the science of creation

I hope this post lives up to the title, it sounded good so I went with it. When you say creation it can mean everything or it can mean one tiny thing. I love to create pretty or interesting or even simply useful things at home, in the studio and at work. I have no desire to dive into a spiritual exploration of the creation of man or the planet or the universe...today at least. I just want to break it down into the finite concept of creation, that infinitesimal moment of inspiration or catalyst that brings change. Creation as change, now that's fascinating to think about! I am going to let that one soak in for a while and come back to it.

I came across an article about a scientist creating snowflakes or snow crystals and it resonated with me what he said about why they are said to be each unique, appear to be symmetrical and how they are created. Such a beautiful thing created out of the simplest of beginnings.

The science of snow crystals explained here. The beautiful images are amazing. I pulled a quick search on Etsy for snowflake pendants.

 

 

 

The metaphor for me is in the details, the science of creation. We can change anything we want to change by the tiniest of movements in another direction, through another door, room, path and come out on the other side with an entirely different creation.

 

The full site is Snowcrystals.com if you want to explore these amazing creations and their complexities. 

 

 



puppy love and aging pets

Last year I lost my best fur friend Calla at 14 and this year is touch and go it seems for both Chaquita kitty at 19 and Gracie baby at 14. We've been to the vet more times than I can count this year. We're at that point where we just try to keep them comfortable and take it day by day. It is rough but I look at at them and say we've had a great life together and they can stay as long as they feel up to it. I had to teach myself a little about aging pets with Calla, deciding when her quality of life was gone. She was very obvious but my two remaining are not so clear. I hope they will tell me or like that old Persian cat we had as a kid, they will walk out gracefully at the end. Right now, they are still greeting us and looking for their food each morning and night, sometimes all day for Chaquita, who we've started calling Skeletor. Hey, it is all funny if you just go with it.


 We brought in a new addition finally after the Charlie fiasco, this time going with a very healthy 3 or 4 month old puppy Tucker. He's the most normal psychologically balanced dog I think I have ever had. I'm afraid the old ones might be making him a little weird but overall he's the best fur guy since my childhood buddy Ace. I'm not the best pack leader or disciplinarian but he's smart and knows when I mean no. He listens to Superdude best of course. Now he's about 1 1/2 and is a solid 60 pounds of puppy love. He regularly takes a dip in the pond and loves playing catch and tug games. The funniest thing to me is how Chaquita makes him kneel down and surrender with a look but he chases any other cat. He even lets her eat his food every morning if she so desires, and she usually does.





The current thought is that we'd like to get a puppy to grow up with Tucker. I honestly can't decide if another one is right for us while we go down the last path with mine. Of course I want a puppy and would love to see them play and bond now when so young. I think we can keep them from disturbing Gracie and I don't worry about teaching a new routine of respect and kitty hierarchy. But my heart says wait and focus that love on these aging pets and take Tucker out to socialize more with friends and maybe a dog park. He has a long ways to go on doggy manners but he has a good start. So he is probably okay right now, he loves Gracie and Chaquita but they don't do much and he's a live wire in the energy department.



 So what do I do? I look at puppies available in the area shelters obsessively online, play with Tuck and try to cherish the days with my aging pets. Welcome to my crazy.

My favorite shelter is Haven of the Ozarks in Cassville MO, check them out!
https://www.facebook.com/HavenoftheOzarks

fall splendor in the garden

Besides the workaday drives and errands taking us through the beautiful, albeit slightly dry Ozarks, we haven't gone for a Fall drive to see the colors. I am chained to the laptop being on call for work this weekend and trying to be productive around the house. I keep looking at the jewelry stuff and fussing in the studio. Maybe tomorrow I will get the creative juices going and play some more in there. I've been a little dry in that area too lately. It's a general lack of focus, I call it my fugue, that keeps me from finishing things that I start. Don't get me wrong, I don't see this as a failing at all, in fact I encourage my randomness with some attempts at self discipline to keep it from becoming too unruly. All that hazy brain time has been kind of pleasant lately to be honest. I feel open and receptive to my surroundings, thoughts, emotions and well, intuitive is the best word I suppose. We have an inner compass, call it God or the soul or the inner child or whatever belief works for you. Mine is twirling ever so slowly, seeking. I am enjoying the process.

Today it was quite cool and overcast with some bits of bright light now and then. No drives necessary to see the lovely fall splendor. These are all from walking around outside at home today. I hope you have had the chance to enjoy this Fall so far.

Shining Sea

Sometimes we forget how beautiful our world truly is.

We just got back from a summer's ending vacation driving Highway 101 on the Oregon coast with a dip into northern California to see the majestic Redwoods. I hope we get to travel more and see such amazing places as we did on this trip. There are a lot more beautiful photos online if you search Oregon coast but I will share some of mine here. Most interesting to me was the dramatic climatic differences on the coast from interior Oregon. We drove through the devastating drought areas and near 100 degrees, passing dust devils and seeing fire fighting encampments in the National forests. Coming down the west side of the mountain range the temperatures started dropping steadily until we reached the coast where it stayed a steady 55-65 all week. I am a weather buff and read about the climate there on the coast. That is the typical temperature there all year with winter dips into the high 40's and summer occasionally tipping up towards 80. The hotels commonly don't have air conditioning if that tells you anything. I think I have found my dream climate but would have to live through the rainy season to say for sure. I get gloomy with no sunshine. The other fascination for me on the Oregon coast was that the beaches have agates and other goodies washing up all the time. We were lucky enough to experience 2 beaches where there were appreciable stones to treasure hunt through. I have a theory that the drought is keeping down the new river washouts of stones but I imagine it takes a long time for the rock to get tumbled into smooth beauties on the beaches. Storms and the stormy season get the beaches to expose their treasures and as much as I love storms we may have to work out a return visit. The beaches and sea stacks are truly awesome and we sought out some of the lighthouses too. We saw quite a few sea critters, such a treat for our landlubber eyes. Seals by the hundreds in one place called Cape Arago and even a gray whale-really! The trees.....the gentle giants that leave you in hushed awe walking among them. We felt so small next to the Redwoods and it was easy to see what being a treehugger is all about. I loved them!

We hope to go to the opposite coast next, Key West Florida! Happy Fall Equinox to you.

Here are some real Oregon Agates on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/234439945/polished-beach-agates?ref=shop_home_active_2

The Oregon Agate page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OregonAgates?fref=ts

Some of my photos:

summer check list

trying to reuse coffee pods for garden seeds

weather watching always

wildflower bed next to the bees

sunset over garden

vet emergency

saying hello to others

homemade icecream

checking my work

exploring new plants

favorite tree

Seasons are what the Ozarks are all about, we get almost perfect examples of the four seasons and this has been a kind summer here, something I am very grateful for. Many others have not had such nice weather. As with every season I have favorite things, call it a check list of things I hope to experience every season. I am not a big fan of the heat of summer so I have a tendency to escape into air conditioning a little too much. I have to admit this summer's check list is missing a few things but of the things that did happen, they were wonderful. What's on your summer check list and have you run out of time? Here's hoping you get to check a few more off! Okay confession here, these are pretty random photos from this past summer, some are intended to represent summer and others just represent my crazy life. Enjoy your last days of this summer!