Project "Postcards for Smiles"

Dear friends I'm happy to announce that I'm finally able to launch this project.  My mind gave birth to the idea a little later than I would have liked but, we still have two months till my trip to Armenia.  With all of your support I'm confident that we can make this a successful fundraiser. So here is the idea behind this beautiful project...

I will be bringing my late husbands ashes to Armenia this summer, to Etchmiatsin where he studied as a young boy. I want to honor and remember his kind and happy spirit with some charitable deeds.  This is where you come in... I have put together some of my better photographs as greeting cards, I've build an online shop where you can view and purchase these lovely gifts, and also read more about the project.
Please spread the word, share this link with friends and family... with great appreciation and a humble heart, I thank you!

Mari Mansourian
HerThirdEye

http://herthirdeye.myshopify.com/

Love.. Peace.. Joy..

look for it...

yes, it's raining...

it's wet, dark and gloomy...

and still...

we manage to find beauty....

and comfort on this day....

we should...
we must...


look for it...
find it...
embrace it...
enjoy it...!

love...peace...joy...

the creators..

Went to an art exhibit this weekend, it was of one of my all time favorite artists Emil Kazaz.
He has quite an imagination, passion and vision that is apparent in his work. I'm no expert and am in no way qualified to judge an artist, or give you a detailed analysis of his work. However what I can tell you about is how I felt as I walked around, looking at the paintings, sketches and the sculptures (which were my favorite part of the show).

Who are artists?? Artists are the writers, painters, sculptors, singers, dancers, directors, composers.... visionary people who create. Their imagination and the yearning to create make our world a colorful one. A world that speaks to our soul, opens our eyes to different realms, a world that warms our hearts, makes us cry or laugh at times, that makes us feel, makes us smile. A world without these riches would be quite a sad one, if you ask me.... A few notes of a song can lift our spirits.. or a scene from a picture can make us feel alive inside... a simple photograph can bring tears to our eyes... or perhaps the brushstrokes on a painting can inspire us in so many ways.
What a gift to us humans, to those who have this vision, this incredible ability to express and put out this imagination which lives in their minds, hearts and is embedded in their souls... And what a gift to those of us who see and appreciate their creations. Whether we like a piece of art or a particular group of music notes put together, we must appreciate the "work" that went into creating it, the feelings that were involved in the molding process, the love and all emotions that are ultimately responsible for the end result.

I couldn't help but feel humbled as my eyes jump from one piece to the next, catching all the little details in the paintings, all the colors that dance together on a canvas, or as I felt the many curves on a sculpture, I imagined the number of hours and days.. months that it took to finish each peace... What was involved in the process, how many moments of victory or defeat were felt... yes we can get technical about it, and really dissect this process.... but that will not take away the fact that in the end... it is still a work of creation... The artist is the creator... and we're just going along on the ride and enjoying every minute of it...

Yes artists are creators... of beauty, of pain, of joy, of love, of darkness and of light without which we would all be pale on the outside and inside...

Here are some of the sculptures from the show, enjoy!














So, make some time... go to a concert or an art gallery, stop for a moment to listen to a street musician or look at a statue you pass by in detail, although natures creations are beautiful, and the colors that surround us make our lives fuller.... sharing the vision of our human creations will no doubt enrich your soul....

love...peace...joy...

a lovely Sunday morning...

love...peace...joy...

sweet snail mail....

Hey everybody, look what I got in
the mail from Janet.
This is one of her tags from her
Tuesday Tag Challenge posts, I commented about
how I really liked this one... and voila!!!

Thank you Janet, I really love it,
love the colors, the message, and most
of all the fact that it's hand made by you.
It's very happy in it's new home, hanging
from my lamp on my nightstand,
where I can see it daily and think of all
the great memories Gag left us with.
Thanks again... it really made my day.


Isn't Janet great? If you guys haven't
already been there please check out
her corner.

LOVE...PEACE...JOY...

wordless wednesday... rain (finally)

love...peace...joy...

october..

just a quick note to let you guys know what's going on in October over at Capturing beauty.
so go on over there now and check back throughout this month for some fun shots of the changing season captured by all 11 of us there..
Here's my first shot I posted.... more to come :)

thanks Philip once again for this blog opportunity

love...peace...joy...

fall has arrived....

well folks... fall has officially arrived
a walk through of a retail store
shows quite a bit of evidence of this




spice and cinnamon scented candles
invade your nose as soon as you walk in

colorful and soft woven scarves
are begging to wrap around your neck

Halloween fabrics are everywhere
from costumes for the kiddies to kitchen towels

and my favorite.... rain gear piled high on shelves

yup... it's here, the weather is changing, the smells and colors around are changing, and so are we.... looking forward to cozy corners, comforted by soft blankets, hot tea and the crackle of the firewood.... enjoy the change of the season... as this too will pass quickly and take us into the winter, as we will no doubt be yearning for the warmth of summer once again.... and the cycle will begin all over .....


love....peace....joy....

by the way all the images above were taken with my little baby cannon :))) not bad huh??

got nothing...

i don't really have anything for you guys today... but did want to share a beautiful song....

"a brotherhood of men".... what an amazing concept...
unfortunately religious differences will keep mankind segregated forever... and that is a sad thought...


peace...

the things we saw (part 1)

the beach in the morning light

surrounded by beauties like this

the view from our balcony

Mayan woman selling hand made handkerchiefs

ball court at Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza
(Arman calls this one "Apocalypto")

a little dancing show after the tour

Hope you enjoyed, I'll have some more up next week.


love... peace... joy...

beauty

beauty is all around us,
open your hearts,
open your minds,
open your eyes,
breath it all in.

announcing....

I'm happy to announce that I will be posting some images on Capturing Beauty,( thanks Philip for this opportunity :) so stop in sometimes and have a look.

Here is my first post... enjoy


love...peace...joy...

combating pain...

This morning was tough, the tears started at night and just wouldn't stop... perhaps I needed to cry me a river.... it just drained me so much.... and the pain didn't get any better in the morning either... so I needed a project, something that involved happy memories of Gag and me keeping busy....



And that's just what I did... framed some of his work, devoted a wall and hung them up.... right where we can see them every day. I'm glad the boys have some friends over today and are busy in their own way, but Arman noticed my puffy eyes and gave me the most comforting and gentle hug....took the pain away a bit. I'm so fortunate to have the boys... thank you Gagik for leaving some beautiful angels behind to look out for me.

So a bit of advise from this hurting soul to you.... make not only every day count... but embrace each moment and create a memory worth cherishing. That's all I have for you guys today.

love... peace... joy...

our young poet..

I've prepared a little gift for my nephew Sevak, he is my brother's son and our godchild as well. We were all moved when we learned that he had written a poem for Gagik and were actually all in tears when he recited it at the restaurant where we were having a memorial lunch a week after Gag's burial. It's a short poem but came from his 10 year old heart and I'd like to share it with you all ....

He got his wings
He got his sword
He's sitting up high
Looking down below.

So I've decided to nurture this hidden talent in his bright little mind, and am going to give him a little poem notebook where he can start his poetry. I've written a little inscription on the first page (signed it Nuna.. that's Greek for godmother). I hope that this will give him the inspiration to continue. I guess it is in times of pain and sorrow that some of our hidden talents wake up, I know he was really impacted by all that's happened. I'm actually really glad he was there a few days before (Gag got his wings), as the boys were all gathered by his bedside and Gagik had a few words of love to share, it was a very important moment for the boys and glad that Sevak was part of that moment.

He also got to have another special moment on one of his visits, as Gag gave Sevak a couple of his old watches, his eyes lit up, you could see the excitement on his face... I'm sure he will cherish those forever.

Thank you Sevak for that beautiful heart of yours that could express such words... Gago would be proud. Love you!

nurture those young minds.... they possess gifts we cannot imagine...

love... peace... joy...

he lives on...

I had put up all the sympathy cards we had received all around Gag's photo that's on the dining table along with a candle that's lit all day. So, this morning I decided to go through and actually read them all. They were all heart warming and had some very genuine wards.... I thank you all.

thought I'd share a poem that is in one of them that I think speaks true to who Gag was....

As Long As Memory Lives
by Helen Steiner Rice
Those we love
never die,
for as long as we live
and remember,
they are with us.
In ways big and small,
your loved one's life
changed our world
and left it a better place
and touched too many hearts
to ever be forgotten.
May you find comfort
in knowing how many people

share you sadness.

This card came from his close friends...
And there were many such cards that stressed how Gag had touched their lives and made their world better.... they came form his clients... soccer refs and coaches... kids he had coached... people he knew very briefly... couples who's wedding he had shot many years ago....

So he lives on... not only in our hearts but in the hearts and lives of so many that he's crossed paths with... that warms my heart

thank you!


love...peace...joy...

a few sips of Jack and a thousand tears later....

having to choose which casket would "suit" your 48 year old husband does something to a person...... (I can't believe we're getting so close.....)


so this is what I did to conquer myself last night.... otherwise I would have drowned.

"One may conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men, yet he is the best of conquerors who conquers himself" ----Buddha

love and peace...

adding drops to the bucket.....

What special moments were had this morning.... We took out Gag's old paintings... and as we slowly went through each one... unwrapping them... revealing each painting brush stroke by brush stoke.....

Gag introduced each one of his creations, and shared the story behind each painting... behind each shade of color, each character... and we all sat there like wide eyed kids waiting to see how the story unfolds....



This last one he started and never finished... he told Rob that perhaps one day he can take over and finish his story.

At times we humans can be quite a disappointing species.... yet at times we surprise even ourselves.... In the face of all this pain... in this storm we find ourselves caught in... we somehow still were able to steal a few more memories to store, a few more images in our minds to recall later... as I said in one of my older posts (Venice Beach).... we were able to add a few more drops in this bucket of our life's great moments.

And moments like these are far few in between now.... As he is getting weaker, and ever more frail... it is becoming more and more of a challenge to fill our days with joy and laughter. But still each day I wake up, gather whatever strength I have left inside.. and make it the best day possible for all of us... as hard as it is becoming for me... as my emotions get in the way at times... so for the time being I have put on my steel face... and a large metal lock on my heart so that I may carry out our days like this for as long as we can. And so thankful am I to have him with us each new day.

love and peace my friends...

p.s. please excuse the bad quality photos... camera was not cooperating today... and I had no energy to argue ;)