AFTER THE STORM

Yesterday, I went to a Women's Retreat for the day. What a wonderful experience it was! It was based on a movie and book by Andrew Zuckerman. The book is incredibly wonderful with large photos of the subjects that were interviewed for the movie. Some of these subjects are Frank Gehry, Chuck Close, Robert Redford, Massimo Vignelli, and so many more. You can read about this project and also watch a movie trailer here. The retreat was titled: Women's Wisdom in the World. It was a great experience being around smart, intelligent women who actually had thoughts that were stimulating and provocative.
The book is described on the website as being "Inspired by the idea that one of the greatest gifts one generation can pass to another is the wisdom it has gained from experience..." A few of the quotes that I took away from the movie were (loosely) Push yourself to the fear level.---Wisdom is a question.---Embrace uncertainty.---Be yourself. It is the only choice you have.---Respect difference: it is the essence of humanity.---You can't get to wonderful without passing through alright. And on and on. Check out the trailer. I'm sure that you will be impressed.
At the end of the day I headed home late in the afternoon. The clouds had already cleared at the retreat, but coming home they were still piled up against the foothills heading toward home. It was incredible to see the clouds starting to disperse and build in the east as they were leaving the area. The sun was displaying its magic too as it gently lowered its head in the west. The brilliance of the sun against the clouds was remarkable. It made me glad that I had my camera with me. These moments are sometimes once in a lifetime and hard to explain unless you see it for yourself. Later, when I downloaded these, I noticed that someone else was watching the beauty also. This mystery person was just standing there on the hillside admiring the sky like I was. We were enjoying the same moment in time without knowing it.
From the retreat I remember one quote especially: "Peace is an inside job!" Today, as I sit at my desk and write this I can honestly say that I am at peace with myself. I know that my actions have always been genuine, that I have never said anything (knowingly) that was meant to hurt someone, and that I have embraced uncertainty.

A quote from Bryce Courtenay: "It's not about brains, it's not about accumulation of knowledge, it's about being decent." And finally, a quote from John Hume "The answer to difference is to respect it, not fight about it." I learned a lot in this retreat. I confirmed a lot in this retreat. For me it was about three words in particular: connectedness, synchronicity, and resilience. I am I alright where I am right now. I am passing through alright on my way to wonderful!

ON MY WALLS

Do you ever find something in your yard and wonder what you could do with it? I found this great piece of bark, all curled up as though the branch had just ejected itself from the inside. I looked at it and it had this empty spot, as if it were a mouth waiting to say something. I had to do something with this piece of bark and this is what the end product was. It's a collage of items that I felt went together. Hard to say really, what it actually MEANS, but to me, it speaks of ocean, of shark (teeth), of rainfall, of water, and of course, that crow: the one that follows me everywhere I go.

This was a photo of my family and myself from years before. I was unaware of the crow back then. Funny how he made himself noticeable even then. It took me until now to see it though. Sometimes, it takes years to see what is right under your nose. I guess I wasn't ready then but I am now.

THE MIRROR HAS FACES

My dog, Bodhi, on his way to the groomer yesterday. He doesn't mind having his picture taken at all! Now, ME...that's another story!The only thing vaguely similar in these two photos is the "white" hair!!! I wish that I didn't mind MY photo being taken but...it has never been my favorite thing to do. But, I was trying to play with my new camera and learn how to use it so that I can take better photos. I wanted to take a sepia photo but for the life of me could not figure it out. I need the manual!!! Why does a camera come in a box sans manual? Sure...there is a disk that you can read page by page ON YOUR COMPUTER but I am a "hands on" type of person. The heck with all this running back and forth, clicking different pages, and trying to figure it out. I want to HOLD the manual IN MY HANDS and practice, step-by-step all the options. I know, you say, PRINT IT! It is about 150 pages long. Do I have enough ink left in my printer? Wouldn't it be easier for them to just include it in the box for me?? Maybe there is a phone number or an address that I can contact to have them mail it to me. So, for now, please excuse the less-than-perfect pictures as I stumble through this. I just found that there is a button for fireworks in there!!! What other settings are lurking in this wonderful black box? It's no longer just "point and shoot". There are buttons and settings to think about. Can this "white-haired" human accomplish this? Well, I'm going to try. That's all I can say. At least I haven't given up. I think that I will prove the phrase "can't teach an old dog new tricks" wrong. I WILL LEARN. I hope seeing me isn't TOO scary!!