dare to be different

New Ink

Fresh.

Colorful.

Memorable.

Designed with detail.

My body is a temple. A place of art. Unique as the person living under the skin. My ink tells a story or many stories. Some inked pieces are linked or overlapped while others stand alone in their storyline. Some are colored some are not.  Some fade while others stand firm. Some hurt more than others.

Tattoos are interesting. For some tattoos carry judgment on the person adorning them while others are curious about tattoos. Did that hurt? Why would you get that? You do know that is permanent? If god wanted you to have markings he would have gifted them at birth. I have heard them all. I have also shared my tattoo stories to many time and time again. Some show excitement. Some say now I get it. Others say no way. Some conversations ignite a passion to finally get a tattoo. A first for so many.

My body, my choice. My temple, my art. This newest piece is symbolic. I’ve been waiting for a while post-pandemic to get an appointment first of all. Then the timing just fell into place. An anniversary date. A symbol of growth. A unique piece of art. Plastered on my arm. Worn with pride. A reminder of so much. I just love my newest ink piece.

I was lucky enough to share my ink experience with a few gals. We laughed. We took pictures. We marked the spot so to speak.  We met some cool people. I should mention that all walks of life get tattoos and just visiting a tattoo shop is an experience that I encourage. From couples to moms and daughters to those celebrating another’s life are all at the shop for a unique piece of art. The tattoo artist creating that perfect image.

Years of inspiration will be drawn from this inked art as I push through life’s ups and downs. When I am old and wrinkled I will know I have lived my life to the fullest and captured moments or highlights on my canvas to share with others. These memories of life have value to me. The perfect keepsake.

I wasn’t even five minutes from the tattoo parlor when I was asked about my fresh ink. The placement was perfect. The design was just what I wanted. The coloring was spot on. The timing was right. My story continues. My ink will continue to evolve just like me.

author moments

Playing In the Woods

I was in the woods with my dog just checking things out. Its was a dreary day after a lot of rain which led me to the wooded area by my home for a stroll. I opted for the less traveled path on this day. Not sure why, but I’m glad I did.

The pine straw covered ground seemed a little less muddy than the grass.  It seems to have had shelter from the rain due the trees above that created a natural canopy. The smell of rain was in the air and the dog was curious about the the surroundings which intrigued me and maybe sparked my curiosity.

Sniff, sniff. A slight tug on the leash to guide me to a structure. Hidden in the trees, I stumbled across this old shelter that appears to be a dog house or shelter for some type of critter. I wondered what time period this was from? What was the history behind such a creation? So many questions that I will never know the answer to. It was still cool to think about the history.

Just beyond this structure were a couple of dilapidated barns or outbuildings. Again I was curious on their history. Who lived there? When were they built? What were they used for? I took a couple of pictures and used different filters to see how they might have looked some time ago with old photo technology.

Just beyond the trees were some over grown weeds that gave these photos a little mysterious look. I enjoy taking pictures and writing about them. It’s a great opportunity to drift off from today and imagine what was before and how things have changed.

Barns in my suburban area are not so popular which means these are a piece of history. Maybe momentous to somebody. How long will they endure? Will a contractor tear them down? Will somebody want to reclaim the wood for a home project? So many questions.

My normal walk took a little turn. Some might not think a walk in the woods is exciting enough to write about but somedays you stumble across and object or a place that inspires you to share your moment. Your snapshot in time.

My moment today was all about the walk. The stroll in the woods. Listening to the bird chirp. Hearing the drips of rain drops sliding off the tree leaves. The crunching sound of pine straw crackling at your feet. Tree branches snapping back and forth as squirrels jump around which also makes the dog bark. 

Some days it’s about the climb. Some days it’s about the falls. Other days it could be about ignorance. You just never know what’s coming next on this blog. That’s the beauty of writing. It’s an artistic expression that we share with the world now and then. Variety is our spice of life. You get a sampling not an exclusive view. A tidbit of sorts. As our readership grows we know you hear our voices. This inspires us to spread our wings and write for depth.

Enjoy the week.