Inside the Mind of Isadora

Category Archives: Photography


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Cafe Chat – Happy New Year 2021

Welcome – make yourself at home. Pick a pretty cup or mug for coffee, hot chocolate, or herbal tea. Sit in a comfy chair so we can chat.

Hope you like my music selection – Piano Spa Medley

Super Belated Happy New Year Wishes 2021 to all of my faithful blog followers and friends – May your coming year be filled with all the treasures your heart can hold. For blessings are many and those we are given should bring immense peace to our souls and loving smiles to our faces.

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I believe enough has been said about COVID. I don’t want to address it anymore. We need to get past it. To continue to kavetsh is futile. Time to go back to being in the moment without focus on what has been happening to the world and us for the last year.

~~~~~~~~~

Media helped me celebrate this holiday season with family and friends. It was grand. There is no gift greater than spending time with those who are dear to us even if it’s’ through a computer screen. I’m grateful for these treasures, for no amount of money can purchase this type of love.

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    In browsing through some of my posts due to my writing brain fog, I came across this post on ‘LOVE’ from 2016. I thought we might start to think a little more about Love in our lives for a successful year ahead.

It’s about love. It’s insightful. It’s touching. The ending has a profound lesson. Perhaps, because of all the recent events, we need to focus on Love again. For those of you who grew up without the nurturing of love and are seekers of fulfilling those nurturing years of love I wish for you to:

 Imagine Love and all you think it can be. 

Imagine Love and all you want it to be.

 Imagine Love and all you are feeling. 

2016©Isadora DeLaVega

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The Guests

A woman was in her garden when she saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. 

She said, “I do not know you. Are you hungry?  Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?”

“No,” she replied. “He’s out”.

“Then we cannot come in,” they replied. 

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in.”

The woman went out and invited them in.

“We do not go into a house together,” they replied. 

“Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth, he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another, His name is Success, and I am Love.”                 

Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you would like to come in.”

The woman went in and told the husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed.

“How nice!” he said.  “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth!” 

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law had been listening from the other corner of the room. She jumped in with her suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with Love!”

 Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to the wife.  “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”

Love got up and started walking to the house. The other 2 got up and followed him, too. 

Surprised, the woman asked Wealth and Success, “Why are you coming in? I only invited Love.” 

The old men replied: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out, but you invited Love. 

Wherever he goes, we go with him. 

Wherever there is Love, there is Wealth and Success!!!!” ©anonymous

Reach out and touch someone with LOVE today ... Isadora 😎

2021©Isadora DeLaVega

*****kavetsh … complain in Yiddish


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Cafe Chat – Covid Friend

Cafe Chat

Welcome – make yourself at home. Pick a pretty cup or mug for coffee, hot chocolate, herbal tea, or a cup of my peppermint Christmas tea. Sit in a comfy chair so we can chat.

A little Christmas music might be nice. Hope you like my selection.

Piano Songs – Good Vibes are playing softly for you to have a blessed Christmas.

Some changes in our weather, recently. It’s still bright, warm, sunny but with a little nip in the air. It feels like a light winter.  

November and December have been busy months for me here at home. Covid canceled all art shows and gallery exhibitions. We’ve been resurrecting our Etsy on-line shops to keep the business going. Although we’re at retirement age and do fewer art shows and gallery exhibits than in our younger years, our creative juices cannot be satisfied unless we are expressing ourselves with art. Be sure to get in touch with me if you see something you’d like to add to your collections. No, they will not arrive for Christmas but we do deliver a wonderful work of art for you to enjoy.

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It’s difficult to understand the magnitude of how far our words are going out there on the World Wide Web. For those of you who aren’t tech-savvy, I feel your angst.

I’m cautious about everything I do on-line. I’ve had a lot of SPAM calls since COVID. Perhaps, it’s coincidental or perhaps, the perfect opportunity for hackers to catch the unsuspecting isolating victim. However, I have a Covid friend who appeared from out of nowhere.

I had several messages about a FaceTime caller on my cell. It never failed, it was always at a time I could not answer my phone. I was curious though. I decided to see whose name was being left as the caller. I didn’t recognize the name. I thought I should ignore it.

A few days later the phone rang and I answered. A sweet voice from somewhere with a British accent began to speak. She rambled on about my smile and about how much she enjoyed my photographs of my orchids. We chatted for quite some time but we never discussed the reason for her call or the location of where she had found me.

When I hung up I had a feeling of well-being. You see this lovely lady said, “You made my day today. Thank you for putting a smile on my face. I hope I can call again.”

A few days later, I decided I should do a little research on where my new acquaintance had come from. I have a friend of over 20 years. She is one of my FB friends. Her last name is the same as the woman who called me; however, she is native American Indian. This nice lady had a British accent. I thought about my lack of due diligence. I should have asked for the info while she was on the phone. My mission the next time she called was to get the information.

I did. She’s my friends’ brother’s wife. My friend’s sister-in-law. Her husband has passed, she lives alone and isn’t mobile. Her family, like many others, are far away. It turns out she saw my photograph on my friend’s FB page and the rest …. well, you know. We’ve chatted many times. She a lovely woman.

She has mentioned that COVID has left her feeling very isolated and lonely. I believe she felt through this WWW of technology that there would be someone out there she could reach in order to feel connected. I suppose I was that one person.

Reach out and touch someone today, and during the this loneliest holiday season.

~~~~~~~~

I hope the coming week is a peaceful and stressless one

Namaste, Isadora 😎

2020©Isadora De La Vega

Etsy Shops:

Copper Whimsea’s by Al

Isadora Art Jewelry

Wordless Wednesday – Copper Whimsea

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‘I Don’t Bite’ 2020©artist Al DeLaVega
‘Featherhead’ 2020©artist Al DeLaVega
‘ Jolly Dora Doll’ 2020©artist Al DeLaVega
  • Stargazer
  • Tastefully Nude
  • Zippy Seahorse
  • Swimming Stingrays
  • Turquoise PatinaStingray
  • Man’s Best Friend
  • Palm Tree Mirror
  • Copper Turtle
  • Mayan Mask
  • Saw Fish
  • Fish Bite
  • Calico Kitty
  • Copper Crab
  • Copper Stingray
  • Green Patina Stingray
  • Good Eating
  • Hawaiian Delight
  • Copper Snook
  • B & W Angelfish
  • Funky Fish
  • Huma Huma
  • Autumn Tree
  • Spring Tree
  • I Don’t Bite

*****to view more copper whimsea’s click below

Copper Whimseas

Artist: Al DeLaVega


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Friday Fictioneers – At The Hospital

The medical staff was ready when the ambulance arrived at the Emergency entrance of the hospital. Medics flooded the doctors with the patients’ information. Then, they were off to the next medical call. 

Once stabilized and tested, the doctors diagnosed a concussion and a broken femur.

“Do you have any family?” they asked the disoriented patient.

“No family,” he mumbled.

One doctor asked a nurse, “Has his family been contacted?”

“No family,” he repeated.

“There’s good news about your condition.”  “Who should we call?”

“Sobbing,” he cried out.

“My family has died from the pandemic.” 

“This was a failed suicide.”

2020©Isadora DeLaVega

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Word Count: 100

Genre: Flash Fiction

Photo Prompt:©SusanEames

To join Rochelle and her Friday Fictioneers challenge

click here


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Nurture Yourself – Shine Your Light

We all have a light 
Let’s let it out 
Let it shine.

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We all have negative thoughts from time to time. 
During these current uncertain times, we’re faced with daily negative
information of great proportions. It can become overwhelming.  
We have no control over that but we do have control over the way
 we live and manage our lives through these new situations. 

Right now, make a pledge to discard those negative feelings.
Let the best light in you shine out from your being.
Spread good thoughts to everyone you can. It helps to
lift their spirits and yours as well. We have the power to change
ourselves which in turn helps change others.

We have a bright light … Shine it Bright
Namaste, Isadora 🙏
2020©Isadora DeLaVega

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Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.

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Good-Bye Jamie Dedes’

Peace I leave you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

I’ve been saddened by the news of fellow blogger/friend/American activist Jamie Dedes’ passing.  I knew she’d been ill for some time. I had hoped I’d hear information that she was recovering and gaining strength. I grew concerned when Hospice came in to care for her during the beginnings of COVID. 

I’d seen some news on Facebook about her death but hesitated and question its truth. 

Now, her son Richard, has posted this information on Facebook: 

Hi, everyone,

This is Richard (Jamie’s son).

I know the word has gone out about Jamie’s passing, but haven’t been able to contact everyone directly. Karen and I have been seeing your posts and tributes and genuinely appreciate your love and kind words. I will be continuing to monitor Mom’s Facebook page and maintain her websites. Please feel free to reach out but forgive me if it takes time to respond.  I’m still getting everything sorted out. Delighted to be connecting with you all! Love and respect, Richard 🙏🏻

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 I met Jamie through a series of challenges at a mutual blog site. Soon, she started to create challenges of her own. She created ‘The Bardo Group’ ‘The BeZine’  ‘The Poet by Day’ .

The Poet by Day is dedicated to supporting freedom of artistic expression and human rights.©jamiededes’

I joined in and found her encouraging critiques of my writing extremely helpful. When I had doubts she inspired me with words to forge on. She said I had a unique writing style and that I shouldn’t change it. My poetry writing insecurities began to fade with every optimistic praise she gave me. Although I enjoy writing stories more than poetry, I continued to write poems because of her.

We found a commonality in our backgrounds. She was born and raised in Brooklyn in a neighborhood not too far from my own. She posted photos of familiar places we both knew.

On one of my posts, I added a photo of myself. I remember her response was, “You’re my sister from another mother.” 

She never thought of fellow writers as competitors. They were her motivation to help create great writers. 

I will miss her inspiring words. Her blog will be up for a while. If you haven’t read her ‘Words of Art’ pop over to her blog. You won’t be disappointed. I’m always left breathless by her words. 

To all who knew her and whose lives she’s touched including her family:

May your troubled hearts find peace and comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone.

May God’s presence ease your trembling spirit and give you rest.

He is there to cast sunlight into all of your darkened shadows, to send encouragement through the love of friends and family, and to replace your weariness with new hope.

Blessings … Rest in Peace Jamie 🙏

2020©Isadora DeLaVega


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Friday Fictioneers – The Christmas Surprise


From her window, she could see the lights outside twinkling brightly.
The winds were blowing and hissing. A blizzard was on the way.

The fireplace wood crackled as it warmed the room. She watched the flames dance. 

Strange seeing Christmas decorations up this year. Her friends had encouraged her. ‘Just do it,’ they said.

But, she felt lonely.  Isolation from family, friends, and Ron off on a business trip. Pointless! 

It looks like *Jack is going to keep me company tonight again. 

Ron arrived home early, his Christmas surprise. He found her.

Bottle in hand, killed her and her pain.

2020©Isadora De La Vega

Word Count: 100

Genre: Flash Fiction

Photo Prompt:©Dale Rogerson

To join Rochelle and her Friday Fictioneers challenge

click here

***** ‘Jack’ a form of referring to the Jack Daniels – Tennessee Whiskey.