• Mary Oliver,  poems,  poetry,  quotes,  writing/reading

    It’s a gift…

    I believe poetry is very old.
    It’s very sacred.
    It wishes for a community.
    It’s a community ritual, certainly.

    And that’s why, when you write a poem,
    you write it for anybody and everybody…
    It’s a gift to yourself,
    but it’s a gift to anybody who has a hunger for it.

    Mary Oliver
  • insects,  Photography

    Images that move us…

    Daddy Longlegs

    Who needs an expensive DSLR camera, three lens, eight camera bags, three filters, and a carbon tripod? 🙂 Why not pull the cell phone out of our pocket, take the photo, tweak it a bit in the iphone PS app, upload it to your blog and viola, the days post is done.

    Yes, I’ve done that because I’m a photographer and when a scene presents itself we need to take the photo. This may work in a pinch but there is something about the process involved in working a scene that the above scenario falls short. I’m only talking for myself but I need the experience of looking through the viewfinder, envisioning, composing, waiting and then pressing the shutter. A photographer takes photos because they have to, just as writers write. We work through our process to create the images that move us.

  • coffee shops

    Coffee in Hand

    Coffee in Hand

    Some people start their day with a cup of coffee (or two.) Some need it just to get started, and some make it a morning ritual, and then some do both. I drink the unleaded stuff so a caffeine fix is not needed, leaving me with the ritual. I very seldom drink brewed coffee but prefer the latte/cappuccino style espresso drinks. This tradition had been a part of my life for several years after my youngest daughter introduced them to me. I enjoy making then at home or going out to a local coffee shop. These local shops have a small community of followers and I happen to be part of it. Most of them are accustomed to my antics of grabbing my camera so I can take a photo of their cup or their hands or muffin or their book or their …….