reverse threading

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Tag Archives: whimsical


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wildflower joy. [kerri’s blog on not-so-flawed wednesday]

it made me smile as i walked in. these flowers graced the expansive ladies room window in the milwaukee public market. it’s a large decal – produced by a small business in the uk called dizzy duck designs. they call this piece “retro flowers frosted window film.” it was the perfect way to achieve privacy in this space.

i’ve been in a lot of churches, plenty of chapels and many cathedrals along life’s way. i have seen countless stained glass windows. they have depicted the stories of the bible, the stories of the religious institution. there have been folksy windows, tiffany windows, ornate windows with more colored glass than imaginable, geometric windows with monochromatic patterns. the beautifully simple and texturally or story-line overdone, both.

i can’t honestly say – despite honoring the obvious artistry in all of these panels, despite their remarkability, despite their intention of storytelling, despite the serious religious overtones, the shade of light cast into the building – that i have felt anything like what i felt this day as i walked into this ladies room. i have felt other things, but not this.

these wildflowers were charming, captivating. i instantly felt joy. stealing from my dear heidi, “sprinkles” kind of joy.

i stood in front of this window – which i had not seen before – for several extra minutes. i admired each whimsical flower.

i didn’t google the panel till much later. it doesn’t have a behemoth history like magnificent stained glass windows through the decades. it’s just a sweet family-run business, trying to fill a niche and make the places in which people hang out feel good.

bravo, dizzy duck designs! i can’t think of a better reason to be in business.

“spring gets you every time. every year it sucks me in, but then, I’m easy—a few cool blue skies, new grass, wildflowers, and i’m in love. (anne lamott)

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read DAVID’S thoughts this NOT-SO-FLAWED WEDNESDAY

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a chicken and a cow in autumn. [two artists tuesday]

my nephew called. i guess technically he isn’t my nephew now but neither one of us cares about the technicality of it. we talked a couple years ago but not since. no matter. he was ironing and he thought of me. he described how ironing makes you just kind of slow down and lets your mind wander. and so he followed his instinct and dialed. i told him i was glad he wasn’t thinking of me as he was washing the floor. he agreed and said that a washing-the-floor conversation wouldn’t be as whimsical.

whimsical.

i loved how he used that word. we slowed down our hiking, shuffling our feet through the leaves on the trail, david encouraging me to chat. my nephew and i laughed and told stories, asked questions, laughed some more. later, in some text-reminiscing, he asked me if i still had the beer cap earrings he had bought me when we were together up-north many years back. he said, “you’re one of my favorites.” i walked slowly into flashes of another time of life. it was a gift.

from the deck it looks like a chicken. suddenly a chicken leaf fell from the maple tree and landed squarely on our little curlicue-fence. i stopped at the top of the steps and drew d’s attention to it. “look at the chicken back there!” i insisted. we laughed at the chicken on our fence. ok, not exactly. but imagination is a funny thing. we make castles out of refrigerator boxes and gazelles out of cumulus puffs. we create out of thin air.

“have you noticed that autumn is like a yellow cow?” (pablo neruda) “have they counted the gold in the cornfields?”

we are not alone in our imaginings. pondering leaves, clouds, swirls in the lake’s surface, rocks on the trail, i wonder what it would be to not ponder these things. i feel like i might laugh a little less, like there would be a little less whimsy.

i’m not sure how autumn is like a yellow cow, though i am sure that is valid for pablo. it’s all good. it makes the world go round with a little more pizzazz. there is gold everywhere.

right now i’m just wondering where exactly my beer cap earrings are.

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read DAVID’S thoughts this TWO ARTISTS TUESDAY