Things That Comfort Me: A Photo Essay--Bryan F.
The late afternoon sun through a window.
The crazy has seemed to intensify over the last few days. This is no accident and is the plan by those wishing to destroy our democracy and seize power. This is all very important to understand and must be challenged. The struggle is exhausting and even keeping up with each new distraction can be daunting. So to replenish my energy I indulge in some pleasures, some comfort food for the mind and spirit.
Below I have listed some of the things that comfort me. Reading a good book, taking a walk, and noticing everything around you, how the air smells, the color of the sky. This all works to calm my mind.
When it's too hot to walk or garden I like to listen to music on YouTube and find songs I' haven't heard in years. I also like collecting images on Pinterest. Usually vintage stuff and things I find beauty in. Some of my favorites are abandoned buildings and things. Things that are in various stages of deterioration. It reminds me of our impermanence and that strangely is a comfort to me. It reminds me not to take everything so seriously.
Music and animals bring me comfort. I opened my front door the other night about midnight just to have a look and spied an opossum under the nectarine tree munching away on a fallen piece of fruit. My heart filled with joy that my tree provided this noble creature a nutritious meal. I just watched for a few minutes and he paid me no mind. That moment replenished me.
Our attention is constantly pulled to the distractions that are meant to unravel us. We must see it all, absorb it so we know our situation and steady ourselves with whatever brings us peace and joy. At least that's my plan.
The scattered light through trees.
A gentle rain. (video)
Fall leaves breaking under my feet.
A sleeping cat.
San Francisco early in the morning.
An old book store with books spilling out of the shelves.
Sitting on the rocks on the beach at Laguna.
Sunset at Laguna Beach.
Heisler Park, Laguna Beach
60s Pop Music.
Reading a good book.
Puppies and kittens.
Classical music.
Two men embracing.
Two women embracing.
Old wooden bridges.
Old wooden rockers on old wooden porches.
High ceilings.
Old staircases that creak.
Bette Davis movies. (Full movie video)
Any Simon and Garfunkel song.
(So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright)
Any Carpenter' Song.
(Song For You)
The screech of an eagle.
Cedar Trees.
Abandoned Places
Abandoned things.
The Klementinum library, a beautiful example of Baroque architecture, was first opened in 1722 as part of the Jesuit university, and houses over 20,000 books.
Old libraries.
"The Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924 by his son, Lloyd, is the last and largest of the elder Wright’s four “textile block” houses in the Los Angeles area. These homes are noted for their patterned and perforated concrete blocks, which give a unique textural appearance to both the exterior and interior. Built for Mabel and Charles Ennis, the Mayan Revival home and chauffeur’s quarters span over 6,000 square feet. They are constructed of more than 27,000 concrete blocks, all made by hand using granite extracted from the site. Although used as a shooting location as early as 1933 (Female), the storybook home first acquired fame providing the exterior facade for House on Haunted Hill (1959). The Day of the Locust (1975) made extensive use of the home as a private residence, but it was in Blade Runner(1982) that the home gained a popularity of its own among moviegoers, and later among the audience of the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). In 2006, work to stabilize and restore the home began, that ultimately earned the coveted and well-deserved Conservancy Preservation Award in 2008. It’s a city, state, and national landmark property. The Ennis House consists of two buildings, the main house and a smaller chauffeur’s apartment/garage separated by a paved courtyard. Unlike the vertical orientation of the other three block houses, the 10,000-square-foot estate has a long horizontal loggia spine on the northern side, connecting public and private rooms to the south. As the LA Weekly proclaimed, The Ennis House is “one of L.A.’s most spectacular architectural wonders. It’s played host to many famous filmmakers and actors over the years, but in this case, Frank Lloyd Wright and his home are the main attractions.”"
Frank Llyod Wright architecture.
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