Tankar

LAPC #206 – Treasures

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

This week, we invite you to share what you treasure. Our first Guest Host for July, Aletta, is asking us to share our treasures. If you read my blog sometimes, I am sure you know some of my treasures already – they are many, just like yours, but these are my most treasured treasures:

Everything nature …

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

– Hans Christian Andersen

My number one friend, Milo…

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

– Roger Caras, author of A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us

And of course my funny family –

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

– George Bernard Shaw

Since some weeks now, I have to add a new sweet treasure to my family – my first grandchild – Myra.

Children are the keys of paradise.

– Eric Hoffer

Never sleepy, always alert – so, this is the first time I have seen her yawning properly!

Please visit Aletta’s wonderful post for more inspiration, and if joining us, remember to link back to it and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you.

Last week we focused on eyes and the responses we had were fun and very diverse. Continuing the tradition of inviting Guest Hosts during the month of July, next week is Jez Braithwaite’s turn with Seeing Double as his challenge. Be sure to take a look on Saturday 9th of July.

Posted for Aletta’s Lens-Artists Challenge

Thursday Thoughts – I Try to Leave Nothing but Footprints

/ Leya / 27 kommentarer

Stensjö By – an old heritage village left just like it was in the 1920’s. Nothing removed, nothing added.

Today we have to motivate people not to destroy, and to leave nature as they would love to see it. ”Leave it as you found it” is not always relevant though. I often bring a paper bag and pick up what other people have thrown away. I don’t know how it is possible not to have noticed how much waste there is, how much plastic and what it does to animals and to ourselves – to our very existence here. Is it too late to learn this lesson again? And it all depends on us, and the parents to the new generation… It is almost as simple as that – What I learned from my parents, I have taught my own children.

LAPC #205 – The Eyes Have it

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Tina invites us this week to share moments of eye contact – but, as I seldom do portraits…I decided to concentrate on the moment of contact – and love. This will include some precious moments with animals as well. And why not plants? We all depend on each other to make planet Earth survive.

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.

– Martin Buber

First out are my children, whose eyes are not at all visible here…but I believe their smiles speak for them. I hope the other pictures speak for themselves…but I will give you some key names :

Cheers to Aleksandr in Georgia! Young Milo charming us all; Dearest mother with her caring green eyes; Arthur and Michael – inseparable after meeting each other in the Ecuadorian jungle (theirs is a story made into a book and right now into a movie); my granddaughter, Myra, and her father (wonderful contact already); and lastly, my most admired couple nextdoor, Birgit and Nils (91 and 92, still planting, biking, walking, sowing (the embroidered wall decoration and the bench pad made by her hands), puzzling, baking, chatting and – oh to be that active and creative late in life!), still holding hands after a whole life together. ♥

I see so much love in these pictures, in the eyes, in the contact, in new life as well as old life. Let Love into your eyes and you will be rewarded in your heart.

The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter – often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter – in the eye.

– Charlotte Brontë

I hope you’ve enjoyed my collection of eyes catching others’ eyes, and now I’m looking forward to seeing yours. Please remember to link your responses to Tina’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists tag to make it easier for all of us to find you. Special thanks to Sylvia for guest hosting last week’s Doors/Doorways challenge, and to you for your terrific responses.

Next week we’ll continue the Lens-Artists’ summer tradition of inviting several talented guest hosts to present our July challenges.  We’re sharing their themes in advance and hoping you’ll join us in the coming weeks.  They are:

July 02 – Aletta Crouse of Now at Home is focusing on Treasures.

July 09 – Jez Braithwaite of Photos by Jez is Seeing Double.

July 16 – Andre of My Blog–Solaner is thinking about Summer Vibes.

July 23 – Tracy, who posts at Reflections of an Untidy Mind, has chosen Surrealism.

July 30 – Sarah Wilkie, who hosts Travel with Me, asks you to share Three Favorite Images.

We invite you to check out their diverse and interesting blogs and hope you’ll join us throughout July. The Lens-Artists team will be back in August when Anne will host her challenge – What’s Your Groove. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.

Looking for more information on joining our challenge? Click here.

Thursday Thoughts – Midsummer Garden Greetings

/ Leya / 63 kommentarer

Midsummer is the best time in Sweden, and Tuesday this week was the summer solstice. We spent most of the night outdoors. Something to celebrate. The longest day. A walk in my garden gives me much pleasure, and this is the time to send some of that love with the warm winds to you, wishing you beautiful days wherever you are ♥

LAPC #204 -Doors/Doorways

/ Leya / 53 kommentarer

I admit I had to dig deep into my archives to find images for Sylvia’s (My Colorful Expressions) excellent challenge. But it brought me back to some fond memories! Hopefully you will enjoy them as well. I will never forget that park…in the header. The whole park was made a home for stray cats. They were everywhere on the benches, stones and grass – even a little house was built for them.

I know that doors are not really my thing…rather it’s windows. To me, a door leaves everything open, but a window gives me fresh air while I still can feel safe.

These are from Tibet, Bhutan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia, Georgia and Croatia.

I like many different styles, this door is simple, but ”clean” in colour and design.

Elaborate style from Bhutan and a more simple one from Spain. I love them both. Gaudís harmonies are wonderful in their natural forms. Even if this mayby is more of a vault, it was the entrance to a room.

Swedish faded green and a white ”igloo”, kontrasting Bhutan’s shop doors.

Three very different doors and doorways – I like them open…when there is a view waiting.

This left door was very tiny, some 30x150cm. I admit I wondered if there might be a dead body inside, left there hundreds of years ago… And then, there is really something special about laundry! In Georgia that was a daily treat, seeing laundry in all colours all over the yards. Painted doors are not that usual, but here is a shop with an attractive door.

Finally one of my favourites – notice the door to the left, with a lock. How I would have liked to have a look inside that house – but only through the blue door!

Please remember to link to Sylvia’s original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag. Special thanks to Anne Sandler for last week’s Local Vistas. A marvellous response – now we got loads of new travel tips! We also hope you’ll join us again next week when Tina hosts the challenge on Travels and Trifles.  

Until then, be kind, creative and sunny!