Fields of Gold

"As we walk in fields of gold ..."

-Sting

Fields of gold dancing in the sun ...

Over the past month, vast fields of gold have stolen my heart. Especially as the sun peeks out from behind its billowing cloudy covers--when the golden sunlight illuminates golden fields, I am captivated.

By the movement.

By the stunning color and contrast, and resonant beauty. 

And every time I catch my breath, I hear Sting's moving song lyrics weaving through my head, from his song Fields of Gold.  

Fields of Gold

Sting

You'll remember me when the west wind moves

Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love for to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold


Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley?
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold


I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold


Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold


When we walked in fields of gold

 
 

Near Prague and all across Europe in the late spring, farmers grow Colza for cooking oil.

This day, sunlight thrust itself between storm clouds, creating incredible lighting.

As summer sneaks in upon us, I hope to remember the golden fields, and to create and nurture a home of calm, and of beauty, and of lasting resonance. Somewhere where all who enter our gates may feel heartily welcomed and altogether secure, a place where we can be ourselves, a safe place where life can reflect the serenity of the plentiful fields of gold caressed by the sun.

To beautiful summer days ... 

as we walk in fields of gold ... 

Starting the Conversation: What do you look forward to about summer? Do you have travels, even around the bend, to discover something new?

What Prague Looks Like in Winter

This week, as I continue work on my in-progress novel (and deplete all of my brain cells), I'm taking the opportunity to post photographs I've taken from in and around Prague this winter.

So, what does Prague look like in the winter? Beautiful! And, given the heap-loads of snow we've had in the past few months, the sites have been perhaps even more beautiful adorned with snow.

Prague in Winter ... Enjoy!

Josefov, Jewish Quarter

Old Town Square

the Astronomical Clock

one of my favorite buildings on Old Town Square

Strahov Monastery

the view over Prague from Petrin Hill

a Palacial facade near Prague Castle

Prague Castle

Inside Saint Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle

The Star Summer Palace near Bila Hora, Prague

We look forward to watching (and photographing) Prague awakening for Spring.

Have  a great week! -- Jennifer

Starting the conversation: What is your favorite photograph, or site in Prague? Do you have a favorite European city you've visited? (Leave a comment below... Thanks!)

The Uncharted Trail

“Our dreams are only big enough when they include a miracle …” -unknown

Not too far from our home in Prague, we drive along a highway overlooking a mysterious castle in the near distance. The façade of pale ivory creates a striking contrast with its slate blue roof, and the surrounding dense forest. Even though the city surrounds the castle, the details and whereabouts of how to reach the castle were difficult to find. But last week, in the peak of our recent snows, I packed my D-SLR camera as I loaded up my boys for school, in the chance I might be able to find my way through the snow-laden roads.

With the help of maps and my iPhone, I did find the vicinity of the castle, but a high wall surrounded the whole area. It looked private, and closed, and the difficulty of the Czech language almost kept me back. But just as I turned around to head home, I saw a thick wooden gate in a break in the wall where the gate stood ajar. After parking in knee-high snow, I followed a cross-country skier across the open field, and dared to continue in through the gate. What waited for me on the other side of the wall captivated me with its beauty.

the trail leading to the Star Summer Palace

A trail cut into the dense forest led straight toward what I believed to be the mysterious castle. Because of the frozen fog, I couldn’t see what waited for me at the other end of the trail, about one kilometer long. But I dared to find out. The Letohrádek Hvêzda, or Star Summer Palace (not a castle, like I thought), was far more beautiful than I had imagined, especially in the snow, like a magical scene from a fairy tale.

Somehow, life is like the path leading to the Star Summer Palace. We can’t quite see what it is we are heading for, but we know what we hope to find along life’s path—the fulfillment of our dreams.

When fear creeps in, we rein our dreams back to be smaller and more manageable, allowing less risk, maybe staying only in the safety of what we already know. But when we do that, we miss out on the world of possibility.

Daring to explore the uncharted trail toward a dream much bigger opens up the opportunity of discovering a grand and surprising beauty waiting at the end of the unknown path.

Besides the basic human needs of love and faith, we have the strong need to become, to grow and stretch, to walk down a new path that furthers us as humans, one that helps us to reach our full potential.

Just as the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, the fulfillment of our biggest goals begins by daring to dream. Imagine the grand and surprising beauty that waits on the other end of the journey toward fulfilling life goals. I choose to believe every step along the uncharted trail will be worth it, even when the rewarding end seems far out of sight.

Here’s to taking that first step, and dreaming the big dreams …

-Jennifer

Starting the conversation (by leaving a comment below): Do your 2010 dreams stretch you, and pull you down a new path? What difficulty(-ies) almost keep you back?