SKY CIRCLES

Spring burst through the door

& painted everything blush, cotton and neon.

The warmer breeze

has released an air of ease.

The mind drifts to summer holidays

in a heat that soars to 

near-African temperatures.

I'm ready for the adventure. 

Until then,

the days continue to be filled

with words & photography & editing for others.

And then I reward myself

by rummaging through the  hard drive

for one or two just for me,

for you,

like these ones.

I add my thing to them slowly,

smiling,

feeling the love,

wanting nothing but tenderness

& dreaminess,

as music fills the room.
There's freedom right there,
in that small moment.

It's freedom that always beckons,
and makes the thought of a total break
shine like a beacon.

To feel it rushing through the body,

leading by the hand to play (= to create), 

while I leave all expectations behind
(mine & others')
in a heap in the hallway.

And then,

at summer's end,

begin again,

with a clearer mind,

and a heart that's aligned.

(And I sit here writing this, thinking,

"but you've mulled on these same things before". 

 I look calmly in the eye and say,

"but darling, even if it's two steps back sometimes,

that, too, constitutes a journey.")

Let's make some sweeping sky circles this summer,
shall we?




x

ELEVEN

eleven.

we've reached another era 

~ she planned the entire thing,

chose her flowers,

decided on the menu, 

gave instructions on the cake she was after

('you just need to divide the cake mix

into two different bowls

& throw in different amounts of red colouring...'),

baked and prepared the rest in advance

 after her ballet lesson last night.

i look at her and marvel every day. 

kind.

smart.

important.

and so loved.

(I don't think any movie scene has made me well up 

like the one above from The Help
(all the more powerful
when you watch the whole movie
and see the context)

~ oh the power of words,

and uplifting each & everyone,

big & especially the small...)

♡

AFTERGLOW

Been waking up later.

Stretching in peace

after everyone else has disappeared. 

Sleeping sounder at night,

feeling more restful in the day. 

 I put the coffee on the stove,

quietly begin the day's work,

exercise in between,

then carry on. 

Today, a happy jumble in the kitchen

after last night's independence day get-together. 

A fridge full of leftovers,

and a heart warm with the afterglow

of friends who mean so much. 

Sometimes I don't quite know what to write here,

but I do want to share something,

glimpses even. 

Something of the thankfulness 

for this time of life. 

For learning to trust in the small steps. 

I've nudged a wish this autumn

for a workspace
shared with others,

and a chance conversation

a couple of weeks ago

got my hopes up
in the best possible way.

More of that later,

if it materialises...

All I can say is 

I've been blown away

by the generosity of people recently,

by a genuine desire to make others happy,

LOVE. 
Friendships that by now have become so solid.
A relationship with my husband
that can go through tricky patches,
but always returns to a clearing
bathed in light & peace.  
I think I've learned this recently
- sometimes giving space,
letting go even,
can bring a huge blessing in return
when the time is right.

x

(model: Minna Kosonen 

muah: Meghna Mukherjee)

SHUTTERBUG

These past few weeks

have been work, work, work

- both the writing & the photography kind,

a combination that seems to sit ever so well with me,

and right now I wouldn't have it any other way. 

But today I managed to wrap up 

all the editing for a bigger client,

and r e s t is sinking in

before the next batch of pictures is due. 

 I immediately had the urge to pop over here

& say hello...

So, hello my dear friend,

sorry it's been a while. 

You know that photography bit

- aka love & passion -

well I've gone through all sorts of motions,

as it's recently also turned into a "job",

where not every assignment at the moment

is something that allows me

to shoot like "me". 

And that's given me plenty of material

for soul-searching

& out-of-one's-depth kinda feelings.

But I came to the conclusion

that right now,

I am ever so grateful for each opportunity,

and every single thing I've put my hand to

has made me learn

and led on to something new.

That's something that motivates me,

together with a deep-rooted insistence

to make sure that in between the "not-so-me"

there is also room for "my love" -

whether that's about randomly picking up the camera

 to catch the light or an inconspicuous cup of coffee,

or shoots that make the heart skip a beat

& imagination soar at least as high as that chalky ceiling

of this wonder of a location a couple of weeks ago. 

(I really want to show you more later,

I shall!) 

So reassuring how after a bout of disillusionment,

suddenly all that love and excitement

comes rushing right back,

and pulsates steadily through the veins,
as if back to the state nature intended.

Amid all the "serious work"

it lures towards the seemingly senseless & idiosyncratic.

A deep desire

to keep clicking that shutter

until that weird & wonderful language flows

towards a voice of one's very own. 

More of the heart,

the unfinished, 

the imperfect,

the raw... 
Whatever it is 
that stirs the soul.

And with that little ramble

I bid you goodnight :) 

x

METAMORPHOSIS

 "... made of wings & whispers."

(in search of a timeless quality,

& an out-of-focus kind of mystery.) 

x

EASTER MOODS

Easter moods from town & country -

arrival of 

spring,

light,

& new life.

x

PAGE 1

2015 ended with a bang & laughter

surrounded by dearest family & friends.

A year that makes me whisper thank you

from the bottom of my heart.

And today, the New Year 

unfolded with the umpteenth, silently sipped coffee

& the feeling of a white, blank, first page of a journal.

No resolutions this year,

but a few quiet wishes:

mistakes,

grace,

giving. 

Wishing you a year ahead

that's all that you hope & much more. 

Those delicious surprise elements. 

x