Words in the Week: from Margaret Atwood's- The Handmaid's Tale

One of my favorite lines from Margaret Atwood's book, The Handmaid's Tale...

"It's impossible to say a thing exactly the way it was because what you say can never be exact, you always have to leave something out, there are too many parts, sides, cross currents, nuances; too many gestures, which could mean this or that, too many shapes which can never be fully described, too many flavors, in the air or on the tongue, half colors, too many."

Small Stone #30

Words, words, words,
        at some point they become too much.
Words should be like leaves
        falling softly in the sunlight.

Words in the Week: August 21

"Have patience for all things, but, first of all with yourself."  ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Finds in the week: Chokecherries

Chokecherries in the area- along with Oregon grape, currants, rose hips, and lots of other berries- are ripe and ready to be picked.

I found several of the said berries this weekend as we were out exploring, but focused on picking the chokecherries as they were much more prolific.  While my husband fly-fished my kids and I tried to pick chokecherries where we could at least reach them along the trail we walked, as so many more were down steep embankments.  Mr. Bear and the birds had already beat us, and thankfully weren't trying to compete with us at the same time.  Plenty of the chokecherries still had time to ripen, leaving more picking for another weekend.

Next step, chokecherry syrup.

Finds in the Week: Pratical advice for relationships with writers...

Foto Friday: Natural Love

This photo was taken in one of the canyons on our trip to Lake Powell in the spring of this year.  As we motored along in our boat exploring and fishing, there we found this natural heart right in the sandstone of the canyon wall.

An illusion, a reflection- look in the right hand corner of the photo at the water drops for proof!- this photo makes me think that perhaps the natural phenomenon we stumbled upon is a little like love itself.  Love is usually referred to or regarded as an emotion, not a visual or tangible thing.  Yet it is a reflection, like this photo, given out by the people we love and by those who love us.  Love is real, and in the case of this natural heart, at times even visible.