alphabet – Endless Rivers

Zenith’s Whisper

First of all, I want to share how excited I am to be finishing up the Alphabet Game. This is the FIRST time I’ve started a series on my blog—and actually stuck with it until the very end.

I’d say that’s something to celebrate. That being said, I’m getting pretty anxious and looking forward to something new. So… I’d like to close up the game with X, Y and Z.

“X” is extremely difficult. I figured out that X-ray is up there. Do I love X-rays? Well… not exactly. I never really think about them. BUT, they can save lives so I’d say we should ALL be grateful for that amazing discovery.

“Y” is for Youthfulness. Not all of us can be young, but we can ALWAYS be youthful. That’s another “state of mind” that I cling to so dearly.

Lastly, I’m getting addicted to my radial blur experimentation. I wanted to find a name for tonight’s piece—made from a beautiful morning glory—and I found the most wonderful “Z word…

Zenith: The time at which something is most powerful or successful.

What a great word, and the perfect way to wrap up my series!

Thank you so much for following along… all the way from A to Z. I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Peace & Love!

Word to the Wise

Have you ever noticed that many of the questions we ask start with the letter “W?”

Who, What, Where, When or Why (to name a few).

But before I go further with that, I have to mention the “W” words that continually inspire me… Water & Wind. We had some crazy rain yesterday, and an incredible wind storm last night (and today—at this very moment), so inspiration was dropped on my door step, literally.

That’s where my featured image comes in. Some peaceful palm trees blended with a rowdy radial blur. It’s kind of “West Coast Winter meets East Coast Tropical Storm.”

Words & Writing are also some favorites. Need I say more?

So… back to my introduction. Questions are important. Don’t believe everything you hear or read. Think critically! Ask questions! Check the facts! Do your own research! These words of wisdom have been drilled into my head at school.

And speaking of Wisdom; we gain this lovely lady by asking the right questions. I adore her… and I promise to love, honor and cherish her, for as long as we both shall live.

Being curious and asking questions is about wisdom… but it’s also about Wonder. And after careful review, I think that Wonder wins the prize.

Wonder is being in a constant state of awe—no matter how mundane your circumstances might be.

Wonder is magical.

Wonder is childlike.

I think that Wonder might also be about having the courage to say “I don’t know… but I’m not afraid to ask.” I don’t know, just a thought.

Wonder is the difference between an empty (taken for granted) existence, and a full, inquisitive life.

A part of me wants to go on and on about Wonder, but that’s just the Wonder in me (I wonder if I’ve done wonder justice?).

That being said, thank you for reading! I hope you found enjoyment here.

Never lose your sense of wonder.
Anonymous

Valentine Moon

Moving on with The Alphabet Game, it’s ironic that I caught up with the letter “V” just in time (well, almost) for the Big One…

Valentine’s Day.

I’ll start with a confession. I haven’t liked Valentine’s Day for many moons (no pun intended ha-ha). It’s funny. I’m an over-the-top optimist, and SO happy-go-lucky that I’m sure it wears on people—but… when I hear that old “V” word—I’m overpowered by the urge to pucker up (my nose) and cringe.

Here’s the thing though. Valentine’s Day may be about love, but love isn’t JUST about romance. I’ve managed to list a few of the things that I love (from A to U), and so far I’ve barely scratched the surface! I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really DO love LOVE.

Maybe the bigger point to be made is that no matter how I feel about Valentine’s Day, or how it compares to how you feel about it, something we can celebrate here is the fact that we can VOICE our thoughts freely (whether they are good, bad, or indifferent), and we can do it with love.

That being said… I thought I’d show some love to Valentine’s Day by making it the centerpiece of my image. The backdrop is from my front yard… it’s the Snow Moon that I was lucky enough to capture last night. I have to include a disclaimer though—the real deal was much more majestic!

That’s about all for today. Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed “V,” and I’ll see you soon for the letter “W.”

Spoiler Alert: It’s a biggie!

—Janet

To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue.
Proverb

Unusual Umbrellas

The mind is like an umbrella; it functions best when open.
Walter Gropius

Passing through quickly for the letter “U” today! I went with the first words that came to my mind.

As the quote says… these wonderful accessories are not much use to us unless they’re open—just like our minds. So… I decided to get artsy and create an Unusual image rather than a long post.

I don’t know… but I think these colorful (and quite Unique) Umbrellas seem a bit Ubiquitous, like a flock of U.F.O.’s. 😉

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon for the letter “V.”

—Janet

Trust with a capital “T”

The Story

An American business man was vacationing in a small coastal fishing village. One morning he stood on the pier and watched as a small boat docked. Inside the boat was one fisherman with several large yellowfin tuna. He complimented the man on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

“Only a little while,” the fisherman said.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The business man asked.

“I have enough to take care of my needs today.” The fisherman replied.

“Well what do you do with the rest of your time?” The man asked.

The fisherman looked around the village and smiled. “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The business man scoffed. “I have an MBA, and I can help you grow your business. You should spend more time fishing. With the additional proceeds, you can buy a bigger boat. With the profits from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You could move from this small coastal fishing village and live in a big city, like Los Angeles. Eventually you could move to New York City and run your expanding enterprise from there.”

“How long would this take?” The fisherman asked.

“15 to 20 years.” He replied.

The fisherman looked puzzled. “And then what?”

The business man laughed. “That’s the best part. When the time is right you announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You would make millions!”

“Millions? And then what?” The fisherman asked.

The business man looked around the village and smiled.

“Well then you could retire! You could move to a small coastal fishing village. You could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and sip wine, and play your guitar with your amigos.”

The Moral of The Story

Aside from the fact that the business man suffers from good old American Greed—which is a gimme—I think this story also talks about one of my favorite “T” words: Trust.

When I pondered the word Trust, the story immediately came to mind. My thoughts went back to my post Perspectives on Possibilities, and that whole erroneous mindset that prompts me to analyze and categorize my hobbies and passions, and discard those that I’ll (most likely) never make money at—regardless of how fulfilling they may be.

What I’m thinking here is that Trusting God (which needs to be done in order to surrender) is about handing over those old ideals. Just like that business man, I find myself being lured into the trap—that old rat race mentality.

I start thinking that I need to make millions (A.K.A. more than I really need) and stockpile the cash so that one day I’ll be able to rest easy. The flipside to that thought is that—if I simply put my Trust in God—I can rest easy RIGHT NOW. I can have peace of mind today because, just like that fisherman…

I have enough to take care of my needs today.

—Janet

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Matthew 6:34

The featured image is something I made for fun. It’s a coastal village made out of fabric. I was inspired by an artist I came across on Facebook (sorry I can’t find his name at the moment!). He uses denim to construct art and it’s amazing. Mine is strictly Photoshop, using a pattern and fills, but it was a blast to make none-the-less!

Under the Stars

Creating Surreal Art for my Favorite “S” words: Sand, Stars, Shells, Saxophone & Silhouettes. A Sprinkle of Solitude too…

My favorite way to spend a Sunday.

All that was missing was Sushi. 😦 HaHa! See you all Soon!