retinal perspectives

on wings of song

i often wish that i had wings

can you imagine
the freedom of soaring through the air

but it does occur to me that you can feel that same sense of freedom
even without actual wings

ode to joy, volume 4

{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}

there is just something about color. particularly the colors present in the sky at night. i can't explain it, but it grabs me.

pure joy.

{p.s. i was hoping to capture a photo of the monarch butterflies on their winter migration, but apparently there weren't many this particular year and a recent series of storms had blown them away. a photo for another trip, perhaps.}

ode to joy, volume 3

{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}

i met the lovely miss kelly at the be present retreat back in october. she is hilarious, sweet, ever-so-stylish, and just all around wonderful. also, she is a fabulous artist. i now have three of her necklaces (the orange one says "hello" and the pink one says "she knew love"). they make me smile. whenever i wear one, it reminds me of kelly, and the experience, and the happiness that someone can bring to others, simply by doing the thing they were meant to do and sending it out into the world for others to receive.

pure joy.

{i am offline until next saturday, when i will be back with a new photo that represents joy. if i am lucky, it will be a photo of something that i have dreamed of seeing. until then, i wish you a week full of unexpected moments of pleasure. much love.}

an offering of love

"Let the beauty you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground."

- Rumi

the journey begins

with a single step

what goes up must find a way to come down

the last time we were at the coast, atlas decided to go on a little adventure. while i was taking photos of the ocean, he climbed up the slippery smooth rock face at the end of the beach and was clambering about.

except then he couldn't get down. the rock face was wet and slippery (i don't even know how he got up there - except that up is always easier than down) and when he'd take a step onto the slope to start his descent, he'd slip a little and stop immediately. his eyes lost their happy gleam and he began to look a bit worried.

what was a loving person to do? "oh, atlas. you look so cute and sweet and worried up there. stay, little puppy, and let me take some photos." (i know. heartless.)

anyway, after the photo-ing was finished, i tried to help him out. except that i couldn't get up there with him and i could barely reach his collar from where i was standing. so there i am .. standing on tip-toe .. barely holding onto his collar with the fingertips on one hand and touching his chest with the fingertips on the other .. trying to convince him to take a step forward with a promise that if he just comes closer, i can lift him down. oh, did i mention that i had an audience?

finally he took a big step forward and leaped to safety.

let us hope that this is the last time he goes cliff-jumping. i am just not cut out for this.

noticing the contrast

sometimes i wonder

if winters here weren't so grey and muddy and rainy and cloudy

would i really appreciate the days when the sun reminds us of its presence

quite so much

messages of love

hello, dear blog readers.

i wanted to let you know that i started a new series on my wellness blog at the beginning of the year. it is called monday messages - and it is intended to remind us how amazing we really are. if you are in need of a message of love, they come out on mondays.

love, me 

ode to joy, volume 2

{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}

when i look for someone who truly exemplifies joy to me, i don't need to look any further than my beloved pup. nowhere is that joy in life more evident than when we go to the ocean. as soon as i let him off leash, he takes off at top speed. when he gets to the water, he turns and races back, and then runs around me in large wild crazy circles. every so often, he'll stop and "smile" at me - and then takes off again for another round.

pure joy.

where shall we meet

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there."

- Rumi