Playing the Blues

We took some time out earlier this week to go on a boat trip on Lake Michigan. It was an exhausting day, but made for some great memories and pictures.

I didn't know cormorants hung out around Lake Michigan.

The weather gave us some unusual cloud formations.

The combination of the boat wake and sky introduced us to yet another variety of blues.

By the end of the day, only one cormorant was hanging out with a flock of seagulls.

The experience also gives new meaning to the term "blue planet."

I hope you have had a relaxing experience this week. Until next time, as usual, I wish you peace.

Spring Activities

The last couple of weeks have been very full. One of the things I took time out to do, however, was to watch the documentary Chasing Ice. James Balog, an award winning photographer, and his team filmed what happened to glaciers in the northern hemisphere from 2005 to about 2008 or 2009. You can find more information about it at the link above and on the Chasing Ice Facebook Page. It is an incredible film with stunning photography. They have been doing the same thing in the southern hemisphere since 2012.

I also had the opportunity to photograph some unusual visitors to my landscape.

Baltimore Orioles

I apologize for the blurriness of this one, but we were also visited by

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak

These visits are, of course, signs that the weather is turning warmer, though it hasn't felt quite like that recently around here. The vegetation has also made it clear, though it went through the flowering stage very quickly. We have, so far, avoided severe weather. Unfortunately, other areas of the country have not been so lucky. Between heat and storms, it has been a tumultuous spring.

Another thing I've been considering lately is our garden. I would love to be able to plant more and my hubby appears willing to do a lot of the work (since we're not sure how my allergies will react). I decided to check out this article: Planting your spring garden? Consider climate’s ‘new normal’ (You have to scroll down to the specific link.) As the article states: 

"Climate normals can help people understand what conditions they can expect wherever they may live… and plant. A previous article on Climate.gov explored the implications of the new climate normals for gardeners and landscapers. Not only can plants can generally survive farther north than they used to, but the fire season is longer and pests are able to thrive and spread in forests and other natural landscapes. Pollination patterns may also be changing."

For me, this is yet another reason to pay attention to the impact of our activities on the world around us. I hope that you will, too.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Limits and Possibilities

There is a lot going on in my life right now. One of my nieces just had a baby boy. A nephew is getting married next week. One of my sons has a birthday next week and so do the grandchildren. I've been slowly working on the quilt I mentioned last time, and have chosen a gift to make for another nephew who is getting married in the fall.

House and gold finches on thistle feeder

At the same time, I have been enjoying the brilliant colors of the birds in their spring plumage, listening to birdsong, learning new things (like yoga), and trying to get out more. In that last context, I have been finding out more about my limits. As much as I would like to think otherwise, apparently, there was a reason my doctor told me not to push myself. So, I am having to learn what that means in real terms and content myself with building up activities slowly. Obviously, this has an impact on what I can do, overall, like working on the business.

A few weeks ago, I came across a quiz I had taken earlier about finding one's life purpose. The question that hit me was what you would do if you knew you were going to die in a year. My response had been that I would finish as many of my works in progress as possible. That is what prompted me to look, again, at the quilt I'd put aside because of the pattern I had been trying to use. The new pattern is simpler and goes together more quickly, which makes it much easier to handle.

What does this mean for building up the business? At this point, that is unclear. I continue to gather ideas and work on techniques, but have not been pushing myself to get product ready. I am rather hoping to have a breakthrough on that front this summer, but am resigned to the idea that it depends more on incremental progress. In the meantime, I will continue to view each day as open to new possibilities and enjoy what I can.

I wish you good weather, happy relationships, and enjoyable experiences.