Candy-Glass Blog Update

Some of you may remember the blog that my friend Indigo and I started about a year ago. You've probably seen it in my blog roll, where it says "last updated- 1 year ago." Well, not anymore! My friend and I decided to get it back up and running.

Ok, so here's the idea. Every week, we upload a picture that we've taken. These photos represent what we've been doing, what we think about, and who we are. Maybe our lives aren't as different as they seem.

Anyway, check it out, and I will keep you updated!

The Midnight Museum

Light Tunnel, Houston Museum of Fine Art

This is a rather random post, but I wanted to write something. Today my mom and I spent the afternoon at the Houston Museum of Fine Art (HMFA). It was really nice. There is something about museums that makes me feel at peace. Maybe its the high ceilings, and the large echoing halls. Maybe it's the light. The light in museums is beautiful because not only do you have the natural light from outside (except it was cloudy today), but there's also all the little beams that shine on interesting pieces of gold jewelry or large colorful paintings. There weren't a lot of people there today, which is odd because it's Friday. We ate dinner in the cafe and watched the people walk by.

And then, on the way home an idea struck me. What if museums were open 24 hours. People who couldn't sleep or who were working late and needed some time to relax could get in their cars and go to the museum. They could walk the halls and look at all the artwork in the middle of the night, knowing that the wouldn't have time for it during the daytime. Being in such a large place full of beautiful things is a kind of therapy. And wouldn't it be nice for all the people that inhabit the night.

Photo provided by:www.flickr.com/photos/ dawilson/3392948944/

Blue Chatter and the Occasional Real Conversation

Conversation is a form of communication that is universal. It's how we reach out and connect with other people and how we connect with ourselves. When I need to work things out in my mind I talk to myself. I'll walk around the house carrying on this mini one way conversation with my thoughts and my dreams. They are all there communicating with me even though they can't speak. I take them into my heart and speak for them just as I speak for myself.

Some people like to refer to the "lost art of conversation." This is something that I don't really believe in. Sure speaking face to face may have faded some, and some people have trouble reaching out to others through conversation, but speech is something that will never die out. It's simple and direct. Talking with someone is risky because we could say something that we aren't supposed to. We don't have time to process our next sentence. We have to step out and say what we think and suffer the consequences if it comes out the wrong way. It isn't that we've forgotten how to talk to another person, it's that we're afraid to.

The next section of this post here simply because it fascinates me. I want you to think, just for one moment about all the people you've talked to in your entire life. There's your family members, your friends, your co-workers, your bosses, your teachers, and then there's the occasional stranger who comes into your life for one brief moment to tell you a story. When this happens you listen. And for one shining moment you catch a glimpse into another person's life. You see what they saw, you hear what they heard, and you connect this person's experience with your own. And that,dear reader, is the real power of conversation.

This idea was inspired in part by a fascinating post on the blog "The Fish Bowl: Where Ideas Swim." If you'd like to read about how we think about past,present, and future as well as a few other random but extremely thoughtful insights, check it out. You can find it in my blog roll. Enjoy!

Picture provided by:http://dumais.us/newtown/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/conversation.jpg

The New Year

So much can happen in a year. After a while I think it all blurs together, and even longer after that it doesn't really matter what year something happened. It's always strange to say to yourself, "Hey, today's the last day of 2009." As I think back on this past year I can't really remember specifics. Sure, recent things stick out, memories that have made fresh impressions on my open heart, even though after a while I will only be able to conjure up bits ad pieces. Emotions,and maybe the occasional smell of something familiar will make me remember. It's funny how memory works.

And then there's the new year. 2010 is full of opportunity. Full of shiny possibility, a chance to do something different. Maybe this is why we make resolutions. Change is something we hunger for, as well as second chances. The new year gives us that second chance. On the first day of this brand new year people are looking forward. The world opens up to us once again ad we welcome it. This year will be better, we say. And it will be, because we are diving in head first. Opportunity awaits. Go find it!