Water is Beauty in Motion

This is my most loved falls of all time -- Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

My favorite thing about summer is water. When I was a kid, we'd go swimming at the local high school for 50 cents. I always came home starving -- but that's another issue.

This is my dream pool...my hubby and I talk about it all the time, it would be right outside our bedroom...sigh. Hey -- there's nothing wrong with dreaming...grin.

Anyway -- we had some neighbors that did the above ground pools, and they were okay, but there's nothing like a big in ground swimming pool. I don't even think the ocean compares, unless it's in the Caribbean...snorkeling has got to be the best thing ever. Otherwise, too much sand...salt, ugh! Oceans are great for walking along the shore with my hubby, but it's not what I think of when I'm thinking of water.

The beauty I'm talking about, is the sound, the feel, the smell even, of water. Have you noticed that there are lots of those little fountains now that you can get to sit on your desk and give you a calm feeling? Those little 'Zen' fountains that bring a peaceful atmosphere. I like the natural kind, outdoors.

It's a feeling of oneness with nature when sitting by a waterfall, feeling the spray on your face and listening to the birds. It's a moment of beauty given by God. It enables you to calm your world, get free of the rat race we are surrounded by and just soak up the wonders and beauty before you. There is a great instrumental piece on the neighborhood juke box by Jon Schmidt -- I would recommend listening to it while your enjoying this wonderful view.

I think this would also be the ideal location to have your children start painting. Give them watercolors and see what kind of shapes they come up with -- what captures their imagination and brush strokes as they sit among nature and feel it's peace.

Of course, you don't have to take them to a waterfall for this excersice, but it's nice...I would say it's the best. But -- we don't have one nearby either, so it's usually the back yard with our big Day Lilies' blooming.



Of course, if you have one of those little Zen fountains, you could set it up outside in the shade somewhere and pretend you were on a field trip. Pretending is always good.

July is the big month for family picnics and get togethers, so it would also be a good time for children to work together on crafts and art projects. Big sheets of butcher paper, large jars of paint, the whole big outdoors for them to portray... Just as long as you have a hose handy to clean them and everything else up, you're set! Grin.

And remember --

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