Since I’ve been an academic all my adult life, I have no idea what the end of April feels like for people whose lives are not planned around two 15-week segments. For me, it brings stress and anxiety over the ever-increasing unfinished business of the semester and May “cleanup” work, not to mention all the … Continue reading Sunflowers and Poetry | Let April Be April
Today has been filled with too much talking, too much paper-shuffling, and not enough silence. Even as I type these few words, I hear the text messages [that I will ignore until morning] coming in. So, for now, a very short poem from Meister Eckhart’s Book of Heart: Meditations for the Restless Soul by Jon M. … Continue reading Sunflowers and Poetry | How We Fit
I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you with all the sunflower goodness this week. Sadly, we’re just two more posts away from the end of “Sunflower Month.” I am clearly intrigued by the approach of the masters to the sunflower. Many of them seem to have been as taken with its luminescent beauty as I am. … Continue reading The Masters | Anguish and Gratitude: Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers with Heart
I did not plan to post today. However, my hubby dropped by my office and surprised me with a beautiful bunch of sunflowers, so now I’m in a sunny mood! This is in direct opposition to my pre-sunflowers mood—blah, eh, weary. I will eventually share photos of my office blossoms here, but for now, let’s … Continue reading The Masters | Gustave Caillebotte’s “Sunflowers Along the Seine”
I am back with another “Write Together” snippet. This piece was written in response to the prompt “In this very moment…” In this very moment I am excited by the possibilities of who I am becoming. I am shedding the old casing, tossing aside ideas and versions of myself that no longer serve who I … Continue reading Sunflowers & Snippets | In This Very Moment…
For this week’s sunflower posts, I will be sharing sunflower photographs with snippets of my writing from “Write Together” sessions coordinated by Jennifer Belthoff of Love Notes fame. I don’t always have the time to participate in the weekly sessions, but every time I do, I leave refreshed and primed to work on my “actual” … Continue reading Sunflowers & Snippets | I Choose Pencil…
Today’s truth comes from Grounded Spirituality by author and teacher, Jeff Brown. The short version: Take care of you. Do the work to “deal with your stuff.” It’s hard. It’s continual, but it’s worth it. Your past will no longer control your attitudes or behavior. It’s up to you–it’s always up to you. You can … Continue reading Sunflowers and Truth | Hard, Hard Truth
Are you familiar with Danielle LaPorte’s #truthbombs? On 4×4 white cards–in beautiful black script–LaPorte offers pithy bits of wisdom, encouragement, and in-your-face truth. Every now and then, I pull a random card out the elegant encasement, and think, “Whew! Now, that’s a word!” The cards offer perfect journaling prompts and discussion starters. [Click the link … Continue reading Sunflowers and Truth | #truthbombs
The kind of Shalom we’re trying to give to people around us requires us to take an active interest in their physical and spiritual well-being. –Lisa Jo-Baker, Never Unfriended Welcome to Sunflower Month on Pics and Posts! Since I’m usually a bit overwhelmed with “the beginning of the semester” and unfinished business from the previous … Continue reading Sunflower Love
At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. –Toni Morrison, Tar Baby How perfect is this image? The absolutely gorgeous photo postcard above came from my Love Notes friend, Eileen V. She embellished the postcard with extra sunflower love on front and back and sent it “just because.” Trees and sunflowers? Just the … Continue reading #ThursdayTreeLove | Trees in a Field of Sunflowers
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