Clouds and Shadows

I find myself drawn to clouds, trying to capture their essence. How, at times they rise, like sculptures of the gods… or how they dissipate, leaving wispy trails in their wake – not wanting to let go.   I remember cloudless skies of Arizona – the perfection of blue crowning our days. It is that […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #16: Shadows

To contemplate is to look at shadows. – Victor Hugo A child, when first encountering its shadow, might at first feel fear.  Later, she will experience fascination as she discovers that shadows stretch and play at her command. Carl Jung suggests that the shadow is representative of those parts of self that are suppressed and […]

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An End to Irony

Life is full of irony, or so it feels when that is foremost on one’s mind.  Here are just some of the ways that irony has played a role this week:  Concerned that the hotel we were staying at was pet-friendly (and I am deadly allergic to cats), we made distancing ourselves from animals the […]

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Discovering Ottawa: Manotick

We are drawn to Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, to visit with friends.  Arriving early, we decide to check out Watson’s Mill along the Rideau river.  Unfortunately, as it is off-season, the mill is not open this day, however there is still plenty to explore. Next to the mill is a Veteran’s Memorial Garden with […]

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Ah, Irony

Jazz, from Steps and Pauses sent me this sign, taken in Uncertain, Texas, a place she says is worthy of a visit: I would think they have a rather large following. I spotted this sign, and well…I think the ironies speak for themselves: The black squirrel (featured) thought he had cleverly outrun his assailant – a raging […]

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Stoic Hunter?

Who is more stoic than the Great Blue, stealthily enduring rocks and rapids to catch the day’s meal? Appearances, however, have been known to deceive… seems this bird is no emotional void, no paragon of strength, but a closet thespian – caught him, mid rehearsal – aspiring to a phantom role – of the opera variety. (Written […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #15: Irony

Is it just me, or is there irony in the idea of a museum of tolerance – as if the concept itself, now defunct, has been mummified for perusal? Life is full of ironies, and sometimes it takes an objective view to find them.  As a kid, I found it ironic that my father would […]

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Finishing Foundations

I turned to God when my foundation was shaking, only to find that God was shaking my foundation. – unknown I’ve carried this quotation with me since my early thirties, a time when the bottom fell out of my life and I fell into a deep abyss of depression and mental breakdown (or breakthrough, as […]

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Building a Foundation (with help from wikihow.com)

 Choose the type of foundation to build.  I want a foundation strong enough to carry me through hard times, yet flexible and able to adapt in the moment.  Something sustaining, and solid, but not rigid.   Set your footings 2 feet across.   Two feet on the ground, firmly planted, well balanced, not alone, but interdependent, both partaking […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #14: Foundation

“What about my marriage?”  a naive, much younger me once asked a psychic. “The foundation is firm,” the woman responded hesitantly, “but not without cracks.” Cracks?  It was more like gaping holes.  Easy to see now, in retrospect, but at the time, I was convinced we were rock solid.  The suggestion of anything less insulted […]

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