Month: July 2022

Brushing Up

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I’ve been brushing up on my drawing skills by reading a book that I’ve had since college when I took art classes: The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides. He says, “Loosen up. Relax . . . There are many things in life that you cannot get by a brutal approach. You must invite them.”

Hmmm. . . Do I force bulbs to bloom indoors in winter, or do I invite them to bloom by providing the right conditions? Do I try to force my grandson to eat lunch, or do I invite him? Do I force respect or do I invite it? There are, of course, some areas in life when compliance is enforced. But “there are many things in life that you cannot get by a brutal approach. You must invite them.” So “loosen up. Relax . . .” Maybe I need to brush up on my life skills.

Invite peace and nurture it. Cultivate kindness and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week—a suncatcher:

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Text and photos © 2022 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

The Season’s Secrets

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Four dark brown seed heads,

centers of black-eyed Susans,

crones of the planter box,

golden petals long gone,

still sit atop tall stalks

surveying shorter blooms—

pink coneflowers,

sun bright coreopsis,

fluttery white windflowers.

The black-eyes lean toward each other

nodding in the breeze,

garden gossips

sharing the season’s secrets.

Shhh! Shhh!

Peace.

-kh

 

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

 

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the week—a profile made by books and papers on an end table:

 

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Text and photos © 2022 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

For the Love of Stars

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“I have loved the stars too fondly

to be fearful of the night.”

– Sarah Williams –

“The Old Astronomer” (1868)

 

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

 

Nature of the week—The stars (image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl).

You can see more at space.com .

 

Shadow of the Week—shadow of water droplets on a glass table:

 

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Text and shadow photo © 2022 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Star photo from NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl.

After the Storm

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Notes from last evening:

A welcome rainstorm just passed through, drenching thirsty trees and sunburned grass and sagging flowers, leaving the world in a soft green glow. Branches are still dripping. Flowers cup tiny puddles. The air is hazy with heat. The stillness is striking. It’s as if the backyard world has been caught in a freeze-frame, holding its breath, utterly, silently, majestically still. Like me.

“Often silence is the wisest thing for a man to heed.”

– Pindar –

 

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

 

Nature of the week:

 

Shadow of the Week:

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Text and photos © 2022 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Splashes of Golden Joy

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My black-eyed Susans are picturesque flowers. Tall stems curve them left or right so that they come to pose in front of a background of white windflowers or rest among the magenta and yellow lantana or sway before the creeping Jenny. Three of them stand in a thin blue bud vase that my son and his family gave me. I think if they could, they would take selfies—see us posed here for you, a still life in real life, they would say. Yes, I see you. I see your splashes of golden joy.

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

 

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

Text and photos © 2022 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.