I am A Full Woman

From the wonderful blog, “Beyond Meds”

I love this video! Beautiful images!

Monica Cassani's avatarBeyond Meds: Alternatives to Psychiatry

Beautiful and haunting in a really good way. A celebration of the lives of women everywhere. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OceD5fUfdUE

from youtube:

Over the past 45 years photographer Linda Wolf has lived and traveled world-wide collecting portraits of women. Her work celebrates the inherent dignity of all women—inclusive of culture, race, color, shape, size, age, religious affiliation, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, abilities, and life experience. Her images celebrate the strengths that make each woman a full woman—to be valued and respected simply as women: resilience, heart, wisdom, intelligence, compassion, experience, intuition, beauty, love. Mostly contemporary, the images were taken in China, Thailand, India, Mexico, Guatemala, the USA, Europe, Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine.

“Full Woman,” the song that inspired this video, was graciously donated for use by the composer, Rachel Bagby. For more info about the dream that gave birth to “Full Woman” go to ez.com/fullwoman

This video was produced, directed, photographed, and…

View original post 34 more words

Green Healing ~ Lotus and Little Frog

“Hey,” one of the Horticulture Therapy Interns whispered to me during a recent group session.  “Did you get a look at that Lily?” 

I looked across the way toward the pond garden.  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  It was floating almost three feet above the water and extraordinarily large. 

“That’s a Lily!” I exclaimed. 

“Uh huh,” she murmured, smiling in a playfully delinquent way. 

She knew I would get excited and I did!  I quickly found myself standing on the side of the garden’s frame taking pictures.  I was in awe.

Beautiful Lotus Lily! 

Image of Large White Lotus Lily flower, "dokisses blog photos"

Lotus Lily

“I finally understand about the Lotus now,” a co-volunteer and friend said as we stood there, altogether captured by the flower.  By that time the intern had joined us. 

We talked about acknowledging the darkness in the waters where the flower comes from.  I’ve noticed the dark waters of the ponds, as well as all the life living in and around them.  There’s the frogs, the various kinds of Lily pads, some with intricate designs and one with a smiley face.  Pretty little red fish swim around and all kinds of moss and plant life grow that I can’t name.  Of course, there is my gorgeous winged friend, whom I met there at Noon one very hot day. 

So, after hanging around the pond for a few weeks, a surge of adrenaline hit me when the large white Lotus flower appeared.  Nature took me again to a place where I feel connected and my senses peak.  This surely qualifies as a Green Healing.

My companions and I were standing on the garden’s frame when the Horticulture Therapist walked over to ask that we re-join the group.  I suspected by the look in her eyes that she would rather not see any of us up there again.  She’s a terrific therapist and I respect her a great deal.  I also trust her.  I won’t be standing on the sides of our pond gardens anymore, besides, that’s for “Little Frog!” 

A cute little pond frog

Possible Prince Charming?

"little frog" posing by the pond garden

“Little Frog” definitely has potential!

Back at the gardens this afternoon, I checked the pond where the Lily was showing off for us.  The plant looked very different after four days!  In fact, I think I’ll end with one more photo of what it looks like today.

Lotus Lily Flower, Closed Petals

The Lotus Lily Flower, Closed Petals

There were also new Lilies coming up.  Some stay on the water when they bloom and the others grow on top of a long stem, straight up toward the sky, like this beauty did. 

Thanks for visiting DogKisses! 

Copyrights Apply.  See Terms of Use for more information.  Thank you for respecting my work and this license.

Green Healing ~ The Sunflowers

Visit my photo/journal blog to see the lovely Sunflowers! 

 

DOGKISSES's avatarGreen Healing Girl

Well, I’m back sooner than expected to share more Sunflower photos.  I really can’t help myself.  If I wasn’t tired, which I am, I’d give fun names to the ones I saw today!  I guess some folks might think if you’ve seen one Sunflower, then you’ve seen them all, but today only strengthened my personal observation that each one is unique.

Note:  Click on images to see the original size.

Drop Dead Red Sunflower, Green Healing Notes Blog Images

My friend and I had gone to the gardens to have lunch under the naturally vine-crafted Gazebo by the herb garden.  I thought it would be cool spot to sit, but I used all except one napkin for wiping the out-pour of sweat on my body, and I had on a summer dress! 

I may be a mountain woman in my heart, but I’m not sure.  We lived in the mountains when I was a toddler, but soon moved to…

View original post 367 more words

Garden Friends with Wings

Garden Friends with Wings! by Rosa Blue
Garden Friends with Wings!, a photo by Rosa Blue on Flickr.

A short visit to the water gardens was a nice break on a hot day. I ran into our new friend and co-volunteer, which was fun.  My son was a trooper to endure the heat, while I was captured by yet another garden friend!

We had a few much-needed Green Healing moments.

Pretty Sunflower! (Reblogged from my Green Healing Notes photo/journal)

DOGKISSES's avatarGreen Healing Girl

From the Sunflower Garden

Single Black Mammoth Sunflower Bloom

“The Sunflow’r, thinking ’twas for him foul shame
To nap by daylight, strove t’ excuse the blame;
It was not sleep that made him nod, he said,
But too great weight and largeness of his head.”
~ Abraham Cowley

Thanks for visiting Green Healing Notes!

View original post

Illuminating Blogger Award

My enthusiastic thanks to CJ, at Food Stories, for giving Dogkisses’s blog the Illuminating Blogger Award! Thank you CJ! 

Blogger Award

“A fabulous award that anyone can bestow on their fellow bloggers for illuminating, informative blog content.”  CJ

Visit Food Stories via above link.  CJ is a nurse, with type-11 diabetes, offering interesting food facts and education, along with ‘illuminating’ tasty recipes! 

Below are the five blogs I’ve chosen for this award:

Dreamwalker’s Sanctuary

IconDoIt, the blog!

DorkeyDeb.com  (Deb also has a nature blog)

Learning From Dogs

The Soulsby Farm

I enjoy many blogs when I have time to read.  It’s hard not to choose more bloggers.  In the interest of time, I can only offer five.  The ones I chose have particularly ‘illuminating content’ via images and of course, each of them are also informative and interesting.

Again, thanks to CJ at Food Stories for the award and creating the Food Stories blogroll/nominee page.

Thanks also to the blogging community for offering interesting and illuminating content 🙂

Accepting the Award (See below)

Just follow the steps below:

The Nominee should thank the person that nominated them by posting & including a link to their blog.

Include a courtesy link back to the official award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/) in your blog post.

Share one random thing about yourself in your blog post.

Select at least five other bloggers that you enjoy reading their illuminating, informative posts and nominate them for the award.

Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog, including a link to the award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/).

I hope you have fun!

Oh yeah, one random thing about myself…

I like good thrift shop finds!  Today I bought a nice mirror for my son framed in thick strong Bamboo.  It’s pretty, matches his furniture and I saved about 150 US Dollars!  Only spent 8.  Pretty good 🙂

For the sake of illuminating content, I’d like to share a photo from the horticulture gardens where my son and I are volunteering and having many ‘Green Healing‘ Days!

Image of Merlot sweet peppers

Green Healing Merlot Peppers


Please see Terms of Use for copyright information on images and text in this blog, by Michelle, ‘dogkisses’ and/or Dogkisses’s blog.  Thank you for respecting this license.

Green Healing ~ An affair with Nature

My favorite flower of the day. 

Cosmos Bright Lights

Believe me, it was hard to choose only one photo to share with you from my visit to the gardens today!  I wish I had time to share more of my journey lately, but extra time is sparse.  

Today I watered the plants, which is part of my volunteer position at the Botanical Gardens.  Normally my son helps me water, but he’s visiting his Grandmother for a few days.

There is so much to see when I go that I get carried away.  I start taking photos and find myself still there several hours later. 

People browse around and I hear oohs and ahs over a plant they’ve never seen or one they particularly love.  I enjoy the people and sometimes they ask me questions.  I like it when I’m able to give an answer.

The colors and garden creatures capture my attention in a way nothing else is able to these days.  Life isn’t easy as I write.  I may be avoiding some of it by spending hours taking photos of flowers or simply admiring the amazing size of the Cosmos and Sunflowers.

I wonder if I’m having a love affair with Nature. 

Back to the flower.

Normally, Cosmos would attract butterflies, but I only saw one today.  It was passionately fluttering about as if it couldn’t decide where to stop.  I think the place is heaven for them. 

I did see many bees.  While watering the Thyme and Sage hundreds surrounded me.  I stayed calm and rather enjoyed them.  I’m sure they were asking me why I was bothering them on a hot afternoon when they were busy –as bees 🙂

Thank you for visiting Dogkisses’s Blog!

Read “Virtual Green Healing” by Leslie Sigal Javorek @ IconDoIt, the blog!

 

Also, check out Leslie’s Art on Zazzle! You’ll see widgets in her blog displaying her designs and links to her stores.  Thank you Leslie!  You are a very dear friend!

Leslie Sigal Javorek's avatarIconDoIt

Posted by: – Date:

I’ll get to explaining the title of this post in a minute, but first, a little preamble is called for.

While I’ve been laying low in the background for a few months, I’ve been silently enjoying reading my favorite blogs (Dogkisses) and Green Healing Notes, along with a ton of books. If you’re a regular reader here at IconDoIt, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve mentioned Dogkisses several times and that the author of those two blogs is also a frequent commenter here. So what’s that all about, you might ask?

One of the greatest serendipities of writing a blog and commenting on blogs other than your own, is that you have the opportunity to come to know people from around the globe with whom you already have something in common (an interest in the subject…

View original post 851 more words