Morning Ramble

The upside of being "between jobs" is having time to do the things that a job supersedes. Keeping an art blog is one of them. The other is to expand my daily walk. When I commuted to Manhattan, I always walked from the station to my office. But while I tried to walk and take in the world around me, I was always preoccupied with all I had to do. 

While there is still plenty to preoccupy me, I am relearning how to ramble. It's just me (was it Satchel Paige who said "the social ramble ain't restful"?) and nature. I'm blessed to live in coastal Connecticut where I can choose to wander in the woods or stroll the seashore. Lately, I've chosen the woods right outside my house. I suspect I look pretty crazy to the casual observer: suddenly veering off of sidewalks into the woods then back out, stopping and staring at tree branches, getting a goofy grin on my face as I watch a convention of squirrels argue. But it's teaching me to live in the present, to be open to beauty and inspiration everywhere, not to carry the burden of things I'm not presently doing.

The rewards are amazing. For one thing, I have come to appreciate cold weather. The sting on my cheeks is a pleasant contrast to the warmth generated by climbing hills and walking distances. I love the clarity of structure I see in the branches of trees and shrubs. And now that Spring is peeking out from her mossy bed, I can see verdant fingers wiggling past loamy covers.

Hopefully, a new job is not too far off. Until then, I'll be rambling. I can't wait to see what comes next.