So I held it and let it go.
Isn't that what we do? Hold and let go.
I am sending out love to all today.
Change is in the air in many ways.
~~~~~~
May you remember to hold
May you let go with ease
May you share love all of your days
xo
Photographs by NAE ©2022
A photo you have to imagine!
While driving home last week, about 8, maybe, riders were crossing the road in front of me. I literally had to stop in the middle of the road, which is why you see this shaky photo...I was nervous that someone would come up from behind and not realize that I was stopped!
Made my night!
On Saturday, I had to drive back in for my flu shot, which ended in a big bruise! Geez.
There was so much traffic on one stretch of my weekday streets...plus, every 25 feet or closer there were pop-ups selling every kind of Mexican food, fruits, iced treats...clothing, tools, bikes...you name it! There was people walking, driving, riding bikes...everywhere!
There was no way I could really describe, or get a photo, but the ones (all at the same stoplight) below shows some of the feel of cars, city street, minus everything mentioned above.
It was visually exhausting.
It was a lot, for me.
But then...
Driving home, I took a detour to discover this trailhead and came home to explore the view from up there.
It overlooks the San Fernando Valley, from the North end. This is where I normally see the horseback riders heading to or from. I had no idea there was so much action up there. I've yet to figure out if there is a trailhead you can drive/park at. The photos in the link show "The Valley" - and you can see The 5 Freeway etc. There are actually some nice overview pics. Also, from the Placerita Canyon hike (near that old fireplace), there are trails that you can hike all of the way over the mountain, I presume to this area. Cool.
However, we won't be doing that anytime soon, if ever, much as we wanted to in 2021.
~~~~~
While heading out to The Valley, I saw a sign on a neighborhood house: "Fabric & Quilt Sale". So, although I don't need a thing...I stopped to have a look. It turns out it was a local Guild event. Santa Clarita Valley Quilt Guild. They had tons for sale...fabrics by the pound! There were kits, finished products, table-top ironing boards (which could be handy, if I had a table to put it on!). There was a bit of everything, including lots of Guild Ladies, wearing quilting related pins and other trinkets. I felt like I'd entered another world! ha Anyway, I kept thinking of Grace's recent log cabin and a piece of cloth that is in need of repair...and though I wasn't going to, I did. I picked out a few bits (even a 'red' one! So not my color) and placed them in the box on the scale. $1.50 worth, but neither of us had change, she only wanted one dollar. Then I was directed to the "free" box and saw a bag with 2.5 inch squares! I took another 5 bucks and bought 6 raffle tickets for the charity quilt. They support many local causes. Nice.
I'm pretty sure I didn't/won't win, that kinda wasn't the point. I mostly though J. might like the bright colors, but since it is so large, I'd have donated it to a worthy cause anyway.
Pretty though, even if totally out of my normal tastes. I think I was just in the moment.
I went to check out the Guild website and while poking around there, I came across Karen Eckmeier of The Quilted Lizard Fiber Art Studio and spent some time at her web page poking around. I noticed her Lizards in the name and in patterns and thought of Grace. I saw her landscapes and thought of Liz. I saw her cities and thought of Dee. 🙂
I was welcomed home by this lil guy!
9-15 Thursday Trust Time
This week, there was too much happening on the road, my mind was jumpy...so, parked at work, eyes closed, inhale, exhale...so trust...
What came to mind first was Sarita and her two comment/posts...I thought of "us"...all of us...
how trust is given, received, responded to...
the very real humanity of that
I celebrated Season with photos at the grocery store.
As I head towards the close of this post, I'll circle back around to my commuting.
I started writing down some repeating things I witness last week:
3 accidents, 3 police events, 1 building fire, about 11 horseback riders
I thought about Deb G and her old "field notes".
What if I did that?
woman human being hands locked behind head, staring through chainlink fence, surrounding an empty cement lot
man human being 'walking' while sitting in wheelchair, while pushing full cart, dog on leash
man human being sitting on bus bench, toothless mouth talking to no one seen
man human being sitting on bus bench, slumped forward, head in hands, dispair
woman human being standing in gutter, clothing thin, making sweeping motions in street dirt, using a cloth as a broom?
~~~~~~
May you live as you need to
May you celebrate or mourn as you need to
May you remember the fun and the humanity of it all
xo
Photographs by NAE ©2022
🌧
It is raining again! As in - It Is Really Raining!
There are roads flooded, folks got stuck.
But, after 10 days of triple digits, it is still welcomed.
Fingers crossed the roads will be driveable tomorrow morning and evening.
I had to go out today. The clouds were amazing!
Thank goodness for that as two gift cards I was given had a zero balance, not of my doing.
New shoes will have to wait a while longer.
The clouds, cloth and fibers help.
Below are different sides and close-ups of the three pieces.
Photographs by NAE ©2022
Last. Night. It. Rained.
Yesterday afternoon at work, it began to rain. Not hard, just some light rain.
It rained my whole drive home, filling the air with a long awaited sweetness.
It was 83 degrees and raining. Raining.
I arrived home and it continued to rain into the late night.
We sat with the door open, smelling and listening.
The two Owls began their conversation, in the rain.
I was filled with an abundance of glee at the simple fact of water falling from the sky.
I was filled with an abundance of glee at the calling of two wild birds.
Life felt oh, so good.
Friday night, driving home I notice the sun setting Through the church windows. Now maybe I've forgotten, but I don't recall ever seeing this in almost 10 years of making this drive...and it was so beautiful.
Thursday Trust Time
So this week, inspired in part by Dee's comment, I pondered "what makes one trustworthy?"
Certain words came to mind. Words like:
reliable
predictable
consistent
genuine
This immediately led to my years of work with young children and I consider how, to whom and when they trust...and how that trust allows them to form deep attachments. Attachments that are essential to their development and well-being. How is our ability to Trust ongoing, through our lifespan elemental to living a good life? Young children seem to have a sense of what they need...perhaps calmness, self-assuredness, a certain energy...I've seen babies & young children trust some adults instantly and take time to build that trust with others. As adults, what makes us, or perhaps, what allows us to place our trust in others. how do we trust ourselves?
Morning plants and evening critter.
I am always watching and looking. Observing.
It is only...yes, only 80 degrees today. It is humid. We are not complaining.
We are grateful to have a break in the 10 DAY, TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT WAVE.
Phew...
The three bundles in the dye pot have been taken out to dry in the heat a bit.
I've gotten good at waiting.
The Offering Place had what looked like a large mound of popped corn, which made me chuckle as I had just posted that corn video. 🙂. By Friday, most of what was there, be it fruits or popped corn, was pretty much gone.
This is an unaltered view out of my front passenger window and a long stop light. I took it to remember the amount of trash now seen on my daily drive. It is everywhere, large and small piles...city streets, the 'road that wraps around the mountain', the canyon road...near the landfill and in neighborhoods that did not have trash pre-pandemic. It has been making for a depressing drive...which may be why I look to the clouds so much. This particular corner is where the man's shrine hill used to be (to the right of those buildings). It is now long gone and the hill holds only some hints at the old steps that had been created, various large rocks and trash at the bottom fence-line.
~~~~~
Wednesday PM: She wears leggings and layers of shirts, all slipping off her shoulders, bra straps visible. Her surgical blue hides half her face, stringy gray hair hides the rest. She frantically moves and removes clothing from the trashcan at the bus stop. Flung over her forearm, on the ground, back into the trash. She moves erratically as I drive on.
Thursday AM: The same corner is strewn with clothing. From one side of the street to the other, colorful lumps of clothing lay still. Bis stop benches on each side hold more. The street, the benches, the trashcan edges, the gutters and sidewalks all dotted in clothing. I gasp and can only imagine her into the night, moving clothing.
Thursday PM: It looks as if this story never happened. Not a stitch of clothing in sight. I wondered about her and who cleaned it up.
~~~~~
This week traffic has been horrible. individual drivers, even worse.
A four day work week, 3 of the days I was right behind an accident (either seeing it for myself or coming upon it just after the fact). By Friday was crossing fingers and toes that it would not be my turn. I lucked out. Plus there were no other accidents, just a couple places of Police Activity...more than one patrol car pulled over, lights flashing. What happened? Another thing I'll never know.
~~~~~
I listened to this NPR Interview about The Queen. (6min listen)
"She was also described as a child as fundamentally sensible and well-behaved"
...so trustworthy?
~~~~~
While listening to the news or something Queen related this phrase popped into my head, so I am recording that here as well in what has become a sort of news journal of a blog. I'm really not sure where this complete idea came from, or what it means to me entirely. But, now it is here to consider. I also wonder if someone else said this before me? Why did it just jump out?
"Everybody's got regrets, just don't live in them."
~~~~~
I have a bag on the loom, Holiday colors. I semi-set a goal of using up all of that yarn by this Christmas Season. Then I will move on to something else. I've woven in a gold stretch ribbon and some netting from recent gifts. Nothing goes to waste!
~~~~~
There is such pleasure in seeing these riders at day's end. It checks a Joy box for me, so I'll leave you with that...a little bit of joy.
May you keep going, one step or traffic light at a time
May you tell your stories
May you hold the world, all of it, in your heart
xo
Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2022
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She once said I was her hero.
Just for doing what I do each day.
The validation felt good.
Someone I trust and respect, saying that.
I've thought of it several times in the days since.
It helps carry me.
I thought how funny that I never knew that she thought that and that it was I who considered her My Hero. My life hero, who lived hers so well...who walked with me for so many years...who has been so much more.
While driving home, while thinking about this again,
I thought of my many heroes.
A hero doesn't have to be Super, but many are very super indeed.
This hero thinking led to other words as well.
Strong words.
Powerful and empowering words.
Words of hope, love, light and faith.
I have a hero of curiosity, who lives bravely.
I have a hero of resiliency, who moves forward and shines.
I have a hero of humor, who makes me laugh.
I have a hero of passion & power, who's words speak for many.
I have a hero of creativity, who embraces play exploration every day.
I have a hero of precision and family, who leans into both on a regular basis.
I have a hero of heart, who lives and dances in the moments, no matter how simple.
I have a hero of the journey, who travels in her own way.
I have a hero who has the deep heart of home, who's warmth is a comfort.
I have a hero of strength and sass, who inserts color into life and language.
I have a hero who embraces all, who lives with a diverse duality.
I have a hero of the land and of the four-legged ones, who wanders with both.
I have a hero of her own worlds and therefore of mine.
I have a hero of doing, who's gathering of others, enriches all.
I have a open-minded making hero, who inspires me to keep looking.
I have a heartfelt wording hero, who can break my heart or lift me up with a mere keystroke.
I have a survive and thrive hero, who often shows me the way.
I have a hero of flow, who shares ways to mix and go.
I have a hero of organization, who can live in the moment and honor the past.
I have a hero of acceptance, who helps me see the best in myself.
I have a hero...
I have a hero...
I have many heroes.
In writing about these heroes, I thought of many in my life, many whom I trust, respect, admire, care for and deeply love.
I mediated on each one.
I thought maybe they will see themselves here.
Maybe not in what I see, but in what they see about themselves, for the overlapping is ever-present.
Then I thought that I see myself in some of these hero traits.
Imagine that.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You can read ideas about the traits of heroes HERE.
May find the hero in others
May you feel the hero in yourself
May you leave the door open
xo
Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2022
The Big and the Little of it. Little grandson is now about 15 months old and this photo of Big is when he was 7 years old. Adorable!
Morning plants. I love this new entryway plant. By luck, I got cool pics of it.
Heading into work each day, I am compelled to see what new offerings there may be on the road around the mountain.
This week there was an orange and a cantelope!
The apples have remained.
Why? Why to all of it.
Heading in, around the mountain, glad I'm not in the freeway traffic!
Thursday Trust Time:
Something I noticed was that word, trust being used by others this week. A couple of times at work and on the radio.
Someone said, "You'll just have to trust her".
I heard this: "Everyone starts with trust, then you just maintain that"
How simple! Ha
In a broadcast about Mary Peltola winning her election, she said: "...put your trust in me".
I thought about that one a lot, about how we place our trust in others...our precious, easily tattered trust - placed in the care of others...as if it is our baby or a dearly loved one. I've been thinking of my own trusting of others, but not them putting their trust in me. So, I thought about how easily one can sometimes do that (only to be hurt or haunted by the results of that one action). I thought about how we ask that of others, often without even knowing their life story. Just trust me we think. I thought how I know I can be trusted, but how do others know that?
Mmm...
Just to the left of the building above, sits a couch, presumably put out for trash. One day while driving, I glance that way only to see a man laying on that couch...naked. Why?
Sunday night as I wrote this, I hear there has been a shooting at this corner (above).
As I drive through each day, I know this is not the best area, but it is still unsettling to hear.
It's funny, but I have been navigating around this Street Fair for the later part of the week, I do not feel the charm as I did the last time it was in town (I wrote about it here on the blog somewhere). Instead, I feel just tired. I don't see the happy families as I detour around on tight, busy side streets...I see young men dressed in all black, coming out from between parked cars and crossing the street in front of traffic (including me), making it feel more dangerous than sweet. Adding to these feelings is the fact that in my commuting notebook, I have notes about another event that took place at this corner a little over a week ago.
~~~~~~
Male
Prone
Arms tucked under
Ankles crossed
~ ~
No one interacting
Everyone living their own life
~ ~
Stoplight
Siren sounds
All 'looks' normal
Yet, a paramedic makes a u-turn and pulls up to the curb, on my right
~ ~
People still walking, talking, sitting, shopping, getting on & off busses, using cell phones...
No one stops, no one notices
Paramedics move towards the prone man
This pretty much demonstrates what it has been like around here!
Hot.
Below is what it looked like after it began cooling down on Sunday afternoon!
4:21PM on Monday...it reads about 115.
But it is also been a bit rainy (yesterday)! We could smell it, hear the thunder, a flash of lightening...but we only got a light dusting of rain in the back parking area, while across the valley, they got all of this!! We got the heat and humidity!
~~~~~~
On NPR, I heard this story, which was interesting to me, as I wrote my own lil ditty last week and because it was just fun...and who couldn't use some of that.
In the NPR interview, I learned that this type of song making has been going on for 10 years. Okay, interesting. But, the part that really caught my ear (haha EAR, get it?) was when they talked about the fact that each Real Person one of their videos is based on gets a percentage of the monies made! Isn' that great? So, that being said & however it is true, this lil Corn Boy is earning some $ that could later help pay for school or necessities or ? Anyway, he sure made me hungry for Corn, so I had some on Monday!
Now I think I will go out and put some cloth in to dye and maybe do some weaving.
May you stay cool
May you travel well
May you enjoy corn!
xo
Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2022
