Eyes open to beauty

My daughter gave me a  box of affirmations "Up the Garden Path"  from Affirmations, made locally in beautiful Bellingen.  The words for today were:

'Greet each day 

with your eyes open to beauty,

 your mind open to change,

and your heart open to love.' 

Paula Finn

I reckon I've done just that today!  Come on and join me......

I was up early and I could see by a glance out of the kitchen window

 that it was going to be something special.

 

So I headed up the hill camera at the ready and Cobba the dog

 running up the pathway ahead as usual!

The moon was still in view 

and this parrot seemed as though it was flying straight into the sun.

 

I turned my back to the sun and watched as my long shadow

 reached down to the trees across the paddock.

The warm rays of the morning sun turned the dry wintery western hills gold.

Cobba snuck off to seeing what was going on at the neighbour's place.

My eyes were drawn back into the hazy glare of the new day.

And I could hear the buzzing of bees around the old plum tree.

A pee wee sat atop the highest branch and dared the other birds to come near.

Translucent petals shone against the sky.

The bees were in heaven!

And it felt like I nearly was too!  

Isn't it great when an ordinary day turns out to be extraordinary? I think, as the  opening words say, it can be as simple as being open to the possibility.

Would love to hear what you think makes a day special.

Some days are Diamonds, some days are Gold!

Yesterday was the last day of June, and for us in Australia, the last day of the financial year.  Well I'm thinking that the signs are all good for the coming year because the day was truly gold!

Sundown brought golden clouds dancing across the sky

The evening sun shone on the underside of a little moth settled on my kitchen window.

And the ripples of water on the dam fairly gleamed!

It was a golden day indeed, but sadly short lived because today has been, grey, grey grey!!

They say bad things come in threes ~  I think good things do too!

 How about you?

~ Time for a Change of Direction ~

That's right....

There's no easy way to say this so I'll just blurt it out.

I'm taking a break from my Potato Jewellery for a while.

There, I said it!! 

Life has thrown a whole lot of other things my way recently and something has to give. Spuds are very generous souls, and so they put their hands up to say, "We'll take a back seat for a while Jane, while you do whatever else you have to.  We'll be around when you feel like coming back to us."  OK ~  well thank you my potato partners.  You have helped make my decision a lot easier. 

However, don't think for a minute that you will get rid of me that easily!  I've got photos to share that are just jumping out of their seats, shouting "Choose me, choose me!!"

So that's what I'll be doing, sharing photos and thoughts along the way.  Would love you to pop by when you can and join me.

I'm sure you've found at some stage that you can't keep those juggling balls up in the air all of the time.  How have you coped with this dilemma?  Would love you to share your ideas for making life's journey a bit smoother.

Oh Still Small Voice of Calm

I have added these words from John Greenleaf Whittier to a photo of mine.  

The words form part of the hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"  

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

is a hymn with words taken from a longer poem,

 The Brewing of Soma by American Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier. 

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways!

Reclothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives Thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard

Beside the Syrian sea

The gracious calling of the Lord,

Let us, like them, without a word

Rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!

O calm of hills above,

Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee

The silence of eternity

Interpreted by love!

With that deep hush subduing all

Our words and works that drown

The tender whisper of Thy call,

As noiseless let Thy blessing fall

As fell Thy manna down.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire

Thy coolness and Thy balm;

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;

Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,

O still, small voice of calm!


And if you would like to listen to this lovely hymn click on the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqOnjmr9Ah0&feature=player_detailpage