Beauty

No one can explain beauty.
It is a matter of soul, not eye,
and lightens the darkness within
as a rainbow lightens the sky.

Now as the years go by,
a rose is no more than a rose to me.
But sometimes I see in your soul
what to me is a rose in its beauty.

- from 'Buds of Heaven' in Light in the Darkness? by Bill Donaldson

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

I'm not really sure what beauty is anymore.

Heaven's Stranger

Doing the hippy shake to Eat Skull with my best friend who made it over the border for a visit, just in time to eat barbeque tortillas and take these pictures.



I went to a lecture about Christianity and the Visual Arts hosted by my university, given by John Lowrie Morrison, AKA JoLoMo, a fantastic Scottish contemporary artist. I would say that I see more positives about personal belief than organised religion, but visual arts are something immediately accessible to all. Self expression and having faith in something are so important.





His work is so full of life, almost childishly excited about the brilliance of simply being. Very vibrant and distinct yet always familiar, as if he has painted the houses of those characters you read about in story books once upon a time. All the colours are somehow the way I feel on the inside, and the scenes are ones I want to see myself in, living slowly as the world goes by, with boats and birds and the soft breath of not-quite silence.

Kick Drum Heart

My plaiting skills are improving, my sleeping pattern is not. I have had to, on occasion, turn to the dark side that is caffeine in order to make it through more endlessly fun things like dinner dates and dancing, fundraising meetings and midnight birthday parties on the playpark. My eyes are fluttering shut when they shouldn't, but my heart is quicker than a kick drum and twice as loud.

The Avett Brothers - Kick Drum Heart

Some like it hot
And some do not,
But the important part is making a choice.
Choosing is pleasing;
It is moment-seizing
And a way of talking without using your voice.

Crepeutation

When you are...

there's only one thing to do...


...flip out a few and chow down.

Thank you, Hugh, for the perfect pancake recipe. My homebears were very impressed and I am forever in your debt.

Pathless Woods

I've missed this old city, but I like it when I can't see the forest for the trees.
It will be a while before I can be somewhere as beautiful again.

Festivity

The past few weeks have been filled with beautiful things...

homemade treats...

crazily good cooking...

winter wonderland weather...

fantastic friends...

sweet dreams...

light in the dark...

...and the most amazing heart-skipping times.

Yesicanuary

New year always feels so momentous. This year, it was rung in with a magical full moon, tealights in jam jars, barbequed hotdogs, flying fire lanterns, chocolates, champagne, the dissection of a decade, a little more snow and a whole lot of love.

I'm using the term 'resolution' broadly this year, not making a list and checking it twice. I am simply resolving to live better in all ways possible. I want to make a difference for myself, other people, my country and our planet. It's a resolution revolution. Never mind January, this is Yesicanuary!