Lost: A Little Grey Matter

https://twitter.com/ritgraymatter logo

   Lost: My brain has gone missing sometime this morning. I remember having it when I woke up but it has since gone a wandering.

   It's medium sized, wrinkled and colored with more than a little bit of grey matter.

   It answers to the names Mom, wife, Lemon Stand and very occasionally 'hey you'.

   It has a great deal of compassion (when warranted), wit and snark (when pressed).

   It does tend to wander and wonder with a little more frequency than it used to but is at peace with this.

   It has, in the past, gravitated to humorous situations, chocolate, books and occasionally fabric stores (whenever it thinks it can get away with it) and has a fine tuned sense of the absurd.

  If anyone should find it, please tell it that it is missed and is wanted desperately at home.

QOTD: "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't tell where it keeps it's brain." Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J. K. Rolling

"Tidepools"

   As so many people before me, I have fallen in love with the work of Sayuri Sasaki Hemann, a textile artist. It started with pictures of her seascape of stitched and embroidered felted barnacles, organza anemones, organza and lace jellyfish, gauze seaweed and coral.
   I didn't know until I visited her website and looked at the video of  "Urban Aquarium" that this display of aquatic life actually gently moves as if in a current, making it look even more of a realistic dreamscape. 
   I have always loved the mesmerizing, soothing effect of aquariums. Especially salt water ones.  There's just something about how the light encounters vibrant color and movement that has always drawn me. Here Sayuri captures this magical world of indulged senses and the peacefulness it evokes causing one to become indolent just to feast the eyes. I have seriously thought of trying to recreate this perfection in my living room but alas know such talent cannot be duplicated by my hands.


 

  Time to stop and smell the roses.

QOTD: "Though the artist must remain master of his craft, the surface, at times raised to the highest pitch of loveliness, should transmit to the beholder the sensation which possessed the artist." ~ Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) - en plein air artist

Vacation Is Over

Since I am determined to make a dent in the cleaning to-do list, I'm dragging out energy fortification... The Party Pack for a cleaning party of one so I don't have to share. (One must always look for the silver lining. :)

QOTD: (A list today)

- 9 out of 10 people like chocolate, the 10th person lies
- Chocolate is the answer, who cares what the question is
- Never under-estimate the power of chocolate
- Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions, chocolate understands

Lemonade Made Daily...

It is my belief that every day is an opportunity for a new beginning but I think the vast majority of people believe it only comes at the beginning of a new year. Still, I always have felt the most important things in life are family, health, friends and humor. Other things that bring joy and color to my world are sewing, quilting, writing, art and music.

Do you know what is important to you and what brings joy and color to your life? Knowing seems to always be the first step.

I need the outlet of writing and creating so will be keeping my blog online for when I can find time but anyone wanting daily lemonade, humor or inspiration can find me on Twitter @lemon_stand

QOTD: A new year is like a 365 page book that you are adding to your library, today you get to start writing the first page, make it worth the read. ~ unknown

"Every time we start thinking we're the center of the universe, the universe turns around and says with a slightly distracted air, 'I'm sorry, what'd you say your name was again?'" ~ Margaret Maron

"When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed that they are not it." ~ Bernard Bailey

Veteran's Day...

My family and I would like to thank every Veteran alive today.  Today's Veterans are the reason we still live on free ground, paid for with their service.  I know this.  All Veterans stand securely on the shoulders of so many who went before them.  And just like they, they build the foundation our freedom rests upon.

To every American who stands upon free Land today ~ there is no higher honor to a Veteran than to have been entrusted to stand guard for you and preserve your Freedom of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  When all diplomacy failed, to have bodily prevented these rights of being stripped from you.  It is no less an honor to also have served any American citizen who have taken these rights for granted.  Who have not honored, showed respect or loyalty to the Veterans who have willingly stood sentinel between any bullet, bomb or weapon and youself. We have been honored to have safeguarded your right to do so.

Why are we honored to do so?  Because we realize you do not understand deep within yourself, the concept that Freedom is not hereditary.  It is not automatically passed down to you or your children.  'Freedom Is Not Free' is just a slogan for you, not a realization of fact because you have had no frame of reference to compare it with.   Freedom is paid for with sweat, blood, determination and lives when all diplomacy fails.  Less than one percent of the American population today serve in our voluntary armed forces.  They have or will have seen those same rights you take for granted, stripped from citizens of foreign countries.  When the eyes cannot deny the vivid image burned within them, the memories of the mind will not forget.   Forever more, they are changed.  Veterans who no longer serve actively, live this.

To those Veterans who no longer stand among us, I want to assure you that your spirit, loyalty, strength, courage, patriotism and life has not been in vain.  I have seen this with my own eyes.  I have felt this in my own heart.  I have nurtured this in my own soul and I have tended it with my own hands.  There are no words with depth of meaning to thank you for protecting and ensuring that I may have done so.