Monday Muse - Indie Films

In addition to informative and oft-times inspirational documentaries, Netflix has afforded me the opportunity to watch many Indie Films that don't play at the local theater, nor appear in my local video store. One movie that I watched recently really spoke to many of my interests... in stories, in cultures, in connection and friendship. That movie was Arranged. The trailer below will introduce you to the two young women whose stories intertwine in this gentle, quiet film. I just loved it!

Monday Muse - Cloudpainting

Our skies have been so beautiful lately, with fat soft clouds brushed with color in the mornings and evenings. Watching them, I have been reminded of a favorite cartoon moment from my children's earlier days. In this clip, which I was glad to find on youtube, the characters in the 100 acre wood are trying to cheer Eeyore up. As each character tries to make Eeyore happy, they choose an activity that they love, thinking Eeyore will love it too... but they don't really understand Eeyore's preferences. If you don't have time for an almost 5 minute clip, slide the bar over to the 3 mintue mark and watch from there and you will see my favorite part.

Special thanks to my mom, Cloudhands, for encouraging cloudpainting (though we didn't call it that) from my own early days of childhood.

Monday Muse - Melody

Another "free on itunes" song has captured my interest. This past week, I downloaded (free as an introduction to this artist) the song Melody by Kate Earl. It is not a song I would have picked for myself, in all likelihood, but I like it's free and easy, slightly quirky, sound, and its positive message. In the song, the singer finds comfort and balance through music:

"& i find that im never alone
& i find that my heart is my home

& the music within makes me whole

a world that i built on my own

& i know that im never alone
& i know that my heart is my home

every missing piece of me
i can find in a melody."

Listen and watch here. An acoustic alternative, just Kate at her piano, can be found here.

Monday Muse - Spanish Guitar

The children are still sleeping and Limerick has already headed off to work. The house is quiet and still, except for the soft hum of clothes tumbling in the washing machine and the hushed whirring of the percolator as it keeps the coffee warm. I did homework for a while, but needed a little "brain break" so I listened to this spanish guitar composition while I watched the slide show in my side bar. This guitarist, César Berlanga, might be a bit of a character (note the stuffed animals on the couch beside him; so cute!) but the music is serene and lovely.

Monday Muse - Little Wonders

I haven't done a Monday Muse post in months, but wanted to share the song that has been stuck in my mind for the last few days: Little Wonders by Rob Thomas.

I love the lyrics, which include,

"Our lives are made in these small hours

these little wonders,

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away,

but these small hours,

these small hours still remain."

The full lyrics are here: Little Wonders

I don't have a good enough connection to the internet to watch YouTube videos, but if you aren't familiar with this song, you might find it there. That's what I've been listening too... What inspires you lately?

photo of bluejays by Aisling, December 2008

Monday Muse - Blogs that Inspire

If the blogroll on my right sidebar were a bookshelf, then Trailing Light would be an elegant, slender volume of poetry. This is the poetry blog of Beyond the Fields We know author, Cate. There are exquisite photographs and eloquent poems - haiku and free verse. Each entry is thought provoking, and as with her other blog, one must slow down, hold very still, and savor the moments as one reads Cate's nearly flawless writing.

Two Frog Home is the online home of Kathie, who once wrote the blog "Simple Katie." I've long enjoyed reading her simple, practical tips for budget-friendly, earth friendly living. I guess you could say, she's just plain friendly! She keeps a running tally of the food she has put up for long term storage and points readers toward practical advice elsewhere on the web. Recently, she and her husband have moved into a new home. I look forward to watching them turn their new property into a small scale homestead. Kathie's friendly, well-written narratives, keep me coming back, with interest, time and time again.

This spring, I made a colorful new friend via this blogging community. Linda, of Vulture Peak Muse, is a talented artist who lives in California. Her gorgeous paintings are alive with saturated color. Though health issues sometimes prevent Linda from participating in our Sunday Strolls, when she does her photographs have a special artistic flair. Her blog is a carnival of color and beauty: from roses lit by a golden sun, to a black and white border collie named Belle, to vivid, arresting artwork.

photo by Aisling, gazania July 10, 2008

Monday Muse - Blogs

I've found over the last couple of years that I would rather read blogs than magazines. I find them an abundant source of inspiration. No matter what new interest I might develop, someone is blogging about it. Some of the best blogs I've found, have been discovered by linking through other favorite blogs. It is like meeting "a friend of a friend." Right away, you know you have something in common, because this blogger you are meeting has the good taste to read and interact with one of your blogging friends.

I believe I first met Joyce of Tall Grass Worship through my long time friend Nan's blog, Letters from a Hill Farm. Joyce has been a welcome addition to our Sunday Strolls. I love the sense of reverence with which Joyce always seems to write. Even when she is disgruntled over Japanese Beetles invading her garden, or "progress" digging holes in her neighborhood, her good humor and thoughtfulness shine through her writing.

The Bunnies Bungalow is the blogging home of Debra K. Reading her posts, a reader gets a real sense of a compassionate, nurturing woman, who is, among other things, very skilled at creating a cozy nest...or burrow. Debra's mother is dealing with the incredibly sad condition of Alzheimer's Disease, and so, Debra is dealing with it too. Her posts will tug at your heartstrings, but her strength and grace will inspire. You can also link from her blog to her shop, where she sells sweet little vintage treasures.

The next blog listed on my sidebar is "The Dolphin Cove." Chellie's blog is now "Chellie's Cove" but despite the name change, her blog remains the same friendly spot to visit. The longing for serenity that she mentions on her blog header is just one interest that Chellie and I share. We also have a dear mutual friend, Robbin of Cedar Chest of Dreams. I have seen, over the past few months, that in addition to writing an interesting and personal blog, Chellie is a wonderful, constant, supportive friend. What more could you ask for?

photo by Aisling, July 7, 2008 False Sunflower, heliopsis

Monday Muse - Blogs

Soliloquy is the blog of Nancy Bond. I love the attention to minute detail that so many of her photographs present. I love the quotations that capture the essence of the nature photos she shares. Her poetry and writing are infused with the same attention to detail as her photos and through it all, one sense Nancy's connection to nature. I'm glad we found each other's blogs some months back through an ever-extending community of kindred-bloggers.

Anita's Take Joy! is a relatively recent addition to my bloglist. Anita tells stories on her blog the way we would tell a friend a story over a cup of coffee. Her writing is conversational and natural. Her subjects range from recurring dreams, to crafting, to what's growing in the garden. Those are things I love to talk about in person; I love to read about them as well.

Apparently, I'm about to introduce you to Cherry Menlove's Tales from Pixie Wood blog, just as she begins a blogging-hiatus there. She does however, maintain another website, including an active community forum. Her blog is dedicated to the art of lovely homemaking. Her blog is subtitled, "Days in England and Tales from the Homemaking Front." I can make no claim to having a home with as many lovely decorative touches as the one Cherry presents. With two little boys, several house pets, and a dusty dirt road just outside the front windows, pretty bows and delicate fabrics are kept to a minimum. A girl can dream however, and visiting any of Cherry's web-endeavors is a breath of fresh, sweetly beribboned, air.

photo by Aisling, June 29, 2008 Blue Light Clematis

Monday Muse

Of the blogs on my sidebar, several were added quite recently. One of those is Dee's Red Dirt Ramblings. She commented recently on one of my Sunday Stroll posts and I, in turn, visited her blog. I knew right away that I would return to her blog again and again. She is a gardener in Oklahoma, and lately has been dedicating her posts to the beautiful daylilies blooming in profusion in her garden. If that were not enough to ensure my return to her blog, her writing style would be. Her writing is informative, engaging and entertaining. You may have noticed her posts on my last couple of Sunday Strolls.

Next on my blogroll is Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life. Rue's blog is full of decorating ideas and home comforts. She and her husband are hopeful that the purchase of a particular old farmhouse is in their near future. I return to her blog often to see how the quest proceeds. As I visit, I am impressed by the sweetness of Rue's spirit, which makes her blog even lovelier than the pretty photos of her home. Reading some blogs is like visiting a friend in her home, and Rue's is definitely a blog of that variety.

One of my favorite garden writers is Sharon Lovejoy. I have mentioned some of her books here in previous posts, particularly Hollyhock Days which includes my favorite lists of names for the full moons of each month. Her blog, Sharon Lovejoy Writes From Sunflower House & a Little Green Island, is filled with the same practical homegrown wisdom that characterizes her books. And like her books, there is a little bit of fairy-magic sown in for good measure.

photo by Aisling, June 21, 2008

Monday Muse - Inspiration from Blogs (resumed)

It has been several weeks since I wrote about the blogs on my blogroll and the inspiration they provide. Beginning with Memorial Day, it seems my Mondays have been devoted to other things... but today I'll resume. Since I began writing about the blogs on my list, and why they are there, I have added a few new blogs. Eventually, I hope to go back and tell you about some of those, but in the meantime, I'll just start where I left off.

The last blog I wrote about was Our Red House, so next up is Path to Freedom Journal. This blog chronicles the happenings of a little Urban Homestead in California. I love the photos of vegetable beds and small livestock, artfully squeezed into a tiny urban backyard. I love the weekly menus which are posted, giving readers a glimpse of what eating locally... very locally... could look like. My climate is so different from the one in which the writers of this blog dwell. In this northern locale, eating locally takes on a different challenge entirely: the growing season is much shorter, so more preservation and less fresh eating is involved. Nevertheless, I find their urban homesteading adventure fascinating and inspiring.

Next on my list is author Margaret Evans Porters blog, Periodic Pearls. I read several of her novels years ago, during a Regency Era reading frenzy. One day, several months ago, I read a comment that Margaret wrote on my friend Nan's Letters from a Hill Farm. Recognizing her name, I sought out her blog. To my delight, I found that we share other interests, besides writing, history, and England. Her gardens are lovely and I'm happy that she has joined in my Sunday Stroll event several times.

Next on my list is a quiet, thoughtful blogger. Prairie Star doesn't post her Wonderings often, but when she does they are insightful and personal. I think we found each other through comments on Cate's blog, Beyond the Fields We Know, and I have enjoyed getting to know Prarie Star through her own writing. She has a calming, pleasant friendliness that is conveyed through her posts.

Photo by Haiku, June 14, 2008 looking at the butterfly garden through the wild daisies that grow behind it.

Monday Muse - Inspiration from Blogs Goes On...

I've been writing Monday posts these past few weeks to highlight the blogs in my blogroll.

The next blog on my list is Patty's Morning Ramble. Patty is a long-time proponent of living the simple life. I encounter many blogs of folks who aspire to live a "greener life." What is a current trend has been a way of life for Patty for much of her life. Her blog posts offer glimpses of the simple life she lives on a small farm in Texas. Her photography is wonderful, and her posts remind readers to focus on the people in their lives rather than the "stuff."

The next blog belongs to writer Olivia Kroth. Currently, much of this blog is in German, but English translations are often provided. I love the nature photos and related quotes that this author shares. She has another, more personal, blog that I still need to add to my blog list. She is one of those "connected to nature" kindred spirits whose thoughts I love to read.

Kate's cheery blog, Our Red House, appears next on my list. Kate writes charmingly about what is going on in their home: what's cooking, who is having a birthday, what the chickens did when they visited the schoolroom. *grin* I love her seasonal observations, even though her southern hemisphere seasons are the opposite of what is going on here at the Quiet Country House. I check in often for pretty photos, great recipes, and interesting stories.

photo by Aisling, May 18, 2008 Azalea, cultivar orchid lights of the northern lights series

Monday Muse - Still More Inspiration from Blogs

The next blog on my blogroll is a crafting blog, Inside a Black Apple. I haven't gotten to know this blogger well as I have many others; she has a fairly busy blog and a large readership. Despite that, I really enjoy looking in on her blog periodically. She is an artist and crafter, and I love her style. It was fun to see her a couple of months ago on Martha Stewart. If I ever find time to "get crafty" myself, you will probably see a few more craft-related blogs appear on my blogroll. There are some beautiful craft blogs out there!

Joanne's Joyful Blessings blog is also somewhat craft oriented. Joanne does lovely needlework which she often features on her blog. I got to know Joanne years ago through "list mail" on several very domestic lists. I love to peek in on her blog to hear what she has been teaching in the homeschooling co-op, see bits of her garden, or see her latest project.

Visiting my dear friend Nan's blog, Letters from a Hill Farm, is like taking a trip to the country side. It is, as they say, a breath of fresh air. There you will find book reviews, pretty photos of rural images, recipes and poetry. Even if I hadn't already known Nan, I would want to read her pleasant cheerful blog daily.

photo by Aisling, May 11, 2008 Angelique Tulip

Monday Muse - Inspiration from Blogs

It's been a while since I've done a "Monday Muse" post, but usually they have been about a musician who inspires me. Of course music is not the only thing that inspires me. Gardens and nature do, of course, and people I meet who are expressing themselves creatively. Some of my best inspiration these days comes from the blogs that I read, not always on a daily basis, but as close to it as possible.

For the next few Mondays, I'm going to tell about the blogs on my bloglist: who they are and why they're on my list. I hope you will take that time to visit some of these blogs which inspire me. My list is alphabetic, so there is no preference suggested by the order of my list. I enjoy them all, or they wouldn't be there. That reminds me that I have a few "new discoveries" to add soon.

The first blog on my list is Beyond the Fields We Know. Cate, the author and artist who pens the blog, is inspiring in her connection with and knowledge of nature. I go there to see beautiful photography, and read informative, moving prose, and amazing poetry.

Next on my list is Cedar Chest of Dreams. Robbin is currently resting and recovering, but when she is "up and running" her blog is filled with inspiration, humor and dreamy thoughts. It really is like visiting a friend to bring her blog up on my screen and catch up with her each day. If you're reading this, Robbin, I'm sending prayers and healing thoughts.

Next on my list is Cor Blimey She's a Limey, which currently carries a heading "life at the hovel" in honor of recent renovations at Lesley's cottage in England. She provides a great number of film reviews, as well as glimpses of her garden and her cats. I have known Lesley for many years on line, primarily through homemaking email groups. Many of those old lists have gone "by the wayside" but I have been glad to keep in touch with Lesley through her blog.

photo by Haiku, April 27, 2008 White (Emperor?) Tulips in the Moon Garden

Monday Muse - Wintersong

I have been listening to Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong cd most often this holiday season. The tranquil mood it sets is just what I need to balance the hectic calendar that arises from children's musical programs, work Christmas parties, and other committments. My favorites, though it is so hard to pick, are Sarah's Wintersong and her cover of Joni Mitchell's River. You can listen to some snippets of this music here:

http://www.sarahmclachlan.com/wintersong.html

Monday Muse - Meg and Dia

These two young singers are sisters. I love the way their pretty voices harmonize together. Some of Meg and Dia's music is edgier and more "modern" (which I also love), but I think their acoustic performances are brilliant. In the clip below, they are singing Roses.

Monday Muse: Maura O'Connell

I first heard Maura O'Connell, maybe about 15 years ago, on a Sunday Morning radio show that played an interesting blend of folk, rock and blues music. The song she was singing that morning was Shawn Colvin's Don't Know Why, and her voice and interpretation of the lyrics was incredible. In this clip, she does an amazing cover of Van Morrison's Crazy Love. If you've never heard her, please check it out! She also has a very informative website.

Monday Muse: Terra Naomi

I'm thrilled that there are still musical artists emerging who can inspire me. My daughter, Senryu, introduced me to this young singer/songwriter whose voice is unique and haunting (Senryu describes it as "dusky") and whose lyrics are hopeful and meaningful. There are other versions of this song (one of just Terra and her guitar in a quiet room) on Youtube. She also has a myspace site if you are interested in learning more about her. Terra Naomi says of the video below, "I asked people from around the world to film themselves answering the question "what would you do/want if anything were possible?" in three words or less. "