the last of winter part 2

more scenes from a former wintry Monday - there is beauty everywhere

Personality begins where comparison leaves off. 
Be unique. Be memorable. Be confident. Be proud.

Shannon L. Adler

&

How much time he gains who does not look to see 
what his neighbour says or does or thinks, 
but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.

Marcus Aurelius

Battling that comparison demon lately way too much (in my head) all the while trying to scale vast, jagged mountains that I'm fairly confident will in the end be small molehills ... or at the very least short hills. That's how my brain works. It freaks out quite easily. I am trying, my darndest, to retrain her (my lovely brain), to soothe her, calm her, make her tea - let her know that ANYTHING & EVERY THING is possible. We just need to sit down, pencil & paper and take that  all those big, freakin' scary thing(s) and break it them down into little palatable morsels. I know how to do that, but I forget (always) that I know how to do that ... so I Freak out. Freaking out as I type this. Maybe I should stop freaking and tackle one of those nasty jagged mountains ;-)

I am in a big, ol', pretty exciting, creative empire building transition period, growing pains I guess and those pains, they are painful. They make me feel as though I'm lost - I am lost, really lost but I know I did remember to leave my trail of breadcrumbs, I know it's temporary, I have no fear that I won't find me again. I always do. When you up the ante you up the feeling of lost-ness.

I am impatiently lost.

and this time last year

the last of winter part 1

scenes from a long wintry walk Monday with my beloved Canon G12 - I so love this muted colour palette

And today it's sunny, springlike, with a blue, blue sky
lots of melting & dripping
the birds are back, the grackles, the song sparrows
& the red winged blackbirds
they're all busy building nests
it's mucky everywhere
the ice is almost gone from the harbour
& the sun doesn't set until 8pm

the last of winter has finally arrived.

I have so much on my plate (it's all good stuff)* at the moment I am paralyzed and trying desperately to take a few deep breaths make a big freakin' list and try to prioritize and schedule myself. + this sweet thing, my best friend Bee is in town for 10 days whole days so we'll have to do lots of walking' & a talkin', paintin' & drawn', exploring the crescent beach and visits to the library & just messin' around together. I love her !!

I am wondering, realizing I guess, finally that a plate, my plate can only hold so much at one time - I've been trying to hold too much on too many plates, none of which have my name on them - not in the "take care of Susan" sense - something has got to give. I have to make choices & priorities, not something I'm naturally good at. And something I've forever filed under dreaded & daunting ;-(

dear April

our huge bedroom geranium is loving the longer days / the crescent beach / lichen love / cottages and the sea wall / ice ice baby / tiny clementine seedling (instructions here) / branches, snow, shadows / more lichen love / looking out into the Northumberland Strait from atop the crescent beach sea wall

Winter is hanging on for dear life here in Nova Scotia. Wednesday we had the biggest & wildest blizzard of the 2013/2014 winter season, yesterday was an all day freezing rain storm and today another winter storm advisory lurks in our near future (15-30 cmd of snow). It's funny I don't mind any of it. I hear so many people/Canadians complaining about Winter fatigue (we Canucks LOVE to complain chat about the weather) and this winter came early for us, much earlier & much nastier (bitter cold & lots of snow) than usual. We're happy to see you dear April ;-) we've been patiently waiting your welcome arrival.

sam & winnie

Sam & Winnie Dixon my dear snow dogs ;-)