Plan B

May 4, 2012 by IBK | 1 Comment

©IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, I was in Washington, D.C. for a long weekend visit with my youngest son.  The trip had been planned to coincide with the peak season of the annual “Cherry Blossom Festival.”  It had been two years since I had experienced the delight of seeing the blossoms for the first time and at that time I was a relatively new photographer using a small Cannon “point and click” digital camera.  I couldn’t wait to use my now more sophisticated digital camera and to compare the presumably better pictures with the first attempt.

Well, nature intervened.  The blossoms were at peak season about 3 weeks before I arrived (peak season changes every year and I’d purchased my ticket) due to the very early spring in D.C.  I changed my focus and decided to only take my  I-Phone® and join the category of “iphoneographers” during my visit.  It takes a light touch and there were a a lot of new “how -to’s” , but what a delight to bring home about 75  images that were stored in a phone in a pocket of my jacket.  Amazing.

 

Today’s image comes from the front of an office building on “L” street in downtown Washington, D.C.  With the lens in the I -Phone®, a different angle, and the sunny morning light reflections, the  windows all look a bit different, and yet they were all identical.  The upper left window is the closest to what “the eye” saw.  Plan B (and C) often delight, if we can only move on from Plan A.

IBK

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Plan B Tagged , , , |

Change It UP

April 27, 2012 by IBK | 2 Comments

©IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before moving to Denver , my hikes occurred on summer vacations. Yesterday  a friend and I went on a spring hike.  The trail started from a parking lot about 15 minutes from my house. Soon we were climbing higher and  proceeded up a series of switchbacks with a generally smooth path along with patches of rocky terrain. We hiked to the top, sat on rocks to eat our snack and then completed the loop of 4 miles back to the car.  I was home by lunch. OK, so what?

Well the rest of the story is that with minimal effort, I saw purple,teal,and fuchsia spring flowers that I had never seen before, hiked up the back of the well known Red Rocks Amphitheater, AND saw numerous nests of caterpillars in their silken  nursery tents  (see today’s image), resting  - perhaps after munching on their host plant’s leaves.  Take that you boring treadmill at the fitness center.

I had so much energy and a great attitude when I got home, that I planted most of my small backyard garden and added some new scented flowers by the front steps in anticipation of the rain which didn’t come until tonight.  Then I got to see the new plants dancing in the rain.  I would have missed this latest delight because I had planned to watch some T.V. after my big day … thankfully the cable was out and I had hours “to be”.

A personal note: Please pray for a young man name Ty who is in a major battle with his enemy, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.

IBK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Seasons, Seeing In New Ways Tagged , , , , |

A Picture, Few Words

April 20, 2012 by IBK | 1 Comment

©IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring in Washington D.C. … Hours of walking, talking and the gift of time with my youngest son whom I visited last weekend … guests at my table … good conversation … meaningful work and interactions as a volunteer at the Habitat for Humanity Restore Home Improvement Outlet … news of a long awaited adoption occurring soon as a friends travel to China to bring a new daughter home … sharing nourishment for the mind and body with book club friends … discovering Brene’ Brown on “Ted Talks” online  (Google to find this) … preparing the garden soil for a new season … making  a first of season salad from tender leaves in my raised planter  … and so many other blessings  in one week …and now good night dear readers … or good morning as the case may be.

IBK

Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , |

Both-And

April 12, 2012 by IBK | 2 Comments

© IBKimage 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later today I hope be sitting by this tidal pool in Washington, D.C. surrounded by the Cherry Blossoms and “hanging out” with my youngest son.  As I was reviewing my pre-trip list I suddenly remembered that it was “blog night ” so I thought through how I would do that remotely and so on, until I realized that I could do a “blog morning.”  This was a reminder of a theme I have been noticing in my life during the last two weeks … I’m slowly experiencing some progress with “both-and” vs. “either or”.

As long as I can remember, I have had pre-trip reluctance; I’m excited about going and 24 hours or more before I start to enter the “I’ve got everything done, and I could now stay home mode.” The way I usually deal with that is to over-function by over packing, over-cleaning; over organizing  and so on (just in case I don’t make it home, other people would have to pay my bills, find my … and so on) … except today.

Full disclosure:  I haven’t vacuumed for 4 weeks; dusted for 3; but it’s ok to use the bathroom or eat in my kitchen “cause” those are spotless.  So you see, perhaps there are things in our lives we could approach from a both-and perspective that allows us to be a bit kinder with ourselves and subsequently others.  I’m going to keep noticing when both-and opportunities present themselves.  You?

IBK

Posted in Letting Go, Seeing In New Ways Tagged , , |

Let It Rest

March 30, 2012 by IBK | 3 Comments

©IBKimage2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word I’ve been thinking about this week is fallow.  Generally we think of leaving a field fallow; it is plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a time to restore its fertility as a part  of crop rotation.  Leaving a piece of ground  fallow will also reduce the risk of disease or parasite transmission.  I experienced it this week in the form of people that came into my presence who are in need of rest after experiencing long seasons  of growth along with storms and other challenges; I noticed a garden area in my neighborhood that after 3 years of “nothing” seems to be sprouting new growth in our very premature warm spring. Some might recall that I didn’t send out a blog last week … my creative energies have been fallow after several months of learning,doing,scheduling,adjusting,recovering and so on.

The interesting thing about a fallow field is that it’s plowed and ready to do what “it” does; but it is intentionally not sown with new seed; its taking a break from providing a new yield at harvest.

What could you leave unsown in your life  in this season that will allow you to experience rest and restoration ?  What do you need to say no to be able to say yes to a fallow field or two ?

IBK

Posted in Courage, Insight, Letting Go, Seasons Tagged , , , |

“Shake off those guilty fears, arise …”

March 16, 2012 by IBK | 2 Comments

© 2011 IBKimage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The words of today’s caption are from a song sung on Sunday mornings at my church.  Our single stock of wheat  in today’s image seems ready to shake off it’s snow covering  to arise to grow again  after a winter’s nap under a protective blanket of snow.  Wishing you joy as you await the gift of a new spring. Arise.

IBK

Posted in Letting Go, Seasons Tagged , |

Things Are Not Always What They Seem

March 9, 2012 by IBK | Leave a comment

©IBKimage2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s image is  a flower box in front of a brightly painted window of a Victorian style storefront in Crested Butte, Colorado.  The collection of vibrant colors delight residents and visitors alike as they enjoy the summer days in  mountain towns.  But wait … this picture was taken during the waning days of  autumn’s  leaf season when all the deciduous greens turn a golden yellow in our Colorado high country.  So these beautiful  flowers are artificial.  Someone forgot to remove them when the summer tourists left.

It takes a lot of work to keep those beautiful baskets of flowers pruned and watered as they greet us at our vacation destinations . I’ve seen the landscape contractors out early in the morning with their long water wands attached to a tank on their pickup truck as they move from one hanging planter to the next. As beautiful as they are, flowers cannot survive hanging on a pole at high altitude or in city smog without managed care.

The artificial flowers last longer and require no water, but they have no power to draw us to the authentic show that nature provides in it changing seasons.

What is most authentic for you in this season of your life and what will you prune that’s artificial?

IBK

Posted in Authenticity, Seasons Tagged , , |

Just Function

February 23, 2012 by IBK | 5 Comments

©IBKimage 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are people that bring a smile to your face every time you think of them.  The moments in time that you are privileged to spend with them in the various seasons of your life, leave an indelible imprint on your life and heart.  One such person is someone whom I’ve rarely spent time with in person because of geographic distances over the years, but every now and then we schedule a “visit” and spend about an hour  on the phone, entering each other’s lives and “catching up” about where we left off the time before.  Almost 40 years later I’m still aware of a time when she gave me the gift of a wonderful collection of words that came from such a conversation.  I’m always challenged by them.

 

“The challenge is to not ‘over-function’ or ‘under-function’ but just function.”  What a wonderful antidote to the ubiquitous “perfect” that we are bombarded with every day , from the mouths of many in numerous contexts and our own “perfecto meters”.  The outcropping in today’s image has been functioning for  thousands of years, shaped by the elements, marked with upheaval,and gracing us with its particular shape and texture of rich and royal hues.

Could we just function today and celebrate the moment … or alternatively, just muddle through?

IBK

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Insight, Letting Go Tagged , , , |

Same Place Different Season

February 16, 2012 by IBK | 2 Comments

IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m delighted to say that my health is restored. After spending so much time indoors recently I was waiting for a sunny day during this snowiest of Februaries in Denver and when the partially sunny day arrived last Friday, I grabbed my camera and made my way to the Denver Botanic Garden.  This was my first trip to the garden in the winter and I wanted to see the array of orchids displayed indoors by the Denver Orchid Society.  They were nice, but not quite what I wanted to capture.  I had limited time so I went for a quick walk through the deserted outdoor garden.  I was running out of time and my battery was almost gone, when I captured today’s image.

 

I’ve photographed these fountains before, but without the beautiful greenery and flowers  of spring , summer, and fall in bloom, I found them more beautiful than ever in their winter surround.  There is most certainly beautiful life in every season.  On my first post 60th birthday today, I certainly experienced that with the help of family and friends in my own garden.  What beauty is showing up in your season?

IBK

 

Posted in Seasons, Seeing In New Ways Tagged , |

Blessings

February 10, 2012 by IBK | 3 Comments

©IBKimage2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to miss you last week. I lost my voice and energy courtesy of a health malady that kept me close to the couch . During my seclusion I was blessed by a 20 inch snowfall that blanketed my urban neighborhood  and  gave the city a long winter’s nap. I can’t remember a time when my main focus was getting well and not much else.  I canceled all commitments and was amazed how liberating it all was despite being ill.
 

The day that I got sick a friend had blessed me with the gift of a long phone call; during the week e-mails arrived from people I had met while traveling and working at Habitat for Humanity; phone calls came from family and friends; chicken soup and prayers were offered; in short, I was well cared for and loved in numerous ways.

 

Today’s image is a photograph of a glass partition in a restaurant that has been around for many years overlooking the Denver area.  It somehow reminds me of what I  re-discovered this week.  Even though we can’t see clearly what lies beyond the glass, there are beautiful “drops” of love that we receive  and can give in “the present” that can change a life.

IBK

 

Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , |