Left the Light on...

“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine.”
Dwight L. Moody quotes (American Evangelist, 1837-1899)

Soon there will be a full moon filling up the night skies. Tonight, however, there is fog. And sentinels over a century old are still at work, aiding those at sea. The oil lamps are gone; solar power fuels them now. Towers are literally bringing sunlight to the night.

They are like church steeples to me. Monuments to Light; they are guiding and beckoning those in need. Reassuring to others who know their own path. I could write pages about their symbolism…but pictures are frequently worth a thousand words.

This is Wind Point Light near Racine, Wisconsin. It is a beautiful place, by day or night.

If you browse on over to another good source of Light, you’ll find Se’lah’s blog, Necessary Room, and you can also find out how to win a copy of this print!

Hello Kitty Maneki Neko

I learned a white cat being a Japanese symbol for luck on Animal Planet. It was Cats 101, if memory serves me. Shops often display a cat figure, with one paw raised, to beckon or welcome customers. The name for this custom is Maneki Neko.

I don’t know if Hello Kitty is a modern version of this old tradition, but I couldn’t resist the one that I found.



I have a lifetime love of cats and have had several wonderful feline companions. A cat frequently makes an appearance in my paintings.

















I have nothing against dogs; cats just made it my heart faster.



For more detailed info on this custom, its history and legends, click here or here .

For more on the Japanese bobtail Cat, click here

Blessed Events

I have posted some somber events in the circle of life here. It is time to strike a balance.

This weekend's big family news was that my nephew and his wife became parents of a bouncy baby boy. Joyful tears abound...

"It is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. "

Charles Dickens

Tiny Treasures Tray

I am spending more time on flickr mostly because I am spending more time with my camera. I post something and catch a glimpse of something someone else did. I get inspired, take more pictures, post some...well, you can see how quickly this becomes self-perpetuating. This little collage was going to go to the Creative Challenge Group for the theme of 'Good To Be A Girl'. I was disappointed to find the theme had already been changed. At the same time, however, I found another group: Tiny Treasures. There were several tiny things in the arrangement, so I figured it qualified. Close to the little ladybug is a 'point' (it says '1 POINT' on it) It is a ration point that was used during the Great Depression. I found it inside the small leather pouch in the lower right corner. The oval baby picture is of Mom; the reverse side of which is a mirror.

Next to the oval are tiny embroidered flowers, once used as decorations on a garment. The ribbon came in an order of note cards from Soul Aperture's Etsy shop. It is, by comparison, rather new, but it fit so well. The flickr version of these Tiny Treasures has little notes that tell more of the stories on this tray. Your quite welcome to pop over there to visit. Or you might like to visit Simply Hue's post of her favorites from the past week's challenge: "In A Row". My row of sailboats made it to the set. Like the 'ink' in this post, I'm tickled pink!