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A Joyful Noise

photography challenge

#SeeYouInSeptember

September 3, 2019 by Melodye Shore

If you enjoyed Susannah Conway’s #AugustBreak2019, please consider joining us for a month of show-and-tell. 

#SeeYouInSeptember is about creating new connections, and seeing the world through different lenses. It’s easy-peasy: Just translate the daily phrases into photos, and then upload them to social media with our hashtag. No need for costly equipment–a cellphone camera will do. Think of it as recess for your imagination, which always wants to play.

Skip a day or two, if you wanna, but remember to add the hashtag #SeeYouInSeptember. That’s how we’ll find each other! Reveal to us your magic tricks/apps, if you’re so inclined. And psst, don’t forget to add the daily word/phrase!

Sound good? Let’s do this! Here’s a quick example, to help get you started:

I’m reading…several books at a time. And you? #ImReading is the prompt for Day 2 of the #SeeYouInSeptember photo challenge (I snapped this with my iPhone and added a fun overlay with the Rhonna Designs Magic app.)

(Thanks, Pamela Celeste Reese, for co-creating this month’s challenges with me. Can’t wait to see where this one leads us, and to meet new friends along the way!)

Posted in: #AugustBreak2019, #SeeYouInSeptember, books, Photo Challenge, Photography, photography challenge, Susannah Conway, writing Tagged: #AugustBreak2019, #SeeYouInSeptember, books, Photo, photographs, photography, photography challenge, reading, susannah conway

HOPES

August 11, 2019 by Melodye Shore

She said, I don’t care what you do for a living.
She said, I don’t care what kind of car you drive.
All I want to know right now is what do you believe in
And what it means to you to be alive
.

–Don Henley, “Everything is Different Now“

It’s a siren song, social media. We post glittery images on Instagram, obsess over our likes and mentions. We chime in on trending Twitter threads, not realizing in those moments of self-righteous fury, that we are, in effect, choosing chaos over positive action.

I’m worried, dear readers…worried that we’re drifting away from the ideals that we’ve always believed in, as individuals and as citizens of the world. I’m concerned that, in focusing our energies on the here and now, we’re losing sight of the dreams that we’ve been working toward, for ourselves and the greater good. So when today’s prompt, HOPES, came into focus, I saw it as an opportunity for introspection. Maybe also, a non-confrontational, open dialogue about the things that matter most.

Beyond your hot-takes on Twitter, deeper than your filtered selfie snap…all I want to know right now is what do you believe in, and what it means to you to be alive.

(Sunday, Day 11 of  #AugustBreak2019)

Posted in: #AugustBreak2019, Chinese Lantern Festival, Don Henley, Hope, Lyrics, Photo Challenge, Photography, photography challenge, Quotes, song, writing Tagged: #AugustBreak2019, Chinese, chinese lantern festival, Don Henley, everything is different now, fairfax, hope, Hopes, Photo, photography, photography challenge, Song lyrics, susannah conway, Zebra

Buttons and Lines

August 4, 2019 by Melodye Shore

Piglets at the County Fair. Cute as BUTTONS, aren’t they?

The crowds are bigger at the pig pens than almost any other attraction at the fair. And no wonder: Is there anything cuter than wriggly pink piglets, kicking up sawdust as they run circles around their mama?

#AugustBreak2019, Day 4…The theme of the day is BUTTONS, in case you haven’t guessed. I was going to post a photo of my Nana’s button collection, but it’s been a rough 24-hour news cycle. Two mass shootings within 24 hours… 29 fatalities and multiple casualties. I mourn their loss and speak their names.

I feel, as you do, the gravity of this moment. But I believe we are better served by optimism than resignation. Joy in the morning, and lightness of being. So for today’s prompt, I chose silly over serious. To wit: Pink-snouted, snuffling piglets to the rescue! Think of them as a gift, aka a “happy,” with curly ribbons as tails. #JoyInTheMorning

P.S. Yesterday’s prompt was LINE. In this news photo, El Paso residents are waiting in a two-hour line to donate blood for the victims of the first of two mass shootings in a single day. (Image via CNN. I was too teary-eyed to take photos.)  #AugustBreak2019, day 3

Posted in: #AugustBreak2019, buttons, county fair, dayton ohio, el paso texas, gun violence, joy, joy in the morning, lines, mass shootings, Orange County California, orange county fair, Photography, photography challenge, piglets, writing Tagged: #AugustBreak2019, buttons, county fair, dayton ohio, el paso texas, gun violence, joy in the morning, mass shootings, piglets, susannah conway

Pink

August 2, 2019 by Melodye Shore

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.–Audrey Hepburn

Today’s theme for #AugustBreak2019 is PINK. Susannah Conway founded this event several years ago; and while I’ve always enjoyed the artistic challenge, I love best that when I scroll through my social media feeds, I’m meeting up with creatives who, like me, are exploring ideas and techniques that move them past their comfort zones. Not to mention, it’s so much fun to peer through their windows on the world!

Here’s the deets…wanna join us? Just create a photographic image that somehow illustrates the theme of the day, and then share it on your favorite social media networks. Easy-peasy. No need to use a high-end camera–a cell phone snap is totally fine! Simple or abstract, fancy or straightforward…you get to translate the daily prompt however you want. It’s group play, but even better, because you get to make up your own rules!

Posted in: #AugustBreak2019, 2019, Audrey Hepburn, garden, gardening, miracles, Photography, photography challenge, pink, quote, rose, social media, Summer, Susannah Conway, writing Tagged: #AugustBreak2019, Audrey hepburn, garden, New Zealand Rose, photography, pink, rose

One Wish

August 13, 2017 by Melodye Shore

If we were sharing a quiet dinner in a neighborhood restaurant, I’d lean forward at some point, speaking in a lowered voice so our conversation didn’t carry. “Are you as scared as I am?” I’d ask.

You might rest your hand on mine, a reassuring gesture.  But if you’re someone with a penchant for upheaval, you might brush aside my concerns with a dismissive wave. “We needed someone to shake things up!” you’d say, and even though we might disagree about that underlying premise, we’d find a way to navigate our differences. As friends do. And at the end of the night, we’d hug it out, energized as always by a shared commitment to the greater good.

But virtual meet-ups are different, aren’t they? We can’t read facial expressions. We can’t hear the subtle changes in pitch and tone, and we miss the subtle pauses. We can’t meet each other’s eyes, and we can’t translate what we don’t see.

I’m going to trust you, though, to push past those limitations. As friends do. I’m not expecting you to compromise your own views, but at this virtual dinner, please allow me this moment of grace.

You’d probably notice my furrowed brow, were we to sit across the table from one another. “What’s on your mind,” you might reasonably ask, and while I’d probably start by talking about seals and such, I’d eventually wade into rougher waters.

What’s on my mind? Lemme tell you… I’m deeply concerned about the direction our country is headed. I am mourning the fact that we’ve lost our way, and I’m frightened about the cold, dark place in which we’ve found ourselves this weekend. I hear the drumbeats of war, drawing ever closer. White supremacists roam our streets unmasked–emboldened by a president who refuses to condemn their actions and instead offers a statement against “violence on all sides.” Politicians refuse to step into the breach, and religious leaders are strangely silent. I’m as scared as I’ve ever been, and oh, how I wish Hillary Clinton had shattered that highest, hardest glass ceiling!

This isn’t a fresh concern, mind you. I’ve been troubled by this presidency since Day One.

I worked for the Hillary Clinton campaign for a reason. She represents my deepest hopes and highest ideals. Plus, she’s smart and sassy, and better-equipped, by far.  Not without her faults, but who is? She’s as imperfectly perfect as they come. Like many Americans, I was elated about her winning the popular vote, but when she ultimately lost the electoral college to a huckster, that elation quickly turned to despair.

No surprise, when I read the prompt for Susanne Conway’s photography challenge, those  emotions bubbled to the surface again.

One Wish.

God forgive me for not thinking of my grandkids first, but this is the first image that came to mind.

My friend and I spent countless hours supporting the Hillary Clinton campaign. How exciting, to be on location for this event! We were joined by countless Americans, gathered around their television sets (or and hunched over their electronic devices), fully expecting that we’d be celebrating a big win. But there was a deep rumbling that night, and a shaking. Our dreams were crushed by the weight of unseen forces.

We walked back to the hotel together in silence, blanketed by wooly clouds that offered little in the way of comfort. I zipped my coat against the cold, wrapped my scarf a little tighter. An outsized rat skittered across the sidewalk, baring needle-sharp teeth as it defended its right to the trash bags heaped at the curb. The Empire State Building–alternating floors glowing blue and red before the polls closed—was awash in angry red.

That was then, and this is now. I’m not dwelling on that night, but I’m mindful of its significance. I’d be hard-pressed to explain how much our country has shifted, folded in on itself, and slid backward. And tonight…well, I’m glad tonight for the warmth and glow of your friendship, because my typically optimistic outlook is a bit faded around the edges.

Everything looks brighter in the morning–that’s what my Nana always said. But if we were to linger over coffee tonight, we’d probably explore this at some length. We’d laugh; we’d cry. I’d give you side-eye and you’d tell me to hush. We’d eventually fall into a comfortable silence, but not before I asked you to share your One Wish with me. As friends do. Then we’d ask the waiter to bring us a gooey, guilt-free slice of cake. With extra forks, please, and glow-in-the-dark candles.

Posted in: #AugustBreak2017, Hillary Clinton, Jacob Javits Center, One Wish, optimism, Photography, photography challenge, Susannah Conway, ticket, Wish, writing Tagged: #AugustBreak2017, hillary clinton, Jacob Javits Center, One WIsh, susannah conway, ticket

Flight Plans: #AugustBreak2016

August 1, 2016 by Melodye Shore

Sunlight spreads itself across the neighboring hillsides, nudging the earth out of its slumber. A hummingbird glides easily between palm dates and salvia, chittering as it sips nectar, and I celebrate with her the sweetness of this new day.

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This is my first entry in the monthlong, collaborative photography project,  “August Break 2016,” a mindfulness activity that draws participants away from their daily routines and into the wider world. Inspired by a specific prompt, you snap a new photograph every day in August.  No need for fancy equipment, and you can bend the rules to suit your needs or interests.

I’m using Susannah Conway’s #AugustBreak2016 as an opportunity to practice something I’ve struggled with: capturing sharp images of hummingbirds in flight. I’ll also be spending lots of time at my writing desk, polishing up a special project. Each creative act, inspiring and informing the other…

Some of you might remember that I participated last year. Aside from the healthful benefits of venturing outdoors, those photography outings had carry-over effects on my writing, all for the good. Focus. Experimenting with light and dark. Seeing things from different angles, and expressing myself in new ways.

If this sparks your own creative urges, I hope you’ll grab your camera and join us!

Posted in: #AugustBreak2016, August Break 2015, birds, Flight, flight plans, mindfulness, morning light, Photo Challenge, Photography, photography challenge, Susannah Conway, writing Tagged: birds, flight, flight plans, hummingbird, mindfulness, nectar, palm fronds, photography, salvia

Art Challenge of the Week: Showing the LOVE

February 12, 2016 by Melodye Shore

20160212-unnamed-6

Welcome, everybody, to this week’s art challenge. In honor of Valentine’s Day, our theme is–you guessed it–LOVE.

Meet Wendy and Peter, affectionately named for two of our most beloved storybook characters. They’re nesting in a fuchsia, alongside our front walkway.  At 19 and 20 days old, they’re still too young to fly; but within a week, they’ll take to the skies on shimmery wings, as hummingbirds are wont to do. Love, ongoing and everlasting.

unnamed-7

Vincent van Gogh once said, “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” That quotation goes to the heart of who I am: a child of God who views the world with a wide-eyed sense of wonderment. It also speaks to the joy that comes of taking field trips with my camera.

 

 

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Posted in: art challenge, aryana, birds, Blogging, hummingbird hatchlings, hummingbird nest, hummingbirds, Nature, photography challenge, Quotes, Vincent Van Gogh, wendy and peter, wings Tagged: birds, hummingbird, hummingbird hatchlings, joy, photography

Art Challenge of the week: LOVE

February 10, 2016 by Melodye Shore

Once upon a time, a consortium of artisans (poets, musicians, artists, and the like) tried to translate this complex emotion into words. But as someone wise once said, the language of love has many dialects.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, our Art Challenge theme o’ the week is (cue the harp music) LOVE. And lucky me, I get to host it.

Here, an opportunity to translate your own thoughts into images, using your favorite art form(s) and media. I enjoy photography, so I’ll be working with my camera. But Art Challenges are for all-comers. Painting, sewing, drawing, cooking…express your creativity any way you like, so long as you share your finished work in pictures.

Let your imagination run free! Picture yourself and your beloved, for instance, doing something that sparks your inner passions. (Hint: It doesn’t have to be romantic.)

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LOVE isn’t all chocolate and roses, although it could be. It can be sweet as these hummingbird hatchlings, in a cottony-soft nest…

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Or as absurd as this peacock, oblivious to its surroundings.

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LOVE can be dangerous at times, and prickly.

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Clingy or trusting? Reveal to us your vantage point, in literal or figurative ways.

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There are countless approaches you might take, when it comes to this theme o’ the week. No rules;  limitless boundaries. But may I offer you one suggestion? Leave no stone unturned in your quest for LOVE!

20160209-P1250902

One last thing: Be sure to link your project to the blog entry I post this Friday.

Note: This Art Challenge is not a contest, and you most certainly don’t need to be a pro to participate. This is art for its own sake, no judgment or restrictions. So c’mon, share the love.

Posted in: art, art challenge, beach, birds, hummingbird nest, hummingbirds, Love, mother nature, Nature, Photography, photography challenge Tagged: agave, beach, birds, cactus, dog, heart, hummingbird hatchlings, joy, love, rock, running on the beach, seagulls

Sitting at the threshold of here and there

December 4, 2015 by Melodye Shore

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I sit on my front porch almost every morning, steaming coffee mug in hand. From this vantage point, I can watch coyotes scramble up the hillside–silhouettes that erupt from gauzy shadows, and then vanish in the dark. I hear songbirds, warbling their morning tunes in a nearby sycamore tree, and the whir-thump of the morning newspaper, out for delivery. Hummingbirds cross my field of vision, making territorial clicks as they dart between the window feeder and the fuchsia, a safe haven in which they build their nests.

The marine layer lifts. Wispy, cotton-candy clouds are set aglow by the sunrise. I breathe deep the cool morning air, eyes wide open so that I don’t miss a single, wondrous thing.

On the kitchen counter: my computer and daily to-do lists. But I pour myself one last cup of coffee, savor the last vestiges of dawn before heading inside. Routines can wait, I tell myself, and no real harm has ever come of sitting a while longer, at the threshold of here and there.

 

 

Posted in: birds, Buddhism, calm, Home, joy, liminal, liminal spaces, Photo Challenge, Photography, photography challenge, writing Tagged: coyotes, dawn, eucalyptus, front porch, joy, photography, photography challenge, songbirds, sycamore, threshold

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