The Straight and Narrow

EDIT, much after the fact.  I wrote this over a year ago, when I was hurt and mad about being judged as a "bad person" because of something very little.  I created a jewelry piece that someone thought was a "pagan" symbol. What does that even mean?  How small of them.  I thought it was a huge overreaction on their part, because I think they made the decision right then and there to never come into my shop again.  Maybe I also overreacted at the time in terms of the feelings I let this one incident stir up, which is why I didn't publish this post. then.  But I am reminded every day and every day of how people in the world right now judge each other in so many ways.  I wish it would stop.  I wish there could be a whole lot more goodness and genuine love in the world. The only thing I think I can do about it myself is just love more, judge less, and love more.  That's it.....I will just love more....pretty simple, right?

June 28, 2019:

The world is so big.

Do you walk the straight and narrow road?

I think I am having a crisis of faith.

Please don't think you have to help me with it.  I don't want you to try.  After all, it's just like a walk in the forest where you may lose the path for a while, but it doesn't really matter because the forest, your path and your destination, is still all around you, with all its life and beauty, and secrets.

It's okay if you can't see everything.

Humans, as a rule, want things to be explained to them.  In words they personally can understand.  I am trying hard to just experience the wonder, in a trusting and childlike way.

The world is so big.

I am having a hard time believing in the straight and narrow, that there is only one path through the forest that can lead to my destination.  Because not only have I been judged for following a different path, there have been stone-throwers on either side flinging a few sharp objects before walking away, shunning me.

I am a little ashamed that I don't stand up for what I believe, just a little more.  After all, my experience of  God in my life is so powerful...it makes me so happy.  I guess I am a little scared of those stones.  The shunning I can handle....I'm a hermit, anyway.

But why, oh why, must people try so hard to remake God into their own image?  Why is so important to think you must understand EVERYTHING?

I don't know who God is.  I know we are the image of him.  But he is NOT the image of us. He (just a traditional and convenient pronoun) is so much more.....so BIG, so small.  All times, all places omnipresent, a mystery beyond, BEYOND our understanding.  I'm not even sure you can call God a being....I am just not sure.  I just know there is something beyond our understanding that can somewhere, somehow help us to understand the wonder of our entire universe from the biggest expanse of space to the smallest quark or whatever it is that may turn out to be smaller than that. 

The cool thing about me :) is I'm okay with not knowing everything. Don't get me wrong, I love to learn (did you know birds don't have vocal cords?), but I'm not gonna figure it all out in this lifetime....and.....sorry for this....NEITHER ARE YOU.  So stop trying to prove something to me, to judge me for having different thoughts than you do.  STOP judging.....because if you really do believe what you profess to believe, you'd know that your chosen God-like being told you to STOP JUDGING.....do NOT throw that stone.  Put it down. Now.  Walk away....and start trying to look at the WHOLE picture.  It's bigger than you think. And smaller, too.  It's full of mystery and sound and color and light and darkness, and people who even in their smallness of understanding can demonstrate great love.  The universe is a marvel.  So start marveling, already.....I can't help but think you will be happier that way. 

Sometimes Everything Just Comes Together

Life is funny.

You never never know when you are going to suddenly get completely lost, or completely found.

Today, I am found.

The planets align.

Whatever you want to call it.

Life is like that.  Sometimes a seed you planted way back in, say, 1994, grows up to be the most beautiful tree in the forest.  You can't plan it, even if you think you did, because there are so many invisible variables.  Invisible to you, anyway.  Because we live in one time at a time, and one place at a time.  We move at one speed at a time, and can't even begin to see the big picture or the small picture.

I am a forest girl.  I love the big of the forest,

 and the small of the forest.

I love its complexity, how the many types of trees give just the smallest hint of the different and diverse life forms that call it their home.  I love the simplicity of air that calms you as you breathe in and out, and the patterns of the birdsong there, and the sound of the wind.  I love how one forest is completely different from another one, even just a little way down the path. 

I love how sometimes you can get lost, and the forest becomes dark and dappled with only the tiniest bits of light; the underbrush becomes so thick that you know you couldn't escape the zombies/psychopaths/chainsaw-wielding-banjo-playing-cannibals/Those We Don't Speak Of  who might be trying to catch up with you there (sorry....I watch too many movies and the forest NEVER scares me!).

But today, what I mostly love is how the forest can sometimes just reveal to you something so beautiful that it literally takes your breath away.  Sometimes it is something so small....a tiny flower.

Just a little bit of the Bad Color (favorite movie reference)

Or sometimes, it is something BIG.  Sometimes right in the center of the deep and dark, the thorns and vines and the bumpy parts that try to trip you up and slow you down, the tallest tree has broken through the canopy to touch the sunlight and deep, deep blue of the sky.

And it become apparent to me that all of life is this. And instead of fighting the thorns and vines and dark places, I need to love it all, every minute, because there is great joy in every bit of it, no matter how big or how small.  Not a very subtle reminder, God.

 I don't know what to call what I am experiencing today.
Beauty, certainly. Glory. Truth. Joy.

Inspiration...big time.

see it?

sometimes a piece is just a keeper

Grace.

I think I will just bask here for awhile.

Thank You for the reminder.

All photos by me, or by Nick Schumacher :)

Beautiful tree, or apple, as it were. 

This Is Where I Have Been

I notice that people keep reading my blog, even when I am not blogging. Nice...thank you.  I always think I am going to do a post, and then I don't.  So much of what I blog about, I have already blogged about.  I feel like I repeat myself a lot.  Maybe you are tired of pictures of birds and forest, I don't know.  I don't think I am starting to take any of it for granted, yet, although it's been three years and some months since we made the decision to stay in this miraculous land of water and forest and snow.

I don't want to make a grocery list of everything has happened since I blogged last.  It's tempting, but not very interesting, I think.

So let me just say this.

Every day and every day I find happiness here.  And peace. And time to breathe the air and fill my eyes with the wonder of creation.  I feel loved, every day by my thoughtful, kind, and generous husband, and my two best sons, who are so sensitive and indpependent, loving and creative, both finding their way more and more out in the big world.  And doggies....yes, my doggies love me a lot. A LOT, A LOT.

I am free here...to open myself to the touch of the world and to mirror back some of the beauty I see and feel.  I know it's a great gift.  Thank you, Bob, for allowing me the time to do this, and mostly...thank You, God.

SO....I have been busy for the last year.  Almost a year ago to the day, I discovered, in the midst of my twiddling around with copper wire, that I could do THIS:

just a little wire weaving around a small gemstone bead

And that piece started the frenzy. Thanks to the gift of a couple of little pieces of local Chrysocolla stone, I started to practice.  My first attempts almost (no, they DO) embarrass me with my lack of skill.

this one sold before it had a chance to left my work table....I was so proud of this then

a little bit better

 But I got better, and I started to realize that I could channel my love of nature and whimsy into something that people would like to see...and to wear....  I am amazed about that, every day.

Thank You!

With what's left of this post, I'd just like to commemorate where my mind and fingers have taken me this year with trying to develop my own unique style.   I thought maybe I could show my ten faves.  But, instead, here is around about....ummm....fifty or so.  Yes....I've made a lot.  This is just a small percentage.  I attribute it to the wealth of inspiration that surrounds me every day.  I am happy....can you tell?

I find meaning in the Tree of Life symbol, so I use it a lot!

My favorite stone is Labradorite

orthoceras fossil

more labs

I started experimenting with lots of cabochons...these were from an assortment I ordered

yeah it's a bug

I work a lot with resin cameos, painted or unpainted

this one makes my top five ever...sweet zombie girl

luna moth

my favorite style allows the copper to imitate nature

I can work neat if I want to

tree on the moon(stone)

no more captions...hope you enjoy!

Ironic...this is Chrysocolla, too!

If you like my designs and would like to know more, let me know.  I know you know that you should not share or copy my pictures or designs.  Besides, I would be very happy to make you something of your own...just ask!