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!

Clouds

For thousands of years, clouds have captured people's imaginations. These ever changing forces of nature are always around, and change as we do. Clouds represent many things. They can be menacing in a huge grey mass, or lighthearted as they drift across the sky. Our perception of clouds changes as well. Clouds can be a source of dreams for younger children,a source of worry for adults as a storm approaches, or a spectacular array of colors for everyone that takes the time to look up. Clouds are always there. Take a picture outside and most likely there will be clouds in the background. And when the sky is bright and clear many people notice immediately and say, "Look. There aren't even any clouds in the sky today." These beautiful masses of air and water are part of the many things that we as humans take for granted. So the next time you step outside, take a little bit of time to look up and watch them float by.

The Letter

There is something different and almost magical in writing a letter to someone. And I don't mean sending a Hallmark card and leaving it at that. I mean a real letter. The kind that is filled to the brim with slanted, messy script detailing your life, your family, maybe even your pets.

Sure, today we have a much better way of communicating. There's Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messaging, Texting, and e-mail. And of course, these have their many advantages that many people can't imagine living without. But when we decided to embrace these new standards of communication, we lost something as well. We lost intimacy. It used to be, when letters took weeks, sometimes months, to arrive at their destinations, people didn't just send information. They sent hopes and dreams and love. A shortage of letters from someone usually meant something drastic had happened. And today, with thousands of e-mails reaching their targets in less that a minute, there is I suppose a sense of assurance, but less of a personal contact between two people.

And this is why letters today mean so much. In a world that is moving at an accelerated pace, where the lines around the edges are blurred, receiving something that a loved one took the time to hand write simply so that you could feel it's weight on your finger tips is that much more powerful than reading it on a computer screen.

If you enjoy letter writing and receiving as much as I do, click on Letters of Note and Today I Saw in my blog roll. Thanks for reading!

Share the Joy!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things just got way too busy, with school and Christmas approaching fast. Anyway here are a couple photos of the things I made for my family. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of them before I gave them away, so there are only two that I can show you.

This is a shadow box that I made from scratch for my mom. I painted a cardboard tray black,and put in rolling green hills. Then I cut out a tree, painted it gold and glued it into the box. Finally, I cut out pictures of the whole family and decorated the tree with stars and presents underneath.

This picture is the inside of a box filled with office supplies for my Dad and "A book of Office Encouragement" (below), with quotes about the office and work. (The camera on my computer makes writing look backwards, so its kind of confusing.)

Hope you enjoyed!