• architecture,  Cityscapes/Urban,  grass,  lifestyles,  Plants

    Order and Chaos

    June 28, 2019

    Nature creates with chaos and man creates with order, or so it seems. Both make use of lines and curves to create. Architecture feels mostly ordered, static and has a rigid feeling to it. Nature feels more flexible, relaxed, in constant movement, never static and is free flowing.

    I leave in the morning for my sabbatical to spend time in reading, writing, studying, prayer/meditation, quiet, learning to listen to the other within me. I have been uncovering, discovering, discarding the stinking thinking I had about myself and the world around me. Hoping this time with others on similar paths will continue in that process. Nervous and yet excited. What will I discover? I’m heading into this with as much openness as I am capable of. Yesterday was my 69th birthday so this is like a gift I’m giving to myself.

    I do not expect to post much or read many of your amazing posts but will check whenever I can. They have a couple of computer on site for checking email so what access to the internet will be with my phone’s cellular data or some coffee shop I may find on a weekend. I’m actually looking forward to some time away from the internet, much like our friend Cedric just had for 2 months. I’m aware I spend too much time on it. See ya later.

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  • lifestyles,  spirituality

    A Few Books

    June 27, 2019

    This is some of the books I’ve read or going to read for this retreat starting on Saturday. There are going to be 17 books used in these five weeks where we will cover a chapter or two of the book and no written essays. There will be a lot of practicum in this retreat, actual participation, rather than just gathering more knowledge and information.

    Today is my 69th birthday. The coffee shop, Mugs, gave me a free mocha and a chocolate éclair, which made my morning. I also receive the sweetest phone message from Julie and Tom as they sang happy birthday. Brought me to tears and not because their singing was bad. 🙂

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  • Black and White,  coffee shops,  sunrises

    Rereading

    June 19, 2019
    Morning sunrise at a local coffee shop

    “A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

    I’ve been rereading a couple of Steven Pressfield’s books on creating art and what stops us from being creative. Thus the quote above.

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  • clouds,  landscape,  Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Everything is in Movement

    June 17, 2019

    I go and get the camera and do it. Photography is a medium in which if you don’t do it then, very often you don’t do it at all, because it doesn’t happen twice. A rock will probably always be more or less there just the way you saw it yesterday. But other things change, they’re not always there the day after or the week after. Either you do it or you don’t. Certainly with things as changeable as sky and landscape with moving clouds and so on, if they look wonderful to you on a certain day and if you don’t do it then, you may never see them again for the rest of your life. So as a photographer you become very conscious – at least I do – that everything is in movement. – Paul Strand 

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  • Black and White,  Documentary/Street,  shadows

    Fellow Travelers

    June 13, 2019

    I am a man of solitude, enjoying and relishing in silence away from the crowds. Yet, I believe the journey through life is not to be traveled alone that people are vital. I’ve discovered there are times in life we will need to walk alone while at other times we will travel with others. Some of those travellers will be family, friends and some will be strangers. Some will share similar visions and dreams. Some will support us in times of need while at other times we will support them. My hope is we do not see one another as other than and erect walls. I also believe when we’re free from the shackles of our fear of others we will we never get the sense any mountain is too high to scale, or any horizon is too far to conquer. When free from the shackles of fear the storm clouds on the horizon will not deter us from continuing on. May we believe that as we create relationships with all of creation we are also in the act of creating our world.

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