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Steamy Day

The heat and humidity were already oppressive when I woke up at 6:30 AM today. Then I looked out the windows and noticed that it truly was a Steamy Day. The outside of the house windows were covered with a mist of condensation. Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. It reminds me of my time spent near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii where the humidity was so high that my clothes always felt a bit damp and the only time I had really dry clothes was for about 20 minutes after I took them Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Today

It’s Friday and Today seems like a good day to take a day off from rambling, writing and making photographs. So I’m sharing a poem and a few photos from earlier this week; also a snippet of a song I heard Ann Reed sing last night on her semi-weekly online concert from her home. Take these gifts into your weekend and spend some time at ease. First the poem… Today Today I’m flying low and I’m not saying a word I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep. The world goes on as it must, the bees in the garden Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Practice Emptiness

Standing in the place between what you know and what you can learn can be a kind of emptiness. To stay open and not-knowing is to Practice Emptiness which can be enlightening and humbling. I am meeting with the Minnetonka Art Center adult programming coordinator next week to discuss teaching one or more photography classes and/or workshops at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. Part of me is lit up and excited and another part is full of questions and doubts. I make photographs for the love of making them and no longer care about running a photography business or Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

What Makes You Happy?

As I gazed at still more photographs from my short walk at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum last week, one photo stood out to me as a perfect expression of happiness. It was a constellation of orange zinnias all in glorious bloom. That led me to wonder What Makes You Happy and is happiness different than joy? Although I’m not a psychologist or someone who studies emotions, I believe that happiness and joy are different though they often overlap. We need happy moments and happiness in our lives; however, I’m growing more convinced that the pursuit of happiness may get in Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

In Praise of Rain

It seems that the rain has stopped for the day but I wouldn’t complain if it rained all day. Today I am singing In Praise of Rain, thankful for the recent rains we’ve had. When I go outside for my walks after a rain I feel as if I can palpably sense the relief and joy of the trees and plants. And as I read news reports of floods, fires, and terrible heat I  feel so grateful for the weather we’ve been having in Minnesota this summer. Even though much of the state has been experiencing a drought, the trees Read more…

By Marilyn, ago