“Clothe Yourself” by Becky
Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. —Colossians 3:12
Who Sent It? This is another postcard that has been sitting on my “to be blogged” list for far too long. It is a collage postcard made by BeckyG56, a swapper in the “Christian Friends” group on swap-bot. It was sent seven years ago with a note from Becky sharing that she is trying to put on the qualities of Christ and live this verse. Me too, Becky. Me too.
“We Are Worthy,” Collage Art by Suzette R.
As she took the journey back to her wings, she embraced the truth that she was worthy and that she was enough, just as she was, imperfections and all.
Who Sent It? This gorgeous collage postcard was crafted and sent by my pen friend, Suzette R. She sent this one about four years ago. She shares the inspiration for this and two companion “We Are Worthy” pieces on her blog: Notes from the Road. Have a restful weekend!
Who Sent It? Me…to you!!! I didn’t want to miss #ThursdayTreeLove, so I took a few minutes to make a postcard reminding you to “make room” in your day for a little tree love. I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
Who Sent It? Lisa (LisaLaughs) sent this one for a “literary wisdom” swap for the Cup and Chaucer group on swap-bot. I haven’t really participated in swaps since the beginning of the pandemic. I really enjoyed hosting literary postcard swaps, so I’m trying to find time to get back into it. The postcard comes from a set of 100 Jane Austen postcards, From the Desk of Jane Austen, which features quotes from her books and letters. These have been some of my favorite postcards to send, so I am always happy to receive one (back)!
“The John Lennon Wall.” A public art display honoring John Lennon and the Beatles. Located in Praha 1, Prague., Czech Republic.
Who Sent It? The handmade postcard above featuring part of the John Lennon Wall was sent to me by swapper Philippa D (papercaper) on swap-bot. It was sent 12 years ago for a “Simply Love” postcard swap. Since the wall is always changing (as people draw and write over existing art and words), I really appreciate this little bit of what it was.
Anne Frank (1929-1945) and her family hid for over two years from the Nazis in Holland. Her diary from these yers is an incredible testimony of the human spirit. Artwork by Susan Keeter, oil on canvas, 1996, Syracuse Cultural Workers
…in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.
I have an insanely busy week ahead, so I’m taking it easy on myself with low-effort posts. I will be sharing “quote” postcards I’ve received that haven’t been shared on Pics and Posts before. The posts will be (otherwise) wordless, but feel free to share your own responses and opinions about the quote in the comments. Have a good, productive, and happy week!
Who sent it? The postcard came from a new Love Notes friend, Dove S. She sent this one along with another one that I plan to share this week.
Miles and miles of golden green
where the sunflowers blow
in a solid glow. –Robert Browning
(from “A Lover’s Quarrel”)
The panorama postcard above was sent to me a couple of years ago (?) by Debbie T, one of my Wildflower friends. It was included in a package of gorgeous floral postcards featuring the work of artist Christopher Arndt, who developed a unique style of photo painting. From the postcard back:
The field of sunflowers blooms on a traditional small family farm in northern Wisconsin with a red barn in the background.
The card is part of his Door County, Wisconsin series. Another postcard from that series is featured in an earlier post. You can find and purchase his art by clicking the link above.
I thought I’d slip in this evening and write something beautiful to match Arndt’s gorgeous field of sunflowers. But, I gave this week all I had to give. I survived and gained a new appreciation for the phrase “Thank God it’s Friday (TGIF). Now, I just want to sit quietly with my thoughts until I succumb to sleep.
Until tomorrow…
“Take Courage,” Sunflower Art by Lori-Anne C
If you’ve ever seen my sunflower wall, you know that my friends keep me well-supplied with sunshine. I can’t tell you the number of times my wall of sunny blossoms cheered me and ushered me from a sour mood to an elevated one. As far as I’m concerned, the world can always use a little more sunshine, so I’m sharing the blossoms from my friends with you all week. [And yes, this is part of my effort to blog every day until my blogiversary]. Here’s the good news: If you live in one of the more sunny climes (read: red hot summer), you can enjoy these daily bits of sunshine without the additional heat.
I am sharing one of the beautiful sunflower creations crafted by my Love Notes/Wildflowers friend, Lori-Anne C. She sent this bit of gorgeousness for International Women’s Day along with the equally gorgeous address book I shared in another post.
Lori-Anne also included a “take what you need card” with tear outs of some of our most critical needs: courage, appreciation, confidence, patience, inspiration, and flowers.
When I received Lori’s mail, I was dealing with a lot–grieving over the loss of my father, worrying about my mother, stressing out over my son’s well-being, and navigating a lot of rocky territory. It took courage to face each day and not hide under the cozy comforters on my bed. It took courage to expose my wounds and fight for the healing which seemed a long way off. It felt right seeing that seven-letter word affixed to the card. Courage, more than anything else, is just what I needed.
What do you need this week?
Photography by Becca Robison on Pixabay
Decisions! Decisions! Where will the road lead next? Should we stay a while longer in Utah? Or should we move along?
The postcard I received just days ago urges us to visit the Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah, so we’ll remain in Utah a little longer.
Canyonlands National Park preserves 337,598 acres of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires in the heart of southeast Utah’s high desert. Water and gravity have been the prime architects of this land, sculpting layers of rock into the rugged landscape you see today.
Canyonlands preserves the natural beauty and human history throughout its four districts, which are divided by the Green and Colorado rivers. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and adventure. –from National Park Service
The districts are Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves.
Sky District, Canyonland National Parks, Utah Photograph by George H.H. Huey. Designed and distributed by Impact Photo Graphics.
The postcard came from Kelly C, another Wildlfowers friend, who has been traveling all over the country this year. Sadly, a super-busy season of work impeded our meeting up when she was in my “neck of the woods” earlier this year.
From the postcard back:
An afternoon thunderstorm creates a vibrant rainbow above Monument Basin and the surrounding canyons at the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.
Despite the postal tattoos, this view is gorgeous! As you just read, the postcard features the Island of the Sky district:
The Island in the Sky sits atop a massive 1500 foot mesa, quite literally an Island in the Sky. Twenty miles (32.2 km) of paved roads lead to many of the most spectacular views in Canyon Country. From these lofty viewpoints visitors can often see over 100 miles (161 km) in any given direction, resulting in panoramic views that encompass thousands of square miles of canyon country. –from Discover Moab
Read more about the park by visiting the Canyonlands Natural History Association site. For more breathtaking views of the park, click here >>> Canyonlands National Park Flickr.
Are you ready for another trip? Or should we stay put for a while?
Photo by Pete Linforth on Pixabay
This week has left me a bit dispirited and in need of a good road trip, so we’re leaving Virginia and traveling straight across the country to Utah.
Why Utah? Bryce Canyon National Park. Ohhhh, you thought the Grand Canyon was the only canyon worth seeing in the US of A? Well, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon will make your jaw drop!
What are hoodoos? Simply put, a type of rock formation, but since I am sure that answer does not suffice:
Hoodoos are tall skinny spires of rock that protrude from the bottom of arid basins and “broken” lands. Hoodoos are most commonly found in the High Plateaus region of the Colorado Plateau and in the Badlands regions of the Northern Great Plains. Hoodoos, which may range from 1.5 to 45 metres (4.9 to 147.6 ft), typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations. –from Hoodoo: What is a Hoodoo? Read more about how hoodoos are formed by clicking the link.
Right-click to view larger
My Wildflowers friend, Phyllis R, sent the postcard to brighten my day, and she certainly did! As you can see, the multi-view postcard features four different images from Bryce Canyon National Park: the Amphitheater, Thors Hammer (über cool!), Agua Canyon, and Natural Bridge, shot by photographers Chet Waggener, Russ Finley, Josh P. George, and John Wagner.
From the postcard back:
Bryce Canyon, famous for its unique geology consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah. The weathering force of frost-wedging and dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes including canyons, windows, fins, and spires called “hoodoos.”
Here’s a fun fact. Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon. As mentioned above, it is, rather, “a series of natural amphitheaters or bowls carved into the Paunsaugunt Plateau that extend 20 miles (30 km) north-to-south.” Read more here: The World’s Highest Concentration of Hoodoos.
For a more comprehensive explanation of the formations at the park, see: “The Geology of Bryce Canon.” Or, if you just want to see spectacular pics, click the link >>> Bryce Canyon on Flickr.
Hmm…I wonder where we will go next?
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