time

time is a funny thing. some days you have too much; other days not nearly enough.

carefree happy days speed by; boring days not so much. i crave time -- time outdoors 

soaking up the sunshine, long lazy afternoons reading good books, happy hours giggling

with my grandbabies. i want more quality time with my hubby and my children and time to

make sure my mom knows how much i care.

so, i'm taking a break from blogging and my etsy shop and television. i'm saying goodbye

to the pressure i place on myself to do it all. taking a break -- to me it sounds just lovely.

i don't know when i'll be back but i will. and when i am back, i'll be refreshed and have a new

lease on life.

and, yes, that's me acting like a dork in the above photo. rest assured i won't be taking a

break from being a dork. hee hee

take care, friends!

think happy thoughts

2-year old granddaughter layla

playing in the puddles on our back patio.

this shot makes me smile!

you know the old adage about garbage in / garbage out? i think there's a parallel to what we think every day. if i feel sorry for myself and allow myself to dwell on the negative i feel, well, pretty crappy. but if i make a conscious effort to embrace happy thoughts like i did today then the world is aglow with possibilities and vibrant energy. happy thoughts are dwelling here in my heart and soul and now i'm wafting them out to all of you. did you catch a few? hold them close and feel their power. let them loose in your life. and don't be too busy or too shy to act like a kid. dance in some puddles, play in the sprinkler, lick the cake batter spatula and smile, smile, smile!

whistle while you work

this is the beginning of a big canvas i started on friday night. can you guess what it's going to be?

this is the progress i made on saturday. any guesses now? i happily worked on it yesterday and it's almost done. final photos to come soon.

i created this little 6 x 6 canvas board late saturday night. i stumbled into corid's shop and LOVED every little thing she did! did i say loved?! she does the sweetest little illustrations on vintage papers. my mermaid was a quick attempt at her style. i enjoyed trying something new and different. you can check out corid's shop here and her blog here. 

this is the little print i just purchased from her shop! luv, luv, luv!!!

happy monday!!

splish splash

bella and zoe have fallen in love with the water hose. they know that when we return from our evening walk they get to slurp and splash on the driveway. bill and i just stand back and smile!

the hose also gives us lots of entertainment in the back yard where we sit in our adirondack chairs and the girls chase the water spray. life doesn't get any better than this!

i'm having a sale in my etsy shop. i've loaded some new originals and prints. please check it out!

she loved the seashore

she loved the seashore

(c) 2010 julie king

she loved the seashore. it was the one place that would let her mind float free and her spirits soar. the salty wind blew across her face while her feet caressed the soft, white sand. looking down she admired an eclectic array of perfectly-formed seashells. she selected one with a dawn-like blush of pink coating its gleaming interior. as she added it to the growing collection in her pocket, she imagined the pretty blue bowl she would fill with her treasures.  looking down the beach, she saw children playing in the surf along the row of beach huts. their laughter and squeals of delight made her smile. answering the sea siren’s call, she approached the water’s edge letting the foamy surf rush over her feet. the sensation was heavenly and a small sigh escaped her lips. a flock of  herons soared in formation overhead, swooping and gliding to their own siren’s call. as she leisurely walked along the surf she studied the ebb and flow of her footprints in the sand. small white sandpipers cast intricate shadows as they skittered back and forth. using her toes, she traced words of inspiration into the hard-packed sand-- hope, dream, believe, soar. she lay back on the sand, turning her face to the sun, and breathed a prayer of thanks for this respite, for these moments of peaceful interlude with the sea. 

i found my muse and i'm happily creating from the heart, with gratitude and a sense of total bliss.

now available in my etsy shop!!

longing

loving this evening shot i took of my mom's clothesline

harley mirror shot -- me with blurred edges

note to self -- shop for new bras!!!

do you ever feel like you're longing for something but you can't quite put your finger on what it is? i've been feeling some restlessness . . to make a change, to follow an inner voice, to be true to me. i'm not sure but it has me up late tonight. maybe i know in my heart what it is but am not yet brave enough to say it out loud. i hear my soul whispering don't wait too long. grab onto that star now. maybe i just need time to heal, to put recent events aside. maybe i'm having a mid-life moment. i have decided to stop coloring my hair for a while to see how gray hair suits me. for now, i'll try to be content with that change and see how all the dust settles.

loving my nikon these days and the feeling that i'm simultaneously finding and losing myself behind the lens.

rusty

although i've felt quite introspective the last few days and really just wanted to be alone, hubby convinced me to go out to breakfast this morning at the clifton mill in yellow springs. we had a delicious meal including buckwheat pancakes which i've not had in years and years. yum yum!! nikon in hand we wandered around the mill and adjoining properties snapping photos. in keeping with my mood i meandered on my own solo path, concentrating on quaint old objects in close focus and detail. i so enjoy rusty things and patterns. today did not disappoint.

even though my heart and mind are sad and a bit lost in memories and lost opportunities, i'm also rejoicing in the fact that life goes on. the birds are still singing their happy songs and the flowers are turning their pretty faces to the sun. death brings a much-needed lesson: be blessed in living each day with full vigor and opportunity for being happy and giving love to those around us.

i am blessed. 

daddy's hands

daddy’s hands

saluted an american general in a far-off land
for almost 60 years held our mother’s hands
built our family home in a sheltered wood
patted little brothers’ heads when they were good
held our arms close when we were wed
made a treehouse from an outhouse shed
smoothed out blueprints on a construction site
raised brick and mortar to lofty heights
added his name to a giant rock’s side
then raised the american flag with patriotic pride
cradled our babies on his knees
teased our babies with heartfelt glee
excelled at woodworking without measure
gave us heirlooms we’ll always treasure

daddy’s hands too soon grown old
built a legacy for all to behold
after a lifetime of creating the best
daddy’s hands are now at rest


julie king
may, 2010

after a long illness and surrounded by my mom and all my siblings my dad passed away on may 6th. i was blessed to spend the last week of his life living at mom and dad's caring for him, offering support to my mom and helping to make all the arrangements. i took the above photo one afternoon during some quiet time between mom and dad. it is the only photo we have of them holding hands. the poem was read today at his graveside service.

thanks for all your love and support during this time.