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"The proper use of imagination is to give beauty to the world..." Lin Yu-T'ang

Friday, August 19, 2011

Refreshed

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap into this source, you will truly have defeated age."
~Sophia Loren

water fountain by Kari Desi
  Water. Refreshing. Flowing. Abundant. Clear. Streaming. Lovely. Sparkling. Delightful.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Through The Gate

"Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate."
~J.R.R. Tolkien


Life's road twists and turns.
We never really know where it will lead exactly.
Our adventure is about the journey;
it's about the experience we have along the way.
And who we become because of it.

To follow our path requires trust.
Trust in the path and in ourselves.
Trust that our inner compass really points north.
Trust that our path really does lead somewhere,
even when it seems we're going in circles.

And trust that if we do indeed get lost,
that we can find our way.

There is not one road, but many,
and we get to choose which ones to travel.
It doesn't really matter which ones we choose,
each one will get us there.
Our path always contains some mysteries,
some surprises
and some challenges.

We must face and conquer our fears as they reveal themselves.
We must not grow too weary or give up,
but continue on,
step by step,
content in knowing
that each step we take gets us one step closer to where we are going
and who we are becoming.
And we are always becoming;

Hopefully, along our path we discover love.
For as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it,
"Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness."
This love isn't found in others,
it's found in ourselves.
It's how we see.
It's how we learn to view the world around us.
How we view ourselves.

How we see the most ordinary, often overlooked details in life.
It's evident in how we learn to choose.
We know it when we experience it.
Without a doubt.
And we know we have the key to open the gate.

Then...we walk through the gate and choose another road.






Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Cloudy Day in Santa Cruz


"A cloudy day, or a little sunshine,
have as great an influence on many constitutions
as the most real blessings or misfortunes."
~Joseph Addison
 








Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Some Beauty From Montalvo Arts Center

I was recently at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, CA and had to share some beauty. The Montalvo Villa was built by Senator James Phelan in 1912. He bequeathed it to the San Francisco Art Association who assumed trusteeship in 1930 and within a year announced the intention to launch an artist residency program. Today, Montalvo has three performing arts venues, a 10 studio artist residency program, hosts gallery exhibitions, offers educational opportunities, performance events and more. In addition, they have 2.5 miles of hiking trails, beautiful grounds and a formal Italianate garden open to the public.







 




Monday, August 8, 2011

Canon PowerShot

I just bought a new Canon PowerShot ELPH 300HS. It's a great little point and shoot camera and I just love it! It's so small that I can easily pop it in my purse or pocket and go. It turns on quickly and it's ready to go in less than a second. Lots of little features like 12.1 MP, 24 mm ultra Wide-Angle lens and 5x Optical Zoom, continuous shooting and HD video. I haven't tried out the video yet, but I love the photos that I'm getting from this little guy. Very reasonably priced too.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Summer Blooms

“Just living is not enough.. 
One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
Hans Christian Andersen




Textures by: Kim Klassen and Shadowhouse Creations.