I wanted to share a few recent photos. Most of them were taken by me in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, but Stuga40 sent the flower cross from her neighboorhood park in Stockholm. It’s part of the Swedish Midsommar tradition.
The KindnessRocksProject seemed like a wonderful idea. You take a rock when you or others need a little kindness and you leave a rock with a kind message for someone else. This iteration of the project was at a day camp, where children were working on the messages.
The next two photos were taken in newly preserved land along the Concord River, a beautiful area for walking and enjoying nature. After that, there’s a geranium that is glowing in the evening light. If I had taken the shot from the other side, it wouldn’t have looked nearly as magical.
Next is some street art on the remnant of an old building in downtown Providence, an area where a morning walk always provides curious photo ops.
The street art is followed by three experiments with sunlight and shadow and then two of my grandchildren at the parade on the Fourth of July.
I felt ambivalent about the Fourth this year, when Frederick Douglass’s speech “What Is the Fourth of July to the Slave?” seemed more relevant than ever and the darker parts of the Declaration of Independence took on new prominence. And to the kids pictured here, all the parade meant was candy, and things did not end well.
Not to worry. Gives us a variety of goals to aim for next year.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Love how that sunflower grabs your attention first thing! Enjoyed seeing your summer!
Still not hot enough to post those snow photos. Probably August.
Loved seeing these.
Gail
Thanks. Will be in touch by email.
This is such a great post, and I learned so much from it. Thank you. I just love the kindness rocks and the activity and the message behind it. Just looked up this organization-what a great idea. So glad you shared!!!!
I think it’s a movement that is quietly growing. The first time I saw kindness rocks was on Blackstone Boulevard in Rhode Island. I blogged about it.
Your photos make this summer look more placid and happier than it feels some days, when I see the news. We need to look at these small moments and enjoy the heck out of them!
Beauty and sorrow intertwined. For example, as I sat on a hill yesterday to get phone reception to learn from my sister why she is in the hospital, I watched a brilliantly colored yellow bird hopping around the bushes, getting ready for bed.