Now...Remains Calm

Remains Calm (in process) 30 x 40 oils

The question that immediately comes to mind: "what do I do now?" Turmoil about the future - can't change what has not occurred. Concern about the past - it's gone, move on! The present...it's quiet in my world, no clear and present danger. Remain calm with the quiet. The outside is cold, but I am inside. I am safe...Remain Calm.

Hang Your Hat Here

Come in,

Sit down,

Take a load off.

Let's talk

Been a long day?

Having a hard time?

Just sit down,

Put your feet up,

Rest your nerves for a bit.

You know it doesn't get easier,

Worrying about this and that,

Holding on to old pain,

And letting it turn your gut to stank.

Sit down for a while,

And ease your mind.

We don't have to talk say anything about what's bothering you or who done you wrong.

We don't have to talk at all,

Just sit down and relax your mind.

All we do is worry about this and that,

Interrupting our worry to take a bite,

Take a walk,

And splash water on our face,

Too worried to rest,

Too tired to sleep,

You ignoring the cry of your soul for rest.

Come on sit down for just a little bit,

And rest your hat and your head over here.

Thought for The Day - Troublin' Times

Oh it's a troublin'
These days and times
We don't know where we're goin
 And we sho' don't know how to get there!

I look out my window and see the movement of traffic north and south. All day, cars (people) going and coming, visiting and leaving, here and there. A billion thoughts, feelings, memories, todays and tomorrows going by. While it is dark, their thoughts are driving by, not resting, not enjoying a warm bed or the arms of a lover. It is, indeed 'troubled times.' Like a constant churning of waters from below, it leaves us all 'unsettled' and wondering.

I guess we love our drama...we like it served on fine china, on mahogany dining tables underneath crystal chandeliers. We like to trouble the waters - in another's life - and complain when others aren't giving us our dessert with the silver plated dessert fork. We are a troubled people.

All across the land, over the seas and in the far reaches of continents undiscovered (Maybe they should remain undiscovered; there might be peace there. But Lord knows we won't let it remain that way!), trouble rules the land! And when we lie down, our dreams are full of the raging, boiling waters of turmoil and chaos.

And yet the children play when we let them... undisturbed, full of laughter and not a care (trouble) in the world. But not for long; we need them as fodder for this fight!

Thought for The Day - A Couple Days Off

I'm taking a couple days off from work and really looking forward to it! It's been a busy year and I haven't made time to get to my "real" work. I've been using my vacation days when I was sick longer than the 6 days allowed for a year and cleaning water out of our basement. I've used days for doctor's visits and other errands, so these days will hopefully be somewhat relaxing.

I have a bunch of tasks to do around the house, so I won't completely relax. Still there is something to be said to get out of the routine of the daily commute, sitting at a desk and daily triage calls. Breaking the pattern of days long and exhausting, where I get home with only enough energy to arrange tomorrow's clothes...yeah I need this time off!

Thought for The Day - Submerged

Beyond schedules, missed deadlines, disappointments and health concerns, there is a place of tranquility. Imagine it as a place so secluded and insulated, it's as if you were under water. For those who swim and love it, the feeling is like floating on your back in the water. A better comparison is swimming underneath the water and watching the light from above and below, the waters surrounding and supporting you.

My studio is my space; it is not only a sanctuary, but a place where worries and cares can be checked at the door. In the spirit of the sacred places, it's also the place where concerns can be taken and left in the safe care of One uniquely tasked to solve problems. The work of my hands and mind are my way of unraveling mysteries, of diving to depths no other person knows and allowing my soul to flourish!

One thing I've found to be true: sanctuary and solace can be found where ever you are. Certainly, it's good to have a time and place where you are certain you can commune with God, but in truth, no place can hold him. So out for a walk, sitting at my desk, in the middle of tasks that never end, I go there, to Him, and the light above and below surround me! I am set free!

Thought for The Day - Not Much to Say

And on same days, I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes you need quiet, the absence of trouble and difficulty, at least for 24 hours. Like a quiet sanctuary, a haven of rest, a break from the click-clack, tick-tick-tick and clatter of our run "here and there" world. And on that note, I think I will leave you with that notion.

Peace

and Quiet...

Thought for The Day - Pause

Linen with a little swirl (in process) 24 x 36 Oils

Today I really have to talk to myself - you just get to listen in...

Slow down! Whatever it is, that's got you worked up and ready to run, it will wait. It will keep. The stuff you're sweating, no matter how noble, it will wait for you.

Slow down enough for this moment's lesson. Don't miss the details before you, around you looking for a better picture or an ideal life. Enjoy this one, or bemoan it. But don't allow it's lesson to go unlearned.

Thought for The Day - Winter's Nap

Study for Predawn Light #3

"Working Title;" "What?!"

The blanket of snow...

It's been a while since I woke to streets and yard covered in white; air cooled and a biting breeze, coming from the west. Been a while since the cold morning seeped into my little space in the basement, the bare concrete floor radiating cold like ice. It's been a few months since I bundled up in layers of coat, sweater and a few shirts. But on some days, I'm living a perpetual Winter.

Sometimes, I simply need to lie down and take a break from the noise and confusion. I look at the stack of unfinished business, the stuff that's mine and the leftovers from others and I decide the best approach is to back away and regroup. "Give me 5 minutes!" Put my head on the desk and sleep for a bit.

You know, there are times, I'm fiercely aware this world will continue spinning quite well without me... I need my winter blanket and a few minutes sleep...

Thought for The Day - One Minute

A minute left, a minute remaining, one minute after the hour...reminders that time is moving WAY TOO FAST!

We never have enough time in our 'organized society.' For all our sophisticated structures, integrated systems and technology, we can't make a minute last any longer than it does. Whether you use a analog clock or watch, a digital indicator, have ever you looked at it and realized how quickly time has "gotten away" from you? Or as you are sitting in between tasks and appointments, the time seemed to tick away slowly, right up until that "last minute" where you realize you've got to get moving. No, we can't seem to get enough of it, no matter whether you are working, retired or disabled, what we want out of life doesn't seem to work in the time frame given.

But if you take 60 seconds, and I mean "take it!" Because it seems quite literally, that's what is required. Take the time to delay necessity and demand, quiet your mind for one minute, and you can change the pace and direction of your life. Truly, the rush and hustle of it all can wear us out, but it's only be appreciating the quiet, even in the rush of our day, that we find peace and rest. And perhaps, at some point, we really can become masters of the minute!