• leaves,  musings,  Plants,  quotes,  writing/reading

    … free of hatred and despair

    October 25, 2022

    The mind does not find peace, nor does it enjoy pleasure and joy, nor does it find sleep or fortitude when the thorn of hatred dwells in the heart.

    A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, Chapter VI: 3

    As I walk around the yard I’m aware of how many different shapes, patterns, and colors of leaves there are. Cottonwoods, elms, locust, birch. What many people don’t realize is that scientists have determined that in all the world, no two leaves of any plants are identical. Each is one of a kind—unique.

    We can say the same with humans, no two are identical. We share our humanity through our various colors, shapes and sizes. Hatred is an unnecessary thorn of an ideology, a false belief, planted within us, that separates and destroys lives. Gandhi says, “No two leaves are alike, and yet there is no antagonism between them.” I pray today that the world be free of hatred and despair and fully embrace the uniqueness and beauty that each of us brings to the world.

    It began to seem that one would have to hold in the mind forever two ideas which seemed to be in opposition. The first idea was acceptance, the acceptance, totally without rancor, of life as it is, and men as they are: in the light of this idea, it goes without saying that injustice is a commonplace. But this did not mean that one could be complacent, for the second idea was of equal power: that one must never, in one’s own life, accept these injustices as commonplace but must fight them with all one’s strength. This fight begins, however, in the heart and it now had been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair.

    James Baldwin
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  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  lifestyles,  musings,  poetry,  still life,  writing/reading

    … with you

    May 13, 2022

    It was an overcast morning and cool. There was no need for a coat, my fleece would do fine. I slept well and felt refreshed. On most mornings I usually start my day by asking and relying on my intuition. Do I want to head to a natural area and all that it has to offer or do I head to a coffee shop and all it has to offer. This is a gift of retirement. After quiet time my intuition lead me to a local coffee shop. I was not disappointed as my barista, Devan, brightened my day with her latte art. Of course a photo needed to be taken followed by my feeble attempts to write about it.

    crafted with frothed milk
    a work of art now created
    no longer just a latte

    the sense of taste awakens
    as the visual sense is transformed
    when lips touch the cups rim

    now sharing this experience
    as a written memory in the journal
    … and with you

    ms

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  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  Humor,  musings

    It was different

    April 3, 2022

    I went to Mugs at CSU late yesterday morning. This is probably the coffee shop I visit the most but something was different. The ambience was not the same as when I normally go. I’m sure you’re all aware that going camping in the same tent at the same location as last week is not he same if you throw in a mosquito. Don’t get me wrong Mugs is still a favorite coffee shop. So is camping. But something was different.

    They say ambience is a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing. So what are the factors that go into the feel of a coffee shop that draw me in or out? Warning: If you don’t like lists then now may be a good time to stop reading and go eat another chocolate eclair. If you’re a glutton for punishment or need to verify my insanity, then read on.

    Here are some factors that are important and some that are insignificant that I came up with for me. The time of day, the day of the week, the weather outside, temperature both inside and outside, the season, the baristas, the customers, the piped music. I also notice the decor, the seating, is it crowded or spacious.

    The food: do they serve pastries, sandwiches, burritos, salads, chocolate eclairs (a winner every time). This morning they were cooking up bacon. Love the smell of cooking bacon! The drink: is my mocha latte hot enough, meet my taste buds preference? Does my mug dribble? Important stuff here!

    The biggest factor is me: what’s my attitude, how rested am I, where’s my emotional and spiritual condition, are my pants too tight (due to pastries)? Did I come to write or read? How well did the barista and I connect when I came in?

    And, I must confess that I’ve left coffee shops because the ambience was just not what I wanted or needed. I will end with this. I know there is no perfect coffee shop. And, if there was then I wouldn’t go or it would not be perfect anymore!! See, I am insane! Happy Sunday!

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  • Humor,  lake,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  rants,  trees

    Twitching my nose

    June 13, 2020

    The old barn at Kingfisher Natural Area

    I spent time at one of the natural areas this morning. Peaceful, serene and for me a great way to start my day. Driving home a young man in a large black CJ7 Jeep come up beside me rather fast, speakers blasting. When he pulled up beside me at the stoplight my car began to vibrate and my bones began to vibrate due to the volume. It was at that moment all serenity and peace evaporated. I quickly began to fantasize for a twitching nose like Samantha from the Bewitched television show and twitch my nose to blow those speakers. I’d show him! Yes, I go there once in a while. Have a great weekend! 😠 

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  • Art/Design,  Creativity,  fog,  lake,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  quotes

    Living with Mystery

    October 14, 2019

    Morning fog shrouding the dam at Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, Ohio

    “A great photograph is a distillation, a reduction of the chaos of our wider experience to a visually satisfying essence where what is excluded is as important as what is included.” David Ward

    I have no clue as to why I took this image almost 10 years ago. It’s lost in time. It could have been my creative voice within or my attempt to duplicate an image I’ve seen before or the mystery it evokes or all the above. Today it makes no difference because I see this image taken almost 10 years ago with my eyes of the present moment. And, how it will speak to me in 10 years from now can only be know then.

    So, what do I see now after 10 years?  This image popped out to me immediately. I find this image to be very minimal as much of what could be seen is hidden within mystery. It has soft visuals line leading me into that mystery. There is someone standing on the dam seemingly lost in their thoughts, gazing into the mystery and yet there is a serene and peaceful feel to all of this. What it evokes is an awareness of how I feel much more comfort in living with mystery than I did 10 years ago. Enough rambling. Now what are your thoughts?

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  • Art,  Black and White,  Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  Creativity,  Fujifilm X-T10,  lifestyles,  musings,  writing/reading

    It takes courage to be…

    October 1, 2019

    A young man sketching at the coffee shop

    “Nature is an art which can’t be described or explained in words. This should be felt in your heart.”

    Discovered this young man pencil sketching at a local coffee shop and had to ask if I could take a few images while he drew. After he said yes I had him put his earbuds back in and continue with his craft. There is a slight blur in his hand that adds to the image for me and I thought the photo worked well when converted to black and white.

    As I walked away I thanked him and realized the courage it takes for me to ask strangers if I can take their photo. Somewhere within me is a false voice telling me they will say no. The truth is I seldom am told no. There are those who will say no and probably due to some history in their lives and that’s okay. But, nowadays many people are comfortable having a camera pointed in their direction. Just look at all the selfies.

    Later, after I loaded this photo onto my computer I had an awareness of the courage it takes to be an artist. But as I reflected on that thought it became obvious that it takes courage to believe in and use our artistic abilities, gifts, practice, hone them and then offer them to the world. He and I both practice our craft with courage no matter what those around us thought of us. And, this young man is a good artist! So much for my morning rambling. Have a super Awesome day!

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  • musings,  window

    My Mind Can Wander

    August 11, 2019

    A refreshing rain began falling yesterday morning just as I was leaving a local coffee shop. When I pulled up in my condo it was pouring, so I sat in my car to wait out the rain. I found it peaceful for the next 10 minutes. As I sat there my mind wandered back to the coffee shop I had just left and to one of the regular customers there. 

    He sits at the same table almost 6 days a week from 7:00-10:00 am, reading one of the larger national newspapers, from front to back, and sipping on a large iced tea. Of course he is known by both the baristas and the customers. The other regulars will keep the table reserved for him in case he’s late and he has conversations with other customers on a regular basis. My wandering mind was thinking about how differently we spend our time in the coffee shop, and I imagine that’s true outside the coffee shop. I prefer spending my coffee shop time visiting with a friend, reading an uplifting book, writing in my journal,  and fighting the battle to spend as little time on the internet as possible but I almost never read the newspaper. I would rather fill my mind with positive images and thoughts, which is an unreachable ideal. A smile came across my face and I laughed at myself because my idea of coffee shop time would bore him, and probably many others, into a glazed-over-stupor. As I thought about it more, he’d also be bored sitting in my car listening and watching the rain. Sheesh, can my mind wander and not just when it’s raining! 🙂

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