Some days you just kind of feel stuck. Sort of like the ball in the middle. A little deflated and wanting more air. A little more bounce in your dribble.
The air leaks out so slowly that before you know it and without realizing it, things start to cave and go flat.
Now, where did I leave that pump?…†…monos en theos…jim
We pass by the yard with these lawn chairs neatly lined in a row. They have always drawn us as a friendly place to sit. As we walked by, their owner was lazily sweeping her small stoop. “We love your chairs” we expressed to her. She idled briefly propping her well-rounded broom against the wall. She gently wrapped her weathered hands around a post that rivaled her hands in age and exposure. Comfortable and secure holding the post, she used one eye to size us with suspicion while the other bore the hint of invitation.
She broke into a small smile towards our harmlessness and proudly declared “all lined up, ready for a prayer meeting.”
I have no doubt that they had served that purpose in the past. Gone by blessings and pleas pealed off the oaks. We were lifted and warmed, bid our good days and went on our way.
Small pleasures warm the heart…†…monos en theos…jim
There is an old deserted church in our neighborhood, Pleasant Grove Baptist.
It has a castle like and crumbling exterior. I have been building the nerve to take a peak inside.
Amidst the rubble, trash and decay sat this beautiful red chair where the altar had once been.
I listened to hear the stories it could bear witness to, but all I heard was the need to be like the red chair. To sit amongst the rubble. To stand firm and retain your form even when it all seems to be falling apart.
monos en theos…†…jim
“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
monos en theos…†…jim
Just think, today I can try to explain to my granddaughter about “yesterday”, that when we needed to make a phone call we used to go into these glass booths that were almost everywhere (except when you really needed one). You then had to drop in a dime and put your finger in this dial that had numbers on it and you turned it. Yes, kind of like “Wheel of Fortune” game.
In forty years or so, she will have the same conversation with her child or grandchild, explaining how we used to get mail in a box that was in front of your house. And to send mail, you had to hand write it, put it in an envelope and then attach this thing called a stamp to it. This person called a mailman would then come by your house, take the letter and some how three to four days later the letter magically arrived to whomever you had sent it to.
and let’s not even get started on explaining “pony express” !
Change, fight it or go with it, cause it will come. monos en theos ††† jim
Wishing my eyes were as big as this old Ford.
I am also in need of restoration.
That is why I like old trucks and cars.
Someone comes along and brings them back to life.
Ah, to be made anew.
That is how you become a classic.
See with your heart. ††† en theos monos……j
We were treated to this wonderful New Mexico sky in the quaint little village of Magdalena. http://www.magdalena-nm.com/index.htm
There is no place that I have traveled to that brings me such a great sky. Plus if you go there, wander in to the Magdalena Cafe for some of the best homemade pie to be found. I preferred the red raspberry , but you can go wrong with any choice.
Pie pie, me oh my, how I love pie….en theos monos ††† jim
Sorry for the delay in submissions. We have have been on a wonderful trip in New Mexico and were at a few places with no internet the last few days.
This is our light-painting of the old railroad depot in San Antonio NM. We had a lot of fun doing it, running around in the dark trying to get it done in a 30 sec exposure. Susan light-painted the bush red, while I ran around like a possessed man light-painting the rather large depot in 30 seconds.
As you get older, it really takes very little to provide a little excitement in your life.
Enjoy even the dark moments! en theos monos ††† jim
I have always been attracted to deserted, abandoned and places that are just empty shadows of their storied past. This old stone building near “downtown” Fort Stockton TX has always called for me to stop and explore. I always think I have something more important to do and pass on to other duties. In the spirit of becoming more mindfull, last week I took the time to stop & look around this old haunt. Some other local will have to beam in if they know of it’s original purpose. I could not determine if it was an old hotel, hospital or asylum. It had a lot of faded and barely readable warning signs that I choose to ignore. I wandered in as far as I felt comfortable. Other occupants had left their own warning signs that I was a little more apt to heed despite the beautiful tiled entree.
Enjoy something unknown. en theos † jim
I have been reading about “light painting”. As one who has always envied those who can paint, I was drawn to anything that I could do to say I was painting. It is kind of interesting to think of using light as your brush. Both my grandmother & grandfather were artists that painted with a traditional brush. I used to love to go into their studio, partake of the feel and smell of oil paint, brush cleaner, canvas and of creation. That gene was not passed on to me and I had to find another way to “paint”.
My dad was a photographer and he also collected old cameras. His collection became mine and I have added to in over the years. I even have my first camera, an old brown Kodak Brownie. I have a photo of me at age five that my dad took of me making photos with that same Brownie.
So it was with pleasure that I placed some of these treasures, put my Nikon on a 30 second exposure in a dark room, and painted away with a small flashlight. I must be getting old (ok, I am), but there is hardly any better way to make yourself feel alive then to create something that wasn’t visible until you recorded it.
Find that which makes your heart feel full. ††† en theos ††† jim
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Photographers living with or affected by mental health challenges; supporting each other one photograph at a time.
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