strike anywhere.

I can't help but smile watching this... and believe me, after you do, you'll just want to turn on some music and dance - in your living room, your office, wherever. 



"Taking yourself too seriously is the first sign of a boring life." - Garance Dore

Now I want to learn to dance the Madison...

Have a great week!

*Side note: I personally cringe and find it inappropriate when the word "retard" is used as slang in conversation. But in French, as in the words in the video, "retard" means "late" - so the sentence above translates to "It is late." (The very little I remember from one year of French in college.)

obsessive joy

A friend of mine, who is a parent of a child with an exceptionality, shared this article on "The Obsessive Joy of Autism." It was written by teenager with autism.

I read it and couldn't stop crying.

What a great reminder for us to acknowledge that joy is expressed in many diverse ways, as diverse as the people expressing it.

As an educator, I am aware of the differing opinions on "stimming," the behavior that tends to accompany the diagnosis of autism - whether to let it be or discourage it and modify the behavior toward "more appropriate" (quotation marks are intentional) behavior. Whether the stimming is significant enough that it interferes with social interactions or quality of life. Whether it is self-injurious, etc etc etc.

But reading this just seemed to naturally pull my questioning researcher's lens off - and I read the article with the most "feeling" part of me. And I realized yet again that doing that is not a bad thing. It makes me a better educator.

I won't say anymore about it, as the article itself is just so eloquently and insightfully written.

Read it here.

a question a day

My dear friend Jen gave me this delightful little box of questions to think about.

In answering the above question, I found myself having difficulty settling on just ONE thing. Then I re-realized that there are so many things in life that bring me joy. It really doesn't take much...

In thinking about my response to the question, I wanted to really think about things that I don't feel like I SHOULD be doing. Just things I WANT to do.

Here's my short list:

• a good stretch: sun salutations, as few or as many as I feel like doing; or a nice long yin stretch
• a conversation with a loved one: whether just a quick "hi" to a long juicy update
• a belly laugh
• take a photo
• read an excerpt from a favorite book
• dance

This box is full of surprises... I'm going to have fun with these questions in the days/weeks/months that follow. Thank you, Jen!

 

What one (or a few) joyful thing(s) do you wish you could do regularly?

water + sunshine = PURE JOY

Happy to be back home, but still dreaming of the warm sun, relaxing swims under a vivid blue sky, and the healing powers of water...

love-filled day

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of being one of 2 photographers at a wedding. My first wedding to photograph! It was made even more enjoyable due to the fact that 1) the bride and groom were two of my good friends, and 2) my photography partner was also this very good friend! (as a side note, hop over to her blog for stunning food and travel photography)

I was anxious about this project the week leading up to the wedding. Partly because the bride and groom are my good friends and I didn't want to disappoint them, and partly because I felt unprepared for event photography. I'm the type of person who can sit in front of a plant, food on a plate, or some other inanimate object and take a dozen shots of it in a very relaxed manner. I haven't mastered portraits or action shots. And usually, when I embark on a project, I do lots of research and even organize everything into a 3-ring binder (which always amuses my friends).

But this summer has been crazy -- in a good way -- and I was not able to go into that level of preparation (i.e., I did NOT have a 3-ring binder filled with ideas and printouts and such). So I just kept telling myself to relax, be fully present and fully aware of what's around me, and just enjoy taking photos as I usually do. Not that I'm going into this direction professionally (yet?), but I had a blast! It was something I was happy to do for good friends. And the wedding was absolutely special, as you'll see below. I can't say I captured all the beauty of that day, but here are my attempts as a non-professional photographer...

 

bride's veil

 

veil detail

 

bride's shoes

I love that she wore Born sandals! It is so her.

No-fuss shoes for a garden wedding.

 

 dress detail 

The bride actually altered her own dress. 

Not surprising, as I once complimented her

on an LBD (little black dress) that she was wearing.

To that she replied,

"Oh you like it? I made it!"

Yup, that's the type of gal she is... 

I don't think there's anything she doesn't make.

 

 

 bride's jewelry 

The botanical motif of her necklace and earrings suited her so well, 

as she is an excellent gardener! 

(among the many other things in which she excels)

 flowers

These were arranged by a friend of ours. 

Yellow, orange, and red were the theme colors, 

as they were the couple's auspicious colors in the Indian tradition.

(The groom is Indian)

bride's older sister/bridesmaid, 

tying on her sash

bridesmaid's dress detail

bridesmaids' bouquet...
with Indian bangles to match

 table centerpiece

with handwritten table cards

Almost everything was homemade and handmade.

ornamental, yet functional as paper fans for the summer heat!

handwritten food labels

to be clipped onto the dishes

It was an international vegetarian menu - 

Indian, Mediterranean, and American.

Food was lovingly prepared by the bride herself, family, and friends.

There was hummus, bread with homemade herb butter, dolmas, spanakopitas, Turkish lentil balls, fattoush (Lebanese salad), pav bhaji (Indian vegetable stew), an assortment of Indian chutneys, ratatouille, pasta with basil pesto, roasted potatoes, cabbage slaw.

Food supervision and plating was done by this friend.

I didn't get the chance to sample everything due to photography duties, but all the dishes I tried were delicious.

 lemon curd tarts with fresh blackberries

Yes, the bride made these too. Two large coolers full.

In addition to the 50 - yes, FIFTY - loaves of bread she made 

and stored in her basement freezer.

Friends helped by topping the tarts with blackberries before serving.

 basket for towels for the outdoor sink

bride's bouquet

  bride's bouquet

first dance

Congratulations, R & N!

 Everything about their wedding was so beautiful and one-of-a-kind. Due to its simplicity, the true meaning of marriage really shone through, and did not get lost in overwhelming details. I cried for the first time after a very long time at a wedding, when they said their vows.

Thank you to my friends, R and N, for the honor of capturing your special day in photographs. Much love and best wishes to you both!

*I deliberately did not post any photos with faces for privacy* 


**Feel free to view photos on my portfolio as well, in the "Celebrations" gallery.**

this most amazing day... happy spring!

i thank you God for this most amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

- e.e. cummings


Today, March 20th, marks the vernal equinox--officially the first day of Spring.

Oh, the joy!

it doesn't hurt to dream...

... of water

... and being in the water

... of sunshine, and cloudless blue skies

 

 

... of longer days, 

and more time to 

move 

stretch 

dance 

run 

play 

breathe

...and to dream in the shade of trees.

 

to be a child again...

Aahhh... yesterday (Sunday) was a beautiful winter-to-spring day in Northern Ohio. The temperature was in the high 30's in the morning (great considering what we've had the past few months), and the sun was shining. Sun-worshipper that I am, I was bordering on giddy to be outside.

We headed out to a park for a 5-mile walk.

 

Loved the big, open space.

Glad to see that the walking paths were cleared of snow very well.

Saw some interesting shadows...

 

It's always nice to see some green amidst all the snow.

After a good 45 minutes or so of power-walking, 

the inner child came out...

 

How often do we get to make snowballs as adults?

 

So there was some snowball-throwing...

 

 

...some cartwheeling...

...and some yoga.

 

"The Dancer"/Natarajasana: one of my favorite yoga poses.

"We must listen to the child that we once were, and who still lives within us. This child understands about magic instants. We can muffle his sobbing, but we can’t hush his voice.

If we aren’t reborn, if we don’t see life again with the innocence and enthusiasm of childhood, then there is no more sense to living.

Let’s allow the child within us to take the reins of our existence a little. This child says that one day is different from another."

- Paulo Coelho, The Magic Instant

Thank you, A., for the fun action shots, for the wonderful walk, and for the many perfect moments that have been and are yet to come.

words to live by

Some random snapshots of store signs and other everyday things...

 

 Life is good,

when you...

  

But life is...

 

...when you...

"roam the earth. eat chocolate."

Tagline of Salazon Chocolate Co., maker of my new favorite:

Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar

I thought that after two serious, fairly heavy blog entries, a little lightness is in order. Just thought I'd have a little fun on this snowy day... :)

is this heaven or what???

 

This local yoga studio is hosting a yoga + chocolate workshop this February, three weekends from now. The Saturday workshop is entitled "Yoga + Miracles: There's Nothing a Little Chocolate Can't Fix" and the Sunday workshop is "Chocolate-Covered Happiness". Two hours of vinyasa yoga for blissful stretching, followed by chocolate tasting. Sigh...

What could be better??

Find out more about the workshop here, and read more about the concept in this article here.

happy new year! (plus some holiday snapshots)

It's 2010!

May this year be filled with hope, dreams, adventure, and all that joyful stuff.

This post is rather late, as I ushered in the new year in bed with a 101-degree fever. Yes, I got sick, even after having received a flu shot. It started with unusual body aches one day. I thought, hmmm, maybe I need to do more stretches. So I practiced more yoga. The next day we flew back home, and the day of travelling -- flights, layovers, etc -- took its toll. The following day, New Year's Eve, I ran a fever which lasted for 2 days. Well, four bags of Ricola (and still counting), 2 boxes of tissues (I'm loving Puffs with Vicks), lots of ibuprofen, and one 8-ounce bottle of Tussin later, I am still not fully recovered. I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed a round of antibiotics (note to self: take some probiotics too!). I don't think I've been this sick in a LONG time.

I haven't even been in the frame of mind to reflect on the year that has been, and write and visualize my 2010 will-do's. That will follow in a later post.

On a more positive note... Here are some snapshots from my holiday celebrations with my family:

A hanging mobile in my niece's bedroom

PEEKABOO!!!
My 16-month-old niece in her playpen

The magic of jumbo blocks

Waking up to the comfort of breakfast pancakes

Many lazy mornings like this -- witnessing the sheer joy and spontaneity of my nephews and niece at play. Morning sunshine streaming in through the window blinds. Being fully present.

The blessing of a birthday celebration... on the same day as my brother and sister-in-law's tenth year wedding anniversary.

The joy of a home-cooked, lovingly prepared meal...

... and the wine to go with it.
This is from the wine cellar of a friend of the family. Before you get shocked, I only took a couple of sips of each of the 4 Pinot Noirs we tasted... and then I was as red as a beet. (I won't post photos of that... heehee.)

Festive dishes to go with the meal...

... and a lovely table setting of flowers that remind me of home...

... and a sense of gratitude for nature's bounty, that somewhere in the world it is warm enough for fruits to grow, so that we can enjoy them.

(photo taken by my brother)

And many other moments of breaking bread together -- sharing meals, fancy or simple -- with family and friends.