Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
Dark Simplicity
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged birds, blue, light, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, shadow, silhouette on October 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »
My Old-Fashioned Nook
Posted in Inspiration, tagged Contributing Writer, home, Inspiration, life, nook, Photography, photos, pictures on October 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Of course, I mean nook as in my “small corner, alcove, or recess” and my somewhat “hidden, secluded spot” where I can sit in sun or moonlight, to think, to write, to photograph … however the spirit moves me. I feel very lucky to have access to such a place.
Beautiful Decay
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, decay, flowers, nasturtium, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, plants on October 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Well, I don’t know if you remember the nasturtium that I raved about earlier in the summer: Nasturtium I and Nasturtium II. My green thumb has not been so green of late so the plant has not survived. But even in death, I think it is quite beautiful.
Red Gold
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, Calendula, colors, flowers, gold, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, red on October 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Autumn Light Illuminating
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, Inspiration, Japanese fan, light, Photography, photos, pictures, seasons on October 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Birdsong
Posted in Books I Love, Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, birds, birdsong, Contributing Writer, Inspiration, life, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, Terry Tempest Williams on October 5, 2011| 1 Comment »
Several years ago I attended a national conference sponsored by a major environmental organization. The conference was held in a lovely out of the way place in a southern state. I and a colleague had petitioned our company to pay for our attendance as part of our professional development. When we arrived and began to mingle amongst the other 498 guests, I noticed something immediately but I didn’t say anything to my colleague. However my colleague quickly pointed out the unspoken: that I was one of just three brown people at the multi-day event. As I attended the various sessions, I listened as people discussed how to save rainforests and wildlands, and contemplated strategies to bus minority children out of cities to visit green spaces. I understood the intent behind the words, but I was troubled. As the days progressed, I felt something building inside me until …
… near the end of the conference, I sat in a small group session. I don’t remember the session’s focus. But I remember the look on a well-meaning person’s face as she all but called me “you poor thing” when I admitted out loud that I had never seen the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. As someone else went on to raise how do we (as in environmentalists) get more African Americans interested in the environment, I snapped. Let me tell you, I was much more shy then than I am now. So it was a big deal for me to open my mouth in that group and give them a piece of my mind about labeling and having narrow views about who was interested in the environment. Afterwards I raced to the restroom. I was shaky. I was new to the environmental field. Many of the people in that room had been working in the field longer than I had been alive. What did I know?
As I slowly washed my hands, into the restroom walked Terry Tempest Williams, one of the conference presenters and a well-known writer and activist. I loved her work but at that moment I just wanted to dash right pass her. However, she held me with her eyes. “Well said in there.” That’s it. That’s all she said, but it was all I needed to hear. That moment, that encouragement has stayed with me over the years and came to mind this morning as I read one of her recent essays, “A Disturbance of Birds.” It is a beautifully written piece about her discovery of a brain tumor. Woven throughout her story are the stories of other people. Dotting this narrative quilt are birds in all forms.
I highly recommend a read of this essay. Her words greatly moved me. At first I found myself thinking of loved ones recently lost and then of loved ones who are currently not in good health. I thought of loved ones traveling who I wish were home. And then I thought of birds. The ones I watched with my mom. The robin described by my uncle. The blue herons I see with Steve. The birdsong I cannot photograph but which inspires me so. And then finally I was filled with gratitude. I am grateful for the people I have met throughout my life and hopeful for the ones I have yet to meet. As the sun shines bright today, I know that I have been lucky. 😉
Tuesday Blooms by the Roadside
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, colors, flowers, landscape, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, urban gardens on October 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Monday Musings: Fish Tales
Posted in Inspiration, tagged fishing, friendship, Inspiration, life, nostalgia, outdoors, personal, Photography, photos, pictures on October 3, 2011| 1 Comment »
A little over ten years ago I began telling friends and co-workers that I wanted to go fishing. For the most part, they’d all gently laugh. You see, at first glance, most people would not have considered me — a small brown woman often with a book in hand, sipping lattes in Starbucks — as the fishing sort. Yet something about the concept of fishing suddenly appealed to me. Perhaps it was romantic idealism based on childhood memories of fishing scenes in old television shows. Or maybe it was remembered tales told by my dad of his firsthand experiences fishing in the backwoods of Virginia. Whatever the reason, fishing brought to mind a beautiful calm. And though I could not articulate it clearly even to myself, a bit of calm was what I needed at that point in my life. Eventually, a friend in the office, a young man who’d grown up in a coastal city near Boston, looked at me over the lunchroom table and said with a big grin, “Okay, lady. You take a day off, I’ll take you fishing.” In short, it was a wonderful day of sitting on a rocky shore with our poles in the dark blue waters of the Atlantic. Our hooks were baited with squid. Older gents would share tips with us “youngsters.” We caught nothing except what I needed most: calm. Fast forward to the present …
Recently, Steve offered me the opportunity to fish at a popular spot near Castle Island. It would be my first time fishing since that desperately needed excursion over a decade ago. This time around I felt no “need” of anything from the trip. I simply wanted to share a new experience with a person important in my life, and to try my hand again at an activity I remembered as fun. Heck, I thought, this time around I might even catch a fish.
We used squid as the tasty lure. Once the hook had been baited, Steve taught me how to cast (last time the fellow did it for me). As I stood at the rail holding the rod, I was aware of the looks we received from the neighboring fishermen. As you can see I am still not quite up to speed on fishing attire. A few people came over to chitchat. I let Steve do all the talking. I stared out into the sea.
I watched the rippling of the water and the gentle rise and fall of the waves. In the ephemeral light of the cloudy day, every shade of blue appeared on the water’s surface. For just a moment. No fish did I see but I kept imagining them down in the dark depths, nibbling on my squid. Birds flew overhead. Sailboats drifted by. In the end, I caught nothing except of course that calm. Unexpected but welcome. A treat. As Steve and I walked back to the car, and he outlined our strategy for next time so that we’d actually catch something, I realized I didn’t need to a catch a fish. It was the journey that mattered to me, not the destination. When I shared that revelation with Steve, he was quiet for a moment, then said, “I respect your feelings. But let’s test that theory once you actually have a fish on the line.”
Hmmm. We’ll see … 😉
Dark Beauty
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged animals, beauty, cats, Contributing Writer, felines, Photography, photos, pictures on October 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Imagine the adventures these two brothers, Peppy and Ash, must get into everyday … or at least dream about. I have not used a photo writing prompt in many years, but I declare, these fellows with their wise — and wily — outlook do inspire this writer’s imagination. How about you? What story comes to your mind? 😉
Photo shared by Dixie.
Postcard Available: St. Francis in the Garden
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged photo, Photography, pictures, Postcards, religion, spiritual icons, St. Francis, statuary on October 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I’m pleased to share that The Shop at Trinity Church in Copley Square is now carrying one of my postcards, St. Francis in the Garden. If you’re in the Boston area, the Shop can be found in the undercroft of the church located here.
