It was a warm summer day and I went for a walk. I looked down at the ground, and there it was: ‘peace’ on the sidewalk in chalk.
Three versions of that image are connected above,
and in solitude at VisuaLiving–my photo blog:
When I feel off-balance or a sense of dis-ease, I recall that day I saw peace at my feet. I conjure the feeling of the smile on my face, and imagine the joy of the person who took time to etch peace on concrete for passersby to see.
My memory of Hévíz—a Hungarian spa town—is a memory of sensation. My time there is sacred. It’s not a particularly “exciting” time; it’s a rejuvenating contemplative retreat more than anything. For close to a month, my routine consists of eating, walking, resting, sleeping, soaking in mineral hot springs, and receiving wellness treatments (massages, mud packs, etc.). For me, it is bliss. It’s the closest to I get to God.
On more than one occasion I’ve gone there to disconnect from life-as-I-know-it where I live; to disconnect from computers; phones; responsibilities. Solitude is available in large quantities. I slow down. I stop thinking. And when I stop thinking, I begin to sense life in and around me in ways I tend to overlook during the rest of the year. What I find through disconnection is a reconnection with the language of my senses—and nature.
For example … Read the rest of this entry »
cheers to the season / to love and light / to inspiration
a sunny august moment unfolded like this, if I recall it correctly …
~
head, spinning fast spinning right up down left i’m
meandering home from the station, ideas and fantasies
dreams and ambitions of elsewhere of there of
away far away, other lands other times other spaces
back then wonder when
but not now and not here and not present
old breath vision time and sensation
away, until
2 blinks they open, my eyes so wide open i see that it’s me
in my fresh in my nation my city
so fragrant this moment
right here and today
~
written for: > Language > Place Blog Carnival: Edition #11
featured in: BluePrintReview Newspaper
It came together in a flash of inspiration when I had a list of other things to do…
I felt the urge, desire, to capture a memory, yet my attempts to contain it recalled the circularity of a familiar moment that changes hue.
The sunrise each day—in Hévíz, Hungary—would greet me with
variations on a particular sky view.
Below, two renditions—complete with visuals, words, and links to avian tunes:
The challenge, I think, is to witness beauty at home. These days, I see it all around me.
Click links below for full images:
~
This post is featured in the BluePrintReview blogzine just a moment.
Water!
Not just any water–thermal, medicinal, healing water.
Here’s the direct link, with more details and a larger image included:
~
Do you have water you’d describe in these terms?
If so, where?
Bunny, my honey. I love him like money even though he’s got a mean left hook.
It’s a byzantine relationship. Do you have one of these with your pet?
~
Click mouse for more feline fun.
Season’s Greetings!
may your days be filled
gratitude / warmth / abundance
clarity / peace
in solitude or with loved ones
~
Karyn
Still under water, grading final exams, but the end is in sight.
Also in sight is another trip to the Upper Hot Springs in Banff.
Wonder if it’ll be cold enough for hair to freeze?
Icicle hair while soaking would be sweet…
Grab onto the railing…underwater massage
with jets in all directions. Thermal bubbles like this are
commonplace in Hungary. Hot springs in Canada
don’t feature these contraptions.
Wonder why that is?
I don’t speak Hungarian. I certainly don’t read it.
For some things, though, I didn’t seem to need it.
That was in May 2010.
Prepared for Edition #2 of the BluePrint blog carnival >Language>Place.
It’s hosted by Hong Kong-based author and journalist Nicolette Wong.
The direct link to the carnival is here.
Three words.
What’s amazing in your world?
Crack of dawn, Canadian Thanksgiving,
westbound Trans-Canada Highway #1, from Calgary to Banff, Alberta.
Drawn to the light in the sky, to the Rockies,
to the sulphates & bicarbonates, calcium & magnesium
that fill the hot springs on Banff’s Sulphur Mountain.
Felt like bathing in a mythical world, a place that I dream of often…
Water: 37-40° C / 100-104° F
Only downside: no bubble station …
The other day, my Toad Lilies blossomed.
Today, in the sun, my clematis re-bloomed.
Any fall faces in October for you?
Trees, the forest, the view from my room in the Hungarian spa town of Hévíz.
Every day, for 21 straight, these birds broke my sleep at 4 in the morning.
Wonder what they’re saying…
~
Prepared for Festival of the Trees–
a monthly blog carnival for all things arboreal.
Festival #52: Healthy Curiosity
This bird sang for me on a May day in Hungary.
I was strolling streets aimlessly in the spa town of Hévíz.
Any idea what kind of bird this is?
Morning greets me with crisp air and fresh Toad Lily blooms.
In your yard, are there any bursting blossoms for you?
swimming sideways at harrison hot springs
a balmy august evening at 10 pm
reverence / luminescence
waves of light
~
Prepared for Language/Place Blog Carnival #8: The Poetry of Place.
A few words from host Walter Bjorkman > here.
Alternative to a conventional bridal shower?
A tropical feast with Polynesian dance lessons for friends …
Play videos simultaneously to join the party:
Instructors above ↑ Guests below ↓
Flowers in orange and yellow and pink.
No footage of roasting pig, though.
I look in awe at my surroundings,
move my head to the left, and see a man with a shovel:
“What’s with that?” I wonder.
My Variegated Algerian Ivy on a trellis. Slowly, it climbs; grows tall.
In which direction does your Ivy crawl?
Mountainside, yes. There’s a blue lake, too, on the other side of the windows and loungers and mineral-rich thermal spring pool.
There’s no question about it: I’m a ‘spa culture’ aficionado. I love massages and mud packs and anything else that might fall under the banner of ‘leisurely wellness’. A critical part of the equation for me is spending time soaking in thermal baths–commonly referred to as ‘healing waters’. Many stunning examples are found in Budapest–the (un)official ‘spa capital of the world’. The city’s thermal baths are featured in a video I posted recently here.
Having spent a full month in the hot springs of Hungary, I found myself missing my daily soaks. To remedy my mourning I took a look around to see what kinds of thermal waters flow through cracks in the earth’s crust closer to home. The photo above is one example of a B.C. public mineral pool. It’s located in the village of Harrison Hot Springs–just a 90-minute drive from the heart of Vancouver. I hopped in the car, made the trek the other day, claimed a lounge chair by the window, then soaked and relaxed the hours away.
Water temperature at source: a scorching 62.8°C / 145°F.
Water temperature in pool, cooled: a soothing 38ºC / 100°F.
While soaking, I met some Vancouver regulars who make the pilgrimage every week. A woman I spoke with told me her weekly visits have been part of her schedule for the past three years; a man I talked to said these waters have been a weekly habit for the past fifteen.
And a question:
In your part of the world, are there hot springs where you like to soak?
Getting mail is cool. No doubt about it.
It’s even cooler when mail with my name on it contains something other than bills.
Take, for example, the package above — sent to me by California-based Folded Word Press Managing Editor, J.S. Graustein. The package contains two custom-made postcard bundles that unfold into a labyrinth of color-coded stories, written and made just for me.
Unravelled, they look like this: Read the rest of this entry »
I was thinking about childhood today, and wondered:
What made me happy as a kid?
I instructed myself to dispense with analysis and forget about critical thinking:
Why certain things put a smile on my face was less interesting than revisiting the sources of my bliss.
First thing that popped into my head:
The Brady Bunch
’70′s TV show / fictional family / a dog / a maid / 6 kids
I loved The Brady Bunch.
They made me happy, and their rendition of ‘Sunshine Day’ still makes me grin …
And a question:
What made you happy as a kid?
I ask myself:
What might a garden look like after midnight through tired eyes and dim light?
Kind of like this, I reply.
The discovery took place in my sandbox — VisuaLiving — while half asleep the other night.
Sweet fragrant daffodils, in full bloom, poke through astilbe leaves to say hello and ask:
Where are you?
The April Garden Party is in full swing.
There’s room for more, and it doesn’t matter where you live.
The point of the party is to share what is (or isn’t) growing in April near you.
For directions, and to see who’s arrived, follow this link.
Hope to see you soon!
Karyn
April is over and submissions are closed.
To all who stopped by to view and/or share, thank-you!
The April Garden Party photos are preserved. Have a look.
Birthing blooms vines leaves, my window spring morning fresh, I see.
© Karyn Eisler, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
***
Your view?
Send video or 515 pixel-wide jpeg [or wider] to:
k_eisler AT telus DOT net
Words, name, link, location — please include.
Look forward to seeing what’s growing (or isn’t) near you!
April is over and submissions are closed.
To all who stopped by to view and/or share, thank-you!
Scroll down to see the April photos. They’re preserved.
↓
Karyn Eisler:
What is VisuaLiving?
Karyn Eisler:
my photo gallery
a kaleidoscope of color
a place to massage my visual memories
a sandbox where i play and have fun; a site to explore different image renderings
.
KE:
What is your starting photo?
KE:
my brother’s eyeball
***
KE:
I’d like to see your brother’s eyeball. Where is it?
KE:
on the flip side of this link
↓
A question for chalk artists:
Have you any idea of the joy you bring to passersby who
stop and look,
then smile at your creations,
before rain makes the beauty disappear?
He told me his name and the name of his cat.
Don’t remember either and forgot to ask:
Does the weight of the cat make your head hurt?
~
I’m curious since they take long walks around town … just like that.
