Small Things

 Every morning for the last twelve days I have sat for several hours, reading, reflecting, and gazing out the window. I have watched the water shift as the wind blows and the current shifts. I have found moments of awe in the smallest of things, the baby rabbit that nibbles on clover a few feet from the sliding glass door where I sit, birds flying over head, and the array of waterfowl that come to hunt for fish, frogs, snakes, and bugs. I have made all of my own meals, slept with the window open and the night sounds of crickets and frogs serenading me as I sleep. I’ve laughed with delight when a fish, often a huge white bass, jumps from the water for a tasty bug. 

Four brown ducks, later six ducks, and this great blue heron shared this space for hours. The heron moved a bit north later in the day, but the ducks stayed all day, leaving only when the rain came at sunset.

I have read about icons and worked on two in these twelve days. Each one used different techniques for painting icons. In each one I adapted them a bit.  Here are the originals that I copied followed by the one I painted:

 

If I had more time I’d paint the second one again, learning from my first attempt and applying what I’d do differently. One day I will take an icon writing class, or several, and learn from more experienced iconographers. This mini-sabbatical has been exactly what I hoped for. I have found rest, engaged in creative expressions, and delighted in the beauty of creation. It’s the small things that have surprised me the most and from which I have been blessed.