I want to see, too!

Rise up, Beautiful. Every Bit True

2010-06-05T00:51:00.001-07:00

Rise up, Beautiful. Every Bit True, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Rise up,
Beautiful

Let me see you

all of you

torn apart heart
jangled memories
scars and bumps and bruises
and all

every bit you
every bit true

every bit beautiful.

I want to see you

bluebells1130-4093

Dive Into Me In Tenderness

2010-06-03T23:21:00.001-07:00

Dive Into Me In Tenderness, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

dive
crash
stumble
jump

into me

right here

learn the jagged frays
of past hurts

trace the soft outlines
of my heart
with your intention

in tenderness
trust
our
selves
into one

soul

in

tenuous
soul

drops1130-4058

Precarious soul-baring gratitude

2010-06-02T22:54:00.001-07:00

Precarious soul-baring gratitude, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It's a precarious business

this soul-baring

this fire-starting

this soul-family-coming-together

and it's worth every moment

the learning
the balance
the give

and the give

accepting
abundance
in its many forms

sending waves of
gratitude

gales of beauty

flowers on wings

sparkling across the ether
holding the thread
that holds us all together

ladybug1102-1536

It's especially fun when you sass. Use that voice.

2010-06-01T22:42:00.001-07:00

It's especially fun when you sass. Use that voice., originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

voice

I wanna hear it
yours
mine

ours together

do you keep your true voice

hidden

or do you let it out
let it burst forth

to
comment
question
rejoice
compliment
sass
(it's especially fun when you sass)

further the discussion
join the conversation

use that voice of yours.

it's beautiful

geese1122-3487

2010-06-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Latest Contest!

If you're following me on Twitter (and really, if you aren't yet, why not?), then you know I've been having a contest as I reach every new hundred followers. At each contest I find some methodology to choose the contestants (someone made me laugh, people who retweeted me, etc) and some random way of selecting the winner. Then I send them an Art Card of one of my photos right to their home address.

Now that I've reached 900 followers, I've decided to really play the gratitude game.

You tell me who should win the contest - nominate someone (preferably someone I can follow on Twitter) - and tell me why they should win and which photo should be the prize.

This is wide open. Anyone can play, anyone can win, and everyone gets a chance to look through my photos which, I've heard from some people, is a nice pick-me-up anytime.

How do you enter? Lots of ways:

You can tweet me - be sure to use @picsiechick or dm me so I'm sure to see it.
Or you can leave a comment here.

If your nominee is on the interwebs, leave a link to what they do so I can get to know them, too. If they are so sparkly-wonderful that they deserve a card from me, I want to know them!

Be warned, once I reach 1000 followers, I won't be having "hundred" contests anymore. There will still be contests, but they will be random, much like my powers of observation. So, since there's really only 2 more "sure thing" contests, you probably don't want to miss out.

ps: should you nominate yourself? While it's not entirely in the spirit of gratitude, it is in the spirit of recognizing your own awesomeness (as Catherine Caine of http://www.beawesomeonline.com/ advocates), so, sure, tell me a compelling reason that you should win, and you'll be entered, too

Hugs and butterflies, everyone,
~T~

At the touch of the DJ's fingertips...spin

2010-05-31T22:57:00.001-07:00

At the touch of the DJ's fingertips...spin, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

needle on vinyl

spin
to be heard

at the touch of the
DJ's fingertips

or solitary
in the sunroom

the voice is the same

only context is altered

volume
venue
audience

promotion
admission
appearance

still the same voice

distilled down

it sings of the same things as always
and it sings of the same things as all ones

beauty
connection
the Infinite
Self
love
emotions

seeking

always seeking

the bump and rattle
frenetic crowd

the hum and breath
alone

listen
you will hear it

the voice that is
you
me
us

you will hear it

spin

flax1126-3806

I wait...breathless, breathing into this moment

2010-05-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

I wait...breathless, breathing into this moment, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Rest

recovery
rejuvenation

what does it take to get there

when capacity is reached
or breached

rest
communication
distraction

re-energize
contribute to
the next phase
and its success

proud of what was accomplished
drained and full all the same

excited about what is yet to come
what is to be built

it's too loud in here

so I focus there

on that drop

I know it can't stay there forever
and so I wait with it
breathless
breathing
into this moment

letting the Infinite reconnect
all the synapses and
capillaries

until I am
again
refreshed

drop1124-3640

Successful Distraction

2010-05-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

Successful Distraction, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Brilliant!

Days and nights
slogging
pounding
pushing

like a chain uphill

such slow progress
barely perceptible

the moment
for a moment
success

then

sudden complete failure

shift gears
the show must go on

a different success

a night's sleep

distillation of thought
fresh eyes
fresh mind

an idea
try this

and

true success

WAHOOOO!

and, on to the next project....

but first,

celebration
relaxation
congratulation

all necessary

I'm far too distracted
by the euphoria of

nailing it.

what was I supposed to do next?

orchid1109-2360

Yes, Bring those...Make me Feel Fine

2010-05-27T18:29:00.001-07:00

Yes, Bring those...Make me Feel Fine, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

bubbles
(like in the song)
tiny ones

the ones that are meant
to elevate the mood

yes,
bring those

and your delicious smile

and your infectious laugh

and your tantalizing stories

there are some days
that require
escape

and you can help

...make me feel fine...

daffdrops1133-4280

Vexations Melt A Way

2010-05-26T22:22:00.001-07:00

Vexations Melt A Way, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

enchanted

a glimpse of
another world

soft
welcoming
comforting

all the irritations
frustrations
vexations

heaped upon
weighted shoulders
burdened mind

melt

a

way

freeing the Infinite

releasing

Joy

being
in
this
moment

We're waiting for you....

flower1133-4262

This Amorphous Muse

2010-05-25T23:07:00.001-07:00

This Amorphous Muse, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

inspiration

like courage

sometimes whispers quietly

sometimes gently nudges us

she can be easy to miss
he can be overlooked in the day to day rush
this glimmer of the Infinite
this amorphous muse

but the message winds around us
tickles us at the edges
diverts our attention

if only we'll let it

but some days are meant
for tasks
and duties
and deadlines

and like courage
inspiration
will be there to try again
tomorrow

duchess1131-4157

Fan the Flames Higher

2010-05-24T22:24:00.001-07:00

Fan the Flames Higher, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

on fire

the embers are aglow

here
inside

there are other elements
critical to creating

fire

the wind
to fan the flames higher

the fuel
to feed them

time, energy

when they arrive
the embers will be ready

let's see what kind of
fire we can start!

tulip1130-4050

Balanced on that Moment in Between

2010-05-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

Balanced on that Moment in Between, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Poised

balanced
on that moment in between

while the thought is still
fresh
new
unique

not yet paired
with the other parts of the plan

not yet integrated
in the overall
scheme

the bits
and pieces
stack close to each other

parts to the
puzzle

parts of the
whole

at times it looks like
they will never come together

it even looks as if
none of them are even connected

but time
persistence
dedication
to the plan

will take us there

when all the pieces
become one

and every part
is a function of success
for the whole

drops1124-3647

The Infinite's Brush Strokes

2010-05-22T00:21:00.001-07:00

The Infinite's Brush Strokes, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Motion in stillness

the Infinite's
brush strokes
reflected

in early morning light

the stream on its constant
journey

each drop a stream
a stream in each drop

life giving
enriching

beauty

I thirst for you

stream1128-3920

What a Great Day This Was

2010-05-20T23:05:00.001-07:00

What a Great Day This Was, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It was a friend day

I woke up with fragments of dreams
populated by my friends T and M and B

(all I remember is that we were very
comfortable
with each other

YAY)

JC and I exchanged a few
witty quips
and deep thoughts

And then I read
what my friends K and D have cooked up
and my brain popped open

with ideas

Later I had a great talk
with S
and marveled at her athletic skill
and her generosity with me
(and my setback)

I was happy for
my bestest friend J
and his latest milestone
and am so happy to be
on this journey with him

R introduced me to L
who shares some surprising
interests

I learned R lives somewhere that
I'd really like to visit

It was sweet that D
invited me to a show
even though I can't go

was "accused" of being a deep thinker
by another friend S

was humbled by K's generosity

had fun sharing butterflies
with all sorts of friends
all over

and when A helped me out with
some computer stuff
I realized

What a great day this was

I have great friends
And I feel truly blessed

Thank you all!

Hugs and butterflies,

flowers1122-3511

Souls Entangled Between Us

2010-05-19T21:50:00.001-07:00

Souls Entangled Between Us, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

One of many

cozy amid my sisters
souls entangled
between us

embarking on
an adventure of woman

surrounded by the Infinite
nestled in her gaze
and each others arms

as we discover the Infinite within

together

lily1131-4147

Whisper Fiercely ... beauty

2010-05-18T21:16:00.001-07:00

Whisper Fiercely beauty, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Beauty in small things.
Beauty in all things.

I sign my emails this way
because this is the core of my belief system

The beauty is there
here
over there
under that

always

we just have to seek it
to look for it
to open our hearts to its
song
its shimmer
its pull

beauty is not absent
as the flower finishes its show

nor is she absent
as the earth rests under snow

we know this
intrinsically

we can feel this
viscerally
and we know this
intellectually

I breathe it daily

So why is it so hard
to see the beauty in a set-back
to accept that when the push towards a goal
is interrupted

there is a reason

there is a need for rest

for a kind of beauty that whispers fiercely
that soundlessly begs
to be seen
above the disappointment

did my body fail me?
or did I fail my body?

neither

somewhere in this is beauty

because I believe this
my life depends on it

daffdrops1129-4020

Sad at the loss

2010-05-17T23:08:00.001-07:00

Sad at the loss, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

One of those nights.

Thunderstorm
Electrifying
Filled my house up with rumbling
Made my heart pound
My ears ring

Made me feel alive

And totally distracted me

One chore done
One step of one project

And then the fire
Sad at the loss
It's a beautiful house
I've always wanted to go in it....
...see inside,
meet the ghosts

Alas, she was struck by lightning

The very storm I was loving
Took something beautiful away

Isn't that how it always goes?

HeritageFire1130-4116

It Holds Me.... Hostage

2010-05-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

It Holds Me.... Hostage, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Inward.

We need to look there.

Find the tender bits.
Poke.
Ask.
Try to understand
(try to remember).

It's obvious,
the broken-ness,
it's there
it lives
it breathes
it holds me hostage
(but only sometimes)

and I ask myself

do I really want to know?

If the forgetting is there
to protect me,
is it not best
to let it keep protecting me?

If I keep looking
it feels like
it will pull me in
suck me into its vortex
into the darkness
(and maybe a revelation

but maybe not)

and suddenly,
not gradually like it began,
the moon moves past new,
and my focus turns outward.

We need to look there,
inward

but only sometimes

duchess1128-3916

Each moment....breathless

2010-05-15T11:15:00.001-07:00

Each moment....breathless, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

balanced points
resting in Spring's early gaze
readying for the long growing season ahead

Heart-held and head-weary
lit from within

each moment a transformation

each moment breathless

each point
unique

gather these to you now
before they change
before they are lost

for
with one flourish
all points will be one, flowing,
as if they had never been apart

drops1127-3864

Can the story be re-written?

2010-05-13T23:03:00.001-07:00

Can the story be re-written?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

ready to lift you up
hold you steady
when the brokenness
wants to pull you in

at the hands
and the words
of our sisters
and brothers

joy is revealed

can the story be
re-written

can the brokenness
be inlaid with -
imbued with -
transformed into -
joy

even if the brokenness
is a giant gaping mystery
of not-knowing

let her in
through all the cracks
and broken pieces
to fill that chasm
and bring the peaceful beauty

that is joy

forsythia1121-3376

Take this chance

2010-05-12T23:02:00.001-07:00

Take this chance, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

A blur
a ruckus
a flurry
of flourishes

that repeats itself
hour upon hour

unless we pause

let the water of life grow still around us
just for this moment
take this chance

to see yourself
clearly
reflected
smooth
untroubled

the ripples will start again soon enough

mallard1127-3820

The 700 contest

2010-05-11T19:12:00.001-07:00

The 700 contest, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

This is the one.

This is the picture you'll receive on a real printed Art Card, if you win. I'll have it sent directly to your home, without inscription, so you can save it for yourself, or send it to someone you love for a special occasion.

Yessiree, it's a contest, and you could win it!.

If you're on Twitter.

If you are already on Twitter, follow me at twitter.com/picsiechick Once I reach 700 followers (I may already be there by the time you read this), I'll start the contest.

Every retweet that day gives you a chance to win. So retweet me, often.

At the end of the day, I'll use a reverse draw to determine the winner. If there are a lot of RT's, it could take awhile, so I hope you're ready for the suspense!

Tweet on, good people, and good luck!

Of course, if you don't win, you can always buy it. :-)

tulip1121-3336

That Other Part

2010-05-10T22:47:00.001-07:00

That Other Part, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Everything seems balanced on knife edge. Where all it takes is a misplaced breath, or a gentle nudge, and the moment is gone.

There's the seeing part and the thinking part. The delicate water drops, the tenacious balance, the refraction of another world through the magnifying globe....

...and then there's that other part, the one without thoughts, that I watch so thoughtfully. My determination to be mindful of the things unfolding in my heart. Of the things that are not of my mind.

The necessity to point that magnifying globe towards those feelings, those emotions.

Before they disappear.

Before the moment is gone.

Before my breath takes me someplace else.

Unless someplace else is exactly where it is supposed to take me.

And you. Take a deep breath.

drops1125-3709

Be. Right now

2010-05-09T21:28:00.001-07:00

Be. Right now, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

If there are layers to time and space

If there are other possibilities
other lifetimes
other realities
that are going on

right now

(and I believe there are)

Is it also not true that those same layers
possibilities
lifetimes
and realities

are going on inside me
inside you

right now?

Look through the cracks
Let what you see
Be

tulip1126-3755

Ode to the weekend

2010-05-08T00:00:00.001-07:00

Ode to the weekend, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Frantic.

Blustering cover
for inner
weaknesses

Bustling craving
for outer answers

Hurrying
scurrying
busy-bodies
busying themselves for

what, exactly?

Rest now. Your wings must be tired.

pigeons1123-362

In The Chrysalis

2010-05-06T23:00:00.001-07:00

In The Chrysalis, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Rest.
Recovery.
Healing.

...stuck...?

At some point we have to give in. Acquiesce. Take off the cape for a day or two.

We can't be super heroes every day. You. Me. We are human. We are divine. We are sacred. And we need each other.

And sometimes we need to rest.

But really, while she's in her chrysalis, she's not really stuck. Even if it feels like it at the time. She's just getting ready to emerge a changed being, more whole, a fulfillment of her destiny.

A butterfly.

tulip1126-3763

Leads to clarity

2010-05-05T23:15:00.001-07:00

Leads to clarity, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

How is it that feelings
can be so prickly
even when we can't define them?

Where does that sudden onslaught
of emotionality
actually
come from?

When a completely physical sensation
- not necessarily an unpleasant one -
brings an unexpected surge of emotion

I am blindsided
and prickled
and confused

I search, I seek
I question
and yet,
no answer reveals itself
no ready-made solution of words
rises to consciousness

and my helplessness is palpable

normally it's my words, however stumbling,
that define me.

and if my words can't describe it
can't bring meaning to it,
what is its purpose?
what can be learned from it?

how can I find beauty
within this upheaval?

yes, I believe that there is beauty everywhere
and on days when it is hiding
behind drama and mood
and emotions
I have to breathe it in all the fuller
ready myself for the step off the precipice
and have faith that this transformation
leads to clarity
however painful

magnolia1121-3217

Obstacles or Nudges?

2010-05-04T22:37:00.001-07:00

Obstacles or Nudges?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Day upon day. Absurdities abound.

The out of place, out of sync, out of character.

Obstacles to our true path?

Or nudges towards our higher purpose?

Or maybe, just maybe, comic relief.

Couldn't it just be a bike hanging from a tree? A thing so out of place, so out of time, that there's nothing left to do but laugh?

Laugh, then. There's a glimmer of humour there, right? Let it glow, let its light fill you and guide you and give you another point of view.

More than anything, right now, your heart must be light.

biketree1089-0427

At the center of it all

2010-05-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

At the center of it all, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Swirl around me

Enfold me, unfold me, find me

At the center of it all

Another center

Every night

The rhythm of my days

Brings me back to you. Into you. Filled with you.

As sleep tugs me in its direction, my body slows, my mind relaxes

And your need (and your gift) grow louder, brighter, fuller.

Speak to me in my dreams

That I may awake, awakened

tulip1124-3674

Where invisible lines encircle

2010-05-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

Where invisible lines encircle, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

and there are moments

where all of it is held together, inside, within, by nothing more than surface tension

where invisible lines encircle all the depth and breadth and power

and the only escape
is what can be captured

by an onlooker

and I challenge you to define,
with all of it there on top of the surface
visible from most every angle
held together by the will of molecules

is it deep?
or is it shallow?

drops1124-3661

Meant to be

2010-05-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

Meant to be, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

How amazing to me that I thought/wrote this stumbling passage while I walked to work Friday morning, and later on Friday read this fabulous www.unabashedlyfemale.com/2010/04/30/creatrix/ by @juliedaley which so eloquently describes the same process. So beautiful, this inter-connectedness...

the key is within us
peace. beauty. sacred. joy.

we all have it
but we forget where it is
obscured as it has become
within the fabric of our lives
knit in with worry, busy, responsibility

it is meant to be fluid, soaring, free
and yet is held fast, smothered
in a net of our own making
a soft cage. a protective buffer

I see it. in glimpses
fleeting moments
I struggle to see it always, to peer past
look through
the interwoven layers

not really but in so many ways a puzzle

I am
afraid to pull at the string
to unravel *life*

can it be freed without
massive disruption,
a complete unraveling?

I tremble at the thought
this is my *life*
is this not me?

is there another way?

can it be mindfully
released, retooled, revealed
one thread at a time
intentionally uncovered and discovered
with purpose and clarity

re-knit with new threads
woven gently. lightly. airily
somehow free yet tethered
visible. central.
guiding

less afraid, knowing
there are others
we are together in this quest

living in gratitude
I begin.

water1116-2855

A trill, loudly declared

2010-04-29T23:05:00.001-07:00

A trill, loudly declared, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

And in (or is it from?) the chaos, it arises. Perhaps without warning. It may be just a whisper, barely heard unless in a hush of reverence. So easy to dismiss.

Hopefully it is a thrill, a trill loudly declared above the rattle and hum of daily existence.

That moment of clarity. Light imbues the depths of you. Shifts your awareness. Awakens. Stirs. Expands.

This moment is yours. Marry it with your life. Embrace its openness. Choose to follow its new path.

You feel where it will take you. Now let it.

Have you felt this moment? Have you changed your path?

flowers1121-3396

Where is the beauty?

2010-04-28T22:51:00.001-07:00

Where is the beauty?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Where is the beauty? Is it the light flowing through? The darkness behind? Is it the group with all its overlap and connections? Or one that stands on its own?

Can there ever be an answer?

Are we not all of these? As much our sadness as our joy, as much our uniqueness as our connectedness, we are beauty.

All the way through.

grass1121-3381

Ya just gotta find it...

2010-04-28T06:46:00.001-07:00

Ya just gotta find it..., originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Jumbled. My mind jitters and jags between thoughts, half-remembered dreams, and partially-formed plans.

Doesn't matter that I spend so much time in here, it's messy.

But messy and jumbled can still have beauty. Ya just gotta find it....

bleedingheart1121-3444

Pulled along through your streets, you draw me in

2010-04-26T22:56:00.001-07:00

Pulled along through your streets, you draw me in, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

My neighbourhood. I'm pulled along through your streets and lanes that criss cross and circle, and make jagged pathways across the east hill of the valley. You draw me in.

The ivy-hidden garden gnome, the crazy steep stairs, the crescent with its houses from the many decades, the magnolias and lilacs and picket fences and hills.

I walk through all of this, in all of this, part of all of it, letting the sights and smells and sounds fill my senses.

On my right, the sound of t-ball: plunk of bat to ball, staccato excitement of kids, game - ready.

On my left, the lilt and trill and rumble of musicians warming up instruments. The music school, with its columns and leaded glass - what ghosts it must have - dressed for an event tonight.

This fills me up - my vibrant neighbourhood. Part of me. Part of who I am now. Integral as the air I breathe, it is the steps I take every day.

I realize I am smiling. I am home.

What lucky circumstances have brought us to this place? What opportunity grasped at just the right moment? Such good fortune. To find each other, to know each other is all we really need. Yet to know each other *here* to be in the place *together*?

Bliss.

Hugs and butterflies,

fence1121-3251

For the Birthday Boy

2010-04-25T23:16:00.001-07:00

For the Birthday Boy, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

'Cuda. As in Bara. The car. 426 cubic inch Hemi. 4 speed traction lok. Camaro-busting street fighter. Power. Muscle. Border Collie.

Kind of a bullldozer, pushes right through whatever is is in the way. Not much for finesse.

Unless there's a hug involved. Yes, the muscle man, he's a mama's boy. Sweet, charming, full of soul and sighs. And can never resist "mama wants a hug".

And today is his birthday.

My babyboy dog, cuddle muffin, power boosted squeak herder is 11 years old. ELEVEN. Wow. How does that happen? Nearly a dozen wondrous years.

He wasn't always such a softie. He was a rambunctious youngster, trying our patience on a minute by minute basis. Smart enough to know exactly when he didn't want to listen. Somehow we all got through those years, survived and grew together as a family. Our own blended family. Canines, Felines, humans. Happy in our little world.

And every day I'm happy he's in our life. And nearly every day I wonder if we give him all he needs. Enough exercise? Enough brushing? Enough love?

And no matter how the day was, regardless of how much time we spent together, with no judgement, no reproach, nothing held back.

I get a hug.

And my heart melts in gratitude. Again. Happy Birthday, 'Cuda. I'm glad you're in our lives.

cuda1121-3194

Momentary highlight

2010-04-25T00:21:00.001-07:00

Momentary highlight, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It always feels nice to stand out. To be outstanding. To be recognized. Even for a moment.

Today I'm the "featured artist" on www.fotomoto.com, which is pretty exciting to me. They get lots of traffic, and some of the people who see it will click on the link and stop in right here on my blog.

Which, of course, is exactly where they can get to know me, see my photos (which I hope they will love), and choose to send an ecard for free, or spend a little change and buy a card or a print. Which all uses fotomoto to get the job done. Maybe some of the people who click will buy something. And I'll have even more to be happy about it. (not that I'm not already swimming in bliss, I love the abundance of support and joy in my life)

Well, pop on over to fotomoto and check it out. I'll only be featured there for one day (this time)!

crocuses1066-7819

One simple demand

2010-04-24T00:14:00.001-07:00

One simple demand, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

My heart sings. Glimmers of last night's dreams linger on the edges. Belly dance move success. Web growing larger, deeper, wider. I feel surrounded, enveloped, by loving friends in all directions. And change. Always change.

I know lots of us don't like change. It's unfamiliar. It grates. It demands something from us, something we don't know yet.

Sure this change is for me. My words, my voice, my grounding moments at the end of a day. Yes, this is a gift to myself. Every day.

I want this change to be for you, too. With only one simple demand. Slow down. Listen. *See*

It's what I've asked from you all along. Take a moment to ponder something often overlooked but truly beautiful. Feel it for a moment. Let it stay with you through your day. A visual mantra. A meditative touchpoint. A new point of view. A shift at the soul-level.

I feel it. Lots of times. When I take the picture. When I rediscover it. When I choose it to send to you. And the chill gets more pronounced when my words flow. When the feeling just lands there on the screen in front of me.

Like now. During this gift-time. I will sleep better for it. Perhaps I shall be visited by goddesses again, like I was last night.

So, what I really want to know is: Is it working? What do you like (or not like) about this new style? What do you want to be different? What did you feel from this post?

Fill me up with your reactions, your feelings, your thoughts.

I'm waiting.

Hugs and butterflies,

forsythia1071-8324

Peaceful exhaustion

2010-04-22T22:52:00.001-07:00

Peaceful exhaustion, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

End of day. Peaceful exhaustion. Body spent after 30km - 10 on foot, 10 on 2 wheels.

Sleep will envelop me soon. And she will be like a float on the pond in the morning with Duchess.

And I will dream of bloggesses and phrases that pull me in and twirl around my soul the keep me in the here and now saying thank you to Sophia for the wisdom and radiance.

Must sleep. Enjoy the photo.

Hugs and butterflies,

duchess1120-3129

Where do you find your mirth?

2010-04-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

Where do you find your mirth?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It's a journey. Step after step in a not-quite-straight line. Some days it's sailing a river, it's so fluid. And some days we trip, or the trail is straight-up steep. And some days a beautiful distraction comes along.

While pondering the difficulty of knowing the sacred and living the mundane, of understanding that both must co-exist - "Before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.", and thinking this is just the topic for tonight's post....

I was fancifully distracted. It made for the perfect evening.

First the walk home in stormy wind, under the heaviness of black clouds, buoyed by irrepressible sunshine. Yes, one of those days full of contradiction and juxtaposition. Just. Like. Me. I'm home.

And then my fabulous new sisters and brothers of the order of blogging bantered and did what new friends do. Had some fun. Got to know each other. Got deeper into friendship.

Not digging deeper. No. More like gently sinking into a cloud of marshmallows.

Fun. Whimsical. It has to be so. It's what pulls the weight from one's heart, leaving only the light. And the feather.

Enjoy some whimsy. Melt into some mirth. Live your heart in every way.

And then tell me about it. What fun did you have today?

Hugs and butterflies!

duckhouse1117-2916

Found

2010-04-20T22:45:00.001-07:00

Found, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

We meet here. Accidentally. Serendipitously. Fatefully.

One voice leads to the next.

We join together. In conversation. In the rushing river.

Voices together. Joined. Voices from every corner of the world. From every pond and river and lake and sea.

Found. Held in each other's hearts.

We carry each other through each tentative step. Feed each other's longings. Ease each other's loneliness. Celebrate each other's wondrousness.

We are symphony. We are harmony.

You've heard it before. Many voices, one song.

Only this time it's ours.

Join us.

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Shimmering Hearts

2010-04-19T23:07:00.001-07:00

Shimmering Hearts, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Something is afoot. The universe is speaking. She's whispering. Breathing life and light deep within our souls. Sometimes it's a growl. A song. The wind's whoooosh. Drums. Mostly it feels like light. Growing brighter. Shining revelation on our innermost feelings, the workings of our shimmering hearts.

We have moments when we connect. The vastness between us diminished, our threads entangled in a wondrous web. It is joyous. It is freeing.

It is real.

Real in a soul-deep, awe-inspiring amazing way. That doesn't have much to do with the grocery getting, furnace filter changing, cheque book balancing world.

How do we marry them? How can these two worlds not just co-exist, but be one in the same?

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Is there room for doubt in gratitude?

2010-04-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Is there room for doubt in gratitude?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

What a fabulous time this is!

Life. Communication. Friends. Opportunities.

Self-doubt.

Wait.

That doesn't fit. Doubt? Did I say that? A feeling of not being worthy. Yes, I guess I did.

It's kind of like gratitude. Except it's muddied by insecurity. How does it get in there? How is there even room for it?

Today, my dear friend @Sorrow11 ( sorrow11.wordpress.com/ ) tweeted this quote "I realize the deepest yearning of human nature is the craving to be appreciated." Og Mandino

And, oh yes, I hear that. I feel that.

And that's just it. It feels like my heart is filled, full with gratitude, wonder, amazement. This gift fills me up. The magic of light, shadow, colour, tone, hue, shape....captured by my camera's lens. And I spend some time most evenings, settling my heart down, taking time to write something inspiring, upbeat, as much to cheer you, as to give myself the gift of mindfulness, rejuvenation, grounding. And I'm even grateful for this gift.

I've met some amazing women bloggers recently. They inspire me, encourage me, make me feel appreciated. (there it is, again. Appreciation!) And today, talk of a get together with these fabulous ladies! And me, too! Imagine. Me!?! With them! Wow. I'm honoured. I'm grateful. I'm....

And then the insecurity seeps in. What if I can't afford to go to them? Is it fair to make them come here? Will they like me? Can I converse at the same level as they do? Can I possibly shine the way they do? Will we connect? Will they like it here? Is my home (my not-well-organized, not very tidy home) a suitable place to invite them to stay? Honestly, I don't know the answer. I have to let it go. Let the fear pass through me like a wind. Should the plan come together, I'll take the chance. I'll take each doubt, hold it to the light, turn it gently to see it from each angle, then alight it on a beautiful butterfly and watch as it gently flies far away. And I will remain. Present. Grateful. Part of the conversation.

Can it be true? It sounds magnificent!

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Loss, remembered

2010-04-15T22:48:00.001-07:00

Loss, remembered, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

My friend is grieving. I hurt for her.

With her loss, the hurt of my own losses are remembered. Our bodies don't know the difference between remembered pain (or joy) and the real thing. As the shadows that linger on the lower edges of my heart growled into an ache at her news, I believe this. That often-ignored undercurrent of sadness filled my heart with a familiar wrenching, a longing emptiness. Would that I could take that pain away for her.

Alas, it is not mine to fix. Not my place to release her.

We are the sum of our stories, the whole of our experiences. Every nuance carries into the fibre of our being, the longing, aching moments along with the joyous, overflowing celebrations. Without them we would be less rich. Less real. Not fully ourselves.

It's easy for me to say this now. My losses are distant, years old, seldom pulled out of storage for a look. And yet, as I found today, they are still there, always present, ever a part of my soul.

For my friend, there is nothing but sadness right now. But she is wise. Mindful. Alive. She will see the beauty this moment leads to. She will feel the hurt for what it is, without drowning in it. Without losing herself to it. I know this of her.

And yes, I will still swim beside her, ready to catch her hand, should she reach out. Or only to be some company on this journey. Whatever she needs from me.

And soon, may Peace find her with her heart open to welcome her in.
~T~

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This morning, the gift

2010-04-14T22:55:00.001-07:00

This morning, the gift, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

What a gift!

Morning. (ugh) Time for walking. The usual pretty flowers. (uplifting) Rushing stream. (energizing) Birdsong fills the air. (delightful)

And this.

Two days ago:
"What is it?"
"I don't know. Some kind of shed, I guess. The sun never shines on it, so I've never had a chance to take a photo of it"

This morning, the gift.

As if uttering the words can make it so. (is it not always the way to make it so?)

Beyond the flowers and stream and birds, it is here. In the light. Ready for the close up.

The well-lit mystery. The face revealed for my camera, open, engaging. And, yet, the meaning still obscured behind timbers, metal, concrete. So it is.

With sheds, I guess, as with people...as with life.

Stories revealed in fits and starts. The curtains pulled aside for glimpses. And yet, more, always, than we ever expect. More than we can know.

And somehow, those stories that set us apart, also bind us together. In our shared, separate experience.

There is always a locked door. There is always a way in. Which side of it are you on?

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Peel it back

2010-04-13T22:46:00.001-07:00

Peel it back, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Small. It starts very small. A tiny release. Feelings set adrift in the ether. A glimpse of my heart adorned in all its corroded burnished sparkling tenderness. Maybe I let it slip out.

Maybe I meant to.

But there it is. Words, once spoken, belong to no-one. Belong to everyone.

And then the dam bursts. It barrels along. The hardened outer layers of my heart peeled back. The raw revealed.

It is yours.

Be gentle with it.

~T~

water1107-2218

2010-04-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Tweet me!

I'm on Twitter
http://twitter.com/picsiechick

As my followers increase, I've decided to have a little give-away. Follower number 400 will receive an art card of one of my favourite pictures.

If you're not following me yet, now is a good time to start.

If you are following me, tell you friends.

See you in the twitterverse....
~T~

As an added bonus: on the same day I reach 400 followers, I will also draw from the 50 most recent followers and send an art card to that winner, too!

Whisper More

2010-04-12T22:54:00.001-07:00

Whisper More, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Draw me in. Fold me into your batter until I am sweet, sticky, one with you.

I know there is more. You whisper it and my heart grows bigger. I feel it in the murmurs of aspen in the light breeze, the dappled sunshine caressing brilliant blossoms, in white feathers.

When can I see it? Or is wanting to more than enough?

~T~

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2010-04-11T22:27:00.001-07:00

Abundance, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Listen for it.

The rush of the day dwindles, the savory smell of dinner lingers, the cat curled up on my lap purrs, the dog warming my toes snores. There is a peace here, and such love! Acceptance that all that was accomplished today was amazing enough. Definitely not perfect, never perfect, but who needs perfect when there is a purring cat?

And how can our days be anything less than amazing with so much abundance upon us?

Yes, listen. That's acceptance you hear.
~T~

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Be your colours

2010-04-08T23:09:00.001-07:00

Be your colours, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Reinvention.

It's all around us. The wild outrageous show that nature puts on every year has begun. A butterfly told me. Fluttered right by me on her erratic ecstatic flightline.

It's time, said the whisper of her wings, Put your wings on. Bring out your colours. Be.

What colour will your wings be?

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Don't miss it....

2010-04-07T21:38:00.001-07:00

Don't miss it...., originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Bedazzled.

Bewitched, entranced, awed.

Moments so tiny, so easily missed, so easily dismissed.

Unraveling in front of us. In this every second.

Be.

snowdrops1114-2609

Why share?

2010-04-06T21:45:00.001-07:00

Why share?, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Why do I share my photos?

For you. For all of you. So you can feel it, too.

You see, there's a magic that comes through my camera. Some call it God. Some call it Mother Nature. I'd rather not name it as words are completely inadequate for this amazement that overfills my soul. Yes, some days, it feels like I'll burst from it.

It's not just a party trick that happens when the lighting is just right (although that is part of it), I really believe that there is healing here. There is comfort, and love, and cheer and, yes, even healing in beauty.

Take your time with the photos. Browse around, let them touch you like they have touched me. Let them change your day. Maybe more.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

duchess1117-2935

Celebrate

2010-04-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

Celebrate, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Success! One little step towards the end goal and it's all sunshine and rainbows again.
Stack them one upon the other and the momentum will pull us through.
Tell me one of your recent successes. Let's celebrate them together!

~T~

narcissus1072-8471

Juxtaposed parallels

2010-04-04T22:31:00.001-07:00

Juxtaposed parallels, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Juxtaposed parallels

The tragedy of loneliness. Does knowing there are others who share this loneliness, make the pain any less?

Ogopogo and Duchess. Juxtaposed parallels.

There are stories here....

Duchess1115-2781

The Right Path

2010-04-03T01:05:00.001-07:00

The Right Path, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Chaos.
A means to an end...
The method of the journey...
A sign of the right path(s)...
Beginning.

Join me.

ducks1112-2554

Look

2010-03-31T23:07:00.001-07:00

Look, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Today the words aren't here.

Okay, they are, but there's too many of them and they are all jumbled up like last week's laundry before sorting.

But then I look at the immense beauty of this lily. And I don't need words any more. (if you have some, though,. please share them)

Hugs and butterflies,

Layers

2010-03-30T22:15:00.001-07:00

Layers, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It happened the other night. A typical wander to the washroom in the middle of my night's sleep, nothing unusual there. In a startled half-glance, I saw a huge man sitting on my couch with a box on his lap. I finished the turn of my head, blinked, and looked again.

Nothing but a tangle of blanket and cushions in an vaguely fat-man shape. All is just as it should be.

And then a thought. What if he really is there? What if all those times when I think I see someone - in the dark, in the clouds, in a flower, in the random pattern of the flooring (it happens to me a LOT) - what if those really are glimpses into some other place?

Could the world be layers upon layers of happenings coinciding without co-mingling? Could that out-of-focus, sleep induced, tiny moment that happens without warning, really be a veil slipping out of place? What does it take to keep them out of place a little longer? What would happen if we did that? Who holds those many veils in place, obscuring that which we are not to see? Is it all in our best interest - a means of having an ordered and predictable world?

Or are we all just fooling ourselves?

~T~

orchid1106-2101

Change

2010-03-29T22:55:00.001-07:00

Change, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Change is in the air.

It takes an act of courage to follow your own path. To listen quietly to that small voice inside that says step forward on this path and make it yours.

That voice is going to be heard.

It's true. I've been encouraged to use my own voice with my photos. (thank you www.kellydiels.com)

I'll try to keep it seamless for you, and I'll be following one of Gretchen Rubin's (http://www.happiness-project.com/) tips for happiness and will be asking for help. I'll let you know who the helpers are as we go along.

What would you like to see on my blog?

fountain1103-1654

2010-03-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

By Request

Bits

2010-03-28T20:33:00.001-07:00

Bits, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

I am dust particles in the sunlight. I am the round sun. To the bits of dust I say 'stay'. To the sun 'Keep moving'
~ Rumi

light1096-0958

Within

2010-03-27T12:27:00.001-07:00

Within, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.
~ Buddha

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Without

2010-03-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

Without, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.
~ Winnie the Pooh

leaves1102-1449

Focus

2010-03-24T22:59:00.001-07:00

Focus, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

You dont get what you want in life. You get what you focus on and expect.
~ Tony Rush

tulips459-5547

Cure

2010-03-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Cure, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Red is the ultimate cure for sadness.
~ Bill Blass

tulip1070-8260

Opens

2010-03-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

Opens, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

From wonder into wonder existence opens.
~ Lao Tzu

tulips1072-8422

Hidden

2010-03-21T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hidden, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
~ Khalil Gibran

trees1103-1688

Within

2010-03-20T22:08:00.001-07:00

Within, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Your world without, in every way, reflects the world within.
~ Sandy Forster

water1108-2216

One

2010-03-18T22:01:00.001-07:00

One, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

All human beings are interconnected, one with all other elements in creation.
~ Henry Reed

daffs1072-8495

Before

2010-03-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

Before, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

After your death you will be what you were before your birth.
~ Arthur Schopenhauer

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Within

2010-03-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

Within, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

otto1108-2312

Unfolds

2010-03-15T21:28:00.001-07:00

Unfolds, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.
~ Khalil Gibran

water1112-2507

Welcome

2010-03-14T21:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them.
~ Kahlil Gibran

tulip1072-8543

Greatly

2010-03-11T21:20:00.001-08:00

Greatly, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

It sometimes seems that we have only to love a thing greatly to get it.
~ Robert Collier

junco1112-2493

Choose

2010-03-10T21:25:00.001-08:00

Choose, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

We cannot cure all of the worlds sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
~ Joseph Campbell

water1112-2502

Heard

2010-03-09T22:10:00.001-08:00

Heard, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
~ Lao Tzu

tulip1108-2318

Deepening

2010-03-08T23:02:00.001-08:00

Deepening, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
~ Kahlil Gibran

duchess1108-2252

One

2010-03-07T22:00:00.001-08:00

One, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

One man's theology is another man's belly laugh.
~ Robert A. Heinlein

sun1112-2579

Ready

2010-03-04T20:47:00.001-08:00

Ready, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Whatever you're ready for is ready for you.
~ Mark Victor Hansen

water1110-2418

Always

2010-03-03T21:34:00.001-08:00

Always, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
~ Lao Tzu

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Everyone

2010-03-02T21:47:00.001-08:00

Everyone, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Treat everyone you meet like God in drag
~ Ram Dass

cudaandmu1108-2281

Private

2010-03-01T22:00:00.001-08:00

Private, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.
~ Joseph Campbell

water1108-2212

Glowing

2010-02-28T21:51:00.001-08:00

Glowing, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

With glowing hearts, we see thee rise"
~ from the Canadian National Anthem.
Canada rocked the games. Well played, Canada, well played.

snowdrops1109-2367

Spring

2010-02-25T21:52:00.001-08:00

Spring, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams
(so don't feel too bad, the winter doldrums will be over soon)

magnolia1101-1187

Your

2010-02-24T22:25:00.001-08:00

Your, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.
~ Kahlil Gibran

orchid1106-2103

We

2010-02-23T21:14:00.001-08:00

We, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Life is a process. We are a process. The universe is a process.
~ Anne Wilson Schaef

water1089-0408

Reveal

2010-02-22T21:16:00.001-08:00

Reveal, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.
~ Ikeda

snail1080-9349

Becomes

2010-02-21T22:07:00.001-08:00

Becomes, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Anything, everything, little or big, becomes an adventure when the right person shares it.
~ Kathleen Norris

trees1103-1658

Release

2010-02-19T06:21:00.001-08:00

Release, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

The heart is like a flower, unless it is open it cannot release its fragrance into the world
~ Osho

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How

2010-02-17T21:37:00.001-08:00

How, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

If you knew how right things actually are, you'd throw your head back and laugh at the sky.
~Siddhartha Gautama

tree1103-1401

Touch

2010-02-16T22:03:00.001-08:00

Touch, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.
~Stephen Covey

magnolia1072-8410

2010-02-15T22:19:00.001-08:00

More, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

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Heart

2010-02-14T18:52:00.001-08:00

Heart, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

When your heart speaks, take good notes
~ Judith Campbell

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Do

2010-02-11T22:49:00.001-08:00

Do, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Do all you can to make your dreams come true.
~ Joel Osteen

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Follow

2010-02-10T21:52:00.001-08:00

Follow, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Let your Mind follow the beauty of your heart:
~ Rinon Hoxha

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Set

2010-02-09T22:56:00.001-08:00

Set, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Set your sights on a place higher than your eyes can see.
~ Rumi

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Before

2010-02-08T21:15:00.001-08:00

Before, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
~ Khalil Gibran

fountain1103-1643

Focus

2010-02-07T20:20:00.001-08:00

Focus, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

The ego is nothing other than the focus of conscious attention.
~ Alan Watts

orchid1102-1458

Inquiry

2010-02-04T22:41:00.001-08:00

Inquiry, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

Doubt comes in at the window when inquiry is denied at the door.
~ Benjamin Jowett

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True

2010-02-04T06:20:00.001-08:00

True, originally uploaded by picsie.chick.

True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.
~ William Penn

frost1101-1294