As Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home!”

(Daughter, Pam, took a surprise photo of us at Northwest Trek. I love the tenderness between us as we chat.)

In spite of the love and the joy of being with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, it’s good to get back to our comfortable ruts and the familiar nest we call home.

Our last big event was a trip through the grandeur of the National Park system designated as Mount Rainier. We drove from wildflower meadows and quaint historical towns into the inclining and winding roadways that led upward.

The snow was long gone; earlier than most years. When we reached the top, the base of Rainier was snow-free and covered with green grass and more wildflowers such as scarlet paintbrush, blue columbine, pink Canterbury bells, and white Queen Ann’s lace.

(Mount Rainier peeking through the trees as we wound up the roadway leading to the top.)

We enjoyed a quick lunch in the Visitor Center, and then traipsed over to the refurbished lodge to check out the furnishings, the gift shop and the spectacular views from a huge wrap-around porch.

Because of my fall earlier, and the miles already walked at the Northwest Trek animal preserve, we decided not to climb the trails to the base of the snow-covered Rainier. The park on all sides of the mountain was covered with hiking trails and bike trails. If you’re an avid hiker as I once was, you’ll love exploring the flora and fauna that covers the hillsides.

(Getting closer!)

(Here we are at the base of the mountain. Normally in June, the green grass is covered in snow.)

(Inside the Lodge at Mount Rainier)

On the way back, we stopped at an iconic restaurant that has served up homemade fare since the 1940s. We enjoyed a quality home-cooked meal, but declined the tempting old-fashioned pies. A small antique gift shop provided eye-candy instead. On this trip I had hoped to purchase some “finds” to sell in my Etsy Shop, but the sizes and prices deterred this plan. Flying instead of driving has its benefits, but leaves you with very little space for extras.

Back to Minnesota for two nights and one day gave us just enough time to see a few people before flying homeward. Upon arrival, a blast of hot humid air reminded us of the summer ahead.

(Great Grandpa with Marcus, his first great grandchild.)

During our vacation, we rarely caught the news and felt relaxed and detached. It was with shock and sadness that we learned about the massacre shooting in the South Carolina church.

What have we become as a society? Have we descended so far that we resemble animals and simply react from our baser instincts? The higher calling is to love others, even our enemies, which the members of that church demonstrated so plainly. May God bless them in their hour of need. May God have mercy on the soul of the perpetrator of evil. If drugs are responsible for his depravity, may others recognize the dangers in following this path. 

If evil can destroy, then only love can heal this nation. Not selfish love that seeks only to enrich and satisfy self, but an unselfish desire to do good to others and to bring only positive actions into the world. If we're going to leave a mark behind us, let it be one that will benefit mankind!

It started with an Ibis; a beautiful white bird that limped

One of my goals has been to write and illustrate a children's book. Although I completed the goal, the satisfaction is missing. I never quite got the book off the ground. But I did learn a few things about self-publishing and the difficulties in getting your name out there.

Subject matter may have been my first hurdle. Many people don't know what an ibis is. I certainly didn't before I moved to Florida. The word "ibis" reminds me of the spoken sound of "I was." So I created a poster with this play on words: "Ibis (I was) only peeking -- I'm the designated bikini watcher!" The poster is for sale on my Etsy link at http://www.etsy.com/people/AnfinsenArt

Some people think ibis are a nuisance. They forage in colonies ambling across people's manicured lawns leaving their droppings behind. I happen to love their "hunk hunk, croo croo" noises as they chatter away in ibis.

Their orange curved bills are like fingers; sensitive to touch. They probe in the cool green grass or slimy mud for snails, crayfish, frogs and grubs. If startled, they fly away revealing black wing tips that are otherwise hidden beneath their pristine white feathers. A cleansing oil keeps them white for as long as they live which can be up to 30 plus years.

My story about Inez was patterned after a real ibis in our neighborhood who is recognizable by her limp. How she was injured is anybody's guess. Mine is that she was hit by an impatient motorist who refused to wait for her to flutter to safety. She has given birth to three or four clutches since I moved here 10 years ago.

Even though she limps when earth bound, she flies beautifully like any other ibis. In the air, I lose track of her as she blends in with her "colony." On the ground, her visible disability makes me claim her for my own.

This poster is also available on the above Etsy link.

Please take a moment to check out my book; available in hard cover or paperback. Individual cards or prints of the illustrations are also for sale on http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com 

Inez Ibis Flies Again by Carol Allen Anfinsen, Written and Illustrated

Giving Yourself Permission to Fly

"Arabesque" 14x18 oil on canvas

Do you notice how often you hold yourself back with negative thinking? “I’m not good enough. I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. Others may think I’m weird. Who am I to compete with the “pros?” And on and on, we tear ourselves down.

When we let ourselves go, when we “let it all hang out,” so to speak, we acknowledge that we trust our own instincts and ideas. We give ourselves permission to try, to experiment, and to create what is uniquely ours. This requires boldness and courage on our part. But there is no other way.

"Anhinga in Paradise" 16x20 watercolor

If we want to excel, to soar, and to release the grandeur that is in us. We must let go of fear, doubt, and dependency. We must stand alone and seek our own place in the sun. We must value our own opinions and ideas at least as much as we value others.

Skill cannot be increased if we decrease the motivation behind it. We add fuel to our dreams when we fan the flames of confidence and hope. Strength comes gradually as we forge ahead in spite of fear. We keep working toward our goal, letting go of the things that weigh us down or hold us back.

"Loggerhead Shrike in Springtime" 16x20 acrylic on panel

The adage “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” may be old, but the concept is still fresh and new. We must pick ourselves up after we fall or fail, and try again. Repeating this behavior over and over again will eventually lead to success.

Hard work, blood, sweat and tears are still the only way to achieve anything worthwhile. If you take the easy way out or cheat on the principles, you end up hurting yourself.

A friend of mine had a mentally disabled child.  She started standing and walking before she learned to crawl. There were many things she did “out of order” and her brain had devised alternative patterns that slowed down and impeded her mental development.

Volunteers came in each day to work with the child. They moved her young legs across the floor and taught her how to crawl. They worked with her hands, and played games to provide new patterning for her brain.

"Berry Christmas" 16x20 acrylic on panel

In God’s wisdom, a person must learn to crawl before he can walk. He must learn to read before he can gain knowledge. He must practice before he can play or perform.

These are the same patterns and “models” for success. Developing skill is difficult, but it is essential. Talent is a plus. Love and desire are important components. But practice and hard work are the wings on which we fly.

"Sandhill Cranes at Twilight" 24x30 mixed-med on canvas

Featured Artist
Light & shadow video by Stan Prokopenko

Find your Inner Voice, your Power, and “Free Fall”

"Free-Falling Pelican" pencil drawing

I enjoy watching American Idol. It’s fun to witness frightened, insecure wanna-be’s grow and develop before your eyes. It’s miraculous to see what happens when someone with potential is provided with money, opportunity, and support. Their skills increase. Their confidence blossoms.  And they prove to themselves and others that they have what it takes to succeed.

In a recent competition, the contestant Hollie Cavanagh was advised that she “over thinks” her performances. She concentrates so much on the technicalities of singing, and in trying to implement what her coaches and teachers have taught her that she still hasn’t left her “comfort zone” after weeks of competing.

One of the coaches said to her: “Once you’re on that stage, you have to ‘let go.’ You have to free-fall.”

"Flying Your Way" Egret pencil drawing

This is good advice for any artist or performer. Once you step on that stage, you must execute through feeling and intuition what your heart knows. Your hand, your voice, your instrument will automatically follow.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “It’s all about confidence; trusting and believing in your inner voice. I was hoping Tom Petty’s song “Free Falling” would illustrate this point, but it didn’t. In Petty’s song, he dumps a nice girl with good values and lives the wild life as he “free falls” to his destruction.

I prefer to link the “free falling” process to “soaring” beyond our limits. Free falling should elevate us beyond the rules, structure and dogma of what we’ve learned and take us to a higher plane. Free falling should be the consummate experience of opening our wings and letting the essence of the moment carry us to a higher place.

"Para sailing Roseate Spoonbill" Drawing

“Free falling” is like flying. The hardest part is taking that first step. It truly is a spiritual experience similar to letting go of what you can see, touch and hold, to embrace the unseen, the invisible, the heart and soul. Free falling is akin to faith in a power greater than yourself; a faith that transcends time and space.

"Arabesque" 14x18 oil on canvas

Once you experience this feeling you will never be the same again. It’s the “stuff” that makes performers stars, fine artists successful, and writers remembered. Free falling people create the unexpected, surpass expectations, and win the hearts and minds of their peers.

"Leap of Faith" 16x20 oil on canvas

Achievement comes when your purpose is identified and your mind and heart work together toward fulfillment. If you’re holding back out of fear or insecurity, take that “leap of faith.” Free fall into the arms of God and fulfill your destiny.