March 18, 2010

...refueling and unexpected happy visits.

yesterday i was in dire need of some personal reflection time.  
so i carved out a few hours in my day (i say "carved" because sometimes thats what i have to do...i have to "create" personal time...do you too?)  and i drove to a place i love to go when i need to get away from the noisy, worldly, chaos that sometimes swirls heavily around me.
have you ever been to arizona in the spring?  
or anywhere else when the citrus trees are just coming into bloom?
if not, let me just share with you that the air is perfumed with the most glorious smell.  it was this sweet scent that greeted me 
and put me instantly at ease.  
then the busy buzzing of bees caught my attention...
huge bees.
huge bees in flight.
i thought to myself how ironic it was that they too...
had come to this place for nourishment.  for sweet personal nectar.  

i spent the next few hours in peaceful contemplation.
in a beautifully quiet place with no judgement.  only love.  
unimaginable love.
i emerged at peace.
and just had to capture the beauty of it all.
colorful reminders 
"little purple pansies touched with yellow gold"
(do you know that song?)
and then one of the best gifts of the day came to me...
...he zoomed right in front of my lens.
(look at his tiny tongue.  hummingbirds have tongues right?)
my mom loved hummingbirds.
ever since she passed away we.ve had lots of unexpected visits from these dear creatures.  my children and i like to believe that they are little messengers sent from grandma ann.  her way of sending love and letting us know that she is aware of us.

thank you mom!  
i know you were present and i love you!

(i hope all of you can carve out a tiny bit of time for yourself.  soon. go be nurtured.  fed.  refueled.  whatever that may mean for you!)




27 comments:

  1. Chrissy! This was beautiful! I love hummingbirds.
    I am glad you carved out your time and that you have place to reflect. You wonderful lady!!


    xxoo
    You are

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  2. the carving out was clearly INSPIRED.
    the pictures of the flowers are JUICY GORGEOUS.
    the hummingbird TOOK MY BREATH AWAY, even from MN! wow wow wow. thank you for sharing your gifts with us! lol.

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  3. You are so wonderful! I love how you captured that beautiful humming bird. What a treasure! I need to go to that special, beautiful place and capture the beauty!

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  4. Awwwww I'm so happy to have read this beautiful post. It touched me. I too went yesterday to sit in a park by the water here in CT. I needed it, to be away from noise from the chaos. I wanted to be quiet to clear my mind and just listen and it was wonderful to me. That's the reason I created the pouch. I was so inspired by the moment in the park. I felt so peaceful lovely. You my dear take beautiful photos brilliant. And your warm words are like music.

    Chrissy have a lovely afternoon and take in all the beauty!!!!!!!

    cheers!

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  5. what gorgeous photos!
    LOVE the hummingbird, what a sweet surprise!
    you are a poet.

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  6. Wow those are amazing photos!!! and to capture the little humming bird, what a wonderful day... and the words about your mum put tears into my eyes... wow. x

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  7. Chrissy, your photos are amazing! You always inspire me. I think I am off to find my own inspiring place and carve out time for my own spirit

    Lindy

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  8. I always thought of Arizona as a dry deserty place, but these pictures are so beauful! Makes me want to go there. ♥ Pansies are special to me as they were my grandmothers favorite flower. I do know that song...little purple pansies touched with yellow gold, growing in one corner of the garden old. Brings back sweet memories. Thank you Chrissy♥

    Love,
    Jenny

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  9. oh sweet friend of mine...i hope you know just how loved you are!!

    this post made me cry...
    as i am sitting here all alone in a little cafe eating a yummy mix of greens...looking at your pictures, soaking up your words.

    i love every single picture but the hummingbird with his little tongue is priceless....and yes. my friend. mom is right there with you, holding you, supporting you, cheering you on, listening, loving....loving you...her beautiful, beautiful treasure of a daughter.

    sending you bunches of hugs and loves
    xoxo
    k

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  10. Oh sounds like you had a great time, I really need to carve some time for me soon too, I have been feeling in a slump for way too long now!
    I can't wait for some colour to come back to the UK soon, it is still so grey and lifeless here!
    I am going on a short holiday in 2 weeks and i'm hoping to get some 'me time' then, in between all the 'fun stuff' with the kids of course ;)

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  11. Lovely, lovely, lovely! I'm so happy that you made your personal reflection time a priority in spite of all the things that you must be juggling. I'm totally convinced that if everyone did this on a regular basis, it would be a very, very different world than the one that we have. Thanks for that little piece of inspiration, dear Chrissy!!

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  12. this is so lovely! you'll have to introduce me to this place filled with flowers and bees! I have only come across cactus and rocks!!

    xoxo
    stella

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  13. Your photography is AMAZING! Nearly as stunning as your written reflections!

    xoxo

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  14. i'm so glad that you took some much needed and well deserved "chrissy time"!! and what a gorgeous hideaway you've found.....those flowers and sweet bumbly bees sure put life into perspective, don't they? the precious visit from the wee little hummingbird truly touched my heart.....
    thanks for the little lift, sweet one! xox, :))

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  15. Chrissy, not only are these photos stunningly gorgeous, but they resonated with your lovely words as if I were there. I could smell the sweet fragrances and hear the hum of the bees and the hummingbird (aren't their tongues a trip??) And I do believe hummingbirds are special little messengers. I truly do. How wonderful you have such an inspiring place to go. Thanks for sending that inspiration on...

    xoxoooxx
    Gwynnie

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  16. awesome artist + wonderful photographer + super duper sweet woman = chrissy

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  17. I can't wait to visit your Arizona someday, hopefully not too far off. xxx

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  18. Tonight I need my own special place, so thank you for sharing the memories of yours. Gorgeous photos, the hummingbird shots are fantastic.

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  19. Hi Chrissy . .. I'm so glad to meet you and find your blog..it's wonderful. I'm very under the weather today but just as soon as I'm well I am going to take a little artist's date like you did and absorb the sights and sounds around me. I love how you told the story of the bees and then the little hummingbird paying you a very special visit. What a lovely post!
    Have a great weekend!
    p.s. thank you so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such a nice note. That made me feel great. : )

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  20. You found some real beauties! I'm so glad you have the talent to capture them and the generous heart to share them. I'm certain that your Mom KNEW you needed nourishment and found a way to comfort you in the most ancient and primitive way- nature.

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  21. ~such special moments you have captured and a wonderful thought of your mum...i do believe in gifts brought to us by our l♥ved ones...glimpses and peace of mind that all is well...i just got 3 humming birds tattooed in memory of my great grandma and 2 grandmas...l♥vely post indeed...brightest blessings~

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  22. Hi Chrissy. So glad you had some reflection time for yourself. And what a beautiful place (AZ) to be right now. I could literally smell the flowers from way up here in the north.

    Be well,
    Serena

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  23. I LOVE the pictures!!! You are SUCH an artist! Thanks for this post. It was touching!! AND I love AZ in the spring! It is amazing how we learn to love where we live and find the beauty in it!!! (Coming from Portland I had a really hard time with the desert, but now I prefer it)!

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  24. this is beautiful...and so touching!
    i am in az right now with my family on spring break...all the way from iowa!
    the smells, the color, the sunshine and warmth---such a treat for the soul!
    i will be bringing so much inspiration from this place of beauty back with me.
    xxoo
    jody

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  25. beautiful images- you have a lovely blog.

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  26. oh my goodness, what luck that a hummingbird zoomed on by! these are such beautiful images - I like them all - the colorful flowers, the buzzing bees, and of course, those incredible shots of the hummingbird.

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  27. These are so beautiful. Those colours! And that hummingbird! Sounds like your mum was sending you a message in the happy quiet space you created for yourself
    Xx

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your comments put the biggest smile on my face!
thank you so very much!