Writing Life
One final outing before lockdown… Much like the previous two weekends, this Saturday I got in my car and drove out of town to get a safe, healthy dose of nature and tranquillity. This time I chose a river bank, so you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed Amy’s choice for this week (Lens Artists Weekly Challenge – A River Runs Through It). Continue reading “Calm Waters…”
One of the annoying things my grandmother used to do when I was a child was tidy up my desk. It was a mess, she would say, and few people who know me would now believe that… because I am a bit of a neat freak. In fact, it wasn’t as messy as she made it sound, it simply wasn’t her kind of order. I knew where everything was and I had a system. She had a system too, everything had to be put away. I completely agree with that now… as long as you have a place to store everything. But pilling everything in a heap behind the desk just so it could be out of sight didn’t help me much. Continue reading “Strange Order in Chaos”
I come from a line of women with strong feelings about red… for or against it. By comparison, I’m quite moderate. While I do love a splash of red here and there, I would certainly not paint a bedroom wall this colour, the way my mother did, nor would I wear red from head to toe. Continue reading “Seeing Red”
This particular January turned out to supply a few more “roadblocks” than expected – literally and metaphorically. From what I’ve seen and heard, I’m certainly not the only one in this situation. No one enjoys being stuck, so we keep looking for detours and escapeways. Whether these paths turn out to be scenic routes or accidents waiting to happen is merely a matter of luck and perspective. Continue reading “Roadblocks and Leading Lines”
I stopped the car by the lake and braved the cold wind in order to take a few more shots of the setting sun. We all have these places we frequent, special spots where the view, the context or the history speak louder to us than in many other similar corners. We unconsciously find our way there when we need them, perhaps we get out of our cars and take a few more shots, very similar to the selection those particular places have already offered us on so many other occasions. Continue reading “One of Those Places”
I’m cheating this week. On one hand I’m not exactly “wordless”, on the other, I’m also using these photos for the Lens Artists’ Weekly Challenge – On Display. But I’ll be brief, so I hope you’ll forgive me. Time is an issue, so I’ll leave you with this interpretation of a Christmas display I saw in Paris two years ago. Continue reading “Almost Wordless Wednesday #77”
There is no age limit when it comes to learning something new. In fact, it keeps the mind young and agile. Just like back in the day, the process implies mistakes; we stumble, we get frustrated, and eventually we experience that rush which comes with every sign of improvement. Hopefully we manage to persevere until those signs become obvious. Hopefully we don’t lose patience with ourselves. Hopefully we don’t let frustration, disappointment and criticism get the better of us. Hopefully… we have the time, strength and discipline to hope. Continue reading “Abstract (or) Failure”
You know how you don’t much care for a certain kind of food, and then you suddenly crave it? I went through that with bananas and melons. Now it’s happening again… only it’s not food, it’s countryside.
Continue reading “Saying Hello and Goodbye to the Countryside”
Yes, they’re finally gone! The locusts have left the beaches!
Locusts, that’s what I so fondly call summertime invaders, also known as tourists. I love to notice that brief amazing time when seasons change, but here by the sea, autumnal magic also brings about peace and quiet, a sense of relief for all of us, locals. Continue reading “Autumn By The Sea”
There are cat people, there are dog people… are there any hen people? If so, I am certainly one of them. I may not have any pets now, I may be a dog person at heart, but whenever I see these little creatures, I can’t help smiling. You see, I had a pet hen long before it became a fad. Continue reading “Life and Death of Pets”
Note: Not only did Ann-Christine’s topic for this week (Lens Artists Weekly Challenge – Angles) push me to write a new post, but it also reminded me of something I’ve posted a few years ago. Since it still resonates, I’ll share this once more. In case you’ve already read it, I apologize 🙂 .
A radical change in perspective is never easy. Altering that already instinctive angle – be it broad or narrow – from which we regard life is a challenge, to say the least. As a person with somewhat twisted values and ideas (in certain respects), yet who is so stubborn that she hardly ever changes her opinions, I am also aware of the ineffable necessity of never forgetting to keep an open mind, especially when having to reach various conclusions. That’s why I normally perceive the idea of changing my perspective as a positive endeavour.
I would have smiled at the sight of that coffee cup, had I not been so displeased to find myself there. I was invited to have a seat at the dining room table and I was flanked by the two of them, one on each side. My eyes wondered around the room I had known my entire life, a room which was unchanged, a room which didn’t feel familiar at all. I wasn’t saying anything. Neither was she, but I knew that look, that fidgety stance, when she just waited for a person’s first sentence in order to pounce on them with all sorts of accusations. Continue reading “Angles Of The China Pattern”
“At least you’re close to the sea, you can go for a quick dip and cool off,” he says, when I tell him the weather is terribly hot here too. Continue reading “A Break From The Usual Breaks”
Today I would like to thank Tina, Amy, Ann-Christine and Patti – the hosts of the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – for a year of wonderfully inspiring challenges and for the beautiful photos they have shared with us. You’ve done a great job! Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!
Many of us were saddened when the WP Photo Challenge was discontinued last year. We would miss that push, that source of inspiration which got our creative juices flowing in surprising moments and ways. Continue reading “Thank You For The Inspiration, Ladies!”
If I were to choose a favourite month, June would probably be it. There is something about this month… Good things have happened to me in June, it often marked the beginning of beautiful stories, and it always filled me with energy and hope. It’s that time of year when everything feels possible.
By mid-June this year however, all I wanted to do was get away. Continue reading “Moments of Serenity”
