...10 truths...

textured twice with kim klassen's happy heart.

as part of kim's class 'beyond layers'-she challenged us to

reveal 10 things about ourselves.

10 truths.

*one thing that i could not do without.

family.

*one of the things that brings me here.

photography.

*there is nothing better than getting up before everyone else-

going out on the back deck and having.

coffee.

*and when i have that coffee i tend to sit with-

my old friend. my.

rocking chair.

*tho i love my family. i also love.

alone time.

*one thing that truly moves me.

and allows my spirit to soar.

music.

*one place where one can get lost in their thoughts.

as the tide takes those thoughts away.

beaches.

*the smell and newness of life that this brings.

rain showers.

*the familiar song that leaves for a while-

but always comes back.

a robin birds song.

*the happiness that this brings to my heart-

in watching it grow.

sunflowers.

*my mantra-

just BE.

robin.

ps. after reading everyone's amazing truths...i decided on one more.

i have a very strong dislike for the new word verification. it is stealing the joy of reading and commenting.

...textured tuesday-white...

all about the color WHITE

by Kate Smith

• "White...is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black...God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white." -- G. K. Chesterton

• "The first of all single colors is white ... We shall set down white for the representative of light, without which no color can be seen; yellow for the earth; green for water; blue for air; red for fire; and black for total darkness." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

• "ELOQUENCE, n. The art of orally persuading fools that white is the color that it appears to be. It includes the gift of making any color appear white." -- Ambrose Bierce

• “Black and white are absolute...expressing the most delicate vibration, the most profound tranquility, and unlimited profundity.” -- Shiko Munakata

• “Never use pure white; it doesn't exist in nature.” -- Aldro T. Hibbard

• “The great black and white draftsman, the sculptor, and the blind man know that form and color are separate. The form itself is what the blind man knows...Color is surface skin that fits over the form.” -- John Sloan

• “White covers a multitude of sins.” -- Jonathan Milne

i do not have a lot of 

white in my house.
(tho there was plenty.
of snow outside.
for the backdrop.)

so i chose to do

several pictures

depicting white.

the soap has the if only texture.

the rest have the plastered texture.

for more textured white.

textured tuesday.

have an awesome tuesday.

it's wednesday eve!!!

whatever you do today...

try hard to...

just BE.

robin.

...2.26.12...

Our life is frittered away by detail . . . simplify, simplify.                                                          

  - Henry David Thoreau 

Nothing is worth more than this day.                                               

    - Goethe 

peacefulness is an inner sense of calm - it comes from becoming still - in
order to reflect and meditate on our inner wisdom and receive answers. a
peaceful heart is one that is free from worry and trouble. it's becoming quiet
so we can look at things quietly so we can more clearly understand them and
thus come up with creative solutions. 

it is learning to live in the present.

as i stepped.

outside.

this morning.

to take my first 

sip of coffee.

what came to me.

was an overwhelming.

sense of peace.

the sun was piercing the trees.

the birds, tho cold.

were singing.

there was a calm in the air.

if that is not a reason.

to be grateful.

i don't know what is.

learning to live in the present.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...be completely present...

in dwelling,

 live close to the ground.

 in thinking,

 keep to the simple.

 in conflict,

 be fair and generous. 

in governing,

 don't try to control. 

in work, do what you enjoy.

 in family life, be completely present.
Lao Tzu

winter has decided.

february would be a good time.

to show up.

winter.

what you don't know is.

spring is inevitable.

so you may drop.

more snow than we've

had all season.

you may be cold.

you may blow your winds.

for i know that.

next week is march.

and your february white.

will soon be turned to march brown.

and to that, my doll shadow, gives a thumbs up.

light + objects = shadows.  

check out shadows from around the world.

enjoy the day you are presented with .

whatever you may be doing...

don't forget to.

just BE.

robin.

...week six-beyond layers...

there is always music amongst 

the trees in the garden,

but our heart must be

very quiet to hear it.

~minnie aumonier

week six.

working with brushes.

the brushes.

from kim klassen.

creates a,

 well a, stamp.

the photo is textured with 

kim's cosmo texture.

i cannot lie.

i am lovin' this class!!

thanks kim!!

happy friday eve everyone.

coasting from here.

to the weekend.

just BE.

robin.

...texture tuesday...

A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning,

 as if supported by the rays of the sun,

 a bird settled on the fire escape, 

joy in the task of coffee,

 joy accompanied me as I walked.
Anais Nin

today is.

texture tuesday.

if you decide to play.

you may.

if you decide to just look.

that is fine too.

i am playing.

kim klassen's 

texture is felicity.

i always forget to write down what i did.

but i do know it's felicity.

happy tuesday everyone.

just BE.

robin.

...2.19.12...

these two photos worked with kim klassen's textures/techniques. 

 I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. 

- Michelangelo

God not only sends special angels into our lives,

 but sometimes He even sends them back again

 if we forget to take notes the first time! 
- Eileen Elias Freeman

the moments.

if we don't take the time.

to  observe.

will be gone.

stepping out.

onto the deck this morning.

to breathe in the clean, crisp.

12 degree air.

i see this snow.

a little angel.

with it's bow and arrow.

a sign of love.

my second sign of love.

(and i can't really call it all mine.)

but this simple thing.

makes me so happy.

the robins.

they are in our apple tree.

eating from the apples.

someone said to me this fall.

it made them sad to see the 

apples on this tree go to waste.

here is God's blessing.

He is feeding the robins.

in february.

when the ground is frozen.

covered with snow.

i will try hard.

not to miss the sign

the first time.

but i take comfort in knowing,

that if i do miss it.

He will give me a gentle nudge again.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...shadow of our own souls...

A human being is only breath and shadow.
Sophocles

because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls,

 our influence is determined by the quality of our being.
Dale Turner

the sun was very brief

this morning.

caught this shadow

on the dining room wall.

now.

 snow is falling.

hap-hazardously.

 now.

quite forcefully.

and bigger flakes.

going to be one of those days.

it is february 18.

spring is not very far way.

light + objects = shadows

what a wonderful day to

just BE.

robin.

For those of you not wanting your word verification because the new way is annoying people. If you have changed to the new interface...(this part i cut and pasted for your FYI) -You have to be in the overview screen. Click the name of the blog so that you see the page view graph, the updates and the menu over at the left. You will see a gear (a cog if you are a Brit) at the upper right. It opens the menu with the Older Blogger Interface.


Hope this helps...i could not read those words very well at all!!!
just BE.
robin.

...week five-beyond layers...

“creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn 

and erecting a skyscraper in its place.

it is rather like climbing a mountain,

 gaining new and wider views, 

discovering unexpected 

connections between our starting points

 and its rich environment.

 but the point from which we started

out still exists and can be seen,

 although it appears smaller and forms 

a tiny part of our broad view gained

by the mastery of the obstacles

 on our adventurous way up.”

 Albert Einstein

week five.

oh my gosh.

what excitement.

kim, you are awesome.

i had to go back.

start and stop.

start again.

but i think , know,

that i have ended up with

the result that i wanted.

this is a great old barn.

several miles from my house.

as a crow flies.

it is a beautiful green.

they almost lost this barn due to "straight winds".

they wouldn't call it a tornado.

as we don't have those in michigan.

(wink-wink)

anyway.

the structure that stood right beside it.

was lost.

so happy for them.

it was spared.

loved, loved, loved.

this lesson. 

enjoy your friday.

just BE.

robin.

...texture tuesday...

A man reserves his true and deepest love 

not for the species of woman

 in whose company he finds

 himself electrified and en-kindled,

 but for that one in whose company

 he may feel tenderly drowsy.

George Jean Nathan

happiness.

shared on valentine's day.

prompted by kim klassen

for

texture tuesday.

the texture i used was embrace.

such a delight, as always, to create.

just BE.

robin.

...2.12.12...

"you are the embodiment

 of the information you choose to accept and act upon. 

to change your circumstances you need

 to change your thinking and subsequent actions."

 Adlin Sinclair 

"the first step toward success is taken 

when you refuse to be a captive of the environment 

in which you first find yourself."

 Mark Caine

ah.

Sunday morning.

seventeen degrees.

and wind.

making it seem even colder.

there is no outside with the camera.

for this girl.

so. shots from.

indoors.

i must say.

we have been blessed

during this season.

of winter.

with above normal temps.

jack frost has been unable

to leave his artwork.

on the window.

until this morning.

my thoughts today.

turn towards.

success.

thus the quotes.

i have chosen.

i am starting a.

weight loss challenge today.

and speak of it here.

to make myself accountable.

i have spent money.

and now mentioned it here.

therefore.

no excuses.

i will be tracking my

steps in the sidebar.

here is to another.

first day of the rest of my life.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...you get what you measure...

"you get what you measure. measure the wrong thing and you get the wrong behaviors."
- John H. Lingle 

 

i used to measure the Heavens,

now i measure the shadows of earth.

the mind belonged to Heaven,

the body's shadow lies here.

johannes kepler

i was so intrigued by

this shadow.

the ruler lies one way.

and the shadow is running another.

i am sure there is

an explanation.

but it doesn't matter.

i just like the shadow created here.

it made me smile.

when i saw it.

light + objects = shadows

stop on by and check them out.

it was seven when i got up.

as i type it is now ten.

good morning for warm socks.

and hot coffee.

enjoy.

just BE.

robin.

...week four-beyond layers...

we are born at a given moment, 

in a given place and,

like vintage years of wine, 

we have the qualities of the year

and of the season of which we are born.

astrology does not lay claim to anything more.

Carl Jung

this was fun learning today.

week four.

beyond layers.

worked in PS 10.

using the gradient tool.

which made more.

texture, which is, crackerjack.

at the top.

and less at the bottom.

this is an old.

sealtest.

ice cream scoop.

found an interesting story about 

sealtest.

anyway.

we were to set up.

a photo shoot area.

being the primitive type girl that i am.

my background was one of my.

old mirrors.

on one of my old chairs.

in my bright sunny dining room.

the type is hapole pencil.

the photo.

the feel of it.

is.

me.

just BE.

robin.