sunset

Snuck away last night to watch the sunset by the lake. I always feel so connected and at peace by the water. I've decided to do this at least a couple times per week.

spiral spider

I believe this is a Black and Yellow Argiope, who has made the side of my house its home. What a vibrant creature! Rather glad they like gardens and not bathroom corners though...

water bliss

This morning, I took the kids to Lake Hefner. It was early, before 9, and was so quiet and peaceful. When sitting near the edge, the sky and water became one, the hues interlocking and blurring, the gentle waves having a meditative quality. I was in love.

twinkle, twinkle

When we went to the OKC Museum of Art earlier this month, we had fun with the modern art exhibits. This one had knobs to adjust the twinkling lights which my son made vibrant and dim again and again. :)

My Yogi Tea message last night was, "Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light." Somehow seems appropriate for this photo.

backyard 4

Grasshoppers are the totems for leaping forward, abundance, positive 'luck', taking chances. This one greeted us on our back screen.

my backyard 4

My son had an incredible amount of delight spotting this little fellow (miss?). :)

rainbow glass

Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art - I wouldn't mind having a hallway ceiling like this one... :)

my backyard 3

And this? Well, it's growing in a crack in the cement. Rather ambitious. There's that popular saying, "bloom where you're planted." I suppose "bloom where the wind takes you" works too - a lesson in thriving under less than optimal circumstances - or better yet, thriving because you've allowed the circumstances to be optimal just as they are.

my backyard 2

Photo from a few days ago.

So, we've had a break from the intense heat. Rain the last couple of days, highs in the mere 70s. But, summer isn't over - sunshine and 90+ return for the holiday weekend. Good thing because my cat is starting to get bummed out, and my son wants to make chalk footprints all over the back. Me? I like rainy breaks.

a silver lining of strength and renewal

This is a pretend-video-reel hanging from the Oklahoma History Center's ceiling.

I'm actually not sure what the picture on the left is - anyone know?

The one in the center is the Oklahoma National Memorial. "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity." The website is http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/. When my Australian friend visited, she asked if it was a war memorial - so, just to clarify, it's for the April 19, 1995 federal building bombing. Yes, I remember exactly what I was doing, and no, I actually haven't been in the memorial - I find memorials, in general, to be quite beautiful, but way too sad for me.

The one on the right is tornado destruction from May 3, 1999. The bliss and horror of technology is that you get to see the huge formations (this was F5), watch their destruction, and see the path they plan to take. On the one hand, knowledge is power; on the other, it's just flat out scary - especially when few homes are built with basements. I distinctly remember its path was aimed right at my parents' home until it made a sudden move. Some of the houses rebuilt in this area - Moore, a suburb to OKC's south - were destroyed a second time a couple years later when a large tornado took a similar path. I'll stick with central / NW OKC, thank you very much. I've had to get in the closet, but only once in my life have I actually heard that Perfect Stillness, then Train Sound - and for that one, it wasn't F5, and I was in a neighbor's basement...

I suppose all places have sorrow in their histories. The sorrow also shows a place's inner strength and sense of community - which both of these events certainly did.