531: leap year

i will remember this day as the day i got a new haircut, and the day i spent some alone time on the beach, just me and my thoughts, an immense ocean, a few seagulls, some red seaweed. i will remember that i stood on the rocks and pretended i was someone new. i will remember seeing my grandmother smile earlier in the morning. i will remember how the wind felt on my face, how everything opened up just for a moment.

and then i just felt the urge to jump. so i did. jumping into spring seemed like a good plan. time for a new spring manifesto soon.

hope your day is nice.

529: for the love of naturalists and brevity

yesterday i mentioned that i was really loving the writings of john burroughs. one day i hope to own his collected works, but until then i have been enjoying spending time in the duke library. they have many of his books but most are kept in storage. it's sad to think that no one wants to check them out. his writing is full of gems about walking, the natural world, the elements, observation, life in general.

while scanning the shelves for his books, i happened across an old book entitled, The Nature Diaries and Notebooks of Richard Jeffries. The book was dated 1848-1887, and i felt compelled to pick it up. it seemed different, special.

inside, the entries were dated and were fascinatingly brief,so brief in fact they seemed poetic. i was captivated and read page after page. his work made me think of haiku and this book. it made me reflect on the idea of brevity and how to bring that concept into my own work. what is it about limiting language that becomes so powerful? precision? detail? clarity?

i copied down a few entries to capture the essence of his style and i thought i'd share them with you.

June 9.-First poppy, first ear of wheat. Cuckoos still singing.

October 29.-Saw hawk perched on telegraph line out of railroad carriage window. Train passed by within ten yards, hawk did not move. Street mist, London, not fog, but on clear day comes up about two-thirds the height of the houses.

November 11.-The contemplation of the star, the sun, the tree, raises the soul into a trance of inner sight of nature.

January 10.-Very fine, sunny, N.E. wind, sharp frosty morning. Orange moss on old tiles on cattle-sheds and barns. A beautiful colour, a picture.


these short snippets are full of beautiful imagery and specific detail. i continued to read on. years passed and i noticed that jeffries always recorded the firsts of each year (i.e., the first butterfly, the first rain, the first snow, the first snake). there is something so wonderful, so noble about a person who pays attention to the world around him, who wants to remember the day when he first spotted a change in his natural surroundings.

i'm charmed.

so, here is a challenge. go to the library. have a specific book in mind. find that specific book, but then spend some time in the stacks until you find an interesting, intriguing book you have never heard of. check it out and take it home or take it to a quiet spot and read. allow yourself to be charmed. can't wait to hear about what you find.

enjoy the exploration and discovery.
xo

ps: at least here in the south, the birds have started singing again in the mornings. it is still pretty quiet, though.

pps: don't miss lines and shapes!

528

hi friends.

here's a little peek behind the scenes of the water's edge project. i really like this photo. i feel a bit like a scientist. :) thank you to all of you who have emailed and commented about this new project. it is quite dear to my heart and it means so much to hear that it resonates with you.

now for a list on this last monday in february.

loving:

button down shirts

the art of seeing things by john burroughs

freshly squeezed orange juice

molly and brandon's chickpea salad

a constant rotation of reigning sound, the rolling stones, neko case, and npr

sitting quietly in the library

having nowhere to go

iced sugar cookies

noticing the ticking of the clock and stopping to smile

brevity

handwriting

sitting in the dining room and watching all light leave the room until i am sitting in total darkness

budding trees

yellow and pink

reading cookbooks

receiving postcards

art involving bubblegum


what will you do this friday on leap day? there is something special about a day that only occurs once every four years. i'm trying to think of a little ritual.

527

happy friday.

here's the latest in the water's edge series. i took these at white pine preserve while i was on a hike with my sister. i think it is wonderful how the water color changes slightly in each photo. my favorite is the one on the bottom left with the pop of pink. i'm just loving pink these days.

i'm also loving this photo. it makes me so happy.

it is very cold and rainy here today and i'm about to settle in to write letters. gracia's new zine, small collection, is on the table beside me. i keep stealing a peek. it's really lovely. (i wish i could fly gracia and lj to nc and have them paint and collage one of my bedroom walls. wouldn't that be grand?)

later, i think i will brave the rain and walk over to a bakery for iced sugar cookies and cocoa.

wishing you all a fun weekend and sending thanks for your sweet comments yesterday.
xo
shari

526

hello.

this week has been difficult for me in many ways. still, the world has a way of making me pay attention to its many wonders. last week, i cut a branch of budding quince and put it in a glass milk bottle. the branch that was full of bright pink buds suddenly gave birth to pink and white blooms! amazing. the blooms outside are still completely pink. i love the unknowing; i love that i still have so much to learn about this place where i live.




a few days later after a stressful day at work, i opened up the back door of the office. my mind was on other things, but i looked down and saw the most perfect red tailed hawk's feather. my friend eunice says that it is nature sending me strength. i love that. this feather lives by a favorite portrait of my grandparents. i think it is the perfect home for it.



and then last night, the lunar eclipse. joe and i stood on the steps of my tiny brick porch. the moon was already half covered by the time we made up our minds to go out. we joked that we arrived at intermission. great rolling white clouds passed quickly across the sky giving us a peek at the moon every so often. and then, it was completely covered, a small round tea stained circle; the tea in my cup had turned cold.

xo

525

good morning.


i thought i would share a few more photos from the water's edge series. please click on the photo to view larger.

yesterday was amazing. warm, sunny, blue skies. a definite taste of the spring to come. it was the first day in a long time that i drove around with the windows rolled down. so nice.

feeling a bit quiet today. hope you understand.

oh but there is a tidbit of news. remember joe? he moves to durham today. safe travels friend.

xo

524

hi friends.

this is part of a new series i'm working on called by the water's edge. believe it or not, the inspiration behind these photos are the fantastic tabletop photos that jen, molly, mav, lottie, and nicole take. it's hard to explain but i see the water as the constant, the backdrop, just like the table. the bits of grass, flowers, branches are similar in form but unique like the plates, cups, meals etc. on top of the table. click on the photos to view larger. i love viewing them side by side so that i can study both the similarities and the differences. this grouping of four was taken at the eno quarry. i love how you can be inspired by something and then you begin seeing things in a whole new light.

i had a chance to peek inside of these 2 cookbooks this weekend and i must say i'm hoping the library has them. the only other thing i need is a good, long rainy afternoon. :)

and finally, thanks to heather for giving me the "you make my day award". i'm so honored!

hope you have a nice monday.

523: letters, handwriting, charm

nothing warms my heart like my friends' handwriting! each script so unique like a snowflake, a thumbprint. i have been hanging postcards handwriting side up these days.

if you're into writing letters too, i would suggest checking out plum tree prints. my friend kristen makes the sweetest cards. i am completely charmed and am eagerly awaiting my set. she has a lovely inspirational blog too.

hope your weekend is wonderful.

522: this one goes out to the one i love

hi t.

miss you. i wish we could go roller skating today and then have big bowls of chocolate pudding.

happy valentines day with love.

xoxo

521

take a deep breath.

(this is a reminder for me but feel free to do the same)

:)

out of time this morning. more soon.
xo

520

monday night is quickly becoming my favorite night of the week. eunice, marsha, and i have started to meet up for dinner, knitting, and conversation. last week we had delicious vegetable potpies and butterscotch pot de cremes.

last night, marsha hosted and made a fabulous mushroom and sage risotto. i brought along a citrus salad (recipe from diner journal) and eunice made her famous parmesan garlic toasts. cookies and tea followed.

and then out came the cameras, of course. we are all suck flickr nerds. the above shots are of eunice, holding one of marsha's mugs.

next week polenta pie and carrot cake are on the menu. i'm in charge of the salad again but am not quite sure what will work with this combination. ideas? you can bet there will be talk of books, time with our cameras, and general silliness. we are even teaching marsha the sign language alphabet. most importantly, we laugh. laughter is most definitely the best medicine.

:)

519

have you ever fallen in love with a tree?

518

we walked along a familiar path, starting from a small square parking lot and then meandering beside the river. the water changed colors with the cloud cover. pale green and ochre in the shade and deep bluish purple in the sun. we hiked on. sometimes i wanted to just stop and sit in the sunshine, continuing my gaze as far as it could follow the small dirt trail. i fought the urge to climb trees, to stop all forward progress and lie down on my back; i wished i had brought along a book. i wanted to sit on the warm rocks and watch the mosses that covered them sway back and forth in a hypnotic kind of dance.

and then, a steep hill. careful foot placement ensured success. we could see an opening, a clearing. on the edge of the field stood grass green pine trees. the field itself was large and courageous. the land dotted with milky white.

i wanted the sun to shine forever.

517

thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments yesterday. loved them all!

letter writing day today. hope ya'll have a good weekend.
xox

516

well hello there.


the glass doorknob turns 2 years old today. do you know this space is so special to me? i am grateful to all of you who visit, ask questions, leave comments and send emails. that means you and you and you!

mostly, i treasure the friendships i've made here in the past 2 years. even when i'm quiet, you cheer me on. thank you. you guys are the best.

hope your day is swell.


xo

515

514: a few of my favorite things

hi.




i love this yogurt




and this magazine.

below is my new piece of artwork by christopher david ryan. his work is so special. this is a print from his leafy mystery series. gorgeous! don't miss his daily postings and updated shoppe.




enjoy your day friends.

513

a list from this weekend:

seeing nina nastasia live with m and b, and joe (loved "that's all there is")

dinner at blue corn cafe

2 new magazines

lots of meandering walks around different durham neighborhoods

a choral society concert with big, beautiful sound

falling in love with the french horn

a fantastic latte and raspberry muffin on sunday

a hike to the quarry (photos later this week)

fondue and brownies for the super bowl
**************************************************

a full weekend it was, but we didn't have a chance to do everything on our list. there's always next time i guess.

i'm looking forward to girls' night tonight. m and e are coming over for dinner and knitting. marsha will be bringing butterscotch pudding a la molly, and eunice and i will work on vegetarian pot pies made from scratch.



oh and have you seen the noa noa spring 2008 collection. i love the photography. (via kelly)

have a good start to your week!

512

this early morning shot was inspired by mav and her current love of dark colors and tones. perfect for today's forecast of rain, and i say, bring it. we are still in desperate need of the rain. i have a double shift at the office today and then will head straight to pick up the csp box. hooray!

on the agenda this weekend:

seeing the work of calvin burton and javier pinon at the branch gallery.
click through to see pieces from the show. gracia, i think you would love the work of javier pinon.

and

visiting the farmer's market (we are SO lucky to have markets twice a month in the winter)

this may be my last friday post for awhile. i'm hoping to spend less time on the computer on fridays and use that free time to write letters. perhaps, fridays will become a day to just share a favorite photo from my week. we'll see.

exactly one year ago it snowed a little.

hope your weekend is nice.
happy february!
shari