Staring at the sea....

A man sits in the shelter staring out at the concrete grey sea.
Sitting behind him, watching from a concrete wall, is a spray-painted man...

The next day, both men are  still there.

Only this time they sit face to face, animatedly confiding in each other, swapping their stories; 

passing time...

♥



strolling upon the prom, prom, prom...

A couple of photos I took on my way to work this morning - I loved the pools of silver sunlight that seemed to have fallen from the sky and onto the surface of the sea... 



This morning...

I watched a hearse go past, complete with coffin and flowers, followed by a car containing the mourning party.

Half an hour later they went past again.

This time the hearse was empty, apart from a few stray petals, which perfectly matched the colour of the mourners' ties...

Goodbye 'seamstress of summer'...

The sun was aching to break through the steely clouds, but it couldn't quite muster up enough strength to push the stubborn blanket of cloud away completely.

Here and there a few sunny rays were reaching out towards the swallows, whose feathers were shimmering in the weak silvery light.

Feathery arrows darted in and out, up and down, between rays of sun and clumps of cloud.

The swallows all seem to have gathered here this morning; maybe in preparation for flying south.

Suddenly, the sky darkened and big fat raindrops pummelled down; framed momentarily by a glowing rainbow shining out of the black sky like a neon light, as the swallows dispersed and the sunshine gave up for today...

Putting the Good back in Goodbye - or trying to...

Well, here I am at the allotment, preparing myself for another loss, saying 'goodbye' again; but at least this time it's on my terms. It's still hard though; still sad; still another loss.

The leaves rustle 'goodbye' and it feels like all my little friends are making sure to pop by, or fly over, so that I can see them for one  last time... Frogs, bunnies, geese, ladybirds... It's all very poignant.

Ironically, I've had my most bountiful crops ever this year, and the plum tree flowered and fruited for the first time too.

I've raised my first brood of frogs and I rescued a baby blackbird and countless bees.

Maybe my work here is done...

Poetry please...

Tonight of Yesterday

The evening slips you into it, has kept a place for you
as those wildwood limbs that have already settled on
the morning. The words you have for it are flyblown now
as the dandelion you'll whistle tomorrow into a lighter air.
But tonight, your sleep will be as round as your mouth,
berried with the story of sunlight finally run to ground.
You are all about tomorrow. The moon has your name
memorized: the curl of your back, your face, an open book.


Thought I'd share this lovely poem since it's September and rainy; the perfect time of year for snuggling up with a book of poems - and maybe a mug of hot chocolate ♥

by Vona Groarke

'The sun rose a ribbon at a time'...

I love waking up at this time of year and watching the sun gradually wake up too...

Here are some photos from this morning and a couple of days ago, with some quotes thrown in for good measure...

I'll tell you how the sun rose a ribbon at a time  ~ Emily Dickinson

 

There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky...

Percy Bysshe Shelley

I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. 

The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. 

It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day. 

It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful. 

Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy. 

Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899

Dancing through life...

Your nature is to keep quiet. 

You came from silence and you have to return to silence… 

you are dancing only for a little while you see… 

a little while you are dancing (laughs softly)

- Papaji

 

I came across the above quote today, and thought I'd share it because I like it ...

 

It also got me thinking - what kind of dancer do I want to be?...

 I think that, like most people, I dance through life in different ways, at different times...

Sometimes the dance through life is like a slow waltz, whereas at other times it's more like a whirling dervish...

I'll finish with a picture of a flamenco dancer that I found on google... which reminds me... me and Iona are thinking of doing Salsa dancing... watch this space for details...

 

my town... my city ...

Last month I went on a little outing around Newcastle with some other members of the lo-fi photography group. Here are some pics I took with my holga...

What I like about cities is that everything is king size, the beauty and the ugliness ~ Joseph Brodsky

 

There is no solitude in the world like that of the big city ~ Kathleen Norris

The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. 

We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it ~ Charles Baudelaire

Sing me the legends of the river.
Tell me a story of the sky.

~ unknown

Tabitha ♥

If I called her she would pretend not to hear, but would come a few moments later when it could appear that she had thought of doing so first.  ~Arthur Weigall

snoozing on a sunny sunday...

 

If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr. ~Barbara L. Diamond

 

If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up. ~J.A. McIntosh

You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats. ~Proverb

 

Some rules for life...

 

 

 

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

Apologies if I've already posted this previously , but it's the sort of thing that's good to reread from time to time ...

 

 

Echoes...

Echoes...

As the leaves rustle softly,
Distant memories
whisper
Songs of love
and echoes
from another life,
another time...
A seagull cries out
overhead
while my soul
cries of pain
and
lost love,
but most of all
of hope...

There is always 
hope...

© AB 2011

 

simple sundays...

this morning...

There was only a hint of sunshine behind the clouds ...

I like the way that sea thrift looks nice even when it's finished flowering...

The air smelled of seaweed and salt

and the breeze was fresh and gentle...

seagulls were calling out encouragement to their youngsters, 

who are becoming more independent with each day that goes by...

I'm always amazed that each time I wander along, nothing looks the same...

but there again, nothing ever stays the same!

Minute by minute, everything changes - and there's no going back...

That's why every moment is so precious 

- it's unique and will never be repeated, 

in the same way that every living thing is unique...

it really is a miracle...

let the caged bird sing...

(draft - in progress)

The song of my heart...

My heart sings

of love

and hope;

peace and 

joy.

Acceptance 

of what is now

and of what once was.

It sings of compassion

wisdom and strength.

Courage and

passion. 

It guides me forward

towards the light

like the songbird singing

at the end of the night.

Sometimes it whispers

Sometimes it roars

But it's always a voice that

can't be ignored...

it can't be ignored...

 

notes to self...



I just need to write this down to prompt my memory for when I write in my journal later...

Over the last week or so, I have been in a heightened state of spiritual awareness, whereby lots of flashes of insight and/or inspiration keep coming to me, as well as messages and other synchronicities.

I have been told of 3 significant deaths in as many days, and so much has fallen into place; to the point whereby it almost felt scary. 

I have had some really deep conversations and connections, and feel as if something within me is really shifting to a deeper level of consciousness and spiritual awareness.

After a particularly deep and insightful session with  a client this morning, I cleansed the room afterwards using reiki symbols, and the energy within the room felt very  profound. All of a sudden, I felt a deep sense of peace and two new symbols came to me. It was all very spiritual and I feel very calm, serene and peaceful...

... everything in life happens for a reason, but it takes time for the reason to become clear...

sweet...

The smell of damp earth 

underneath trees

mingles with honeysuckle and 

wild roses

life tastes 
sweet

 

blackbird fly, blackbird fly...

“I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.” 

Joseph Addison

'Morning has broken Like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken Like the first bird.'

'All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise'

“The wild Bee reels from bough to bough With his furry coat and his gauzy wing, Now in a lily cup, and now Setting a jacinth bell a-swing, In his wandering.”
Oscar Wilde 

After the rain...

 Hello again! 

Here's something I wrote earlier today when I was sitting on my bench, enjoying the sunshine for a few moments...

After the rain...

Summertime rain brings flowers

 and life

To once parched and barren

ground.

Gardens are alive

With a blaze of colour

Lifting spirits high...

Sitting for a while

I soak it all up

With gratitude and

 love.

Refreshed and 

renewed

Tranquility returns.

What was lost

Is found.

(24th June 2011)

 

 

Letting Go...

 Learning to 'let go' is surely one of the most important lessons of life. It is a difficult, painful, overwhelming and frustrating process. Yet it is also surely one of the most liberating, empowering and healing experiences of life too...

We cling on so hard, afraid to let go, but letting go is a necessary part of life and is essential for our personal development, fulfillment and growth...

What are you holding onto? How would it feel to let go, even just for a moment?

Tips

 

Meditation / relaxation and mindfulness helps, as does journalling, talking things over, exercising, and living life in a meaningful, authentic and responsible way. In taking full responsibility for our life, we choose to let go of that which we no longer need, so that we can create space to let in what we do need. 

It is a case of living life in a fluid, flowing way, whereby nothing is permanent or fixed, but is constantly moving and changing, as is nature's way. We are all part of nature and the natural processes of life. We can learn a lot from observing nature... nature doesn't cling onto what it no longer needs - trees let go of their leaves, to be replaced by new ones; flowers die and regrow, and so the cycle of life goes on... Anyway; time to stop - I seem to be digressing! ...

More tips for letting go are in this blog (not mine) link below: 

http://bit.ly/lwGFyS

 Quotes

'The Tao Te Ching says, When I let go of what I am,
I become what I might be.  When I let go of what I have,
I receive what I need.  

Have you ever struggled to find
work or love, only to find them after you have given up?
This is the paradox of letting go. Let go, in order to achieve'

~ Mary Manin Morrissey

 ~~~ 

We must learn to let go, to give up, to make room for the things we have prayed for and desired.

Charles Fillmore

Affirmations:

In letting go, my life can flow...

I release and let go of all the baggage!

I let go of all expectations and I am free....

April's Loveliness...

 

"April's rare capricious loveliness." ~  Julia Dorr

Hello again, sorry for the lack of blog updates recently - this has been due to a combination of computer and internet problems, a busy spell at work, and probably mainly because of being outdoors enjoying the sunshine a lot!

I was at the allotment by 8.30 this morning, and pottered around digging, weeding, planting out my runner and borlotti beans, and generally enjoying the birds singing, bees buzzing and tadpoles darting around the pond... and I also wrote some haikus (below)...

spot the tadpoles...

Sitting in sunshine

Drinking coffee by the pond

While the tadpoles play...

 Blossom on the tree

Floating down like confetti.

A bluetit's the bride...

30 day photo challenge... Day 5...

Day 5 - Red

 

'Call me, call me any anytime
Call me, my love, you can call me any day or night
Call me... ' (Blondie)

 

 

There is something really special about mornings. I love that peaceful feeling when I first wake up, and then I sit for a while with my cup of coffee, gradually waking up and watching the world outside start to unfold and wake up too...

 I took these photos yesterday morning ....

 

 

 

'Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift ...another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your
entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail'

 

 ~ Og Mandino

 

 

30 day photo challenge... Day 4

If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it...
Twelfth Night - Shakespeare

Day 4 - music

Music is what feelings sound like  ~ Author Unknown