Category: Events

A Creative Encounter Lunch

Yesterday my dear friend, David White, invited me to a birthday lunch at City Market in Shorewood, WI. Always a delight to spend time with a poet, singer, and a specialist in gratitude and happiness. The food was okay and the conversation superb. When the coffee grinder became unpleasantly loud we moved to the outdoor patio. When the dog did not bark for its owner to return we focused our conversation on the marketing potential of social media, customer service, public relations, and how story telling may serve those community interests; as well as how audio files may enhance the presentation of poetry on line; and may be preferable to video files.

I also found my attention attracted to a young woman who arrived carrying a good deal of style in a pin stripe pants suit. When she decided to leave the patio I let her know that I appreciated her style and we then met Ananda Walker, a life coach, musician, audio specialist and poet. Within moments David and Ananda were sharing poems in front of my lens

like birds in a woods
singing here
in this moment
we experience raw sharing
of  Creative Spirits
in a Creative Encounter.
As good as life can be
connected to the Source
of Creativity
and one another
as if
I’ve known you
intimately
forever.

(click photograph for larger view)

Ananda Shared her Poem, A Lovely Soul

i am on the edge of my seat

waiting for what you will say

curious where these words will take us

excited by the rush

resting in the satisfaction of your attention

dancing in the energy of this engagement

playing with fire

playing with the feelings

have i told you how much i appreciate you?

how i cherish every moment that i spend with you?

you are so interesting

i could spend all eternity just finding out more about you

every new thing i learn makes me want to know more

no attachment to what will happen

i am simply grateful to be able to witness you

you are a sweet gift from the divine

a gift that i love unwrapping

– © ananda walker 04/11/13

and David shared his poem, Almost All the Greek

Yasu, Christo ..
Tikanis?
Kala.
Scata, Afaristo. SaGaPo
Spanakotiropita

Hi. Chris. How are you?
Fine. Shit. Thanks. I love you.
Spinach Pie.

That’s almost all the Greek I speak.

Occasionally I will mention that lovely appetizer buffet-on-a-platter Loukanikomeze and Roditys, a semi-dry red wine

I can say Baklava too but it’s very sweet. I save it for special occasions like this.

as well as his poem, Prince Frog

Some there are princes
and some there are frogs
yet to be a prince
is to sit on a log
is to know yr not far
from being a frog

@DoHappyBetter
© David L. White

Leica M8, 28 mm Summicron Asph

The Milwaukee River… summer… simple, wet and muddy pleasures…

the roar of water falling
providing altered states.
with senses filling
and flowing thoughtlessly
within the river — with Sophia
— George Lottermoser

Two Ways of Seeing a River

by Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Now when I had mastered the language of this water and had come to know every trifling feature that bordered the great river as familiarly as I knew the letters of the alphabet, I had made a valuable acquisition. But I had lost something, too. I had lost something which could never be restored to me while I lived. All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!

(click photograph for larger view)

Leica M8, 28 mm Summicron Asph, 50 mm Summilux Asph

Brother performing @ River Rhythms

The Aussie/Celtic/Rock band Brother performed at River Rhythms Wednesday evening. The band has down sized from when I first got to know them in the mid 90’s. Seem to have lost a bit of energy too. Though still a very lovely way to spend an evening in Pierre Marquette Park. A good time was had by all; from what I could tell. The full set of photographs can be viewed here.

(click photograph for larger view)

Leica M8, 50 mm Summilux Asph or 28 mm Summicron Asph

Father’s Day

Yes, I know it’s a “Hallmark Card” merchant’s advertising day. Yet I enjoy its effect on my psyche. Days before I think about my dad, and his dad, in unusual ways — considering whether to put a picture of dad up on the blog, or FaceBook — then the pictures of dad and grandpa run through my memory. I think about “son-in-laws” and grandchildren; and family trees and broken branches. I wonder what Tanya may have in mind. I imagine Sophia making cards for me and her dad. I wonder what this “father’s day” will be like. I really enjoyed lunch with Tanya at Cafe Corazone and thought I’d like to share that dining experience with Ann – so Tanya and I decided – brunch there – at whatever time Ann would like to make it. But Ann had already planned on spending the day with her son Josh on his farm in Eagle. So I met Tanya, Jerome and Sophia at the Cafe a bit before it opened at 10am. A dozen people, in all manner of dress, had also begun to gather there on this warm, sunny, Sunday summer morning.

(click photograph for larger view)

Casual dining on the patio – to be sure…

always a delight to share time and space with Sophia…

and Jerome…

and Tanya…

I continue to marvel at the decor (and architecture).

After our leisurely, two hour brunch we walked a few blocks South in this newly gentrifying “old” neighborhood. A gallery owned by the artist was hosting a baby shower for a relative — and so the balloons.

The neighborhood is filled with unique touches…

A few blocks South… a small grass lot hosts a little farmer’s market… a dozen canopies with fresh vegetables, handmade soaps (I bought a bar for Ann), free books (I gifted myself with Ambivalent Zen, organically grown meats, handmade wooden kitchen tools, fresh bakery and some lovely guitar music…

Kimberly A Theisen, makes soap… get some at katmade.com

Sophia wanted to move on to the Zoo… and didn’t like the news… that it was unlikely…

I continued strolling “the old neighborhood” on my own — after leaving the “farmer’s market.”

The Riverwest Neighborhoods host 2 or 3 different micro breweries.

Leica M8, 28 mm Summicron Asph