Category Archives: Cord X.

Gems 5.191

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Gems 5.191 (1)

Photo, “Passionflower, Unfurled” by Cord X.

Cord took this photo in San Antonio, one of several.  There are many stages in the blooming of a passionflower.  This is the first I have ever seen, in this photo.  It’s just gorgeous.

Cord generously shared two photos of this beautiful flower during different stages of her growth over the past month. On the left is the passionflower after the fruit has been picked. It looks so unlike any flower I’ve ever seen.  And on the right is the passion-flower fruit.

Thank you, Cord, for the gift of these photos, and for all your beautiful contributions over the years.

tizzdivider

 

How We Love
Beth Nielsen Chapman

Life has taught me this
Every day is new
And if anything is true
All that matters
When we’re through
Is how we love

Faced with what we lack
Some things fall apart
But from the ashes new dreams start
All that matters to the heart
Is how we love

How we love
How we love
From the smallest act of kindness
In a word, a smile, a touch

In spite of our mistakes
Chances come again
If we lose or if we win
All that matter in the end
Is how we love

How we love
How we love
I will not forget your kindness
When I needed it so much

Sometimes we forget
Trying to be so strong
In this world of right and wrong
All that matters when we’ve gone
All that mattered all along
All we have that carries on
Is how we love

 

It seems to me that love and a passionflower were a natural fit for the quote for today’s Gem.  This beautiful song about love was a new one for me this year and it’s one of my top favorites now.  My friend PJ told me about this one day when we were talking about favorite music.  PJ lives in Scotland, so a lot of the music he heard growing up was a bit different from mine and totally new to me. I love discovering new artists.  I found that same beautiful discovery with our Ivor, the Down Under Plumber/Poet and music lover.  So many new songs came to me this year by way of Ivor.  Thank you PJ and Ivor!

All photos in the video (created for my friend PJ on his birthday this year) were by the talented and generous Photography Volunteers at Pixabay.com.  Thank you!

♥.

Gems 5.190

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Gems 5.190

Photo “Purple Sage” by Cord X.

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”  

-Joseph Addison

Cord explained that there are two different kinds of sage flowers.  One goes with the herb and the other, like the one above, is grown as decoration in San Antonio. That beauty was blooming just last week.

Cord shared other photos too that will be featured in the other Gems this week. Thanks so much, Cord!

♥.

 

Gems 5.188

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

5.188b Photo by Wild0ne

Photo by WildOne, Pixabay

“All’s well that ends better.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

This is the last in the Tolkien-quotes series.  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these as much as I’ve enjoyed creating them.  Once again, special thanks to the Pixabay and Picmonkey photographers.

The journey of Samwise, Frodo, and company continues to Rivendell here:

ÉOWYN, Bag End to Rivendell-Frodo.

 

I’m taking a break for a bit and will be back with Gems featuring some new photos from Cord X. and a poem from Johnny O. the week of November 18th.  We’ll restart the videos and newsletters every week after that too.

Until then, may all your journeys be green and golden.

♥.

 

Gems 5.35

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

5.35

Photo by Cord X.  Used with permission.  Thank you!

 

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

 

Gems 5.25

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

5.25

Photo by one of our top contributors and one of our very favorite photographer-poets, Cord X.  Used with permission.  Thank you so much! ♡

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 5.22

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

5.22 nature van gogh cord x

Photo by one of our top contributors and one of our very favorite photographer-poets, Cord X.  Used with permission.  Thank you so much! ♡

Today’s Gem celebrates our ♥ Mother’s love,  Mother Nature, Gaia, Mother Earth. ♥  I was inspired to find a special quote to honor this love after reading a beautiful poem Mother, We Are Sorry by River Dixon.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.166

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.166

Photo “Coneflower” contributed by Cord X.  Thank you!

I loved this quote today and read a little about Theodore Roethke.  He was a poet who lived in the 20th Century.  Some of his poems were for children.   I searched but didn’t find the poem that contains this line.  So, I decided to write my own.

The idea of flowers keeping light inside their roots captured my imagination.  I think that we humans keep the light in our “roots” in our own way, too.  We keep the light in our memories.  We share the light through our creativity.

Fairy Light

 

To keep the light as flowers do

Deep in their roots to save ’til night

Then, in the garden before dawn,

Release it into fairy light;

 

To blend it gently with the dew,

To catch the first rays of the sun

That warm each blade of grass, each leaf

‘Til every drop of light is gone;

 

To watch it rise, a shimmering,

The new sun’s rays now amplify,

Then almost imperceptibly,

Release it to the waiting sky.

 

My light holds memories of you;

In outstretched hands, my heart’s bijou.

 

Niki Flow

 

Thank you Cord, for sharing this beautiful photo, today’s light-filled gem.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

Gems 4.165

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.165

Painting by Jonny Linder, Pixabay

“I happen to be privileged enough to be in on the fact that we have been visited on this planet, and the UFO phenomenon is real.”  –Edgar Mitchell, USN, Apollo 14 Astronaut

 

I Want to Believe

I wasn’t looking for the opposite of “we are alone in the universe.” I found this quote by accident today.   I was surprised to learn that the person saying this was a United States Navy Astronaut and the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 14.   I found the interview above, which is a clip of a longer interview.  I used to love the TV show “X-Files,” but I was also content with not knowing.  Now, though — hmm!  What do you think?

I found my way to Mitchell’s quote while searching for the perfect quote to highlight one of our artists’ photos of a flower which I also need to identify.  Still haven’t found either answer. Actually, maybe you can help with that. =)

Two Questions

  1.  Can you identify this flower?
  2. Can you think of an inspirational quote that would go well with this photo?
Cord X

Photo Copyright Cord X. Used with permission.  Thank you! ♡

Formerly-Homeless Creatives

In the past year, both our top contributing, formerly-homeless creatives Cord X and John have found shelter and work and are safe.   I’m so grateful and filled with joy when I think of this.  Shelter and safety are essential to just normal, everyday function.  For years, these two fine men not only functioned without it but contributed beautiful creations to share with us here.

Thank you so much Johnny and Cord!

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

July 2018 Gallery Show

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I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Welcome to our July, 2018 ¤ Gallery Show ¤

JOHNNY O

Nicole Huguenin, one of our contributing artists and volunteers, and a dear friend, introduced us to our first homeless artist John Olander in 2017.  Nicole was featured on our first Spotlight Saturday:  Dream Together (fka Wild Dream Walks).

John has not only been generous with his poetry contributions, but has been very vocal and supportive about getting the word out about under1000skies to other homeless creatives and supporters in Denver.

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CORD X

Through Simbi, I met Cord in July of 2017.  Cord, a very kind and wonderfully creative soul, not only shared some of his vivid photos from San Antonio but his absolutely beautiful poetry as well.

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Thank you so much to Johnny O. and Cord X.   I’m so grateful for our connection to you, for your generosity, compassion, strength, tenacity and, most especially for your blazing creativity which inspires me every day.


With love and gratitude,

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives