Rebecca Sower

the quote keeper's summer series (08)

Everything

is a once-in-a-lifetime

experience.

{ unknown }

{ photo: peony in flower garden, back in April }

the quote keeper's summer series (07)

Look for a lovely thing

and you will find it.

{ sara teasdale }

{ photo: this year's strawberries made into jam }

the quote keeper's summer series (06)

The mere sense of living

is joy enough.

{ emily dickinson }

{ photo: fun colors from the fabric store }

the quote keeper's summer series (05)

Love is a fruit in season at all times

and within reach of every hand.

{ mother teresa }

{ photo: shades of pale around the house }

love series, session 3

"May you seek after treasures of precious gold

and find them within the hearts of others."

{ mary summer rain }

 

The above embroidery pattern is from pages 1 and 6 on my 50 Hearts embroidery PDF.

the autumn focus board

{unrelated update: I finally added the Google Friend Connect badge in my sidebar for those of you who've been asking...sorry it took me so long!}

A wish of mine, to gather all of autumn's colorful abundance in my arms and squeeze it into the nooks of my home.  The clear clean air, the warm sun, the crunchiness and crispness of it all.  Who says I can't scoop up a big bundle of the golden leaves that fall from the old maples out front and throw them down on the wood floors inside?  One of these years I might just do it, since my sweet family long ago dropped their quizzical looks at my 'decorating' ideas.

Summer's ending (sigh).  And the bittersweetness that comes every year at this time nudges me to cling to all that I have left of summer while I look forward a bit to fall.  I have the usual cleaning, organizing lists in my mind.  But I also want to breathe deeply and make autumn a little richer than that.

I want to focus on things like sharing summer's preserves with others, gathering with people I love, reconnecting with friends, nourishing my soul so I can nourish others, write in my journals (so long neglected)...all good stuff.

Do I need to be reminded to focus on these things?  Yeah, pretty much I do.  I'm a long believer that creatively putting words here and there around me helps me remember what's important in life. 

I created what I will call my 'autumn focus board'.  I am already inspired to do these things...just need to reign in my focus now and then you know?  And maybe you will be inspired just a bit to create something to help yourself focus on the things that matter.  That's my hope anyway.  Please share if you do.

Until next time, may your days be filled with grace and peace.  And all the abundance of autumn.

art stories

Coming very soon...

a new book brought together by Jenny Doh.

I am honored to be a part of...

For more info on the book, here's a promo video.

Enjoy!

 

the width of life

 

"I don't want to get to the end of my life

and find that I have just lived the length of it;

I want to have lived the width of it as well."

{ diane ackerman }

creatively cold

For all my dear friends who are still buried under an icy, snowy, wintery chill.  Who can't seem to find any creative warmth no matter how hard you try (there are many of you, I've been doing a little blog visiting--and I'm right there with you). 

I think what we all need is a big warm hug from the sun, don't you?

 

1. 052We interrupt your regularly scheduled photoshoot for a vintage bicycle, 2. Look To The Sun, 3. Bright Lights Full Apron, 4. yellow bliss, 5. warm sunny day, 6. Happy Yellow Sun Felt Handmade Ornament, 7. yellow dress yellow dress yellow dress, 8. Straw Bag,Crafts Bag,Fashion Straw Bag,Wheat Straw Bag,Knitted Bag,Beach Bag,Ladies HandBag,Straw Basket Bag,Tote bags, Straw bags,Paper Straw Bag,Straw Handbag., 9. Open Windows, 10. It was in the summer that we met, 11. Golden Summer, 12. Sun-baked Nachos, 13. Maternity Photo Series: Fill her shoes, 14. summer, 15. Golden Sunburst Ring RAD2010 #40, 16. Bench Monday - Picnic Blanket, 17. n115 zoom 2, 18. Two hearts, 19. Kodachrome - Woman in Antique Yellow Convertible Car, 20. Star Burst Mary Jane Slippers, 21. freedom, 22. Yellow Shutters, 23. clothesline, 24. Farmers' Market 11, 25. picnic stripes quilt

Let your creativity's winter doldrums run their course.  The sun will come out tomorrow.  It will.  And when it does, we will be warm again.

winter whites

It is always this time of year, just after the holidays, where I feel the first little longing for Spring.  I know I'm way early on this, but it happens just the same.  My fingers itch to dig in the soil, my lungs dream of breathing deeply of the warm, fresh air.

So when I wake up to more of this...

...I really have to sit myself down and have a long talk about not wishing away what is.  So today I will cherish the whiteness, the cooling calm of what is outside my door.

I will layer on yet another sweater to ward off the drafts in this old farmhouse, and I will find comfort and nourishment in what's around.

I will imagine myself in July, in the middle of the heat and humidity and mosquitos, where I will be dreaming of an icy wind to blow down on me.

I will close my eyes and say a prayer of gratitude for my roof and four walls and all that their contents represent in my world.

I will fix myself a cup of hot tea and start making plans for my summer's garden.

I will take a deep breath and a long look around me, at what's here now.  I will drink it all in and 'be glad of life'.

And when the chilly air tempts me to turn cold and cranky, I'll remind myself of these old familiar words...

 "In the depth of winter I finally learned that

there was in me an invincible summer."

{ albert camus }