There’s snow business like snow business
Life doesn’t get much better than this:
Freezing mornings with glitter and diamonds;
A good long walk in the thick snow
And plenty of play and smiles.
No one snows this better than Oscar.
(OK – I know I’m on thin ice here, so snow more puns!)
For more happy animals, please visit: Camera Critters.
Feeling the joy
Oscar may be over ten years old now,
But he never loses his joy for life –
And teaches me so much
About just living in the moment.
The only sign of spring around here
Is the spring in our steps
As we rush out to play in the snow.
For more Zen, please visit: Camera Critters.
Golden lace
About a month ago, the ice was finally thick enough
For the snowplough to come and make an ice skating track around the lake.
This was happy news as I was finally able to walk over the lake
To enjoy the beauty of the setting sun
As it cast its net of light
And turned branches into golden lace.
I met a woman out with her camera too –
And for a few minutes, we shared a bond
As we enjoyed the simple gift of the sinking sun.
For more golden skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Leaf ballet
Autumn was short-lived and intense this year.
But last weekend I had an amazing experience.
In the distance, I saw a sunny bower of branches
And a shower of leaves dancing in the wind as they fell to the ground.
I stood under those trees and listened.
The leaves danced and twirled and fluttered down on me,
Sounding like gentle rain as they came to rest on hair, ground and an icy bench.
I like to look for the new beginnings in these ends.
Don’t leaf without visiting: Our World.
The faithful companion
She appeared out of the sunlight
Walking stately yet with the limp of old age.
She looked kindly at me and Oscar -
Then turned back.
She waited for her old owner as she hobbled towards us on crutches.
“Please take a picture of Tosca!” she cried.
“She’s my only company now that my husband has died.”
Her faithful companion posed regally for her portrait
Before returning to her owner’s side.
(Today I printed out these two shots on big glossy paper and delivered them to Tosca’s house.
Big smiles all round.)
For more regal pets, please visit: Camera Critters.
Sunny side up
I’ll be England by the time you read this
(So won’t be visiting you all as frequently as usual).
My sister has warned me that there will be plenty of rain.
Weather aside, I’m sure there will be plenty of time for play and laughter –
As long as we remember that we all carry a piece of sunshine within.
Make each day your masterpiece. — John Wooden
For more sunny side up posts, please visit: Our World.
Midsummer roses
Midsummer is one of the biggest holidays in Sweden. It’s all about eating and dancing around the maypole. Usually in the rain.
One year, I’m going to photograph it all… But this year, we spent so long at the pool before lunch that we just didn’t have the energy to go down to the local celebrations.
We did celebrate the light, the warmth and the sun in our own way.
Life may not always be a dance on roses, but that doesn’t stop you from dancing in a shower of rose petals.
It’s all about your attitude.
You can complain that roses have thorns.
Or you can rejoice that thorns have roses.
For more midsummer (or midwinter) beauty, please visit: Our World.
Love
Contentment is
A brother and a sister
(My kids)
Enjoying the beauty of sunset
In harmony
And with love.
For more peaceful skies, please visit: Skywatch.
The last of winter
Winter is fading away and spring buds are gently showing their heads,
So now it’s time to enjoy the full glory of winter colours:
Majestic and glittering,
A world in silver and white -
And, if you’re lucky, a winter explosion of colours.
(All pictures taken in February. Please don’t feel sorry for me – spring is already on its way.)
For more colours, please visit: Camera Critters.
Dancing in the dark
My neighbours are used to seeing me out with my camera in all states of dress (and undress).
So, it was no surprise when the next-door neighbour phoned to tell me that there was an interesting sky outside.
We rushed up the hill to see an eerie glow set the water alight with a purple fire.
The key to photographing sunsets is to wait
And listen to the music of nature
While the sky unfolds itself in colour.
And, if we’re paying close attention, we can learn from children
Who know how to dance in the dark
Long before adults tell them that there is no music.
For more dancing skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Butterflies of joy
Beautiful butterfly
Shining like mother of pearl
A painting of fleeting delicacy
Poised to fly to freedom
Through the silver rain –
Reminding me that joy comes when you least expect it
And that transformation can lead to great beauty.
For more loveliness, please visit: The Creative Exchange and Communal Global.
Sadly, My World is not continuing but I’d like to continue documenting the small unseen miracles of life here anyway. Rest in peace Klaus Peter.
Shimmer
A swan glided by.
The sun kissed the water with
Its diamond lips.
My heart was full of light.
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. ~Aaron Rose
For more shimmer, please visit: Camera Critters.
I’m off to enjoy some sun-dazzled times of my own with the family this week — in Disneyland, Paris. Oscar will be with friends, and my blog and I will be taking a rest. See you on Friday!
Sky of love
Is there anything more touching than the love between a little brother and his big sister?
The most precious things in the world are not our possessions but those golden moments that we feel in our hearts.
For more love, please visit: Skywatch.
Bejewelled
As many of you know, my world is submerged under white snowstorm skies and a warm blanket of snow at this time of year.
The trick to enjoying a long winter is to capture its treasures.
Bedazzling diamonds glinting in the sun,
Winter twins wearing their diamond tiaras
And there – a miracle!
A ruby jewel lighting up my world.
The latest disaster in Japan shows us that life really is a miracle.
(Healing thoughts go out to all affected in the affected areas.)
For more treasures, please visit: My World.
The igloo
When life gives you snow…
You build an igloo! (Well, at least our neighbour does!)
It was easy this year because of all the snow piled up at the side of his house.
He dug and shovelled and decorated with delightful frosty animals and candles.
How snug to sneak in there, hide yourself away and watch the world go by!
It’s a large igloo – it has two rooms.
And a door at the front that comes with hands…
But perhaps the most magical moment is wiggling your way out through the tiny window at the back,
Climbing up to the top of the igloo
And sliding down.
Repeat until tired and bright-eyed and in need of hot chocolate!
For more cool stories, please visit: My World!
At play
Now that November has settled on us like a soft grey shawl, it’s hard to imagine that only a few short weeks ago, our world was bathed in sunlight and autumn leaves.
The beginning of October was celebrated with an adventure to the climbing tree,
Where no child was too old to fill her boots with water
Or enjoy the warmth of the old tree and the delicious chill of bare feet in cool air.
Small boys played with sticks – and shadows,
And finally, exhausted from jumping off the tree too many times,
Enjoyed the last rays of sunshine on the patchwork quilt of autumn grass.
For more stories, please visit: My World!
The stuff of memories
Memories are like small children wandering along a shore
Or running down a sunlit path towards adventure.
You never know which pebbles they might pick up to store away in their treasure chests.
It might an outing, like this one in summer when we went to England,
Days full of laughter and family and weathered houses over 400 years old.
I feel as if the days are slipping through my fingers so quickly.
Yet in childhood time stands still, even as it is flying past.
Life is a series of moments – both past and present – and what matters most is, perhaps,
Not how many moments you’ve enjoyed, but how many of those moments took your breath away.
For more stories, please visit: My World.
I’m also linking to Jillsy’s Challenge.
Libertad
It’s easy to take freedom for granted if it’s never been taken away from you.
As I watch the Chilean miners slowly being lifted up to the surface again- to safety and their loved ones,
The tears running down my face,
I wonder if they feel as if they are up there in the sky
Flying free in the tangled ribbons of the heavens.
I imagine that sunlight and air and freedom never tasted so sweet.
For more stories, please visit: Skywatch.
How to be as happy as a dog
Here are Oscar’s tips on how to find joy.
Have fun.
Oscar drying himself after a swim
Make space for the spiritual.
Say 'Ohm!'
And get plenty of love and rest.
For more stories, visit Camera Critters.
The boys of summer
Sometimes a glorious summer evening explodes with sunny delight.
Calling your name so that you have to get out there and enjoy that light.
You rush to get yourself a set of wheels and you’re off!
Small or big, gliding is the only way to meet the intense joy of a light night.
And no matter how tough you look, there is still an appreciative spirit inside…
You are never too tough to enjoy a lovely sunset.
It really is all too easy to judge people by the way they look, isn’t it?
For more great shots, please visit: My World.
Summer beauty
You know her as Anklebiter #1. This name doesn’t really do her justice. For one thing, she turned 9 on Monday and is more a shoulderbiter these days in stature.
The name doesn’t really sum up her true nature: kind, funny, warm, compassionate, adorable and extremely generous.
Light of my life.
A true beauty – both on the inside and the outside.
Happy Birthday, my summer treasure!
Brown and agile child, the sun which forms the fruit
And ripens the grain and twists the seaweed
Has made your happy body and your luminous eyes
And given your mouth the smile of water.
Pablo Neruda
For more beauties, please check out: My World.
Sunlit joys
A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.
Anais Nin
I’ve been bottling the sunlight and catching dazzling rainbows to take out and enjoy when winter seems long.
I’ve collected diamonds from the snow and weaved them into a necklace for you.
If we take the time to look around, we can find our joy – every day.
How are you going to fill your heart with happiness today?
It’s the simple things
It’s the simple moments in life that transform an ordinary day into something extraordinary – like unexpected beams of sunlight. Or the generosity of others.
The delightful Soul Aperture came up with the ingenious idea of getting people to write about the simple things in life. She donated one dollar for every comment or post that people linked to her challenge and ended up giving 180 dollars to a charity in Haiti.
I missed out on this last weekend, but Enchanted Oak has taken up the challenge once again and promised to donate two dollars for each participating blog to Heartline, a charity in Haiti. So, if you feel like writing for a great cause, then meet the challenge head-on here.
The simple things in life – a celebration:
The goodness of…
a kind friend, an affectionate dog, the taste of rain on the tongue
the cooling of clear river water on hot summer feet
Conversation, love, a needed hug
Compassion and kindness and
The unexpected generosity of a warm spring day,
The smile of a stranger,
A kind deed that goes by unnoticed but brightens the day of someone who needs it.
The sheer delight of…
Snowflakes on eyelashes,
Sun shimmering on snow,
Handfuls of dazzling sunshine and the laughter of children.
The perfect cinnamon swirl of my daughter’s ear,
The pearly rainbow of a shell,
And the radiant toothy smile of my son.
Big brown puppy eyes, glorious sunsets
Family, friends, a warm home.
Small children’s hands in mine,
The whisper of I love you.
Who says what?