Spirits of Lena

New Site

2010-02-23T17:06:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation, I have decided to combine my three blogs into one. I just feel too scattered doing three seperate blogs. I think I must have gotten some blog fever and just kept creating new blogs! I also was afraid that the topics were too unrelated. After some thought, I think it would be easier to manage one instead of three. Hope that it works!! Here is the link to the one blog http://www.spiritsoflena.com/

Friday Shoot-Out: Town Plaza

2010-02-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my 100th post! This week's shootout topic was suggested by Redlan at Redlan's Web of Arts. This sure was one of the most challenging for me. Vineland is a huge, spreadout town of farmland and trees. (Except for downtown Vineland which is rows of old stores). So, I racked my brain to try to find an angle to fit the assignment. I decided to go with my apartment complex.

Here is a big mountain of snow in my parking lot. There are many of these all through the complex. We will probably be staring at snow until June!!

This is a wall of snow in the parking lot where I work. I think I've seen enough snow to last me four more winters!

This winter has led to some massive icicles. Those things look deadly!

And, finally, outside my back door, I was finally able to get a shot of a cardinal in the snow.

I hope you enjoyed!!

Give Me a Hand

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Shoot-Out: Aquariums

2010-02-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

The topic for the FSO is aquariums; a great idea suggested by ChefE at http://tmi-chef.blogspot.com/. Unfortunately, the weather has prevented me from really finding good shots to fit this theme, unless I could capture shots of the elusive snow shark. I did take some new shots of the weather in my previous post which you can see at http://spiritsoflena.blogspot.com/2010/02/winter-wonderland-take-3.html. I "archived" it this week. Luckily, I did have some pictures of aquarium visits.

This picture was taken at the Camden Aquarium in Camden, NJ. It is the aquarium closest to where I live. While Camden has been referred to as one of the most dangerous places in the US, it does have a very nice aquarium.

Here's John, my Valentine, standing next to the jaw of an ancestor of the Great White. John says he thinks it was called a "Megaladon".

I also got my picture taken by this scuba diver; however, it was one of those shots where my eyes are half closed so I look like I overdosed on some valium.

This picture was taken outside of the aquarium. You can see Philadelphia's skyline.

These otters were lounging at the Washington DC Zoo. We were there last June.

We also were able to watch this Giant Octopus eat her lunch. She was completely still in the corner of the tank until some shrimp on a stick was placed in the water. I have a similar reaction to shrimp.

Sea life can be quite beautiful and mysterious. I really enjoyed these trips and taking these pictures. I hope you enjoyed!

Winter Wonderland Take 3

2010-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hello blogger friends! I am home today thanks to the snow taking the East coast hostage. I thought I'd share some of the pictures of this wintry blast. As some of you have already seen, icicles tend to form off of the roof of my balcony and I love to take pictures of them.

One of my cats, Winston, was looking out the back door at the snow and the birds flying to the branches above. I let him step out onto the balcony so he could feel the snow. He did not really like the coldness on his paw pads and came right back in the house, but I thought the paw prints were very cute! I also captured some bird prints.

Who among us who like to take pictures would not want to capture a richly red cardinal amongst the white white snow? The cardinal must have known this because everytime I grabbed my camera, he flew away! I was able to capture him somewhat.

Also, for those of you who saw my last Friday Shoot Out, you saw my windchimes. Well, this wintry blast has even coated them in snow.

I hope some of you are in a warmer climate! For those of you experiencing this "white wash" with me, I hope you are staying safe and if you have to go out, driving carefully!

(I am going to start putting all my poetry on my poetry blog at spiritsoflenapoetry, in case you miss my photo and a poem.)

Friday Shoot Out: Circles

2010-02-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

I loved this week's FSO assignment. The idea of circles came from Kerry at http://eddyandreuben.blogspot.com/. What I loved about it is that I have always thought of the circle as a sacred shape. It ends where it begins and the center can be intersected an infinite number of times. Also, it is perfectly symmetrical. It is the basic shape of the mandala. Mandalas are these beautiful spiritual designs and I talk about them more in my posts http://spiritsoflena.blogspot.com/2009/02/soul-of-whole.html and http://spiritsoflena.blogspot.com/2009/06/mandala-mania.html.

The above picture is from my archive taken in Washington DC at one of the Smithsonian museums. The rest of the shots were taken this week, but I included this one since it fit the assignment so well.

I took this picture of a somewhat circular patch of snow in anticipation of the huge Noreaster that is supposed to hit NJ tomorrow afternoon. Some are saying 9 inches, some are saying 2 feet--we shall see!

This is a railroad crossing sign near my house.

I take Tuckahoe Road to work every morning. They have been doing some sort of construction on the road involving cutting down trees, and the trunks on the ground made interesting circles.

These last three shots were taken on my balcony. These are my windchimes. I obviously love celestial designs! They all happen to be somewhat circular, which again is another reason I love the circle!

I hope you enjoyed!

Photo and a Poem: Winter Awakening

2010-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Winter Awakening

The ice hung like teeth from the lip of the roof,
dripping the cold dirge of winter onto the ground.
Walking, waking in the frozen air,
the crash of sun is almost a sound.

Blue winter crosses the sky
like heavens last round
before death overcomes
and darkness astounds.

I wake to wake and wake again
into the cold despair of winter dawn,
wasting hours and minutes in moments
that are isolated and a quiet that drowns.

Yet still awakes the hope
of warmth and light and Spring,
the breeze of relief,
like a lost traveler,
finally homeward bound.

If you like my poetry, check out my poetry blog at www.spiritsoflenapoetry.blogspot.com.

Friday Shoot-Out: Look Up Look Down

2010-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

I love this week's topic. I love taking pictures of the sky and also the ground. I love the colors of the sky. As many of the great photographers of FSO have shown, the sky turns so many different kinds of colors, from violet to red to the deepest blues. I am also always trying to get great shots of the moon--although I do not think my current camera is up to the task. I also like taking pictures of the ground because of all the textures and designs that nature provides. Also, looking up and down is not something we do often so by photographing them, we are bringing attention to an unattended beauty, which, to me, is one of the goals of photography. I could have totally "archived" this post as I tend to take a lot of sky and ground shots. However, all of these shots were taken today.

The greenery are bushes near my house and they had some morning frost on them. The sky shot was taken from my car. I just liked the particular shade of blue of the sky at that moment. Then, below that, is my attempt at a moon shot. Then, the last shot is water melting from a big pile of snow nearby. It is a pile of snow left from a December storm. I predicted that the pile of snow would still be there in February. If it is still there in a few days, my prediction will have come true! I took this picture because I liked the pattern that the water made.

Hope you enjoy!!

Friday Shoot Out--Sounds in your Town

2010-01-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

This particular shoot-out comes from a great blogger, Nanu at http://sciencegirltraveler.blogspot.com/. I found this one challenging and ended up dipping into my archive. After I read what she wrote about the blindfold idea, I wished I had done that! Read it too late. But I definitely will try that some day!

From my archive, I chose some of my favorite sounds and pictures that represent them. Of course, I love the sound of the cat meowing. I guess that is where the phrase "the cat's meow" originated. The gray and white one, Magnum, likes to go into the living room in the middle of the night and meow as loud as he can. Winston sometimes mouthes a meow as if he does not have enough energy to get out the sound. And, what is better than a purring cat!

This favorite sound is probably shared by many people. The sound of water is varied and amazingly beautiful. I love the sounds of a fountain, the soft sweet song as the droplets hit the surface. Then, the sound of waves crashing is a wonderful dichotomy in its combination of powerful and gentle rhythms. As soon as I hear the ocean, I immediately feel more relaxed.

This picture was taken on my patio. There are a lot of sounds that I love represented here. First, the sound of the birds in the morning. Of course, dry leaves rustling. Then, the sound of wind chimes. Wow, after writing this post, it made me realize there are some really beautiful sounds in the world! Thanks, Nanu, for opening my eyes to wonderful sounds!

Photo and a Poem: Haiku

2010-01-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

Following the road
in winter's white-blue tunnel,
Quiet Peace Awakes.

If you like my poetry, check out my new poetry blog at spiritsoflenapoetry

Friday Shoot-Out Birds

2010-01-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

This weeks assignment comes from Scriptor Senex at http://scriptorsenex.blogspot.com/. I think it is a great idea! Everyone has birds in their town (hopefully) and birds are fun to photograph. When looking through my archives, I was surprised at how many shots of birds I have actually taken. I think one reason why birds are so fun to photograph is they have so many visual variations which are interesting. They come in so many different shapes and sizes providing a variety of silhouettes. Also, they come in varied colors and designs.

Another thing that is great about photographing birds is that they bring up so many associations. For instance, I included pictures of some seaguls from Wildwood. Seaguls bring up associations of the ocean, beach, and summer.

Birds also represent freedom and lightness. I am lucky that I get to see a lot of birds out of my patio door. There are a lot of blue jays, robins, and sometimes humming birds.

This picture I took in a strip mall parking lot. I could not believe how cute the chicks were! I was glad I had started the habit of taking my camera with me wherever I go.

Thanks for visiting! Hope you enjoyed!

Friday Shoot-Out Fences

2010-01-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

Fences. What a great shoot-out idea for MyTown! So I give props to Sandra Leigh at http://sandarastraveljournal.blogspot.com/ of Canada for suggesting this theme.

I am late with posting my shoot out because last night, when I normally would be posting, I was at The Academy of Music in Philadelphia to see the musical "Wicked". If you want to hear about my musical experience, you can check it out at wickedly-good-night-at-academy.

What I like about this topic is that fences can be found anywhere and come in such a wonderful variety! For this shoot-out, I really stayed true to the intent of FSO. All of these shots were taken in my town of Vineland, NJ.

I love the shape of this star which was hanging on a fence near where I live. I have tried to sketch it but am still trying to perfect the drawing.

We had a little bit of snow this morning and I caught this shot on the way to work.

I played with some of these photos with cropping and changing to Black and White. Looking for cool looking fences was a lot of fun.

I call this The Rusted Bee.

I just like the way the branches are hanging down over this fence.

Everytime I think of fences, I am reminded of Frost's line "Good Fences make good neighbors." Frost is one of my favorite poets because he can be interpreted on so many different levels. One level in this particular poem, "Mending Wall", is about how we build barriers between each other, both figurative and literal. However, with the FSO, fences are bringing us together! I hope you enjoy! :)

Photo and a Poem: Winter Watch

2010-01-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

White has taken over like a phantasm
of cold pain.

The snow slowly falls in silent waves
a quiet refrain.

Under a sky, scraped like fingers raked across skin,
leaving a red stain

The ground is cruelly hard, dark with death
and frozen rain.

The longing for green fills the field, my heart swelling
to remember.

The leaves bursting forth with life, with love, with sun,
early September.

Even then, the end was close against the edges, the wind ready
to dismember

the trees arms and limbs stretching their hands and fingers, soon to turn
to crimson brown embers.

Friday Shoot-Out: Under Construction

2009-12-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, I was at the Philadelphia airport and saw the perfect shot for this shoot-out--it was a baggage carousel down to its bare bones with plywood all around: under construction. Unfortunately, it was freezing and I was trying to keep up to get to the car quickly so I just had to run by instead of grabbing my camera out of my purse like I wanted.

Anyway, I stretched the topic a little.

I have a shot of breakfast under construction. Soon after, that egg became scrambled eggs. I also included what I call "the door to nowhere" because it looks like something unfinished. I love it because it is a symbol of possibility and openness. I included a spiderweb under construction. Spider webs are one of nature's miracles--it is always amazing how intricate and beautiful the design is, especially being created by such a small creature. I also included wind turbines because they are under construction more and more so that we can harness the great power of the wind.

And, finally, I am always under construction. I am a big believer in self-improvement and am always trying to evolve into a better self. Also, my relationship with John is also under construction, in that we are trying to build a life together; I am very fortunate that it is getting better and better everyday! By the way, this is the first time ever I have shared a picture of myself on my blog--I usually do not like how I look in photographs.

Anyway, I hope every one of you have a wonderful New Year and that your 2010 is full of love and light!

Friday Shoot-Out: Angels

2009-12-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

I am not a traditionalist when it comes to religion and spirituality. I respect all religions and spiritual viewpoints. As I said before, I do believe in angels. I believe they are spiritual beings who have evolved beyond the physical form. I also believe many of them watch over us with love and compassion. I love all forms of angels and love angels in art. So, obviously, I think this is a perfect assignment for a time of year that celebrates love and compassion (in the form of celebrating Jesus's birth).

For this shoot-out, I am going to the archives, so you may have seen some of these before. As for many of you, this has been a crazy busy time! In a few hours, I will be heading to the Philadelphia airport to pick up John's mother and daughter. I still have to bake Splenda cookies (for my dad who is diabetic) and finish cleaning the place up. It's fun busy, so I can't complain too much! Because, as we all know, there is bad busy, which is the worst. So I will take fun busy any day! Anyway, if you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a wonderful Merry Christmas. If you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you still have a wonderful day. I hope to be "seeing" you all in the new year.

Enjoy!

Friday Shoot-Out: My Town Dressed for Christmas

2009-12-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

This assignment was a very smart one for this time of year, so props to the FSO team!! Christmas, to me and many others, is such a wonderful time to really connect with each other. People tend to be nicer and in a better mood, thus friendlier and more approachable (except in an over-crowded line at Target). People say hello more and smile more often at strangers.

Also, Christmas is a great time to connect with family. There is a part of me, though, that is also sad on some level for the reminder of all that has changed over the years, the people that are missing from the celebration, the traditions that have died. To deal with this aspect, I try to honor who and what has been lost by starting new traditions and integrating some of the best of the old.

One of these past traditions was to ride around to look at all the wonderful christmas lights and decorations that people have put out. I shared one shot of a house that I liked (I found it hard to get a good shot of christmas lights). Sorry for yet another picture of Winston--he is just so photogenic!! I included John, who is "dressing" the tree with the star and also John studying the tree possibilities.

I also included an angel. I believe angels are spiritual beings that have evolved beyond the physical form, only existing in beautiful, loving energy. I believe they watch over us with love and compassion.

I hope that all of you are being watched over and have a wonderful Holiday!!

Photo and Poem: The Hidden

2009-12-15T19:54:00.001-08:00

What there was to have
remained hidden.
The wind weaved in between
what was said and unsaid.
The sea sang its sanguine song
to drown out our dying voices.

What words could not be said
will not be said.
The gestures that could move
will remain still.

Still, in my memory,
the soft sand beneath my feet,
cooling my sols with soft, moist earth.
Your eyes fluid,
flowing away.

Friday Shoot-Out--Christmas Weather

2009-12-11T17:17:00.001-08:00

This was a cool assignment from Emma at http://wehrmans.blogspot.com/.

Snow and cold have become linked in the universal unconscious for Christmas. It is one of our most salient archetypes. I guess we all love the feeling of being in a warm house, sipping hot chocolate, and sitting by the fire as the lights twinkle on the tree while, outside, there is a blizzard raging on the other side of the door. When you think about it, this is a good metaphor for spirituality. The outside may be chaotic but inside is calm.

My pictures were taken right outside my patio door. The icicles were an amazing surprise. The way the light came through them was just amazing. If I had more photographic talent, I would have really captured the light better. For the bird shots, I just liked the contrast of a bird in the snow. These were actually taken last year, since we have not gotten a major snowing (major snowing? not sure it is an actual phrase, but I like it!) yet this year. Today was one of the first days that it was really cold--like walking into a meat locker when you go outside! I am a little jealous of those of you in the warmer climes.

Hope you enjoy!

Photo and a Poem: Requiet

2009-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

If I had the words
to make you move
all could go forward
and the dance prove

that we were meant
to love. The mountain
is just too far
and too hard to climb.

If I had the power
to make you sigh
to the sound of my breath abated,
yet still comes that heart sour,
the soul regurgitated.

Dark clouds move in
covering that cerullean blue
your mouth had painted my soul.
The storm in me is calm in you.

Friday Shoot-Out Favorite Things

2009-12-03T20:06:00.001-08:00

What a great assignment from Mark at http://bagmanslogorrhea.blogspot.com/. This song is one of my favorites and I certainly love whiskers on kittens, not sure about warm woolen mittens (could be itchy). I do like silver-white winters that melt into spring!

Anyway, for my favorite things, I included representations of brotherly love, friendship, and relaxation. Can you figure out which is which?

I also included a couple shots of the sky--I love looking at the sky!

Sorry this is a short post, but I am exhausted today. Trying to keep my immune system strong because there are a lot of illnesses going around. Hope anyone reading this is staying healthy--drinking orange juice and getting lots of rest!

Hope you enjoy!

Friday Shoot Out-Smiles and Faces

2009-11-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and did not overeat too much!! Today's assignment comes from Sarah at http://cottagegardenstudiophotos.blogspot.com/. I think it is a great assignment!

Due to the holiday and other factors beyond my control, I did not have time to really plan this one out, so I dipped into the archive. I decided to use faces that I love seeing everyday and faces that I am truly thankful for. A couple are of John. He is my most favorite person in the world. He is very patient with my picture taking, even when the flash goes off three times and he is nearly blinded!!

I also included the faces of my two cats. Magnum in the gray and white one. He gets a little anxious at times. The other one is Winston, the Himalayan. He is quite laid back as you can see. He is also quite cuddly and often keeps me warm at night.

Hope you enjoy!!

Photo and Poem--Haiku

2009-11-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

I have decided to blog some of my poetry. Poetry was my first art--writing my first poem in the first grade. Poetry is also my favorite form of expression. I just love it! If I could jump into a poem, and just live inside it for a while, I would! On this blog, since it is about my photo journey, I am going to write poems inspired by a photo that I have taken. It is going to be in the moment, off the top of my head, just for the fun of it! I am also starting a poetry blog which will include photos; however, on that blog, the poem will come first and then I will find a photo that I think goes with the poem. Anyway, I will post when that blog launches. Today, I am writing a Haiku. Hope you enjoy!

By the lake in Fall

Trees reach their fire to the sky

death enters the world.

Friday Shoot-Out--Main Attractions

2009-11-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

"Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers."

— St. Pio of Pietrelcina

The main attractions of Vineland are trees, lakes, and a shrine to Padre Pio. Actually, the shrine is technically in Landisville which is right next door. I included a shot of trees and a lake near where I live. I also included a shot of a building that reflects many of the buildings in my area.

I wanted, though, to focus on the Padre Pio shrine of which I included some photos. If you are interested in learning more about Padre Pio, there is a nice website about him at http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/index.asp
which is where I got the above quote. Aside from the interesting story about Padre Pio, there is another more local story of this shrine. My boyfriend John has an Uncle who lives in Delaware. A few years ago, his wife died. They had been married several years and had several children. He has at least thirty grandchildren now. Everytime he is in this area, he stops at the Padre Pio shrine and prays for her. He still cries for her.

I am not Catholic. However, in visiting this place, there is a feeling of peace and love. I like it because it is outside which somehow appeals to me as opposed to inside a church.

Hope you enjoy!

Photo and a Poem

2009-11-18T08:00:00.001-08:00

The Moment I Woke Walking by the Church

lights hanging in darkness--

tonight, I carry it,
the weight unreal
like wading through water
too thick.

I am open this night,
with mists creeping their way
along my heart's door.

Far from home--always,
seeking those scents
sorting the memories
like pebbles rubbed smooth.

On unknown streets,
shadows peeling away from my face,
I shall pretend to know the secrets
they are whispering.

FSO Favorites

2009-11-15T14:11:00.001-08:00

This great assignment came from Rebecca http://thedustycellar.blogspot.com/

My first favorite is from Heather. I just thought her daisies by the sea made a wonderful photo. What better place to worship than by the sea! http://simplyheathersblog.blogspot.com/
The photo itself is just really beautiful.

My other favorite was from Scriptor Senex at:
http://scriptorsenex.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-my-town-shoot-out-places-of.html
All the photos are great, but it was especially great to see shots of Stonehenge.

Thanks to everyone for some wonderful shots!
On Wednesday, I will be posting a poem to go with one of my FSO shots. Come check it out and let me know what you think!

Friday Shoot Out: Places of Worship

2009-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

I had planned to go out today and get shots of this wonderful outside place of worship here in Vineland. It is named after Padre Pio, who has a very interesting story. However, by the time work was over, it was dark and it was raining. Not ideal for picture taking. I am going to try to get there in the next couple of days to take some pictures to share here.

So, since the weather and daylight savings were against me today, I dipped into the archives. The black and white shot is from my Boston trip. My friend Betty and I were on our way to the bar that the show "Cheers" was based on. I have always wanted to go, since I was a big fan of that show. (I was a tv junkie in the eighties). We walked from the hotel to the bar and this church was on the way, presenting a great photo op!

The other two shots are the same church from two different angles. It is a famous church in Washington DC. The architecture is so beautiful. The photos were taken during a trolly tour of DC over the summer.

Worship on, everyone!!

A Great Book for Photographers

2009-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Being a newby to the craft of photography, I have started on a journey to self-educate in this art. I know it will take me a long time since there is so much to learn. Also, like most arts, there is no end point to learning; there is always room to grow and evolve. So, for my birthday, I asked for books on the topic.

One of the books that I was given was The Photo Book by Phaidon Press Limited. It is one of the coolest books I have ever gotten! The book consists of all of these amazing photos, some of them famous. Each photo has a caption, talking about the photographer, the context of the photo, or the theme of the photo.

What's great about this book is you can go to any page and find something amazing. I can spend hours just looking at it and studying it. I highly recommend it!

Friday Shoot Out Favorites

2009-11-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

My first favorite from the FSO skyline is Heather's from Vermont at . I really liked the water shot because of the detail of the water. The photo really gives a sense of the water's flow, and you can almost here the sound of the water kissing the sand. http://simplyheathersblog.blogspot.com/

My second favorite is from Pauline at http://paulinespaddock.blogspot.com/. I like her cow shot. First, I always find cows interesting--not sure why! Also, one of the cows looks like it is looking at her, which is kind of funny. I wonder what the cow is thinking.

Anyway, another great FSO!

Friday Shoot-Out: Skyline

2009-11-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

This shoot-out topic is skylines, picked by Kate in Kansas at http://kate-growthspurt.blogspot.com/
I was a little worried because Vineland is sort of a farming town and what would the "skyline" really look like. I guess I was comparing it to the famous skylines like New York City. Then I read her description of what she meant and it dawned on me (pun intended!) that many different things could fall under the topic of "skyline". Most of these shots are taken in Vineland. I included shots of trees because they are the skyline of many New Jersey towns and is actually one of my favorite things about NJ.

In the past year, I have actually gone to several different cities, so I included some skylines from my trips. I took a trip to Washington DC with M, John, and John's former mother-in-law (we are friends--it's a long story!) I also went to Boston last February for a professional conference. Then there were the three trips to Colorado (another long story!).

Finally, many of you may not realize that South Jersians associate themselves quite closely with Philadelphia. Most of us in South Jersey were heart-broken by the Phillies losing the World Series. This is in contrast to North Jersians who typically associate with New York and are probably celebrating the Yankees win. Therefore, I included a shot of the Philadelphia skyline taken during a visit to the Camden Aquarium. Although, I must admit, if I had a shot of the New York skyline, I would definitely include it. I went to grad school in NYC, commuting there twice a week. Quite often, I got a full view of the NY skyline at twilight and it was truly breath taking.

I loved this assignment because I love looking at the sky. As Jimi Hendrix once sang, "Excuse me while I kiss the sky."

Friday Shoot-Out Parks Landscapes

2009-10-29T16:01:00.001-07:00

This assignment was a perfect one for this time of year. This week's assignment was given by JarieLyn at http://jarielyn.blogspot.com/. I really enjoy her blog and highly recommend it!

On Saturday, my sister's neighborhood had a community yard sale. I drove up there to participate and try to get some stuff out of the apartment! John is always excited when I purge. I have tended to over-accumulate in the past and am trying to change my pack-rat ways! During the yard sale, there was a bit of a drizzle. Rain never mixes well with yard sales so traffic was fairly slow, so I decided to take the downtime as a photo-op.

I used to live with my sister in this neighborhood and the landscaping at the entrance of the neighborhood is quite nice. The neighborhood is in the town of Mt. Laurel which is actually where I grew up. There are two man-made lakes on either side with lots of trees and some benches.

Actually, I should give a shout out to my town of Vineland because today is the one year anniversary of the day it became my town! To celebrate, I have included one of my favorite features of Vineland, which is the fields of sunflowers. The sunflower has always been my favorite flower so it was a wonderful gift to discover my new town had fields of them every autumn!

My FSO Favorites

2009-10-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

One of the other famous quotes this shoot out assignment reminds me of is by T.S. Eliot, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." One of the pictures that is most evocative of this idea is the silhoette shot of a little girl on the beach from Nancy at http://sciencegirltraveler.blogspot.com/2009/10/friday-photo-shoot-out-childhood.html

We all can remember a time when we were children when there was a certain peace with the universe, a deep understanding of joy, maybe because we did not have the need to control or the inhibitions that grow on us as we grow. This picture reminded me of that fact when I think about being a child on the beach.

The other shot that evoked this idea for me was actually the assignment originator, Ellisa at http://ellisaathousandwords.blogspot.com/
In one of her shots, her little boy is standing in the surf, with his arms stretched open to the waves. It is a great visual metaphor for how we should approach life, open, willing, and welcoming.

Friday Shoot Out: Classics of Childhood

2009-10-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Picasso said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." This assignment reminded me of this quote. So thanks to Ellisa at http://ellisaathousandwords.blogspot.com/ for this assignment.

I had to include a couple of pictures from a playground near where I live. I have many happy memories of swinging on a swing or going down a slide. If adults played more, we would all have a lot less stress!

I also had to include a picture from the beach. This summer, being there with M, John's daughter, I watched her play in the sand and then started playing in the sand myself. The feeling of the sand through my fingers, the sensation of wet, cool sand on a hot day, and the act of mounding up sand and digging holes just because there is so much sand!!!!

Another memory I have from childhood is how I loved collecting pine cones. I do not remember why I liked it or what I did with the pine cones. Just thought they were cool and liked collecting them.

John and M share a birthday so I have a picture of their gifts. What's greater in childhood than birthday gifts!!

Finally, I included a picture taken at the Smithsonian of Dorothy's shoes. Who doesn't have memories of watching Wizard of OZ? It is in our collective unconscious and is definitely an American archetype.

Hope you all enjoy and have a child-like day!!

My Favorites of the FSO

2009-10-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

I love the my town FSO. It is a wonderful experience and it has been a joy to look at everyone's pictures. Usually, I discuss two of my favorites for the week. However, I must say that every post that I went to had such wonderful photos this week that I could not pick any favorites! Whether people captured all the ranges of colors that the sun creates in its ascent and nascent, or they captured the haunting colorlessness of the slow diminishment of light on a cloudy day, the photos came out brilliantly. It must be the nature of the subject, so kudos to Sherry for picking such a great assignment for the fso. Her FSO can be seen at http://sherripatterson.blogspot.com/2009/10/friday-my-town-shoot-out.html

One of the great things that go along with the fso are the posts. Some people really write funny or profound posts to go along with their photos. I did have a favorite post this week that went along with the fso. It was from Barry and his fso can be found at http://anexplorers.blogspot.com/2009/10/friday-my-town-shootout-sunrisesunset.html
His post is well-written and poetic--definitely worth a read!

Friday Shoot Out Sunrise Sunset

2009-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, this assignment was a good one since the lighting is so unique at these times of day. I realized that I am rarely outside of my house at sunrise or sunset. So, some of these pictures were taken at dusk. I love getting moon shots. Also, I had to include a shore shot since there is no place better at sunrise or sunset than at the beach. I hope you enjoy!

My FSO Favorites and my New Blog Direction

2009-10-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

This Friday's shoot-out assignment really generated some great shots. I loved looking at everyone's shots. It seems like almost everyone had really great tree silhoettes!! Also, it seems like silhoette shots often end up from accidents in photography--I guess they can be seen as divine accidents in the world of art.

My first favorite comes from the assigner for this week Carrie at http://westportwa.blogspot.com/
I love the shot of the kids all lined up together. That one represents to me what is great about silhoette shots, which is capturing an overall mood or idea without the distraction of details--the concept in art of balancing "universal versus personal".

My other favorite comes from Jen who is one of my favorite photographers in the FSO. She's the one that picks the shots of the week. I recommend all of her shots and posts. However, I really liked the one of the bride and groom with the wine (I think it is wine). I really like the color of the liquid in contrast with the bride and groom silhoettes. As an aside, I also love the picture of Jen herself against that beautiful stained glass.
http://skidato.blogspot.com/

For my blog, I have been contemplating how to layout my different blogs and have been so inspired by the FSO, that I have decided to make this blog my photography blog. I am going to do reviews and discussions of the creative process on another blog spiritsoflena.com

It took a lot for me to finally have the courage to jump into the visual arts. Since my strength has always been in the area of writing, I focused most of my energy there. However, I was always drawn to the visual arts. Finally, I decided to not let fear hold me back from my passion.

At first, I thought that I would try it and exhaust this passion. What I have found, though, is greater passion for it and a deep enjoyment. So, I am going to really delve into photography and practice all the past assignments and really try to self-educate through this process. I am going to blog about my progress because comments are really helpful in the growth process.

To see some really great photographs from all over the world, check out http://www.mytownshootout.blogspot.com/
On the left side of this site are the names and places of those who take amazing photos of their towns.

Friday Shoot-Out Silhoettes

2009-10-08T15:48:00.001-07:00

Wow, this assignment was a real challenge. I had to go into my archives on this one, except for the moon shot. As I was thinking about the assignment this week, I realized what a challenge it was to get good silhoette shots. It made me ponder the role of light in a photograph and also the shape of objects. After I thought about these things for awhile, I eventually came to the realization that I had no clue how to plan out a silhoette shot and I still have no clue. The moon shot I took just because I am always trying to get a good shot of the moon; I just love the moon on a number of levels. It happened to turn out that the trees came out like a silhoette.

The father and daughter shot was also luck in terms of getting a silhoette. I just liked the idea of a father and daughter making pancakes together and the sun streaming through the window caused the silhoette affect.

I am not sure if the statue counts as a silhoette shot but the shape of the statue makes me think of a beautiful silhoette. I also love the way the shadow is cast. I think the museum lights the sculptures this way on purpose so that the shadow becomes a form of art.

I have to thank Carrie at http://westportwa.blogspot.com/ for this assignment. It really had me thinking a lot about light in photographs and the shapes of objects in a new way. I felt like I learned a lot just from contemplating these things.

Hope you enjoy!

My Favorites of FSO--Study of a Building

2009-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

First, I must say that this assignment was a fantastic learning experience. Also, seeing everyone's work was a great learning experience. I will probably do building studies many more times as practice to improve my technique. I am such a newbie to the art of photography that I love any chance to improve. Therefore, I must thank the more experienced members of the FSO for taking the time to give tips and comments. It is a reminder of how generous people can be and how many people are driven to have a positive affect on others.

My first favorite photo comes from Germany. The door is just wonderful. http://thepinkbirdhouse.blogspot.com/

My second is a perspective shot by Sarah Lulu. I just love it! It is the one of the walkway to the water. http://serendipitylulu.blogspot.com/2009/09/friday-photo-shoot-out-building.html

Both of these places are outside of the US and I am extremely thrilled to get to see these places on a personal level!

Friday Shoot Out Study of a Building

2009-10-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

What a great assignment! When I read this was this week's assignment, I knew right away what building I wanted to do. I drive by this place almost everyday. I find it fascinating; I am just drawn to it. In fact, I feel like I could have spent hours taking pictures of it.

I guess it used to be someone's house and is now abandoned. In truth, I have no idea about its real history. I find as I get more and more into photography that as ee cummings might say, "the eyes of my eyes are opening".

Many of the subjects for photos that I like are old buildings, things with age, history, and character. There is just something inherently interesting about an object that has survived through many events and show their wear in their own unique way.

Hope you enjoy!

Pathological Loyalty: Review of The Good Wife

2009-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Brilliant in its simplicity." This phrase describes the novel, The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan, perfectly. The novel has nothing to do with the new show of the same name. The novel, in fact, is about a woman whose husband goes to jail.

What is so amazing about this book is the characterization. O'Nan perfectly captures the main character, Patty, in every way. She is so believable that you feel like you could run into this woman at the grocery store. Everything about her is so inexorably real.

Due to her genuine humanness, I found myself caring about her and also frustrated with her as I would have been with a close friend. Part of what makes her so genuinely human is what she chooses to ignore, deny, and not ask, as we all do at one time or another. Her blind spots have the reader screaming at her, "Wake up!!"

She is exactly what the title describes, to a pathological degree. The title is simple, reflecting the simplicity of the novel. The novel has the simplicity of language that could be equated to Hemingway's style. However, just like Hemingway, the power of the novel lies not in literary heavy-handedness, but in deep philosophical truths of what it means to be a human being. The novel basically presents Patty, her life, for the reader to make of it what they will.

On my bookmark scale of a 1 (burn after reading) to 10 (worth reading 10 more times), I give this novel a 9.

My favorites of FSO

2009-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

My first favorite is from shabbygirl in Arizona. All of her sky shots are just amazing. I also liked her next post of the hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are so fast! Anyone who manages to get a photo of one is impressive! Anyway, back to the sky. From a young age, I have always loved looking up at the sky. During the day, there is the beautiful clouds in all different shapes and formations. During the night, there is the moon and stars. Of course, the in-between of sunset and sunrise create such amazing and unique colors. shabbygirl does a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of sky.

http://afishsbeachwishes.blogspot.com/

My next favorite is the road shot at http://skidato.blogspot.com/2009/09/friday-photo-shoot-out-my-favorite.html

The colors and content of this photo are perfect for the beginning of fall. It is beautiful, but also, to me has an archetypal quality representing the pathway into the new season.

If you are interested in my own favorite photos, you can check that out at http://spiritsoflena.com

Friday Shoot Out My Favorite Place to....

2009-09-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

This topic was a bit of a challenge. Being new to Vineland, having lived here less than a year, there are really no places yet that have become my favorite; I am still exploring. So, for this topic, I stretched the boundaries a bit.

This picture is of my favorite place to stare as I am working on the computer, including this blog. It is the view outside my back door. This picture was actually taken late fall last year. The leaves are actually just starting to turn now.

This is my favorite route to work. I took this picture to try to get the red car at the light ahead of me--it was a vintage car in really good condition. I am not a car person by any means, but this car looked pretty cool.

Magnum loves to chill under the table. I think it makes him feel safe. In this picture, he just had a little milk.

Here is one of Winston's favorite places to nap. What cat doesn't love a good ray of sun for a catnap! What is better than a cat napping in a ray of sun?!

I had to include a picture of the ocean. It is one of my favorite places to go and I know many agree with me on that one. This particular piece of the ocean is in Wildwood, where I vacationed this summer.

I, of course, had to include a picture of John. My favorite place is with him. Cheesy, but true! I made him put on this hat in the store because he takes on the persona of hats very well.

Hope you enjoy!!

My Weekly Favorites of the Friday Shoot-Out

2009-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I have picked two of my favorite photos from Friday's shoot-out of domestic animals. I loved this theme because there were so many stories of animals being rescued. Also, the love everyone had for their pets really came through and was great to see.

First, let me say that the friday shoot-outs are fun and wonderful! It is really a great way to see places all around the world on a weekly basis. I have really enjoyed the experience and am thrilled to be a part of it.

Second, in general, the best photographs in terms of quality of photography, in my opinion, most often come from Jen in Michigan who really has an artistic vision in her photography and Patty from Crisfield, Maryland whose professional polish in her photography is amazing.

For this week's shoot-out, though, my first favorite shot is from Doreen in Grand Rapids Michigan http://luckebabe-reflections.blogspot.com/
Her last shot of her cat taking a bath is wonderful. The detail of the fur being combed out by the tongue is really fantastic and the beatific expression of the cat makes this shot priceless.

My second favorite shot is from Nanu in France http://sciencegirltraveler.blogspot.com/

The picture of the cows by the sea. I love the contrast of colors in this shot and the juxtaposition of cows and the ocean.

For access to all the great participants of the shoot out, visit http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com

There are so many wonderful participants! I really love seeing everyone's photos!

Friday Shoot Out Domestic Animals

2009-09-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

It was either a huge mistake to give me this topic or the greatest thing ever!! I love sharing pictures of my boys, Magnum and Winston. I also love taking pictures of animals. The Himalayan is Winston and he is highly loveable and likes to cuddle. The white and gray cat is my cat Magnum and he is more nervous. Though, since Winston came to live with us, Magnum has been much more comfortable.

The orange cat is one of my parents' six-toed cats, Hemingway, and the siamese is their cat Carrington. They both like to meow a lot!!

I have also included some geese in a field on a road I travel on the way home from work. And, of course, I had to include my favorite domestic animal, John!

Since I intend for this blog to be about reviewing others creative and artistic expressions as well as sharing my own, I have decided to do a post on my favorite shots for each Friday Shoot-Out. So, each week, I will put in a link to a couple of my favorite photos and talk about what I loved about them. I am also going to post the links on twitter. Many of you take really great shots!! I always look forward to checking them out.

Creativity: The Power of Cross-Pollination

2009-09-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

The creative process imitates natural processes. For instance, ideas can germinate. A creative project can grow and bloom into something quite beautiful and unique, like a rose or a tulip.

As many of us "creative types" know, the muse can visit any moment, like a humming bird vibrating at the edge of our minds until the nectar pours out in the form of a poem, a photograph, a painting, or whatever you're creating!

One important aspect when trying to attract the muse is to open up to all forms of creativity, what I call the process of cross-pollination. Exposing oneself to other forms of creativity can reinvigorate your particular art. Even tyring another creative genre can revitalize your "home genre". "Home genre" meaning the genre you consider your niche in the creative universe.

Rather than tell you where I think you should explore for cross-pollination, I will just share with you places where I have found inspiration.
I invite you to share yours as well!!

Television shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" (which is great for its choreography as well as its dancing); "Top Chef" (good food is of course an art); "Project Runway" (make it work can apply to many creative projects!); and "Design Star"

Drawing, painting, and photography as a hobby, then posting them to get feedback. I am in the process of putting some of my creations on spiritsoflenagallery.blogspot.com (creative writing is my home genre)

Studying the masters of creativity throughout history from Shakespeare to Van Gogh--whoever I come across and whoever I feel like researching at the time.

Visiting websites of those I admire which include some fellow bloggers. Some of the websites that I have really liked are:

http://skidato.blogspot.com/ (photography)

http://www.quietlikehorses.com/ (I just like the way it's written)

http://petrusboots.com/ (unique artwork)

http://mandalazone.com/ (unique hand drawn mandalas)

http://mandalaproject.com/ (several artists mandalas)

http://zenhabits.com/ (discusses creativity and many other aspects of living)

I will share more with you over several posts where I review different ones that I like.

Friday Shoot Out Aged and Weathered

2009-09-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

I liked this week's topic. As I have said before, some places hold their ghosts. The red structure pictured seems to be like one of those places. So does the white building. Sometimes, we can be seduced by the new, the novel, the clean, untouched. However, there is something appealing about something that has been "weathered". People even have a technique to make new things look "antiqued".

I have always liked items that have a history. When I find something at a thrift store or garage sale, I feel like the item has its own history, its own karma. I find that fact to be fascinating and it makes the item more valuable to me. I think many people with an artistic viewpoint also feel this way. Part of art is capturing the energy of an item, not just the physical aspects.

I have also included an aged and weathered piece of wood which I came across walking near my house. I just liked the texture and color of it plus it is very weathered. The rusted butterfly I just liked so I included it. Hope you enjoy!

Friday Shoot-Out Windows and Doors

2009-09-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

What a great topic this week! Windows and doors are not only perfect for their architectural beauty but also work as wonderful metaphors. I can't wait to see what everyone did for this week.

I have included a round window which I took in a museum at the Smithsonian. I know it does not fit "hometown" but I just really liked it and wanted to share it. I also included a door from Wildwood and I do count Wildwood as like a second home. There was just something about this door that I liked.

I have also included a shot from a nearby door because I liked the symmetry and colors of the flowers.

Last week, I shared "doorway to nowhere" and this shot got a lot of feedback so I decided to bring it back since it fit the topic so well. I decided to stop and get a closer shot. What I realized is that there is also a "window to nowhere". I am wondering if it is a sculpture piece because this same place also has an interesting mail box which I will share one of these times!

I hope you enjoy!

Friday Shoot Out Incongruous

2009-08-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

This week's subject is fascinating and had me looking at my town in a new way. One thing that I found was what I call, "doorway to nowhere". I do not really know what it is or its purpose, maybe as sculpture. This "doorway" is down the street from where I live.

I have also included a couple shots from my "archive". Since it fit so well and because I love it so much, I have again included the tub planter, which is in someone's yard near my house. Currently, the tub is overflowing with colorful flowers and I am in the process of getting an updated shot of it.

Another "archive" shot is from the Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado. I love this shot because of the butterfly against the cactus--something so delicate and beautiful against something sharp and rough. Colorado was my home state for about six months and in the last year, I have gone there three times, so I guess I can almost call it a second home!

I have also included a picture of Winston with the remote--come on, cat with television remote, that can count as incongruous. Plus, he is just so cute, I'll share shots of him any chance I get!!

As always, I hope you enjoy!!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold--Review

2009-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

I recently finished Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. I found this book to be one of the "hard to put down" types and read it in three days (fast for me as a slow reader). What I loved about this book was the genuineness of the characters.

The book is a heartbreaker from the first page. The reader of this novel experiences the grieving process along with the characters and are spared nothing. It reminded me of Judith Guest's Ordinary People where different approaches to grief are shown through the relatives of the one that died. Also, a large part of both novels focuses on the experiences of a sibling loss: a brother in Ordinary People and a sister in The Lovely Bones.

Where the two novels vary, though, is the extra perspective presented in The Lovely Bones. Sebold crosses the line into heaven with the deceased character, taking the audience along with her. We get the memories and experiences of "heaven" from the perspective of the murdered character, which makes this novel unique and provocative. Sebold takes us on a journey of self-grief and a fascinating view of what heaven may be.

On a bookmark scale from one (burn after reading) to ten (I'd read this book ten more times), I give this novel a 9.5.

Friday Shoot Out Signs

2009-08-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

With this new assignment, I have paid more attention to the signs in my town than ever before. What did I realize? That most signs are mundane and boring. Come on, people, get some interesting, eye catching signs!

South Jersey is famous for produce stands. Since Vineland has a lot of farmland, we also have a lot of produce stands so I included a photo with multiple signs advertising a produce stand. Also, a nearby park had this duck crossing sign which I just think is cute.

The "No trespassing" sign is near where I live and it just has a style that reminds me of camping. Then, the catering sign I liked because of all the weeds blowing in the wind.

I hope you enjoy!

Friday Shoot Out Relaxation

2009-08-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here are my shots for Relaxation. I love my cats and they help me relax. The white and grey one is Magnum who is nibbling on some plant leaves (to be regurgitated later). He is somewhat resistant to being pet, only letting me touch him about once a month. The Himalayan is Winston and he loves lots and lots of attention! He also likes to chew plant leaves.

I also included a shot of my balcony where I get to see lots of birds and enjoy the trees. I also included a couple chair shots. One of the chairs is carved from a tree at a local postoffice--and chairs of course are symbols of relaxation. Also, the picture of the lake is from a nearby park where John, M, and I have gone to feed the geese and ducks as well as have a mini-soccer game or throw the frisbee. It is a really great place to chillax.

Then, of course, I had to include a picture of the beach where I was last week. It is one of the most relaxing places and one of the advantages of living near the Jersey shore. So enjoy and relax!

Pits and All: Book Review of Mary Karr’s memoir Cherry

2009-08-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Mary Karr is not a celebrity. Nor is she a political figure. So what is so appealing about her memoirs? I recently read Cherry because I loved her first memoir The Liar’s Club which was an assignment in one of my Rutger’s graduate English courses.

Karr’s memoirs are not for the faint of heart, those prone to being offended by life. Karr is ruthless in her willingness to be genuine. Her life is extraordinary in its ordinariness. She brings us into her inner world as an adolescent and holds nothing back from her audience. Not self-aggrandizing, nor self-deprecating, she is just plainly honest about her experiences, putting it in the language of her own mind, her own slang, which makes the audience feel like they know her on an intimate level.

That intimacy and rawness is what is so memorable about her memoirs. I was drawn in to her drama and could not get enough. If you are looking for sunshine and roses, quick platitudes, and everything tied up in a neat little package, do not read Mary Karr. But, if you want the poetry of reality and are ready to share in another person’s dark inner world during adolescence, I highly recommend this book.

friday shoot out power

2009-08-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

I live about an hour from the Jersey Shore. Wildwood is one town that has a great deal of history for me and is one of the best of Jersey shore towns. Since I am there this week, I took my friday shoot out shots there.

Nothing embodies power better than the sea. First, it is power incarnate, in its ebb and flow, its breaking down of earth, its sheer force. If we were capable of harnessing even a fraction of its power, all energy crises would be solved.

On another level, humans feel spiritually empowered by the ocean. We are drawn to it, it's vastness and endless blues. A fellow blogger talked about how churches helped her think clearer--something about being in a spiritual environment did this for her. The sea works in this same way. The power to heal....

Hope you find these pictures healing and empowering!

Friday Shoot-Out difficulties

2009-08-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

For some reason, my pictures will not upload to blogger tonight so I will try to post my shoot-out photos tomorrow.

Friday Shoot Out--Food

2009-07-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

For this shoot-out, street food in South Jersey, is, in one way, best represented by produce stands! Where I live in Vineland, there are many of these as well as farmed land. It is one of the things I love about it! Especially the fields of sunflowers which are in their infant stages right now. One of the pictures is of the farmland, just a piece of the vast expanses found in Vineland.

I also shared the Vineland produce auction, one of the biggest of the area. This picture is of one building among several. Then, Five Points Farmers Market. It is called five points, I believe, because five roads used to converge there; however, one of the roads is now blocked off.

The picture of Pat's was taken for multiple reasons. I pass by it everyday and my eyes and thoughts are always drawn there. Some places hold their ghosts. In the sway of the shredded plastic and the ravaged wood of the sign, spirits echo its past existence, reminiscent of loss. Yet, around its decay, life goes on.

Enjoy!

One Great Blog--A Review

2009-07-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

As someone fairly new to the world of blog, I sometimes check out the "blogs of note" section and search around for something interesting. There is one that is really standing out and I felt the need to write about it.

The blog is quietlikehorses.com. At first, the poetic title caught my attention. I am a poet at heart since poetry was my first art; I wrote my first poem in the fourth grade and never stopped. The blog itself lived up to its title's promise. The author of this blog, Sobrina Tung, is a born writer. She masters content, rhythm, and humor.

It is the typical "all about my life" blog but is anything but typical. She has a boyfriend, Alan, who is in his twenties and battling cancer. Sobrina openly discusses this. She takes you in and you follow her, taking you into the depths of sadness and then bringing you to fits of laughter. When reading this blog, you feel like you are talking to your best friend, who is philosophical, real, and hilarious.

Friday Shoot Out Reflections

2009-07-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Reflections is such a great theme for photography. When I told M, my boyfriend's eleven year old daughter, she was inspired to paint the above picture. I heard a person recently make the statement that we do not always know who we are affecting with our actions. I'm sure that when the founders of the Friday Shoot-Outs began, they had no idea they would inspire creativity in an eleven year-old! Thanks to the founders of this great project for that (as well as the many other great things that have come about from the friday shoot outs)!

When reflecting on reflections, I think in terms of duality, which I am always attracted to. Duality in any art medium has great value. Capturing two objects that appear identical often highlights the details of each as the eye seeks the differences.

In addition to M's art work, I have also included a picture of two planters on my balcony (I am still waiting for them to bear fruit!), a neighbor's potted flowers, a nieghbors bee stakes, and a reflection shot of a nearby lake. Hope you enjoy reflecting on my photos (and my puns!)

Review of Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

2009-07-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

I just finished Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. I enjoyed this one better than her novel that was recently made into a movie, My Sister's Keeper. I liked My Sister's Keeper but thought the twist at the end was a little too "how can I make this ironic", which robbed it of some genuineness.

However, Plain Truth, while also having its "ironic twist", seemed more genuine and more resonance. Her presentation of the Amish community brought many of their values to the forefront while also showing them as real human beings. The main characters were interesting and provocative as was the plot.

Jodi Picoult does not quite hit the literary mark that I prefer and have gotten from other sources. However, I do generally like many of her descriptions, characters, and storylines. Particularly in this novel, I felt a connection to Ellie and Katie and I liked how human they were. These two characters were so different from each other demographically (age, culture), yet understood each other in a deep way and were spiritually similar.

The parallels and divergences in comparing them as characters really highlights what is universal about women and our feelings surrounding the ideas of "mother". On a bookmark scale from one (burn after reading) to ten (I'd read this book ten more times), I will give this novel a 7.5.

Friday Shoot-Out Yard

2009-07-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

I technically do not have my own yard, so I "borrowed" the yard of others in my town of Vineland. The majority of these pictures were taken on a "photo walk" with my boyfriend's daughter. She is eleven and has a fantastic eye for photography. She gave me permission to post two of her photos from the walk--she took the three red flowers and the squirrel.

This was the second photo walk that we have taken together and it is a great way to enjoy a nice day as well as explore and practice the art of photography. I know that I take a lot of pictures of flowers but they are so perfect for photography because of the variety of colors, textures, and shapes that they provide. Another wonderful thing about flowers and photography is the way the light hits the petals and the way shadow pools.

The red tub picture took a lot of attempts to get. I drive by the yard almost everyday but there are no shoulders on the road and there is almost always someone behind me as I am going by. I wanted to capture it, though, because I think that the people that use the red tub as a planter were very clever in their landscaping! I really love the whole vignette they created with the red tub as the centerpiece. Hope you enjoy!!

Seeing in Black and White (and Shades of Gray)

2009-07-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Two of my passions are psychology and literature which makes it no surprise that I am a "gray" person. To me, practically nothing is black and white; everything has a caveat or multiple caveats--nothing is simple. This characteristic is a strength and a weakness at times; even not being black and white is not black and white!!

When it comes to the visual arts, though, there is great value in black and white. I love black and white ink drawings and black and white photos. There is something in the colorlessness that is attracting and provocative, if done right. Some of the most beautiful photographs I have seen have been black and white. I am not sure why this is but it is definitely something I want to explore in terms of photography and drawing. As I do, I will share it in my gallery blog.

I am a little behind on putting my art in my blog gallery because I have not really created art lately. Life has been chaotic due to birthdays. Many people I care about have birthdays at the end of June and beginning of July. I ate enough birthday cake to cover me for ten years!

I put a black and white version of a previously posted flower that I took in my friend's backyard. Also, as I have mentioned before, I love mandalas. There is an artist who has done really wonderful black and white mandalas; that website for those interested is mandalazone.com. I came across this website through googling mandalas--which I recommend anyone to do because so many wonderful websites come up!!

Friday Shoot-Out Texture

2009-07-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am late!! Here are my pictures for this week's theme of texture. I loved this choice and really like the idea of trying to capture texture through photography. Texture is typically a tactile sense so the job of the photo is to let the viewer have the tactile experience through a visual element. That is the real challenge for the photographer. I know that I did not master this and will continue to work in this area.

I really love photography and love being part of the friday shoot out to see everyone's different styles. I do have my favorites, too, of the friday shooters. Some of you shooters do some incredible work!! One question I have is what is the ideal number of photos for these posts? Most of the time I do 3 to 5 but would do more if that is what would work better.

The photos I have included are, a "by the side of the road" shot that I thought had interesting textures, a "trees" shot because I think that trees have such varying and interesting textures, a shot from the National Zoo in Washington because seals skin are interesting in terms of texture, and a shot of water that had an interesting texture in its dips and currents. I can't wait to do more! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Happy Birthday to the Dalai Lama

2009-07-06T17:32:00.001-07:00

Today is the Dalai Lama's birthday which is fitting that it is so close to our independence day. Part of finding inner peace is finding independence from attachments to material things. Also, to remind ourselves of the importance of love and compassion and to be our true selves is definitely worth contemplation and celebration.

I tried to remind myself today to be an embodiment of compassion towards all sentient beings. Then, I saw the new Transformers movie and found myself being judgmental! The actress, Megan Fox, was dressing in a way that I thought was overkill and her lips were obviously surgically enhanced. My inner feminist was coming out and I became judgmental of her. Love and compassion sounds easy, but it takes time to spiritually evolve and deal with our human flaws. I will continue this journey and not beat myself up about it too much--got to have compassion for myself as well!! The picture above is a statue of bodisattva of compassion taken at the National Gallery in Washington DC.

I send out love and compassion to all sentient beings and pray for the greatest good for all sentient beings everywhere. Happy Birthday, Dalai Lama!!

Friday Shoot-Out Celebrating Life

2009-07-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

It is interesting that this was the choice for this week since yesterday marked the 35th year of my life! As a Cancer, I am a water sign and am drawn to the ocean, so I included some shots from Sea Isle and Wildwood. One of the shots was more suited to last week, the umbrellas with the rainbow colors, but I did not get the shot until last Saturday. I also included pictures to celebrate America since tomorrow is Independence Day. The moon and stars are because the moon is Cancer's planet. That is why I feel energized when there is a full moon! Happy 4th of July everyone--have a great weekend!!

Friday Shoot-Out Rainbow

2009-06-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

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 Shoot-Out Metal

2009-06-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

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.

The Cat's Meow

2009-06-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

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!!

Friday Shoot-Out; the fabulous M

2009-06-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

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.

Being Sick is No Fun

2009-06-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

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!

mandala mania

2009-06-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

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

Friday Shoot Out--Water

2009-05-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

There are so many ways to search for water. It is one of the basic elements. Also, I am a water-sign. I've included sky-water (clouds), a lake that we walked around for a 5K for the AWA and Wildwood--the beach. I also included droplets on leaves. Hope you enjoy!

Purpose Driven in Darkness

2009-05-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

The more I watch the news and work with children under five who have experienced more trauma than most adults, the more dedicated I become to a greater purpose. I know I am not the only one as I see through blogs that I follow as well as people that I've met, there are many of us who strive to do some good on this Earth. It is a blessing to be a force for love and compassion and a gift to be working towards this. The darker the room, the more a single flame can light it up.

There is no perfection when striving to be a force for good because we are all human. However, it is a choice to live for a better world. It starts with loving and being good to ourselves. Mother Theresa, an icon of compassion and love, described every step she took as blissful because she was full of love. Another quote of hers is, "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired." It begins with loving ourselves and then letting it radiate outwards. Therefore, instead of feeling despair when reminded of all the darkness in the world, remember it as a wake-up call to be part of the cure.

Even the smallest of kind acts to the smallest of creatures matters.

Friday Shoot Out: Painting the Town Red

2009-05-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me would describe me as someone who thinks in the abstract which makes my approach to this shoot out out of the norm for me. I took the assignment literally and found red things that I found interesting. The orange cat with the red flowers is one of my parents' six-toed cats. The butterfly was taken a few months ago at "The Butterfly Pavilion" in Colorado. "The Butterfly Pavilion" is a really nice museum, great for kids and adults, which includes a butterfly pavilion which has many beautiful species of butterflies. I saw many people with cameras practicing their craft.

I have always loved butterflies. They are like flying art, delicate and strong. Also, they are a powerful metaphor for transformation. (so much for not being abstract!)

Walking the Dogs

2009-05-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

I am posting this because I know some of you are real animal lovers like me. Yesterday, I did a 5K for the local AWA. There were many people walking dogs and all the dogs were so well-behaved! This is a picture of one of the dogs up for adoption who was so sweet and laid back. I walked with my sister. This summer, I am going to volunteer with M (my boyfriend John's daughter) at the local animal shelter. I hope everyone has a wonderful day (including all the animals)!

I just want to add that there are free ways to help animals. One way is to help is to go the this blog: http://midlifeandmenapause.blogspot.com/ and click on the daily puppy--the puppies are so adorable on this site. This blogger is trying to build a no-kill shelter in Georgia.

Also, if you go to this site and click on fund foods for animals, you will also be helping animals--for free!! http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Friday Shoot-Out Transportation

2009-05-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

This one was a challenge for me because, where I live, there is not a huge amount of public transportation. If we did have it, I would happily avail myself of it. Having a car is a responsibility and a huge headache at times. I have a car with less than 30,000 miles on it and yet I am having problem after problem. Right now, the battery and check engine light are on and the mechanic does not know why. Now, I have to take it to the dealer to get the "computer reset"--whatever that means! Plus car insurance is an expense. All things considered, a bus ride or subway ride sound quite nice!

I did include a NJ Transit Bus which I do see around now and then. And, I included bigger vehicles from a corner near me where they are building a CVS. And, of course, a shot of the open road!

The Art of Love and Kindness

2009-05-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Love and Kindness, as many of us know, are the core of a good life. As I often go on and on about, love and kindness to ourselves is key in being able to express it to others. What is also a core part of my belief regarding these two concepts is that expressing love and kindness can be seen as an art. There is no limit to the amount of love and kindness that can be shown and there is no limit to ways we can show it. It starts with ourselves and learning new and creative ways to be kind to ourselves. For me, it is allowing myself to do all the artistic things I enjoy without beating myself up about the quality of what I produce. I love to draw even though I am not particularly talented in this area.

Then, it can spread to people (and all living things) in our lives. One of my favorite things to do is give a gift that really fits the person I am giving it to. This is a real challenge sometimes which is how it becomes an art. For my friendly readers, I’d love to hear about some creative ways that you have been kind to yourself or others. Have a great day!

Friday Shoot Out Gardens--Sorry I'm Late!

2009-05-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the Garden State! I've also included my "balcony garden" that I am hoping produces some tomatoes and cucumbers. We shall see! I am an amateur when it comes to growing things--my thumb is lightly yellow, hopefully heading to green.

My friends, I have a request of you. Many of you who are doing the friday shoot outs have a lot of great knowledge about photography. I use a digital sony right now, a very basic, everyday camera. I have wanted a really "nice", professional grade camera for a long time but they are extremely expensive. I have begun putting a little aside every week for the camera. I want to make sure that when I do get the camera that I get the "right" one since it really is an investment. I would really love any views on the best camera when you want to get "serious" about photography. Thanks!!! You guys rock!

The Ripple Effect: Kindness Matters

2009-05-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Oprah today showed a celebrity, Will I Am, give four full scholarships to students who would not be able to go to college otherwise. This story reminded me of the importance of kindness and the theories of "the ripple effect" and "paying it forward". In Will I Am's case, he was from a single parent home and he said that his mother "raised him right." By her choice to be a good parent and work hard to make sure he was decent despite his friends ending up in jail, on drugs, and school drop-outs, she paved the way for his future actions, which has now turned into giving four young men having a better future who might also "pay it forward" and someday show an equal kindness. Sometimes, we do not know where our kindness towards others will lead, but I believe a kind act is never wasteful.

I think it is important for us to be more aware of kindness, what it means, and how to increase it. It has the power to change the world. Kindness starts with the self. The more kind we learn to be to ourselves, the more we are kind to others, even when we are not paying attention. Happiness breeds. It can be like a contagion just as misery can be. So, what kind thing will you do for yourself today? I'm going to hug Johnny (double kindness)!

Friday Shoot-Out Architecture

2009-05-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone. Here are some of my pictures for the shoot-out. I'm not that far from Atlantic City so I included some of the pictures of buildings I've taken there. Hope you enjoy!

Proud to be a Jersey Girl?

2009-04-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in South Jersey. I never really loved NJ, though, and always pictured myself living somewhere else. However, as I was driving down the road this week, I realized one major thing about NJ that I love. Trees. The trees are so incredibly beautiful! They are like works of art, the greens, creams, pinks, and purples all bursting out! It's breath taking. It almost hurts, they are so beautiful! It is also a reminder of what a great gift nature is and how much beauty there is in it. Here are a few pictures I took of the trees here in South Jersey.

Friday Shoot Out A Day Late

2009-04-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love this Friday shoot out idea and love taking pictures. I have been coming to realizations about what I really want to do in life and one of those things involves being a prolific artist. This simply means that I love all the arts and want to be involved in all the arts one way or another. The Friday Shoot Outs help me enjoy the art of photography through my own photos and looking at the amazing photos of others. So here are some random shots I took this week. Comments are welcome as I am extremely amateurish in this art.

The dog is my sisters pomeranian. I make Johnny try on hats in stores because his persona changes drastically based on the hat he has on. I find it amusing and he does not mind!!

Friday Shoot-Out Comfort Foods from Home

2009-04-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since I have not been eating out a lot lately, I chose, for this challenge, to take pictures of some of my favorite comfort foods which I had at Easter. Chocolate Chip Cookies and Johnny's famous scalloped potatoes. Both were delicious and comforting (and fattening). Since everyone I know eats meat, but me, I enjoy the non-meat foods quite a bit. I am technically a pescatarian, as M informed me one day, since I do eat seafood. In taking these pictures, I realize that food is actually an interesting subject for photographs.

Killing Complacency

2009-04-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Riding the New York subway several years ago, I noticed Barnes and Noble had these wonderful ads called "Poetry in Motion". What's greater for a poet than to read poetry on the subway in New York City! One poem has stuck with me all this time and I think of it in relation to complacency. The line that has repeated in my brain over and over, somewhat ironically, is "Beware of things in duplicate." Here is a link to the entire poem: http://www.geocities.com/FragileSummit/poetry/subway/beware.htm
It is truly one of my favorites.

This poem reminds me of how routine robs us of the awareness of time passing. Complacency makes us live the same day over and over until one day, you look in the mirror, surprised that you are twenty years older. Creativity is one of the best ways to combat complacency as is awareness. All forms of art break through complacency. The newness, though, brings fear and that is why people hold on to routines for so long. Complacency is safe and many times, people will hide behind aspects of their life to keep the routine. So, in the immortal words of Randy Jackson, "Keep it Fresh!"

Today's Five Beautiful Things

2009-04-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

1. Winter melting into Spring
2. The scent of shampoo
3. the glitter left over from the treasure hunt with M
4. The taste of coffee
5. The two squirrels that like to chase each other

Advice Is Like a Dog Biscuit

2009-04-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am often reading other people's blogs, watching talk shows, and many other forms of "studies on life." What has come to me about all this advice-giving is that it is so important to know when advice applies to you and when it is totally useless. Advice is like a dog biscuit, in that if you are a dog, a dog biscuit is perfect for you. However, if you are a cat, you can eat a dog biscuit, but it may not be what you need. Same thing with advice. If you are an overly serious person who takes life too seriously, than advice about "carpe diem" and "lighten up" apply to you. However, if you are a partier who does not take responsibilities seriously, this type of advice is not what you need. So, here is my advice about advice! Know yourself and pay attention to advice that you know is right for you. A Buddhist maxim states that giving advice is like throwing a lotus blossom into a river, hoping to change its flow. People will ultimately do what they want no matter the advice. The best advice I've ever heard are the following three things:

1. Pay attention
2. Pay attention
3. Pay attention

Beautifully Speaking

2009-04-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

On Oprah today, Oprah had experts talking about what makes a beautiful face. They talked about different celebrities and how they rated. Brad Pitt came out the highest. Personally, I never found him particularly attractive and I know I am in the minority in that opinion. However, that just shows how subjective the idea of beauty is, no matter how science tries to capture its essence. There are factors such as context, culture, and emotions. Part of spiritual evolution is learning all the different levels and facets to beauty as well as opening up to its power. To do this, I am going to start listing five things a day that I found beautiful, similar to a gratitude journal. Please join me and post yours! Here are mine for today:

1. Johnny (my man)
2. M (my man's daughter)
3. Magnum (my cat that will not let me pet him)
4. The sound my my wind chimes
5. white blossoms on the trees that smell wonderful!

Daily Exercise in Futility

2009-03-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was playing a card game on the computer called, "The Angry German." I have played this game at least a thousand times and have not won the game once. John oftens asks me why I keep playing knowing that I'll most likely not win. I came to realize that I played the game to play the game, not win or lose. I enjoyed the process involved. Then, it all came back to the idea that it is not always the destination that is the important part of a journey. Sometimes, the hardest won victories and the most crushing of defeats have given us the most valuable insights about life and about ourselves. I know that some of the struggles in my life when I wanted to just lay down and die, give up, have taught me how to be stronger, no, have made me stronger. This message comes to me at an important time when I have really been hating my job, wishing away the days, or as Sting would sing, "wishing my days away." Maybe I have been "walking on the moon." So, the next step for me is to enjoy the process. And, if that is not going to happen, I will try to reap the benefits of all the processes in life, even the ones that are equivalent to eating liver and onions or getting a root canal. Now, on to "The Angry German"!

True Confessions, Lena Style

2009-03-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I had a momentary breakdown last night and made John the unwitting target. Even though I know better than to let my frustrations turn into a rant at him, I sometimes cannot help myself. It has not helped that I was not feeling well and have been exhausted all week. It is just another reminder that how a person feels physically has an impact on their behaviors. I, of course, apologized and he accepted. Today, I am happy that it is the weekend and working on following my own advice of self-nurturing. I think I will try to be five decibels lighter in heart. I'll let you know how it goes!

The Value of Staying Silly

2009-03-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a Happy St. Patty's Day!! Working in a Kindergarten, I get to witness many adults acting somewhat "silly", dressing up for the holiday. I love it! Any excuse to remember our childlike side is wonderful. One of my main philosophies is that people let go of the wrong aspects of themselves as they grow older more "mature." The ability to be lighthearted is a huge strength. Whether it is just remembering your own sense of humor or letting down your guard to be silly, it can be such a huge stress relief and may open up the channels of creativity inside you. I will admit some "silly" things that I do: I like to dance around the apartment to music and I also make up songs that I sing to my cat, Magnum. What have you let go about yourself that you would like to get back? What are you waiting for? Here is a picture of Johnnie being silly!

Cumulative Kindness: the Power of Collaboration

2009-03-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Entering the "blog world" or blogosphere as I have heard it called has helped me realize something I have believed for several years. I have had the belief that the world is full of people who are trying to make a difference, who work to make the world better. I have also believed that if these people supported each other and worked together, they could have a huge impact. I have been very lucky in my life in terms of the number of people who have showed me kindness or taught me something and most of them did not even realize that they had that kind of impact. It was just a natural outgrowth of who they were and how they lived.
As I read other people's blogs, I see that there are so many people sharing positive ideas and energy. I am really excited to being a part of this community and I highly recommend to everyone to take advantage of this free resource! A couple blogs I have found that I really like are zenhabits.net (thanks Veronica!) and meditation-air.blogspot. Part of being on a path towards health and happiness adn knowing your resources. The internet makes it easy to tap into some really knowledgeable and helpful people. Thanks bloggers!

Watching your Weight, Loving Life, Minding the Mantra

2009-03-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling with my weight since puberty. Like many people, I have done the fad diets and the short periods of exercise. Now, I am in Weight Watchers, that follows the most basic rules of eat better and move more as a way to be healthy and at your ideal weight. I like them because they are about health and lifestyle rather than quick fixes and fads. I go to meetings almost every Thursday evening. The leader, Lorraine, looks like she could be on a cover of a fitness magazine, which just goes to show you do not know the obstacles others have faced to be where they are.
One of the things Lorraine does at her meetings is pass around a necklace each week that has "Love Yourself" spelled backwards so that every time you look in the mirror, you are reminded to follow that mantra. Well, after a year of avoiding the necklace, one of the members passed it to me. Why has this been a point of anxiety? It is hard to deal with loving oneself and really taking a responsible role in your own caretaking. It really is not something that has really been taught or modelled and many people confuse self-love with narcissism or selfishness. However, people who take care of themselves properly and truly love themselves are actually much better at their relationships and more nurturing. After all, they end up being happier and having more energy. So, I guess this week, I will have to take a dose of my own advice and really live this philosophy of self-nurturance. I hope you do the same!!

Simple Solutions: Improve Your Groove

2009-03-07T14:01:00.001-08:00

I recently heard that there is a significant correlation between spouses interactions the first five minutes they see each other during the day and the success of their relationship. Basically, how you treat your spouse when s/he or you gets home from work is predictive of the quality of that relationship. What this means is that there is a great opportunity to learn about your relationship and improve it. Instead of getting right to business when your spouse or significant other gets home, it is more effective to give them some affection and positive attention. When John, my significant other, gets home, I immediately give him a hug and a kiss and ask about his day. He also asks me about my day. I do this no matter what business has to be attended to, and we have had plenty of business to attend to since the custody battle for his ten year old who I refer to as M. By starting our interactions in a positive way, it sets a positive tone for the rest of the night. Try it for a couple weeks and test the theory for yourself!

Find Your Art

2009-03-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

Just a short one today--one way to self-evolution is to find an art that you like and do it. It could be photography (which you can share with others on flickr.com), it could be drawing, writing, painting, sculpting, singing, playing an instrument--whatever appeals to you. It does not have to be good; it's just an adult's way of playing. It will help you develop your creativity and express yourself. Just like play helps children process their emotions and experiences, art can do this for adults. So go for it!!

YaYa trilogy--Yea!

2009-02-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished the third YaYa book YaYa's in Bloom, at least I read it third. Reading this third book, I came the realization that I really like these books. There is something about the characters and the situations presented that is really enjoyable. I also like them because there is an underlying hope in the novels that is often rare in really good novels. (Another hopeful novel that I love is The Color Purple). The other aspect of these novels that I loved was the theme of sisterhood among strong and intelligent women. In a society where women's worth is predicated on looks and youth, it is refreshing to see characters who are multi-faceted, sexy, beautiful, smart, and tragic all at the same time. This viewpoint is a reminder for women everywhere to see each other as sisters. We are one sisterhood and have the capacity to help each other to phenomenal degree. I know that I have been blessed with many women in my life who, in sharing their experiences and listening to mine, have helped me evolve into a wiser and happier person. What we forget when we start to believe that women are only capable of cattiness, rumor mongering, and backstabbing, is that women are also capable of great loyalty, love, and friendship. This power of women has the potential to truly heal the world!

Boston, Baby!

2009-02-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! I am back from a professional trip to Boston. It was my first time visiting this city. To be honest, I had a preconceived notion of Bostonians that included envisioning very cold, snobbish people in general. Now, there have been plenty of times in my life when I have been wrong, but, man, I was soooo wrong about Boston people. Every interaction with Boston residents, from young college-students, to hard-worn working men, involved automatic courtesy and a willingness and openness to help a visitor to their city.
I have grown up and lived in the suburbs for the majority of my life. The cities with which I have some familiarity include Philadelphia, New York, Denver, and now Boston. What I have noticed is that every big city has its own feel. Boston had a "small town" feel in a big city. I really enjoyed my trip and am thankful to all those Bostonians that helped me find my way and were just generally courteous. What a great city!!

The Soul of Whole

2009-02-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

In many of my posts, I have been talking about taking care of the self. A huge part of this is taking care of one's spirit. Easier said than done! For many of us, the chaos of life distracts us from anything but basic survival--getting to work, getting the bills paid, maintaining children, doing schoolwork, and whatever other forms of torture we subject ourselves to!! However, there are simple ways to reconnect with our spiritual selves and help us feel whole again. One method that I am starting to really find meaningful and yet simple, is the mandala. A mandala is a circular design that expresses the inner self. Carl Jung, one of the most fascinating psychologists that ever lived, talked about the mandala as a way to come to an understanding of the complete self, which, in his theory, could not be accomplished completely until around the age of forty. Anyone can create a mandala and in any medium--pencil, paint, crayon, whatever! What the mandala does for us is remind us of our wholeness, that we are complete in and of ourselves. It also reminds us that we are more than the sum of our daily tasks. Here is a great website that has some great mandalas that other people have created. Sometimes, their commentary on their mandalas are better than the artwork!! http://www.mandalaproject.org/

The Magnum Saga

2009-02-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. My cat, Magnum, has not let me pet him for almost four months. Magnum was originally my sister's cat; she got him as a kitten when she lived in CO almost thirteen years ago. He was always skiddish, supposedly due to being taken from his mother too early. When I moved out of my sister's house, Magnum stayed with her. A year and a half ago, I took Magnum and Godiva. Godiva died at the end of October, a week before I moved in with John. At that time, my sister and I had to corner Magnum and throw a towel over his head in order to get him in the carrier. Then there was the forty minute ride to the new apartment. Since then, if I get within two feet of him, he hisses at me and then meows. Sometimes he will just stare at me. This state of affairs has actually been very hard for me. Losing Godiva was really hard. She would greet me at the door when I got home, meow and rub against me. Magnum would follow her lead. I am trying to convince John to get a kitten--I think I almost have him convinced! For me, part of self-nurturing is having a cat to pet. Magnum is the white and grey one, Godiva is the all black one.

The Must Haves--Night at the Taj

2009-02-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last night, I went to the casino in AC with John, Debbie (John's former mother-in-law) and Joe (Debbie's husband). As anyone who has been to the casino knows, it's basically a lot of bells and whistles, colors and lights meant to lead you into sin and temptation. We went to the Taj, one of Trump's many homages to himself. Due to my current financial situation, I try to limit my spending to $20. Well, sitting at a $1 slot, I found myself falling victim to the gambler's lie, "I must hit at some point!" Eighty dollars later, I realized that money goes fast in a casino! Duh!! I guess I just paid for one of Trump's girlfriend's hair extensions--your welcome! Anyway, at least we got to enjoy the buffet, hello, all you can eat shrimp and crab!! Greed and Gluttony all in one easy location. While in the Taj, it occurred to me that the real American Dream is the get rich quick ideal. The fallacy that if I just had enough money, I'd be happy. This is the greatest lie we tell ourselves. Yes, money can reduce stress, especially for those of us with huge school loans. However, it is not the cure-all that many of us believe that it is. We have become a society in America of "Must Haves". I must wear Prada, I must have a Coach purse. These names somehow give people validity to their existence. Can you say, that stripped of these names, down to the essence of who you are that you would be satisfied? What do these brands that you "must have" really do for you? For those of you who cannot pull away from these brands, that is a key question to ask yourselves. Instead of looking at tags and labels, take a look at the sky; it's a much better way to spend your time. For those of us to whom brands are meaningless, we need to speak up and not be ashamed of not being obsessed with this capitalist lie. For instance, who needs an $800 Burberry scarf? When one steps back and truly examines this, it appears ludicrous. If you must wrap yourself in expensive items while your soul is rotting, what good is it? How about mansions in the soul? Ultimately, the economic crisis is a spiritual crisis. Instead of filling the emptiness inside us with food (like me), cigarettes, alcohol, shoes, clothes, jewelry, maybe we can look for unseen things that can soothe the savage beast within us all!

"All You Need Is Love"

2009-02-14T14:50:00.001-08:00

Of course, since it is Valentine's Day, I have to blog about love. Most people think about romantic love on February 14th. Many people become annoyed at having it thrown in their face that they are alone. I have been in that position. In college, I'd watch the gang of guys walking to the sorority house, dressed in suits, roses in hand, and not a one for me. Now, I am very lucky to be with John who treats me to many little kindnesses on a daily basis. However, Valentine's Day does not have to be about just romantic love. Oprah made this point on her episode yesterday. She had on a woman who wanted to honor her grandmother, who ended up getting a Volkswagon Bug from Oprah--must be nice!! Part of wellness and overall psychological health that I want to address, though, is loving oneself. John once said to me, "isn't that narcissistic?" Actually, narcissism is a very superficial and weak version of self-love. Those who are narcissistic are typically overcompensating for a deep sense of insecurity or a poorly formed sense of self. I am talking about loving the self for the majority of us who are primarily of the nuerotic/depressive ilk. Self-Love starts with self-acceptance. It is also about counting one's needs as part of the overall equation. So, this Valentine's Day, and in general, remember to take care of yourself, either by taking a hot bath or reading a good book, or whatever types of things bring you joy (avoid using food though as that is a slippery slope that ends with 300 lbs and size 32!) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

The Travails of Chocolate

2009-02-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today's post is all about one of the greatest joys of my life that is also one of the banes of my existence. Of course, I am talking about that sweetest temptation, that greatest of culinary siren songs, chocolate. Now, I know there are some, like my childhood best friend Lily and my close friend Betty, who could turn a cold shoulder to this delectable treat. However, for me, enjoying a huge, multi-layered, fudgy, icing-filled piece of chocolaty wonder is about as good as it gets. In fact, watching food network challenges involving chocolate sculpture can send me into waves of ecstacy. So, one might ask, if you love it so much, why call it a bane of your existence? Ahhh, that's the question and the conundrum of life. Anything as wonderous as chocolate has to have a down side. That down side is sugar, which, when eaten in bulk (and I mean a gluttonous journey involving cookies, peanut butter cups, hershey kisses, etc.), leads to many health complications not to mention the amount of cellulite created. Chocolate is the reason I am in Weight Watchers.
You may be asking yourself what this commentary on one of my favorites of God's creation has to do with self-evolution? Well, that's just it. Part of what holds us back from realizing our best selves is the bad habits in which we engage. For me, the bad habit is overindulging in the "sugariness" of it all. For others, it could be smoking, drinking, not exercising, shopping too much, etc. One thing I have had to do is not have chocolate in the house and only let myself indulge a little. If I cross the line just a little bit, I can set off a fire-storm of chocolate consumption the likes of which Hersheys, Nestles, Girardellis have never seen. It also emphasizes my need to learn how to treat myself in non-caloric ways.
Self-nurturing is a huge part of self-evolution and leads to greater resilience. What makes something self-nurturing is completely dependent on the individual. For me, reading, writing, drawing, and listening to music are some of the healthy self-nurturing activities that I enjoy. It is not a perfect system; however. Last night, I ravaged a giant Hershey Bar and hid the remnants in the freezer (so John, my boyfriend, would not know). I just finished said remnants right before I wrote this post. That's ok, though, because I do not believe in the concept of perfection. But that is for discussion on another day.

Why I loved "A Prayer for Owen Meany"

2009-02-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I just finished John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany". While the setting of this book is in the fifties and sixties from the perspective of the narrator grown up in 1987, the book has universal appeal. What amazes me about the book is that the political atmosphere that is being criticized is not that different from the current climate. What I also liked about it is that it asks the basic questions about the meaing of life without giving any dogmatic or self-righteous answers. It makes you related to the humanity of the characters and all their flaws and has you, by the end, questioning the meaning of life and the synchronicity of seemingly random events and facts. It has me wanting to read more and more about Carl Jung and Taoism and all the other theorists who believed that somehow there is a meaning and a pattern underneath it all, even though we cannot always see it or comprehend it.

My First Foray

2009-02-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

Hello world. This is my first entry. My focus in my blog is wellness of the whole person.