Adrift, Illustration Friday

I will make you brooches and toys for your delight
Of bird-song at morning and star-shine at night.
I will make a palace fit for you and me,
Of green days in forest and blue days at sea.

Excerpt from "Romance," by Robert Louis Stevenson

Muddy, Illustration Friday

Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear. ~ Lao-tzu

From the depths of a muddy pond, the lotus blooms as a symbol of high spiritual aspirations. This week, my answer to Illustration Friday's challenge comes paired with two koi, symbolizing perseverance and strength.
The winter season can be a dark and dreary time. Here in southern California, heavy rains brought mud which carved destructive paths in areas that were recently plagued by fires. With spring approaching, the hillsides can look forward to being comforted with blankets of green velvet and healing with the next generation of wildflowers, as the skeletons of charred trees renew the life within their blackened trunks.

Focused, Illustration Friday

Illustration Friday has posted great word challenges in the previous weeks, and the creative excuses not to meet them have been even greater in number! This week's word challenge came as I unearthed a letter from my mom, with her accompanying inspirational message in which she paraphrased Proverbs 3:21: "Have two goals: Wisdom, that is, knowing and doing right- and common sense. Don't let them slip away."
The next few verses assure us that when we remain focused, using good judgment, we can keep moving forward without fear of stumbling, that the road ahead will be safe.
This might be my clumsy attempt to wrangle three weeks' worth of words with one illustration, but this hikers are focused on the road ahead and enjoying the small patch of wilderness. Leave it to a mom to put it all in perspective! Happy trails!