Why blog?

“A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare. For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning without their colors, or the heavens without their azure.”
--Henry David Thoreau

...and that is an accurate description of how I think and why I write. I get frustrated relating to people in my nine-to-five life, because I must tailor my language and syntax to fit their intellectual capabilities. If that sounds snobbish, it may be that I am a language snob – vague words, incorrect grammar and inaccurate spelling simply grates. That said, I also firmly believe that a bit, and sometimes an awful lot, of wit is an essential life tool.

At one time, I was happy sketching and painting, but that too became frustrating because I could not find an individual style except for realism. That inclination led photography to become my graphic medium of choice because it provided a perfect channel for replicating the visual wonders of life that abound in so many ways, large and small.

The creative bent that has always enhanced my life is a recurring theme in the subject matter I have chosen to share in this blog. Cooking is not just for body fuel but for taste and presentation as well. House and garden projects are necessary but can be inspired and original instead of mass-produced and expensive. (Frugality, which often in my life was absolutely essential, is an important concept in my life – I now consider it an enjoyable challenge and actually practice it mostly without forethought). The observation of the natural world is inspiring and intriguing, whether related to the seasons, animals, weather or earth and sky; environmental awareness is a gift to be shared, either with those who are already mindful of the splendor or those who appreciate a little prompting.

Welcome all on my journey of observations and illustrations, of imagination and life.