What I love...

Jellyfish!
They are so beautiful!
I get hypnotized by their movements and beauty.
Sat once on a dock in Queensland, Australia watching blue jellyfish for hours.
I even touched it!

Have a Mindful New Year in 2008!

Last night I went to Harnham Monastery with a friend for a New Years celebration.
It was the way I wanted to spend the end of one year and the beginning of another.
How grateful I am that where I live there are three buddhist monasteries within about approx 2 hours drive!
Since coming to live in rural Northumberland there is much that I now do not have at my fingertips like when I lived in an urban environment. However what I do have includes this accesibility to buddhist practice opportunities in a sangha. Community can be so important even essential for any activity be it spiritual, creative, healing, intellectual or just living.
The talk centred on four topics;
Gratitude
Offering
Death
Simplicity
It was an inspiring talk and I felt very connected to the contents and I felt new doors opening in how I see and experience my living situation and daily life.
The temple was serene and beautiful, the ritual meaningful and the atmosphere positive.
I include an interior photograph of the temple. Wood is the dominant material used and it is warm and somehow breathing and living.
We chanted and meditated and wrote aspirations and forgivings down on paper which we later burned and offered.
I felt held in this ship this large space of individuals each one engaged in focussed celebration of life and other living beings.
Thank you.

Patti Smith

Happy Happy Birthday Patti Patti Smith born today in 1946!

Marianne Faithfull

Style icon in 1967? Were such terms even used then?
Marianne Faithfull born 29 Dec in 1946. Happy Birthday!
PS The fashion looks identical today 40 years later, talk about recycling!

Benazir Bhutto 1953 - 2007

Confidences trop intimes

Intimate Strangers in the English title of Patrice Leconte's 2004 film starring Sandrine Bonnaire and Fabrice Luchini.
I watched it last night and thoroughly liked it, especially the slow pace of observance and the camera work trying to replicate the act of watching. The premise of the story is also interesting but the performances of the two main characters is what holds the film. Their faces under scrutiny they know understated acting. Much like in real life our faces betray little at times of great inner intensity and upheaval. Of course there are always exceptions in life anyway, but what I am saying is that there was NO OTT acting in this film. To my great relief Patrice Leconte is a master of the slow unfolding pace of visual story telling.
Last time I saw Sandrine Bonnaire in film which she carried was Vagabonde and she was a lot younger then. She has honed her ability very well and matured as an actress greatly and she IS beautiful as well!
Monsieur Hire by Patrice Leconte from 1989 is on eof his very best films and I recommend it highly as I do the above.

St Stephens Day aka