These lamb are grazing just minutes from downtown Cleveland as part of an Urban Shepherds project.
Today we acknowledge Earth Day in an attempt to bring awareness to the many things that humans do to pollute and defame our land. I am a culprit, but I am working to be a better steward of our world. What are you doing?
The Urban Shepherds project is definitely working to do their part. To learn more about their work visit their website by clicking on the name. Even if they weren’t making the world a little better, they definitely bring joy to me! Each spring I anxiously look to my right each day as I come to work to see if the sheep have returned.
I don’t long to live on a farm or anything, I just really enjoy that little touch of country in the city and having the ability to watch them up close.
Adding beauty to my workplace. A few of the cards found a home on my cork board.
Have you ever looked around your world and wonder, “What happened to the beauty?” I know that I find myself asking that question more than I like to admit, so I try to seek out beauty. It can be found in a face, a building renovation, the sun, flowers, beautiful blue skies. You just have to stop and look for it.
Well every year for the past five years I have been fortunate enough to receive that beauty in my mailbox as part of the annual Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. The Swap is organized by Kat Sloma, an accomplished artist, teacher and owner of The Kat Eye Studio.
Through her site and classes she has amassed a group of artists, wannabe artists (that would be me) and encouraged us to release our fears and inhibitions by sharing the beauty we create with the world! That’s true awesomeness!
The inaugural card this year suggested childhood whimsy and read, “Always remember the simplicity of a child – Smile!” This card is the work of Maggie_Gem as she is known on Flickr.com. Click on her name to see more! Thank you Maggie!
A gem from Maggie_Gem, “Always remember the simplicity of a child – Smile!”
Breezing in from California wine country was this beautiful landscape card created by Jasmine. Transplanted from New York, Jasmine takes photos of landscapes to “help me appreciate my new home.” To follow her adventures on the left coast pop over to Instagram @jasmine_sk. Thanks for the beautiful photo Jasmine and enjoy your adventures in Cali.
California wine country landscapes by jasmine_ck. Follow her on Instagram.
I’m an avid reader so I was pleased to see that Kathryn V. White shared her book cover as her entry into the 2015 LYA Swap! To learn more about Kathryn and Rumble Tumble Joy, visit her site here. Thank you Kathryn, I look forward to reading your work.
When the sunsets on a perfect night the view is calming and vibrant depending on how you capture it. Many hues of red, orange and yellow are present with tinges of blue. Chelsea captured the beauty of this nightly treasure in the photo below, and I thank her for its beauty as well as her quote, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” To see more of her work follow her on Instagram – @chelsasaurus or her website here.
Sunset by Chelsea Rawson.
An aquatic beauty greeted me as I received my final participant postcard from sheiladelgado.com. I loved her quote from Brenda Ueland, “Imagination needs moodlng – long, inefficient, happy, idling, dawdling and puttering.” I can really relate to that concept when attempting to create! Visit Sheila’s site for more wonderful art.
Aquatic Beauty by Sheila Delgado.
From the curator of this wonderful event came the beauty below. The textures and hues make me feel warm all over – what about you?
Beautiful fall leaves by Kat Sloma.
I hope you have enjoyed the art I received and I encourage you to visit these ladies and bask in even more awesomeness and beauty. Thanks for stopping by.
So it’s February 2015 and throughout my Facebook feed there are many mentions of famous and not so famous men and women who have contributed to the greatness of these United States. People like Langston Hughes, one of my favorite writers of all time and Nina Simone. I love reading about these people and those that I am less familiar with, I just hate the fact that we don’t really pay attention to their accomplishments until February.
The most astonishing discovery I had this month had nothing to do with my Facebook feed, instead I was working on a project for my paternal family reunion when I came across the document pictured below about my maternal grandfather.
Request for a headstone for Frank Walker Goolsby, my maternal grandfather.
What makes this document so fascinating and causes me to stick my chest out with pride is the space for Medals. Can you see that? My grandfather was awarded a Purple Heart! Now how cool is that? I think it is pretty darned awesome.
Upon further research I found this Wikipedia notation on the criteria to receive a Purple Heart:
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed. Specific examples of services which warrant the Purple Heart include any action against an enemy of the United States; any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force.
Now this document lists his grade as “cook”, so not only did he work to keep our soldiers fed during this tumultuous time, but at some point he was involved in combat and carried the wounds for the rest of his life.
This is the best Black History month “present” I have ever received. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but the fond memories my Mom had of him linger in my heart and have grown stronger with this knowledge.
Now I can’t wait to find out more about him, because there are still a lot of questions.
My new Volvo XC60 provided just the right amount of comfort and safety today.
I am so HAPPY to say it’s Friday! This has been a challenging week, one that prevented me from fulfilling my Blog Post A Day challenge and my 30 Days of Gratitude.
I could rant, moan and groan about this – instead I choose to accept what is placed before me and move on. The good news is that the missed opportunities were not because I just forgot, or had some sort of writer’s block. Instead my absence was due to life truly getting in the way.
So while I didn’t post on these days I will continue my gratitude messages within this post.
Day 10 – I am so grateful that I live in a country and a community that has any number of very good to excellent medical facilities within my reach. Especially grateful for these facilities on Monday as one of my dearest friends need this care and was able to utilize it.
Day 11 – I am grateful to hear that the above referenced friend has been released from the hospital and is happy about the treatment she received.
Day 12 – I will keep with the medical gratitude as today I am grateful for the doctors and nurses who treated my brother at Urgent Care and noticing an irregularity sent him to the nearest hospital for further observation.
Day 13 – I am grateful and thank God for his mercies and for eliminating the need for my brother to have an invasive, yet preventive procedure.
Today (Day 14) I am truly grateful for the vehicle pictured above. A little over a month ago I was blessed with this wonderful machine that has successfully carried me through the first snow storm of 2014! I’m still getting used to her in these conditions, but boy was I happy to have her today!
Now on to a weekend filled with rest and creativity!
I’m popping in to keep my challenge and offer a brief thank you, and gratitude for my co-workers who got me out tonight! What a fun evening! We all must stop and experience the pleasures of life from time to time.
If you haven’t seen Forecast play in a while check them out! Great set!
Shelley Shockley's Views from Collinwood 