Dear ,

As you most likely recall, roses were featured in the last issue of Picture to Ponder - "Perfections, Imperfections, Counting Blessings" - on my Photography and Transformation blog.

Although I had not intended a continuation of the theme or photos, I am in such awe of the beauty of several of the roses, now eight days older, that I simply had to share one of them here.

Today's Photo -

I started adding another photograph and it felt that this one needed to have the total space. I invite you visit the page, Roses - 8 days Later. It has this rose photograph, plus five others taken at the same time.

Self-Reflecting Queries -
Comments on the blog and directly to me had me revisit the theme of imperfections.

One reader wrote that she has frequently created rose greeting cards and realized, as she was reading and looking at the featured roses, that she often would pinch off the "imperfect" petals!!. This, during times she was teaching children to accept their "imperfect" pictures and stories.

Today's rose, and those on the Roses Page, were taken 8 days after I brought them home, way beyond the "perfect" freshness. Amazed at the remaining full-bodied-ness of several, I took more photographs.

I suspect that many of the readers here would have long ago discarded the flowers, seeing them only as shriveled up.

I invite you to look into your life. Can you identify a point in the life cycle when you discard flowers, objects, people - defining "life cycle" as the time period of usefulness?

Are there people's statements that you automatically disregard, because they feel "old", not "right"? What if you took another look?

Where can you find beauty today/tonight in something you usually ignore or slough off?

As always, have fun with this.

Programs I recommend:
for Anyone interested in Going Green - Especially Business Owners

My friend, Julie Gabrielli, has created a unique "Green in 15" fifteen day program. I was on a "sneak preview call" today and very impressed with the breadth of easy, fun and important information and suggestions Julie will be covering in the program.

For those in business, there were some great business tips, some of which were totally independent of ecology.

I encourage you to check out the page to see what Julie is offering for an unbelievably low fee. Scroll down and just under the image of the woman with a phone to her ear you can click on a link to listen to the 15-minute preview call.

She had a great, and fun, commentary on "10 Ways to Love A Starbucks Cup," creating business tips. I was on the call and have registered for the 15 days. It would be great to play with you.

Reader's Comments are welcome.
To post them on the Photography and Transformation blog click on the small word "Comment" at the end of the post. A window will open, asking for your name, email address that will NOT be published, a URL if you have - Your name will be linked to that - and a box with space for you to "Leave a Reply" will be there to type in your response. Then remember to click on "Submit."

If posting on a blog is not your style, please continue to send your comments directly to me. Learning what you are experiencing means a lot. It is part of the reward, for me, of publishing Picture to Ponder.

Guests - If this issue has been passed on to you by a friend, we invite you also to take advantage of a no-cost subscription. Simply click on SUBSCRIBE. You can learn more about Picture to Ponder on our INTRO page.

Inspirationally,


Sheila
sheila[a]picturetoponder.com
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© 2005-09 Sheila Finkelstein
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