As we move into the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, I want to express my appreciation for you as a subscriber to Picture to Ponder.

Today's issue carries with it the undercurrent of sadness on some losses in my life, plus a huge sense of gratitude for the opportunities and possibilities that were and are. Immediate for today's photos and writing is what's happening with my beloved American Orchid Society Gardens, in Delray Beach, FL. Two weeks ago, I learned that it would be closing at the end of the month. Because it has meant so much to me, and thus indirectly to you, I am dedicating today's issue to gratitude for its contribution to my life.

If you live in, or are visiting, Southeast Florida, please pay special attention. The building and grounds on Jog Road in Delray will be closed to the public, forever, effective 4:00 PM on Tuesday, November 29th. If you are in the area, I encourage you to visit there while you still can. It will be open every day until then, except for Thanksgiving Day, from 10 AM to 4 PM. For more specifics on location and phone number go to AOS.org.

For further details on the what's happening and the why for the building and grounds, see FUTURE below today's Queries.

Today's Picture to Ponder Photos and Stories -

(Exiting the Green House, going into the Gardens)

If you have been subscribing to Picture to Ponder for some time, you are undoubtedly quite familiar with the AOS. At least 50 of the issues, during our past 7 years, featured photos, as well as the resulting insights, from the Gardens.

For me, I owe much of my personal, professional and business growth to what I've experienced from my visits there, often monthly, sometimes more frequently. Less than 20 minutes from my home, the Gardens and Greenhouse often provided a sanctuary of peace. Other times it was a place to get reenergized. Especially joyous were the times of discovery of new images. And, almost certainly, it affected many of you as a result.

My first discovery there almost 9 years ago impacted so much of my future. It was the Ice Cream Banana plant that I called "tree" at the time. Still in my photo/drawing days, it became the featured image on my Nature's Playground home page and much more.

So in love with the Orchid Center, I got past my "not good enough's" and submitted work to be juried into WITVA, Women In The Visual Arts, so that I could then submit two pieces for a juried show to be held at there.

"Banana Sky™", the first time I used this name, was accepted, as was my Banana Pod photo/drawing from the Blood Banana plant.

As you see from the embossing this one placed "First" in the mixed media category in that show and the Ice Cream Banana Plant photo/drawing was sold.

My developing passion with the banana plant had me purchase my own when I happened on a small one for sale at Home Depot. At $12.95, I couldn't resist. The excitement and ongoing discoveries with the growth, and more, of that plant ultimately resulted in my Banana Sky DVD, a source for meditative peace and healing with both the photography and music.

During this time, I also discovered "Once or Twice is Not Enough", the title I gave for an ARTICLE I wrote in my Community Newsletter, looking beyond taking something for granted once we've seen it. This became one of the themes in many of the future issues of Picture to Ponder. The plant below was the initial inspiration.

Several days, or more, after taking the above photograph, I became fascinated with changes and the decaying plants.

Several photos, then photo/drawings later, inspired the article. You can see others in this anthurium series on Anthurium Photo/Drawings.

Once I started Picture to Ponder, I moved past my photo/drawing period to using the unenhanced photographs alone for inspiration.

An inside anthurium plant, "Anthurium Peeking", became the cover photo for "Accessing Your Intuition" CD by Ina Ames, whose web site I also created.

I can cite so many more plants there, many of which became friends as they cycled through their seasons.

One last image, for now:

I, and others, particularly love is the Purple Tropical Water lily, used in both photo/drawing and plain photo versions. It was first featured in Issue 6 of Picture to Ponder in 2004 with the queries for it the next day in Issue 7.

The top is, obviously, on a pillow in my Nature Art Gift Shop, as well as on other products. The lower image is one of six flowers from the Gardens that are featured in the 12-month Flowers Wall Calendar.

This last image appropriately leads me into today's

Self-Reflecting Queries -

In looking through the Pictures to Ponder: Flowers Book 1, (preview) where a good number of the photos are from AOS, I see one of the Queries the Tropical Water Lily inspired is:

"What light can you claim in your own center that warms you and expands out into the world, making a difference?"

And before continuing with all text, I realized in this issue which I've devoted to the "Orchid" Center I've not included one photo of an orchid. So here is one of Phalaenopsis orchids from January 2007, Vol 3 - Issue 9.

The drama of the lighting in this photo led to the following statement and queries in that issue:

"Think of the support systems that may be in our own individual lives. These could be among family, friends, colleagues or other activities we take on.

Can you think of who or what they are, or have been, in your life? Do you know to which lights in you they've pointed? What have they directed you and others to see?"

And for today, the day before Thanksgiving, I'll add:

For what in yourself are you particularly grateful? and for whom or what in your life, past or present, alive or dead, can you give gratitude?

Where possible, I invite you to do that in words, spoken or written, or in some other creative form. Deliver it, if you can.

For me, obvious in this issue, is my never-ending gratitude to the Board of the American Orchid Society, all of the groups that have supported it and the keeping the facility open in Delray Beach for two more years beyond the threat of closing at that time.

Special thanks and gratitude to the Staff Members and Volunteers with whom I've interacted on the grounds and in the Gift Shop.

Thanks to the visitors with whom I've had fun interacting on many of my walks there.

And thank you my dear Picture to Ponder subscribers for being here, open to receiving all I have to offer.

My love and boundless gratitude for my beloved family and friends and for my beloved Sam, whose 4th year parting from this planet was earlier this week on the 21st. In the next few days, I will be expressing more of my gratitude for him and his contribution to my life on my Writing for Healing blog.

My gratitude also for my creative abilities, my talents, my health and ability and ultimate willingness to take action. Most interestingly to me is the fact that I've had mild pain in my upper right arm and shoulder for a few weeks now, something that surfaces sporadically. Though I'd decided that it had to do with recent eating patterns, yesterday the pain got worse, radiating down into my right hand.

Thinking back, the pain might have resurfaced around the time I learned the Orchid Center was closing, along with learning about Toshiko Takaezu's Death, shared two issues ago, and the upcoming "anniversary" of Sam's death, plus some other things going on.

My point to, and miracle of, this whole story is that as soon as I sat down to actually put together and write, rather than think about, this today's Picture to Ponder the pain disappeared!!!

I, thus, extend one more invitation to you. I invite you to look into your life. Is there anything to which you have been holding on that might be causing you conscious or unconscious suffering? If so, I invite you to take some action around it.

Although today's issue of Picture to Ponder may have come across as "heavy", please look to see where you can have fun, and please share on the blog your experience with these photos and what comes up for you.

Future Location of American Orchid Society, Plus -

The orchid collection and Society's offices and library will be moving to the Farichild Botanical Gardens in Coral Gables, Miami, FL. The partnership and expansion of facilities is expected to be complete by the Summer of 2012. See AOS/Fairchild Article for more details

The upside for the ultimate use of the current location is that, though limited to the general population, the environment will be serving a very worthwhile cause. The building and grounds have been sold to the Sandra C. Slomin Foundation and Family Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. "The Slomin Foundation hopes to get the 66-student day care open sometime in 2012 and eventually expand to include an 88-student elementary school." according to the Palm Beach Post.

Enlightened Gratitude Series continues with a Session on Thanksgiving morning at 9 AM US Eastern time, on the phone or with speakers on your computer -

"What Would Be Possible In Your World if you said YES! to Gratitude for only 10 minutes EVERY DAY for 33 Days?"

states Adela Rubio, master energy shifter, group facilitator and developer of on-line communities.

She continues:
"Are you fed up with all the stinkin' thinkin'? You know what I'm talking about: the incessant chatter mirroring the scarcity, fear and lack all around you?

It can be easy to slide into the slippery slope of consensus consciousness. With all the breakdown of our most ‘trusted systems’ it's the perfect time to invoke the power of our inner abundance.

Here’s what you can expect…

• Embody gratitude and abundance in your inner and outer world
• Expand your ability to unhook from judgments, assumptions and resistance
• Unleash your creative essence
• Embody your infinite flow
• Are you ready to embody the energy of gratitude in your world?

Join us for a 33-Day Adventure (click) sure to shift your experience!"

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Inspirationally,


Sheila
sheila[a]picturetoponder.com
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