I'm Fond Of Flowers
How can I describe my life to you? I think a lot, listen to music. I’m fond of flowers. — Susan Sontag
Those who know me, know that I enjoy simple pleasures such as…
Visiting a new grocery store and taking home a drink from a different country to try
Putting some fresh flowers in the bottle when it’s empty and setting them in a place I can see even if they trigger my allergies
Drinking a good coffee
Having a sweet with that good coffee
Sitting in the sun and cuddling with my dog
Listening to a record and reading books with my husband while sitting in the sun and cuddling with my dog
Having a small conversation with a neighbor
Watching my dogs whole body wag with excitement to greet a neighbor
Finding a book that looks good in a little free library
Leaving a book or some other little treasure in a little free library
…to name a few. The past couple of years I’ve felt compelled to try and write more about these moments and draw them, both new ones and old. And that’s how the moments category on my work was born.
However, an illustration like the one above lives somewhere between what I’ve categorized as a “moment” and something else. Honestly, it doesn’t fit neatly into a category on my illustration page, at least not my current conception of those categories.
That illustration was inspired by a quiet moment from my life. But it didn’t really need a whole blog post to accompany it, Susan’s words were enough. However, I’m really proud of how this came out and I wanted to share it with you. Drawing it was a kind of meditation itself, I enjoyed getting lost in the colors, textures, and light.
Cold Weather, Warm Heart
Here in Portand, the winter weather consists mostly of dark gray skies and drizzling rain with moderate temps. But once a year, the rain turns into snow. Everyone is seized with a sense of wonder if the snow actually sticks. Sleds are tested on our hilly neighborhood roads - you won’t be driving if the snow sticks anyway, not in this city. Snow men are lovingly rolled - I saw a group of six sitting roundly on patio furniture, having a barbecue in someone’s yard (a dangerous pastime for snowmen).
On one such day this winter, while out on a walk in the cold, I encountered something I hadn’t seen before. I saw a neighborhood family (from child to gran), bundled up and sitting out on their driveway around a warm chiminea. They had a sign that read “Free Hot Chocolate!” and one of the children waved at me wildly. Did I want some? Of course I did. Their mom offered me various toppings while warmly pouring hot chocolate from a large thermos into my cup. I accepted two marshmallows, beaming with delight.
A little kindness goes a long way.
Yellow
It was last year around this time, that my Grandma asked me out of the blue, “what’s your favorite color these days?” I paused for half a second before I answered, I hadn’t really thought about a favorite color recently.
And yet, I could immediately visualize…
…a collection of my things, all in the color yellow.
And so I said “Yellow” and her eyes lit up and she said “Ooh I thought yellow!” in what had become her simple, unfiltered way.
Now, when I look at my yellow things, I like to think of how yellow brought her joy too. You lose people, but they’re never really gone, they just come to you in different ways.
Alice Phoebe Lou
Alice Phoebe Lou’s Album Glow was the soundtrack for every sunny moment of my year.
In 2021 I listened to 1,808 different artists and 143 different genres. But I spent the most time (1,097 minutes) listening to Alice Phoebe Lou. Apparently this put me in the top 0.5% of their listeners!
Listen to the album Glow here.
“I’m one of those witches, babe
Just don’t try to save me, cause I don’t want to be saved”
I knew I wanted to create a drawing of Alice Phoebe Lou to commemorate how much the music has meant to me. While there are many gorgeous photos that could serve as muse, I was particularly inspired by a charming live performance of the song Witches and decided to create this five-frame illustrated animation.
Watch the live performance here.
Yeehaw
I’m a horse girl, I told them that on the application. I explained in detail how I started riding at a young age and how my skills advanced quickly because my horse was, to put it simply, challenging. It had been several years since I’d been in the saddle but I still felt confident about my horsemanship and I was excited to get involved with a horse rescue as an adult.
I showed up to volunteer wearing reasonable leather boots, but not cowboy boots specifically. In fact everything I had on was perfectly functional for the occasion. But I could tell they’d made up their mind about me just by looking at me. They didn’t think I knew shit and treated me poorly.
Before the day was out I did have a chance to ride. They put me on a horse that didn’t want to go anywhere without a mean kick in the side. I believe in training horses to respond to a gentler touch and so I was disappointed to discover how this horse had been treated.
We road around the paddock a bit before hitting the trail. At which point another rider knocked over a jump very near to my horses legs. It spooked my horse, causing it to buck like a mustang at a rodeo. I stayed in the saddle and reigned in the horse, no problem.
And that was when they quit judging me by my ‘city’ boots and skinny jeans.
One outfit doesn’t always do justice to our multitudes.
Recognizing My Light By The Shadows
Listening to the beat of your wings, I realized suddenly, I was the flame.
Afternoon Coffee
Our time together used to disappear into hot coffee, dipped like a pastry and savored. I have no idea what we talked about most of the time, but the conversation was easy.
Ordinary Delights
I found a new book in a little free library. And I’m charmed by a tide of pink petals at my feet as I walk home.
Being Is Enough For the Moment
I walk daily. Even when my thoughts are loud, putting one foot in front of the other is nearly always possible. My eyes are always open but sometimes I see. It is on these days that small treasures find me. Sometimes I slip into a peaceful place, between thoughts, swallowed whole by nowness. Being is enough for the moment.