Simple Small Storage Space

They're everywhere.

Especially after Christmas.

So many little and odd-shaped things,

tempting us to create

a junk drawer.

Or a shelf. Or a cabinet. Or a closet.

Which can take one

an eternity

to come out of, unscathed.

And those fragile items

never quite fit in, anyway.

They roll around,

ready to tumble and fall,

or be crushed

before we ever get to use them, at all.

But we can whip out

a beautiful, empty vase.

That basket of fabric swatches,

hiding in the closet.

And wrap them around the odd,

the fragile and the delicate things.

Tucking them inside.

Hiding them.

So gently.

Merry Christmas!

I love Santa.

He was Ho-Ho-Ho-ing, right down the road.

I love snowflakes.
They were shimmering brightly, right down the road.

I love Christmas trees.
This one was twinkling colorfully, right down the road.

(I love Christmas caroling.
Sweet little neighbors surprised me,
and sang them at my cabin,
from right down the road.)

E3Live Has Arrived

An E3Live box has arrived. It's one of my Christmas presents to myself. Well, it was also time to stock up. And they were having a sale (click "specials"). And if I tell myself it's my Christmas present, I feel better about treating myself to this special health care.

This is my new face cream and it was 50% off. I wonder if it's on sale because they're gearing up to make a new product label? Because their website images are so beautiful, and thus, they want to make sure beautiful images are on this label, too? To help this product fly off the warehouse shelves? Because people love to look at/reorder things with pretty labels? Which match pretty websites? And match the prettiness of what's inside? I'm betting they have an amazing handler on just such a label project right now...! :o)

This is the only face creme I've tried, so far, that seems to ((not)) cause allergic reactions/blemishing on my delicate skin. Including under the delicate eye area and on the delicate forehead. That's not to say other things have stopped reacting with my sensitive skin, but it is to say that this does not. Which is such a relief, because face creme should not be one of those things. This feels silky smooth on my skin (not greasy...it soaks in right away) and I love how you can see the blue-green algae color in the jar (but not on the face, of course). I wear it night and day. A little goes a long way. I first tried a sampler packet of it (for sale on their website) before buying a full jar. So wise, my lovelies.

Peppermint. Is. So. Invigorating. I hear tell that their kelp soap has a scent so unique that you might want to "test" it first, before bulk buying. But peppermint? My cabin smells all pepperminty right now, just from this stash of soap stock! (I should have stocked up earlier, though, when it was on sale.)

What's this? More?

Ahhh. This E3Live Original visibly lifts my anxiety. Visibly, baby. And helps prevent my SAD/depression symptoms. This also apparently gives me all the B vitamins a raw vegan needs! :o)

I ((love)) the guarantee.

And did I mention a sale (click "specials")? Yes, they tossed this BrainOn in for free. BrainOn is just like E3Live Original, but more concentrated. Since I don't notice a difference (in my brain or body) between the two products, I spend less money and stick with the E3Live Original. But some people really talk about noticing a difference. It could be that I'm already eating lots of other veggies and fruits that are doing that work for me. (Or that I still have more work to do?) Either way, none of these products have been a bad thing for me. At all.

Smooches, my peeps.

Little Barns on the Island

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who read and watched "Little House on the Prairie." It made her feel warm, fuzzy, safe, happy and a little scared in that adventurous, pioneering-spirit-kind-of-way. Because said little girl could relate to the hard work of endless homesteading chores, hauling wood to heat a house and the spring water freezing up or running dry, just when it was needed the most. Even though this little girl also had electricity and vehicles nearby. But you get the snow drift. It all felt good. And it was because there was love.

There was love in that Little House. Love between the parents. Love for the children. Love for the freedom, the people and the animals which helped them survive off the land and get to town. Love for those in need. And at least a tiny bit of love was extended to those few persnickety townsfolk who did everything in their power to not deserve love. Goodness knows, some of those folks were the recipients of more love than they ever cared to earn. And this love was often extended due to the intentional leadership of some really good men.

Oh my, were there some really good men. Caring men. Tall men. Strong men. Thoughtful men. Talkative men. Capable men. Loving men. Men with the ability to overcome the challenges placed in front of them. Even if they failed, they grew and achieved. They had faith. And persevered. Even when they went through something fierce, you could see which of those characters held those good traits. And you knew, you just knew all would be safe, protected and well with the world. Because of really good men.

The Shortest Day of 2009

Tomorrow is supposed to be the shortest day of 2009, but I think today was.

Because we never received enough daylight for the poor camera to actually be able to take photos.

Only abstracts. :o)

Island Transportation

First, one leaves home, via their little road. (That's water through the trees, which can only be seen in the winter, when leaving the cabin.)

Then one hops on this boat, with or without autos, pets, kids, luggage or food (though always bring the camera!).

Or one hops on this boat. Or something much smaller than this boat. Little boats to get out to bigger boats. So one can work on the island and live on a boat. Some are old ships. So adventurous, those people!

P.S. Can you tell I took the good digi camera out of storage? Me neither. Freaky. Well, the good camera produces images that look "wide screen" because they're a tad less tall than my cheap point and shoot images. Maybe once I reacquaint myself with the good camera, I'll enjoy noticeable improvement over my cheap point and shoot (which I miss, already, so I'll carry both). But it's clear that the good camera was only the good camera because it was purchased years before the cheap point and shoot camera, which by then, had caught up, technologically. Well, except that I get to play with lenses on the good camera. I can tell right now that I will be one happy girl in the (distant) future, when I land myself a really good camera. Though apparently I had a whole lot more in my hands to be grateful for than I realized, with the cheap point and shoot. And I know you kept telling me that, you lovelies. You were so right! :o)

My Favorite Steep Hike

This is my favorite steep hike.

It's a quick little hike. Just a half hour to 45 minutes, to get to the halfway mark. An easy little hike. It's only steep at the beginning. And at the end.

Well, maybe for the first 1/3 and maybe for the last 1/3 of the hike. But then there's a little plateau.

Where you get to hang out and look below.

Until you begin to hike into the trees.

That's where it can feel a little scary.

It's important to take a friend and stay away from the ledge.

Which I just never manage to do.

Because I like to take my camera. And my time.

And I love getting lost in thoughts that this hike brings to mind. :o)

Christmas Abstract

This was going to be a lovely photo

of a precious little outdoor Christmas tree.

But then there was wind, driving rain,

falling branches and pine cones.

Thankfully. :o)

Christmas from the Edge

This is what happens

when I have photography block.

And when the weather

is tossing me and everything else

down and up.

I take blurry photos

of wickedly lit cottages

from the edge.

From the edge of a back street,

where I'm certain nobody goes.

From the edge,

where things are for sale

and where things hang from the sky.

Hang from the sky

and flicker in the light.

Even if not quite.

For it never quite lit up today,

the sky nor the lights.

And it's too stormy

to stay outside much longer.

Or a branch might fall on my head.

And then I'd be dead.

(Hence, why I need a hard hat.)

Oh yes, Christmas from the edge. :o)

Processed People | MD Interviews

Processed People | Trailer 1 and 2

Oh goodness, you know how much I love this? As much as I love ((you)), which is more than I can possibly express. And check out the amazing protein answer here, direct from the brilliant woman, herself.

Frozen Fence

We are being gifted this frozen, still weather and I am grateful. Because this is not the first day of being stuck in snow and ice for 26 days in a row...as was the case one year ago today. I am pretty much eternally grateful. To celebrate? I'm washing laundry in my (finally out of storage and practically still brand new!) front loading Swedish washer. Because I can. And thinking about how our ancestors could not. It's amazing they survived so well. What they endured, I'll never be able to fully understand. But I will try. Oh, how I will try. They deserve that thought and so much more.

Frozen Ranch

We have ranch land on the island.

It's frozen.

And pretty.

And frozen.

And cold. And after a week of wind-chillin' temps, we've made it out of the teens. Next? Snow!

A Deer Nestled at My Front Door

As I drove up to my cabin, something was bedded down in a tiny patch of wild grass, right next to my front door. Blinking through the streaming sunshine, I saw a fuzzy head poking out. It stared. And chomped. And watched. As I quietly slipped inside the cabin. As soon as the door closed, she jumped up, curiously tilting her head...while listening to my indoor footsteps. I walked around the inside and she stared at me and followed from the outside. This is what welcomed me home on the island.