The water reflects the fiery sun as tall water plants on the shore frame it. The blues, purples, and greens of this piece catch my eye and hold it. When I look at it, I think of her and of the Creator Who created the landscape and inspired the art (and the art teacher). And I give thanks for the beauty around me, both inside these four walls and out.

Have a bright September day.

A Softer Shade of Beauty

School is back in session so we're getting up and out early. This morning, while I was loading the car, I could see pink through the garage windows. I ran to the ones that face the front of the house and saw some faint streaks of pink. That little bit of pink sifted through the trees onto the grass, the driveway, and the curled-up leaves on the driveway, and turned them all a softer shade of beauty. When I will realize that when morning breaks, I should be out on my porch drinking it in? I need to figure out how to carve out some morning minutes for that.

Summer Breeze

"Summer breeze...makes me feel fine..." Do you know that song? Recorded in the '70s by Seals and Crofts, it was one of the first songs I liked as a 'tween (now I'm dating myself). I've heard it a lot recently. Our favorite restaurant plays a cover of it by a different, probably younger, group on their music track. They do a good job with it, I think.

I've had occasion to sing it to myself lately because I've been outside a good bit. Three weeks ago today, a stray dog "found" us--or found our front porch, rather, which she was using as home base when I discovered her. She's reddish brown, 30 pounds, and has a face like a fox. We jumped through all the hoops to find her owner, starting with checking her microchip, which had outdated information on the owner. We researched on the internet, posted flyers, talked to vets, and emailed area rescues. In the meantime, "Lucy" has been charming us with her sweet and gentle ways, and our dog seems to like having a playmate. Yes, we're in trouble.

Yesterday, while I was letting both dogs outside, I stood on the shady part of the deck. The August heat can be oppressive here, especially with the almost ever-present humidity, but a few days this week, we've actually had a breeze. Ahhh. It's amazing what a difference it can make. One morning, the breeze went through and rustled the leaves on the trees that surround our deck. The birds were singing and occasionally a poplar leaf would fall. Butterflies were feeding on the butterfly bush below and the dogs chasing each other at full speed from the yard, along the lower level of the deck, and up the stairs to where I was.

I thought about how my daughter starts school tomorrow, which signals the end of summer. Soon all the leaves will fall and the breeze will turn chilly. But for now, for the next six weeks or so, whenever I can, I'm going to enjoy that "summer breeze...makes me feel fine."

Heirloom Beauty

When I was growing up, summer for our family meant tomato sandwiches. My grandmother had a garden for most of my childhood and my mother and sister and uncle would help her tend it while I watched TV game shows inside with Papa. I wasn't old enough to help, and he wasn't in good health. They would work and work and work and come in hot and tired with their bounty of vegetables, including big, red, juicy tomatoes. We'd eat a tomato sandwich for lunch and take some home with us, along with green beans, corn, and other veggies. Those tomatoes live in my memory as one of the staples of my childhood.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I went to a small, organic farmer's market held weekly in our town. There we saw tomatoes of every size and color and shade: red, pink, orange, yellow, green. Little "chocolate" cherry tomatoes along with yellow cherry tomatoes that were shaped like tiny squashes. Small green ones for frying. And big beautiful heirlooms the size of my palm. The farmer spent several minutes explaining to us the characteristics of each color and type of tomato. Honestly, I had no idea there was such variety! My daughter and I bought two of the heirlooms, one green, a container of the cherries, and, because a pretty bouquet of pink and purple flowers.

I gave one heirloom to my parents because I knew they would fully appreciate it. When I sliced into ours, the juice and earthy smell were released and I was taken back to those summers of my childhood. Ahh...That was the best tomato sandwich I've had in 25 years.

Shakespeare

On Saturday, we went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream with some friends. What a delight! It's been years since I studied Shakespeare, but it doesn't matter. The actors make the lines understandable by tone of voice and body language so even if you don't catch specifics, you understand the gist of what they're saying. The costumes and props at Georgia Shakespeare Company are always clever and the clown characters are hilarious. We laughed and laughed through the final scenes and have been repeating favorite lines to each other ever since.

At dinner afterward, my friend talked about the beauty of language, the gorgeous flow of Shakespeare's poetry over the audience. It made me think about what I've been reading in Luci Shaw's book about language and poetry and about the meditation on scripture that I've been doing. I want to fill the well, a term used by creativity book author Vinita Hampton Wright, with images from scripture so that when I write, the beauty of language, which God Himself created, flows over my audience as well.

Do you have favorite passages from a book, a poem, or scripture that flow over you? Please share it in a comment.

Beauty According to Luci Shaw

I've been reading a fabulous book by poet Luci Shaw called Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit: Reflections on Creativity and Faith. She speaks to all artists but particularly to writers and especially to me. I've underlined passages on almost every page. I have to share a few with you from her chapter on beauty.

"Beauty is integral, so deeply a part of who we are and what we enjoy that we may take it for granted. Even flawed or marred or distorted as a result of human depravity and failure, it is still visible in the fingerprints of the Creator on the natural world.

"Beauty is perhaps one of the few things that constantly calls us back to God, that reminds us of an ideal of goodness and vitality...Beauty is redemptive. It can motivate us to turn a corner, to pursue a new objective. It awakens us because it is often so surprising" (pp. 22-23).

"Yes, beauty matters. It is important to God. Why else would he shape and color fish, birds, insects, rocks, plants, and people with such rich diversity?" (p. 24).

Shaw also points out that while beauty is personal, it's also universal. All of us gasp at things like waterfalls, glaciers, the oceans, mountains, sunrises and sunsets. Last weekend, under bright sun and blue sky, my family and I drove on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, a highway that blends into the environment while providing access to five mountain ranges, six major rivers, two states, and four national forests. The Blue Ridge Parkway draws people from everywhere every year. On it, we can see "the fingerprints of the Creator", as Shaw says, whether we acknowledge Him or not. It is a road to--and through--beauty and, ultimately, if we follow where it leads, to God. I can't wait to go back.

Quotations to Share

"We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery."- H. G. Wells

"That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful." - Ninon de l'Eenclos, 1620 - 1705.

"Earth laughs in flower." Ralph Waldo Emerson

“People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love.” -Claude Monet

"Our truest life
is when we are in our dreams
Awake."

- Henry David Thoreau
(got this from Brenda Leyland's blog, It's a Beautiful Life)

The Other Journal: Aesthetics Issue

I'm going to do something a little unusual for this blog and send you somewhere else. The Other Journal's current issue is devoted to aesthetics. I haven't finished exploring it yet but so far have found a lot of interesting essays. Take a look.

And many of you on are vacation and/or taking a break from your computers, but if you're around this week, please leave me a comment about one of your favorite beauty moments this summer.

Alaska Memories, Part 2

Alaska is so beautiful, it's almost other-worldly. I spent a wonderful week there with some writing friends and found much material for writing. I posted a lot of it last week but here are a few other things:

--“termination dust”: the first bit of snowfall on the mountains, marking the end of the summer (although it's too early for that right now)

--the long strips or ribbons of snow on the mountains that reach ground level, with trash in and around the piles at the bottom: former avalanche sites

--the native women’s tunic made of cheery fabrics with a hood, a drop waist, and a big muff-like pocket in the middle

--the booth at the market with extremely soft scarves made out of Qiviut (pronounced "kiv-ee-ute"), the downy-soft underwool from the Arctic musk ox. Rare and expensive. We touched but didn't buy.

--favorite things to do by Alaskans: fishing, fishing, fishing! Plus camping, hunting, cross-country skiing, ski skating and other sports, the Iditarod, and fishing, fishing, fishing!

--Hurricane Gorge, just inside Denali National Forest, with the river running through it. Our view was from above and what a view it was.

--Talkeetna Lodge, where the view from the deck is breathtaking. It was sunny and clear that afternoon, so we could see Mt. McKinley and other mountains in the distance.

--wildflowers I had never seen

--beauty everywhere

I want to go back, as soon as I can.

Alaska Moments

Here are a few of my favorite things about Alaska:

--Exit Glacier, which looked like a frozen waterfall
--the train ride with my friends through gorgeous scenery
--hanging out of said train with one of those friends
--the little shop in Talkeetna where I bought the pink hoodie that would keep me from freezing the rest of the trip
--the moose mother and her babies in the yard next door
--the never-ending light
--long car rides and long talks
--the husky in the house named Corduroy
--the mountains everywhere, with strips of snow adorning the sides and clouds veiling the peaks
--the mud flats where those two black bears caught their lunch
--the ocean so close by
--the quick trip "up the hill" and the view of Anchorage below
--the worship service with music provided by a native family
--exquisite native crafts in the gift shop
--the large fuchsia with its blooms spilling over the pot
--chocolate chocolate chocolate
--the lilacs and my friend's love for them
--my hostess' excitement at sharing her beautiful home and surroundings with us
--God's handiwork in creation and in my friends