The Gift of a Pause

I thought it would be good to add a second post this month. Many of my scheduled plans are on pause as my travel plans to teach 5 workshops this month have been postponed. Many of us are finding ourselves with some unscheduled changes to work with.  I have a very graphic imagination so I am being very careful about how much media I tune into right now. I want to share some joyful and very simple moments that might brighten your day as well.

The first crocus blooms are in the garden. They never fail to bring me a sense of delight. I worked as a florist for 18 years and never failed to see the wonder and beauty in a flower. Even now as pansy seeds continue to grow on my desk, they all contain such potential wonder as I anticipate their blooms. Delight yourselves in the beauty that surrounds you! If you look for it, you will find it.

For years, I did Victorian Embroidery, Needle tatting and crochet. I had a vague understanding of knitting but was not very proficient at it. This past winter, I have been revisiting it a bit and really have enjoyed the meditative moments it brings. This is a scarf in progress for my Dad. If you look closely you will see my cat Ron's feet on the coffee table. He loves pouncing at the yarn. It amazes me how long he can look at something and just sit and purr. Again, another moment of delight.

Painting pens is always a joyful activity but sometimes becomes stressful as I run out of time to do it. I have been able to take my time a bit more as I paint the pens and try new ideas. I still love the tiny details!

Finally, I had the pleasure of testing out a new detail brush. I am moving more toward synthetic brushes over sable and had so much fun painting this little sparrow. The words of the song " His Eye is on the Sparrow" kept going through my head as I painted the miniature. I remember singing it as a child  in Sunday school. Underneath the painting of the sparrow is a piece of hand crochet lace I found in our local antique shop. I still love rescuing old lace and was so thankful for whoever created this piece. Again, it brought me a moment of joy! I just wanted to share these few small things that brought me some joy and peace. I hope your day brings you some delight and beauty no matter where you are or what you are doing. Thank you dear friends for reading this blog, emailing me from time to time and being a huge part of the joy of my life! Hugs all around!