“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
Henry David Thoreau
Earlier in the week as I was getting ready for a bike ride I noticed a beautiful rose peering through an opening in the fence. as if calling out to me It was such a simple lovely moment, and yet it made feel abundantly rich. I decided to capture it.
The two of us stood holding hands for a long moment. clickityclickityclickclickclick
That magical moment reminded me of yet another memorable life experience which had occurred years before while visiting the Musee d’Orsay art museum in Paris, France and experienced the beautiful impressionist paintings by Monet.
It was a fabulous experience. Viewing art can be similar to how we view our lives. A painting might look dull or boring in a book, but when viewed close up and you are able to see the fine brush strokes, different textures, along with its varied dimensions…
It is a masterpiece. just like our own life At times it is helpful to step back a bit to get a different and new perspective. ditto on life
And as you very well know by now (unless this is your first visit here)
Home is where I thrive and have been fortunate to find my truer self. it’s my art canvas
It’s where I enjoy creating comfort and charm in simplicity of form, or a casual atmosphere.
During my ride I kept thinking of that rose. The unique way it shined through the fence.
It was it’s own piece of art.
I thought about how each of us are an artist, we are free to create from the heart.
We can share what we’ve experienced and where we’ve been.
But most importantly we can reflect what we want our home lives to feel like when we are close up and safe inside and what we hope the bigger picture will look like…
as we step back and see how our efforts inspire our lives and the lives of others.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend.
Muffin Cherry Pie (original recipe from delish) I changed a few things. What I really liked about this recipe (besides being super easy & delicious) was that I was able to make 6 mini pies & save the remainder of pie crust along with the cherry filling for another time.
Ingredients
1 Jar cherry pie filling
1 packaged ritz pie shell
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
Use the rim of a glass to cut large circles into pie crust (they should be big enough to line the whole muffin cup). Press crust into muffin tins and & the sides. Spoon over filling until each is full.
Roll out remaining scraps of pie crust and slice into lattice strips with a pizza cutter or knife. Make a crosshatch crust/trim excess. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes. Let cool slightly,then remove from muffin tin & serve
Below is a video of a wonderful spot I often ride my bike to.
Thank you for such an inspiring post and a reminder that we are the artists of our lives!
Enjoyed the pie!
Hi Joe! Thank you for your sweet comment. Happy you enjoyed the mini cherry pies.
Hello Marcia! Such a lovely posting…loved the Parisian tune and accompanying illustrations. I just returned from England where I saw a beautiful art exhibit by Albert Moore (I’d never heard of him before) who was a pre-Raphaelite artist. You would love his artwork!
The foxgloves in front of your folly are outstanding! I saw many of these throughout the areas I visited as they are a staple of the English garden.
What a nice site overlooking the Coquille River for your plein-air art excursion…do show us some of the results… ;0)
Hello Marcia,
I enjoyed this posting of yours…. you are so right… Viewing art is like how we view our lives. We all interpret art differently as we all come with different views and values. We begin our lives with a clean easel and are constantly adding different colors to our life painting according to our emotions, thoughts and what is happening in our to us at the time. We could have bright happy colors and then in a blink of an eye add dark shades to our painting… it is always changing but I pray for the brightness to continue…
I enjoyed all your photos of a glimpse into your life that you share with us. The brightness and the colors capture a happy soul. Your little garden cottage is precious and I felt like I was right there enjoying the sunshine and the scent of the flowers in sitting in one of those wicker chairs…
I always enjoy seeing your part of the Oregon Coast and the trees and your special place was so serene and beautiful. Your little traveling companion is always a delight to see in your bicycle basket.
I will be baking those darling cherry tarts… I think I will make some for the 4th of July. I was thinking of cherry and blueberry… to mark the occasion.
Enjoy your weekend… it should be lovely… we will be attending my God-daughter’s graduation from the University and then a dinner… It should be a wonderful time…celebrating with family and adding to the painting of life….
Blessings to you….XO
Jane
Good morning Jane I was so happy to hear from you yes the colors of our life are so amazing and I’m learning to embrace them all. So happy that you are enjoying my recipes and I do think it’s a great idea to choose different fruits depending on the season. I’m thinking blueberry and apple and cherry would be great for the Fourth of July! I’m getting ready to have our little cottage painted and I think I’ve chosen the color I’ve been trying to keep it a secret however if you look closely at some of the photos I think you just my guess Take care. Xo
Hi Jenny! How lucky you are you visit England. I traveled there a few years back. Any chance you went to the Cotswolds? Sounds like a wonderful trip for you. There are so many beautiful places there. I’m sure you had a glorious time.
I did not go to the Cotswolds this time as I had been there before. (This was my 4th trip to England!) This time my girlfriend and I visited the Lake District…you know, Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top farm and William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage. We also went to the Yorkshire Dales where James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small) worked as a veterinarian and walked through his home and then onto the dales…heavenly! A month spent in paradise…( We had been to the Cotswolds on a previous trip and LOVED that area!)