just 3 lines: March 2024

1265. the king

“let’s play

king of the mountain”

little bug 🪳

Alone working on my next project, cutting papers inch or inch-and-a-half in size, to fold into little leaves 🍃 …. there he appeared trekking across the folding board the tiniest little bug 🪳to keep me company awhile.

1264. ooh la la!

every woman

has her own little secret….

ooh la la!

“Ooh la la!” — 12x12” — Origami Art

A woman, is a woman, is a woman. I like being a woman. It’s interesting, challenging, rewarding, enjoyable. Here’s my latest origami art. I made this as a companion piece to my earlier work, “All About Men,” (below) which I may not have posted. I like being with men too. They’re different. Viva la difference!

1263. voila!

in a sky of

orange, gold and dusky mauve….

there goes the sun

Zooming at home last night, playing a game of mah-jongg online, I happened to turn and look outside thru the living room window and saw a pretty glow. “Just a minute, Marilyn, the sky is pink and I’ve got to go look.” Click….voila! By the way, I didn’t do anything to edit this picture—it’s just as it was last night.

1262. somebody to lean on

two trees,

one holding on to the other

tenderly

Sometimes there’s not much to say….just being there is enough. This brings to mind the Bill Withers song, “Lean on me.”

https://www.google.com/search?q=lean+on+me+lyrics&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

1261. sunny grasses

rushing to work,

deer after deer after deer….

lingering

In the school yard, a bunch of deer feeding….deer after deer stopping to look up at the stopped car on the road then leisurely lowering their heads down again, ambling along, foraging thru the sunny greens. Waiting there in my car in the middle of the road, hoping for a great shot with all ears looking up at me! But of course, that didn’t happen.

1260. the gulls & the moth

fighting

over the watermelon—

seagulls on the beach

Here’s an old picture and a new poem, inspired by Jack Kerouac’s haiku about a moth sleeping. Funny how the mind seems so ready to launch from earth to heaven and back!

1259. winners! 🏅

in good company

in the circle of winners

all smiles

I was thrilled to be among the artists receiving awards for the “Art of the Flower” exhibition at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. With a heart of a child and hands of an older woman, I couldn’t be happier. And then I learned that both my artworks had been sold! WOW!

1257. stop! stop!

stops me in my tracks

the woodpecker

i stop-it stops

i go on….it goes on

tap-tap! tap-tap!

I never did see that woodpecker….but look—a squirrel!

1256. starlights

like stars

come down to earth

magnolia flowers

The Star Magnolia, a sweet-scented early bloomer, is commonly found planted in gardens everywhere. This slender tree in full blooming surprised and delighted us on a walk in the woods. I wonder who planted it…

1255. wind dance

the wind

blows away

in the wind

tossed and scattered,

tossed and scattered by the wind—

the crow laughs

the crow,

blowing in the wind….and

loving it!

It was an all day wind, true to March….and it was doing what it loves to do—blowing, blowing this way and that way, this way and that way. I could feel it and hear it, and I could see it as the crow, its feet grabbing the wires holding on and swaying with the wind, then letting go tossed out into the air, then coming back to the wire, swinging and letting go, over and over. Wind dance.

1254. hoot-hoot!

look there,

in the middle of the table—

the black owl!

Here’s a close-up of the table from yesterday’s blog #1253.

That’s me—like Sherlock Holmes with his magnifying glass zeroing in, analyzing the crime scene, and coming up with uncanny deductions of the vital clues lying there on the table in front of me to find who done it! I’m thinking of changing my name to Shirley for Sherlock!😆

1253. it’s quiet

the chairs are empty

the curtains are drawn now

it’s quiet

The table in the drawing studio is covered with thick layers of paints: dibs and dabs, splotches and spatters. Time after time, so many arms and legs sitting and painting with brushes and pallets in hand, hearts and minds softly churning this way and that and chatting. It’s quiet now. I can feel it all. I love the quiet.

1252. Canada geese

two geese

one feeding….one standing guard—

by the pond

I watched a while as she kept eating and eating, ‘stuffing her face’….all the while he simply stood there looking out, occasionally ruffling his feathers. More often than not these birds all feed together. I was curious….this is what I learned:

“The breeding season for wild geese is between February and April depending on the weather. The female builds the nest, which is usually located within sight of water. The male goose stands to guard a short distance away to protect his mate and eggs from predators. Canada geese lay between four and nine eggs per year. The female lays one egg every one or two days, usually early in the morning. Once the eggs are all in place, she does not leave the nest; she does not eat, drink, or bathe while her eggs are incubating—this takes 28 to 30 days. Parents take their goslings to the water to feed almost immediately after birth. The day after birth, the parents then take their goslings to a brooding area, where they are raised with other families in a group called a crèche.”

1251. the cigarette

at the red light

taking time to stretch out

the cigarette!

at the traffic light

making a right-hand turn

the cigarette!

stopping at the red light

for a breath of fresh air….

a cigarette!

at the red light

watching smoke curling up….

the cigarette!

Hmmm…is it left hand on the steering wheel and right hand out the window?! Oh my, such a long arm!🙃 Now that I no longer smoke, I can have a little fun with the cigarette!😆

1250. flower girl

walking down the aisle

a telling smile on her face….

flower girl

“Flower Girl” — 17x12” — Origami Art

Here’s my latest work. I started out, simply cutting small squares and folding them, not sure of where things would go. All I knew was that it would be some kind of patchwork. I kept cutting and folding and looking at the papers….then all of a sudden the image appeared in my mind. I remembered “Woman in Gold” by the Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt, and wanted something gold for my girl so I folded tiny flowers and painted them gold. This one gives me a smile.😊

1249. the moon looks down

the moon shines

like this only once a month—

don’t miss it!

“there they go….

out for a night of mischief

or easy love?”

Ahh yes, the moon….mischief maker in the night sky, or so people say, and yet. Gazing up at her gazing down on us—who’s doing who? People make mischief and people make love and the moon abides. What would life be like without the moon?😘

1248. remembering

try try again—

it’s hard to teach an old dog

new tricks

(I pulled this affirmation card today—it’s perfect.)

I remember her words the time my mother said to me, “ Oh Mimmy, I’m trying but it’s so hard to change…” We were talking on the phone, coast to coast, California and Philadelphia. She was in her early 70s and I was young then and didn’t understand, didn’t know how to listen deeply with soft concern, so I never knew what she was talking about. I never asked. I didn’t know what she may have been going through or why. Now I'm wanting to change and now I understand. There is no end to learning.

1247. eyes to eyes

staring staring

not moving a whisker

turtle and me

Waiting game—taking our time, waiting to see who’ll make the next move…

1246. two stepping

sky larking

way up in the air

two shoes

this way and that way

the wind blows

It was a bright Springy day with soft breezes blowing. Strolling thru the old narrow streets of Manayunk and looking up at the sky, two old sneakers were dancing, doing a Texas two-step, one-two…one-two…slide shuffle, slowly turning round and round this way and that way. I took a few pictures. I should have taken a video to show you.

1245. rolling up the shade….

sun rising

birds chittering

man sleeping

Rolling up the shade, looking out thru the window. Looks like a bright sunny day. That man sitting on the ground, head hanging down as the sun comes up—I wonder what his story is….

1244. windy day

finding shelter

in the arms of an old tree

the warbler

March winds are blowing, blowing winter away…. hold on to your feathers!

1243. pear is pear

then is then

next time is next time

now is now

“Perfect Days” is nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language movie. Japanese with subtitles, this film by Wim Wenders pays homage to an older man living in relative solitude who finds meaning in life thru simple, honest work and seeks pleasure thru music, books, and taking pictures in parks. This poetic film tinted with quiet wisdom points to the satisfaction and beauty that can be found in everyday actions and ordinary meetings with people. Acceptance is key to serenity.

Pear is pear.

1242. stop!

stop sign—

or is this a ghost

stopping me

everything stops

even the stop sign

stops

in old age

rules of the road fade away

stop sign

I sometimes wonder what makes me stop to take a picture. If I wait long enough, something seemingly uninteresting becomes more interesting to write about. Wait long enough and everything, sooner or later, one way or another, becomes interesting.

1241. bones

in the parking lot

behind the supermarket

a skeleton

In desperate need of a good supper or two?!😆

1240. up in the air

north-south-east-west

birds perched on a weather vane….

where to go next?

Facing this way and that way and, again, this way and that way. Up in the air, eyes on the sun, the sky’s the limit!

1239. storms

sunshine….storms

nothing stays the same—

it’s so true

Earlier this morning, commiserating with a friend, I said: life’s interesting, isn’t it? Then I remembered this picture to share. It’s an excerpt from a video. It begins: And once the storm is over….

“Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.” I try to remember these simple words. It’s not always easy.

1238. spring

winter winds

blow the old leaves away

inviting spring

Though technically it’s still Winter and doesn’t yet look much like Spring, it sure is beginning to feel like Spring.

1237. just sayin’

eight:

panda bears in the snow

…just playin’

“Bamboo” - 18 x 16” - Origami Artwork

Paper: strips and rolls and folds. Here’s my latest origami work. It began with cutting paper strips with no idea in mind….then cutting squares and folding faces and painting eyeses and noses….then rolling paper over toothpicks….and finally adding leaves to make bamboo. I confess: I am a paper junky! What fun!