When I Am Among the Trees

l to r 1. miss yucki 2. ayrelia lt 3. ing00te 4. the tree wiz 5. go make me 6. stella hats 7. the fire pit gallery 8. dress me

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

['When I Am Among the Trees' by Mary Oliver - a poem for each of us because we do forget don't we, forget to go easy, forget how we are each filled with light, how we each naturally shine]

an update on animated gifs - i've found a very easy free program for playing with. the quality isn't great but it's fun. go here to try. here's one that i made with a photo of our shrine at the buddhist centre last week, overlayed by a pic of the full moon.

Hanging about...

Let's play in the outdoors inspired by this magnificent animated gif art from Jaime Martinez.

This weekend, I'd like to nestle into one of these Nestrests, above, from Dedon, or maybe one of these found at Marie Claire Maison and just rest and reflect.

If it's too chilly to be outside, this painted wall (seen on Desire To Inspire) might inspire some arty activity.

And I could always Google 'how to make an animated gif', but, from past experience, I could be sitting at the computer all weekend and still be pretty clueless...If you've used a particular free program successfully please let me know...

Go the F**k to Sleep, a bedtime story for the sleep deprived...

Please don’t read any further if you’re not happy to read the ‘f’ word. It’s Mother’s Day here tomorrow. Many mothers would forego all gifts just for a bit of shut eye. A new book, written by Adam Mansbach and illustrated by Richardo Cortes, may not be the book you’d read to your little ones, but the big people in the house will get a laugh from it. Go the F**k to Sleep will be released in October this year. You can pre order a hardbacked copy here for around $15 including postage to this side of the world. Sweet dreams...

Spreading those secret wings + giveaway

We cry that we are weak although
We will not stir our secret wings;
The world is dark - because we are
Blind to the starriness of things.

We pluck our rainbow-tinted plumes
And with their heaven-born beauty try
To fledge nocturnal shafts, and then
Complain ‘Alas! we cannot fly!’

We mutter ‘All is dust’ or else
With mocking words accost the wise:
‘Show us the Sun which shines beyond
The Veil’ - and then we close our eyes.

To powers above and powers beneath
In quest of Truth men sue for aid,
Who stand athwart the Light and fear
The shadow that themselves have made.

Oh cry no more that you are weak
But stir and spread your secret wings,
And say ‘The world is bright, because
We glimpse the starriness of things.’

Soar with your rainbow plumes and reach
That near-far land where all are one,
Where Beauty’s face is aye unveiled
And every star shall be a sun.

Poem 'Secret Wings' by Sangharakshita. Thank you dearest Janet for sharing this. May the next couple of months in NZ be a treasured experience for you. Images - 1 via We Heart It 2 & 4 via Digital Bus Stop 3 by Someday Evermore 5 by KT Bugs 6 by Andy Prokhr and Cult via Jane-Art

I've been doing some tidying up and have put together a giveaway of interesting art 'stuff'. Some originals, some prints, cards, magazines. A real mystery bag. If you'd like to be in the draw for this loot, just leave a comment and I'll draw the winner next week, say 4 May. For a second entry just become a 'follower'. If you leave a separate comment for each entry it'll make it easier to draw a winner. Have a lovely week. May you soar.

And the winner is....comment number 5..Kylie C...I'll be in touch. Thanks everybody for takin the time to enter.

Some inspiration for that easter table...

1. D’Arcy Norman 2. A Perfect Setting 3. Dining Delight 4. Party of Tew 5. Chic Provence[with quote added]

Visitors...

When I moved here to Toowoomba a couple of months ago, this little wallaby came to visit. The first time I saw her, she was stretched out on the grass, looking like a piece of toffee, hence the name 'Taffy'. Taffy did enjoy nibbling on pumpkin seed bread.

Over the course of a few weeks I noticed Taffy becoming more rotund. Was the little feeding I was doing too much? Was I creating an obese native creature?

Then out popped a little head. 'Pumpkin' had shown herself (or himself, who knows?).

My first YouTube upload! I promise they'll get better...

A few accessories for frollicking with marsupials - dress from Lyptis, baby pod from Sunset Crochet, ears from Bang Bang Crash

Would you like this dance...it could take a while...

A quick post…this song just won’t get out of my head…you know what it’s like…usually they hang around for a few days…but this one’s been creeping in for a couple of weeks now....demanding attention. So, for all those who love - gay or straight, romantic or non romantic, sexual or non - this is for you…

Lollin about and snoozin off too often...need one of these...

1.Deville III Illuminated Chair 2.Disco Chair 3.Bubble Chair Revisited 4.Bright Woods Collection
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen. [Jerome K Jerome]

White Flowers for Japan

Into White

[written by Pamela Terry in response to the disaster in Japan. Read more of Pamela's always insightful thoughts at The House of Edward]

We thought the snows of winter had completely disappeared, but we were wrong.
As we dreamt around the fire, wrapped up tightly in our thoughts, the snowflakes were gathered up from their wet melted state by the bushels and boatloads, the hampers and crates. For weeks and a day Mother Nature turned them over in her celadon hands, commissioning the angels to wash them clean, to flute their edges like bridal gown silk. Now thusly refashioned, all over town, the white snows of winter have reappeared on the pear trees, copious, fluffy and clean, the passementerie of angels, the first sign of Spring.

And I, who always send flowers of white to honour the dead, have heard the great empty silence from far over the oceans as thousands of souls rose up through white clouds.
So I plant white allyssum in planters and windowboxes.
They spill over the stone.
Their fragrance floats on the afternoon air.
With a delicate beauty, they are flowers brave enough to weather all the cold yet to come - each blossom a prayer, each petal a remembrance.

I thought when I was old enough I would understand more, thought the candles on my birthday cake would signify a wisdom denied to the young.
But there are mysteries more enormous and questions more complex than I could ever have imagined when placing my hope in the breadth of my years.
So I plant and I pray, and hold hands with the earth.
As the world turns into white.


Both drawings above from Art & Ghosts.

by Natsuo Ikegami at Chana Bean. Support other artists of Japan here.


We do break like china don't we. We cry. We grieve - for the thousands a of lives shortened; for those left behind in shock and grief; for the transient nature of our existence. Sometimes the pain comes from a feeling of helplessness. There are things we can do. We can all send Metta (loving kindness) across the miles to those who are suffering. If we're financially able, we can donate to appeals such as the Red Cross.We can plant our own white flowers.

Highbrow? Lowbrow? No, it's Monobrow!

Paula Goodbar’s photographic series ‘Homage to Frida’ is exquisite. For around $20 Paula offers 8 x 10 in signed photographic prints here.

Australian Designer Collette Dinnigan with Frida Kahlo as inspiration unveiled her latest collection this week in Paris. ‘Portrait of a Woman’ showcases a kaleidoscope of textures, a richness of silhouettes reminiscent of eras past and prints that encapsulate a uniquely sophisticated turn.

And speaking of monobrows, if you’re in Queensland don’t miss Evangeline Cachinero’s exhibition ‘Highbrow art? Is it Lowbrow art ? No, it's Monobrow!’ showing at the Noosa Regional Gallery from 18 March to 24 April.

Evangeline is a clever little chick utilising social media to encourage participation in the show. Read more about her Twitter project here and check out her YouTube video below.