un californien à paris

breathing out

inspiration: the act of drawing in, specifically the drawing of air into the lungs.
merriam-webster dictionary

ideas/inspiration are all around us and, like air, we share them, changed, into the creative atmosphere.
hillman curtis, MTIV p. 104

preaching is truth breathed through personality.
philip brooks

a few of you asked about the music i used in the gardener. ever since my brother, david, sent me his latest finmix (ie mixed cd) titled in the grass, i've been breathing in the work of sam beam who makes music under the name iron and wine. As well as Genesis 1.31, the roses of our garden, and my son's unbridled joy, i was also inspired by the album our endless numbered days. this video interpretation of naked as we came would also have fueled my imagination but i didn't find it until after i had already made my little film.

the gardener: i'm just breathin out into the blogosphere some of what i've been breathing in.

u-see?

And God saw that it was good. What did he see? Can we see it? Can we see that what God creates is good...very good? It seems to me that human beings in general have a visual fascination with evil and that there is much to be seen. Can we turn our eyes away even for a moment to recognize what is excellent? Do you contemplate in awe the One who breaths out his Spirit and new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth? Do you see what I see? How would you visually represent what is "good"? This little video is my attempt.

fond of fish

my brother-in-law, joël, is fond of fish. he introduced me to the great deeps of the Mediterranean. i will not tell you how deep because, if i did, mon cher jojo could go to prison. you see, joël is a federal scuba diving instructer with a very heavy responsibility under the law for the lives of precious human beings...such as myself. every august, joël organizes a diving camp. i participated in 2002. This summer, i will again take the plunge with the great sea creatures and every sort of fish that God created. Joël taught me that a tuna is pélagique, a killer word meaning "that which swims in open water". He is fond of fish.
today is joël's birthday. you may ask why i would wish my frenchy frangin happy birthday in English. well, he has often told me how he dreams of the the day that he would be featured on this english language blog. that day has come! joël is not only able to read and understand every word that i write here, but he would also be able to edit my typos and questionable grammar usage, and improve the overall readability of my amateurish prose. joël's day job is as a bilingual editor for the publishing house Editions Farel. joël is fond of books... and blogs.

this is joël with julie. joël is VERY fond of julie. i took this picture on new year's eve, the day they announced their engagement to be married. karen and i are very happy for joël. we are fond of julie too.

bon anniversaire, frangin. j'ai hâte d'entendre la belle musique des cigales, de sentir le soleil qui sèche l'eau de la Méditerranée sur ma peau... et bien sur de kiffer quelques poissons avec toi... merci de m'avoir invité encore cette année.

a swiss vision

Here's a quick look at an energetic weekend in the Swiss Alpes. to be continued...