in the mid-morning hours of a brisk and blissful sunday, in the glory of a charming and colourful mid-october, in a pleasant little nook of north carolina, i took myself {and my camera} on a spontaneous date with nature…
… and we both needed it.
i just never tire of experiencing the ocean… the sight, the smell, the sound… the feeling, the energy all around!
i also never tire of experiencing the moon… equally as much wonderful energy to behold!
i went down to the shore over the weekend for some {much needed} vitamin sea and to admire and enjoy the ocean and the full moon. by the time i got to the beach, the moon was just coming up over the horizon… and some hazy clouds initially obstructed the view.
still… breathtaking, right?!
it wasn’t long before the moon peeked out of the ombre sky and shared her beauty with us one again, in her final appearance of summer.
i walked around for a good hour or so, gazing in wanderlust as the moon took place high in the sky, illuminating all it touched…
… listening to the crashing waves, my senses engaged with the salty air, my toes wiggling in the soft sand…
feeling humbled and grateful for all that has been before me and all that is around me now. for all that will be, for all that i am, for all that i have, and for all that i have yet to experience.
apparently it’s manhattan henge time… i heard on TV that the big night was last night and tonight it will also be visible.
when i lived in new york, i didn’t think about the fact that you don’t really see sunsets. i guess it didn’t occur to me at the time… but after living in denver and seeing some of the most amazing sunsets ever, i started to realize that i don’t have very many memories of sunsets while i lived in the big city.
anyway, in honour of this twice a year event that happens in new york, i thought i would share these fotos for throwback thursday. i’m super grateful i actually got to experience this… for those of you that may be unfamiliar – only twice a year does the sun line up just perfectly in between the concrete jungle so that it sets right in between the buildings. one can only see this on 34th street, 42nd street, or 57th street… i think i fotographed these images from 34th…
enjoy!
i took a little drive down to the shore few weeks ago… and unbeknownst to me, it was spring break – so the beach was super crowded.
i pretended like no one was there, anyway. 🙂
i took myself out to dinner, which has become a tradition now, every time i visit the area. i’m in love with hieronymus seafood and i always get their steamer platter.
nom nom!!
i was a very happy mermaid… 😉
i love the ocean. i love everything about it – the movement, the sounds, the life that’s in it, the deep mystery of it… my soul resonates so intimately with all things ocean-related.
one of the things i love most about living in north carolina is the fact that i can go to the ocean in december! last month, just after the holidays, we took a drive to the shore and spent some time with big blue. i love to beach-comb and i have been gathering quite a collection of shells lately.
as i was laying all my seashells out the other day, i was admiring the variety of what was in front of me, and i got to thinking about how similar seashells and humans are. we are all so uniquely different, and yet we all come from the same place, essentially. maybe not the same exact place, as we are all born into different families and have different backgrounds and stories, but we are all born the same way and created the same way, just like seashells.
seashells all come from the ocean, a vast sea of wonder. we, as humans, all come from the same wondrous creative process. we all look different and have different shapes and colours and sizes – just as seashells do. some of us are not fully developed or some of us are broken – just like seashells. some of us have lots of stripes and stories to tell, and some of us do not – just like seashells. some of us are a little more ‘clean cut’ and some of us are a little ‘rough around the edges’ – just like seashells. some of us get tossed around by life, just as seashells get tossed around by the ocean waves. some of us leave the ‘ocean’ a lot sooner than others. we are very similar – humans and seashells.
at the end of the day, we all come from the same ‘ocean.’ we all are born human, and that is what connects us. our differences are what make us unique and give us unique perceptions and views of the world. those differences are what allow us to be able to learn from each other. in an ideal world, we would all appreciate our differences and recognize that those differences are what makes us all able to truly work together, and to formulate this big ol’ puzzle called life into a clearer picture.
my wish for the world is that we truly start to see each other.
oh, how i have missed blogging! and i have missed interacting with my readers! i hope you all have been well and that life has been treating you with love and grace.
so much has happened this year {and last year} for me and although i would love to go into great detail about it all, after much consideration, i have decided to refrain. i have been taking some time to journal some thoughts down and i think that will be a good way to release it all first. then, if i decide to share, i will.
it suffices to say that i have grown tremendously over the last 24 months and i sit here writing this post with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and relief! the past is in the past and i am here, now. although, the time is always now, you know?! if we are fully submersed in the moment, we are always in the now. the past is behind us and we can’t change it and the future doesn’t even exist yet… so all we really have is now. and it is always NOW. i am {re}learning and remembering how crucial this simple truth is to keep in the forefront of our minds. it is far too easy to get caught up in other things and especially other thoughts.
and here at food and foto, we like to keep it as light-hearted as possible. or at least, as “positive” as possible. i have been thinking a lot about what we choose to focus on; what we allow our minds to be occupied with. and for me, it is extremely important to find a way to disconnect from our seemingly ceaseless thoughts… to find a zen space. and that doesn’t exactly have to be a physical place. although – it can be found in nature, in a park, in your bedroom, at a church… but basically, being “zen” is truly a state of mind. it has little to do with location.
however, it is true and i do find that some places bring me to a more “zen” feeling than others. for example, i did like living in the mountains and especially in the tiny home, as it was a life-changing experience… one that many people dream of. however, i never quite felt “zen” while i was there. at least, not like i do when i am near the ocean. i love listening to the sound of the waves as the water ebbs and flows… it reminds me to breathe in and breathe out. i love the smell of the salty air breezing through my hair… it reminds me to stay in touch with my intuition and appreciate the moment. i love sense of wonder and awe i feel for the unknown that lies beyond and beneath… it keeps me grounded and humble. truly, nothing makes me feel more zen than being near the ocean.
i am a water baby at my core and i basically believe i am {or was} a mermaid. therefore, i feel truly at home when i am near the vastness of the big blue. something about being around the water gives me a sense of peace like nothing else does. it is truly my zen space.
with all that said, i would like to share these fotos i took while visiting the atlantic ocean recently. i had a little fun playing around with some different filters. also, it’s pretty satisfying to be able to dip your toes in the warm sand in november!
where do you find your zen space?!
pizza… and me in this hat!
geese everywhere for days… and creepy, unexplainable masks…
culturally cool bikes… !
large groups of ninjas practicing with swords… and this…
stickers on electrical posts… and graffiti in hidden spots…
broken glass that looks like art… and bright colours…
stickers everywhere for days… especially funny ones…
this cool lamppost… !
tweety bird driving {what appears to be} a pimped-out dunebuggy… and awesome murals…
i don’t know if i can find words to express what i felt when i saw these petroglyphs on this huge rock in moab last month… it is beyond fascinating to me.
notice the 6 toes on the right??!!
i’m sure i learned about this stuff in science class, but i was just blown away to see it in person!
so fascinating……….
what were they trying to say?!?!………….
what do you all think about this kind of thing?! does it blow your mind like it does for me?!
😀