Thursday, September 30, 2010

orange serendipity


"orange serendipity"
mixed media collage
(c) 2010 julie king

orange serendipity
azure-colored skies
floating on happiness
as the world flies by

i started this piece back in blah and showed you an early sneak peek here. i so enjoy serendipitous art where i have no idea what i'm going to create when i start and just let the muses carry me away. i used scrapbook paper for the wheels and then a palette knife for all the painted elements. in person this has so much texture since i like to layer color upon color with the knife. this is the biggest piece i've done in a while and it's going to hang in the living room of my new little cottage-like house. it will be a daily reminder to live each day with joy and let serendipity carry me away whenever possible.

where has serendipity taken you lately? i'd really like to know.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

coming home


she pulled her sweatshirt a little tighter, warding off the first evening chill. her bike whizzed by the ornate rock wall entrance to the town cemetery. she smiled to herself as she thought this used to be one of my favorite haunts. the last time she had ridden here had been well over 12 years ago. just like then, she loved the hush of the sleeping cemetery at dusk.  like nothing else since her return, riding in the cemetery was symbolic of coming home to her beloved hometown.

turning out of the cemetery made her think of presley and the long walks they had together morning and night. she missed him and thought how he would have loved coming home as well. she remembered how she was once referred to as "the lady who walks her dog" by a young girl. she liked that description; it fit her quite nicely.

riding uphill toward north washington street she could hear mr. avery commentating the JV football game.  mr. avery, her senior english teacher, had colorfully commentated the games when she was a student here. it was comforting to know that some things never change, one of the things she liked best about living in a small town.

as she headed toward the cute little house she was renting, her soul sang along to the chiming of the christian church chimes. she'd missed that evening melody so much. as she got off her bike, her neighbor from across the street walked over to introduce herself and offer a heartfelt welcome to the neighborhood. she'd missed that kind of friendliness in the city as well. 

as she stepped onto her porch she whispered a little "i'm sorry" out into the universe for those she had hurt and disappointed by making this choice. but in her heart of hearts she knew her truth -- coming home meant being completely true to herself for the first time in a long, long time. and it was so right.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

she knew her path to happiness



she flicked the turn signal to right and eased her faithful black van off the too-busy interstate onto a rambling country road. rolling down the windows with relish, she breathed in the bittersweet smells of fall. oak leaves danced across her path as the dried corn stalks swayed along in the fields. sun streams infused her body with warmth and invigorated her soul.

at the sharp s curve, she passed an abandoned farm with a barn lot of ancient, rusted farm equipment. she kept meaning to write a poem about this combine cemetery of steel workhorses put out to pasture, forgotten, yet lovely in their own way. she longed to stop and wander the relics with her nikon in hand. one day soon, she promised herself.

almost-ripe pumpkins glowed in the sun reminding her of the fall activities she had missed the last few years. she made a mental list of the things she wanted to do this year -- the orchard, baking bread with her daughter, carving pumpkins, greeting trick-or-treaters in a funny costume. she’d missed so much as her joy had waned.

her mind turned to her life and the choices she was struggling to make. she’d always believed that every gain in life is balanced with a loss. sometimes the potential loss is evident but most times it sneaks up on you, slowly becoming an unwelcome anchor. she’d been weighed down by her personal anchor for way too long. she knew her path to happiness meant hurting someone else and that it would take a great deal of courage to be healthy again.

determined to enjoy the delicious day, she randomly punched #6 on her dashboard CD player, smiling in anticipation. it had been some time since she’d felt like singing in the car. the opening notes of keith urban’s “days go by” had her foot tapping and her fingers dancing. just like the old days she sang out loud, this time letting the years of hurt and isolation float away. and she thought, so this is what happy feels like.




so many changes in my life right now, all too personal to let out into the world yet. please know that i am feeling better, finding my way and rediscovering the blessed joys in the simplest things in life.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

sounds of autumn








most people love fall for its sights and flavors -- the brightly-colored trees, pumpkins in the field and fresh vegetable soup with warm apple crisp. i love all of that and more but this week i've been enamored with the sounds of approaching fall. driving with my windows down the wind makes a wonderful rustling sound thru the crispening corn. we've heard 3 large v's of geese fly over the house in the evening, their honks resounding over the roof and their wings makes a soft whoofing. chattering children on their way to the bus stop are soon followed by the screech of the school bus brakes and the creak of the opening door. sounds carry father and clearer on the breezes of the cooler air and my heart sings along with the crickets and cicadas as the sun sets.

i've had a rather rough summer, feeling run down, depressed and just completely out of sorts. hubby would describe me with 2 words -- grumpy and emotional. i confess that it's all true. i go the dr. on wednesday to get the results of some blood work i had taken last week. although i'm not 100% i have felt better with the cooler weather. i call it getting my fall fix -- the best medicine ever.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

the girls






zoe on the top and bella on the bottom -- the girls!
they bring our lives so much joy!!