This Glistening Spirit Fish..."

...will be swimming his way tomorrow through

the US postal jet stream

to his new home in Finland and into the art studio of

Elina,

an iATC trading friend.

Within the bright sparkle of his eye

he carries with him the power and strength

of the Finnish sky god Ukko.

Ukko,

like his other mythological sky-god brothers,

Zeus and Thor,

wields control through the use of powerful thunderbolts.

So,

the next time you look up in the sky

and catch a flash of bright light in the corner of your eye,

it just might be the spirit fish of Ukko

swimming about...

keeping order in great sea of the cosmos.

“Do not tell fish stories
where the people know you;
but particularly,
don't tell them where they know the fish.”
~Mark Twain

"A Floral Portal..."

...to discovering a Happy Blooming Tuesday...:)

This was

drawn in my Artful Musings Journal/Sketchbook

lead free...ink straight in

while Sophia

was being swept away through a portal to "somewhere"

on the weekly television show

The Event on NBC.

Interesting where one's inspiration comes from,

isn't it?

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery. ”
~James Joyce

Irish novelist, 1882-1941

"A Desert Mandala..."

“Passion is energy.
Feel the power that comes from focusing
on what excites you.”
~Oprah Winfrey

"Working Out Last Week..."

...with pen firmly gripped in hand...

journal balancing on lap...water bottle within reach...

inked patterns running from brain to paper...

it was a marathon!

I exercised artfully each day and

time passed quickly into

a plethora of artistic aerobic minutes...

my pen strokes pulsating to

the non-stop dribbling beat of "March Madness"

droning from the telly... and then

later in the night

raising my heart rate to well above target level

under the merciless mind control

of the

Manchurian Candidate.

Whew!

I feel so invigorated!

My Muse says I even look thinner!

I flipped over that! LOL :)

"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits,

and keeps the mind in vigor."

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

"SWS...Through a Child's Eyes..."

"World Map"

...flipped, by my Muse, for some nocturnal viewing...

Lexi giggled and loved it!

"Arizona Girl"

"The Biggest Moon"

Lexi's muse definitely danced in delight. ♥

See other Six Word Saturdays here...:)

"Attempts At Containment..."

....each and every day...

...and each and every night...24/7.
Recovery efforts
and attempts to control the unimaginable
are becoming
increasingly exhausting and seemingly endless.
With unearthly power,
Mother Nature

released herself from her Tectonic containment...
spewing about
natural, human, and nuclear
devastation and destruction...everywhere:
lives taken...hearts broken...families shredded...
a nation in crisis...spirits in distress.
A new normal
will now haunt the future of Japan's people
for years to come.
The grief of her people is unable to be contained.
Yet,
like a slim crack of bright sunlight piercing through
dark and ominous clouds
Hope has appeared unchained, unfettered.
She rises and stands boldly
stretching her comforting wings over the hearts and souls
of an entire nation of people....
Her strength and will bolstered daily
through
the millions of prayers and
generous acts of goodwill being offered worldwide.
Be a part of it.
Pray for Japan...March 2011.
♥

"My Muse..."

...has been busy, lately, dancing like no one is watching

and

cultivating artistic thoughts of Spring

in her mind...:)

Illustration Friday: "Cultivate"

"Our happiness

depends on the habit of mind we cultivate.

So practice happy thinking every day.

Cultivate the merry heart,

develop the happiness habit,

and

life will become a continual feast."
~Norman Vincent Peale

"The Super Moon..."

...from a magic filled Arizona desert perspective.

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset

or the beauty of the moon,

my soul expands in worship of

the Creator."
~Mahatma Gandhi

"Breakfast For The Cure..."

Dan and Susan Martin,

owners of Martin's Restaurant

in the Sun Village Center, Surprise Arizona,

organized and hosted their 3rd annual

Breakfast for the Cure

yesterday morning March 14th, 2011.

Each year their suppliers donate food and produce

and their loyal staff donate their time

and work only for tips.

All monies spent by patrons is

donated to the 3 day Susan G. Komen

Walk for the Cure.

Dan and Susan, as well as Susan's sister Peggy

(a breast cancer survivor)

have successfully completed the walk

these last few years and

they will walk again this August in Chicago.

Scott and I attended the breakfast again this year

and had a delightful

and yummy repast out on the patio

overlooking the pool.

The place was packed to the brim

with family, friends, and happy smiles.

(If you like you can see a previous year's drawing here.)

What a great way to spend a morning!

Click on image to enlarge...sketched plein air

then painted at home...:)

♥
“If you have much, give of

your wealth;

If you have little, give of your heart.”
~Arab Proverb

"Down a Dusty Trail..."

May your Cactus Monday be filled with the

smiles of friendship...

the delight of travelling slowly ...

and

the thrill of stepping a bit off the beaten path...:)

♥

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.

Travel too fast

and you miss all you are traveling for.”

~Author Unknown

♥

“You cannot be wimpy

out there on the dream-seeking trail.

Dare to break through barriers,

to find your own path.”
~ Les Brown

"Arizona Girlfriends Weekend..."

Our version of the "Eat Pray Love" tour...Arizona style

was months in coming to fruition...

and then "Poof!", in the quickest 5 days in history,

it was over!

Such wonderful memories!

Here are the pics from two weeks ago...

a great meal

and a prickly pear margarita

at Tonto Bar and Grill in Cave Creek Arizona

got the weekend rolling in great style!

Miss you Jan!

♥

"Funny thing about joy, is that you only really

find it when you are too busy

having fun to look for it!"

;)

~Author unknown

"I Have Been Mooned..."

...by three fabulous artists in the February

"Light of the Moon" swap

at Illustrated ATCs.

L-R: From Jennifer in Maine,

from Amy in Illinois, and from Cathy in Vermont.

Click on image to enlarge...:)

(You can look at my entries for the swap here.)

"May you have warm words on a cold evening,

a full moon on a dark night

and

a smooth road all the way to your door.”
~Irish Blessing

"A Bit of Springtime Soul Food..."

...is blooming in Arizona...ATC card wise that is...:)

Here are my returns from the January

flower swap at Illustrated ATCs.

L-R:...From Cathy in Vermont, Tabitha in Arizona,

and from Jennifer in Maine.

Click on above image to enlarge...:)

(You can see the cards I sent in here.)

Have a Happy Blooming Tuesday wherever

you may be! :)

"Bread feeds the body,

indeed,

but flowers feed also the soul."

~The Koran

"A Trio of Pretty Painted Trees..."

...are now perfectly planted in my ATC collection.

Above are my returns

from the January tree swap at Illustrated ATCs.

L-R: from Tabitha in Arizona,

from Kathy in Las Vegas, and from Cathy in Vermont.

Click on image to enlarge...:)

(You can see the trees I made for this swap here.)

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The next best time is now."

~Chinese Proverb

"Bananagrams, Cookies, and Dice..."

"Wheee!...Thanks, Jan!...Girlfriend, you rock!!!"

♥

(Miss you lots...what a great getaway weekend we had!

Pictures soon to follow!)

(Click on image to enlarge...)

See other Six Word Saturday posts here...:)