Thursday, January 10, 2008

With each sunrise,

... We start anew.

Last morning at the old place
One last one on Moving day, last spring

Last week, we drove up the coast, spent a few hours walking along Zuma Beach and Point Dume and drove through some of my old neighborhood. I miss it. I miss the long walks on the beach and past the park and stream. I sort of miss the howl of the coyotes and the frogs at night. I miss my Ikea kitchen table. It had become a real security blanket for me, encouraging me to paint. I miss sitting with my breakfast, watching the sun rise over the Santa Monica Mountains, the park below emerging from the early morning fog. It was just so serenely beautiful, and I was at least aware enough of it then to breathe it all in.

This morning, I found myself sighing about how I have to watch the sunrise over the condo complex rooftop. So not ideal. I guess my old neighbor was a curmudgeon, but the neighbors across the alley here seem to be determined to antagonize my J. They’ll think I’m spying on them as I dreamily consider the sunrise… and just cop more attitude at him. Sigh.

I haven’t felt like drawing or painting in several weeks. I figure if I can take photos, I can at least stop long enough to really see the interesting patterns around me, the beauty that everyone, including myself, just walks past, every day, and try to jiggle some of this funk loose.

So I open up a space between the blinds, steady my camera and notice that the rooftops, in the viewfinder, are only so big. And, the sunrise and the rest of the sky … go on forever.

Duh!

And the other side of the window doesn’t have a screen covering it, so I can get nicer photos of it all.

A new sunrise, where I am now
I can still see the sun rise from where I'm working.

It goes on forever
Poofy clouds after a week of cold and clouds and rain.


"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." - Bern Williams

"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?" - E. M. Forster

"The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls." - John Muir

"Rise early. It is the early bird that catches the worm. Don't be fooled by this absurd saw; I once knew a man who tried it. He got up at sunrise and a horse bit him." - Mark Twain

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Wendee I hope you get out of your funk soon. I know what it is like to feel that way. Ignore the neighbors and just look at the sunrise.

Anonymous said...

hang in there wendee. i'm reading a book right now that's helping me, so i'll suggest it to you too.

The Van Gogh Blues by Eric Maisel

Check out an excerpt here ...
http://www.creativity-portal.com/articles/artofthesong/meaningful-life-work-days.html

Jane LaFazio said...

I'm thinking persimmons might help you out of your funk. Better get some soon, as they're almost out of season!

suzanne cabrera said...

I've been there....but I think you are doing the right thing...trying to focus little by little on the beauty that surrounds you. And it definitely does surround you!

Wendee said...

You are all wonderful. Big hugs to you all! xox!