Found in a coat pocket

I found these tiny pine cones in DC during a walk through the park.  I've never seen anything like these here.  A nice surprise to find them in my coat pocket upon return.

A beautiful day

Where desert meets ocean

A special connection

Robin Schwartz (world-renown photographer), and her daughter Amelia are new to me.  I discovered Robin's work in the NY Time's Sunday magazine (I picked up a copy of the NY Times at Fresh &  Easy on a whim).

I guess her daughter, Amelia has this special connection with animals and her mother has been photographing this bond since Amelia was a little girl.  All I can say is that these photos are amazing (and how cool to have such a special bond with animals).  You can see more here and here. 

Photo by Robin Schwartz

I wish I had a special connection with animals like Amelia, but I'm content with my affectionate Cody.

Photo by Serenity Moreno

Collecting

Old images from Catalina . . . I miss this place.  I remember taking these photos and being in the creative zone with Jesus.  It was a wonderful way to experience my faith and relationship with Jesus through creativity.  I didn't know I could do that with him for the longest time.

Old pictures from the beach . . . time for a beach trip

Still in an autumn mood

Silence and solitude in the garden

I took a trip to the Descanso Gardens this past week to spend some time in prayer, reflection, and solitude; spiritual disciplines I've been trying to cultivate since college.  It was so nice to be out in a beautiful garden on a warm, sunny day.  I also grew up coming here and enjoyed a bit of nostalgia . . .

I was also inspired by the garden itself.  I started to imagine my dream garden.  I've decided it would be filled with:
Citrus trees
Olive trees
Pomegranates
Avocados
Persimmons
Rosemary and other herbs
Heirloom tomatoes
Succulents
Bougainvillea
Lilacs
Lots of orbs and decorative cylinders . . . (yes, I subscribe to Sunset magazine).

What would you grow in your dream garden (or what do you grow currently)?

Adventures in the forest

I met up with a good friend and her son at the park yesterday.  It was so nice to get out of the house after being cooped up in my room for three days with a cold.  We ended our excursion with some treats at the Trails Cafe. 

A collection of images

Is it possible to fall in love with a park?

This place is one of my favorite spots in the city.  Thank you M and Sunset Magazine for the introduction.

I took some time to meditate, pray, and spend time with God here this past weekend and it was good.  I felt so full and rejuvenated.  Not to sound overly sentimental but there were all these cheery yellow flowers bordering a flight of stairs and I felt like they were old friends welcoming me to sit down and enjoy the sun and fresh air.  Ha, I sound like an English Romantic poet!
 
I would love to come here for a picnic sometime.  If you are reading this post, hit me up so we can plan a fun picnic.  I want to enjoy this park with human friends too.