Grasshopper Lane

Is this thing on?

It's a bit dusty around here and I see a few cobwebs....I should knock them down but 'tis the season.   I'm piled up in the chair the morning working on editing photo's - a super secret project, a few senior photo's of one of my favorite kids and then some from a couple of adventures the hubby and I have taken this summer.  The sun is peaking out from the clouds this morning.  They are shining just right to illuminate the big walnut tree up in the garden - it's a particularly gorgeous shade of orange this morning - much different than the hues of yellow it displayed last weekend. Beauregard is sitting right in front of it and if there wasn't a ladder learned up against him, it would be an adorable vintage picture - a glimpse of perfection.  Isn't it interesting what first glances show us?  Our eyes don't catch the imperfections or the stories....just a first impression of that perfection.  If you took a few extra minutes, stopped and  peeled off the layers of this "first glance", you would see that there is a giant black cat, currently deflated sitting on top of the camper, covering a giant gaping hole from where a tree fell and ripped up the metal.  I guess we could call this view perfectly imperfect.  Kind of leaves a path or two there to ponder....

Anyway - just a very much slowed down Sunday here on Grasshopper Lane.  Maybe I'll come back later and muse a bit more - 

Enjoy - 

Jen

 

 

Let's Journal - Nature's Sketchbook

Remember those sweet little diaries with the tiny locks on them?  Mine came with a little key attached by a snippet of red and white bakers twine.  I promptly removed it and put it on a chain around my neck.  And then, promptly lost it - a rubber band off that nights newspaper provided secret diary security from then on.   That was my very first attempt at journaling.  Filled full of hopes and dreams, irritations over things my brother had done to me that day, and other odd sorts of bits and pieces including the night the neighbor boy dropped my Barbie into the storm dream...it was Blanche'...I was traumatized.

As I got older my words moved into a twenty-five cent, spiral bound, cardboard covered notebook from Walmart.  The outside covered in doodles, balloon words and pictures of a tiny little critter peering over a brick wall.  Still the same format as my little pink journal but add random notes from friends, scribblings of your future husband and kids' names and random drawing caricatures of a very boring economics teacher.

My journaling has evolved since those days.  I discovered composition notebooks, scrapbook paper and mixed media.  I could turn that $1.00 book into a special treasury to hold all of my tidbits, pictures and words from each day.  I am a firm believer in writing things down.  I believe that letting go of each day, both in prayer and writing, allow you to move forward.  We often times tamp down all those hurts and disappointments deep inside until they build and explode...sometimes in words that we can't take back.  I tell folks in my journaling and planner classes, as they pass mine around, you would rather me write it down in that book than say it out loud.  Can I get an Amen? 

It's also a place to celebrate the good stuff, the little "wins" for the day and to record random memories, prayer requests, quotes.  I still journal to this day - and, with exception of that little pink diary that started it all, I still have all of my journals.  I sometimes go back and look at them - a trip down memory lane and a celebration of lessons learned, treasured friends, etc.

Take time out today to create a journal for yourself - even if it's just a dollar notebook (telling my age here...)  and take time out before you head off to bed to write the words of the day down.  And, if you're interested, I just listed a gorgeous journal in the shop.  It's made with the Graphic 45 Nature's Sketchbook papers.  It's full of pockets, tags and all sorts of little places to hide special treasures and lots of room to write your heart.  You can find the link over on the right side under My Shop.  Wishing you a fabulous evening friends -

 

enjoy!

jen