Wishcast Wed and 52 Photo Project

Chocolate Smiley Face

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Bacon!!!

Happy Wednesday to all. Today over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and Bella's 52 Photos Project we are sharing wishes and pictures.

This week the prompts were: Wish: What do you wish to nourish? and picture: chocolate.

So the picture was easy.. Chocolate makes me smile and if you eat the good stuff it can be healthy too.  The only rub is that I eat way too much of it so I am currently working on paring it down to a few ounces of good dark chocolate a week.

I wish to nourish my mind, body and spirit with healthy food, creative projects and deeper connection to spirit whatever that may be.

In regards to health and losing weight I am seriously thinking of joining Weight Watchers as in the past it has worked for me, maybe it's the fact that someone else is weighing you that makes you more accountable, not sure.  In regards to my emotional eating I'm in the midst of reading Geneeth Roth's "Woman, Food and " which a friend recommended to me.

To nourish my spirit I have been reading the works of Pema Chodron and I am really connecting to what she says about loving kindness and compassion.  I have also been reading many different poets as I have been taking a poetry/writing class.   Words have always had a profound effect on me, I believe they can heal the soul.

I am continuing with nourishing my creative side with writing and picture taking.  I have discoved a new app for the iphone, the leme camera app.  It allows you to take double exposure pictures and it I love challenging myself with it.  The below picture was a group of women at an art workshop and my Kuan Yin statue.  The results being that I am infusing those women with love and compassion.

I am also continuing with my writing.  Below is a recent poem I wrote with the prompt being "vanilla".

vanilla

some think
boring
mundane
bland
safe
not me
I think
earthy
sweet
exotic
spicy
I miss the smell
of it on my
skin
he didn’t ask
but I knew
he didn’t like it
what else do
we give up
for love

So my fellow wishers, what are you wishing to nourish today?  As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.

Namaste,
Karen

What I've been up to........

Wow,  two posts in one week!  This is a record for me lately.

Just wanted to show you guys what I've been up to.  I am taking Maya Stein's Feral Writing Course and below is one of the pieces I wrote that I actually feel kinda sorta good about.  (jeez why is it so hard to admit we like anything we create)

A ode to my childhood "backyard"

squares of grass around
black pavement with white lines
mysterious clothes drying on frayed rope
rusty garbage bins big as mountains
garage roof tops to be scaled
freedom found climbing willow trees
skinned knees and bare feet
mother’s call from apartment window
neighbors yell to quite down
friends laughing hide and seek
breathe held as bottle spun
first kiss under cover of night
first beer, breaking curfew
whispered talks of heartbreak
others had shiny pools and manicured lawns
but we had worlds to explore
connected through
squares of grass around
black pavement with white lines

On the photography front I am still having a grand ol time with the iphone and it's myriad of photo applications.  The above picture was taken with an app called leme camera.  I choose the double exposure "film" and I'm loving this one.  The Kuan Yin statue is exposed with a picture taken a few years ago at an art retreat, so in a sense I am infusing my friends with love and compassion here.

Wishing you all a wonderful day for me it's beat the heat over here with temps climbing to 100 degrees today.  urghh...

Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday and 52 Photos Project

Happy Wednesday to all.  Today over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and Bella's 52 Photos Project we are sharing wishes and pictures.

This week the prompts were:  Wish:  What do you wish to try?  and picture:  the table at meal time.

I wish to try sinking deeper into writing and photography.  I just started a  poetry/writing class at Maya Stein's Feral Writing and I am finding it easier to fit in my low energy days because it only requires you write on a choice of prompts for 30 minutes a day.  Maya gives you feedback on your writing  and her take on my words have me loving them and it's helping me pare down my writing to the bare essentials. 

I bit off more than I could chew with some other wonderful writing courses especially Natasha's at Creative Nachos and Jennifer's Word Cellar.  The timing was such that I was going through some things in my life that took most of my energy.  I hope by the time the summer is over I can delve more deeply into exploring my writing through these other courses.

With photography the iphone has really kept me taking pictures and telling my story through them especially through the instagram app, where you share your pics, there is a wonderful community over there.  The above picture is not technically "at the table" but it is the fixings of what I was making that night; fresh tomato sauce with whole wheat pasta.  I love simple ingredients with little fuss.  I looked at the butcher block and thought what a great picture that would be, the reds and greens against the wood block. 

Again like with the writing once summer is done I would like to get my dslr camera out and try learning the more technical aspects of photography, the iphone is fun and is helping me develop my eye for composition so it has been perfect for where I am now.

So what are you wishing to try today?  As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.

May you and yours be well.
Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday and 52 Photos Project

Good Morning my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today is Wednesday and we're sharing our wishes and pictures over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and Bella's 52 Photos Project. 

The prompts this week were:  Wish:  What do you wish to ask for?  Photo:  summertime treat.

I did not participate last Wednesday in wishing because I am having a difficult time finding words lately.  This week I am going to jump back in because I believe in putting our wishes and intentions out there.

What I wish to ask for is patience and trust.   I was speaking to a friend last week about my impatience with myself and my journey, my aggrevation with the pace I am moving at and by the end of the conversation I said "Oh hell, maybe I am exactly where I need to be ."  The next day I am enjoying my daily Dove Chocolate treat and the message inside the wrapper read:  "You are exactly where you are supposed to be"  I KIDD YOU NOT, this truly happened. (of course you know I had to take a pictue of it, see below)
It's times like these that I start to believe there is a universal force trying to get us messages in whatever way it can, in my case it just happened to be through chocolate!!  

The picture I wanted to share as a summertime treat over at Bella's 52 Photos Project is the above sunflower picture, for me sunflowers represent all the joy and color of summer.

Bella also interviewed me over at her digs.  The interview was done in a format where Bella asked a question and I answered with a picture, this is an idea that really appealed to me since I tend to be more visual.  You can see it by clicking the link below.  All the pictures were taken with my iphone.

Karen's Interview over At 52 Photos Project.

So my friends what are you wishing to ask for today?  As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.

Namaste,
Karen

Where you can find me today and Monday Inspiration

Blue skies in my neighborhood

Bella over at 52 Photos Projects asked me to do an instant interview where she asked me questions and I answered in pictures.  It was really fun and I am glad she asked me to do it.  I took all the pictures with my iphone.  Still being inspired by my iphone and the way it lets me take pictures in the moment. You can see the interview and pictures by clicking on the below link below

Interview with Karen over at 52 Photos Project.

Namaste,
Karen

Week Ending July 9th, Iphone Edition

Hi everyone!
I hope you're enjoying this summer day. 
Though I have not been able to find words  I leave you with my week in iphone pics.

May you and yours be well.
Namaste,
Karen