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Echo Challenge Juicy

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 by Alyice

“The foods that promote longevity, virtue, strength, health,
happiness, and joy are juicy, smooth, substantial,
and agreeable to the stomach.”
– Bhagavad Gita

It’s echo time! This time the prompt is “Juicy”. When I first read the word, “juicy” I was taken back to a time in my childhood when we’d sit outside on the back lawn eating a big slice of watermelon. The juice would drip down my arms and onto the ground, where ants would then attempt to seek out the source. It’s the one time of year the ants couldn’t get me to budge from my spot.

Then I thought about my first attempt to grow watermelons. It was our first “official” summer in South Dakota and I just knew growing watermelons would make me happy. Unfortunately, I had no idea that they were not ripe just because they were green on the outside. Talk about a bitter experience.

Then, as I talked to my Echo partner, Brenda, I was reminded that fruits and vegetables harvested during early summer are a “juicy” treat during the cold, bland months of winter.

And together, we came up with this diptych.

So the next time you’re experiencing the joys of summer, why not preserve some of that “feeling” for the days you find yourself longing for the warmth of the sun, the vibrant colors of spring —and yes, the juicy fruits of summer.

Until next time…

P.S.
Check out my Berry Smoothie Recipe over at The Dabbling Mum. And please stop by my Echo partner’s post on Juicy.

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Echo Challenge Whisper

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 by Alyice

“Whisper words of wisdom…”
– The Beattles

It’s echo time! This time the prompt is “whisper”. To be truthful, this is the hardest challenge yet. When I first heard the word, “whisper”, I thought about how much I enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer’s day, with iced tea in hand, while I listen to the wind travel through the trees. It’s as if nature is speaking to me, as if the whistling wind and the rustling trees are conversing about something very important. I just close my eyes and listen to the whispers—and in that moment, I feel at peace.

But alas it’s winter time in South Dakota and the only decent shot of trees, with leaves, are from the time we lived in Wisconsin, back in 2003.

Then one day my daughter played her favorite band, The Beattles, and I realized that there is so much more to the word, “whisper” than the literal meaning.

There’s the whisper of wisdom and truth, the whisper of the soul and morals, the whisper of romance and temptation, and the whisper of a muse that allows us to create beautiful things with our own hands…

But even more precious than that, there is the whisper of a child’s love—a love so innocent and pure that the world instantly feels like a better place.

Until next time…

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Echo Challenge Face

Saturday, January 30th, 2010 by Alyice

“I think your whole life shows in your face
and you should be proud of that.”
– Lauren Bacall

It’s echo time! This time the prompt is “Face”. From the moment we enter the world, our facial expressions are a portal into our souls.

Just by looking at a person’s face, we can usually tell what kind of mood they’re in: angry, bewildered, frustrated, sad, or joyous, or if they are tired or in pain.

By observing a person’s facial expressions, we can tell if they’re approachable, busy, interested, shy, or dangerous. We can also tell if they’re surprised, terrified, or just plain disgusted.

But did you realize that in the faces of others, we seek out acceptance, approval, and even love?

Or that in our faces, we can influence others? We can bring them down, or we can lift them up. The choice is ours…

Albert Einstein once said, “The ideals which have lighted my way and, time after time, have given me new courage to face life cheerfully have been kindness, beauty, and truth.“

As we move further into the new year, I hope that we can learn to embrace Einstein’s words of wisdom. That we not only seek out a renewed sense of courage within ourselves, but that by truly observing the facial expressions of others, we learn to reach out more—and lend a helping hand.

We may not have the financial resources to change a person’s life, but we—at the very least—have the ability to give someone the acceptance they long for, to provide a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, or to bring laughter back into the lives of the hurting.

By simply taking a few precious moments out of our days, we can, in fact, alter the realities of others.

Until next time…

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I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

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