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

come together

Brisbane: Capitol city of the state of Queensland and 3rd largest city in Australia.  A major economic hub for the continent, Brisbane boasts of a rapidly growing services sector and adds the curious charms of a cultural population mix consisting of major foreign-born representation from over 16 countries.

Anna Davey-an Irish born resident now living in the 2 million resident deep city of Brisbane-tells us that it is truly a big city with a small town feel.  Those who live there are lucky to call it home. The vastly diverse array of nationalities have come together to shape an urban center full of architectural design and character. This marriage of contrasting heritages and influences is what makes Brisbane so wonderfully unique as visual treats lay around every corner bend.  Anna shows us here why Brisbane has been dubbed Australia's new world city.

Get more scoop at:

http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/

child survival is the new green

Increase life expectancy to control population growth?  

Hans Rosling opens our eyes to the perils of population growth and how we can remedy our current situation.

meanings of our own

Sometimes images are created with a specific message in mind and all those who pass by it come away with the same understanding as intended by its creator.

At other times, however, images are vague, generic or multi-dimensional in significance.  Karen Miller came across this image of a  Red Cross worker painted as random graffiti on a brick wall along the streets of Mazatlan, Mexico and felt compelled to snap a shot.  

"I cannot be exactly sure what the artist was going for, but to me it meant something very important, very real.  It made me think that there is always violence and danger around us, but also people who want to help and heal."

Most of the time, images and their messages find us in every aspect of our lives and leave no room for interpretation as they state their case loud and clear.  Yet sometimes, perhaps when we most need it like young Karen journeying through the foreign streets of Mexico, we find images and attach meanings of our own--those meanings, which we, individually, desperately need to believe to be true.

  

proudly irish

Laura Izibor

Ireland's newest source of bragging rights

http://www.lauraizibor.com/