In Thoughts Of You

My avatar is Jack Vettriano's "In Thoughts Of You", for a few reasons. First and foremost, I love a lot of Vettriano's work. Secondly, this particular painting feels so familiar to me, almost as though I were the woman sitting in the chair looking out of the window. And lastly, it's a metaphor for so many moments in my life; perhaps you noticed the draped chair she is in, and the black attire; someone has passed away and she is leaving the home that was theirs. The room is empty save for the few items pictured, covered, and she sits staring out the window as she sips tea. Thinking of the one who has passed away, before she leaves.

Roads ahead... paths behind... this painting is a metaphorical crossroads, and I often find myself at various crossroads where I stop to consider things.

I contemplate where I've been, where I want to be, and what roads may take me there. And I try to think of every aspect; my own and those of others.

I am waiting at one right now, as a matter of fact. Sitting in this chair, sipping my tea and looking out of the window before me... deciphering that which is not yet clear to me.

Considering
Examining
Wondering
Wandering...

Found...
And lost again, In Thoughts of You.


Just a few of my favorite Vettriano works:

The Singing Butler

Dance Me To The End Of Love

The Billy Boys

One Nation Under...

The National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, CO. has alerted the media that the sea ice at the North Pole may be melted by the end of the summer (September) of this year.

While there are a myriad of effects (mostly negative) of this phenomenon, there is one in particular that strikes me as an incomparable loss.

The loss of an entire nation. Maldives is a nation made up of 1192 small islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, just southwest of Sri Lanka. It is the flattest country in the world, and at present, sits about 7 feet above sea level.

On April 22, 2008, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom appealed to the Business for the Environment conference, pleading for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a global level. His country is in danger of being lost at sea... if sea levels continue to rise. He has written and circulated a book about it, titled "Paradise Drowning".

Never mind that this is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places on our planet, but for the 350,000 people who live there, it is home. It has been since before 3rd century BC.

Maldives produces less than .01% of the greenhouse gases that may be their undoing.

We must do our part. We must all cut back in every way we can, every time we can.
It is imperative.

Mark Serreze, the senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center made a painfully ironic point when he stated, "There's also, of course, oil at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. Now, the irony of that is kind of clear, but the fact that we are opening up the Arctic Ocean does make it more accessible."

More accessible to exploitation... the effects of which destroy our planet, a bit at a time, until it is uninhabitable.

All photos are from TrekEarth.com

Slipping Away

Let's slip away to Mexico for the weekend... shall we?

Viaggiatore's Milestone, and a Farewell to Brothers in Arms

One year ago today, Seamus of Shameless Words and The Shameless Lions Writing Circle gifted me with one of my favorite delights, when he allowed me to adopt Viaggiatore, and join the writing circle.

Since that day, many things have happened. Viaggiatore and I have gone everywhere together and made many new friends. He has been my muse, my inspiration, and my constant joy every time I come here. His stories are exciting, adventurous, and there seems to be no end to them. I am still learning so much about him.







How bittersweet and ironic that almost at the milestone of our first year together, Seamus has retired from blogging. He has made a decision to move on to other things.

It is the opportune time to thank him, not only for the fantastic words he writes,
photographs that he makes, and music that he creates and plays so beautifully, but also for bringing so many wonderful people together in such an imaginative way. Such good friends have been found, for the sake of his brilliant mind and hard work. I sincerely hope that The Shameless Lions Writing Circle stays together as long as possible.



Thank you, Seamus, we wish you the very best. Perhaps someday in the future, if we are lucky, we will hear from you again. You could never know how much good you have done in such enormous ways, by the small efforts that you have made. May you be blessed a thousand times over for them.

Viaggiatore and I have thoroughly enjoyed this year, and we look forward with anticipation to all the years to come, together.


Best to you all,

Au Revoir Seamus

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Wandering Through Gardens

It would seem that the more technologically advanced we become, the busier we get. Faster is better, getting more activity crammed into each day is an accomplishment, and it feels like a downward spiral out of control.

When my head starts to spin from it all, I step away to a retreat. A place where I can breathe, where there is peace, where time is not measured by anything more than the passing of the sun and certainly not broken down beyond that.

I simplify.

There are many places I go, depending on how much light and air and space I need. I love to go to mountain lakes... go on long walks... wander through parks around town... go on long drives. One of my favorite destinations is the Denver Botanic Gardens.

I would live there, if they would let me.

It is open year round, which is nice, because the gradual seasons are like a waltz that changes tempo as we move through them, and this is a wondrous place to see Mother Nature reveal her raimant for the next movement.

Viaggiatore and I visited the gardens recently and it was absolutely glorious, as it always is.


Come along and wander with us...

Flickr Windows

Sognatrice has found a new game to play! Thank you!

This one involves Flickr.

Here's the idea:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

After finding myself... ahem... this is what happened:
I rather like it!

Play along and let me know what yours is, I would love to see it!



1. CaíDo..., 2. Hot Chocolate, 3. blue moon over river, 4. burgundy-rose-gold-stripes4, 5. Gregory Peck, 6. hot tea, 7. Amalfi coast. Campania. Italy., 8. Chocolate Covered Strawberry, 9. photographing wildlife with a telephoto lens in bali, 10. hold your hand, 11. Moments, 12. Not all who wander are lost

The Rhythm of the Heart

Recently, our most wonderful Sognatrice of Bleeding Espresso (one of my very favorite bloggers and her exquisite blog) kindly asked if she could host me as a guest blogger. I was delighted to accept and I wrote the following piece for her. The layout and design is all hers, and it is very well done (thank you Sognatrice!).

What fun, I thoroughly enjoyed working with her for a mutual post.

This post may also be found on her blog with her original design at Bleeding Espresso.

The Rhythm of the Heart

Close your eyes and listen . . . when it’s quiet. The rush of blood from your heart will fill your ears and mind.

It’s the rhythm of life flowing in a river through you.

Close your eyes and look . . . deep into your heart.

You will find the rhythm of your soul, flowing from your heart like a river, washing over every moment of your life, over everyone and everything you touch.

What is your rhythm?

Is it a steady, constant rhythm . . . like a beating drum?

Is it strong and passionate, filled with extremes . . . love, hate, jealousy, perfection?

Is it gentle? Warm? Like the caress of sunbeams on bare skin, or a caring hand?

Is it rough and driven . . .

Is it filled with anger and disappointment?

Is it always searching, always hungry?

Patient, overflowing with grace

Sad with currents of longing

Quiet, hidden and deep

Bubbling and dancing over the places in life that try to block your path

Or forceful, crashing with power. . . until you reach the end?

What rhythm flows through you, touches others and changes their rhythms, even a little?

I have said, in the past, that everything we do, everything we say, think and feel has a ripple effect that touches the lives of others, and those ripples continue into so many other people and into the future of more lives, in more ways than can be imagined . . .

But I was looking at it in such a small way.

It is not a ripple.

It is a wave much bigger and more powerful than we can conceive, and it never ends.

Search your heart, look deeply and find the rhythms that drive your life. Consider the way those rhythms will touch everyone you ever meet, and remember that those rhythms, having come from you, will come back to you in many ways.

It is the Golden Rule of the Heart . . . you will get whatever it is that you give.

Let everything that comes from you, that flows from your soul and your heart be the best that can be given, always. In every way, every moment . . . you will join the chorus of rhythms that flows around you constantly, the rhythms of life, of the heart.

You are the conductor . . .


Make the rush of your soul’s rhythm fill your whole being, spill out into the wide world and wash over it in a wave that makes this a better place for your having been here, having added to it the very best that can be within you.

Play on, rhythm of the heart, play on.

Spring Cleaning

Bonnie at Words From a Wordsmith recently posted a very moving piece that has inspired me to rise to the draw of Spring.

Let us dig deep, to find the dead, rotted roots and bring them out.
Let us prune away the dead branches that sap energy but give no life.
Let us refresh ourselves, reach for the sun, and blossom in all our natural beauty.

Cecilia and I are standing under the lilac bush. She touches the dead branches that are protruding from the ground at our feet and states resolutely that these dead branches are going to be pruned away, cut off at the base, because they take energy away from the bush and hinder its growth.
"We must trim away all the dead so that it can grow." she says, looking meticulously at every limb.

And I stood there, awash in a moment of epiphany.
Wholly bathed in the light of realization.

What dead, useless rubbish is within me that I hold on to and shouldn't?
What old rotted roots and branches hinder my growth and drain me of energy?
What could I cut away that would enable me to grow and breathe deeply? To blossom?

Oh... how long is this list?

I carry dead weight with me. I do. For what purpose? Who knows.
I hold on to the experience and the lesson; when I should only hold the lesson.
I didn't realize that my shadows are flat and empty... instead of deep and dark and full of mysterious necessities that I couldn't possibly understand or let go of.

I definitely need to prune. Need to dig up the dead and toss it overboard. Need to release everything that does not enrich my soul, my life... and the lives of others. Need to let the past be the fleeting shadow that it is. Something that is gone as soon as it happens. How can I hold so tightly to something that does not exist now? Carve away the things that weigh me down, bind my wings, and tether my feet... how did I ever believe that the shadows were strong? They are nothing but places without light.
Whether material or not... it is time to clean out the old.

It's Spring... what a perfect time to garden and grow.

Reach for the sun, and grow indeed.

Happy Spring!

The Road Ahead

We Are One!

From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect is a year old! We made it! And, by sheer luck and a sprinkling of irony... this is our 100th post!

~A look back...

It's been a good year. I started the journey on my own and a short time after I began, I adopted Viaggiatore from Seamus, we joined the Shameless Lions Writing Circle; and this fantastic lion has been right by my side every step of the way, since. We've made many wonderful friends with whom we have shared laughs & ideas, supported when there was sorrow, gained and given insight and explored life together.

It has been absolutely wonderful, and worth every moment.

~A look ahead...

It is our intention to post a LOT more often, and to visit with our treasured friends at every opportunity. I think sometimes that I would like to have a photojournalism blog, and post stories about the world around us, but this blog is a place of the mind, heart and soul, and it's flavor cannot change. It's grown from a small idea into what it is today, and that will continue as time passes.

I hope that you find common threads here. I hope that you find words worth your while. I hope that the ideas and stories that you find here inspire & encourage you. I hope you find friends here.

And I hope that when you leave, you have a little more Introspect and Retrospect in your pocket, to enjoy later on, down the road ahead.

Scarlett & Viaggiatore