Reflections

I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.

Thomas Paine

An unusual week. The smoke continues to linger in the air and we go outside to a hazy, gray heavy world. The good thing is that I'm doing more things inside as a result. I've been listening to flamenco music and will be seeing two artists in this area I enjoy, Jesse Cook and Ottmar Liebert in concert in the next few weeks.

Ottmar Liebert records both on his own and with a group, Luna Negra. He is just releasing a new CD with them, "The Scent of Light". Another discovery is that he writes frequently and takes fantastic photographs. It's always enjoyable when you get to touch on another artist's mind and how they see the world around them.

I'm afraid that my photography has been going through an internal phase. I'm looking more closely at my relationship to it. I'm realizing I love to photograph real moments and people. My camera has made me a closer observer in the world I am living in. It creates a mediation every time I look through the viewfinder. I'm more at peace when I travel and photograph, then probably at any other time in my life.

I've also been renewing my relationship with cooking. I collect cookbooks, especially ones that reflect seasonal or farmers market cooking. Tonight I'm going to cook for a group of friends some Fig/Prosciutto crostini and Thai Coconut Chicken. Cooking is the other thing that offers me great meditation and peace. The taking of ingredients and making them into a meal and bringing people together to enjoy that meal, is one of the best things I know.

Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra, "Barcelona Nights":