I am the girl who talks to birds

Or, at least I try to.  I don't even realize I am doing it much of the time.  I will see a pretty birdie and will find myself attempting to communicate with it.  It makes me giggle to imagine what folks who randomly happen upon my "kaa ka kaaaaa!" are thinking.

I have always felt a bit connected to black birds and magpies everywhere.  I am a scavenger who tends to be distracted easily by glittery, shiny things.  My collection of found objects is tucked in various places throughout my nest.


Take a gander at a few little bits I have picked up recently....

 I love cicadas.  As an Oregonian, I had never seen a cicada until I moved to Texas.  I was ecstatic to have found this one in perfect condition.

I was tickled when I saw this on the ground near my feet.  Magnolia trees are another native Texan I didn't see much of in Oregon.  Their seed pods are amazing, and look like something from a prehistoric garden, don't you think?  I love the blooms on a magnolia tree, though I am not too fond of the trees.  Texas trees are more like shrubbery than the gargantuan trees I grew up around.....

The nest is not a found object, but the wee butterfly is.  Isn't she lovely?  I am always mesmerized by butterflies.  Just the other day I was chasing one in the playground with my children.  We thought sure we could capture it, but alas, it was not meant to be....

 Found this little eggie a while ago, in the beginning of Spring.  I wanted to share it along with my other found objects, though, as it is so lovely.  I appreciate its pale, pale blue accompanied by odd markings of a purpley black color. 

I am currently working on some 3d collages that incorporate some of my precious found objects.  As soon as they are finished, I will post photos here.

Lady Green Finger

I am a small town girl, stuck in the city due to the necessity of my chosen situation. Or, as my dear friend Molly phrases it, I am an "affected provincial."

City-bound though I may be, I still desire to raise my children in such a fashion as they will experience things I benefited from in my own childhood. Not that it is Spring, my desires of this realm turn toward gardening.

As a wee little lass, gardening was terribly important to my family's well being, and so we had a good bit of land set aside for this purpose. The largest plot was the "family garden," where we planted our year-long, staple foods. They regularly crossed our table, fresh or canned, as dictated the season.

The smaller patches/plots belonged to me and my sister. In these spaces we were allowed to plant and care for the foods we most desired to eat during the year, and none of the food that we did not. We were solely responsible for planting, weeding, etc. And, once they had blossomed and ripened, we would pick the best ones and enter then in the fair, where we often won ribbons.

Two other sizable plots we used to plant strawberries and raspberries. The yield was far more than our family needs, and so my sister and I would gather and sell the excess for the money to purchase our school clothes each year.

These treasured experiences I cannot quite duplicate for my children; we simply don't have the land. However, as we prepare our backyard to become a garden, I will include them in each step. This is Spring Break week, here in Texas. By the end of this week long holiday, I plan to have all the seeds in the ground, with their help. I will keep a photo journal of our work and progress......

Once Upon A Lighthouse

On days like today, as a week of care-less freedom confronts me, that I consider my aspirations of being a lighthouse keeper. Many years past, I heard tell of an opening for the job of caring for a lighthouse. Though I was not entirely certain what that meant, I became obsessed with the idea. I fantasized about it, and still do.

In my imagination, being a lighthouse keeper is a solitary job. One literally lives inside of one's work. I would set up a modest space, mainly with frilly bits of lace and a large crate (or three) of books. During my contracted stint I would read, be all sorts of introspective, and accomplish a great deal of the writing projects I have begun. Though I am a social creature, I prefer to be social on my own terms. This means that I like the freedom to withdraw, as a turtle would into his shell. Having a family has been for me, somewhat difficult on this level. I can never fully withdraw. Nor do I want to, but those moments of solitude that I so treasure, are fewer than I would care to mention. Luckily, I have an extremely understanding lover who is willing to cart the wee ones off for their adventure, as I take a few moments for mine.

So, as a week of freedom, dubbed Spring Break, washes over me, I consider what it would be like to spend that time in a lighthouse. Each morning taking my tea by the sea; watching waves and they beat against the cliff that I envision my lighthouse rests upon. Climbing stairs to be closer to the stars at night. Breathing in fully the fresh, saltwater air.....