Thursday, April 15, 2010

A Passion for Living

Today, I am so excited for you to meet one of my most passionate blogging friends. Gillian is a blogger, a photographer, a word lover, a mother, a business owner, and an adventuress. She recently returned from an amazing journey to Jordan, but I don't think of her as an adventuress because of that. She earned that title because of her passionate approach to living. Whatever she does, wherever she goes, she goes with all her heart.

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” ~ Angela Monet

...and indeed I hear the music in most things. When the warm-hearted and beautiful bookworm Relyn asked me to write about my passions, I did not hesitate. Then I wondered to myself...how ever will I narrow this down?

You see to me, everything brings out a passion. I am not sure if it is my European heritage, or my enthusiasm, or my inability to do anything without gusto-but I possess many a passion that I'm dependent on as if they were the very air I breathe.

To sum them all up would be a task of Herculean proportions. I feel, I emote. I especially emote passionately when I cry. I get this avocado-ish contortedness to my face that belies my true beauty. I know this, and I even know how to cry "pretty". Do you know how? All you have to do is not fight it, allow the tears to flow naturally. The minute you try to stop them, well-you look kind of funny. Well I try to stop them usually and even knowing this-I cry passionately. Man it feels good. What a release! Watch a good movie and let them tears fly! See how you feel afterward. {Probably amazing.}

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." ~Harriet Tubman

Passions, hmmmm....let me see. Oh photography! My love. My dearest. Photography has granted me a reprieve from a flat and one dimensional world view. Okay, I never had a flat one dimensional world view-but it has undoubtedly altered the way I see. It has given me focus. It has given me an outlet. Greens have more kelly; blues have more cobalt; yellows more turmeric. I'm framing scenes in my life at every turn; even when I don't have my camera in hand-perhaps my way of summarizing some kind of redintegrative recall for later on.

When I say big words I get excited. Passionate almost. Passionate a lot, who am I kidding? I love learning new words. Like redintegrative and piezo effect and interiorly. Let's not forget corroborated and grandiloquence and neoexpressionism. As children, when someone used a big word we dubbed it a 50 cent word. "Look at Billy, tossing his 50 cent words around." Simply translated that means, "What on Earth did Billy just say?" I like to learn new ones daily. So if you do as well, and you are as passionate about it as I, then try visiting WordSwarm and you'll have a thousand new randoms to choose from daily.

Food glorious food!...how can I leave out the Queen of the Passions? Food is to passion as down is to a weary cheek. Yin to the Yang. Bread to tha buttah. I love experimenting and utilizing all my knowledge of nutrition to feed these people I live with that require three squares. Only now, three squares is so yesterday. So last year. The now of nutrition states we must have a quad of 400. That is four meals of four hundred calories each-ripe with MUFA's if one can help it. Top five MUFA foods that will burn belly fat and rev up your metabolism;

  1. Oils
  2. Olives
  3. Nuts & Seeds
  4. Avocados
  5. Dark Chocolate


Eat any of these with your four meals and you will be satisfied and happy all day long. No snacking for you! As a passionate snacker, this really hit home with me. I want you to know that MUFA is the short form of a 50 cent darling-"monounsaturated fatty acids."

There is more to my passions. Family!! Especially my two dear girls & fiancĂ© (…of twenty years, that is another story of passion.) Art. (I paint. You should too! I tried it one day and loved it. Talk about FUN.) Friends. (Love them so.) Travel. (I go where I can, when I can. Look for deals on flights and train travel...try renting an apartment instead of splurging on a hotel room. You feel like such a local when you do that.) Dreaming. (Lucidly.) Dancing. (Freely.) Frida Kahlo. Handmade dolls. LOVE. (Unconditionally.) Vegetarian chili. Red wine. Tea. Swimming. (Oh the ocean, yet another passion.) Smiling. Poetry. Polaroids! Girl's night out. Home with a good book. Shopping for vintage anything. Just be-ing.

I wanted to narrow it down for you, I truly did. I had difficulty doing so however with a multitude of things in this life to be passionate about. It seems like every time I meet a new blogger, or read a new book, or take a different route to work in my car I'm inspired and my passions are inflamed once again. And again. And all over again.

"Man's love is of man's life a part; it is a woman's whole existence. In her first passion, a woman loves her lover, in all the others all she loves is love." ~Lord Byron


All images are by Gillian. She loves words, images, beauty, and avocados. She also loves art, tea, travel, postcards, and anything vintage. She's runs a business, a home, is a wonderful mother and somehow manages to blog, too. You're going to stop by and tell her I sent you. Right?

24 comments:

* said...

So glad to have met Gillian. Love the quotes, her tips on crying pretty, and her take on glorious food! (it is, glorious, especially the dark chocolate!)

Unknown said...

Hi Relyn and Gillian,

Living life through one's passions. Seems the only way!

Jeanne said...

Fabulous
Love you Ladies

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

such a beautiful and powerful reminder of how to live - the only way to live! Again and again!

thanks for this inspiring look at life!

d smith kaich jones said...

I just laughed & laughed as I read this, dear Gillian. Yes, yes, yes - you are bubbling over always with all life offers and even seeking more when possible. I never know what I will find when I pop over to your beautiful blog. I loved this synopsis of it all - loved it!

And once again, bless you dear Relyn and thank you.

xoxo
Debi

Unknown said...

relyn, thank you for commenting over at my blog when beth guest posted.

thank you for sharing gillian with me.

i will be back...

hugs,
c

Anonymous said...

hi relyn...have a wonderful thursday! so very nice to meet you gillian!

paris parfait said...

I consider it a great privilege and joy to have Gillian in my life. She is a wonderful traveling companion, who lives every moment with gusto! She also has a sense of mischief and fun that make her irresistible! Oh and she is a bit of a troublemaker (shhh) - but only in the best possible sense, of course.

Lovely to see Gill honoured here in your lovely abode, dear Relyn. xoxox

Marilyn Miller said...

Thanks for the reminders to pay attention to our passions! Love you both, Relyn and Gillian.

maggie said...

Relyn, great post. Gillian what a dynamic personality you are. I sense childlike innocence blended with worldly wisdom mix in dancing to your own drummer stirred with passionate being. A treat to read your post-that's to both of you.

Char said...

hello gillian - great to meet you

Kirsten Steen said...

What a beautiful (passionate) heart! Loved these photos as well as her words. Thanks for sharing, Relyn and Gillian!

Gill said...

What passionate comments, thank you everyone it is a privilege to have been asked to do this. I am scattered somewhat...like a butterfly that flits from thing to thing. I can't help that, I agree with Maggie about the childlikeness. All the way. I forget I'm an adult sometimes. I choose to be that way quite often, except when responsibility comes a-knocking. And Tara was on target with her description. It is funny to read what others see. I like to see *me* through your eyes. Thanks everyone, especially the divine Miss Relyn...teacher & mother extraordinaire! xoxo

Yoli said...

She is so enchanting, I can imagine how inspired anyone would feel in her presence. Thank you for highlighting this amazing woman.

Maithri said...

Love you both, miss you both,

M

Steve Kubien said...

Relyn, thanks for inviting us in. I've known Gillian for as long as I can remember (30 odd years, which is not to say she is odd but, well you know). She's given so many gifts to those around her, well, it is tough to explain. Now she has shared you as well! Glad to be able to visit. See you soon.

Steve

Tracy said...

Gillian has such a wonderful way of telling stories with photos! :o) Happy Day, Relyn ((HUGS))

Lubna said...

It was refreshing to come here after what seems like ages. I admire your passion and zest for life.

Susan Tuttle said...

thank you for the passion infusion this morning -- I am soaking it up -- so inspiring!:)

xoxo

oh, and the dark chocolate -- Mmmmm!

Joy said...

Thanks for the MUFA reminder! But now I'm craving my favorite dark chocolate covered almonds!

ELK said...

dark chocolate & tears ... we will get along famously!!

Gigi Thibodeau said...

As ever, Gillian inspires me. I love that she couldn't limit herself to one passion--that is just how I think of her, boundless, vibrant, and full of life.

Thank you, R & G, for rockin' my world yet again.

xoxo G (the other G)

Patti said...

Perfectly put! I can so relate!!! Thanks for introducing Gillian to us!

Jaime said...

A girl with many passions, living the truly passionate life..with humour as well!
I am writing those 5 foods down... and will see if they hinder the snacking...

Oldies, but Goodies