A Bit of Wabi Sabi
It finally arrived, yes, it’s 2018, after what I would consider to have been a whirlwind year. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it dawned with bright sunshine and frosty temps in the mid-twenties. As a way of initiating 2018 in a positive direction, I started with a healthy breakfast, followed by a brisk walk in the fresh air. It’s as good a beginning as I could imagine.
Lots of folks had the same idea today, maybe to shake off their cabin fever, or work off a few of the extra pounds after a long holiday of feasting. So, we weren’t alone on the trail. Yet, between fellow walkers nodding and exchanging a cheery “Happy New Year,” it was wonderful to walk with my husband, and talk about the prior and the coming year.
I particularly enjoy this time of year, looking back at what has passed, where I’ve been, what I’ve accomplished. Maybe noticing things I want to carry forward into the new year, and other things to which I’m ready to say farewell. Looking ahead, I try to take the best with me, and leave behind whatever might be holding back from expressing all that I can be. And, it just seems like a good time to take stock, and be intentional about the path I’m on.
As we walked and talked, my ears were focused on our conversation, yet my eyes were wandering, noticing, taking in the landscape, and absorbing the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that have occurred in recent months. There is so much beauty in the natural decay of plants, leaves, and grasses, with amazing surprises like the ones pictured above. Such understated delicacy, with luminous cool colors and a burst of orangey-brown… I am eager to play with watercolor, or maybe pastels, to paint this beautiful image.
As promised yesterday, I’ve added seashells to my mask, and here it is again, revealing some mysterious, unexpressed nature.
