Bread & With It

I have always been fascinated by the sky- its deep blues on cool fall days, Lake Winthrop, Holliston, MA ©Cathy Stenquist the incredible colors that sunrise and sunset can bring, Yarmouth, MA. ©Cathy Stenquist and the mystery of a moon-lit evening sky. ©Cathy Stenquist I'm not too keen on flying, but what makes air travel so appealing to me is being above the clouds and seeing them from a new perspective. I am filled with gratitude for this life and the beauty God has c

" The thing with an artistic license is, you have to be artistic if you want to use the license. " Anonymous Check out these literal, artistic licenses! See more of Greg Constantine's amazing art here . I decided to take some artistic license on my COLOR project this week, to make it more interesting for y'all. Originally, I wanted to write poetry using for inspiration, the actual 64 Crayola colors that would have been in the box I received at 9 years old (around 1968). I c

Color and B&W images allow me to see things in very different ways. Color's power, in this unedited Nantucket sunset (taken at Madaket Beach 10 years ago), is its ability to add emotion— peacefulness, gratitude, and awe. Look at that... How can it be real? Truly a moment given by God. The longer we stayed, the more beautiful the colors became. But there is something about a B&W image I love. Check out this other image taken in Nantucket. It strips away all the distractions

The first box of 8 Crayola Crayons was sold in 1903. Ever since, they have become an iconic part of so many young children's lives. Each September, I headed off to school with a new green and yellow pack and tucked it into my school desk. There was nothing like a new, fresh pack of 8 crayons to spur the imagination. I loved coloring because it was very meditative and a way to escape into my own little world for a while. I dabbed and layered the 8 colors to make new ones, p

Taking the Christmas tree down was a bittersweet activity yesterday. Unlike the evening we gathered to decorate, Nat King Cole and his Christmas carols were silent; no anticipation in my grandson's eyes or the smell of Swedish coffee bread hot from the oven... just memory after memory making me smile as each ornament was lifted from its branch. After the final ornament was layered in a box for next time, I stopped to look at the star. The lights lit up the ceiling with wings

Have you ever walked by the chips aisle at your grocery store, resplendent with every crunchy, salty, imaginable temptation, and bite your lip, steering quickly past? Boy, I have! We know those snacks aren't good for you, but occasionally I stop and indulge myself. Well, today. .. You are in luck , my friend. I have a snack for you that can be eaten one tiny bite at a time, has zero sodium and calories, and is sure to make not only your tummy, but your spirit feel better..

Not having much voice left after sharing their gift at Midnight Mass, a kind quartet—who knew the 11:30 morning Mass would need music to feel like Christmas—showed up. After Communion, Chris Tomlin's song, "Noel," sparkled through the arches of St. Mary's. I closed my eyes and was carried away to perfect peace, as the delicate weaving of acapella notes tugged at my heart. Tears flowed, and when the last notes hung in the air, applause filled the church in thankfulness for th

Happy Poetry Friday everyone! Michelle Kogan is our host this week. Her words and beautiful photos from the Yoko Ono art exhibit were so inspiring. So much talent on one brief page! Be sure to stop by. This week, I have been inspired by a variety of poetry coming into my feed or catching my eye in a book. More and more the brevity of words that poets use to convey emotion and story is just the "little potato chips" of text," I like to nibble on each day. I thought I would

Do you remember a time when someone said something affirming to you and how amazing it felt? Or when someone's harsh words created doubt or fear? Words shape our world. They influence how we think, feel, and act. Words affect our relationships, decisions, and even our mental health. It's so important to choose the right words. Words carry emotional weight that lingers long after they are spoken. A kind word can brighten someone's day, while harsh words can leave lasting scar

If I sit quietly, and go back to my living room in Des Moines—to the red velvet club chairs, black couch and homemade stereo cabinet, I can still hear the music that played like a score through my childhood,—Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's "A Taste of Honey," Andy Williams's "Hawaiian Wedding Song," and numerous Firestone Christmas albums that were the score to my young life. Our living room in Iowa was always filled with music. The notes curled through the living room wh

To me, the enjoyable thing about writing is seeing what words, experiences, images or sounds will send a poem my way each day. It seems the more I find them, the more they show up. Like many of you I was making a pot of homemade Turkey soup the other day and pulled out a bag of baby carrots, and to my delight, this sweet little pair of "carrot pants" fell out. "Look," I said to my husband... there's a poem here." He just laughed. I guess he is getting used to this now." This

The dishes are sloshing in the dishwasher. The tablecloth, with bright colored evidence of our gathering, waits to be put in the dryer. And I have been enjoying walking through my house, seeing memories of grandchildren, laughter, and delicious food around every corner. I hope your Thanksgiving was as lovely as ours. The inspiration for my poem today. Today is Poetry Friday, and I was lucky enough to have a poem land on the branch outside my window this morning. I did what a

When you think about it... Hugs are a simple thing. Eyes catch the glance of another. We move toward one another. Heads move to one side, arms wrap, holding close for a brief second or more. Words may follow…. “It’s so good to see you.” “I’m so sorry for your loss.” “I missed you so much!” “You got this.” “I love you.” “Thank you.” Or not… The hug may have said it all. Then the pull apart— a step back, arms slide down to cradle hands, or just letting go. And if the e