Rain

Its been raining lightly here, all morning long. The dog is eagerly staring out the sliding glass door, watching the birds peck at the wet grass. I'd let him out, but then he'd want to come right back in again. The 'walk' sort of got lost in the midst of this sleepy starting day.

There's a stillness that creeps up to me right now, inviting me to feel its void with creativity, a skill that seems somewhat long lost to me right now. I am slowly trying to recapture this butterfly though. Time has made time for me to do so.

Maybe, this quest will just start simply - (really, why do I always think that creativity = writing poetry and painting in watercolor?)

Let's start with the basics, and then I will feel like I am making a little more progress in this department. Basics, eh? Like making the front porch more agreeable. We worked a lot on both the front and back yards these past weeks - if I can dig up the camera, I'll get a picture of that work's results.

I'm getting there

Bon Matin

Each new morning, we wake up to the sound of doves cooing. They roost in the oak tree outside our bedroom window. (That same tree shades Haven's truck and so he is not too happy that they roost there.) They make such a peaceful sounding call, it never seems to irritate me.

Its funny how plain the 'symbol of peace' is. Doves are incredibly humble - have you ever watched their interactions with other birds at a feeder? Little finches and mean jays shove their way to get to the seed. They toss the bird feeder about and scatter seeds everywhere. In the midst of this chaos, the doves sort of sit back and wait for everyone to finish. They end up picking up the seeds scattered all over after everyone leaves.


Our jasmine plants, which are vining around our front pillars have finally been slowly blooming this week. This has been a long time coming - for 4 months or so, we have watched how leafy and bushy each plant has grown, and we have eagerly anticipated the blooms. H got a little worried a couple of times that they weren't blooming yet. They just needed time. Then they started to bud - this budding lay still for about a week, and we keep waiting and watching for a bloom to pop - and then, spring came to our front door.

What is it about the shape and smell of jasmine flowers - how they enthrall us to the point that we have to stop and consume them with our noses. Their elegance, their simple beauty and class - right up there with the rose.

And they wait to inspire me, right outside my front door -