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)?

Joni Mitchell

I've been mesmerized by these two videos/songs for the past few months.

Finding Beauty in the everyday

As you can probably tell, I like taking pictures of everyday objects :)

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 was extremely low key and fun (but don't get me wrong . . . I don't want to present a sanitized view of my life on this blog.  There was the lingering depression, illness, and anxiety in the midst of good things).  But back to the good things that saved me from the sad things: family, friends, church, homemade gifts, Christmas parties, food, games, and an overall sense of hope from Jesus . . . 

Homemade cranberry jalapeno jam from C.

I made Gallagher's Brown bread to give as gifts.

Yute.

The flicking game.

Shabu Shabu Christmas dinner.

Banchan.

The meat.

The fried rice post Shabu Shabu.

The Christmas cookies at a friend's party.

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. 

Take Care of My Cat

"Take Care of My Cat" is one of my favorite Korean movies to date . . . although I haven't watched very many Korean movies recently.  If you have any suggestions on good Korean films, let me know.

Anyhoo, the movie is about five high school friends dealing with transition in their lives and in their friendship.  I also really appreciate the film's glimpse into the growing multicultural face of Korean society.

I also love the soundtrack.  I discovered Byul (not to be confused with the female Kpop star) through this movie who created the score for the film.  This first clip shows him introducing the director of "Take Care of My Cat", Jeong Jae-eun and playing an alternate version of "2" from the movie. 

The second video is a music video for the movie, and the song title roughly translates into "Where did the genuine french fry period go?"  Yup, I'm feelin' it. 

I've been searching for more of his music online but haven't been able to dig up too much yet.

I hope these talented artists keep creating.   

 

Todd Selby

I sometimes visit The Selby when I'm looking for some interior eye candy and views into imaginative spaces.  Todd Selby is a gifted photographer who takes pics of creative people and their spaces.  I guess he started out doing this project for fun and it turned into a big sensation.  Never underestimate what can happen when you pursue something you love and share it with other people. 

As much as I find the flashier homes and personalities entertaining, my favorite photos are of quiet homes close to nature.  

Photo from Hitoshi Uchida's home tour in Kamakura, Japan by Todd Selby. 

From Tracey Tawhiao and Daniel 'Hype the Native' Haimoana Dam Native home tour in Auckland, New Zealand