Focus on Life Week 36: A door

Already another month... *sigh*

September's topic is Simplicity - a worthy theme amid the back-to-school, full-autumn-schedule busyness...

The door to a restaurant in town - it's just a shame the bargain store opposite is reflected in the glass... 

But it's a beautiful, original Art Nouveau door - you can just make out the lovely etched flowers in the four mini panels at the top...

Paint Party Friday

I confess I'm cheating this week...

I want to show my new painting pinny, which arrived yesterday... It has no ties so I can put it on myself one-handed without any assistance :) But it's hard to get a good photo... It's beautifully handmade by Louisa Burman.

And on top is this really fun piece of mail art which arrived last week from the lovely Jo - here's a close-up

Again it's hard to get a good photo, but there are wonderful layers of paint and more layers of gel pen... I just love it, Jo, thank you!!

I promise next week I'll show stuff I've actually painted while wearing my super-duper new pinny ;-)

Joining in the fun here.

Thursday thoughts...

Thanks to Angel for putting onto these lovely folk... I now get a Daily Power question in my email box and this was yesterday's...

Immediately, I thought of Joseph Campbell's famous quote:

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you 

where there were only walls.

And I promptly wrote a list of my bliss - that which makes me happy, content, warm inside...

Time alone reading and writing

Time with family when each are safely gathered in before dark

Time with friends

Stroking Molly-cat

Lighting a candle before prayer/meditation

Watching/listening to football - especially when Liverpool win :-)

Watching high-quality drama on TV

Learning something new

Browsing the internet 'meeting' interesting people

Having time to just sit and think

Getting out on my scooter and feeling the warm breeze

Watching the seasons change

Writing a blog post and enjoying people's comments :-)

I'm sure there are many more... But I'd love to know What's Your Bliss?

Wordless Wednesday: The wonder of Barbara Hepworth

A favourite room in The Hepworth Gallery.

Linking in with Wordless Wednesday.

Word for the Week

I've missed a couple of these... 

First, because I scratched my eye quite badly one Sunday and simply couldn't see the screen (or much else!) for a few days :-(

Then last Monday was a Bank Holiday in the UK, and I was recovering from a really great day out at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the The Hepworth Gallery - scroll down to previous posts to see photos...

So here we are beginning another month(!!), and the card I pulled from the Rediscovery pack is a real goodie...

I'm sensing this may be a Word not just for this week, but for the rest of the year!
We're entering my favourite month and season, where I usually have a creative surge... It's that new-term feeling that just never leaves me - no matter how many years since I started school :-)

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Helen Keller

A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. 

For all serious daring starts from within.

Eudora Welty

Having completed Lisa's ROOT 30-day journal project in August, I'm all fired up to dare to continue writing each day using this book...

Image from rossifox.com

... who knows what I'll learn/discover in the 30 days of September!

And I just love the fresh, bright green background of this card, with invites creative energy and action.

Daring to play with watercolours...

... with collage...

... and photography.

(Looking out of the window at The Hepworth)

Do you share my love of this time of year? That new-term burst of energy and excitement? I'd love to hear what you think when you see this Word...

UPDATE

Next Monday is the Full Vine Moon, and I've just finished reading Amy Palko's thoughts as I begin to prepare for my making my September Dreamboard next week, and I realize these words are a perfect fit for my Word for the Week...

This Vine Moon, it is time to lose your inhibitions. It is time to dance like no-one is watching. It is time to enter the fray, your voice weaving effortlessly into the chaos that surrounds you. It is time to kick off your shoes and cast to one side any self-consciousness you might feel...

Amy Palko, Bloom by Moon

In other words - it's time to be DARING ;-)