Peace for Everyone

My painting above my fireplace mantle, by Donna Watson

AMAZING PEACE: A CHRISTMAS POEM

by Maya Angelou

---It is the Glad Season.

Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.

Flood waters recede into memory.

Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us

As we make our way to higher ground.--- MA

Flat lay and photo image by Donna Watson

In the corner of my great room, arranged and photo by Donna Watson

In a world full of destruction one must hold fast to whatever fragments of love are left,

for sometimes a mosaic can be more beautiful than an unbroken pattern. -- Dawn Powell

Flat lay and photo by Donna Watson

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time. -- Maya Angelou

In front of my fireplace mantle, hand painted and photo by Donna Watson

--- All I want for Christmas is Peace

All I want is war to cease

In the homes and on the street

Peace on earth and joy to greet --- Kenneth Snow

A Father Christmas, hand made by me, Donna Watson

Flat lay arranged and photo by Donna Watson

---Underneath my Christmas tree

Christmas morn I hope to see

Headlines blaring PEACE ON EARTH!

For men of naught and men of worth -- KS

Father Christmas (Rabbit) hand made by me, Donna Watson

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

--- I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting for their light.  For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.-- 

Wendell Berry

Flat lay and photo arranged by Donna Watson

Wish and believe for PEACE to shine...

Flat lay arranged and photo by Donna Watson

I wish you and yours and everyone a peaceful wonderful new 

year!

Peace, Hope and Wonder in 2015

Father Christmas hand made by Donna Watson

"Don't think about what can happen in a month.  Don't think about what can happen in a year.  Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be."

----  Eric Thomas

hand made wrapped boxes by Donna Watson.  a few of the boxes were decorated by my good friend Leslie Avon Miller

"A tiny bud of a smile on your lips nourishes awareness and calms you.  It returns you to the peace you had lost.  A smile is the most basic kind of peace work."  -- Thich Nhat Hahn

more hand made boxes with naturals, see the hand made box at top right by Leslie Avon Miller

a bare branch tree in the corner with icicles and red cardinal birds

"Each moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world, to make peace possible for the world, to make happiness possible for the world."  --- Thich Nhat Hanh

hand painted balls in front of fire place

"If you're really listening, if you're awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly.  In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is the burst open again and again so that it can hold ever-more wonders."  -- Andrew Harvey, The Return of the Mother

hand made birch wrapped candle holder

"The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream." -- Kahlil Gibran

"To be creative means to be in love with life.  You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it."  -- Osho

"It is in the thousands of days, trying, failing, sitting, thinking, resisting, dreaming, raveling, unraveling that we are at our most engaged, alert, and alive."  -- Dani Shapiro

New additions this Christmas, a bird skull Father Christmas with a Rabbit Father Christmas both hand made by

Donna Watson

"I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can."  Neil Gaiman

PEACE, HOPE AND WONDER IN 2015

Peace. Hope. Joy. Love. 2014

paper balls, image by Donna Watson

image by Donna Watson

Mini wrapped boxes under bare branch tree, image by

Donna Watson

Mini wrapped boxes with basket of naturals

by Donna Watson

my 10 foot tree decorated with Santas and naturals

by Donna Watson

 

peace

 

Father Christmas, by Donna Watson

Centerpiece on dining table, by Donna Watson

Father Christmas with reindeer

another centerpiece with small santa

3 small candles decorated with birch and naturals

by Donna Watson

Another Father Christmas, by Donna Watson

(a bit bug eyed I think!)

On my fireplace mantel, by Donna Watson

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.  I hope you read some good books, and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't

forget to make some art---or write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.

And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

 Neil Gaiman

Peace on earth...

Image by Yuya Horikawa, Kinkaju-ji Temple, Kyoto

 

The evening bell, solemn and bronze, sounds dimly in the melted

snow... slow beat of the mountain's heart perhaps.  Bell, mountain,

tree... symbol of quiet strength.  All seeking in this place.

All finding in this place... hidden but open to all...

peace.

 

Here are some images of my Christmas decor in my home this year.  I love naturals -- and have been collecting Santas for years.

 

xmas naturals added to my rock collections

 

basket of naturals with wrapped boxes

 

 

more wrapped boxes with fossils and naturals

 

 

Father Christmas, hand made by me

 

Another Father Christmas, hand made by me

 

My 9 foot tree decorated with Santas, bird nests, birds, natural balls, wrapped boxes

 

A new addition-- birched wrapped candle- hand made by me

 

Another birch wrapped candle

 

More birch wrapped candles

 

Leslie Avon Miller came for a visit and brought me this wonderful box of hand made gifts and naturals

Thank you Leslie... a very good friend.

 

My fireplace mantel  

 

We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

Speak or act with a pure mind 

And happiness will follow you

My wish for you in the new year...  happiness, peace,

light   

 

Tis the Season...

This is my Christmas card this year and below are some of my holiday decor and tree ornaments, mostly hand made. What a busy time of the year for all of us. I rush around, trying to do too much. I have to make myself stop, look around, take a few breaths, and quietly savor the beauty around me.

Be helpless, dumbfounded,
Unable to say yes or no.

Then a stretcher will come from grace
to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we're lying.

If we say No, we don't see it,

That No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so

Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,

We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.

When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.
--- Zero Circle by RUMI

Happy holidays, prosperous new year and as always... peace please.