noticing and listening

Happy Saint Lucia Day, friends! Celebrating our heart string connections to Sweden, I lit some birch luminaria early this morning and caught a silhouette of our Dala horse in the window.  

Ted Kooser's poems continue to remind me to notice the beauty that is all around me. The crescent moon at dawn on Monday set me on a mindful path for the day. On Tuesday, everything was covered in frost as I drove down the hill. The beauty of this early winter has been its silver lining.

Birchbark is finding its way into so many of my projects these days...I don't know if birches are a talisman or a totem for me or quite what...but these lovely trees really call my name. (What is the word I am looking for?)

If you are yearning for a circle of Light to sit in these days, brew yourself a pot of tea and settle in to listen to Krista Tippet interview Tracy K. Smith, our current poet laureate. The piece is about 52 minutes long, so be sure to set aside enough time to both listen and reflect on this inspiring piece. Six years ago, Hannah and I went to hear her read her poetry...

In the early evening, Hannah and I drove up and over the Rochester Gap, to the Big Town Gallery where we heard Tracy K Smith, the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry read from her newest collection, Life on Mars. We were nestled in the gallery, set up with ancient wooden folding chairs, and a gentle drizzle coming down outside. What a blessing it was to sit quietly and let Tracy's lyrical words soak into us. Her work is brilliant, honest and deeply human. 
-July 16, 2012

Be well, friends. xo