getting out the plow (I mean brush) and slowing down

Thanks so much for the comments sharing your ideas. Truthfully, that so many of you thought that what I need is to SLOW DOWN came as a bit of a surprise to me. I feel the need to hurry up. To go go go. To get out that plow. Perhaps that's why I've been feeling so off lately.

Am I slowing down? I don't know. I've been taking breaks to just sit and read, something I've been terrible at. It's not easy to set everything aside, but I'm working on it. I've also been making a point of cutting flowers for the house. Always flowers.




I know that isn't really new for me. While the roses are in bloom, I've been trying to always have a single fragrant flower on my bedside table and on Matthias'. Takes almost no time to do. I usually have other flowers around, mostly just a handful of roses or a bit of whatever happens to look pretty at the moment. I usually do it quickly and without much thought. Yesterday I was inspired to put together a white arrangement for the dining room and was slow and deliberate about it.




And today I pulled together all sorts of random flowers for a "what's in bloom" sort of arrangement that's bursting with color.




When I took the old, faded roses outside to make room for the new flowers, I simply threw them onto the deck to deal with later. When later came around I noticed something.




They looked so pretty where they'd fallen beside my little fairy. It's noticing those little details that gets lost when I'm in a rush.

This weekend is the air show in Cleveland. 14 years ago we moved up to Cleveland during the air show weekend. Hearing the planes practicing always makes me a bit nostalgic. Yesterday I looked up to see if I could see any of the planes practicing. I could hear them. When I looked up I didn't see any planes, but I did notice something totally unexpected in the sky. A bald eagle. Here. I didn't believe it at first. I have never seen one in Ohio. This one was soaring right over my house. If I hadn't been sitting outside drinking my morning coffee and enjoying a few stolen minutes with a book, I would never have seen it.

But slowing down and savoring still seems a bit at odds with my trying to get more done. It makes me mad that laundry and vacuuming sometimes must take precedence over painting or sewing. But that is life. What you want and what you don't want are always mixed up together.

I did manage to finish a painting of some peppers.




And painted a Japanese anemone flower.







I love how magical my work space looked while I was painting and I like how the flower turned out, too.




So, I am a work in progress. Always. Not a surprise, really, and yet it is. Do you feel that way, too?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and a magical blue moon, hope you get a glimpse of it tonight!

Comments

  1. 14 years since you left Witt. Where have those years gone?! Happy Cleveland anniversary. What an adventure those first few days/weeks were for each of you...
    Too much cloud cover this evening on the ridge to see the moon rise, but enough breaks in the clouds now to see her radiant face from time to time as we prepare for bed.
    I can see how you've added the newly returned "bits" to your studio. What a lovely space that has become, especially with the truly fine work going on there. Dovey especially misses the rattan chair and ottoman.
    I hope by next season we have lots of cutting flowers in the beds to be able to bring some in each day. Right now I have goldenrod in the 7 narrow vases of the little black rack, and one enormous red and yellow dahlia in a bowl for the table.
    Yes, Anne. Do slow down, enough for the senses to register what is before them. You will never fail to notice something worth noticing.

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  2. Anne, slow is the way to go! That could be your new motto!!! I am going to take heed of it to as I am always hurrying things along and am never satisfied with what I have achieved. I didn't see the blue moon tonight as there was too much cloud cover. Lovely art work and floral arrangements too.

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  3. Love what Simone wrote.."slow IS the way to go" You did slow down and noticed some awesome things. Good for you! I love the way the anemone turned out! That is such a nice idea to put a single flower by your bedside. The moon was wonderful! Wishing you a wonderful weekend! xo

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  4. Don't you love those anemones? I have some too and they remind of Georgia O'Keefe's comment that nobody really sees a flower because it takes a lot of time, like getting to know a friend. Flowers are an invitation to slow down for certain! Whether you slow down or dig in (plow) you probably know what you need right now. Do as much of it as you can, then switch to the opposite mode just like using alternate muscles. That way you'll be in balance :) Wishing you a week of joy!

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