The Wheel

It is the season of carnivals,
Rides, spinning, twirling,
laughter, games, joy.

It is the season of storms,
thunder booming, rumbling
lightening, striking, igniting.

When it is good it is overwhelming.
When it is bad, it is frightening.



Can you see the man in the center of the wheel? He was putting the ferris wheel together preparing for a week long carnival in Park City, Pennsylvania. I didn't see him when I originally took the reference photo, but my daughter noticed him when I first showed her the picture. So, I kept him in the final digital painting because I thought he looked awesome up there. That man has a crazy job, I tell you.

I did notice, however, that part of wheel, the top section, was not fully constructed yet. I could have finished the wheel digitally by adding in that last section, but I loved the incomplete look and feel of it. So much in life is incomplete, is it not?

I will be ordering limited edition prints of this piece in the next month or so. If you would like to own Wheel, please use the contact button to pre-order.

From my family to yours, have a happy, safe holiday. Independence Day should be a day for celebrating, not injuries!  Be safe!

Once You Get to Know Them

Weeds are flowers too,

once you get to know them.

A. A. Milne

You know the weeds in our lives...those people or events that just seem to cause trouble and won't go away? Well, I believe they are in our lives for a reason. Those thorny people and occurrences are there to teach us a lesson, and if we don't learn our lesson the first time around, those kinds of people and events keep popping into our lives for our own good...so we can learn and move to a higher level of being human. So, actually, with a very small paradigm and attitude shift, we realize that Winnie the Pooh was absolutely right...weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them. They are gifts from a higher being who is trying to teach us something.

This past weekend I had quite the weed sprout up in my life that I unknowingly sowed myself. I made a huge mistake and it involved a lot of tears and a lot of beating myself up on the inside before the grace and kindness of the person I wronged set me free and taught me that I need to forgive myself. 

Many of you may not know that in the past months I have given up real estate photography and have slowed down posting on this blog, slowly stopped doing so much art, and haven't been very visible lately. The truth behind that is I have not been well again and I don't have the health, heart, or energy to pick up my camera, stay up late to practice art, or to run a business. I have cut everything out of my life, pretty much, except homeschooling my children and doing things with my family due to health reasons. Whatever energy I have I want to save for those two most important things. 

So, about 10 days ago I had a request to shoot a sport's team during a game at Ripken Stadium complex. I was so excited because I love sports action photography, so ignoring the latest condition of my health, I said yes. I knew WAY in the back of my mind that it was a long shot that I would be physically able to do this job, but despite hearing the whisper of warning, I ignored it and told this friend/client, yes.  Yes, I would shoot this game.  In my head I had convinced myself that if I rested all week I would be able to do the job. Dates and times were set and I was locked in. 

This weekend, as I was struggling to even walk the distance of my driveway and back, I realized what a horrible mistake I made in booking this job. There was no way I would be able to do this job in a manner that I would be proud of. There was no way I could be out on a sports field carrying a camera and lens that weighs upwards of 15lbs. when I could barely walk my driveway and back. In addition to ongoing Lyme related treatment, I had a recent fall that injured my hand (on which I will have surgery Thursday) and caused a previous painful shoulder to become frozen. What was I thinking?  I thought resting for a week would let me gain all of that back enough to do this shoot? I had lost my mind. 

So, I decided the best thing to do was explain to the client that I had actually lied to myself and him that I would be able to do this job. I had to come clean. I wrote a very painfully embarrassing email to him explaining what I did and what my current medical condition was and asked for forgiveness. I felt terrible for putting him in a bad spot with this team and couldn't forgive myself for being so stupid and short sighted as to believe I could do this. I was sure he wouldn't, shouldn't, and couldn't forgive me because I threw him under the bus. I cried and cried and cried. Not only in anger that I couldn't fulfill my promise, but in humiliation that I had let him down.

Until...until I got his email back. It simply stated:

"...don't feel bad. I completely understand. I'm so sorry you're going through this. If you need anything please don't hesitate to reach out to (us). But don't feel bad, we need you feeling better."

And then I cried all over again in thankfulness of what a wonderful friend he was. Treating someone with chronic illness with such grace, kindness, and understanding means more than you will ever know unless you too suffer from a chronic condition. Once I got his email, I had to make myself forgive myself and stop feeling like a bad person. I made a mistake. I learned my lesson. I won't commit to anything from now on without first being sure I can follow through. No more lying to myself about my condition.

So, this weed that I planted myself turned into a flower right in front of my eyes. I learned two important lessons...don't commit to things you won't be able to fulfill; and most importantly...treat yourself with the kindness, grace, and forgiveness that others show to you.

xo

The Season of Failure

A digital painting of maple seeds, helicopters, if you will,
waiting for the right time to flutter to the ground.

The season of failure is the best time

for sowing the seeds of success.

~Paramahansa Yogananda

It's always difficult to remember this when you are in the depths of struggling. I had a really difficult weekend and was feeling physically and emotionally ragged for a few days. The good news is, I have superpowers and am in total control of my emotional well being. I have the powers of hope, optimism, faithfulness, gratitude, and distraction to keep me in check...to keep from falling too far into the black hole of self pity. I have found that managing expectations has a lot to do with my emotional state.

I'm a go-getter, type A. Always have been and always will be. I don't like that my physical condition limits my ability to accomplish things in the time scale that I set for myself. This weekend I had a list of things I wanted to do with my family to enjoy Mother's Day. I wanted to plant my organic vegetable garden. I wanted to go to a local outdoor market.  I wanted to take a walk at one of my favorite birding spots. I wanted to get the house scrubbed and sparkling for the week; the laundry cleaned, folded, and put away. I wanted to visit my mother-in-law and spend time with extended family. I had my own honey-do list in my head a mile long. And then Lyme happened. What I mean by that is the disease reared its ugly head unexpectedly, as it so often does, and symptoms came crashing to the surface, causing me pain, shortness of breath, lack of energy and patience. All of my plans came to a screeching halt.  The list had to be scrapped. Abandoned. 

And then the self pity sets in...you know how this works...when things don't go your way you do it too.  The "when am I going to get better for good" questions start seeping in, sowing doubt and frustration. Agitation leads to anger and then the feeling of uselessness drowns me. This go-getter Type A person does NOT like to feel useless.  The spiral goes down from there...down, down, down.

What I have realized is I need to start managing my expectations of myself. I need to give my body permission to tell me it needs rest. I need to cut the list apart and distribute it among days, not just hours. 

Easier said than done, though. 

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success... Just like the maple tree in my back yard, which produces hundreds of thousands of helicopter seeds just hanging on waiting for the right wind, I have to take failures like this weekend, wrap them up and give them wings, allowing them to teach me more about myself...allow them to sow ideas and strategies for future success.

Easier said than done, though. 

But you already knew that. 

xo

It's Heartening In a Strange Way

Parkton Bridge Along the NCR Trail

Nobody knows anything. I deal with people in all walks of life, 

some of whom should have some idea of what they're doing. 

And they're all clueless. 

It's astonishing that any bridges stay up, 

or that planes don't constantly plummet from the sky. 

It's heartening, in a strange way. 

 ~Peter York

This is how I feel about Lyme disease...there are people who should have some idea of what they are doing, but they're all clueless. While I wouldn't say they are "all" clueless, it is pretty frightening how many misconceptions are out there, not just among the regular population, but among doctors as well. That's why it is so important that I use my voice and my experience to get word out to the citizens of my community that this disease is dangerous, rampant, and growing into a larger problem every single day.

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and recently I had the honor of attending my local County Council meeting where they read a Proclamation declaring it as such in Harford County. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but this is a huge step in getting local government on board to not only admit there is a growing problem, but also help be part of the solution. If you'd like to see the proclamation read by the Council and received by the members of the local Lyme support group, Harford Lyme Advocates, a chapter of the National Capitol Lyme Disease Association (to whom I donated a portion of the proceeds from my solo art show in October), you can watch it here.  You can forward the video to time marker 8:48 to skip the opening business and see the Lyme portion. A loud thank you to our fearless leader, Janet Jensen, who leads our local chapter with her unrelenting, kind, energetic spirit.

Since my solo show in October, Janet has kept me informed of how the money raised has been used to advocate for Lyme awareness and Lyme patients.

What is going on at the local level:

4 Lyme education awareness tables at public health fairs
Supported work to pass the Maryland Lyme disease bill (2016)
Increased the number of support group meetings to monthly (meet 3rd Thurs each month, 6-, Upper Chesapeake Medical Ctr)
Provided Lyme education materials to local medical offices

What is happening at the national level via NatCapLyme HQ:

Completed work on the K-12 curriculum-  It's ready for public use.
Updated, revised education content in the  website, including updated formatting
Passed legislation in Maryland and Virginia requiring medical providers to give lab report of Lyme testing to patients and disclaimer that testing may not be reliable enough to rule out the disease.
Funded Lyme research conducted by JHU Dr. Zhang and Dr. Aucott.  

So much great work is being completed and pushed forward by an amazing group of people in this county and in the wider Maryland/DC/Virginia area. A hearty thank you to every single person who lives and breathes each day to bring Lyme awareness and fight to see the disease eradicated.

In celebration of Lyme Disease Awareness month, I will donate a portion of the profits from any art sales in the month of May to the National Capital Lyme Disease Association so that I may do my part in helping to keep this never-ending work pushing forward. Thank you in advance to anyone who sees fit to either donate or purchase art this month! You can make a donation here or you can contact me about purchasing art via my email form in the sidebar.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to explore my Living With Lyme link here on the blog, or to contact me via the email form in the sidebar. I will do what I can to help get you information!

xo

Where Joy Resides

Writers should find out where joy resides and give it a voice. 

Every bright word or picture is a piece of pleasure set afloat. 

The reader catches it, and he goes on his way rejoicing.

It's the business of art to send him that way as often as possible.

Nancy Horan- Under the Wide and Starry Sky

I haven't said much about the two sheriff's deputies that were killed in the line of duty, mostly because I don't know what to say...there just aren't words.

Last week the twins and I were running errands and happened to end up at the same shopping center where the LEOs were killed. I decided to tell the twins in age appropriate language and detail, what happened there and then go see the memorials set up inside and outside the Panera Bread. I also wanted to monetarily support the Panera Bread by patronizing the establishment since I know an event like this can carry a stigma with it. So, we went in and made an order. The twins asked a few questions and then we walked over to the two tables they have set up with various objects, letters, and pictures honoring the memory of the two officers. The three of us held hands and said a prayer for the officers, their families, and all the employees and patrons of the restaurant that had been there that day. It was more emotional than I thought it would be, considering we didn't personally know anyone who was involved. I cried a few tears from empathy (it brought back the feelings I had when I suddenly lost my father a year and a half ago.) and the twins went completely silent with heavy emotion.

I am glad I took them there. At eight years old they are now able to understand and express feelings that they never were able to do before. I think it is important to teach my kids about LEOs and the job they face everyday. I have many LEOs in my family and I refuse to let my children be touched by the people who hate and would like to bring harm to those who protect us everyday. This impromptu visit to the place where two officers were killed was a dialog opener for us. For that, I am thankful.

Happy Tuesday, y'all.  I hope you enjoy the digital art, "Where Joy Resides". To see more of my work in person, please visit Arts by the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace.

P.S. If you are interested, I will be posting a Flip-a-gram later today on Nine Acres Designs Facebook page showing the progression of yesterday's piece, A Chronic Invalid, step by step as I created it. So, check in after lunch for that!

Adventure of Perception

Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything, but which we must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception.

~Stan Brakhage

The Sea Calls Tenderly

The sea calls tenderly to me; a liquid whisper.

The equator draws me, traces my soul and
centers me with her siren voice; tempting me to her bosom.

The brisk, diminished day of Autumn
Drives me away with urgency
Lest my bones chill too soon and paralyze me.

"Hurry," she urges.

The sweet coercion futile to contest.

And so I go, trustingly,
To join the reverie at the center of the earth.

Susquehanna Sunset

As I was driving the John Deere this Friday night, trimming the fenceline of our fields, I looked up and noticed the sun was setting over the treeline and I caught my breath. The stunning beauty of the cloud formation in the sky, the dusky oranges and yellows and pinks seemed to hover in the air...watercolors sliding through the sky. At that moment, I was so glad to be alive and witnessing the quality of the light, that I turned off the tractor and just sat, watching. The next thing I noticed was the high pitched chee of the barn swallows who were skimming the grassline of the fields, catching a late dinner of insects, filling their bellies with protein for the long night ahead. I knew I couldn't sit there on the yellow seat until dark...I had a job to finish before I lost all the light, but I was so thankful to have taken that two to three minutes to just be present in my environment.

Then, Sunday evening, after a trip to the Conowingo Dam and the Union Hotel with my youngest children, my husband was driving us back home over the bridge when I hung myself precariously out the passenger window to grab this glorious sunset on my iPhone. It was breath-taking. The summer warmth, the low-in-the-sky sun, the reflection in the water...just perfect. And I remembered to be thankful again. And present. And aware. It is in moments like these when I am surrounded by nature's splendor that I feel the seeds of hope blossoming in my gut. One day I will be better. One day. Until then, I will grab on to these stolen minutes of being completely present in my environment and waiting for the next sunset.

Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend and are beginning the week with some gratitude of your own.  xo

Plowing Through

Yesterday, sitting in our doctor of optometry's office I was passing the time waiting for my son's eyes to dilate by reading the latest issue of Artful Blogging. I was feeling waves of anxious annoyance come over me as the younger children were impatient and restless, my oldest son, the patient, was aggravated with me from an earlier incident, and I was thinking about all the "stuff" that needed tending to at home and in my business. I could feel the familiar pressure build up inside my chest, that feeling that chokes out the happiness and instead replaces it with anxiety. I glanced down at the magazine and read the sentence, "It is so easy to get lost within the traffic of my mind; the to-do lists, the endless burdens of grown-up obligations and worry that has the ability to consume any shred of creativity lurking beneath."

I had one of those she-knows-exactly-how-I-feel moments when I read that. It made me feel like I had a comrade somewhere on this globe, figuring out each day as it comes along, just like I am. And in that moment I felt much better. Misery loves company and although I never want anyone else to be miserable, it does help to know there is someone out there who hears your heart the same way you hear it.

It's been a tough week, but of course, I am plowing through it, although not at all in a graceful manner. About the best I could do in this moment was take a walk around the yard just before sunset and remind myself how incredibly lucky I am to be on this side of forever right now. Isn't God's world glorious? Look at those colors. Awe-inspiring.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful day. xo

Surely Woman Rose from the Frothy Sea

"...surely woman rose from the frothy sea, as resplendent as Aphrodite on her scalloped chariot."

Margot Datz, A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids

I am yearning again for the whisper of the sea, the call of the waves lapping on the shore. Vacation is still weeks away and yet I can already taste the brine in the air. There is some sort of watery compass inside my soul that starts to turn and pull me toward the ocean, calling me home, calling me to be where the saline in my blood matches the same percentage of saline in the sea. Surely we came from the sea. Surely we did.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo

Nature's Prayer

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

~John Muir

Finally found time to complete this digital collage painting. I love John Muir quotes and felt this nicely fit with my praying girl. Hope you enjoy her. xo

Heading out on a real estate shoot and a check up with the surgeon who did my jaw surgery. I am hoping he releases me today so I can be finished with that. I feel much better and am not having pain anymore...just mild numbness that is improving week by week.

Construction continues on my office/studio space. The drywall has been hung and now I am waiting for the finisher to begin. Baby steps forward make me want the space more and more. It will not only be an amazing space for my photography/art studio and business office, it will also serve as a great place to homeschool away from the main living area. Hoping by fall we are all settled in!

Have a wonderful day. Hope you find beauty in today and find a place to pray and play in. Love to all. 

Impression of Sunflower

Digital drawing/painting of a sunflower- iPhone and desktop used for this creation

It's crazy how excited I am becoming about homeschooling.  After months of contemplation about what was best for my kids and for our family as a whole, the decision was finally made several weeks ago to go for it.  Since then my mind has let go of the anxiety of the decision making and my heart has embraced the joy of this journey I am about to take with my kiddos.  Many of you may not know that I actually have a degree in teaching, so this is right up my alley.  My two loves in life are teaching and art.  Now I get to do both while getting to spend time with my little people and get to learn more about them as human beings.  How lucky am I?

I ordered a curriculum that will cover all of the academic subjects for the kids, but this program is a bit weak in the music and art department.  So, I set out to create my own music and art curriculum and I have finished planning my first music unit...Introduction to the Orchestra.  I know less than nothing about music, so this is a learning experience for me as well.  I utilized free materials from my library (which is awesome, by the way)...books, cd's, movies, websites, etc. to complete this unit and I have planned a trip to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with the kids so they can see the real artistry in action!  This is so exciting.  I am in heaven!

In addition, we have joined a Homeschool Co-Op and I will be teaching middle and high schoolers photography...studying the science and art of photography as well as studying famous photographers and their work! I am even thinking about having them at the end of the class put on an exhibit! Are you kidding me?  This is my life?  What joy I have in sharing this gift with other homeschool kids!  I finally feel with this decision, everything I've wanted for my kids, my family, and myself is finally falling into place.  Homeschool, teaching, art, photography, music, learning, being with my kids daily...pure bliss.  I. Can. Not. Wait.

Remind me I said that when I am overwhelmed and the kids are on my last nerve.  I might be excited, but I am not naive about how it will be.  I know it won't all be rainbows and unicorns.  But life never is...we will just take it one day at a time and I will keep reminding myself how incredibly blessed I am to have this opportunity.

Now, if my health would just fall in line, life would be pretty darn perfect.  :)

xo

Point 65°North

I become one with the kayak, sinking so low in the seat that I am parallel with the water, skimming silently over the surface.  I lean back and close my eyes, thinking of all the life just underneath my boat thriving, moving, living a life we know nothing about.  My face lifts to the sun and I take it into my pores, absorbing its heat and energy and love...filling myself with it.  I need this. I need this warm embrace from the sun to my soul.  It rejuvenates me.

The birds are calling and I can hear a slight knocking...bonk, bonk, bonk.  Is that sound human or animal?  Ah, a woodpecker...just over to the left of my head on an outstretched branch that reaches longingly over the river.  Bonk, bonk, bonk.  Always in sets of threes, searching for his next morsel. In the distance I hear the honking of geese as they fly low over the water getting ready to land. It is a jarring and obnoxious sound, this honking, and it disturbs the quiet revery of the early morning river. After the splash landing (they could use some lessons in gracefulness, those geese) all falls quiet and hush again.

I can see fisherman in the distance and their lazy conversation drifts over to me on top of the water...a gift of deep, mumbled sound waves that, by the time they reach me, are indistinguishable words.  A gift all the same, because it seems that one of them has a tone that reminds me of my father's voice. I feel as if he is with me, murmuring softly about his day...I can pretend he is anyway.  When I lean forward and open my eyes, they are flooded with the bright colors of nature...greens, blues, purples, browns, grays, a vibrant painting before my eyes.  It is almost, almost, too much to take in.

I grab my paddle and gently stroke the water's surface, not wanting to disturb it too much, and propel myself slightly forward, pointed 65° North.  I'm heading toward the opening between two islands, to explore a land, a river, that I've never been to before yet it all seems familiar somehow.

Some days I just don't want to keep going. There seems like too much emotional and physical pain. But then I am here, in this place right now, using all my senses to absorb this beautiful moment, and for just a brief time the pain subsides and I renew my hope.  It is all a cycle of life and I will just keep paddling north.

Have a beautiful Monday. xo

The Nicest Thing

"Tracey,  The pictures are great!  You did a fantastic job!  Thanks for making our home show so beautiful.  C and J"

Those are the words I woke up to the morning after delivering real estate photos to my client.  Just a few sentences had a great impact on my day and filled my sails with the energy I need to continue working while fighting this terrible illness.  Not many people take the time to say thank you now days but when they do, it makes a big difference.

Who have you thanked today?

Bring On the Fall

Today I am thankful for the change in temperature...

I am very ready to say goodbye to the warm, humid weather

and greet the crisp autumn air with a smile.

I also hope this is a record setting winter for snow.

Yep, I said it.  

There is nothing I would love more than sitting snuggled in a blanket

by our wood burning fireplace and relax.

I am hoping by the time spring peeks in on us again next year,

I will be a completely healthy, healed lady.

Bring on the fall...

xo

Things That Make Me Smile

Don't you just love the pop of autumn colors?

As I walked around a bit yesterday on my mini-exploration,

I came across this fallen log that had tree fungus growing on it.

It looks like candy corn, doesn't it?

:)

It made me smile.

Today I am thankful for the time I spent with first graders testing them

on their knowledge of various grade appropriate information about our country.

This voluntary program is called the Patriot Program and the kids study on their own time,

learning all sorts of facts about the U.S.A.

I am the "Patriot Mom" for my daughter's class and today I started testing them.

They are all so cute and enthusiastic!

It was a great way to start my day.

xo

The Details

I was discouraged last night as I felt my body falling back into 

what I call the "down cycle" of Lyme after having about a week of feeling really good,

I knew I was going to struggle emotionally and physically today.

Too exhausted and in pain to meet friends for breakfast, I regretfully canceled my date.

I managed to get the kids ready for school and I trudged to the bus stop in a difficult mood.

But when I focused my attention outside of myself and on 

the little details surrounding me on this amazing autumn morning,

my grumpiness began to fade.

I pointed out to the twins a pair of bluebirds, a male a female,

that were perched on our pasture fence.

Each time we took a few steps toward them, they would fly 

just a little bit further down the driveway and land again on the fence.

The twins giggled as they repeated this pattern until finally the birds gave up

and flew up into a neighbor's tree.  

When we reached the bottom of the driveway, 

N discovered the most intricate spider web in the grass.

The dew had covered it in tiny droplets that shown like diamonds

in the early warm sun.

Neighbors walked by on their daily stroll and called "Good morning" to us.

I replied, "Yes, it is!" and I meant it.

After waving to the kids as they pulled away in the school bus,

I began the journey back up the hill to my house.

Along the way I found a fuzzy caterpillar munching on a dew soaked 

blade of grass, preparing for the coming winter.

I also found one little yellow leaf in the middle of the driveway.

I took the time to examine it closely to see the veins

and clusters of shapes like the scales on a fish or alligator.

It amazes me how detailed the world is when you look closely.

As I reached my front door, the workers who are building our new garage

and front porch smiled at me and said, "Good morning."

The entire week they have been here they haven't said a word to me

until today, when I needed to hear again that it indeed was a good morning.

If we let it, the universe, God, will give us what we need,

emotionally and physically to get through the day.

Sometimes it is just all in the details.

xo

Sneak Attack

Today I am thankful to be home after spending the day in the hospital yesterday.

There is certainly something to be said about sleeping in your own bed

as opposed to a hospital gurney.

Unfortunately, the start of school also means the start of many illnesses 

coming home from all four kids being in close indoor contact with other children.

Normally it is just a part of life, but for me it is dangerous because my immune system

is so depleted that a simple virus can land me in the hospital with 

severe dehydration and in need of IV fluids.

Severe dehydration can then cause heart rate issues and shortness of breath,

which is what happened to me.

After a course of anti-vomiting medication and several bags of IV fluids,

I am now home again.

Thank goodness...

This image was taken near my feeder when two finches decided to 

try and peck each other's eyes out.

No harm was done to either bird that I could tell and both

eventually agreed to feed on opposite sides of the feeder.

;)

Hummer

Today I am thankful for the wildlife around my home.

I have a hummingbird feeder just outside my living room window

and a seed feeder in the yard beyond that.  

Now that the kids are back in school and I am still pretty much homebound,

these little creatures and their noises keep me company on most days.

I haven't had the strength or energy to pick up my 5D lately,

but I tried a few shots yesterday (through my window) before I got too exhausted.

I was able to capture this little beauty.

I can't help but smile and be happy when watching my feathered friends.

I will certainly miss the hummers when they disappear soon 

for their fall migration.

xo

The Bee

Digital Art created from a Public Domain image (I did not take the original photo)

My brain works in mysterious ways.

I am always looking at things in curiosity and trying to learn life lessons.

After all, I do believe we are here to learn lessons from this life

before our spirits move to the next.

Case in point, I was walking in the parking lot at Wal Mart yesterday,
toward the back of the parking area,
 when  I happened by a lone, broken down, rusted, black pick-up truck
that happened to have a pair of men's dungaree and boot clad legs
sticking out from under it.
Trash was strewn around the truck and I correctly assumed that
the person under the carriage was trying to fix the truck's ailments.

Just as I was walking by the driver's side door,
I heard a line of expletives that would have made a sailor blush,
screamed at maximum volume.
"Mother F*&#@&!!!!!!"
"That sh*%$ is burning HOT!"

Instead of being offended, I began thinking instead...
what is it about curse words that make us feel better
when spewing them out into the world?
Even in we don't say it out loud,
we for sure say it in our own heads when we hurt ourselves
or make a royal mistake like breaking our favorite pair of glasses.
A few good well placed curse words have the power
of temporarily relieving our frustration or pain
in a way that more delicate words can not...
Darn.  Shoot.  Fiddle Sticks.
Nope, just not the same.
Right?

Well, of course, in my curiosity, when I got home,
I googled to see if there was any scientific proof of my theory...
that curse words hold some strange power to relieve frustration and pain
that other, more benign words do not.
And guess what?
It's true.
Just read this article and you will see .
And this is just one article of many...apparently cursing activates
a totally separate part of our brains...the more primal part related to aggression.
Interesting, though...if you curse more than you should,
the power of pain relief is lost, so all you sailor mouths out there, beware.

Today I am thankful for language, curse words, or otherwise.
What a gift God has given us...the ability to communicate using words.
Imagine a world without words, spoken or written,
and you will see that we often take it for granted.
xo