August 3, 2019 • 71

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #57: Taking a Break

Find what brings you joy and go there.~Jan Phillips

Tina’s right.  This week, she is inviting us to take a break.  I am sure that every one of us is in need of relaxing, of letting our cares and worries fall away.  I also suspect that every one of us has a unique way to ease the pressure in our lives. So, here are a few of my favorite ways to unwind:

Visit New Places

Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before.” Dalai Lama

Earlier this year we visited Trinity College in Dublin and got a good look at the Book of Kells.  For a book lover like me, the Long Room was a bit of heaven.

Trinity College Long Room, Dublin, Ireland

Find Flowers

To me, flowers are happiness.~Stefano Gabbana

Some of my earliest memories are learning the names of flowers in my mother’s gardens.  When I spend time with flowers, I often think of her and her love of nature’s beauty.

Arza’s Daisies, the Berkshires, Massachusetts

Take a Hike

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.~John Muir

I can think of no better way to unwind than taking a long hike in the woods.  Last weekend, two dear friends took us on a hike to one of their favorite trails in the Berkshires.

Taking a Hike. View from the Trail Head. Berkshires, Massachusetts

Visit the Beach

At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun.~Sandy Gingras

Walking on the beach is like taking a long, deep breath.  I took this shot while walking on this beach in Cape Cod with some of our dearest friends.

Sea Grass, Pocasset, Cape Cod, MA

Read a Book

Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.~Anna Quindlen

When I open a book, I am transported to another world.  That’s why I stopped to photograph this man who was deeply engrossed in a book in St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin.  (I also love that he’s wearing a Spider Man t-shirt.)

Reading in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, Ireland

As you may have noticed in my descriptions, I often take a break with dear family and friends, whose love, understanding, and kindness envelope me the minute I walk through the front door.   Our talks, walks, and meals together are so energizing, restorative, and joyful.  I can think of no better way to take a break.

I’ll end this post with a special thanks to Tina for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #57: Taking a Break.  This theme comes at just the right time as many of us head off for summer vacations.   Amy, Ann-Christine, Tina. and I hope you join the challenge this week. If you do, remember to tag your post Lens-Artists to help us find your post in the Reader.

Next week (August 10th) it will be my turn to host the next challenge #58, so please stop by.  In the meantime, I hope you have an inspiring and restorative week!

Categories: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Photography

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71 replies »

  1. Terrific response as always Patti. That opening image is stunning, love the composition. it really shows the scale and grandeur. Also loved your sentiments about the garden and your mom. Beautifully written and illustrated

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    • Thank you so much, Tina! I am so glad you enjoyed this one. The memory of my mom is very vivid. She loved her roses, especially! I’ll visit your site next. Thanks for this week’s inspiration!

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  2. I love the beach photo, I’m a beach person. But that photo of a library is absolutely fantastic. If I had to imagine a library in which to put the Book of Kells I don’t think I would have done it very differently.

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    • Thank you, IJ! I was a little frustrated taking the library shot, since it’s hard to capture at once because of its grand size. But I’m happy that this shot conveys some of its grandeur. 🙂 🙂 Thanks again for your thoughts.

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  3. Nothing is better than spending time with family and friends, Patti. I agree with you that the Kells library is heaven on earth if only we could actually touch those books.

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  4. We’re on a pretty exhausting break right now, Patti, but it’s certainly a change from our usual lifestyle. I’ve just put my feet up for 10 minutes to check the Reader for this week’s challenge, before we go out for supper. 🙂 🙂 I’ve been to Trinity and the only place that has compared for me is the University Library in Coimbra. Did you get there on your Portuguese travels? It’s a stunner. Love your daisies too! Have a great week. 🙂

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      • No worries on that front, Patti. I DID convey the enormity of the place. Once I looked at it carefully, it almost looked like CGI – not because of your photography because I realized that EVERY shelf went up to the ceiling, row after row, after row………

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  12. I love these photos, Patti. Spending time with friends and family is the perfect break from whatever is considered as “work.” We were at Cape Cod one year during winter, all the vacation cabins were locked up and it was raining cats and dogs. It was snowing when we drove up to Maine. I hope we could go back to capture some sunshine. 🙂

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    • Thank you so much, AFG. 🙂 🙂 We share some of the same ways to relax. I wish I loved to dance. It would be a great way to relax. I’m so glad you’re planning on stopping by next week. 🙂

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  20. Well, a beautiful post with feeling and great shots of lovely places! I must say The Long Room lives up to any image from there. I was in total awe just knowing I was really standing in this room. Your shot is divine. I agree with every choice you made – we can easily take a break together.

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