December 24, 2011

Winter Wonderland

I was feeling a lot of pre-holiday stress yesterday and decided to take a short walk with Meeko in the forest at the end of our street. We can't walk there except in wintertime because it is very swampy.  So it was our first walk there this winter. There wasn't another footprint except for rabbit and deer tracks.  We weren't able to go the whole way because it's still not entirely frozen, but what we saw was magical and I wanted to share these photos with you.  The walk transformed the way I was feeling. I hope it helps you too.





This is where we had to stop. You can see Meeko is looking a little wistful.


This week has definitely included all kinds of stress. My Mom had surgery on Wednesday but is now home and is doing really well. If she is feeling up to it, our whole family will be travelling next week to have a late Christmas dinner with her. The mother of a very dear friend is also in hospital this week.  My heart is with her and her family. I know of other families dealing with difficult situations and I am thinking about them too.

I hope I say this right. I really didn't know what this blog would do for me when I started it.  I began it mainly as a way to make sure I kept painting.  I'm not sure that I expected so many visitors from around the world--really nice people. There have been encouraging words about my paintings, nice words about my developing photography skills, thoughtful words (and rainbows!) for my Mom, shared feelings and thoughts about gardens, dogs, food, art, children, music, computers, cameras, rocks, rain and snow...so many things.  I have visited many of your blogs and been inspired by your art, your photos, your homes and your lives.  Somehow this blogging experience that started out feeling scary, cold and impersonal has turned out to be quite the opposite. I have a sense of community with people that has nothing to do with where I live. I have friendships with people I've never met. It has given me a sense of the world being a smaller, kinder place and I like that very much.
Kathleen xx 

8 comments:

  1. Yeah ! well done Kathleen ! Merry Xmas !!!
    xxxLucile

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  2. I'm so jealous of your snow!!! It's all sunshine & 24C down here. I'm so happy you created this blog, I knew you'd love blogging :-) Thank you for sharing a little piece of your with us. Lotsa love from Mexico xoxo Feliz Navidad! :-)

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  3. Beautiful photos Kathleen. Blogging is a lovely experience, there are such wonderful creative people around, and the world does seem smaller for it. Thanks.

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  4. Lucile--Merci de ton blog aussi--ça me fait sourire regulièrement. Joyeuses fêtes!

    Geninne--I will send you some! I think Turbo would love it too. Meeko is so funny to watch in the snow. Talk about pure joy! Thank you for the wonderful ongoing inspiration with your blog and Facebook posts.

    Julie--Thank you for your friendship, your blog and being an Etsy customer too (so nice of you). I feel lucky to know creative people in so many countries now. Happy Christmas.

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  5. Your words are so,so true, I do feel the same, blogging is something I,ve never thought it would be so!! I,m very happy to know people in so many different countries, it showed me that it does,nt matter were you are from, or how you live... feelings are the same all around the world, and there is so many things we do the same way... Thank you for sharing a part of your life and all your paintings and I must say that your pictures show me a kind of life that i,ll probably never will experience, like living with snow, and that,s great!! Thank you very much! Have a wonderfull xtmas time!!

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  6. Karin--I am glad that you connected with my words--I felt quite emotional when I wrote them. I agree with everything you wrote about your own blogging experience. Honestly, I think if more people blogged, we could change the world! Hugs from my part of the world to yours! xx

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  7. Kathleen, I've enjoyed getting to know you, and your sweet puppy Meeko! Inspired continually by your lovely photos, I look forward to more creative sharing in the new year ahead. I live vicariously in your beautiful snow filled land!
    x, Val

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  8. Valerie--What a lovely message. I am so grateful for the friends I have made here. I feel like it's a worldwide creative club! :)

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Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog and to leave me a comment. I love reading them. -- Kathleen

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