Curious...

Curious as my cat Lily.
We are indeed good housemates.

as a Kat? Andrew's word of investigation for this week - curious. When I first learned of Andrew and Kate's blogging workshop in Tucson in January, I was so not interested in blogging. I liked all the other events they would be doing - antiquing, exploring the international gem show, going to the desert, so, I signed up for the blogging workshop, without a laptop of my own, fully intending not to blog. I even proudly stated at our first meeting, sitting around Kate's lovely family sized dining table, that I was just an observer, not a full-on participant in the blogging seminar. Kate seemed ok with that, but suggested I still keep a journal, which seemed fine to me, create a blog and to post photos, since I was interested in photography. Now that seemed like a commitment to blogging, but, I was curious. I listened to everyone's keen excitement about blogging and I thoroughly enjoyed all of our daily activities in Tucson. It was a sharing of ideas. Day one I fumbled with my friend Beth's borrowed PC, I'm a Mac, and finally managed to load & edit my first day of photos. Not necessarily cropped the way I wanted, nor in the order I intended and without any captions or text - but a blog posting none the less. Hmm, maybe there is something in this blogging business. The next day, I loaded more photos, and words, not sentences, but more a free flow of my daily thoughts. I wasn't ready for sentences yet. As the workshop went on, and I felt more comfortable with my borrowed PC, I think my curiosity got the better of me, and I found I enjoyed blogging. I enjoyed Andrew's challenges of thinking outside the box - that is why I still enjoy Andrew's words of the week - to see where they take me -I never know till I strike the keyboard.  The challenge peaks my curiosity if you will. I've always been a curious individual, and with a little prompting, my curiosity got the better of me with the workshop and brought out my innate curious nature. So yes, I am as curious as a cat — you just never know where it may lead.

Mother's Day

My Mom and I, on a day trip to Paris in October 2010.
This was one of the most fun days I've had in recenet memory.
We took the Eurostar from London, to Paris for the day, for a
whirlwind tour of the city, doing the Seine cruise, the Eiffel Tower
with a champagne lunch and running through the Louvre to
see the Mona Lisa. It was fun at its best.
If only I could carbon copy that day.

What do you say to the person who gave birth to you? The one who raised you, and instilled good self esteem in you. I come from a long line of strong women . My Babcia (grandmother), my Mom and my Aunt Helen are all ladies with a strong personality, who do not shy away from life and embrace as much as they are allowed to. I am happy to have come from such a gene pool. On this Mother's Day, I thank my Mom, for becoming a stronger influence on me as the years go on. Perhaps it is knowing that our days will be shorter ahead, rather than longer? Whatever the reason, I am thankful for having my Mom around - to skype with, to laugh with, to moan to, to question with, to pudder with, to travel with and to just be with. Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you.

Feathered

Andrew's word of discovery for this week stumped me at first. Feathered? To be feathered,  and to be decorated with great plumes? To be a showpiece? A star? A unique something? And then it hit me. I saw this most amazing & at the same time, freakish, Albino, peacock in Hangzhou, China. I mean, peacocks are show stoppers with all their great multi coloured plumes, but, this Albino peacock was a stunner. The shear magic of white on white on white, with all that texture and showmanship, made this peacock a knock out to me — a step above your run of of the mill peacock. So Andrew, feathered, reminded me of my lovely white peacock.

Is this peacock not a thing of beauty?

The magnificence of it all.

Home

Andrew's word of the week. Well actually his word from two weeks ago. I've wanted to write about Home, and only now have found the time to collect my thoughts to put them forth. Home is where I feel safe. Where I feel comfortable. Where there is a natural and fluid expression of myself. Home is where I love to spend time, relax, play, entertain, think, read, create, putter, and just, be. The shell is not important, but it is more a state of mind that I feel when I'm there. I have everything I need at my fingertips, or at least, not many steps away. My home is an expression of me, for all to see, from  the red walls in the living room to the cottage look of my guest room. It is my haven from the world - that I am so lucky to have.

From the perennial garden, to the flying pig on my weather vein,
this is me, and my home.