Daddy’s Hat
Posted on June 24, 2015 Leave a Comment
Sitting on my boss’s desk was a photo of his son wearing Daddy’s hat.
All those curls framing such a cute smile was a winner, don’t you agree?
It’s been a few years since I did this one, but it never seems to loose it ‘s appeal.
Lynda Symons ©2008
Always Thankful!
Posted on June 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
Don’t you just love those cold mornings when the dog takes a dump and you gotta pull off your gloves cause you are fighting with those wretched doggie bags that stay stuck together at the top not letting you in?
Wind ripping through your trousers… had to do it on the top of a hill, didn’t she?!
So, there I was this morning as Taupo reached a ‘beautiful’ -3° out walking the dog. Finally getting that bag open and bending down for the obligatory pick up with thoughts of gratitude running through my mind…NOT!
The pallet sign came to mind and so the challenge began to find something to be grateful for…
It wasn’t working for me.
And then,
my hand (enclosed in the plastic bag, of course) came in contact with the warmth of doggie doo freshly pooped. Ah, yes! Now that is something to be thankful for. A little bit of warmth can cheer the soul immensely. Though most of the warmth came as I chuckled to myself thinking about this blog.
Hope you are staying warm, people! 🙂
P.S. Apart from the exercise thing, I got some GREAT photos which made the whole trip worthwhile…lots to be thankful for!!!
She Had it Covered
Posted on June 22, 2015 Leave a Comment
That daughter, she’s got a gift!
An eye for design with the ability to perform on a very tight budget…’large family’ training coming to the fore right there 🙂
I tend to arrange what we have, rather than knowing how to make what we have better.
So when she gave some ideas for making our abode more functional at the same time as more ‘hanging together’ I was in.
How excited I was when she grabbed some unused sheets from the cupboard and covered the three unmatched chairs. Suddenly they hung together.
Suddenly the room was more spacious
Suddenly I was grateful once again for her ability.
She had it covered! 🙂
Lynda Symons ©2015
Whitney Houston Belts the Sparrows
Posted on June 17, 2015 Leave a Comment
Whitney Houston is giving it her all on my playlist this morning.
One of my all-time fav’s!
- Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.- Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
- Refrain:
- “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. - Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Paintbrush poised as I contemplate the words.
Too many years of depression and fighting to climb out of that dark bottomless pit have made this song one of my life themes…to remember where my hope should be…to take my eyes up instead of on the all-encompassing pain. Too often I feel insignificant and small, not dis-similar to our common sparrow friend, and at that time I need to hang onto someone bigger and stronger than me till the storm inside my head abates. I need to find the solid and the true. HE is my solid rock!
I couldn’t paint without HIM. It doesn’t matter about ‘that special talent’ or your ‘amazing gift’ when your head is beating down beliefs, albeit false, about your worthlessness on this planet. HE is the one who lifts my head!
And so it feels just right to have a simple sparrow as my art motif. HIS eye is on this sparrow, and I know HE watches me. I am forever grateful.
Wanna belt it out with Whitney and me? Jump on over to my facebook page, click like and sing along. https://www.facebook.com/lyndasymonsartist
Lynda Symons©2015
A 2 Cup of Tea Chat
Posted on June 15, 2015 Leave a Comment
Every man’s worst nightmare starts right when she says “We need to talk”.
How many times have we all been there?!
Her all awash with emotion and JUST looking for an ear and a loving heart…well, most of the time, anyway.
Him with mind racing and adrenaline pumping. “What do I need to fix so that everything will be alright again?”
The intermingling of adrenaline and emotion is a recipe for disaster that we all know too well.
So, when I came and asked for a 2-cup-of-tea-chat, he was trying for all he was worth to stay out of ‘fix it’ mode. He’s heard me say that’s not what I want but automatic man-brain can struggle not to go there.
“Can you give me the headlines?”
“Sorry, not this time. Been processing for a while and just need to be able to tell my thoughts. If I start I won’t be able to stop, and we have people coming in an hour.”
Poor darling dearest! He nearly died right there. “Gonna be more than an hour! Been processing for a while! Oh, man!!!”
But he’s a gem!
Holding it together until the next day, he asked if now would be a good time and he got the affirmative.
On a cold and dreary morning outside, we stayed snuggled under the warm blankets, and he let me talk my thoughts through. He hardly even interjected! Wow, he’s getting good at this stuff!!!
Inevitable as the words tumbled out some tears came too. He offered me a shoulder and just held me till I had moved past.
When all was told he did have some really good ideas to ‘fix it’, which I really appreciated. Having waited until my emotion was gone allowed me to be open to these.
I am very grateful for this man and the relational lessons we have learnt together that make our life so much better.
He blessed me today with a 2-cup-of-tea-chat.
Very grateful!
Lynda Symons ©2015
Do you Enjoy the Weather?
Posted on June 2, 2015 Leave a Comment
What’s your favourite kind of weather? Are you a fun-n-the-sun kind of person, or a brave the elements and walk the blowing-a-gale kind?
The beauty of the tropics is waking up every morning knowing that a gorgeous day of cerulean blue skies and gentle breezes is your daily fare…unless it’s the wet season and you are privilege to constant grey skies and drenching rain. But, whichever way it goes, you know exactly where you are at. I like that.
Coming home to New Zealand was a shock. I had forgotten how changeable it could be and found myself often wishing the weather could just make up it’s mind!
Time has gone on…
The weather has not changed…it is still constantly changing here in NZ.
Instead, I have changed.
Although there is a beauty in the constant,I am enjoying the beauty in the changeable.
Variety galore. So many alternatives like little surprises just waiting to be savoured and enjoyed.
This morning the dog and I got to walk in the fog. Trees and roads with no sharp edges. Alluding to’s and mysteries. Muted tones with softer edges. A palette of gentle grays.
One blessing of the fog is that I can spot that dog easily in the fog. Her black coat contrasting well, as opposed to the dark of night when I have to use ears rather than eyes to keep track of wandering paws.
Grateful for the soft and subtle gift.this morning.
What weather did you wake up too?
A Little Bit of Envy
Posted on May 28, 2015 Leave a Comment
Yes, I admit it.
Aunty Shelagh’s plant was causing me a little bit of envy.
Each time I visited, there it sat in the dappled light flowering profusely. Lovely purple tubular flowers popping out on long stems.
And it just looked just gorgeous in the Mediterranean styled pot she had it sitting in..
No, Lynda! You have enough plants!
I thought I had gotten over my little dance with the green-eyed monster…
until…
I saw it on sale at the local nursery.
Try as I might it was just too hard for me to resist (Pppfff… as if I really wanted to resist!)
Enjoying the new plant on my art desk.
Grateful for sales.
Lynda Symons ©2015
Trousers in a Cold Wind
Posted on May 25, 2015 Leave a Comment
That wind was biting hard this morning.
Dressed in woolen hat, scarf and gloves. Boots on with merino socks beneath. Padded jacket to cut out the wind over the top, and still i didn’t feel adequately dressed this morning.
I pulled the hat down a little lower trying to cover my ears.
Although the dog was as keen as ever for a walk, I wasn’t feeling quite so positive towards it this morning.
It seemed to be taking forever to get the blood pumping. Reality was it was probably taking no longer than usual, just it had to compensate for the wind that whistled right through your trousers.
Berating myself for not having put leggings on under my jeans , I turned the corner and saw two boys walking to school in…shorts!
Shorts in THIS southerly wind!!!!!
Hugging their school bags tight as barriers against the wind they walked quickly to their class. In their wake, I felt suddenly very thankful for the trousers I was wearing.
A new perspective just blew in…Grateful!
Lynda Symons ©2015
Mouses or Mice
Posted on May 22, 2015 Leave a Comment
We’ve had this grammar war before when son procured more than one mouse for his computer.
It came up again last night when I proudly declared to the fam how many mouses I had caught.
I know…I should have said ‘mice’, but I was trying to soften the blow for the tender hearts among us.
Those kids sitting up late at night had made the fatal mistake of becoming well acquainted with the burgeoning population we have been hosting. They even named them.
As for the dog? She has become so used to them running around the corners of the wall that she hardly even raises an eyelid in their direction.
Diligently I have been putting out bait traps but with little improvement.
When the little brown bundles of fur popped out of the toaster I decided to bring in the big guns. This was war!
Peanut butter in a mouse trap.
To date I am up to 9 deaths in just a few days.
However, my elation is not shared by emotionally attached kids. At each death they have checked to see which friend they will see no more. Insert mother’s rolling eyes here!
Apparently, I crossed the line this morning when son walked in and found me drawing my latest victim. “That’s just messed up and wrong, Mum!”
But, does he realise how grateful I am?!
Lynda Symons ©2015
Nepal and Sir Edmund Hillary
Posted on May 20, 2015 Leave a Comment
Nepal is suffering the effects of two major earthquakes in quick succession with multiple large aftershocks. We feel for the Nepalese…the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011 are still with us here in New Zealand as a poignant reminder of how devastating these can be.
Our friend, Jeff Keily, from Sunshine Coast, Queensland, has recently taken many building trips to Nepal. Being a genuine and caring sort he has made many friends there as he has rebuilt and renovated orphanages alongside the locals. His son, Joel Keily, has started a gofund.me account #nepalquakerelief for donations and has t-shirts you can purchase to help with fundraising. Jeff will be taking the funds directly to the orphanages on his next trip in July. If you’d like to help him you can find the page at www.gofundme.com/tp5x2w.
Every New Zealander has a piece of their heart in Nepal. That’s where our national icon, Sir Edmund Hillary, succeeded at being the first to conquer Mt. Everest in 1953. He fell in love with the Sherpa people of Nepal and returned to help build schools and hospitals. He took every Kiwi with him.
All this news of Nepal reminded me of a drawing I did a few years ago of Sir Ed. It is now gracing the wall of another who loves to climb mountains and do things I just shake my head in wonder at. Nepal has been one of his favourite places, too, and I hear them often talk of going back… their way of giving.
Although I cannot present you with an original, there are prints available on the gallery page for $20 (postage is free within NZ).
Enjoy.
And remember to give as you can whether funds, taking a trip yourself, or in prayer. Sir Edmund left us a great example of a generous heart.
Lynda Symons©2015
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