Day 231 Coming Home

July 28, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70^th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day’s gift.)

Coming home always means a greeting of some kind. When she was alive, Misty the German shepherd named by our daughter, always greeted me excitedly at the top of the steps in our split-level house. Now she is gone and we have a cat named by my father. Misty the cat also greets us at the top of the stairs in the same spot as her canine predecessor. She does not wag her tail but, instead, displays a look that says, “Why are you so late? You humans need to feed me—like NOW.”

Actually, there is life greeting me even before I unlock the front door. My resident spider does no wagging or scolding but dances from spot to spot in her messy tangle web. When I go up the outside concrete steps, I stop and check out my spider’s pantry. Today I noticed two sandwich wraps, future meals. Halfway up the steps, I sat down and aimed my camera with its macro lens toward what I thought was a leggy nondescript spider. However, when I zoomed in, I was amazed at the spider’s beauty. Its long legs were either aqua or reflected bluish-green from its surroundings. The body wore a symmetrical design with blacks, whites, yellows, oranges and a blue center ellipse. 

I am glad I stopped to look. Sometimes beauty is revealed only when I look very closely at things that first appear to be ordinary. 

My gift today is hidden beauty revealed.

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Day 232: Carnivore

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html