Sunday, June 30, 2013

From “Start from the Heart”

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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From “Start from the Heart”

This is a beautiful morning… one to enjoy fully outside.

In my wanderings this past few days I discovered some beautiful words that I thought should be shared again. Here they are… savour them.

“I'm just ME ~ I'm not perfect, I'm me. I've made bad decisions and wrong choices, but I'm me. I've said the wrong things, I've said the right things, because I'm me. I don't like everything I've done, but I did it because I'm me. I've loved the wrong people and trusted the wrong people and I'm still me. If I had a chance to start again, I wouldn't change a thing. Why? because I'm me.
There are a lot of good things about me, you just need to look past the imperfections to see what's right. If you can't do that then it's your loss. I'm the best I can be. I am ME (author unknown)

Then I discovered some beautiful photo compositions from Facebook and a site called “Start from the Heart” – enjoy… and have a great day.











~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

For your inspection
http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/
Digital Image from Misty Hollow
Crop Circles
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Saturday, June 29, 2013

The Spectacular Art of Tom Eckert – wood carving that is impossible

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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(The above piece is carved completely of wood)
 
The Spectacular Art of Tom Eckert – wood carving that is impossible

Every once in a while something comes along to take my breath away.  Something that is so amazing that you have to stop to take a close look.  It happened again.  And these some-things simply defy imagination.

You need to take a look with me at this selection from my Google Search for Artist Tom Eckert

Tom has taken a block of wood or a piece of wood and then applied hundreds of hours to it with his carving knives.  What comes out of it is absolutely stunning!

It is at that moment of seeing something so spectacular that my brain says, “I want to do that too.  Let’s try it – we have time!”

I am trying to get my breath after viewing the wide selection that is presented with the Google search I did.

I needed this today.  Going to the art gallery at times is something I do also. But most often the art presented is not what I need… I leave the gallery stating that I need more. My mind is hungry for different ‘mind food’.  Today I have been savouring what Tom Eckert has done.

Tom’s Web Site can be found here.  His Web Site alone is a piece of beauty and art wrapped together.

Take a look at these pieces - all carved from wood!!!



Now what do I do with what I have seen?  How much time do I have to create something like Tom has created?  Do I start today?

Thank you Tom and those that have presented Tom’s work to me.

Now I need to go and savour what he has done.

~ Murray Lincoln ~


For your inspection


Digital Image from Misty Hollow


To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Celebrating Graduations – Emma Lindsay and Michael Rourke

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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Celebrating Graduations – Emma Lindsay and Michael Rourke

For two nights we have been grinning from ear to ear… and applauding with all the others – two of our Grandkids are leaving Elementary School and heading off to High School!  Wahoo!  What a celebration.  And only one left in Elementary School.

Monday night Emma Lindsay graduated from Grade 8. Tuesday night Michael Rourke graduated from Grade 8 as well.  Two cousins off to new adventures at High School in the fall. They join three more siblings and cousins!

As I sat there last evening watching the second one graduate this time around – I suddenly realized that the world is spinning way too fast.  It was just yesterday that I graduated from Grade 8!

I remember that Graduation well.  After a short ceremony at the small public school, the parents went home and our class walked downtown together.  Downtown was in Regina.  We walked to one of the only two restaurants in the downtown core… at least the only two that were open other than the Bus Depot’s lunch counter.

There were no Prom Dates at that time. Some of the students did pair off… walking side by side.  That left only two of us with no interest in the other – so we HAD TO WALK TOGETHER!

My walking partner was Olga.  The guys had nicked named her ‘Olga from the Volga’. She had a thick accent from somewhere deep in Europe with her family immigrating to Canada in the previous two years.

Yikes – poor Olga. She was about 5 feet 8 inches tall. I was all of 4 feet 6 inches tall.  And she had to walk with me!  Too darn funny. I nearly died and she must have been mortified walking with the little shrimp Lincoln.

Hey – don’t knock it – I grew 12 inches in the next two years and made it to a whopping 5 feet 6 inches!!! Olga likely never grew taller and turned into a beautiful Russian or Ukrainian Princess.

Oh the memories that flooded me last two nights as I witnessed the growing up over night of two fantastic grandkids!

Congratulations to Emma and Michael!  Way to go kids – we are so proud of you!

 Emma Lindsay with Grandpa and Grandma Lincoln
 
 Emma Lindsay with Mom and Dad, Dana and Bruce Lindsay
 
 The Rourke Boys with Grandpa and Grandma Lincoln
Right to Left - Thomas, Michael, Jonathan and Christopher
 
 Anda Rourke with her 5 Rourke Boys
 
Michael Rourke - the Male Athlete of the Year!
 
~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com
For your inspection
http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/
Digital Image from Misty Hollow
Crop Circles
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My Strawberry Fields Forever – Let me take you down

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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My Strawberry Fields Forever – Let me take you down

The last couple of days had been “blah days” – where I have just kept going, try not to think too much and do things that are easy. The death of a friend can do that to me…

It was yesterday while my wife and I pulled away from everything for a few hours that I recognized the need to be quiet.  It happened in a Strawberry Field north of where we live.  Yesterday was the start of PYO Strawberries – “Pick Your Own”.

The field at one point was empty except for my wife and I picking. It was completely still… no sound at all.

My wife stated it well, “I love that sound of the ‘small snap’ when you pull the strawberry loose from the Strawberry plant.”

She was right. Then came the next soothing part as I popped the ripe, red berry into my mouth.

The song that John Lennon wrote about ‘Strawberry Fields forever’, came to my mind.

Though there is much debate about what in the world John Lennon was writing about at the time… the lyrics did refer to an invitation to take you down to “strawberry fields forever”.

When John was a boy he lived not far from a Salvation Army home that was called “Strawberry Fields”.  There was a large wooded area to the back of the property where John played many long hours. (see STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER LYRICS - THE BEATLES)


However some of the debate of why he wrote what he did involves the use of ‘LSD’ and ‘Marijuana’ … and it also revolved around John losing a close mentor Brian Epstein.

Yesterday I was in Strawberry Fields – forever… sans the ‘LSD’ and ‘Marijuana’.

Enjoy the photos below… and go ahead and lick your Computer Monitor if you would like…







~ Murray Lincoln ~


For your inspection


Digital Image from Misty Hollow


To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Monday, June 24, 2013

Losing our friend through a terrible accident – Maureen Lancaster is gone

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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Losing our friend through a terrible accident – Maureen Lancaster is gone

I am numb today.  I laid down for an afternoon sleep yesterday and when I got up my wife told me the terrible news.  Our friend was dead and her husband was in the ICU with some serious injuries. Oh God!  How terrible!

Our friend is Maureen Lancaster and her husband is Rev. Doug Lancaster. They pastor the Avonhurst Pentecostal Church in Regina, Saskatchewan.

On Saturday Evening they were returning from an engagement where Doug spoke to a group of Seniors at a Camp.  They were on Doug’s motorcycle on the highway east of Regina about two hours… somewhere near Moosomin, Sask. I think. There was an area of the province that is heavily populated with White Tail deer… and knowing that Doug slowed down.  However a deer jumped on to the highway and they hit the animal – or the animal hit them.

Maureen died at that place and Doug suffered some very extensive injuries placing him in the ICU of a Regina, Hospital.

Even as I write this my mind is struggling to wonder why it all happened?  “If they would have left a half hour earlier, 15 minutes earlier… two minutes even – Would they have been okay?… or even a bit later?”

I am human and I wonder. I struggle with some dark thoughts at terrible times.

And… yet… Pastor Doug and I both have conducted hundreds of funerals and have tried to reassure all the families that God only knows why.  Now we both have to live it.

When I was a pastor in Saskatchewan one of my tasks was to serve as a Presbyter for a section of the Province.  In one of the periods of time Doug and Maureen were a pastoral team that I encouraged. They were part of my group.  We became friends.

It was also during that time that Doug stepped aside from pastoral duties. He had been pastoring the Southside Pentecostal Church in Regina.  We were serving at Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Doug and Maureen stepped out of church work for about three years. But we still stayed in touch while they lived in Saskatoon.

During that three years the Southside church called Alida and I to become their new pastors, replacing Doug and Maureen.

Southside had a huge debt that had come when the Satanists had broken into the beautiful new church and burned the building to the ground.  Instead of building on the property where the church was burned, they chose to buy an old school… that sucked the money out of the congregation in every way.

When we arrived to take on the leadership task, the church was in deep debt, they had lost the pastor that they loved and the small group was struggling.

At the end of three years Doug and Maureen were ready to come back to church work again.

It was then that I contacted them and invited them to come back to Southside on a Father’s Day morning to enter ministry again.

That morning Maureen sang a beautiful song and Doug ministered from his heart. At the end I had folk in the church come forward to shake Doug and Maureen’s hands and “Welcome them home”... back into the ministry.

At the same time Doug was speaking a deal was signed for the sale of the Property of the old church site.  Two major burdens had been lifted at that point in time. Forgiveness and faithfulness were part of the church’s reward.

The history that followed was good. Doug and Maureen became the Pastors of the other Pentecostal church in Regina.  Alida and I moved to Peterborough – at almost the same time – in 1998.

Every time I was back in Regina over these past 15 years I have had coffee and a long talk with Doug… including April 2013 when we got together again at Avonhurst. He shared a lot with me that day about their joy of the work they were doing, about being Grandparents and loving it, their love for each other, and other ministerial stuff.  Our friendship over the 21 years had been good and remained the same – close.

I am writing this out of a need to tell someone about a great couple that have done much together – suffered and survived… and now have been torn apart because of a terrible accident.

I write because I am sad and not knowing what to do…

Oh God!  Help us all.  There is a tomorrow – but today hurts and it is heavy.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

For your inspection
http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/
Digital Image from Misty Hollow
Crop Circles
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Friday, June 21, 2013

DO NOT wash your hair in the shower!!

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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DO NOT wash your hair in the shower!!

DO NOT wash your hair in the shower!!

It's so good to finally get a health warning that is useful!!!

IT INVOLVES THE SHAMPOO WHEN IT RUNS DOWN YOUR BODY WHEN YOU SHOWER WITH IT. WARNING TO US ALL!!!

Shampoo Warning! I don't know WHY I didn't figure this out sooner! I use shampoo in the shower! When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my whole body, and printed very clearly on the shampoo label is this warning, "FOR EXTRA BODY AND VOLUME."

No wonder I have been gaining weight! Well! I got rid of that shampoo and I am going to start showering with Dawn Dishwashing Soap. It's label reads, "DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE."

Problem solved! If I don't answer the phone, I'll be in the shower!

(From a Facebook Friend)

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

For your inspection
http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/
Digital Image from Misty Hollow
Crop Circles
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Little things, imaginary things, magical things all covered with sparkle and wonder dust

Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images
These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.
Misty Hollow Carvingwas launched in October 2008
Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.
“Crop Circles’ Web Site” where all my images are available.

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Little things, imaginary things, magical things all covered with sparkle and wonder dust

Some of my more senior friends have a little difficulty understanding my art work taking a turn toward ‘Fairies’. They cannot understand why a supposedly intelligent person would believe in Fairies.

Some of my ‘religious’ friends think I have lost the idea of my calling to more ‘spiritual’ things… ahem.

Clearing my throat I try to explain. The look in the eyes of the little ones that come to look closely and then dream makes it all worth it. To create something that kids love – old or young – is more than a reward for me.

Yes it is fantasy but it is so much fun.  When my reward comes it is from a smile and a giggle that is followed by, “That is so cute! I want one Mommy.” It simply is worth it all.  Connecting with my potential audience is what it is all about.

And the other thing that happens is there is never enough time to create more. The ideas seem to flood my imagination like a babbling brook.  The things that I can make are just there at the top of my mind list.

Could that be the influence of Fairies?  “Surely to goodness not… you have lost it Lincoln!” the old lady scowled.  Her own imagination died somewhere around her 35th year… and it has been dried up and dead for more than 40 years. Poor lady.

Yes it is only for the young at heart that I do what I do… and create what I create.  It is not for the ‘grunt and scratch crowd’ of a Truck Stop!  Definitely not.  These guys have kids that still dream but they have lost it.  Nope – not that crowd.

It is not for the ‘Holier than Thou’ group either.  That bunch have little to do with imagination either… except imagine how Holy they are.  And they forgot what fun was all about… a long ‘tyme’ ago.

It is for the kid in everyone that I create. I carve the houses and the furniture to make young eyes twinkle. I share my imagination to tickle theirs. I give my best so they will dream better.

And from Misty Hollow comes delight of all kinds. ‘Delight’ in fact is the main product that we produce from the carvings, ideas and things that are produced.

So if you are huffy and puffy in your thinking about grown men like me that actually do weird stuff… here are some new things to get all bent out of shape about.  Please look at them and then shake your head… but as you do, please ask yourself, “When did I lose my sense of wonder and the plain old silliness that I once had?  When did my imagination die?”

But if you are a lover of little things, imaginary things, magical things all covered with sparkle and wonder dust… “Welcome fellow wanderer … Misty Hollow is the place to be. We created these things just for you.”

Enjoy…
~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com















For your inspection
http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/
Digital Image from Misty Hollow
Crop Circles
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/