A hint, a suggestion or just a touch of the things you love.  Can it be enough to bring you pleasure?

     I think it can. The featured photograph has just a hint of color.  There is only a suggestion of the shape of the flower. Yet it is enough to set your mind on a joyous visual journey.

     Sometimes all you need is to grate a little of that chocolate on top of your ice cream.  That suggestion of flavor can explode in your mouth allowing you to enjoy it without over indulging.  The suggestion of flavor is enough.

     Perhaps all your home needs is just a small touch or suggestion of that crazy color you love that really doesn't go with your decor.  But that little touch of the color might be all you need to enjoy it.

     Yes, I do believe that sometimes a suggestion is enough to bring us pleasure.

 
     Art has the power to heal.  Not only the act of creating art, which is a powerful therapy tool, but viewing art has a positive impact on us.

      Scientific studies tell us that art heals by changing a persons physiology and attitude.  When viewing sweeping views of nature or works of art the body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from fear to creativity and inspiration.  Art and music put a person into a different brain wave pattern.  A persons nervous system, their hormonal balance and their brain neurotransmitters are all affected.

     This is why I am a strong supporter of having art in our homes, our work place and especially in hospitals.  Does your home have some artwork on display, especially nature-based artwork?

     You can read more about what researchers from California University in Berkeley are discovering here. 

     "He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead - his eyes are closed."  Albert Einstein

     Recently I have been taking stock of the things that I own and the power of my relationship to them in my life.  Not too long ago I moved and downsized to basically one room that holds my things.  So in reality I don't have a lot, but what I have has meaning.

     I have never been one that hoards.  I know people that do and the power of their possessions over their lives is almost destructive.  If I haven't used something in a year it will get donated in hopes someone can and will use it.  Most of my things are necessities.  But I do have my indulgences and some items that hold meaning and memories.

     Visual memories are important to me and are usually in the form of something I can use. Like the coffee mug from a vacation my oldest, and then only, child and I took to the Oregon coast.  I still use it after 20 years.  She still uses her mug too.  

     Art work might fall under the label of indulgence, but it borders on necessity for me.  My art work helps to define who I am and the journey my life has taken.  Whether I create the piece myself or purchase it, art speaks the story of why I needed that piece in my life.  Some of my art work is functional in that I can wear it.

     As I take stock I realize that my things do not control me.  I am not a slave to the power of buying just to be buying something.  That is when we become slaves to our possessions.

     Where do you see yourself? Are you up to your neck in things that you don't really need?  Do your things give you joy when you see them or use them?

     Today I am sharing a photograph of one of my favorite things, a flower.  It is a simple thing, but it has the power to make me feel good when I see it.  It is worthy of being a possession for me.  How does it make you feel?

     We all need moments of silence. With out busy lives we need to create a place in our homes where silence rules and where we can become grounded.

     I raised three children so I know how important those moments of silence can be.  I found mine at 4 A.M. That is the time of day where silence claims my soul.  The time where I look deep inside and put my fears to rest. It is during that early hour when I find the courage to face the day.  My children are all grown and on their own, but the silence of 4 A.M. still claims my soul.

    Four A.M. may not work for you, but somewhere in your home there is a time and place that is yours.  If there isn't, then you need to create and claim that space.  It could be a place where you can meditate on a calming photograph or savor a cup of tea, but find your silent place in your home.  Your sanity requires this of you.

     I'll leave you with a calming photo that was created in a moment filled with the smell of lavender and the silence of buzzing bees.