These lovely purpled blooms are in my garden. It has little stone steps down to a vegetable garden, apples trees i am stringing with lights ~ and many mysteries i have yet to unearth. My garden is terribly overgrown and backs onto a meandering english path called Adam’s Lane in Crescent Beach. There is such an abandoned, magical wild beauty I adore in in my garden sanctuary. We are getting to know one another quite beautifully ~ oh~ and I can even hear the ocean whilst I am puttering about:)

It’s the weekend! Soon…I shall share photo’s of my new home, garden….golden painted walls and stacks of books with you. (never, ever enough book shelves) In the meantime I am delving in five word stories/poesies inspired by the poetic incidental music..listening to Otis Redding….and planning my birthday/house warming gathering. The leaves are tumbling in a colorful swirl all aflutter these days and hot cocoa is making an appearance with a dash of chili pepper for a little somethin’ extra:)

‘neath lightcasting moons, dreaming ladders….’

~madelyn mulvaney ~

This morning, this Sunday morning there is pumpkin loaf, listening to a mix cd of Van Morrison music, french doors in my kitchen are opened wide to the d~appled overgrown yard of my garden, while inhaling the aromatic smell of french press coffee with cinnamon. Ideas are perculating for my ‘creative spaces’ project I am working on (wearing my favorite green sweater) and this evening I will light the first fire of the season in the beautiful stone fireplace. There is talk in the house of a new rabbit and I am reluctant to say ‘no’ ~ looking for the perfect spot on the porch for my seaglass collection, observing the small wonders of this day. What beauty will illuminate your Sunday?

love this…so love the autumnal joy:)

Yesterday I was in the art studio at the Fine Arts school where I will be teaching a photography/creative writing class to a vivacious bunch of grade sevens ~ and there were these lovely little shoe boxes decorated to represent rooms artist’s lived in.

I found them so captivating and they reminded me of my dollhouse when I was
little. I made everything by hand ~ even framed little pictures on the wall and molded tiny plates with food out of clay etc….so fun.

I am painting my studio this week ~ and this beautiful little piece gave me the idea to make my own miniature diorama of my studio when I am done ~ I call ‘art project!!” just in case any of you creative soul’s feel like making one as well:)

This week’s lesson coming up for my e~course is ‘creative space’ so I shot this little film this afternoon ~ I had my dog and two boys and was suddenly infused with the idea of making a gallery down by the sea…the boys held the string (fishing tackle) the dog chased the seagulls..and I believe I shot this video (on my little point and shoot camera) ohhhh…5 times because the boys kept laughing and messing up my natural soundtrack. It was a very misty evening but I quite like the moodiness of this little film. I just love the idea of an outdoors gallery, or an organic clothing shop in the forest (with clothes hanging on branches) ~ I am so completely at home in the wild expanse of nature.

Oh! Oh! Oh! and speaking of creative ~ pop by here and see what these two beautiful women are up to:)

i picked you, as an apple is picked by the little peasants for their girls
~ee cummings ~

Today was extraordinary for one bright daylight hour as I lived with the earth.  The autumn sun struck through  branches, patches of clamoring moss , rosy crabapples. Which I swear, I was so pleased with, you would think I grew them myself as I gathered them up, beaming, in a basket. To make crab apple jelly I am thinking now. I set up my little portable record player and spun around to Jelly Roll Morton which is how I claimed the idea of crab apple jelly in the first place.

A poem.  This garden hour was  a poem. And I am completely, madly, deeply in love with yellow. Stay tuned:) Tomorrow I will return to a home I have loved….pick up a computer….a box of books and say farewell to the lilac tree.

Persisting Stars ~ ‘Yes’ course update: This course which began on Sunday is officially oversold! However, you are welcome to register for my January classes here:)

Have a most beautiful week:)

On Saturday we took a ferry to the Sunshine Coast drinking in the sunshine and fall crimsons, pine scented breezes with coffee and cream and a dash of cinnamon.  In my satchel I packed a notebook,  chocolate covered almonds and a little box of chalk pastels to leave small moments of graffitti around Robert’s Creek which was such fun.  I chose chalk pastels for the vivid sweep of colors that you would find in paint but the lovely thing is they wash off in the rain.  I had my little explanation ready in case anyone came up to me and challenged my ‘defacement of property’ but everyone was suitable delighted.  I strongly recommend carrying a little box of chalk pastels to pepper the world with good hearted thoughts and doodles ~ absolutely a mood elevator with a carefree sense of delight about it:)

Past Ruby Lake is a little (oh so little) piece of land in the woods on top of a winding road with a view of the mountains and sparkling lakes.  Nearby is a funny and fabulous bakery in the forest on stilts where you can get organic cinnamon buns topped with wild blackberries and free trade organic coffee before you head off for little hikes in the woods.  For a while I sat in the woods on an old fallen tree while my dog bounced all about me and allowed my heart a moment to be still and listen.  I love the wild hymnal beauty of nature ~ it touches something so eligiac  in me.

My girlfriend lent me a fabulous book which you really must try and find, it is that wonderful ~ such brilliant and uniquely inspiring homes of artists ~ will surely have you insisting on a move or redecorating your home with passionate vigor ~ which is what I will be up to for the next few weeks as my heart moves into a longing to nest happily while nudging my new e~course out into the world into your receiving arms ~ so thank you, thank you for your leaps of faith!

Oh and it is Sunday ~ SUNday:)  Have a good one:)

Ocean

‘I have a feeling that my boat

has struck down there in the depths, against a great thing

and nothing

happens!  nothing….silence….waves

nothing happens?  Or has everything happened

and we are standing now, quietly, in the the new life?’

~ Juan ramon Jimenez ~

~ photo of paper boat by madelyn mulvaney shot with a vintage sx 70 polaroid camera and 779 instant film ~ boat designed by Noah

I am fully in the midst of a move ~ which, well, is not the loveliest way to spend hours upon hours I must say. There are several silver linings however as this morning I am shopping for paint ~ beautiful rich painterly yellow’s, deep indian blues and even a gorgeous green somehow insisted on sneaking in there. I am not above asking if anyone out there would like to come by and pitch in as I am having a painting party ~ I will be supplying autumn soups, rustic bread, salads, music and guinness beer:)

The weather is so beautiful and this afternoon I am going to take my bicycle out for a little spin down to the beach to take some photo’s with my new Holga ~ and some pictures of my front porch. I think I am going to miss my front porch most of all in the house I am about to leave. So many soft evenings of star gazing twined with mornings sipping coffee, a beautiful book.

Yesterday I drove past my very own ‘unphotographable’ ~ (this is a picture I did not take) ~ a woman dancing happily to the music on her ipod at the bus stop ~ all the while staring at herself in the reflection of the bus stop stand mirror, completely unconcerned with the surprised (and delighted) stares of passerby’s. Made me smile:)

Oh! and I have a giveaway today over at Soulemama ~ so pop by and say hi:) Have a most wonderful Saturday:)

I am so excited as Mindy, the editor of Wishstudio invited me to ‘pen’ an article for her Wishmama column ~ as well I will be writing a monthly column for her beautiful studio entitled ‘The Art of Living Cheerfully’ ~ pop by and visit us here:)