Luminous: radiating or reflecting light; shining, bright.
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Direct observation of the luminous essence of nature is for me indispensable. – Robert Delaunay
Be luminous. Don’t adapt yourself to the circumstances around you but change them to be better. Always take your sunshine wherever you go. – Islam Elnady
I believe there is luminosity hiding in the shadow of the mundane. And things that hover on the periphery of our vision. If that’s magic, then I believe in it. – Natasha Mostert
When Menchies opened in St. John’s a few years back,
it was an instant hit with my grandchildren.
Not actually ice cream but frozen yogurt, it still makes for terrific sundaes.
As if you couldn’t tell by those mega-watt smiles! Ha ha 😀
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Ice cream is happiness condensed. – Jessi Lane Adams
Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! – Anonymous
The best way to teach children about taxes is to eat 30% of their ice cream.
– Bill Murray
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What’s your favourite treat when you like to reward yourself?
This Week’s Photo Challenge: Treats
Three Day Quote Challenge
Nothing gets me out of bed in the morning quicker than the expectation of savoring rich, delicious coffee.
At least two big, fragrant, caffeine-infused cups are an essential part of my routine and a necessity to get my brain working. Later in the day, however, my beverage of choice is tea, usually of the green variety.
I know; big deal, right? Why am I blogging about something so ordinary?
Because sometimes, something as simple and mundane as your cup of tea or coffee can be elevated to (extra)ordinary, depending on where you are, who bought it or brewed it for you, or who may be around to share the experience.
Sometimes a cup of tea is made extra special when it comes to you as a gift – a pretty mug and coaster in your favourite colour, along with your first infuser, and a yummy variety of loose tea flavours from DAVIDsTEA. (Thank you, Daughter. 🙂 )
Other times, a cup of coffee can be special when you get to enjoy it in a new locale.
Like the Caribbean!
And that is whether you drink it inside where it’s cool…
…or outdoors in the incredible, tropical heat.
Morning coffee tastes particularly wonderful in Rome…
Of course, when in Rome, it should be espresso, shouldn’t it?
Perhaps cappuccino? Nope. I stick to old, reliable Caffé Americano– style.
Java on the balcony of your room in Cannes also tastes pretty darn special.
And during a dinner cruise on the Seine in Paris?
The pleasure of a coffee after your gourmet meal is hard to outclass.
But as delightful as you can imagine all of these cups of coffee and tea were, there is one cup of tea I remember the most with enduring fondness. Today in particular, it makes all the others pale in comparison.
It is the memory of Mom and I sipping tea together in the late afternoon sun…
…on an incredibly special day, made that much more memorable by an intimate moment shared.
Today also happens to be a noteworthy day for my family. To be able to indulge in a good ol’ cup of orange pekoe tea with my mother today, on her birthday…it doesn’t seem like a great deal to ask for.
But again this year and for the rest of my days, fond memories will have to do.
Happy Birthday, Mom.
Knowing how much you always loved your tea,
this morning I’d like to imagine Dad putting the kettle on
and the two of you enjoying a cup together.
And I’ll raise my cup to you.
❤
Jennifer
As promised, here is Part Two of yesterday’s post, where I continue down memory lane, this time with my son Brian. Unfortunately, most of the photos from his childhood do not include me (I was holding the camera), so I filled in with other loved ones.
~ So ends this two-part series of my Blast From the Past. ~
Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Change
What does change mean to you?
I’m changing things up a bit today with a Blast from the Past:
Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Change
~ Stay tuned tomorrow for: My Boy & Me ~
What does change mean to you?
What comes to your mind when you hear the word connected? For some, the word may conjure a mental image of all the gadgets we have, like our smart phones, computers, etc. that allow us to stay accessible and up-to-date in the digital world. Or it may make you think of being well-connected, in that you have successfully networked with the right people who can further your career or your mission in life.
The most meaningful connections for me, as they are for most, are the ones I make with people in person, especially one-on-one. These attachments are unique and irreplaceable. You know who you are<3. But as much as I treasure the relationships in my personal life, there is a lot to be said for the virtual connections I have made with other bloggers over the past three to four years.
Living in a remote or rural area can make it difficult to find like-minded souls, especially in the writing arena. The blogosphere has been instrumental in solving that dilemma for me. The advice and the inspiration I have received from other bloggers has been nothing short of extraordinary since I started Jennifer’s Journal. A huge thanks to every one of you that I follow. Whether your blog shares writing, art, or photography, I am grateful to have met you through the internet.
Kath Unsworth of Minuscule Moments of Inspiration is one such blogger. Not only does Kath pursue the craft of writing, she is also a gifted artist. Her creativity and dedication to her artistic endeavors have influenced my own aspirations much more than she probably realizes. And because of the internet, it is no matter that she lives on a farm in Australia. Well, actually it does matter; her location adds even more intrigue for me. 🙂
I was lucky enough to win a contest Kath held last year, where my name was drawn to receive a free pet portrait. Here is the result:
This summer, I was moved to acquire one of Kath’s original, highly affordable works of art from her newly opened Etsy shop, ScratchyBirdDesigns. Her love of birds speaks to me, so much so I had to have one of them adorning my wall. (Vivian is in my living-room, Willy Wagtail is in my kitchen-dining room.) Isn’t he beautiful?
I also purchased her delightful fridge magnet (its slogan fits me to a tee):
Like me, Kath understands the value of virtual connection. You can read about it in her blog post here:
The Magic of Virtual Friendships
You can visit her Etsy shop here:
What does the word “connection” mean to you?
Are you as grateful as I am,
for the connections you’ve made in the blogosphere?
*special thanks to Orange is the New Black for those gifs 😀
What is it that inspires our desire to create?
What moves an artist to draw or to paint a picture? What sparks the passion in a writer to pen a poem or a story? What is it that prompts a photographer to run for her camera and try to capture that perfect shot?
Here are a few things that give me continued inspiration:
1. The ocean, which surrounds me… (No surprise there, right? 😉 )
Every day, it is a slightly different colour, morphing between shades of blue sapphire, steel grey, or deep, dark navy with racing waves and frothy white-caps. On other days, it is as calm and flat as a mirror.
The sea is a living thing: mercurial, organic, merciless, and endlessly beautiful.
2. I’ve always had a passion for all animals (no, not just my cats! 😉 ).
Horses, dogs, whales, and birds…
…natural beings of the forest and untamed creatures of the sea and sky.
3. My granddaughter inspires me with her sunny smile, her boundless energy and curiosity, and her sweet innocent, loving heart.
4. My grandson inspires me with those impossibly long eyelashes, his sense of humour, his quick wit, and his infectious laughter (even when he teases his crinkly Nanny).
5. Teaching children about Nature, and why we need to respect it, appreciate it and care for it is a spark for my imagination. I love answering their many questions…
… and listening to them tell of their own experiences in the beautiful, natural world.
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Have you ever noticed how Children and Nature go so happily together?
“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.”
~ Audubon Nature Preschool“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us..”
~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this EarthDo you have special childhood memories of exploring Nature?
What fills you with inspiration? Do tell!
We might not have the greatest weather in Newfoundland, but we do have some of the loveliest views.
I can’t seem to get enough of our local brand of vitamin Sea.
This photo from my hometown/birthplace.
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I have a treasure trove of pics from our visit to the town of Bonavista.
This one is perfect for the theme of half sea and half sky.
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I took this one evening from the lovely Garden Cove Walking Trail,
while we were staying in Kilmory.
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Of course, this post would not be complete without a view from our own backyard.
“Smell the sea and feel the sky.
Let your soul and spirit fly.”
~ Van Morrison
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Do you find the sea and sky as naturally therapeutic as I do?
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PHOTO CHALLENGE: Half and Half
This week, let’s split our photos in two.
Travel Theme: Land meets Water
(… meets sky? 😉 )
Once again, iceberg season has arrived in Newfoundland.
Icebergs are beautiful to photograph and are a huge Force of Nature ( we only have to think of the Titanic disaster ) but the pack ice that often accompanies them can wreak their own special havoc. In our part of the world, these masses of moving ice interfere with fishing and sometimes even trap whales and dolphins.
In the area of Bonavista Bay North where I live, the water is too shallow to allow the big icebergs to get very close, but we do see plenty of pack ice and bergy bits.
Enter the seagulls. These hardy scavenger birds are so well-adapted to this rugged environment, I am in awe. Their ability to not only survive, but to thrive here, may well be called another force of nature.
Like all of our feathered friends in the northern hemisphere, seagulls mate in spring. This is the time of year in Newfoundland we see them answer to their instinct and pair off to procreate. They are monogamous, usually with one mate for life.
On the evening I took these photos, the setting sun cast interesting shadows and hues upon the ice and the water.
Of course, speaking of a force of nature, our Vivian needed to be a part of it all.
What Forces of Nature do you have in your backyard?
To trace the remote in the immediate; the eternal in the ephemeral; the past in the present; the infinite in the finite; these are to me the springs of delight and beauty. ~ H. P. Lovecraft
Captured from our doorstep last weekend…
…and a few minutes later.
Photo Challenge: Ephemeral
Jennifer's Journal 