From Still Sundays:
On Friday evening I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was mesmerized by this amazing sculpture. I am sure most people who visit there often are quite used to it and hence could and couldn’t understand my state of awe. I took many photos and I felt none captured how I was actually feeling when I saw it. I gave up and in my silence contemplated why I was so drawn to it. I thought about it rest of the night and then while listening to a group of percussion drummers outside an art gallery in downtown Philly it finally clicked. That sculpture is precisely how I feel after I ... read more »
Tagged art, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, beauty, philly, photography, photos, sculpture, seekfindseek, words, writing
I came across a wonderful book The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf while I stayed at my cousin’s in Cambridge. I share some excerpts from the final chapter. No, I did not finish the book in two days, I just happened to look at the end first like I often do when it comes to non-fiction and magazines.
I recognize that most people on social media have the attention span worse than my “reluctant readers” (9th graders repeating 9th grade for the 4th time). However, after my most recent “writing world” exposure in Prague, I can say this with certainty: although social media (twitter, blogs, Posterous etc.) are a great tool to share with another audience, ... read more »
Tagged art, beauty, life, naomi wolf, seekfindseek

The name Etna comes from the Greek Aitne, but it was known as Mongibello in the past, which is a combination of the Latin, Monte for mountain and the Arabic Gibel, which also means mountain, or rather mountain of mountains.
There is plenty of information available about Mount Etna.
Here I simply share a few shots from our excursion. The first one is of my brother Z laying on a rock that was once spewed as part of volcanic ash. The next one is of me doing what I do when my heart-mind begins stretching too fast: find earth for stillness. In this case I fell asleep. The air was cool, ... read more »
Tagged beauty, earth, italy, Mt. Etna, photography, sicily

While walking around I happened to come across a group of older men, doing what most do here: just sitting back comfortably in the arms of time, adoring moments as if each passing moment is a flower to be placed in the vase of life.
One of them called me over—I was not going to take their photos!—I was just walking by taking photos of houses and doors. But I went over because his eyes reminded me of my grandfather on my father’s side, although this man’s (I believe he is in the second photograph) are an electric blue and can hold the sea to a draw. My grandfather’s were more green and hazel but his ... read more »
Tagged beauty, italy, nicolosi, photography, sicily, travel

Some shots from a walk around the sleepy, quaint, colorful, rustic, village of Nicolosi in Sicily. Most people don’t stay here and those who do, do so only to hike up Mt. Etna. Everyone knows everyone and is sincerely warm and welcoming despite lack of communication in English. I really enjoyed staying here and had the best Italian food I have ever had.
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Tagged beauty, color, italy, nicolosi, photography, sicily, travel