Arrived

Safe and sound.
England not as cold as people were saying it was. Whenever someone mentioned the weather they would say things like: "Oh, I hear it's freezing up there and they're having their worst winter in 50 years!" When the plane was landing the captain said it was a 'lovely day - zero degrees'. Yet it feels pleasantly cool to me, so it can't be zero degrees.
Slightly jetlagged.
Updating blog this evening - 6:22 p.m. instead of morning (which might have been 6:22 a.m.).
Tomorrow the journey will continue.
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Elspeth

Departure

This evening I will be boarding beloved BWee and jetting off to:
Primary destination -(video project): London, England
Secondary destination (post-project pleasure): Zurich, Switzerland
I will be gone from 29 November (today) to 31 December (last day of the year), but will be updating the blog as often as possible, maybe even daily ... so stay tuned.

Some of you may remember the Participatory Video project I was involved in (as one of two facilitators) earlier this year (in association with the British Council). The reason I'll be going to London is to join Rose to work on Part 2 of the project (even though it's more like play, because it's very enjoyable) ... with schools from the London area this time. Whereas the TT leg of the project was stretched over a month, the London leg will be an intense 2 weeks, taking us up to the 17th of December - after which everyone will sign off from the project and tune into the holiday season.
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For those who weren't reading the blog when the TT leg of the project began, here's a recap:
My abstract account of the first residential weekend at Toco
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Some more about the process
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The completed films were launched at Movie Towne and subsequently shown on Gayelle TV
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That's it for now. When I arrive at my destination and settle down, I will resume activity on Now is Wow.
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Take care,
Elspeth

IG-NIGHT (video)

IG-NIGHT

wmv

1.97MB

2:08 mins

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Elspeth

To you who click here

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Elspeth

Light & Night (experimental video)

Sonja Dumas, dancer/choreographer, in an image from the video
This experimental video is a spontaneous collaboration between

Elspeth Duncan (video) and Sonja Dumas (movement).


Another still from the video
Click here to see Light & Night
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Elspeth

Vote

YES or NO?

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Elspeth

Morse Message

-/...././ -../.-/-.--/ ..../.-/.../ -..././--./..-/-./
-.-./.-/-./ -.--/---/..-/ ..-./../--./..-/.-././ ../-/ ---/..-/-/ ?
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(I used white slashes to separate letters in each word; red slash indicates end of a word)
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Elspeth

Red, White, Black (video)

The day that the Soca Warriors came back to T&T from their victory match in Bahrain, I went driving with some friends and shot some random footage of people at the roadside in their red, white and black. I didn't intend to make it into a video, but when I got home I put together 'a quick something' anyway. It's a wmv (Windows Media Video) file saved at a lower resolution so it won't be too large - hence the slightly fuzzy appearance.

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click here to see Red, White, Black video

wmv

3.47MB

Music/video: Elspeth Duncan

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Elspeth

Pandion haliaetus & Coragyps atratus

Detta Buch, founder of W.O.R.C. and winner of the Happy Hippy Hero's Award 2005, keeps logs (journals) for the animals in her care. These warmly written accounts embrace both the scientific and emotive aspects of the healing journey of W.O.R.C.'s patients, telling the stories of how they came to Detta, outlining their injuries, documenting the methods used to heal them and charting their progress. An interesting read - not only for lovers of wildlife, but for those who simply wish to learn something new.

The Osprey, victim of a hunter's gun, recovering in Detta Buch's back yard
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(Excerpt: the first entry from the Osprey's log - as written by Detta Buch)
November 1st 2003 Saturday OSPREY Pandion haliaetus

I had been at the fund raising bazaar for AWN all day and arrived home around 6 30pm to see the light on my answering machine flashing. Before I had a chance to clear the messages the phone rang and a young man was telling me he had an osprey with a broken wing. He said he had left several messages for me and was anxious to bring the bird in since he had had it in a box since about 10 am that day ...
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Read the Osprey's full log here
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Sparkey the vulture, badly injured after flying over a Trinity Power emissions stack, was sent to Detta for healing. The poor bird was close to death - unable to fly (all feathers burnt) or eat (beak practically burnt off).
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(Excerpt from Sparkie's log - as written by Detta Buch)
Case study of a Black Vulture, “Corbeau”, Coragyps atratus, damaged in an accident at a power generating plant in Central Trinidad
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January 17th 2005
Corbeau
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Received a call from Trinity Power Ltd in Couva saying a Corbeau had been damaged while over-flying their emissions stacks and would we be able to come down and euthanise it? ...

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Read Sparkey's full log here.
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When I read Sparkey's journal I chuckled in quite a few parts. Whilst being educating and informative, it is written like a story - sensitive, humourous, engaging. Will appeal to older children, especially those interested in nature/animals and science. By the time I had reached the end I was fond of the character "Sparkey" and wanted to hear more ...
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Sparkey posing on a branch in one of Detta's backyard cages ... much improved and on the way to full recovery. (If you look closely you will see that the tip of Sparkey's upper beak is missing. Detta says she will need to get a prosthetic beak tip. I was amazed to discover that things like that exist!"
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For more information on W.O.R.C. or to volunteer, e-mail Detta Buch or call her at (868) 637-3842.
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Donations can be made to the Wildlife Orphanage & Rehabilitation Center at any branch of RBTT, Trinidad & Tobago. Account # 901 101 100 5. Donations help with food bills, medical and repair equipment and infrastructure.
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Tomorrow: We return to regular programming.
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Elspeth

And the Winner is ...

THE RECIPIENT OF THE HAPPY HIPPY HERO'S AWARD 2005 is

Detta van Aardt-Buch
Founder of W.O.R.C., the Wildlife Orphanage & Rehabilitation Centre (Trinidad & Tobago) .
Admired and rewarded for her selfless dedication to the cause of caring for and rehabilitating wildlife in Trinidad & Tobago.

A proud Detta with one of her patients

Happy Hippy Productions is proud to present Detta with a donation towards W.O.R.C. and a commemorative item to honour the occasion.

Elspeth Duncan, Happy Hippy Productions, presents Detta Buch with a H.H.P. cheque for W.O.R.C.

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Detta receives her HERO trophy containing a symbolic $10 note

Click on that link to read more about the origins of the trophy and the $10 concept.

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The name Detta Buch has become virtually synonymous with the cause of rehabilitating wildlife in Trinidad & Tobago. If you have ever found an injured wild animal, you have more than likely been referred to "Detta". Her name is a salve for the wild and wounded.

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Rather than write about the recipient of the first annual Happy Hippy Hero Award, I decided to ask her a few questions so that she could represent herself and her thoughts in her own words. Click here to read the full interview with Detta. A must-read for anyone interested in wildlife rehabilitation and/or willing to assist W.O.R.C. (financially or otherwise), with their much needed work.

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An excerpt: Detta's answer to Question #8:
E: What is your greatest joy in this work?

Detta: Being able to release a healthy animal into its own environment, after an illness or injury is a profoundly satisfying and humbling experience. It makes one appreciate the grander picture and raises ones spirits above the disappointments and let-downs. The other unique feature of the work is becoming intimate with each patient and discovering the rich emotional landscape of its personality and species. I have learned more from the cases I’ve treated than I could articulate in common language. It is translated in the way I approach other cases and has influenced the way I engage people.

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Detta poses with the piggy bank trophy, which she says will accompany her to conferences at home and abroad, where it will sit on a table and gather funds for W.O.R.C.
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Click here to see more photos from yesterday's prize giving (complete with a brief written commentary for each photo so you will understand the story behind it)

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Click here to visit the W.O.R.C. website which, although still a work in progress, is quite informative.
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Cash/cheque donations may be made to the Wildlife Orphanage & Rehabilitation Centre,
Account # 901 101 100 5 at any branch of RBTT, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. Donations go towards food bills, medical and repair equipment and infrastructure.

Image shows prayer written on right side of piggy bank trophy.

Interested in helping/volunteering in some way... or want more information?

Drop Detta a note or letter or call her at (868) 637-3842.
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In closing ... congratulations, Detta! May you be blessed with continued health, strength, guidance and assistance in following your calling.

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TOMORROW: THE OSPREY'S LOG

(Notes on the healing journey of an Osprey brought in with gun shot wounds - inclusive of photos.)

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Elspeth

How $10 led me to the trophy

For those who don't know, since last year I have never spent a $10 bill (TT) . Whenever I get one, I put it in my piggy bank - until the piggy bank is full. Then I take the $10 notes out, parcel them into $100 bundles and deposit them in one of my savings accounts. Last year I made a few thousand dollars doing this. It has become so automatic now that I no longer "see" $10 bills. If a $10 bill is in my wallet along with a $5 bill, as far as I am concerned, I only have $5 in my wallet. The $10 is 'already' in my savings account. Thanks to my friend Fran for introducing me to this method of saving. It's actually easy and exciting to see how quickly you accumulate lots of money from simply saving $10 bills. Actually ... there was one time that I gave someone a $10 bill (she needed it and I had it - and she said she would give me back 'a $10') - but I put a $100 bill into my piggybank to make up for having broken the trend somewhat. So, you could say that spending or using a $10 bill costs you $100 and actually turns out to be even better for the savings account.
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Why I'm telling you this story is because yesterday morning I was emptying out my clay piggy bank - because it was overflowing with $10 bills and I couldn't fit any more through the slot. As I emptied it out, I counted up exactly the amount (plus $10) for which I was planning to write a Happy Hippy cheque (to present to the awardee)! I was amazed. It was confirmation that this was indeed the amount to give. And then it struck me ... The HHH Award trophy for this year could be a piggy bank.
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Ideally I would have liked to get a raw clay piggy bank and paint it myself (more organic and handmade), but I drove around and could not find any raw clay ones. In fact nowhere that I went seemed to have any kind of piggy bank. I eventually wandered into a toy store and found this large, bright pink plastic specimen. It may not be very organic in that sense, but I've given it simple, special touches of my own - to make it a symbolic, interactive 'trophy'. The trophy that keeps on giving ...
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Don't judge a piggy bank by its cover.
It's what's inside that counts.


The smiling face and eyes of this piggy bank symbolise (i) the benevolence and the kindness of people who will come forward to give further to the cause (ii) the satisfaction of seeing dreams become realities through increased funding and assistance in/from other realms.

Full frontal shot

Left side view showing handwritten 'HERO' (permanent marker). As the saying goes: "Don't watch this piggybank slight, yuh know!" It may look simple, but it will help to achieve great things!

Right side view showing simple prayer for miraculous multiplication of all that is given with good intentions.
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The pig may look small in the photos, but it's actually much larger than the average piggy bank (a little over a foot long and about 8 inches high). There's a small sticker under it that states it holds $800 worth of quarters. I am thinking of using a 'piggy bank' as the concept for future Happy Hippy Hero's Award commemorative items - whether miniature (symbolic only) or large (symbolic and practical). It will symbolise prosperity and accumulation of good things. I like the traditional pig shape (after all it is a piggy bank) - but a special touch can be added each year to give each pig/trophy (whether purchased, handmade by me or comissioned) a unique style of its own.
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TOMORROW: AT LAST ... THE WINNER IS REVEALED!
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Elspeth

The logo

It was suggested in a comment written yesterday that the logo for the HHH Award be used on t-shirts, etc.

This is true of logos in general. They end up on 'everything'. Since the decision to have the HHH Awards was a fairly spontaneous one, I did not actually get around to getting a trophy or medal done up with the recipient's name on it (or the logo, since the logo was only inspired recently based on a comment made two days ago). It so happens that within a few days I will be going away again (until 31 December), hence my decision to present the award now (is wow) and not later in the year (hence very little time to initiate printing-of-logo-on-items activities).

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Anyway ... This year's recipient will get a commemorative item in addition to a cheque, but the commemorative item will be handmade. Next year (and in years to come) it can be refined further, whilst still maintaining its organic feel.

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Elspeth

Quelling Curiosity

Some people have been trying to guess who the recipient of the first annual Happy Hippy Hero(ine)'s Award could be. Be patient. The information will be revealed on Monday, bright and early.
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Re Joanne's comment yesterday
about the use of the words 'Hero' or 'Heroine' ... Thanks. I hear what you are saying. I myself wondered if to just put 'Hero' ... but then I decided to put both - as in "Hero(ine)'s Award. In doing so I found it looked a bit sloppy to have the (ine) part in brackets ... but this is all part of the refining of the award. Hero can indeed be applied to both male and female. Maybe what I will do, when I design the 'logo' for it, I'll put an arrow and a cross coming from the O of HERO, so the male and female will be represented visually in a word traditionally seen as 'male'. I hereby rename the award: the Happy Hippy Hero's Award (with visually unisex O).

A rough example/work in progress - along the lines of what the logo could be.
Some may be wondering what the awardee will be receiving from Happy Hippy Productions. The HERO (with unisex O) will receive:
1. A financial donation from HHP (towards work being done) ... along with a prayer that the amount given will be multiplied further within the next year, thereby enabling the greater work that needs to be done.
2. A special commemorative item.
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Stay tuned ...
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P.S. Yesterday I went driving with some friends and took a few shots of people awaiting the TT Soca Warriors along the East-West corridor. Those of you who are interested can find them

here.

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Elspeth

The Happy Hippy Hero(ine)'s Award 2005

(Happy Hippy News)
There are people all around us who are doing positive, progressive and meaningful work. These people (sometimes unseen, unnoticed or hardly recognised) should be upheld, supported and celebrated. They work from their hearts. Very often these 'heart-workers' struggle to acquire funds to assist them with their cause ... and/or they result to 'self-funding' (money from their own pockets) to keep going. Many of these people will say that there are times when they have been tempted to give up. But thankfully, their love for and belief in what they do gives them the strength to continue.
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Based on all of this and more, I have decided to initiate an annual Happy Hippy Hero(ine)'s Award programme. Through this award, I pledge my support to those who work from the heart and play an important role by setting great examples in this often (seemingly) "example-less"world. It is my hope that the award will help not only the awardee, but other kindred spirits to know that their efforts are supported and their input is highly valued.
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I already know the person to whom I will give the 2005 award. My admiration for this woman's dedication to her cause is what inspired me to come up with the idea for the Annual Happy Hippy Hero(ine)'s Award in the first place.
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The initial list of criteria for this year is therefore built upon my observations of this individual (and will be further refined in 2006):

THE CRITERIA FOR THE H.H.H.A. 2005 AWARD:
1. Someone who loves what they do and puts great love into what they do
2. Someone whose work has a positive impact on our society and/or environment
3. Someone who, against all odds, continues to believe in their cause and work tirelessly towards the realisation of dreams and goals connected to this cause
4. Someone who is humble, who does not seek reward, but is deserving of it
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STAY TUNED.

THE 2005 H.H.H.A. RECIPIENT WILL BE UNVEILED NEXT WEEK.

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I leave you with this very applicable quote:

We can do not great things ... only small things with great love.

- Mother Theresa -

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Elspeth Duncan

for Happy Hippy News

Meow

"All I want for Christmas is ... a home."

Fellow cat lovers ... a friend sent me an e-mail yesterday with this photo and message below:

MUST LOVE CATS

Gorgeous Tortoiseshell Kitten (8 weeks old) looking for a good home.

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S/he looks like quite a daring and adorable little character. If you are interested in giving him/her a loving home ... or if you know anyone searching for a fuzzy feline companion, e-mail me and I will give you the contact number that was provided in the e-mail. Of course it makes it much easier/more practical if whoever wants her lives in Trinidad. Thanks.

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Whilst on the topic of cats, this is my latest painting ... as yet unnamed. Any ideas?

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Elspeth

Photo-mantra and Prayer

May Energy transform you

May Wisdom inform you

May Fluidity conform you

To Freedom.

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Elspeth

'Message' (short video)

For you who click here

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Photomantra: Healer

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Elspeth

Shooting with Cameras not with guns continues ...

I was thinking about what I said yesterday, that the photomantra is not a theme for the photographs ... Really that's the way I see it. But at the end of the day if someone else chooses to see it as a theme, it's just as good - the energy of the word still goes into the image and it's the meaning behind the act and the project that truly counts. Some people, like silvergull are using a different photomantra for each image. I am using one (Healer) for all ... but admittedly when I took two shots yesterday, I forgot to say my mantra until after clicking the shutter.
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Remember, if you've embarked upon the project and want to share one of your photos here, just send me the image as a jpeg, along with the photomantra you projected through it and, if you like, a little information about yourself.
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Elspeth

Photomantra: HEALER.

(N.B. For those who will be doing the project, your chosen word/photomantra is not a 'theme'. E.g. your word may be "Laughter" but your photo is of a beachstone in the sand. The mantra has nothing to do with the content of your photo, which could be anything - from the most 'mundane' to the most 'exciting' subject. The point is to send the energy of your positive word/mantra into each image)
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Today I will load up my camera with film. I've decided to go with a film set as well as a digital set of photos for this venture.
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The film shots: I like the idea of leaving the prints in public places with messages written on the back, for random strangers to find. I also intend to use some of them to make Christmas cards.
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The digital shots: Just a few. These will be for more internet-based applications. I'm going to e-mail one photo each to one person each - both friends and 'strangers' ... with my 'photomantra' as the subject heading and a little message, poem or maybe even no words at all in the body of the e-mail. By e-mailing 'strangers' I mean that sometimes one comes across e-mail addresses on websites where people say: "E-mail me." Some of these are the people I will send Healer images to.
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My 'photomantra': Whenever I click my shutter, my word will be HEALER. The energy of this word, going into each shot, will have a two-fold effect: (i) I am being a 'creative healer', creating images which will have a healing effect (on some level and in some way) for those who receive it (ii) Everyone who receives one of the photos or finds them in random places will themselves go on to do a healing act for someone else. This will start a chain reaction of healing energy.
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I wonder: How many people will actually embark upon this photographic mission also, believing that by being creative and having positive intentions, we can uplift ourselves and the world around us.
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N.B. If anyone has a digital shot (only one, please) they would like to send to me to post here, please do. Send to my address on the right hand side of the page (the part that says E-mail me). Remember to include your word/photomantra with it. Thanks.
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Elspeth

Today's Top Story

SHOOT WITH CAMERAS.

NOT WITH GUNS.

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(Happy Hippy News)
1. Deliberately set aside some time, take your camera (digital, film or cellular phone) and go out and take photographs of anything you feel like photographing. Whether that means that you take one, ten, one hundred or more photos is up to you. N.B. You don’t have to be ‘a proper photographer’. Having the simplest of cameras and the desire to do this is all you need.
2. Think of a positive word. Every time you 'click' to take a picture, say your word in your mind (or aloud, if you like) and transmit the energy of your word into the image.
3. Take each image and send it to someone in whatever way you choose. E.g. If you have taken ten images, you will send one each to ten different people ... digitally as attachments in e-mails, printed and used on Christmas or greeting cards, sent in letters, left in public places (with your ‘positive word' or some inspiring message written at the back) for random strangers to find ... etc.
5. You may or may not want to include these instructions with each photo ... or simply share them with friends and encourage them to participate, build a positive momentum and keep this going. The more people we have being creative and not destructive, the better. Imagine if a term like “Widespread Shooting” meant that people all over the country (or world) were going out with their cameras, taking photos with positive intentions and passing them on to friends and/or strangers – who in turn would do the same. Imagine a newspaper headline like “Young boy shot repeatedly while liming” meaning that a proud father took a series of photos of his son during their leisure time together.
6. Choose creation, not destruction.

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Elspeth Duncan

for Happy Hippy News

PostSecret

I can't remember if I've ever given you a link to a site called PostSecret. I think I did a few months ago when I first found it. It's updated every Sunday. I don't always remember to look at it, but when I do, it's always intriguing.

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Elspeth

In Today's News ...

It is safe to love

Let go of fear

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It is safe to be loved

Let go of resistance

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It is safe to suceed

Let go of insecurity

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It is safe to create

Let go of destruction

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It is safe to have peace

Let go of turmoil

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It is safe to be balanced

Let go of excess

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It is safe to change

Let go of the comfort zone

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It is safe to grow

Let go of stagnation

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It is safe to believe

Let go of doubt

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It is safe to trust

Let go of mistrust

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It is safe to 'not know'

Let go of needing to know

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It is safe to be light
Let go of darkness

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It is safe to be light
Let go of heaviness

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It is safe to flow

Let go of blockages

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It is safe to be

Let go of not being

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It is safe

Let go

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Elspeth Duncan

for Happy Hippy News

Red Ship Coming

Acrylic, 5" x 7"

(My fifth)

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A red ship is coming

With a cargo of dreams

Bursting the seams

of life.

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Elspeth

Jesus (age 8)

Acrylic on art hardboard, 5" x 7"

The fourth painting in my emerging series. So far none of the paintings seem to be consciously linked, but maybe after I've done a few I will see the story they tell. Somehow the halo effect around the heads of the mother and child in this one made me feel to call it "Jesus, age 8". Hmmm. This now makes me start to connect the dots ... Maybe it's here that the story starts to unfold ...

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The

Little House on the Hill (first painting) could be where this 8 year old Jesus lived. The Solidarity painting could be the throngs of people who listened to his messages and were drawn to him. The painting I called Desert Women could actually be something else. When Daddy saw it, he thought it looked like the three wise men. Someone else commented "The three magi." Maybe one of the 'untold parts' of the whole Jesus story was that there weren't only three wise men (who came to him when he was born), but also three wise women (who came to him later in life). At age 8? Why not?

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Elspeth

Elsway ... Elsie ... Elsa?

Remember the video footage I shot of the little girl Celine making ixora jewelry a few weeks ago? I will include a clip which features a prime example of what I mentioned
here. It's just a few seconds long ... and makes me laugh every time I listen.

Click here to see/listen
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Els ... PETH

Release the tightened cord.

Lighten the perceived load.

Open the closed door.

Illuminate.

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Elspeth

Fourth and final Incarnation

For some reason, this particular surface/'canvas' is the one that keeps getting recycled. This is its fourth incarnation.

1st Incarnation: Blurry chunky buildings of cityscape under red full moon (done with Q-tips)

2nd Incarnation: Following advice of woman in artshop, cityscape adjusted by definitive lines being placed around the buildings, resulting in me changing the buildings entirely and not really liking the resulting colours, textures or shapes (painted with Q-tips again)

3rd Incarnation: the house on the hill

4th Incarnation: What you see above is the same house on the hill, but with one adjustment - the cloud above the house is different.

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Elspeth

Yesterday's painting was ...

If I had to give yesterday's painting a name, I would call it something like "Safari Women" or "Desert Women". They are tall women walking across hot, dusty plains, their heads wrapped in large headties/turbans. The yellow of their bodies is almost like an illusion - shimmering in waves of heat. The black lines on the yellow represent what is below their garments: breasts, ribs (they were probably starving after that long walk across the desert) and genitalia. The third shaft of yellow does not have any form to it (no headtie, face, body parts, etc.) She must be some kind of Spirit walking beside them - to guide and protect along their journey.

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Elspeth

Will you see what I saw?

This painting, my fourth, started off as a red background ... followed by yellow streaks. While the yellow streaks were drying, I turned the canvas around and, from each angle, saw different visual possibilities 'emerging' from the yellow streaks. With the canvas laid horizontally, the streaks looked like they were rushing to go somewhere in a speed blur. Laid vertically, I saw an impression of what I subsequently ended up painting. When I showed it to mummy, she thought it was a painting of shells. (That's not actually what I had painted, but I suppose everyone will see their own images in it).

What do you see when you look at it?

I'll tell you tomorrow what I meant it to be.

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P.S. My name for yesterday's painting is "Solidarity".

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Elspeth

What would you name it?

This is painting #2 (done prior to one of house featured in yesterday's post). I have my own name for it, but before revealing what that is, I'm interested in hearing what name you would give to it.

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Elspeth