Friday, June 26, 2009

Friday Shoot-Out Rainbow




For this shoot-out, I chose to do flowers because they really capture the richness of color. Admiring flowers always reminds me of the line from Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple and the quote about God getting mad if you walk by purple in a field without noticing. Flowers are living art and their brief moment on Earth are like a gift from the universe, a free gift that anyone can enjoy.

The red rose is from my friend Debbie's yard and so are the white flowers (not sure what they are called). The other picture is from a park near where I live. Hope you enjoy!!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Friday Shoot-Out Metal





For this shoot out, I decided to use photos from a recent trip to Washington DC. Washington DC is a very unique place to visit. My best advice for those planning a trip is wear comfortable walking shoes! We did a great deal of walking!

There is so much to do there. We went to some of the museums of the Smithsonian and went to some of the Memorials. It was impossible to see everything that we wanted to see.

The architecture is so unique to Washington DC and everyone should try to get there at least once in their lives. The trip inspired John's patriotism and made me realize how powerful the American Ideal is--how worthwhile it is to work towards this ideal. My favorite photo is of the offerings left at the Vietnam Memorial.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Cat's Meow




In my last post, I included a picture of a "meow" which some of you liked and asked if it was my cat. Actually, the cat is my parent's siamese, Carrington. He likes to meow quite a bit. My parents also have two orange cats who each have six toes. They fight each other a lot. My cat, Magnum, lets me pet him only once in a while. Most of the time if I get too close, he will meow to warn me to not get closer. If I get closer anyway, he will run under the bed. He is the grey and white one. The black fluffy cat is Godiva. She was my cat who died in October--I miss her terribly!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Friday Shoot-Out; the fabulous M




Here is my Friday Shoot-Out, slightly early, as I will be otherwise engaged tomorrow. It's not so easy to find random things that begin with "M", at least not as easy as I thought it would be. For my three "M"'s, I have "meow", "meandering", and "mountain". I hope everyone enjoys them! I must admit, though, the mountain shot is from my January trip to Colorado. The other two are from here in South Jersey.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Being Sick is No Fun

I missed the Friday Shoot-Out and my usual weekly post due to a head/chest cold. Hoping to get back in the game in a few days. Debby from The Pink Birdhouse gave an excellent idea about mandalas and coloring the same design over and over in different combinations of colors. I love that idea!!! Thanks!

Also, M is in from Colorado--M is John's daughter. She keeps me going! Children have great energy and it is seemingly neverending. Did I ever have that kind of energy!! Anyway, can't wait to participate in the upcoming Friday Shoot-Out!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

mandala mania


There are hundreds of sites that pop-up when doing a google search for “mandalas”. Mandalas have been around for hundreds of years and are still maintaining their appeal to humanity. The reason why appears to be that they are a spiritual language in visual form, beautiful in their simplicity, miraculous in the infinite possibilities for their design. When I look at mandalas over a period of time, I do feel energized and healed on a higher level. Anyone can do mandalas also, from the first time a child can draw a circle until the day a person dies. I am going to list at the end of this post some of the sites I particularly like in relation to mandalas. It is a worthwhile exploration for those interested in becoming spiritually centered and getting to know themselves on a deeper level.
Carl Jung, a famous psychologist, was also highly interested in mandalas, particularly for people who have reached forty and over. Jung felt that forty was the age at which the disparate parts of a person’s personality could all be integrated into a whole. The mandala is the perfect metaphor for this process. Another interesting thing about mandalas is that they can be created through several different mediums such as (but not limited to) colored pencils, markers, crayons, oil paints, watercolor, ink, thread, glass, tile, and even computer programs. I’ve just started in my journey with creating mandalas and I will start posting some of my creations on my other blog I am starting “Living the Creative Life”. Creating them or studying them are great ways for self-exploration, meditation, and relaxation.



http://www.mandalaproject.org/



http://www.jyh.dk/indengl.htm



http://www.abgoodwin.com/mandala/index.shtml



http://www.mandalazone.com/home.html