our own discovering

Sightseeing is such a treat in wonderful places such as lovely London town, UK.  It's an incredible thrill as our own eyes feast on some of the classically immortal and iconic sights we've all seen in post cards and magazines.

        

Making plans and itineraries is a must when visiting new lands and wanting to see for yourself what others have been raving about in the tourist guides.  But we can't forget to let ourselves wander freely and make our journey our own.  

There are so many colors, textures and sensations to be experienced by you and only you as you explore new corners of the world.  It's only when we start to wander off the beaten tourist tracks that we can find the classic, immortally iconic sights of our own discovering.

youthfulness

Over the years, a few smart advertising groups have used some of our older counterparts to promote their brands.  why have these campaigns been successful?

(Boost Mobile, USA)

 Because they are different?  Because they make us laugh?

(Shreddies cereal, UK)

Or, maybe because they remind us that, even though we all age, we can still tap into the youthfulness of our hearts if we want to.

a few more smiles

What's so funny?

You know those moments, when you find yourself laughing out loud at awkward moments, out of the blue, when others least anticipate it?  Embarrassed, you compose yourself and keep quiet, locking away those funny thoughts to share with no one.  In Belfast, Northern Ireland, on a chilly Fall's day, this man on the street catches my eye and agrees to be a model for my tourist photos...Out of nowhere, he bursts in to laughter and I can't understand why.  I ask and he tells me he can't believe I am freezing my "arse" off in Belfast as I walk my camera snapping happy ass up and down the streets.  This kinda makes me chuckle too, because, well, he's right.  Only unknowing tourists take interest in what locals consider to be the mundane.

Maybe the next time I start to chuckle on my own, I might share it with others after all.  We could all use a few more smiles these days anyway.

relax

Relax, it's Friday.

Monday is a long ways away.

-Kauai-

(photos courtesy Maggie Merritt)

dream the same dreams

Heritage and nostalgia can be powerful forces in our lives.

Collecting remnants of ancestors who lived their lives long ago, Clifford Day connects with his family from an earlier time when things were better and more simple.  He gathers stories, photographs and records to recall that after the US Civil War, his great-grandfather made his way to California and lived with Native Americans prior to crossing paths with Clifford's great-grandmother and falling in love.  

During his own lifetime, however, Clifford can remember all too well his early years (here he's pictured as a baby on the lower left corner) when money and resources were scarce and every day was a struggle.  A child of the Depression, Clifford learned from the get go the value of family working together to make it through each day.

In his retirement years, Clifford now enjoys a comfortable, active life that many folks will strive for when their time comes.  Perhaps it's knowing where his family has come from and what they were capable of achieving and enduring that have propelled him to dream the same dreams of his ancestors.  Perhaps it's these forces which have given him the resolve to make those dreams of the good life a reality.

their own stories

Dita Kubin-a Czech-born visual artist now tearing up the Canadian arts and culture scene-shares her own portrayal of "recollections."

"To the unassuming eye, each image seems as though it is one frame, captured as is - this is not the case. Each final image is a rebuilt composite, a two dimensional scene reshaped into one that has the appearance of a third dimension of layers, textures, and subtle tones. Made to resemble a memory stream, the images are ... conversations between the subjects and myself - sensitive portraits with their own stories to tell."

Experience more of Dita's work at:

http://www.ditakubin.com/

follow the rainbow

 Tiny might be the Leprechaun, but more clever and more wealthy than the rest of us they are as well.  A well known character of Irish mythology, Leprechauns have fascinated the child in all of us throughout history.

Lauren Allen captures a bit of the fun that she and her friends had while exploring the quirks and curiosities of the Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, Ireland.

 

Visitors to this charming little museum can play and let their imaginations run wild as they learn about the history of the mystical little shoemakers which have brought huge fame to the Emerald Isle.  And unlike real life, the Leprechaun Museum allows visitors to follow the rainbow to its very end  and, for once in their lives, reach the dazzling, fantastical pot of gold that they've always dreamed of.

http://www.leprechaunmuseum.ie