strength in bending

these cattail stalks might have remained rigid, and in some sense more conventionally beautiful. but instead they bent. they showed themselves to be vulnerable. and in their weakness, they showed strength and resilience. i wish this for all of us. that we might find strength in our weakness. that we might find something to admire in the supposed faults of others. let’s celebrate our flawed humanity over the next few days. and not fall prey to the temptation to see others at their worst, and ourselves at our best. go forth and make mistakes. and forgive the mistakes of others. amen.

cattail leaves in winter

this too is goldenrod

ubiquitous in september. goldenrod paints our roadsides and open spaces golden for one glorious month every year. most of us never think twice about goldenrod, except during the month of september. but this too is goldenrod. tall. proud. complex. dry. adding texture to the winter landscape. still itself.

goldenrod with winter frost 

foxtails? pussytoes?

i believe these are some variation on foxtail. but how easy is it to attribute animal characteristics to plants? foxtail. pussytoes. cat’s feet. rabbit tails. owl ears. doormice. what else do these look like?

dried foxtail stems

new life in a long winter

we interrupt your regularly scheduled january photos of stems and sticks, to bring you a little tropical diversion from my indoor monstera plant. it wants me to talk about new growth, new beginnings, and pushing on under difficult situations. but instead, i’ll just let you enjoy the delicacy of this tender unfurling.

monstera plant

on community

have you ever had a conversation with a friend, where one comment sets your life in a whole new direction? today, i visited the creative studio of a friend i hadn’t seen in 9 months because of COVID. we talked for 3 ½ hours. it felt so good to be sharing creative ideas again. while she didn’t say any one thing that is going to change my life, the conversation itself made crystal clear to me my need for creative community. a creative life is often very solitary. we spend a lot of time with our own ideas. in our own heads. today i realized the importance of bouncing those ideas off a supporter. not just a cheerleader–but rather a critical, informed, and challenging supporter. the gentlest of suggestions can throw open worlds of possibility. thank you martha, for your generous and creative support.

frosted winter prairie