Texture Tuesday . . .

kk - kristen

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

                                              - Mother Teresa

Popping in to say hi and hoping all is well with you!

I'm over at Focusing on Life today discussing the agreeability of my garden.

I know, you'll just have to pop on over to check it out.

Love, Kim

xo

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday

A little beach time . . .

"Every time I stand before a beautiful beach,

its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose

the simple things and find joy in nature's

simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard."

- Roxas- Mendoza

Well, I haven't been here regularly lately . . . it's summer.

Summer means the house is a little busier, everyone is home,

and I'm finding it hard to be at the computer as much.

And that's a problem because I'm still taking photos,

and waaaay behind in editing.

And honestly, although I'm not unhappy, life just seems a little hard lately for many reasons

and when that happens I seem to want to spend a lot of quiet time on my front porch.

...at least until the mosquitoes drive me away.

We have managed to make it to the beach a few times in the last few weeks,

and gosh do I love spending time there!

This particular day, you could actually walk on the shore. This has been a record year for seaweed,

but you won't find me complaining about that. 

It's always fun to learn something new....you know those little holes along the shore where you see bubbles coming out of? Well, this is what lives in there, ghost shrimp.

And it's always fun to dig for sand crabs and watch them bury themselves again. They bury back in backwards so that they can use their antennae to feed.

The seagulls watch me carefully . . . 

And I learned a lesson...make sure the sea critters have buried themselves fully before standing back up

or they become snacks.

I wanted to let you know that I have not forgotten about my monarch series, I promise, and hope to

get that back on track soon. I have been sharing some short videos on instagram though and you can find me at kimatpickingpoppies.

And I almost forgot . . . It's my turn over at Focusing On Life today . . .and I'm exploring the possibility

that what we see through the lens might involve metaphors for our lives....join me?

Until next time,

Love, Kim

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday

The winds of change . . .

"You can avoid having ulcers adapting to the situation;

If you fall in a mud puddle, check your pockets for fish."

-Unknown Author

It's hard to believe that its been three weeks since I've been in this space.

sigh . . .

I've spent the last few days on my front porch, from sun up to sun down...being still

and thinking, and observing.

and you know the one thing, that one reoccurring theme I see in nature more than

anything else is . . . change.

Flower buds open to reveal their inside beauty.

Wind, water and sand erode rocks to reveal colors 

and interesting patterns within those rocks.

Our Seasons change, the clouds are ever-changing.

Rivers, streams and shorelines are constantly carving

new boundaries, new paths.

And so is life.

{newly born polydamas swallowtail caterpillars}

Change can be hard, but it's also inevitable.

Nothing. Stays. The. Same.

Sometimes the changes are subtle, 

{the same caterpillar, nearly three weeks later}

and sometimes they are big,

and swift,

and sometimes they are just difficult.

"It is not necessary to change.

Survival is not mandatory."

- W. Edwards Deming

{KK Oh My}

But change can give us new eyes, new perspective.

Change can put us in circumstances that makes us more compassionate

and can give us the ability to have more empathy towards others.

...if we allow it

Change, just like the light,

is the reality that nothing stays the same,

but is always evolving. 

{KK 1101}

I'm thankful I'm not a spider . . . his reality? He has to change his residence daily.

Change is to become something different, to become something else.

We embrace change through our lens, we even welcome it. 

In nature things are constantly changing, proving 

 that change is growth, and growth . . . is evidence of life.

For me change can be an awakening to what "now" looks like

when I'm not fighting it. To try to embrace where I'm at because it

won't happen the same exact way again.

 The hardest change though is perhaps that which we do not choose for ourselves,

but just maybe it's the place of biggest growth . . . when we learn to accept it. 

Right about now, I'm double checking my pockets for fish!!

{I did get back last week but my son ended up in the hospital with a staff infection.

He had to have an abscess drained by a plastic surgeon and was on IV antibiotics.

We fell into a bit of a mud puddle.}

So, If I'm not back at the end of the week it's because we have follow up doctor visits

and his infusion.

Until next time,

Love, Kim

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday