Don’t Fence Me In
February 28, 2013
Turning its face to the light, beauty bursts forth in glorious defiance. Photo, Mary O’Connor © 2013
“The groves were God’s first temples.”
February 25, 2013
Summer Palace, 2009, Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA. Stickwork sculpture by Patrick Dougherty. Photo: Rob Cardillo. “The groves were God’s first temples.” With these words, American poet William Cullen Bryant began his classic poem, A Forest Hymn. Said to be written in farewell to the thick foliage and tall trunks of his native Massachusetts as he … More “The groves were God’s first temples.”
Breathe in the Sacredness of the Trees
February 21, 2013
Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness. – Rumi William Guion once was told that the way to make more powerful and personal photographs was to find something he loves and to photograph it—over and over and over. And … More Breathe in the Sacredness of the Trees
Fed by the sight of the sky
February 18, 2013
“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” – Eleanora Duse, Italian actress Photo: Along Saybrook Point, by … More Fed by the sight of the sky
“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau
February 14, 2013
Josh Simpson creates planets of glass and wonder. Sometimes they appear as celestial delights. Other times, as seen here, they evoke images of undersea fantasies, images that take you to the core of our world. Jules Verne told us that the sea is everything. “It covers seven-tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure … More “The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau
Celebrate the Milestones
February 11, 2013
Sunrise and sunset present us with two of the most dramatic contrasts between light and darkness, the division between day and night. Both are sky paintings of color. Dawn is more typically soft and pale and pastel. Sunsets tend to be vibrant with reds and yellows, remnants of the day’s energy and warmth, or, as … More Celebrate the Milestones
The Earth Is Crammed with Heaven
February 7, 2013
Hurricane Sandy swept Long Island Sound ashore last fall before leaving with layers of topsoil to reveal these dormant flower bulbs. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning once said, the earth is “crammed with heaven.”
Granite Bay
February 4, 2013
The summer sun is long gone and with it, one might think, the lure of the shore. But though I will admit to being clearly partial to the warmth of the sun, I cannot deny the stark, cold winter attraction of New England’s rocky shores and its cobble beaches. Wave-battered rocky shores are common throughout … More Granite Bay
A Place to Breathe, to Linger
January 31, 2013
“The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place.” ̶ Rachel Carson Marine biologist and author Rachel Carson wrote in her classic book, The Edge of the Sea, of a marginal world, an area where waves have broken against the land, the tides have pressed forward, receded, and then returned. It is an … More A Place to Breathe, to Linger
Three Anchors of Joy
January 28, 2013
Thinking about joy and the question of just when and where I have found it in my own life, I look back on my memories as a very young child and realize that the roots of joy run deep. One of my happiest memories–one that can still start my day off right–is that of listening to … More Three Anchors of Joy
Life Is Full of Sweet Spots 