I have long known that the ocean is my home. I come home to the ocean and am reconnected to my creator…..my soul. There is an exhilaration I cannot find anywhere else on this earth. And I long to be in its environs whenever close. So upon a recent visit to the ocean, I was reminded of this deep connection….to the creation of life in the soup of the sea. And this poem poured forth.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about Born of Water. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
Sometimes in the most hurried, stressful situations, it is worth our while to remember that a smile can light up our world….it can light up the whole world. One small act of kindness, can change everything around us.
So with that in mind, in a very busy airport recently, I decided to make it a point to smile at everyone. To excuse myself as I weaved and bobbed. To joke with, and be polite to the TSA agents as they examined my bag one more time.
Even if smiles were met with frowns, and thank yous were not forth coming as I gave away space at my table or in line to get food, I still smiled. I still persevered, and kept kindness front and center. Letting it pour forth from my soul.
And what was the effect of this grand experiment? Well, I cannot tell you it made any difference in anyone else’s life, but I know it did mine. I was calmer, happier and more centered. Each smile I gave away, made my day brighter. And I have to believe it helped shift the world a little, that day, to the kinder side of life.
This poem, a haibun, was an experiment I decided to conduct in a crowded airport. To smile, be courteous, polite and kind no matter what. Not an easy task when traveling as it is a stressful time made worse by time constraints, tired feet, discourteous people and knowing I am about to be strapped into a cramped space for hours while flying 35,000 miles suspended above the earth.
The pictures are fun selfies I created in a course I took using the phone apps, Pixlr and Prisma.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about given freely. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“Teach me to go to the country beyond words and beyond names.”~ Thomas Merton
After participating in the photography challenge in August, I was inspired to move beyond my comfort zone and branch out with my camera. Not so much with moving off the auto button….that will come in time and with practice….but to move to different spots, and explore them with camera in hand.
In my Seasonal Celebrations post, on my gardening blog, I talk about what I want to focus on each season. For autumn, I want to take in more of the world around me. With surgery side-lining me last year, and an injury this summer, I am anxious to break out and explore…take a few field trips.
So I am starting a new series, that I hope will be monthly, called Beyond Words. I want to showcase different spots I find in pictures, with as few words as possible….not easy for me as I love to talk and write.
For the first field trip I didn’t have to venture far from home. Just a 10 minute walk across the street to the lake…Oneida Lake. It is an amazing spot, that I will talk more about later. It was a perfect time to explore the lake. When we visited, the beach had just closed a few weeks earlier in late August. So let’s see what’s happening, at the lake…..
As you can see in the top picture and here, I made a beeline for the beach. As it is not getting a daily cleaning from all the bird poo, I chose to wear shoes. This lake is considered a top fishing spot.
It is shallow enough near the shore, that you can even walk right out and fish.
The beach was littered with gull feathers still glistening with mid-morning dew.
I loved this end-of-the-summer beach statement someone left. You never know what you will find at the beach. As a matter of fact, I did have one very big surprise….
Monarchs! They were all over the beach, which is starting to grow grass and other plant life, as it is not groomed now that the swimmers are gone. I wasn’t sure if they were getting moisture from the wet sand or the goose poo.
The water’s edge was a bit mucky, in areas, with grass, plant material and algae washing ashore.
The picnic area was very quiet with no one around. A perfect spot to sit and relax even if there is a nip in the air. I think perhaps we will bring a picnic lunch here in the future.
One last look as we turned to go. I hope you enjoyed our little excursion, to the lake, at the end of summer.
If you enjoy reading this blog, I welcome you to share it with others. I enjoy spreading the blog love, and I appreciate all who come and read my blogs.
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Special Note: Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State. It has a surface area of 79.8 square miles, and is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. There are several parks, marinas and beaches along this lake that spans several counties.
I leave you with a few additional thoughts about lakes and life. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2015. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
