♥
inspiration
♥
crawls in
if I wake before
dawn..
lingering in bed in the wee hours of the morning,
the moment caught between sleep and rise,
words spill into my head..
fragments of whispered chorused voices
jostle to be heard
and set free,
urge to be written down…
until I am compelled to throw back covers and
tumble down stairs
to witness those phrases
before they can elude
me
♥
inspiration
♥
I play music..
solo late into the night
illuminated by one solitary candle’s flame
smoldering incense
tendrils wrap around the sweet notes that float from my
cello
this is a link to one of the pieces our orchestra will be playing this weekend
Vivaldi Concerto in G Minor for Two Cellos
(fortunately I play basso continuo and not those tricky bits)
it’s such an emotive piece… I can’t wait…
I wish you could all be there
♥
I have entered a contest
The Writer’s Desk ~ A Contest Giveaway!!!
The lovely nrhatch of Spirit Lights the Way
is giving away a copy of “The Writer’s Desk” and the poetic musings above is my response.
I am so looking forward to reading how others find their inspiration to write!
♥
both of my brilliant cellist friends, Lynn and Mona are
as accomplished and savvy in the kitchen as they are in the concert hall
Lynn brought these cookies to snack on Monday
and they are aptly named…
♥
There was something about Lynn’s cookies, they’re the kind of cookie that will have you puzzling to pinpoint that one extra ingredient. Unusually, that ingredient turned out to be cinnamon in this case. But I could swear it didn’t present itself as cinnamon, at first bite it seemed to disguise itself as coconut… but you’ll have to see for yourself..
- 1 cup margarine or butter (I use butter)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Then stir in:
- 1 1/4 cups quick cooking rolled oats
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Mix together the dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a silpat lined or ungreased, nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Recipe make 4-5 dozen cookies. You can experiment with less butter, and they become a bit less crisp and less flat but still quite yummy.
lovely imagery and words and a recipe I am totally trying
…pouring more coffee……wow, 4 of the 5 senses are very happy now! lolol…another wonderful article Smidge!
What a wonderful way for me to start my day with your beautiful words and photos.
She’s a writer, a photographer, a baker…..and a musician! Wow, Barb I am in awe of your many talents. I’ll be thinking of you and your concert this weekend. I’ll be at my 3-year old’s ballet recital on Saturday — there’ll be 20 sweet little Snow Whites performing!
What beautiful photos!
Smidge I don’t want you to miss out on this. Stop over and bring a link~
Love the recipe BTW!
Wow! What a post, beautiful…but can I substitute the white chocolate chips as the other are a major allergic no no for me?
Beautiful and nummy! But can I substitute white chockie chips for the other as I am terribly allergic to the other?
I love basso continuo! And I love your cello photos! And I would probably love the cookies, given half a chance…
easily Juliet and my favorite instrument in the orchestra and the most provocative. I knew I dug your work but had no idea you were a cellist. Now I think I am just going to have to idolize you as well. Vivaldi is the god of my baroque church!
I love to play.. it’s such a passion of mine.. blogging is a newer one:) I’m so happy you love Vivaldi!!
a ton!
Beautiful post – loving your photos!
Love this post. I’ve always had this secret wish that if I ever have a daughter, I’ll make her learn to play the cello. But for now let’s focus on those cookies. How classic are they! And “Cello Diva” cookies sound even more exotic.
I think you should learn to play.. it’s totally possible:D then you would inspire the daughter in your future!
I just made choc chip cookies but mine didn’t have rolled oats in them. Yours are probably better for you! I would so love to hear you play Vivaldi. I love the images of your cello. It looks like a very well loved antique that is highly treasured. All the best for the concert xx
I’m hoping to have an even remotely well done recording that I can share.. but that’s proven a challenge in the past.. xoxo Thank you!!
Those photos of your cello are exquisite and so inspiring. Thank you for that gift of your art today. xoxo
Thanks so much Ashley xoxoxo
Beautiful imagery of music my friend
As for these cookies, well, nothing beats a secret ingredients delicious chocolate chip cookie
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
What an eye-candy those images are … fantastically done. Exquisite !!! then you bake cookies … and play cello. Some woman. Thanks for the beautiful music, great start of my morning – only thing missing is a couple of the cookies here with my morning and only cup of coffee.
A lovely poem, and utterly enchanting photos. I hope you enjoy your musical evening.
Nice ‘cello, nearly as beautiful as my viola :D. Perhaps I’ll have to share her with you all. Haha. Great looking cookies, Smidge. Good luck with the concert.
Gorgeous photos of your Cello and yes I wish I could be there this weekend to enjoy your concert. So these cookies have hidden depths
What rich photos, they make me want to stroke your cello Could it be the oats that give that elusive coconut thing? I have noticed it too sometimes in cookies. Maybe I will have to whip up a batch just to check it out Glorious Vivaldi ! Thank you xxx
Wow! What a stunning Cello. Awesome shots hon! Thanks for sharing another yummy recipe. Printing as we speak..hehehe
*big hugs*
I love the cello and I have a very soft spot for Signor Vivaldi but I would really love to hear you play. Stunning shots too!
“Cello Diva” is right! Would that I could attend your performance this weekend, Vivaldi’s works being among my favorites. I’m sure the performance will be remarkable. Your photos are really beautiful and so appropriate for the piece. I started it playing and went back to re-read the post. This was a very good post, Barb, with each component complimenting the others. Thoroughly enjoyable.
What a treat Barbara! Music (which I’m listening right now) and cookies… perfect! Good luck with the concert (Is there anything you are not good at?)
The cookies look delicious! You make me miss my orchestra days and the buzz of concerts. Enjoy the concert, I’m sure it will be wonderful!
And lovely, lovely photos, great reflections.
The cookies have me intrigued and the upcoming concert sounds fantastic!
Beautiful words and photos. These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies sound heavenly with cinnamon. Such good friends. Now to listen to the music!
Break a leg at your performance! I wish we all lived closer – seems like all by blog friends seem like close neighbors until I realize they’re all over the world. Love the secret cinnamon ingredient!
Smidge, what a treat today: those early morning moments, that golden cello and these cookies with je ne sais quoi. I loved it: wish I could hear that piece- all the best with it all!
Beautiful photos, and wonderful music!
and, of course, I hit post comment instead of paragraph thingie, and could not add I would love to be able to sit in the audience while you play! Oh, well, a double comment is better than none (I hope!
Oh, so lovely! All of it! <3
You are so creative. So blessed! Thanks for sharing.
How wonderfully creative you are on so many levels. The words, the pictures, and a great recipe! I love the cello! You probably weren’t reading my blog when I “enthused” about how I want to meet Yo-Yo Ma! That probably isn’t going to happen, so maybe I can hopefully hear your orchestra play sometime! So special! Debra
Wishing you lots of luck with the concert. The cookies sound so tempting. I love anything with added cinnamon not just for the taste but since I read about the health benefits of cinnamon I like to think it cancels out the sugar effect. Happy weekend.
Cookie and music..great combination!
Beautiful AND delicious… this is a pretty amazing post! Glad I happened to land here today.
Nummy! Can I substitute white chocolate chips. Beautiful pictures.
I think you could.. But maybe without the cinnamon?? Not sure on that:)
Thanks for adding the music to your morning post. I am sure you play just as lovely. How long having you been playing the cello? The only bad part is that you need 2 hands to play the cello and at least one hand to eat your yummy CC cookies, so I guess you will have to take some periodic practice breaks.
You are just full of so much beautiful and amazing talent Smidge.
Gorgeous photos, a delicious recipe…AND beautiful music to begin my day? Smidge, you spoil me!
What a lovely instrument, Barbara, and the poem woven into the photographs is just simple beauty. Nicely done.
The chocolate chip cookies sound incredible, and I love the addition of cinnamon and you are absolutely right, totally unexpected! Hope you have a great weekend. Good luck with your performance!
Beautiful photos Smidge! The cookies look and sound absolutely delicious. Definitely keeping to try them out. Have a great weekend ahead!
[…] over all of their amazing recipes upon recipes upon more recipes, stories and more stories, and gorgeous words, photographs and beautiful music to start my morning. Then, I wasted an incredible amount of time on Facebook looking at posts and chatting with other […]
This was a wonderful post… beautiful photos. I love the cinnamon and oats in the cookies.
Great post again, Smidge! This is definitely another cookie recipe for me to try.
Oh wow, you bake, you blog, and you play an instrument as amazing as a cello! I’m well impressed
love the poem! and how amazing that you play the cello!
Oh, these sound so good!! I should have known you’re a musician. Your words and images often flow like music.
I bet they taste awesome!
They were yummy!
Cinnamon totally makes anything better!! Oh yea…
O lovely, meditative Muse! You have brought warmth to my morning with this. I do wish I could have been at the rehearsals, if not performance–and I say that as a longtime Vivaldi hater who was reformed by hearing his stuff done Right in recent years after eons of tepid and watered-down, poppy versions. The cookies couldn’t hurt either! But most of all, in this post I love the poem that gives Inspiration such a fittingly cello-like voice, and by some really wonderful portraits of your instrument.
xoxo
Its like you read my mind! You seem to understand so much approximately this, like you wrote the e book in it or something. I think that you could do with some % to drive the message home a little bit, however other than that, that is great blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
Lovely poem, smidge . . . I love waking up to inspiration.
Oh my…that is awesome! So lovely to meet you, Barbara, via Nancy’s contest. Your poetry is…poetic.:) So much so that I could hear the music it was playing.:) You captured the truth of what happens in those moments between sleep and wakefulness…if you don’t write it down almost immediately, the muse recaptures those elusive words…and they may never appear again. Best of luck in all you do…you are a gifted woman.:)
Your words are beautiful. Be careful to not stub your toe on the way downstairs to write your pose in the wee hours of the morning. I think some of best ideas do come in the middle of the night. Don’t you think?….I think it is our brains way of sorting through our day… Good luck on your concert this weekend. I am sure it will be lovely. I think I will grab a few of your delicious cookies while I enjoy the music. Take care, BAM
They sure do, Bam! And I will watch out for my toe.. and my back and my knees.. I’ve gotten completely clumsy lately. I wonder if this is part of aging?? xx