in the morning

All it takes is a step outdoors

with eyes open..

and Beauty greets us-

not always with the majesty of mountains

or the crash of ocean waves

or the glorious painted sunrise

sometimes...

with a still small voice.

to bloom again

Forgotten flower, dried and dull,

resembling the cross-

or perhaps a sword?

Death, the necessary portal to life everlasting.

Last Sunday the message was about "the last enemy",

the mystery that severs bonds, that whisks one home.

"Whoever believes in me will never die," Christ promised.

Uninterrupted love.

To bloom like never before.

manchild

A broken dowel, painting tape, a goose feather, a branch, an elastic grabbed from today's mail and a child turns into a wily hunter. Eyes squinted as he stalks his prey.

for dad

the little ones spent a morning making gifts for dad's birthday.....

Tommy's raccoon, crayon

Marten's bird of prey, watercolour pastel and watercolour

Norah's rabbit, watercolour pastel and watercolour

country drive

The little ones and I went to McMichael art gallery today to have a look at the Group of Seven and Emily Carr paintings. Even Marten, who asked me why I thought that he would be interested in such adult things, enjoyed himself. An hour tour followed by an hour of painting.

Then a quick walk through the woods and a drive home along the country roads.

I mostly prefer the simplest of compositions. Like this quiet barren field. Repetition of furrowed lines, contrasting with soft dense cloud.

thawing

delicious anticipation of spring....

the morning was mild

and everywhere was the sound of melting,

drip, drip, drip,

and the sounds of birds

chirp, chirp, chirping.

glorious morning

It is only when Heise's sugar maples are bare

that I can see the sun rise

and enjoy the glorious colour of the dawn-

from the front porch!