Saturday, June 30, 2012

Leap of Faith ...

Late night, last night ... Up after crashing hard for about 2 hours.  Just playing around with old photos to see if any art was waiting to be unlocked.  This is what came out.  Feel free to download and use, print this one if you'd like.  This is the full resolution, canvas size.  I call this one .. "Leap of Fatih."









I can't think of a song for this one?  I'm drawing a complete blank.  Tired today ... If you have any suggestions.  If you leave me a song, I promise to do my best to try and sing along ... Or, I could save you a slow dance ; )


7/12/2012 ... Finally found a song for this ....

Song: "Lights", By Ellie Goulding

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Moonlight Illumination ...


A toast ...





"Moonlight Illumination" a.k.a. "Ghosts in the Machine 2"
@Copyrighted Photograph, 2012.  All Rights Reserved:  Isabelle Black Smith.





"Life can only be understood backwards;
but it must be lived forwards." ~Soren Kierkegaard




Song: "The Shape of My Heart", By Sting




7/5/2012 ... Sometimes you find the wisdom you most need to hear in the most unexpected of places.  Thank you, Paul.  Your quote from Bukowski fits perfectly with the answer I have been seeking all along.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

"Save the Pear Trees" ...

A friend of mine was lamenting how the city had just recently gone onto her mother's property --after the mother's passing-- and bulldozed not just the buidlings, but also a beloved Willow tree that my friend had grown up with.  Seems that the city had not just cleared a lot of land in one heartless fell swoop, my friend felt almost as if her fond childhood memories  --memories of watching the tree grow, climbing amongst its branches, sheltering under its loving wispy boughs-- had also been swept away in the process. 

I told my friend, DiAnne, that I could sincerely relate to her loss as I had had dozen or more beautiful Pear trees taken out along my street when I was little --living in Oklahoma.  I told her that event in my life had truly torn at my heartstrings. I then jokingly told DiAnne that the latter event in my life had probably been the beginning of the rebel --the crusader of justice for the 'helpless individual'-- taking root in me.  Well then, DiAnne, of course wanted to hear my story.  So I took a little bit of time and wrote it down for her. 

I was able to post Part 1 of the story for her on Facebook, but FB seems to be balking at Part 2 for some reason?  Facebook the critic ; )  Anyhow, thought I would just post it here for her to read and perhaps you might enjoy as well?  This story may give those of you that know me personally a better idea of where it is that I am often coming from.  So read or don't, for the rest of you ...But this is for you, DiAnne.  I truly have heartfelt empathy for you in the loss of your beloved Willow tree.  Love to you, my friend.  ♥






"Save the Pear Trees!!" - Part 1 
(a.k.a. Isabelle the 'activist', the early years ; )


We lived in an old house, in an older neighborhood, surrounded by really tall trees. Then again, when you are only four years old perhaps all trees appear to be really tall? The trees in my neighborhood were mostly Pecan, Walnut, Sycamore and Oak to the best of my recollection, but there were also many ornamentals in front yards and lining the sidewalk expanse of street-side yard owned by the city. Along my street were rows of Pear trees. The Pear trees in my neighborhood weren’t just ornamentals either; these trees actually bore fruit every summer. I can still vividly recall the beautiful white blooms, the sweet smell of flowered essence, buzzing bees and the excitement when the pears were finally ripe enough to pick and eat.

I loved all the trees in my neighborhood. These trees were fabulous for climbing, building forts and all sorts of other creative endeavors, but the Pear trees had a special place in my heart because they were so very beautiful and they bore the most succulent fruit in summertime. For some reason –being 4 years old, I guess, and still filled with such a sense of wonder for the world around me—I got the biggest thrill out of being able to walk across the street, pick a handful of pears and then eat them straight off the tree. Of course, I had to be lifted up most of the time in order to reach the fruit-bearing branches towering way above my head. I had learned that you don’t eat the ones that had fallen on the ground as these were usually rotten and filled with all sorts of insects, which although cool were not recommended for consumption.

As in all really good stories, there is usually a problem that must be solved, a really bad villain and if the story is lucky: an amazing super-hero who sweeps in to the save the day, right? Well in my story here, the fruit laying on the ground wound up being “the problem” at some point. Neighbors began complaining about the swarms of flies and other insects that were attracted to the fallen fruit and since the land on which trees grew belonged to the city, it seemed that none of the neighbors wanted to assume the chore of picking up the rotten fruit. Enter “the bad guy”: the city … who I happened to think at the time was actually a person named “city.” Well, it turned out that the city didn’t want to assume the chore of picking up the rotten pears either; that is to say, that the city didn’t want to pay for the rotten fruit to be picked up. I guess, a more cost effective solution was deemed to be cutting the Pear trees down altogether.



@Copyrighted Story, June 2012.  Isabelle Black Smith:  All Rights Reserved.



[ Continued in a Note (click to continue reading) "Save the Pear Trees!!"  Part 1 & 2

.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Sailing Away with Music ...


Here's an old photo I never got around to processing ... have many of those, it seems. Makes me want to go sailing again. Alas, today is dark, dreary and drizzly. Not complaining though: we had glorious sunshine yesterday and the day before. Sun will be back. Today's weather is just a welcome license to kick back and do some much needed relaxing. 




"Let's Go Sailing!"
@Copyrighted Photo, 2011.  All Rights Reserved:  Isabelle Black Smith.





Listening to the group "America" today.  Love this group.  One of the very first albums I purchased with my hard-earned babysitting money.  I was an odd kid, I guess?  Always listening to music of an older generation.  For some reason, the music in the late 60's and 70's just speaks to me on a spiritual level.  What can I say?  Found some live recording videos of the group on youtube.com. Very cool.  Now playing:  "Tin-man".  Neat to see the group performing, live.  They were so young for such talent.  Love their soulful, poetic ballads.  One of my favorite groups of all-time.  Listening to their music just takes me away ... Perfect for this quiet rainy day.


Hope you're having a good one too! =)



Peace & Love,

~M




P.S.  Not going to put a link to any of the America videos here.  Seems most of the time when I share a link WMG steps in and has the video removed for content violations?  So sad ... How does WMG suppose it's going to promote its artists if they keep systematically slamming everything on the internet?

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Love From Puget Sound ...





Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful Dads out there.  Hope this was a good day for you and yours.  God Bless!


~M



Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Spiritual Intellect: the seemingly superfluous and downright absurd

I think I’ve reached some level of higher spiritual evolution when I can hear someone say something caustic and degrading toward a certain ‘demographic’ – who are actually a group of real people, with hearts, minds and feelings-- in a covert effort to elevate themselves in the eyes of others (on some level) and not be offended by their words. To not be offended by the latter, to not feel compelled to strike back in anger, or at the very least to offer a stern rebuke for said individual’s thoughtlessness, would by many people’s standards take a great restraint, right?  But instead, these days, I find myself feeling sorry for said individual on some level. Instead of anger or a self-righteous need to correct their transgression, I feel an almost maternal regret for their small spiritual intellect and I find myself praying for their continued (and future) enlightenment on this journey we call 'Life'.

Maybe, I’ve just finally come to accept that I can’t change the world around me for better or worse --single-handedly-- but I can be part of a collective voice that speaks for a greater good. I can also pray for the change that I would hope to see in the world and be an example, myself, for this change and if someone earnestly asks for my opinion in an effort to embrace understanding and new ways of thinking, I can attempt to convey the wisdom and insight that I have gained thus far --spiritually speaking. And I don't have all the answers; if I did:  I wouldn't still be here searching myself.  The latter being said, however, some of us are understandably further along on our journey of spiritual enlightenment than others. As such, we are called to help others learn, grow and evolve in a spiritual sense.  The learning and growing is the real point of this journey we call 'Life'. 

To me the foremost sign of an enlightened individual is a willingness to take the back seat in a room, to not always have to be ‘seen’ and more importantly a willingness to listen and not always –not saying never … there will be times when an enlightened individual is called to lead-- need to be heard. Anything else, on a spiritual level, is seemingly superfluous and perhaps downright absurd?


Tuesday, June 05, 2012

It's all a matter of perspective ...






Said it before.  I'll say it again:  "Change your perspective; change your life."  ~Me






"X-ray Tulips"

@Copyrighted Image.  All Rights Reserved.





Guess this was the perfect day to post this image and thought? 

1) Venus crosses the sun for last time in the next 105 years ... (There are lots of great images available on the internet.  See Space.com  and scroll down to bottom of the page to see live images and a digital art render of the event. )

***Remember:  Never Look Directly Into the Sun!!***

2) Moonbow seen in Hawaii ... While a counterbalancing "celestial halo" encircled the sun as seen from view in Florida yesterday.





... The celestial heavens seem to be alive these days.  Perhaps their performances of late will provide you with a newfound source of inspiration.



Peace & Love Always,

~M




6/6/2012 ... Footnote:  Sci-fi Author, Ray Bradbury left this life, as we know it, today.  He was 91.  Onto his next great adventure.  Peace & Love to you and yours Mr. Bradbury.