Write On Thyme

Valentine's Sweet Kisses

2012-02-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

Via Pinterest

A sweet day!

We will be making dinner at home with

The Chef's twenty-something son and his sweetie

(at their request)

celebrating by way of a couple's dinner.

Can't think of a better way.

Wishing all of you a most lovely Valentine's Day!

<3<3<3

Right Bank Tombs of Beauty~ Missing Paris Day

2012-02-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Another shot from Cimetiere de Passy in the 16th arrondissement

which overlooks the Eiffel Tower.

I love the bright green of the moss alongside the gorgeous patina of the door.

And of course, the cobblestone walkways.

Since 1820, Passy has housed the remains of such famous names as Debussy, Manet,

Givenchy, Mirbeau, Morisot and Renault.

If not for the names, worth the walk for the beauty,

the view and the chestnut trees.

Cimetiere de Passy

2, rue du Commandant Schoesling

Metro: Trocadero

(photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Novel House in Paris~ Missing Paris Day

2012-02-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the house of my novel~

partially set in Paris.

It's just a few blocks from our apartment so easy access.

And right on the Champ de Mars.

I love the arched doorway in grapevine relief,

the mini columns and the heads also draped in vines.

I've had it in mind for some time

but on this last trip I took some photos so I'd have them for description.

Notice the wild cat licking a leg above.

And the pine cones over the window...

and in the corners.

It's actually a couple of apartment buildings

but in this job, I get to take creative license.

It also happens to be the home of the Cesar Academie

(of which a friend has been nominated for an award-

but that's another blog post).

The backside looks right out on...

the Eiffel Tower.

Imagine having this as your living room view.

That's what I did so (besides the tenants of the building)

my characters are the lucky ones.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Steak Tartare? Still not ready...

2012-01-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

The gorgeous Steak Tartare.

Have you tried it?

It's in every restaurant, on every Paris menu

and I'm offered a bite every time it happens to be at my table.

But so far, I cannot seem to order it.

This happens to be the Chartier version.

My brother-in-law, on a visit once to the US,

tried to feed My French Babies (when they were still tiny things)

barely seared, local hamburger meat at home, pink as the above picture all throughout the middle.

I had to convince him he could kill his children if he let them eat it.

It took every persuasive power to get him to cook it through

and he swore they wouldn't eat it well done. They did.

(He forgot about the magical powers ketchup has on children.)

And me, myself? I still can't bring myself to eat this beautiful medley of colors.

It's tempting, but it's still a non.

Someday I will. And I will celebrate when I do.

But until then, I'll take my Steak Frites.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Window Shopping in Paris

2012-01-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

Already it feels like ages since I was in Paris

and I just got back.

So I make myself feel better with some

virtual window shopping.

Thought you might enjoy as well.

I look at the chocolate above

and can't believe I didn't go right inside and buy one of everything.

Was hoping to do lunch at La Duree this visit

but it turns out they had a fire and have been under reconstruction.

I believe you can still buy their macarons

but I just took pictures of some instead.

And I let loose and ate my fair share of cheese this time.

Every meal. Every time.

Looking forward to the next visit already.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Jolie Papier Toilette

2012-01-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

While doing research for my novel in Paris recently,

I made a quick lunch and shopping detour

in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris' underground shopping mall

beneath the Louvre Palace and Museum.

And found I needed a...

what would be the French term for 'Pit Stop'?

I finally found the Point WC,

an attended restroom with a price: 1 euro 50 c.

The woman at the counter takes your money

and another (very quickly) cleans every stall after each use,

then greets and directs you to the most recently cleaned.

Never have I seen so many decorated rolls.

Maybe I just don't get out enough.

I think I like the plain colored variety.

Afterward I was delighted to find a Fragonard (Parfumerie)

where I bought an Eau de Toilette (really!)

as a gift for an upcoming hostess.

When in Paris,

stop in the Point WC and pay the price

just for the experience.

And then indulge

in some of the most famous perfume in Paris.

Carrousel du Louvre

99, rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

01.43.16.78.00

Mon-Sun 10am-8pm

Metro: Palais Royal- Musee du Louvre

Fragonard Louvre

99, rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

01.42.96.96.96

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Magical Paris Night Walk

2012-01-06T02:47:00.000-08:00

While The Chef is in the country hunting lapin,

(or rather tromping through the woods with those carrying the guns

and enjoying lunch at the hunter's lodge),

I took a magical walk by myself the other night

from the Louvre, across the Pont Neuf down to Notre Dame.

Love how the roof of the Hotel de Ville now sparkles at night

just like the Eiffel Tower.

Life is such a sparkle.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Cimetiere Passy

2012-01-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today we walked the Cimetiere Passy

just across the Seine from us in the 16th Arrondissement

for the first time.

Have tried to find the entrance once before and gave up

after much walking around looking.

But today we found it.

And some beautiful tombs.

I found one like I've never seen before:

a two-level with double stairs and stone landings.

It was like a grand cellar.

Walking the cemeteries of Paris

reminds one of how fleeting life is.

And how grateful we should be every moment.

Grateful for my life exactly as it is.

And for all of you.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Sliding into the New Year!

2012-01-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Mes Amies!

Back in Paris (after a short, mostly-working vacation in Greece last week)

and this was taken from a postcard at a souvenir shop after lunch today on Rue Cler.

We celebrated last night at a party with some American friends of my sister's

and walked the Trocadero and Eiffel Tower after midnight last night on our way home!

WHAT a crowd!

A little scary, interesting, exhilarating, and possibly a dim bulb idea

but luckily without incident for us. I've been in the Champ de Mars once before on NY's Eve

and it was wild and crazy then too only with fireworks

(which are no longer allowed in Paris on NY's Eve).

Hoping all of you had a fun and safe New Year's Eve

and wishing each of you smooth sailing in 2012!

CHEERS to the New Year!

Food of the Gods

2011-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

A peachy little eatery in Greece today.

(Did the Gods have fake flowers?)

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Joyeux Noel

2011-12-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Above is the little Christmas tree in our apartment's entryway

which the concierge does every year.

On our first night in Paris,

after a long lunch with ma soeur in Montmartre,

we unloaded our bags and took a walk across the Seine

to the Village de Noel at the Trocadero.

I had to come back for some day photos of these lovely little treats.

I did not taste a one

but now wish I had indulged in one of these gorgeous roses!

The colors, the textures,

everything looks scrumptious.

And Christmas-y!

I have to admit, on a cold night at these little fairs,

the vin chaud with a little fruit and sugar is my favorite.

Oh, but then there's also the crepes.

Ok, so both!

Wishing you a Christmas filled with all your favorite things!

And I promise~ so many more photos to come.

(photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

'Tis the Season~Missing Paris Day

2011-12-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

And I am sooo ready!

I have my 'Bastille My Heart' festive red nail polish on...

...and I've been working on the old abdominal obliques

and think I'm somewhat ready for the onslaught of Foie Gras and cheese

(although The Chef made Stifado de Boeuf this weekend and topped it off with

cranberry pancakes for breakfast so that might have put me a little-or big- behind)!

But mostly I'm ready for my Paris family and friends

and the joys of Christmas in one of the most beautiful cities on earth.

Anyone have any Paris photo wish lists?

I'm in the mood for making wishes come true.

And my best holiday wishes to everyone

in the countdown to the New Year!

2012~ Here we come!

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Moulin Rouge~ Missing Paris Day

2011-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

When my sister first moved to Paris from New York,

they lived in a small apartment just half a block off the Cimitiere Montmartre
right around the corner from the Moulin Rouge.

I spent hours in the afternoons curled up

at the tomb of Alexandre Dumas le fils

writing in my notebook

blissfully content at

being in Paris for

the first time
and wondering if,
at the end of his life,
Dumas wished he could change anything.

I love cemeteries especially in Paris
with their long alleyways and ornate tombs.
Each tomb is a work of art whether sweetly cared for
or left to grow cobwebs, plastic flowers darkened with dust and broken stained glass windows.

Something about wandering through them
reminds us of how little time we have
but not in a morbid way.
It puts things in perspective.

Is there anything you wish you could change from yesterday
that you could do differently today?
Remember it. Mark it. Change it.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Inviting You To Go Deeper~ Buddhist Thought for the Day

2011-12-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

"I am inviting you to go deeper, to learn and to practice

so that you become someone who has a great capacity for

being solid, calm, and without fear, because our society needs people

like you who have these qualities, and your children, our children, need people

like you, in order to go on, in order to become solid, and calm, and without fear."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

I love this quote because it reminds us that our journey is not just for ourselves

but also for those who look up to us, who follow us, learn from and imitate us.

Children look to us for how best to get along in this world

whether we are their parent, teacher, or friend.

As Joseph Campbell once said,

"It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life."

They need to know, as do we, that life is filled with heartaches,

and the best life is not one without heartache or failure

but the one in which we find the treasure in every difficulty.

(Photo: San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden)

(Copyright: Kirsten Steen)

How God Changes Your Brain~ Teaser Tuesday

2011-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

Today's selection is from 'How God Changes Your Brain' by Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman. P. 48.

"In the summer of 1999, I had the opportunity to study a group of nuns who had been practicing the Centering Prayer for a minimum of fifteen years. This was the first brain-scan study of Christian contemplative practitioners, and we discovered that the neurological changes were significant and very different from how the human brain normally functions. Even more surprising, the neurological changes were nearly the same as those we recorded from a group of Buddhist practitioners, who obviously nurtured very different beliefs. This evidence confirmed our hypothesis that the benefits gleaned from prayer and meditation may have less to do with a specific theology than with the ritual techniques of breathing, staying relaxed, and focusing one's attention upon a concept that evokes comfort, compassion, or a spiritual sense of peace. Of course, the more you believe in what you are meditating or praying about, the stronger the response will be."

A fascinating look at the effects of meditation (and prayer) on the neurological aspects of the brain. While I have recommended meditation to family and friends, I find that people either don't understand the benefits to themselves (of which there are a myriad of variations that last far beyond the time spent sitting) or they are terrified of time alone and/or what they will find inside. What a very different world it would be if everyone took a few minutes every day to slow down, go inside and feel a little peace on a regular basis.

From the back cover:
"* Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. (From page 62: 'Another important study...also showed that meditation enhanced the brain's thickness and neuroplasticity. Normally when we age, our cerebral cortex thins.')
* Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love.
* Fundamentalism, in and of itself, can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain.
* Intense prayer and meditation lastingly change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality."

Bountiful Wishes!

2011-11-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Since they are now saying (as I've always said)

that gratitude is good for mind, body and soul,

Giving thanks here for:

*the many spectacular friends and family in my life,

*a wonderful and generous partner who shares my everyday world,

*the many true blessings I've been bestowed

*the gift of past, present and future
*the colors of each season

*and you!

What are you thankful for?

Wishing all of you a most bountiful Thanksgiving!

(Photograph copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Wooded Bliss~Missing Paris Day

2011-11-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

Had to share a few more photos of the ancient buildings

of Bar le Duc.

It's no secret that I love doors and windows...

and especially the wooded doors and ceilings of medieval times.

And there's no shortage of them here.

Look at what this window revealed.

The dining room where I will be a guest on this next trip to Bar le Duc

has a similar ceiling only with a luscious, deep turquoise shade between the beams.

Wonder what's for lunch in this room today?

Maybe a little wild boar stuffed with the champignons of the Lorraine area

and a piece of this sweetness with a dark cafe creme.

And yes, I was teased and giggled at for taking this photo.

The woman behind the counter couldn't understand why I would want a shot of it.

My photography companion tried to explain with a shrug of her shoulders: "C'est different."

I've been told that Bar le Duc has some of the oldest buildings in the area

and this Monument Historique sign gives you an idea of just how old.

And then there's my favorite: the timbered-house.

I never tire of gazing at this style.

There are a couple in Paris I'll have to find on this visit and share with you.

I only found them recently though they stand just around the corner from a place I've walked by

over and over throughout the years.

One of the things I love about Paris!

Bon Lundi toute la monde!

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

One-time Residence of the Duc de Bar~ Missing Paris Day

2011-11-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

Always when we travel to Paris,

we visit family in Bar le Duc,

a small town in the Meuse Departement of Lorraine

about 3 hours east of Paris.

When I came to the Old Town section for the first time twenty years ago,

I took a similar photo of this window

which was just as dressed up as you see it now

(though the valences portrayed the flowers of summer).

I love the lavender wreath

and matching pots and boughs.

Many of the houses of the old town

date back from the 15th to 17th centuries.

And on my last visit, I pointed and clicked

at houses, doors and windows from all directions...

...and traversed the many old walkways

that still resemble the days of the Dukes.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Full (Hunter's/Sanguine) Moon and 11/11/11

2011-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

~Image via Pinterest

The full moon of November is known as the Hunter's Moon (also called the Sanguine or Blood Moon) mainly because it gives plenty of evening light during hunting season. And the hunters of our family in France are already catching rabbits for our visit. The Little Unfortunates are typically served in a sauce of their own blood (not my favorite but it makes the hunters happy) and one must chew carefully in preparation for the inevitable buckshot. Actually my favorite rabbit in France was made by our butcher, just next door at the bottom of our stairs, simply baked lined with moutarde and jambon. It is endlessly interesting to return to a country that still handles much of its food straight from the farm or field. The open-air markets dangle animal parts for sale or offer live versions in cages. The fresher the better. After a huge lunch in the country, we walk in the forest for the express purposes of aiding digestion and spreading feed for the wild boar.

Tonight the moon illuminates the skies and the hunter's vision and tomorrow, the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011, the numbers 11/11/11 are all about illumination, transformation and enlightenment. Some see it as a time of peace. The fighting of World War I officially ended at 11:00 on November 11th in 1918 (the war itself ended the following June but the fighting ceased on this day). Some believe it's a time portal. Some see it as good luck and will spend 11/11/11 this year buying lottery tickets. Gamblers will try their luck and others will tie the knot, hoping for an auspicious marriage beginning. A pair of twins will celebrate their 11th birthday with 11 candles in buttercream number 11. Those dedicated to peace and transformation will meditate on transmissions of light and inner awareness.

And for you, I'm wishing all of these good things: peace, illumination, auspiciousness and good hunting.
And if 11/11/11 is indeed a portal, happy travels!

Parisian Christmas~Missing Paris Day

2011-11-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

The world (and winter) are looking better recently

as we booked our tickets to Paris for Christmas.

A gift in itself-

there are so many things I am grateful for:

* Strolling the Paris streets
* Time with family and friends

* Foods of a particular (French) flavor
* Sounds of the most romantic of the romance languages
* History, history and history
* The double kissy- face
* Hot cafe drinks
* Photo walks
* Foie Gras!!

What do you love most about Paris?
(Or wish to see most?)

(photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Seven Billionth person born on Halloween

2011-10-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

~Photo from Pinterest~

Adam Vaughan at The Guardian.co.uk asked readers what they would say to the 7 billionth person born to our world today. What would you say?

According to Vaughan, when the 6 billionth, Adnan Nevic, was born to Sarajevo in October 1999, Salmon Rushdie advised:

"The ancient wisdoms are modern nonsenses. Live in your own time, use what we know, and as you grow up, perhaps the human race will finally grow up with you, and put aside childish things."

Nevic himself said recently, "I wish that the birth of the seven billionth child brings peace to the planet."

In the comment section, some said, 'learn to laugh...learn to learn...and enjoy what you have learned'. Some offered sympathy. Some advised 'smile often'. One reader suggested a must read: 'Allegory of the Cave' from Plato as being all you need to know. (You can bet I'll be looking that one up.)

One quoted Eleanor Roosevelt: 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams'. One reader offered insights into which countries might be best born into and advised: 'Perchance you be born in the "Land of the Free", there is still a simple solution for you and your family: pack your bags and emigrate to Denmark.'

One quoted Kurt Vonnegut: 'We are here to help each other through this thing, whatever it is.' One reader waxed Spock-like, 'Live long and prosper'. NostrodamusNOT said: 'You got the wrong planet...Get yourself an agent and a free transfer to another solar system'.

One suggested, 'Train yourself to have a long attention span' and quoted Mahatma Gandhi: 'Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed'.

And another ended with, 'Just be true, in any sense you wish. Life is a ride, bloody enjoy it.'

But my favorite?

"Welcome to the world, and sorry about the mess.
We've left you a changing planet - one that seems to be warming and struggling to cope with all its inhabitants. We're not quite sure what'll happen yet, but your generation could be the makers or breakers. Find out what the scientists are saying and do something to help, even if it's only very small.

But enjoy your life too...our planet changes, but the human spirit doesn't. Never stop being fascinated by the world. Follow your heart. And stay away from fizzy drinks."

I think I'd add to those the words my grandfather left us with after every family visit, holiday gathering and kiss on the cheek: 'Be kind to one another.'

The Expected One- Teaser Tuesday

2011-10-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

Today's selection is from The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan. (p.330-31)

"Maureen looked intently at the skull while listening to Sinclair's explanation. A thought hit her, and she exclaimed, 'It's John! The skull--it's in all of Mary Magdalene's iconography, the paintings. She's always shown with a skull, and no one has ever been able to give me a good explanation for it. Always a vague reference to penance. The skull represents repentance. But why? Now I see why. Mary was painted with the skull because she was doing penance for John--literally with John's skull.'

Sinclair nodded. 'Yes. And the book, she's always shown with a book.'

'But that could just be scripture,' Maureen observed.

'It could be, but it's not. Mary is shown with a book because it is her own book, her message that she has left these for us to find. And I hope it will give us insight in to the mystery of her oldest son and his fate, because we just don't know. I'm hoping that the Magdalene will put that mystery to rest for us herself.'"

Have just started this book and it looks to be quite interesting. So very much we don't know and I love getting other people's take on the subject. As the author states on her website, the beauty of art is "the perpetual mystery of interpretation". Isn't that the beauty of life?!

Tour de l'Horloge~Missing Paris Day

2011-10-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Part of the Palais de Justice near the Seine,

Paris' first and oldest public clock

was installed in the 1300's.

One source cites that the bells of the clock

rang continuously for 72 hours

for each royal birth and death.

Talk about a royal pain!

(Sorry)

I love the ornamentation that has been added over the centuries.

It reminds me of the Astronomical clock in the Old Town square in Prague.

This one would be more fun to look at sitting in a cafe chair

on a busy plaza sipping something frosty or piping hot,

admiring for hours in relative comfort

like one can do in Prague.

The bells have since been de-chimed, so to speak. Shame.

The original bell was melted during the Revolution

and the clock itself restored several times.

Part of the fun of the clock in Prague is watching

the figures twirl and dance every hour,

performing their 'Walk of the Apostles',

sort of like watching the Eiffel Tower

twinkle on the hour in the evenings.

The clock itself is flanked on either side by Law and Justice,

a royal monogram at the top,

angels attending and

rams looking on.

Imagine, for those of the 14th century not used to the sight of a clock on the street,

the daily parade past as its newness became slowly worn.

Oh to be a passerby on the day it was finished

with a glimpse of who was in attendance,

the clothes they wore,

the language of the time spoken.

Pun intended.

Nurture selfless thoughts~ Buddhist Thought for the Day

2011-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

"We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them."
-- Buddha

I've been creating my own little Japanese garden space and the more I add to it, the more joy it inspires. Yes, a little messy, off balance, not quite like the prototypes...but that's because it's made by me. Some might easily recognize these traits. All I know is when I sit on the boulder just across the patio and stare at it, I find myself in a meditative state with a smile. And joy.

Today, nurture selfless and joyous thoughts. Who doesn't want joy shadowing them?!

La Friterie~Missing Paris Day

2011-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I must admit that while I have admired these buildings for years,

I've never tried the Frites here.

As you know, I am a sucker for those Medieval timber houses--anywhere.

I have found a few others in Paris but not many.

Hard for me to picture them being built

right on the bridges as they used to do.

Don't you love how they are just squeezed right in between the two bigger buildings?

Someday I will set foot inside one of them and ask to look around.

If you don't recognize them, they are just around the corner

from Shakespeare and Co. right in view of Notre Dame.

Wishing you a fabulous week

and Happy Columbus Day!

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Quote of the day: Live the Questions Now

2011-10-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Reminds me of one of the quotes from Steve Job's 2005 commencement address at Stanford, excerpts of which are being aired everywhere right now:

"Trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future..."

Sad to lose such a remarkable person so young in life. And to me, still so unbelievable that even all of the money, fame, ingenuity in the world cannot stop cancer from taking any and all. I guess one thinks that with billions, there must be a way the rest of us aren't aware of. And yet there isn't. But what astounds me most? Why isn't there? How is it possible that there's still no cure?

R.I.P. Steve Jobs.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Sub City Paris~Missing Paris Day

2011-10-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everybody!

A friend sent me this link which I thought you might enjoy.

(Sorry I couldn't bring in the video itself to make it easier to watch.)

It's a short video made to music of Paris metros

along with Parisians going to and fro.

curiosity counts - From the fine folks who brought us Sub City New York, Sub City Paris-Cinematic Poetry for Urban Life.

Now I want to see the Sub City New York!

Thanks, V!

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Touching Life and Deeply Alive~Buddhist Quote

2011-09-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

"Only in the present moment can we touch life and be deeply alive."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

This is the quote for September
in my Thich Nhat Hanh calendar
and on this last day of the month, I'm sharing it with you.

I've been rereading (and listening to) Eckhart Tolle's
'The Power of Now'
and the exquisite truth to this touching life and being deeply alive quote
is sometimes very hard to grasp.

We spend an inordinate amount of precious time in our lives in the past and the future,
in some way always focused on some conversation, slight, or fun or unhappy experience long since passed.
Or else we linger, dwelling in positive or negative anticipation of some future event.
I even find myself having future conversations in my head,
words I have yet to speak with someone (usually when I'm angry).

I've always wondered why certain childhood memories are so powerful
and why I so strongly feel the need to be with them again through mind or travel.
As I do more meditation and TRY to spend more time in the powerful present moment,
(they don't call it a Practice for nothing)
I think I've realized that those childhood memories are so commanding
exactly because, at that time, I was so alive with the present.
Nothing else mattered but that moment, that beauty, that light-filled meadow
because I was so deeply in the present moment with no other worries.
As adults with so many responsibilities and commitments, vows, pledges and promises,
we learn to function constantly in a multi-tasking frame of mind,
always concerned with what we've done, said or must do.

Meditation allows us, even if just for a few brief moments during the day,
to be free from the overwhelming, manic, monkey-mind that constantly plagues us.
Just for a few minutes today, while you're sitting (or standing- anytime, anywhere),
stop the chatter of what happened or what's to come
and focus on your breath.

"In, I am breathing in...
Out, I am breathing out."

Tomorrow, give the breath just a few more moments of precious time-free time.
Keep extending it just a little longer.
Or do it a few more times.

And watch what happens to your body, your surroundings, the people you come in contact with.
Make this very moment as powerful as your greatest memory.
Like a child,
touching life and deeply alive.

~Photo from Pinterest~

The Six Continents at Musee d'Orsay~ Missing Paris Day

2011-09-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

This photo, taken along the esplanade next to the Musee d'Orsay,

shows six allegorical statues created for the 1878 l'Exposition Universelle (Paris' third World's Fair).

They are known as The Six Continents.

The first one, closest to us, is l'Europe

sculpted by Alexandre Schoenewerk.

The next is Alexandre Falguiere's l'Asie.

Then Eugene Delaplanche's l'Afrique.

Ernest Eugene Hiolle's l'Amerique du Nord.

Aime Millet's l'Amerique du Sud.

And Mathurin Moreau's l'Oceania (Australia).

It's difficult to fully see each of them and their stories here

but by clicking on the continent's names above, you can see them close up and straight on.

I love the painter's color palette on Europe's left (not seen here)

and the elephant behind Asia, the cornucopia held by Africa, the American Indian-look of North America,

and the kangaroo next to Australia.

According to the Musee d'Orsay's website,

the statues were originally created for the Trocadero Palace at the Exposition

and had been lying in the Nantes public dump since 1963.

The Musee d'Orsay exchanged a Sisley painting for them

which went to the Musee des Beaux Arts de Nantes.

Imagine these beauties, representing our world continents,

lying in a city dump! How does that happen?

Someone had to go to great effort to get them there.

Oh, the geniuses of the world!

Museo de Orsay
62, rue de Lille
75343 Paris Cedex 07
France

(Photograph copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Rouge pour ma Grandmere~Missing Paris Day

2011-09-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

(Montmartre window)

Red was my grandmother's favorite color...

(Paris produce market)

...especially this deep, sweet, gorgeous red.

She wore dark red lipstick on her plump, naturally maroon lips,

planted red geraniums and wore red scarves.

A couple of years ago I had a dream about her.

She was trying to tell me something but I couldn't hear her.
She became more and more agitated,
had to make me understand because 'some people are coming'.

A short time later I called my aunt.
She'd had a similar dream.
Called my sister.
Same dream.

(Montmartre cafe table)

Whatever the message was,

it was never received.

After the dream, I drove by the old house

and noticed a pink construction permit posted outside.

Was she trying to tell us she'd stashed a load of cash in the wall

and wanted us to know before the new owners found it?

I've been in touch with them.

They never said a word.

Or was she just calling to say

Je t'aime?

(Tomorrow would have been her 97th birthday!

Bon Anniversaire, Grandma!)

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Ticket to Write

2011-09-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

I've been back this week at Colonyhouse,

the Oregon Writers Colony Retreat in Rockaway Beach where I go a couple of times a year.

Here Life takes a back seat and writing, center stage.

Last year, my writing partner sent some of my Colonyhouse photos to the OWC board

who decided to use one for their website.

Instead of payment, I opted for a few free writer's weeks

in exchange for the use of the photo below.

And we've been typing away this week

with a few breaks for beach and lake walks.

A couple of blocks away, I found the perfect bench for resting,

meditating on the tides and general all 'round enjoyment.

And no visit to Colonyhouse would be complete

without a trip into nearby Manzanita

(where I like to spend the afternoon writing at the

window counter of the Manzanita News and Espresso Cafe).

The storefront got a new face lift

(and mural--though I miss the bright red benches)

My mother loved Manzanita's beach and long stretch of quaintness.

I think it reminded her of Pt. Reyes in California

as it does me.

An afternoon topped off

by a gorgeous drive back to the cabin.

A few wild elk along the bay.

One last evening before rushing back home,

to its cares and worries

that have nothing to do with my characters

and everything to do with Life.

Writing the Life Poetic~ Teaser Tuesdays

2011-09-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

Today's selection is from Sage Cohen's "Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read & Write Poetry".

"A few years ago, I spent the month of January at a cabin in the country where my only source of heat was a wood stove named The Duchess. The Duchess taught me much about my craft. I discovered that writing can be a kind of catalytic converter: I feed it the raw material of my life, which it transforms into a brilliant light, a useful and enduring heat. What once may have been painful and difficult is just as nourishing as what brought me joy and ease, because to feel anything at all, to be moved to happiness or sorrow, is the thrill of being alive. Emotion is a clean-burning fuel. I propose that you stay out of its way and let it take you wherever you are intended to go. Give it all away, and watch those diamonds glow brighter with exposure." (p.155)

AND, on the opposite page is a quote from Annie Dillard that I'd love to share as well:

"One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now...Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes."

Both powerful, timely, what I need to hear. Wishing you a great week.

Escargot de Chartier~ Missing Paris Day

2011-09-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Holiday Weekend everyone!

Hoping the fruits of your labor are ripe, abundant and luscious

(and covered with parsley, garlic and butter. Lots and lots of butter)!

(From Chartier Restaurant,

7, rue du Faubourg Montmartre

9th Arrondissement,

75009 Paris 01.47.70.86.29)

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Cave a Vins~ Missing Paris Day

2011-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

This shot is the back side of one of my favorite little places in Paris:

La Reserve de Quasimodo (past post here).

And after a somewhat tense weekend worrying about friends and family on the East Coast,

I'm wishing I was here now. What I wouldn't give for a plate of their Rillette de Sardine,

the Foie Gras Tartine and a view of the Hotel de Ville across the Seine.

In the heart of Paris with affordable French favorites

and their very own little wine shop in the next room,

the building is also known as the Oldest Bar in Paris,

serving since the 13th century.

And for those of you letting out a collective sigh this Monday morning after Irene,

am sending out a whooping holler to those who went unscathed

and a prayer for those who didn't.

And Bonne Nuit, Irene.

30th Reunion~ A Gift

2011-08-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to my 30th High School Reunion of which, in the last few months, I had helped on the planning committee. I mentioned to someone that I hadn't connected with a lot of people in high school (too shy, self-conscious and insecure-- like most of us were) and really wished I had reached out to more people.

In high school, in social class terms, I didn't feel on the same level. Most (or at least many) of them had parents who worked regular jobs and had 'normal' homes and lives. Throughout most of my early school years, we moved every few months so I was perpetually the new kid, the outcast and even worse, "The Hippie Kid" (which meant never having new clothes and feeling a little like a zoo attraction). Back then, I felt we had so little in common (and again with the lack of self-confidence), I would never have struck up a conversation just to be friendly.

So to be able to connect with people based simply on our school history and shared memories (most of my high school years were finally all in one school) felt like a blessing to me. These days there are any number of hooks on which to hang a conversation: 30 years of life experience, school, travel, kids and present locations. And what a world of difference a little life-experience confidence can make.

This past month, our class had three wonderful days to catch up on all topics starting with a casual Friday night gathering at a local steakhouse. Eighty to a hundred of our peeps literally took over the bar and nearby diners sprouted eyes wide as cup saucers as they relinquished all attempts to talk to each other over dinner, decibel levels making that a sheer impossibility. The big bash Saturday night at the top of the Hilton offered gorgeous views and dresses, great music and food and speeches by our old principal and a favorite teacher (mine anyway), her basic message touching on the importance of connecting and finding the joy in your life. Sunday's barbecue, back to casual fare, was light, fun and easy and enabled more catching up with some of those possibly missed earlier in the weekend.

Someone (planning a 35th reunion for another school) told me that the 30th is much less about the inevitable "And what are you doing?" question (the inflection on any one of those words changing the tone and its perceived meaning) and much more about "How very lovely to see you!", "What's new with you?" and "Let's stay in touch!" And after a full weekend of my 30th, I can resoundingly say I found it to be true.

At our 10th reunion, one of the 'popular athletic types' in high school approached me, asked what I did and when I told him I was bartending after having just graduated as an English major and wanted to write, he promptly turned and walked away without a word. I literally could have caught flies, my mouth hanging to the banquet-room carpet as I watched the God-like back I'd sat behind in Mr. B's class walk away from me, his handsome features now approaching a cute nearby blonde sporting a tight miniskirt and blazer who clearly looked like she commanded more money, more respect and more prestige out in the world.

The 30th (without certain jocks) was a lovely affair with joyous, smiling faces, truly happy just to find each other and spend time together as well as throngs of screaming, jostling hugging old friends reunited, so excited they literally jumped up and down. Social class no longer mattered. What was truly important were the hugs, the memories, learning new things about old friends and new stories about old times.

Helping with the reunion, I think, was a way for me to connect now as I hadn't back then. Did I know that when I offered to help? I think I knew I wanted connection but didn't really put it all together until later. Coming down off the high of so much fun, so much reuniting and so many truly open arms and loving hearts, I felt accepted in a way I never allowed myself to be in high school. And I feel grateful and proud that these people are a part of my past, my history, making up a piece of the mosaic soul montage that I am now.

Connecting and joy!
Who knew the 30th could do all that!?!

(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Shakespeare & Co. and Midnight in Paris~ A Respite

2011-08-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

On one of my last trips to Paris,

I spent a day going from cafe to church to bookstore to write.

And the bookstore was none other than the famous Shakespeare and Co.

...which feels a little like a place of respite in Paris.

After a day of struggling with the language,

it's refreshing to step into a world of books in English

and young salespeople speaking it.

Though I know it's not the original location,

it still makes me think of the writers of the 20's who spent time at the original store:

James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, Thornton Wilder,

Andre Gide, Gertrude Stein, Man Ray and so many more.

George Whitman (rumored to be the grand-nephew of Walt Whitman)

opened it as Le Mistral in 1951. According to one blogger (Talkin Travel),

before her death, Sylvia Beach, who started the original S.& Co. called George's bookstore,

"the spiritual successor" to her store.

She willed many of her books to him and after her death, he changed the store's name.

~My writing spot~

Shakespeare and Co. is a respite in Paris much the same way

the film 'Midnight in Paris' is a respite to our lives.

A jaded writer gets to travel back in time (in an antique roadster)

and do exactly what so many of us wish we could do:

meet the writers of the 1920's, share a drink with them,

talk writing with them and hear about their lives and their stories.

The film touches on a universal theme of the human condition:

wanting what you can't have.

Though I'm not sure I would want to stay permanently in 1920's Paris,

what I wouldn't give for a visit (or two) and access to those conversations.

And although I myself tend to question writer/director Woody Allen's personal motives

for the gorgeous jewel he has bestowed on his audiences,

he does offer us his fantasy
of the chance to have both that visit and access!

(Shakespeare and Company photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

The Setting Seine~ Missing Paris Day

2011-08-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

This shot in Paris was taken after a long afternoon of walking

as the sun shone dying ember rays on the ancient buildings along the Seine.

A perfect summer-like day in spring,

throngs of people in every neighborhood enjoying

the unusual shorts and t-shirt weather in late April.

It fits my nostalgic mood today as I've just returned

(to my regularly scheduled programming, ie. Life)

from my 30th High School Reunion and am working on a post about it.

(Yes, I'm surely dating myself...

.....but please don't call me shirley. Sorry, couldn't help it even with all the nostalgia.)

My mind is joyously cluttered with 3 days-worth of new memories

of people with whom I shared most of my high school years.

And I promise to share soon.

For those of you contemplating an upcoming reunion, don't miss it.

Like those high school years, the memories of old and new connections

cannot be recaptured or replaced.

As the recently retired teacher who spoke at ours said,

it's all about connecting.

Bon Lundi a vous!

Wonderous Courtyard~ Missing Paris Day

2011-08-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

I love finding these old cobblestone courtyards in Paris,

wondering how long the moss has been growing here

and just how many well-dressed footsteps have traversed over how many centuries.

They leave me wondering how many artists

have endeavored their craft behind these walls and windows,

laboring and rejoicing over their work,

stirring the creative melting pot to see what words, what colors,

what stone features arise to the surface and beg to be let loose in the world.

Paris inspires creativity

though I find I can barely write while I'm there,

too many courtyards like this one calling,

too many sights, Parisian street sounds and smells working on my senses

to do anything but absorb them.

These courtyards leave me wondering

about the gardener or concierge who tends to them,

watering new buds or plucking old, bruised and wilted flowers,

scrubbing walkways and polishing sills,

wishing their neighbors 'Bonjour' or 'Bonne Nuit'.

They also leave me wondering

how many ways a photo can be sweetly

posed and framed into slightly new incarnations.

A lovely new week to you!

And hoping your creativity can find some fresh, new colors

through which to see it.

(Photography copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Fontaine de Leda~ Missing Paris Day

2011-07-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

On my writer's walking tour recently,

I came across an older woman reading in one of these chairs

at the Fontaine de Leda in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

She got up to leave just as I snapped the photo

so instead of 'Portrait d' une Femme Lisant'

we are left with 'L'Invitation dans le Jardin'.

Originally located at the corner of Vaugirard and Rue du Regard,

the fountain was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806

and moved during Louis Napoleon's reconstruction

of the center of Paris in 1856.

This beautiful bas-relief sculpture on raised pedestal

is of 'Leda and the Swan',

created by a young sculptor named Achille Valois (1785-1862).

It was preserved and moved to its present location

behind (and attached to) the Medici Fountain.

The subject of Leda,

having been seduced or raped (we'll never know which) by the Greek god Zeus,

was perpetuated by Ovid throughout the Middle Ages

and became even more popular during the Italian Renaissance.

Painted, drawn or sculpted by the likes of

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Correggio,

their works were used

as studies for future artist's pieces.

Both Leonardo and Michelangelo's works of this subject

were recorded as being in the French royal collection at Fontainebleau

but both were lost or destroyed.

Correggio's was also damaged while in the collection

of the Regent of France, the figure of Leda said to have been

stabbed with a knife by Louis XVI .

A provocative subject eliciting many responses over the centuries

including one critic's voice regarding the placement

of the above bas-relief in the park,

"before the eyes of the public".

Maybe that's why it sits behind the Fontaine du Medici

in a corner.

~Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen~
Info from Wikipedia

Buddhist Quote~ Two Mistakes Along the Road to Truth...

2011-07-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth,

not going all the way, and not starting."

~Buddha

There's an obvious theme running here in my Buddhist quotes these days,

Truth.

I find that I cannot do without it in my relationships.

Not truth as weapon but as healing, creative energy;

to be allowed to birth one's truth,

to hear and feel the refreshing ripples in waves of honesty,

not the dead, dank air of a storage locker where tired, used old phrases

and unspoken rules lay covered, waiting in mossy darkness.

But a sharing as exquisitely rich and lush as the blessed song of any mountain stream

or the tiny, flapping wings of a sun-drenched, blossoming meadow.

Truth can be difficult, painful, heartbreaking,

but like the stretching of birth,

it can bring joy, creation, forward motion.

Magic.

Last Part of American Writers Tour in Paris~

2011-07-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

And here we are again on the last segment of our

American Writers in Paris Tour.

I had to include this door just because I loved it

(even though the shot is a bit wonky)

and doors are my thing!

Heading south on Rue Bonaparte

at #36 is the Hotel St. Germain des Pres

where Janet Flanner (pen name 'Genet') lived for 50 years.

Writing from here, Flanner served as

The New Yorker Magazine's Parisian correspondent,

sending in her 'Letter from Paris' from 1925-1975.

When in New York, she ran with the members of the

Algonquin Round Table

(a varied group of New York wits who met for lunch daily

for nearly ten years at the Algonquin Hotel).

When in Paris,

she was a member of the Lost Generation

becoming good friends with Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

Though briefly married,

Flanner met and fell in love with Solita Solano in 1918

and while they lived together for over 50 years,

they were not monogamous.

Henry Miller also lived in this building,

on the top floor,

in 1930.

The attendant was kind enough to let me

step inside and snap a few photos.

While I'm sure it's a shade different

from its former days,

still fun to see what it looks like now.

Continuing along Rue Bonaparte to St. Germain-des-Pres,

a few blocks down turn right onto Rue de Seine.

On the corner, which has become, Rue du Tournon, sits #20

where Booth Tarkington lived from 1905-1908,

the Pulitzer Prize winning author of

The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams

and one of the very few to have won the Pulitzer for fiction more than once.

While there is so much more to see, our tour ends here.
But I highly recommend clicking on the website here for more.

It was thoroughly enjoyable to walk it

and delightful to share with you.

Thanks for joining me.

(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

American Writers in Paris Tour continued...

2011-07-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

As you remember, we left off on our writer's tour last time

on a gorgeous late spring (summer-like) day.

I loved the look of this Salon de The

along the way with its

flower boxes and

trailing ivy.

And this unique way of serving ice cream

to warm tourists.

Leaving Gertrude Stein and Rue Christine

and heading west on small streets to Rue Bonaparte,

I then turned right onto L'Hotel des Beaux Arts.

Here, at 13, L'Hotel des Beaux Arts

the tour states that Thomas Wolfe lived here for a year in 1925

(though another chronology of his life would put him here at another time).

On either side of the front door are plaques,

one dedicated to Jorge Luis Borges

(according to the plaque, the Argentine writer

who lived here during frequent visits to Paris

from 1977 to 1985).

The other a plaque announcing that

Oscar Wilde died in this building on

November 30, 1900.

Sources say he died destitute in Paris

of cerebral meningitis,

the cause disputed by family and doctors.

He was buried at Cimetiere de Bagneux but was

moved to Pere Lachaise in 1909.

His epitaph a verse from his poem,

The Ballad of Reading Gaol:

"And alien tears will fill for him

Pity's long-broken urn,

For his mourners will be outcast men,

And outcasts always mourn."

We'll continue our tour next time

and until then, you can see more of it yourself

here:

American Writers in Paris Tour

(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Teaser Tuesday~ Sarah's Key

2011-07-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

Today's selection is Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay (p.39)~

"Last summer, or was it two summers ago, she couldn't remember, Papa had taken them to spend a couple of days in the countryside by a river. She couldn't remember the name of the river. But the water had felt so smooth and wonderful to her skin. Her father had tried to teach her to swim. After a few days, she managed an inelegant dog paddle that made everybody laugh. By the river, her brother had gone mad with joy and excitement. He was tiny then, a mere toddler. She had spent the day running after him as he slipped and shrieked along the muddy shore. And Maman and Papa had looked so peaceful, young, and in love, her mother's head against her father's shoulder. She remembered the little hotel by the water, where they had eaten simple, succulent meals beneath the cool, leafy bower, and when the patronne had asked her to help behind the counter, and there she was handing out coffee and feeling very grown up and proud, until she dropped coffee on someone's foot, but the patronne had been very nice about it."

A difficult to read but hard to put down, fictionalized account of one little girl's experience in Occupied France during the Velodrome d'Hiver roundup on July 16th, 1942. Thousands of Jewish families were rounded up by French police (on order of the Germans) on that summer day in 1942. They were held for several days in horrendous conditions in a stadium in the 15th arrondissement before being moved to a concentration camp in the suburbs of Paris (Drancy). Parents and children were separated before finally being moved to Auschwitz.

The street where the Velodrome used to sit is just a few blocks from us and we've walked past Rue Nelaton many times with absolutely no knowledge of what went on there. While I've not seen a plaque in the neighborhood, the author describes one found on Blvd. de Grenelle which I will now have to look for.

Writer's Tour near Pont Neuf~ Walks in Paris

2011-06-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a Writer's Tour/Walk in Paris

following online directions to several late writer's home addresses.

But before I began, taking full advantage of late spring's perfect weather,

I took my little baguette sandwich from a nearby stand

and (joined the crowds) for my own little

Picnic Partay for One!

I parked myself on a bench in the shade

in this sweet little park just adjacent to the Pont Neuf

(which, of course, I don't ever recall seeing before).

It was the perfect place to begin an afternoon

to myself in Paris. The Chef had business to attend to

so it was just me and a few dead writers.

After I finished my sandwich,

I followed the directions to the last home of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

At Rue Dauphine at the end of the Pont Neuf,

go just two blocks up to Rue Christine and make a left.

According to this online source,

it was here at 5, rue Christine that Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas lived

(after they left the more famous rue de Fleurus address and with a few absences)

until Stein's death in a Neuilly sur Seine hospital (a suburb of Paris) in 1946.

Toklas stayed on until 1964.

(Unfortunately the only car on the entire block

had to be a huge white van parked directly in front of their door,

limiting my photo capabilities of their address.)

In the mesmerizing glow of warm sunshine and Gertrude Stein's ghost,

it took me awhile to make myself leave the block

so I took a few more photos as I haunted the street's treasures.

I found an interesting shadow pattern inside one entry...

...and the lovely courtyard of a hotel at the other end of the block.

Just a few doors down from 5, rue Christine, this restaurant

left me wondering if it had also been a food establishment during their years here.

Maybe they popped in on warm afternoons like this one for an aperitif before dinner.

And maybe they stayed on for a plat de poisson or a souris d'agneau

before walking the few steps back to their own door, their books and their art.

I finally made it off the block

to continue on the tour to a few more artist's addresses.

Next week we'll continue our Walk in Paris with a few more pictures
of my one day of the 8-day 'American Writers in Paris' Tour.

And if you wish to see the full tour,

Click Here.

(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Happy Summer Solstice!

2011-06-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of summer all!

Thought you might enjoy this photo taken recently at our

Saint Charles Market just a few minutes walk down from the Eiffel Tower.

It definitely makes me think of summer.

The Solstice begins today at exactly 10:16am in the Pacific Northwest.
And I've been reading about how the cultural theme of this year's solstice chart is about
enormous shifts and changes around the globe between 2010 and 2015.
We feel it, we've seen it and hardly anyone is left untouched by it,
whether it's within our own family, on the news
or in your neighboring town.
Change is usually uncomfortable
but with it always comes opportunity!

So while I'm wishing us all a relaxing, enjoyable summer filled with warmth, love, bounty
and the many traditional things we enjoy about the summer months,
let's find a way to help those around us (or even those far away)
who are not enjoying the same creature comforts of summer.

Do some tithing, take food to a shelter, offer someone a helping hand.
It could be you next month (or next year) who needs a hand.
And the immediate gratification (something we all enjoy) is worth those few dollars
and the healing within our own hearts.

What better opportunity?!