Distant Heart

This morning started out rainy, and progressed from there to "Noah Start The Ark".

I grabbed my umbrella to try to find some inspiration, and came across this heart in the distance. As I walked closer, the heart disappeared.

I guess some hearts are best viewed from afar!

Snowy Afternoon Fun

It started snowing a couple of hours ago.

Darlene of A Dancing Mango challenged me to see if I could find a snowflake in the shape of a heart. Of course I could not, but I found the next best thing! So, Darlene, these hearts are for you!!!

This snowy heart I found tucked into the crook of an old oak tree ...

And my mom found this beautiful snowy heart on the icy pond. It was gone just a few minutes later.

"Dirty" Potato Chip ...

I guess they are called "Dirty" potato chips because they keep the peel on, and sprinkle them with cracked pepper.

They are marked as "No MSG; No Artificial Colors/Flavors; no hydrogenated oil; No Trans Fats", and so on.

If you read the label, however, as I am now learning to do, I find 8 grams total fat (12% daily allowance); 1.5 grams Saturated fat (8% DA) and 210 mg sodium (8% DA) per 1 ounce serving.

Sigh.

In other words, these chips are still NOT exactly "Heart Healthy"!!!

STROKE UPDATE: I had my second follow-up appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is still a little high, so my doctor put me on a different medication - and quipped "Well we have to get this blood pressure down - you cant be hogging ALL the miracles you know"!

Frosty Queen Anne's Lace

Christmas morning dawned cold and clear, a beautiful day.

The thick fog from Christmas Eve left this treasure -
A delicate frosty Queen Anne's Lace heart ...

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

I found this huge stained Christmas stocking in a box that had gotten wet when the roof leaked. I decided to wash it in the washing machine, not realizing that it was a little too far gone to be rescued.

When I pulled it out of the dryer, I laughed myself silly ... there, amidst the worn ruin of Santa and his bag of toys, was a perfect heart ... and a Christmas dove.

Merry Christmas to all of my friends out in Blogland. May you have a day of wonder and peace ... and a Christmas miracle of your own.

Frosty Blade of Grass

A frosty morning - a blade of grass ...
Curled up into a heart.

Another Squash Heart ...

Yes, another squash heart ... this poor little heart-shaped acorn squash got left outside (and frozen solid) during our 'arctic blast'.

Maybe now I should call it "squashed" instead of just "squash"???

Gee I'm Glad Cows Don't Fly ...

I didn't see the bird that flew overhead,
But he left this present for me.

Did he know he left me a heart?
Somehow I think not.



But it is so perfect, I just had to share it!

T-Shirt Surprise

I went to put on my favorite blue t-shirt, and realized it had holes in places that would have embarrassed me had I actually worn it in public ... but I knew it would eventually have a new life.

Several years ago I made some rag rugs with a handmade loom. I have been slowly cutting up my old t-shirts into strips in order to start making another rug.

I was cutting up my old beloved shirt, when I suddenly noticed one of those pesky holes was a heart! I dropped my scissors and reached for my camera ...

"Gopher" That Heart!

Even the gophers seem to be 'hearty' around here!

Or maybe I should say - finding hearts is a 'dirty' business, but someone has to do it??? Snicker.

Knothole!

Today I am inspired by Lois of Tallahassee Daily Photo to go through the pictures I took during my recent long week of staying close to home.

I found this knothole in a piece of bark - in the woodpile right outside the front door!

There is much beauty to be found, when we would ordinarily just walk on by.

Thank you for the reminder, Lois!!!

The Last Roses of Summer

They hung on
After the frost.
After the rain.
After the cold.

They hung on
For me,
I think,
To find their heart.

To warm my own.

And yours.

Butternut Squash

With its vibrant orangy-yellow colors, this beautiful heart tasted as good as it looked!

'Feather Tree' Up Close

I stared out the window at this heart all day long, waiting for the sun to be just right.
Finally, it was.

It wasn't until I got up close that I noticed the heart within ...

From the Bottom of My Heart ...

I thank you all,
From the bottom of my heart

For your prayers, your thoughts
When my world fell apart.

God heard your prayers
And lifted the curtain

A true miracle occurred!
Of this I am certain.

A little while longer
I have been given

A gift, a wonder,
A heart-felt present.

Bughouse Hearts

We always called them "bughouses" - they hang from the old oak tree in front of the house. They start out hard and green, and end up dry and brown - and are a favorite snack bar for blue jays and pileated woodpeckers, who peck them open to eat the bugs inside.

I couldn't believe my eyes yesterday when I found not one, but two bughouse hearts. Hanging out together just over the sidewalk.

Three Leaves and a Bracken

I found these three recently fallen birch leaves nestled on a bed of bracken fern.

I'm glad I caught them when I did - the next time I looked, the wind had blown the heart away.

Another Orange Mushroom

Look what I found! Another orange mushroom heart.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Orange Mushroom

I went for a short walk in the woods,
Now that the rain has stopped - for a few hours.

I found autumn.
Turning into winter.

Most of the colors were muted
greens, oranges, reds and browns.

I found this mushroom
In the middle of the path ...

Its color lured me first,
Then it's shape.

Concrete

With all of the rain we've had here lately, it was amazing to find this small patch of dry concrete. And guess what? It was in the shape of a heart!!!

Mud

It is slightly out of focus, I know.
But I couldn't resist sharing ...
How even the "dirtiest" heart
Has great beauty!!!

Birdhouse

This bird box was originally meant to entice native bluebirds back into our area.

The local squirrels, always on the watch for a warm comfy place to live, have altered the opening - into a heart!

Dried Puddle

Just a hint
Of a heart
Here in the gravel
Of the parking lot.

If I found it again today
It would be overflowing
Thunderstorms
Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain.

But yesterday
It was there
Waiting to be filled
With today's abundance.

Avocado Pits

I was making a follow-up appointment for my uncle at the eye doctor when these beautiful hearts caught my eye. I asked about them, and the receptionist told me one of their customers carved them himself - out of avocado pits!!!

What a wonderful idea!

I asked if I could take a picture of them and she said yes. I don't remember her name, but I thank her from the bottom of my avocado pit!!!

I didn't notice the fortune taped in front of the hearts until later. It reads "You find beauty in ordinary things. Appreciate this gift." Perfect.

Farmers Market Cabbage

I came across the Portland Farmers Market quite by accident while waiting for my uncle to have cataract surgery. It was jammed with people (lunch hour and all). The merchants were doing a booming business.

I found this container filled with beautiful cabbages. As I looked closer, I saw the heart.

Bark

One of the first rules I set for myself for this blog was that I cannot set up a shot of a heart. They have to be unexpected, random shots that I find by accident.

This heart could have been set up, but it wasn't! It was sitting on the tarp covering the woodpile - just as you see it!

I could hardly believe it was just waiting for me.

Mirrors of the Soul

Hearts
Random patterns in chaos
Vivid beauty in ugliness
When I see a truly remarkable heart
I think of you -
All of you.
My friends.
Without your encouragement,
My hearts would stay hidden
In my camera.

Tired and Bored ...

"Tired"

Er, "Board". Tee hee.

Burlap Bag

Something got spilled on my daughter's cute little burlap bag. When I unfolded it, I found this totally random, stunningly perfect heart.

Acorn Squash

Even dinnertime can be "hearty"!
Check out these acorn squashes.
They were delicious, by the way.

Crraacckkk!
Another log met the log splitter!
To become a warm fire,
Heating our house, protecting us from the cold.

To see a heart here was the last thing I expected.
I enlarged the picture to see the details ...
and found another teensy tiny heart, just to the left of the one I first saw.

Today I am blessed.
Today I am warm.
In more ways than one.

A Hearty Walk With Sissie

Last weekend my sister Beth and I went for a long walk in the woods. What fun we had tramping through the "playgrounds" of our growing-up years. Hearts were everywhere that day, some captured on film, some not.

Cedar Tree

An old cedar tree, arms lifted to heaven, offered a surprise glimpse into its heart.

Set in Concrete

Sometimes a heart
Is just a vague impression
Set in concrete
Or a reflection
If you move just a little
It can disappear
Or you may never see it at all.

Which is probably why I see "random" hearts
Instead of just "obvious" ones.

This heart rocks!

Uncle Dale doesn't drive ... so I had to take him to the doctor's office and wait for his appointment to be over. Sitting was never fun, so I decided to take a short walk. It was well worth the effort when I spied the heart in this retaining wall nearby.

Flashlight In Darkness

There is no darkness so deep ...
That a light can't reach -
And touch your heart.

Deconstruction Moss

The old "temporary" addition to the back of the house was rotten. It had to go. Saturday was the work party, and my sister, brother-in-law, and a wonderful friend of my parents came to tear it down. The guys did the heavy stuff (I think they had too much fun!) while us girls carted away loads of debris, and mom did the food thing.

As Beth and I did a final clean-up of the smaller stuff, we were amazed when we saw this piece of moss hanging from a nail - on the piece of wood I was getting ready to throw onto the burn pile.

Hand Me a Tissue, Please?

A little down time ... waiting for mom to get out of the doctor's office. I decided to go for a walk. As always, my camera was with me.

Next to the curb at the other end of the parking lot, I saw something white in the bushes. I walked closer. Sure enough, someone had thrown their tissue into the bushes next to the curb.

While I do adore finding unique and random hearts, I don't always appreciate the context. Finding a used tissue outside a doctors office and community health office is not what I like to see.

Even if it is in the shape of a heart!

Clever Spider

On a misty morning last week, I found this huge spider lair in the vacant parking lot across the street.

What a clever spider to make his home in the shape of a heart!

A Heart Nonetheless ...

A paper bag on the floor ...
A little kitty being box trained ...
Oops ...


'Nuff said?

Soggy Paper Towel

One of the hazards of trying to fill a dumpster in the blinding pouring rain ... things like paper towels get dropped on the sidewalk without being noticed.

Until the rain stops and the sun starts to slowly dry out the hearts left behind ...

The Heart To Let Go and Move On

Letting go is hard.
Holding on is harder.
This is the lesson I am learning.
Dumpsters full of stuff.
Garbage cans full of stuff.

Here is the moment
Where I find the heart to go on.

Partly Cloudy Afternoon

My sister Beth and I spent a day together, cleaning my parents' house in preparation for their return after their accident.

Afternoon came, and we had accomplished much! Up until the point when we both looked up and saw the clouds. We raced for our cameras and spent much of the rest of the day discovering one miracle after another. Like this beautiful heart.


Thank you, sissie, for such a wonderful day!

Roadside Stump

Bell Road. A small, curvy, dangerous road. It is popular with motorcyclists and teenagers out for a joyriding thrill.

I was walking along Bell Road when I spotted this stump, complete with animal-carved heart.

It was worth the walk!