Saturday, September 24, 2016

When The Road Gets Rocky ... Make Faces

ONE CLEVER family along my path got creative with some rocks.

The faces they painted where perfect for the oval/roundish shapes of the stones. All ages were represented. Some had a grin ...

while others looked more prim.

Each wore a fixed expression like a picture frozen in time.

I loved them all ... this rock-solid dynasty spread out by a tree.

I went back a day later and wondered if they survived a downpour.

To my delight the rain made them brighter. The one above was my favorite. Fallen leaves curled up alongside its head like ears.

They looked similar from afar but no two stones were alike when I got near. It was clear that the individual markings, curves, textures and tones nature provided enhanced their differing personalities.

One character looked a bit miffed about the leaf on its brow. Or maybe there was some relationship issues going on with the rest of the gang.

Despite being inanimate objects, each face told a human story, including the pretty (little Geisha?) or masked girl below.

Had there been thousands more stones each would be unique, even if painted by the same hand using the same brush. Whether in art, stones or with the living, diversity is nature's key because as Winnie The Pooh said, “The things that make me different are the things that make me.”

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Brimming With Good Luck

A COMFY CHAIR with a cushion for my back reminds me that I don't have to go far to know how lucky I am. Although it is easy to dwell on a glass half empty, today I simply can't ignore a glass that is more than full of small comforts. Almost nothing that surrounds me was made by me ... yet here it all is, providing for my every whim and need.

The angelic figure created by a friend inspires me at a glance.

It's a mystery how much synchronicity was involved in the musical instrument (above) coming to me, along with its owner who turned out to be my husband eventually. Not only can I strum an unfinished tune, I can turn a dial to make music blast from a radio speaker (pictured) that I didn't assemble and the workings of which I don't understand.

I rely on schemers and doodlers from all corners of the world every day. Engineers, architects and electricians responsible for a tangle of cords and wires brighten life in a myriad of ways.

At a glance I am reminded of our beloved family pet who has since passed away and the talented little girl (now a grownup) who created Penelope Puddle as a gift to me. How strange to appreciate but not know all those who took part in designing, painting and piecing together the ornate frames that contain so many of my special memories.

My story follows the stories of those who struggled and toiled. Some never got their full reward but each life had its portion of goodness.

How remarkable and fortunate that nourishment sprouting from plants and trees is handpicked by hardworking strangers and then driven to neighborhood stores before landing on the kitchen table.

In generations past, lemon meringue pie was made from scratch. But thanks to modern bakers I will never meet I can savor this sweet cloud without having to break a single egg or squeeze a tangy lemon.

How many hands did it take, and who built the equipment that forged the metal, to make a whistling kettle so I can sip a soothing herbal brew? What army of workers processed the tea? Who produced the tiny bags I dunk into a cup of clean water that freely pours from a nearby faucet?

How many dozens of hands did it take to make the cap I wear to keep the sun off. Who wove the purse my keys disappear into? Who invented the coat hanger where I hook my umbrella to easily find when it rains?

The universe conspires in countless ways, with the help of others and even ourselves sometimes, to make life flow easier. The glass half full is barely noticeable most of the time but every once in a while I ponder the “little” things I take for granted day in and day out.

It's particularly clear that nature provides when I go outside and find the tiniest creatures also get their share of luck to survive.


Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms