My grandfather…wrote songs and verses, in two books when he was at sea, and they have been lost for 37 years. My uncle took care of them when my grandmother died, and promised to return them after copying them.
I often reminded him about those books, but he didn’t know where they were. My uncle died some years ago without ever returning the books. Today we attended the funeral for his wife. a wonderfully strong woman who had a life worthy of a novel. It was a beautiful funeral with many friends, music and flowers.
And – the two books were found among their things in the apartment. They are finally returned to us! They were written in 1924-1925, so almost precisely a hundred years old. As a child I was enchanted by the beautiful handwritten pages in ink, and the many colourful sketches he made on almost every page.
Here’s a couple of quick shots with my phone:
Life is indeed using mysterious ways to connect us. I am immensely grateful to her nieces who finally found the books and returned them to me. I am the only relative left who have seen them before and remembers them. I feel so rich and blessed today.
I was thinking of how easily our safe world is shaken. We, who live in a ”safe” part of the world cannot understand the horrors of those in unstable countries with war, devastation, starvation. Where people, nature and wild animals pay a high price every day. But we can imagine. We see it every day in the media. It is not easy to turn it off, to fend it off, to ignore it.
In my blog, as in my life, I try to focus on beauty and harmony. It makes me feel better, and I believe it makes others feel better too. Our children and grandchildren need us to be strong and calm. Here are only a couple of great quotes of yours that I often use:
“Here we are, the most clever species ever to have lived. So how is it we can destroy the only planet we have?” ― Jane Goodall
You urge us not to lose hope. ”If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world – if you want to save the planet for the future generations, your grandchildren, their grandchildren – then think about the actions you take each day.”
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”
So, remember –
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Dear Jane, with you, one of our brightest lights is gone. Thank you for everything you have given to us. Your kind eyes, soft voice and clear wisdom will stay with us – a legacy that will last forever. I am grateful to have lived in a time when you were here too. On planet Earth.
I am dreaming myself back to Madeira again… We’ve had a wonderful summer here in Sweden, but now Autumn is in full swing with wind, rain, and much cooler temperatures.
So, I allow myself to contemplate for a while, just like this lady among flowers and lush greenery.
But, I love wandering in cactus and succulent gardens too. These are from the cacti collection in the Botanical Garden of Madeira.
I have some cacti in my home, but mostly epiphyllums – no spikes! My biggest cactus (with huge spikes…)has fallen and hit me hard a couple of times – it is taller than me.
Begonias in splendid show at Monte Gardens.
I just had to have one of these, so, I brought one home, now sitting in my window waiting to come outside next summer.
I love Madeira for many reasons – one of them is their exquisite stone layered streets. Here together with exquisite Bougainvillea too. Grey colours and the vibrance of this flower/tree go so well together.
There are some forgotten gardens as well…and houses. But even those ones are lush and quite beautiful. This one was carefully guarded by fiercely barking dogs.
Ferns have a special place in my heart. Big or small – any size.
And one of my favourite ferns grow abundantly in Madeira. Back home in June, I promptly bought two Dicksonia Antarctica. A friend of mine has successfully brought up one of this species, but they have to stay in an orangerie to manage our winters. I will give it a try too. At least the summer went well for both of them!
So, it’s the end of a wonderful summer – but also a frightening summer with far too high temperatures.
The little port at the other side of the water, is glowing in the morning sun. It’s September, and temperatures should be falling. Should be…but are not. We swim every day in the warm sea.
I pick up Milo and we walk along the summer houses by the water. The neighbours let their flowers invade the walk, and I love those high, handsome bells.
As we head for the meadows and the canal, one of the big herons sweeps over our heads. It is the last visit to our summer house this year, and I always feel sad to say goodbye to this beloved place. A piece of freedom – a haven of peacefulness it is. And when the summer tourists have left, everything is quiet, and Mother Nature can take it back and have it all to herself.
The car is packed, and we drive back home again. The first thing to do is to water all the plants and flowers. Hardly any rain fell here this summer, and some plants didn’t survive. We don’t have our own well – so – there are choices to be made. Which plants or flowers do I absolutely want to live? Which ones must I let go?
It’s easier indoors, where I can close the blinds and and save all the plants from the scorching sun.
I try not to think about that ominous heat – only to love the beautiful summer we had. But, something is very wrong with the climate. And – with many other things in this world. Still, I am grateful for a wonderful summer with family and friends. They are my hope. I hope you had a lovely summer too. Or the season you are in.
Ritva wants us to share a quiet moment. ”Where is your serene sanctuary?”, she asks. Is it the warm comfort of sipping your morning coffee or tea – alone in the silence? Or, maybe the peaceful moments engaging in your favourite hobbies? This week’s challenge is encouraging us to connect with our inner emotions and experiences.
You who follow me, or often read my blog, will know how much I need and love those quiet moments. I think we all crave them to have harmony in our lives.
I so envy cats. They seem to effortlessly land in those moments every day. And I, I quietly look at them and would love to know their secret…
Once I had an otherworldly experience, one that I know I might never have again. This is the tiny island of Corvo in the Azores archipelago. We were only allowed to stay for half an hour, and those soundless 30 minutes passed all too fast. We sat looking down in the hydrangea filled volcano crater – that was all the island consisted of – floating in the skies around us. Everything was blue and green – no borders, nothing.
And the white and black dots you see deep down there – are cows.
Summerhouse sunset, and my two children growing… too fast. I remember this moment, maybe 16-17 years ago, standing there looking at them, tears burning, loving them with all my heart.
These last photos are from an early morning, same place, no dog, only my camera. A quiet walk, contemplating the last days of a beautiful summer.
As I reached the path, I stopped breathing when the delicate deer stepped out of the forest and into the light.
At the end of the path, is the sea. In the smooth water sailed silent birds and boats.
This beautiful family was sailing while eating, teaching their young how to dip down and dive for food. In quiet moments, details become more clear to us, we can watch, enjoy and learn.
Thank you Ritva for this wonderful challenge. I warmly recommend a visit to Ritva’s beautiful post and be inspired by her thoughtful photos and words. Remember to link back to her original post and to tag Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.
Last week we had so much fun with Anne’s challenge. I loved to see how differently we can interpret a theme! Next week it is Egídio’s turn to host, Saturday 13th September. Until then, take care and be kind.
If you want to know more about the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
– Henry David Thoreau
I feared this would be a difficult challenge for me – I don’t do sports anymore even if I enjoy watching some of them. My daughter was in a gymnastic team and my son an avid skater. My husband a handballer and myself, I was a swimmer, runner and a horse girl. I definitely never (?) photograph sports. Fortunately I have my archives and hoped to find some pictures anyway. Beth´s challenge gives you many possibilities!
Well, searching my memory and archives paid off – here are some different sports and games:
Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they’ve taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.
– Kobe Bryant
In Bhutan, the national sport is archery. We went to see some teams compete at a sports arena – and their long shooting bows were incredibly sharp.
I’m a competitive person and I love the challenge of mastering new things.
– Sasha Cohen
Some of my son´s happiest moments were in the big bowls of Malmoe skate park. And still are. (Photo by David P.) The skateboard was with him on all vacations for several years – at Figueres as well. I wonder what Dalí would have made out of it…
Sports involving both animals and humans are the most difficult ones. Cooperation is essential. One of my old students is a Swedish champion in jousting.
The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.
– Ernie Banks
A spectacular racing event was the famous reindeer race in Jokkmokk, Lapland. Reindeer are very tough to train – they are not like our pets. To handle them, you have to keep your tongue steady in your mouth too!
It’s a crazy world, so sports and athletics and music can be a form of escapism.
– Eddie Vedder
Finally some competitions/sports for dogs. I never really liked that, but if we wanted to buy our dogs it was necessary to let the breeder have his certificates. Good memories though – Totti won Swedish and Danish Champion titles.
Totti at Hovdala championshipsHamar, Norway for a dog show. This is Totti’s son.More competitions…Me and Totti to the right
– In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn’t merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.
– Edward Hoagland
And Totti held a boxing title too…shared with Mille of course. Those were the days – daily entertainment in our garden!
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
–Michael Jordan
In the header, debating monks at the Sera Monastery in Tibet. A popular sport where the ”performers” loved to show off both their versatility and knowledge. I wish I knew their language so I could follow their intelligent arguments!
A massive thank you to Beth for this challenge that got me hard working and showed me I need to take more photos of sporting events. When you join us, (I know you will find something in the end, even if you despair like I did…) remember to tag Lens-Artists and to link back to Beth’s original post.
Last week meant so many beautiful doors raining over us! A big thank you to Sofia, and to all of you for sharing your doors and doorways with us.
Next week it is Anne’s turn to lead us, Saturday 30th August. Until then, take care and be kind.
Anne is making us reflect…and our different reflections will be remarkable, I am sure! This is a much loved theme for photographers. There are so many ways to show reflections, and these are only some of my own favourites. Looking forward to seeing Yours!
My number one favourite was captured in Switzerland – the Fluela Pass. I have told the story many times…but here it is again: We drove out to a tiny little village, knowing we would pass this beautiful pass (!). We could not find the view along the road though, even if we had seen it in the guide books. Finally, on our way home, the sun stood in the right position and we stopped, overwhelmed, to take it all in. I can still feel it every time I look at this photo.
Water turning into ice is also a possibility for reflections. This is Totti walking on thin ice at Vedema. I still don’t know how he dared to…being just as afraid of water as a cat! Luckily he didn’t walk through the ice.
Buildings – I love those opportunities for reflections and possible fun distortions. This is in London, and I even got a red double decker in the picture.
Canoeing a silent morning at our summerhouse – the river doesn’t stop over there…it turns right beyond the trees. Herons usually fly up along the growing reed.
An old reflection of our first lagotto, Mille. He was patiently waiting indoors when we returned late from the sea.
A Yayoi Kusama exhibition in Copenhagen with multiple mirrors and holes to peep in through. My camera in the upper right corner!
A standing mirror in a dark room in a Danish castle.
At Vanås architecture park, you can walk on mirrors in one of the barns. Exhilarating – but some people just cannot do it…even I had to brace myself.
An installation of mirrors in Copenhagen. (Really, one of me is quite enough…)
Another old favourite of mine, taken in Beijing many years ago. I photographed a lantern in the street – and the result turned out like this.
In the opener is a whole block of houses covered in fragments of glass. Tough to look at in sunlight, but very special. Finally a favourite from a botanical garden with giant waterlily pads.
Many thanks to Anne for giving us an opportunity to enjoy the most lovely reflections. Be sure to visit her original challenge post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag in your response to help us find you. Thanks also to Beth for her first challenge as a Lens-Artists team member, and to all those who responded with amazing, stormy scenes. Finally, I hope you’ll join us next week when I, Leya/Ann-Christine, will lead – this time with a new Lens-Artists ”look-back” which we’ll be using again from time to time. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the good things in life!
I just found out that our dear blogger friend Cee Neuner passed away on March 3, 2025. She will be forever loved and remembered in the blogging world.♥
My son was born on the 14th of May – the most beautiful time of the year. I always go for long walks that day, feeling grateful for everything I have been given.
Leya 
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