Stress? Allergies? Age? Nightmares? Caffeine?The causes of sleeplessness? Who really knows? It might be all of them or none. Lately it’s been difficult to sleep through the night. I started to imagine a pleasant place to dream and this is what I came up with. If you share the same issues, I hope it helps!
It was a perfect spring today. Lots of sunshine, a slight breeze and a blue sky made me think about hanging wash out to dry. At my grandmother’s house in Pennsylvania, it was one of the few chores that I really enjoyed. Fighting stiff sheets in the breeze while trying not to swallow the wooden clothespins grew into a talent. I loved grabbing the pins and stuffing them into the swinging bag. My cousins and I would race to the finish. In Manhattan, we had a clothesline strung from our fifth floor apartment across the airshaft to a friend’s apartment in the opposite building.The clothes dried, but not much could be said for their cleanliness, and if you missed grabbing a pair of underwear, they were lost forever. To my knowledge, no one had ever safely navigated the bottom of the air shaft. It would be like an archeological dig.These photos taken at the children’s garden in the Memphis Botanic Garden sum up the experience and beauty for me. I think we’d help ourselves and our planet if we resurrected wash lines.
Summer reminds me of my grandmother’s garden. An explosion of color from zinnias, petunias, and marigolds (interspersed with tomatoes) delighted all the senses. My garden doesn’t achieve that, but I’ve been looking for new ideas.Reading Country Home’s Country Gardens, I came across an article about Hope in Bloom, an organization that creates gardens for breast cancer patients.Whether garden plots, pots, or window boxes, Hope in Bloom plans the gardens to meet specific needs and wants , at no cost. The gardens provide a focus and tranquil setting to enhance relaxation for those facing breast cancer.
In Massachusetts, the Sharon High School camera club gained new purpose when the club leader, Erica Greenberg , brought the idea of raising funds for Hope in Bloom to her fellow students. They shot photos of gardens and nature to create notecards for sale. Students also began to volunteer in other roles within the organization.The cards are available on Hope in Bloom’s website.
What resonated with me was using photography to inspire and raise funds, getting teens involved and stimulating/furthering their interest in photography. I’d love to hear about other projects in which young people can use their creativity and photography to benefit charity.If you are aware of others, I would love the opportunity to write about them also.
Hope in Bloom provides beauty and support for a very worthy cause. It is based in Massachusetts and is an idea and organization to grow.You can reach them at http://www.hopeinbloom.org.
If you have a library and a garden, you have everything you need. Marcus Tullius Cicero
Books and flowers come together both in the photograph layers and as simple pleasures to savor.Libraries and gardens provide beauty, sanctuary and a place to imagine.
Enjoy!
appropriatelyfrayed 