My Little Lovely

She is slowly making Herself known to me. She is my Little Lovely...the Mother of All Things. And soon to be the main character of my children's book. As I work, I realize that forcing this art is akin to attempting to grab hold of a snowflake. It cannot be done. We must allow our Creative to unfold, as a seed unfolds...and becomes what it intended. It's a beautiful lesson. One that I learn over and over, every time I pick up my pencil

Isn't She LOVELY?

in honor of maria antonia...

this beautiful lady is my mom when she was newly engaged to my dad. when i look at this picture it makes me smile to know that there was a time, long before she grew ill, that she was happy. really happy. i remember many happy moments with her. like the time she made me laugh as she covered my bloody knee after i'd nearly ripped my kneecap off. she never missed a beat as she carefully attended to the wound; never showed a drop of fear as the blood gushed from my leg. or the time when those mean boys in high school sent me a pair of band-aids with a note to congratulate me for needing them (i was quite the small-breasted teen; their commentary was crushing.) she reminded me that there would come a day when i would laugh about it. she was right. she was always right. she had a love for life that glowed from her with her every breath. she had a voice like an angel. i can still hear that voice, all these years after her departure.  i can still see that smile and hear her laughter and feel the touch of her hands on my face. it's been more than 25 years, and still she is here. and still i miss her. her love is so powerful that those years seem a minute...and i smile, even as i write, remembering the woman who helped make me who i am. i know she is close by and she smiles with me. i know that no matter how many days pass, she will always stay. i love this woman whom i call mother. and so, on this day i honor her. and all the moms out there who give their hearts so readily. i honor their courage and their wisdom and their laughter. i honor every woman who graces this mother earth...and leaves behind the sparkling trails of strong mother love. i wish them all as beautiful a life as my mom gave me. and it is my greatest wish that they all know the kind of love i hold for her. every woman deserves that kind of love.

happy mother's day, mama.

happy mother's day to ALL.

LET US ALL JOIN TOGETHER....

My dear friend, Akasa Wolfsong, posted this video on her blog today. I'm doing the same so we can get the word out. There is great power in numbers and we CAN make a difference. So PLEASE....watch the video and then post it where ever you can. Your blog or website or FaceBook or Twitter or whereEVER. The date is JUNE 12th (that's this SATURDAY). Won't you please join us?

Love Your Mother ~

The rains have been falling for 2 days; off and on with bright sun in between. Magnificent rain. Soft rain. Cat'n'Dogs rain. And every kinda rain in between. Rain. And wind. And that eerie darkness that sits over the mountains like a giant hand staving off the sun for just a little while.

On this Earth Day...even Mother seems to be celebrating. Rain for all the new babies of Spring. Tulips and roses and daffodils and lavender and sage and all manner of colorful, flowery things. The smell of orange blossoms will not be daunted by the rains. Oh no. They seem to enjoy the washing...and send those smells ever stronger. The hummingbirds, too, seem to be completely elated. They zig and zag, this way and that, as if dancing with the raindrops. Truly amazing feats of grace.

For me, this is the PERFECT weather for Earth Day. What better way to honor Her than to dance in the rain? What better way to appreciate all She has to offer than to go stomp in a puddle and stick out your tongue and catch the drops? And when the sun peeks out, for those few moments in between down-pours, to scan the sky for rainbows? What could be better than THAT???

I love this Mother who feeds me. And offers her laughter through the gazillions of flowers. I love this Mother who has always protected me and given me all I need. I love this Mother Earth. Not just today, but EVERY DAY.

And it is my greatest wish that we can ALL remember to love her...

EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Happy Earth Day, my friends.
Hold her well.