It’s been such a long time! I hope this finds you all doing and being well! I’ve had many of you on my mind off and on throughout this time I’ve been away, and have thought of posting something on numerous occasions, but frankly, I just didn’t have it in me. There’s many reasons for my absence, none of which I’ll go into right now, but today I thought what better time to pop in to say hello than on a Mandala Monday?!
I must confess, I haven’t created a whole lot of mandalas since we last spoke. I haven’t had the time nor the inspiration for as much creativity, but there’s been moments. Blessed moments, where I haven’t been on survival mode and have been able to settle into the stillness and create…
From my birthday last summer…
On top of a tambourine! A gift I received on said birthday…
Playing with sidewalk chalk.
Some keychains I painted for gifts recently. I can’t remember the last time I painted!
More sidewalk chalk shenanigans…
A work in progress from this past summer solstice. I was trying something different. Don’t look too closely at it, it’s sorta crooked oops! 🙃 I plan to paint the bottom half in greens to represent grass. We’ll see how it turns out. 🤷♀️
And these aren’t mandalas. But they are circular. Little dandeLIONS I made with my sweet grandchildren…
They’ve grown so much! My granddaughter is 6 and my grandson is 3. They are such a joy and blessing, I can barely contain the immense love I have for them! 💕
And this isn’t a mandala either, but I have to throw this into this post as well. I’ve recently taken on a few Swallowtail caterpillars to foster and I’m very much looking forward to it! I’ve fostered Monarchs several times in years past, but never Swallowtails. Hopefully I’ll have the chance to share some of the process with you.
Well, I better go get ready for work. I hope to drop by some of your blogs soon!
I’ve really been enjoying my little patio container of strawberries this year. It’s such a lovely, delightful little pot, and I’m getting so many berries on it – more than ever before! It’s an ever-bearing variety, so it’s been non-stop since spring.
Tiny, but tasty! 🍓
And the bright, hot pink blooms are so beautiful..
This is from earlier this spring…
And this is from this morning…
I’ve got to keep an eye out for the pesky squirrels who like to snatch them just as they’re ripening. Those theiving little beasties!
I also have a little strawberry plant that my granddaughter and I started from seed back in March of 2020 when she had her last sleepover just before the big C burst onto the scene here in the US. It too has been getting tiny berries on it…
I arranged this on my potting bench the other day using some of the berries from that plant while thinking of my sweet granddaughter…
She’s getting so big…
And so is my grandson…
Gosh, how time flies… we’ve really got to cherish each moment, don’t we. 💕
Hi friends, it’s been a while! I hope this finds all of you well and that you have beauty and joy and love in your lives!
Things have been extremely challenging for me recently, but in this moment I am ok, filled with gratitude. 🙏
I haven’t been feeling as creative as I usually am, but I have made a few nature mandalas since I was here last and thought I’d share them with you.
My garden is a bit lacking this year, so I haven’t had as much to work with, but I’m sincerely appreciating and enjoying what I do have. I just harvested some yellow beans from my veggie garden and they were actually what sparked the inspiration for the mandala above. Here it is with the beans…
😁
And here is a mandala I made a couple weeks ago…
And a few others…
I also made a little mini wreath one day just for kicks…
I used peppermint for the base and it was very fragrant! I’m so grateful for my sense of smell. And for all my senses.
Well, I guess that’s all for now. I gotta go get ready for work. Thanks so much for letting me share! I hope this brightens your day in some small way! 🌼 May it be happy and blessed, and may the wheel of life spin you in beautiful directions today!
Another diamond painting I did. I’m a huge fan! I love the blue and the design. I really wish the sparkles could be captured.
Guys, this could easily become a new addiction. Oh well… there are worse things. 🤷♀️😉
I hope you’re all keeping well. Despite the recent snow (and March typically being our snowiest month) here, I sense spring approaching. I’m hearing more and more little birds twittering outside. Such a delightful and welcome sound! 💕
Happy Mandala Monday! Wishing you things that bring you joy today!
I’m still dabbling in all things mandala related over here. This is a diamond painting I did recently…
I didn’t create the design, nor did I come up with the ‘diamond’ placing, but I sure enjoyed it! Because who doesn’t enjoy activities that include a kaleidoscope of colors and sparkly things?! 🥰
Unfortunately, this picture doesn’t really show just how sparkly it is. I was only snapping a quick picture of it to show it to my sister because she is the one who gave me the little kit for Christmas and I wanted her to see it all finished. I have three other kits she gave me as well, so perhaps I’ll share those too once I finish them. And I’ll try to snap better pictures next time! 😉
The yellow squash I used in this mandala sorta remind me of an old-time airplane propeller. And that’s a bit how I feel lately… Round and round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows… But it might be on a Wednesday! 🙃
Here’s a version without the propeller…
🏵
Hope you’re all doing well. May you be propelled into beauty and joy this week!
I’m SO feeling a hint of autumn in the air right now! And I’m sensing it in the garden too as things are starting to wind down. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still lots going on out there, but I harvested the last of my beans in the veggie garden the other day, and my yellow beans were the inspiration for this week’s mandala. The beans and all the other yellows that are happening in the garden…
Gosh, I love yellow, it’s such a bright and cheerful color!
💛
It’s a rainy start to the week here on this Monday, but our weather forecast for the week looks amazing! And by amazing, I mean… cooler temps. Yes! Oh, how I love the changing of the seasons!
I hope the weather is nice wherever you are, and that you can find joy and beauty in whatever season you’re in. Wishing you bright and cheerful things in the coming week!
A simple nature mandala my sister and I made together last week with some randoms we found along the Net River while we were exploring Holyoke Park. It’s nothing fancy, just a little offering we left at the end of our time there.
You guys, this place is really special! It’s so untouched and uninhabited, I almost don’t want to share about it, lest it become more known and populated. It’s truly one of those hidden gem kind of places, and the vibes there feel almost sacred.
Here was what I saw immediately upon arrival…
So picturesque! And this was only about 50 feet from where we parked, so not far to go to get to experience the beauty of this area. Don’t get me wrong – the parking area was just as ‘hidden’ and if you didn’t plan to go here, you wouldn’t have even noticed the turn off the main road. The main road itself being actually a ‘back’ road.
I don’t know what the rest of the river is like, but this portion of the Net River at Holyoke Park is like just one continuous series of short waterfalls and rapids with a few pools along the way – only to pour over to create yet more falls. It’s so absolutely wonderful! And the waters are the color of frothy root beer. I don’t know what causes the color – my sister said she heard it had something to do with the Tamarack trees, but it’s very unique and beautiful.
Here you can get a better idea of the color of the water…
Frothy root beer amiright?
This particular spot along the river had some cool acoustics too. I’m not sure where it was coming from, but there was a drumming effect that had a rhythmic beat to it. It was so amazing! I tried recording it with my phone, but you couldn’t hear it. I know it wasn’t just my imagination, because my sister heard it too. I’m not able to upload videos directly to WordPress, so I’ll try uploading it onto YouTube to share it.
Here it is…
Yeah, you can’t hear the drumming sound at all, but it still sounds nice.
And while I’m in the mode of sharing videos, here is another one I took…
This was in one of my favorite spots where there were two falls. It was SO stunning! I wish I’d gotten a better video. Please excuse the jerking, there were mosquitoes trying to get me and I was repeatedly blowing them off my arm…
I took a couple vertical snapshots in this spot too…
I love this next one! I could have stood there for hours had the bugs not been an issue. As far as the bugs go though, they were pretty tame considering the wildness of the area in the height of summer. You can’t see in the photo, but there are 2 or 3 tiers of falls above in the background. It was so absolutely lovely…
I tried to take a wide angle shot to get both falls in the photo, but I’m still not familiar enough with that setting on my new phone, so it turned out looking a bit distorted. Still looks kinda cool…
I loved the moss and growth on that rock outcropping.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet what a gorgeous day it was. The weather was so perfect in the mid to upper 70’s and there was a most welcomed breeze.
We sat by the river and had our lunch and it was really nice. Well, except for the pesky wasp who was attracted to my food. I don’t know what the allure was, it was just a simple bagel. I pretty much ate while running around like a weirdo during lunch, but here’s a nice shot of some of the falls from when I was able to sit…
And here’s my beautiful big sissy sitting in another one of my favorite spots along the river…
What gorgeous setting!
I went over and joined her there and at some point snapped this selfie. Those lovely falls in the background though!
We sat there together for a nice long while with our feet in the water. It was SO refreshing. I talked about how the water flowing over our feet was on a journey from somewhere to somewhere and that we were now a part of its experience on that journey. I can’t really explain what I mean by that, but it was a meaningful feeling and a sense of connectedness with the river and the Earth.
We found out later that the Net River empties into Lake Superior. Oooh take me with youuuu!
I blew my little love-tuner (a 528 Hz whistle of sorts) while we were sitting there and my sister happened to take a short video of it…
Hopefully as I continue to use it, my exhale will get longer so I can enjoy it’s tone for a longer duration. I got it as a meditation tool and I really love it!
Speaking of my little love-tuner, there were several areas during our exploring where I felt the need to stop and blow my love-tuner for a while. I can’t explain why, I know I’m weird. But here’s one of the places…
The vibes you guys. I’m telling you – there was something about these two trees. I wish I could make what I was feeling translate through the photo. But it was a special spot. It was really cool when a little flock of tiny birds alighted the branches of the tree right next to me and kept flitting about trying to get a closer look at what was making that sound. I could really sense their curiosity and inquisitiveness. Sweet little things. 🐦
This was another area where I stopped, and there was even a stronger sense to pause and soak it all in. It was truly magical…
There was a tall old Tamarack tree just to the right of this shot that was super cool. It was standing like an ancient sentinel right along the bank watching over the river. I tried to take a picture of it, but it didn’t turn out. I love old trees, they make me wonder about all they’ve seen throughout time, storms they’ve endured etc.
Here are a couple other angles I snapped in this same spot…
This is the view of from where we came through. We couldn’t really even tell from the other side if there was an actual path and hesitated whether we should push through. We were so glad we did, it was so lovely.
As hidden and untouched as it felt, you can see a definite path there, so it’s obviously used by people, but we had the entire area to ourselves, and we were there pretty much all day.
This interesting tree was literally standing on its tiptoes…
It felt more like a creature than a tree, and its bark had the coolest texture. I’m not sure why the lighting in this photo turned out so much brighter, as it was in the exact same spot as the ones above. I’ll chalk it up to how touchy my new phone’s camera is. I guess it’s not really that new anymore – I got it in mid May, but I’m still getting used to it.
I wish you could see the multiple tiers of the river in this next one, it was so very pretty, and the way the sunlight sparkled on the water made it all the more magical…
Here is a video my sister took of my love-tuner while we were in that spot…
My senses were really heightened and it was a wonderful feeling. I think nature liked listening to my little love-tuner. 🥰
With as much as that magnificent river draws your attention in Holyoke Park, I was really drawn to the trees. As usual. What can I say… I love trees!
Especially when they have so many interesting and unique features. This one really caught my EYE!
Maybe this is why I had the feeling that we were being watched. 👀
This beautiful lichen also caught my eye, and look a little closer… do you see anything else besides the lichen?
Moth! What great camouflage! Nature is so freaking amazing!
I’m not sure what’s going on with the bark on this next one, but I thought it looked interesting, so I snapped a photo of it…
And how can you not love trees when they drop such bright, colorful ‘flowers’ at your feet?
First autumn leaf of the season! Yay fall! 🍁🍂
Here is where I think we might have walked through some sort of portal – a truly enchanted forest lies just beyond these two rocks…
Now that I think about it, there were lots of twos on this adventure – two rocks, two trees, two falls, two sisters. 💕
I’m really grateful two my sister for bringing me to see this beautiful, magical place. And so grateful to have the time together frolicking in the wild.
Thanks so much for reading, I know this was a long one one. Happy Mandala Monday, I hope you all are well. Wishing you joy and beauty in the coming week…
Over the past week or so, as I’ve been harvesting nice little handfuls of beans each day from my veggie garden, I’ve felt the idea forming to include them in one of my mandalas. Since they have a slight curve to them, I was feeling a ‘pinwheel’…
In addition to the green beans, I also added herbs of basil (which I’ve allowed to go to flower for the bees – even though I stole them from the bees by picking them oops) and lavender; along with coleus, impatiens, and a bright gazania for the center. So simple, but I love how it turned out! Especially against the rustic look of the wood of my potting bench. Rustic = needs a power wash and stain.
Here’s another variation without the beans and impatiens and using a yellow zinnia for the center…
I like using my potting bench for laying out my mandalas because it’s easier and it’s more comfortable standing than squatting to the ground – I can’t really kneel on my ‘bionic’ knees. But I actually prefer making them on the ground. I like the vibes better, it feels like more of a natural expression and less of a ‘display’ and I like feeling more connected to the earth by sitting on the ground.
But don’t get me wrong… I enjoy making mandalas no matter where I am. And I will make them in a house, and I will make them with a mouse, and I will make them here or there, I will make them anywhere!
And with any thing – I really like the idea of using my veggies and herbs for my mandalas. The more shapes, textures, colors, and scents, the more fun. I see more of these kinds of mandalas in my future…
And also in my past… Earlier this spring when I was harvesting my peas I played around with them too out on my potting bench and made a few mandalas, but I never got around to sharing them. Sugar Snap peas (so yum), rosemary sprigs, cedar, clovers and heliotrope, with a chive for the center…
And then I switched out the chive for a yellow zinnia for the center and added orange/red impatiens which really brightened it up…
I love bright things! Although, I actually prefer the look of the first one between these two.
I wish there was a way to preserve my mandalas (other than just with a photograph), but I guess that’s what makes creating them a good meditative tool – they keep you focused on enjoying, appreciating, and absorbing the present moment.
Wishing you many enjoyable and beautiful moments to absorb in this coming week, and as always…
I created this blog primarily just to express myself by writing about whatever random stuff happens to come to mind on any given day. Over time I suppose it may morph into something more specific, but for now it's just my various ramblings. Thank you so much for stopping by and wherever your day leads today ~ I hope it's to a happy place! :)
Ramblings From Jewels 