noticing

stop you in your tracks.

On 22, Nov 2014 | No Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

I have a little friend in Seattle.

She is just the perfect amount of tallness to wrap her entire self around one of my legs for a hug. And when she does, she squeezes nice and tight. Sometimes she even offers a reassuring little pat, pat, pat to my leg.

Just yesterday, this littlest friend and I were walking together in the neighborhood as we often do. As we passed other walkers, many an adult would see her and smile to themselves as they carried on.
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14

Jan
2014

falling from the sky.

On 14, Jan 2014 | No Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

plant your hand,
then your foot.
go.
trust your strength.

i can’t
i’m not that strong — but no one
is telling you that but yourself.

there you are.
dangling high above the ground,
alone.
Read more…

Tags | confidence, needing another, rock climbing, strength, vertical endeavors

02

Dec
2013

In creating
noticing

the drums.

On 02, Dec 2013 | No Comments | In creating, noticing | By Natalie

This past weekend, something new happened to me. Something, that has never happened before. You want to know? I stood up in front of a room full of lovely people and read something… that I myself wrote. I’ve never done that before, never. The process of preparing and the experience that day was a mind-blowing experience, reminding me that we must struggle, we must create and we must share in community with one another. We must not do it alone. (But more on that another time.)

17

Sep
2013

it’s quite kind of the world.

On 17, Sep 2013 | No Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

Processed with VSCOcam with t1 preset did you see the wind today?

it ruffled and blew with authority

not afraid to announce it’s presence.

that wind,

that wind is telling us something.

can you tell what it is?
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04

Jun
2013

One Comment

In creating
noticing

very much alive.

On 04, Jun 2013 | One Comment | In creating, noticing | By Natalie

field

a friend phoned
the other day

and i happened to answer.

{isn’t that a pleasant surprise?}.

well it was.

13

Dec
2012

admiring their greenness.

On 13, Dec 2012 | No Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

i have two succulents

living with me

on 2701 grand avenue south.

one is tall and sure and stretching.

the other is full and ample and branching.

these past few weeks,

as the temperatures

bite

and mornings mean

leaving the comfy cave

of rest that’s kindly held me

during the blackness of night,

to enter the air of chill

that hovers and hangs in my room.

and this morning,

as my head peaks out

to test the gelid temps

i wondered about my resident succulents.

outside icicles cling to

buildings, garages,

rubbish bins, tree branches.

coldness envelops us

as it often does this time of year.

and this morning,

I worry for my 2 resident succulents.

when the sun comes out

{only ever so rarely}

i rush them to that sun soaked spot.

my resident succulents

speak their appreciation because they

continue to grow.

Green.

despite the cold.

taller & wider they reach.

when the shine comes out

i too rush to rearrange myself accordingly.

i also crave the sun’s warm attention.

when you are meant for warmth

how can you grow in the depths of winter?

i appreciate their Greenness.

maybe, I am even a bit envious of it.

no color is like Green. None.

Green is the perfect color to allow

absorbing & defining

of oneself.

it’s gentle yet firm.

it’s inviting yet knowing.

it’s comforting and never overwhelming.

it not afraid to adjust according to seasons

all the while always remaining itself.

this morning i wonder

for my 2 green resident succulents.

how can you grow, keep growing, keep reaching

when the climate engulfs, inhaling the life

when the air is less than ideal

when the surroundings confuse your core

when what’s home becomes foreign

when you can hardly breathe

how can you?

grow.

today i brought them to the warmest

most comfortable part of 2701 grand avenue south.

to the center of all things.

the kitchen table.

today they will sit

side by side.

in the shine of the sun.

with their green leafs stretching.

touching.

despite the imperfect space,

the confusion, the thin and fragile air,

even if gasping for air is the best

you can do

know this.

there is more in you

than you think.

and despite the enveloping circumstances

your green will still shine.

your roots will still dig.

and that small patch of sun

will touch something

deep inside

& you will be reminded that

all will indeed be well.

it will.

growing.

reaching.

stretching.

even in the harshness of circumstances

cold & winter.

Life is here.

– n.

30

Oct
2012

sandy here she comes

On 30, Oct 2012 | No Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

today has been full of
early morning hours.

stacks of paper.
computer screens.
coffee mugs.
face-to-face encounters.
words, words & then more
words.

dinner and cauliflower.
designs and dreams.
hopes and goals.
listening and direction.

excitement
anticipation.
typing keys.
roommate energy
and roommate jokes.

today life, it was busy today.

coffers still coffeed at
their favorite local spots.
traffic existed in only its
predictably jerky inconsistency
during the usual times of day.

yellow buses picked up loads of backpacks
with kids attached.

and just like that,
without hardly noticing…
today, my world went on.

but meanwhile elsewhere
just due miles East, the world as they know it
stopped.
No literally.
Stopped.

No subway lines.
No taxis.
No buses.
No traffic lights.

No Wall Street.
No Stock Exchange.
Nothing.
just people…
being told to stay indoors.
And wait.

wait for the rain
for the damage
for the unknown.

oh deary what’s your name?
did they say Sandy?
oh sandy sandy
so strong and so mighty.
my heart goes out to
those in your
path.

– n.

29

Oct
2012

3 Comments

tonight i went to service

On 29, Oct 2012 | 3 Comments | In noticing | By Natalie

tonight i went to service
for one purpose
and one purpose only.
to hear
to listen
to feel
the drums.

there’s something particularly perfect
about music,
about drums.
the beat
the pulse
the rhythm.

it gets in you, through you
reverberating across within without
your entire being.

and if you can, just for a moment
zoom in on it, the drums.
only it.
the beat
the pulse
the rhythm.

in that moment
when you meet the drum
you might notice
that it guides the entire
collection of notes.

can you? do you?

it does. because
it holds
it brings
it defines.

it’s particularly extraordinary really.
those drums.

and in that moment
between only you & the drum
if you listen closely
you will
hear
listen
feel

your heart.
in there.
in you.
contentedly beating inside.
reverberating amongst bones & echoing
down veins
in the only home it’s ever known.

your heart.
it’s content to be alive
and do all it has ever done and ever
hopes to do:

to beat out the rhythm
of your life.

there’s something particularly perfect
about the drums.
to remind us
how to
hear
listen
feel

that one thing.
that one thing
that’s always been inside.

– n.

16

May
2012

One Comment

wednesday specials

On 16, May 2012 | One Comment | In noticing | By Natalie

since beginning
this new year
wednesdays have become something very special.

i can’t tell you
it’s a “special wednesday.”
because these wednesdays,
they keep coming.
after every 7 sleeps, actually.
that’s why i should call it,
something like:

the wednesday specials.

i do many things
on my
weekly wednesday specials.

things that might look like nothing
to many.
but it’s something.
it is.

do you know how i know?

well, it’s when that “special” happens.

the special of
…watching a 4 year-old discover how
to count to $1 million.

the special of…learning new words
like “veteranarian” then deciding
right then and there
that you might want to be that.

the special of…
interruptions and calculations.

the special of…
thinking you know when
you don’t.

or maybe it’s just the special of…
spinning the wheel.

and taking a LIFE tile.

see what i mean?

the wednesday specials.

– n.

13

May
2012

One Comment