Waaaaa *sniff* *sniff*

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:( Please let me know you stopped by from time to time. Your presence brings me joy!

Ball O' Twine

This is a ball of twine. Actually, it is no longer able to support the shape of a sphere...it is more like a lump of twine. It is, nonetheless, impressive. I would suggest, if you travel a distance farther than 1 hour to visit this site, you should make additional plans. Go explore that general area of Kansas. The Ball of Twine is worth the trip, but there is really nothing else to see in the town. Well, there is a woman in this town who is an artist. She has reworked some famous paintings and has incorporated a ball of twine into each picture. There's an example of THE SCREAM by Edvard Munch below. The first one is the real picture. The next one is the Cawker City ball of twine painting.











The REAL ONE....................CAWKER CITY'S (can you find the ball of twine?)

My friend (who has amazing hair) and I thought it would be funny to have our picture taken smoking cigarettes next to the ball of twine. We are SUCH REBELS! They were fake cigarettes.

We then travelled through DOWNS, KS. The cafe closed at 2:00, so we had to get chicken from the grocery store deli and have a picnic in my truck. We met a woman at a gift shop there who taught us how to weave on an old, old upright loom.

We ended up at a bed & breakfast and I would highly recommend this historic limestone homestead. I discovered that I actually know the owner through a mutual friend. Click here to be linked to the B & B site.

Another MUST SEE is Wilson Lake. I think you really need to take a hike at Wilson Lake park. It will wind around and over some hills and after you crest one of the hills you will see the lake and some sandstone formations that took our breath away!

We finally ended up in LUCAS, KANSAS. I thought perhaps we took a wrong turn and ended up in the Twilight Zone! This town and it's people are something that should not be missed! Through the GRASSROOTS ART MUSEUM I met several people who inspired me. They are people who decided to do art in their own peculiar way. Complete abandon, no concern for perfection, lots of space for creativity! Here is a link to a good article that introduces you to some of the people and their art.

And here are some more photos:

Art, friendship, roadtrips, curiosities, quirky people, nature, good walks and good talks...AHHHH that's life!

Sight Given To The Blind

I watched this documentary recently. It was deeply moving. I think it is my current favorite visual depiction of the human capacity to change through the mysterious intervention of sight. I believe the passageway into these children's souls has been through their eyes.

Here is the synopsis of the documentary as published on the movie distribution company's web site. Click anywhere on the synopsis to be linked to their web site:

A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, BORN INTO BROTHELS is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York based photographer, gives each of these youngsters a camera and teaches them how to take pictures, simultaneously causing them to look at their world with new eyes.

The kids would meet with Zana for photography lessons. Several times she would bring in the proof sheets for them to look at together. I loved watching the children learn how to express an opinion about something. She gave them permission to talk about the things they liked and did not like in the photographs they took. They were also welcome to critique eachother's pictures. It seemed this was a vital step in process of opening their hearts up to change at a spiritual level.

Zana took them on field trips--to the ocean, to a photo developing shop, to a water park...she dismantled the doors and walls of their prison. She invited them to look out the window of the red light district and see all the options life presented them.

I admired Zana's willingness to help open up life to these kids, but not to take control of their lives. She showed her heart of compassion for them, used alot of energy up upon their behalf, she battled for their lives. But she was not devastated by their imperfect choices or the thwarting of her best efforts. I loved watching her live her belief in their ability to one day see their lives, the possibilities, and the world around them.

These kids gained sight into their surroundings and into their own souls. They actually ended up caring, dreaming, wondering.

Three years after Zana's photo lessons with the children of the brothels, she organized a reunion for them (this would have been last January). Most of them are in high school now. All of them have some strand of hope woven into their current stories. None of the girls in the group are "in line" to be prosititues. That is a miracle in itself.

One of the most poignant parts of the documentary is a selection in the DVD "extras." During their reunion together last winter, the children asked to watch the documentary. Zana and her partner, Ross, filmed selected parts of their viewing of the work. Basically, you had the opportunity to see the children as they watched themselves learning how see themselves through the eye of a camera. It was beautiful! As the scenes of their own lives played out in front of them, the flicker of the TV reflecting in their eyes, you could see all the way down into their broken hearts on the mend.

The sight was an absolute picture of beauty.

Please consider looking into the foundation Zana has created on their behalf. Please consider letting them tell their own story to you, rather than being satisfied with my rendition. You can rent the DVD anywhere, and click here for the link to the KIDS WITH CAMERAS foundation.