the value of a sand dollar

Barefoot time along the edge of the ocean has a way of temporarily clearing out the human-made clutter I've managed to accumulate on this earth... a calendar full of tasks, shopping lists, a dishwasher to unload, library books to return, a computer desktop littered with documents, drawers stuffed with clothes I no longer wear.  But at the beach, the simplicity of sand, sea and sky is a welcome setting.  It sort of pushes me to let go and seek out the true currency of the earth.

Why don't you stop your day for just a moment and step outside.  Seek and shoot a small treasure made by Mother Nature and share it in the comments or tell us about a special place that keeps you grounded.

Comments

[Shutter Sisters]

Ah Stepahnie, this is like a breath of fresh air and the perfect reminder of what is important.

Here's a little (OK, BIG) something we found on our summer vacation- http://maypapers.blogspot.com/2008/07/rockin-best-shot-monday.html

[elizabeth]

the beach/coast is the place that keeps me grounded. The sound of the wind and the surf clears my mind and head and centers me once again. I found my first sand dollars there too, so your photo was a nice reminder.

http://retinalperspectives.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/sand-between-my-toes/

[Daisy Sharrock]

From Beautiful British Columbia.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daisysharrock/2208394170/in/set-72157603585895278/

[Marcie]

Early mornings next to the water's edge:
http://bravo.unisonplatform.com/~marciesc/index.php?showimage=455

[Lyn]

I just spent the weekend with friends on photo shooting adventures. We visited ponds, gardens, historic towns . . . and then spent time with family, capturing the love there. It recharged my inner batteries while depleting my camera's!!

This is one small perfect example of nature's beauty from this weekend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11439752@N04/2667580304/

[Lani]

From Prospect, Nova Scotia. These orchids are tiny:
http://gallery.me.com/lanipuppetmaker#100011

[Shelli]

Your post is just what I needed today. I suppose when I'm watering my garden, everything else falls away for me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spabis/2652236353/

[Mariah@ Playful Learning]

It is amazing how grounding watching the clouds can be!

http://www.playfulearning.com/Playful_Learning/Blog/Entries/2008/7/13_Cloud_Watching.html

[amanda]

One of my favorite parts of our recent vacation was taking my son out to collect shells...

http://amanda.smugmug.com/gallery/5296510_Pc25n/1/323092105_mkV6J/Medium

[sarah]

Mother nature at her best. This is already in the flickr pool, but here it is again.

http://flickr.com/photos/27313038@N06/2661520756/in/pool-shuttersisters

[renee @ FIMBY]

Oh man, can I relate! To the cluttered desk, overdue library books, dirty kitchen floors (that's mine but probably yours also) ya da, ya da, ya da..... Our weekly hikes take me out of that world of incomplete projects and never ending to-dos.

This grass growing beside a mountain stream seems not to have a care in the world. And the delicate-ness of its arching stems begged a picture.

http://fimby.tougas.net/Mountain_trail_filigree

[Dana (Sunshine)]

I can so relate to this post and you so aptly described how being on the water makes ME feel. At the moment, I don't have a picture of water to show you, but how about this picture of some of nature's finest...

http://mylifeinpictures4u.blogspot.com/2008/07/best-shot-monday_14.html

I am somewhat new to your site, but I love it!!

[Kristina]

The Black Hills of South Dakota keep me grounded, even though I no longer live there.

Last spring there was an unusual profusion of wildflowers.

http://meadowlarkdays.blogspot.com/2008/07/dames-rocket.html

[Lawyer Mama]

For me, it's the water as well. Always has been.

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2565881770/in/set-72157605381003301/

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

After work one day last week, all I could think about was going to take some photographs. I had my eye on a hydrangea bush for the past week, so I went there to satiate my need to decompress. I came up with a haiku to go with the photo.......

http://wayfaring-wanderer.blogspot.com/2008/07/luminescent-essence.html

[Kate Baumert]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drmagoddess/2668052442/

[laura - dolcepics]

How's about a bit of blue sky?

http://www.dolcepics.com/dailypic/blue-sky/

I've been forcing myself to shoot manual for the last couple weeks and I find it's a great exercise for me to stop... and think.

[Melanie @ BeanPaste]

While staying on at lake last week, my 3-year-old spent hours digging through the wet sand and trolling the shallow waters for "treasure." She pulled up pretty rocks, pebbles, bits of glass, quartz, carefully washing each and bringing them over for inspection:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/melanief/2640730109/in/set-72157606000773274/

[Andie]

My daughter weaving flowers from my garden into her bike basket:
http://wifemotherpainter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/07/sowing.html
a.

[Molly]

I couldn't agree more. This was my most recent upload to flickr, from a recent walk on the shoreline of Lake Erie. Here's my treasure's found:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeonflower/2659543622/

[Michelle]

I spent Sunday morning on my patio and that's where I found this guy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26029966@N02/2665041459/

*Sorry if this repeats, my computer is fussy this morning.

[Tracie]

Quiet morning walks and fresh blueberries from the bush:

http://tracienolesross.com/sketchbook/?p=137

[Jackie]

I was able to find sea shells as well as pine cones at the beach this weekend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaclyndenise33/2668138343/

[deb]

I love the ocean and the beach, it touches something deep inside of me. Sadly, I live a long ways from the coast.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bentbeagle/2668281769/

[lora]

I recently did this very thing while visiting my Mom's. God's creation certainly is incredible! =)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987938@N00/2669295460/in/photostream/

[Meryl]

I planted milkweed this year hoping some monarch catepillars would make a home there. I was so pleased yesterday morning when I discovered they had!

http://blackbird13.smugmug.com/photos/331838990_3EomJ-M.jpg

[stephamama]

Looking down from the dock:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clinktercloy/2669501510/in/photostream/

[Amy/grrlTravels]

Thanks for sending me outside today to shoot when I was in the middle of everything and wasn't planning on going out at all. It was lovely outside and I felt better for my 30 minutes staring at the lake.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grrltravels/2670050406/in/photostream/

[His4ever Kris Stone]

I love nighttime in the summer. Crickets creaking, a baseball game is being played near by, and the fireflies are out shinning. Some of my favorite things of God's creation. Since having kids, I need to add to my list, watching my 2 year old catch fireflies. Tonight he was successful. I think God made fireflies slow so that children could catch them and so us parents could praise God in the cuteness that ensues.
Didn't have my camera tonight, wish I did... but here is an old shot of the first time he went out to try catching fireflies :D.

http://www.stonecafecreations.com/site/content/sweetpea-catching-firefles-and-a-video-youtube

[Janine]

We planted a pink dogwood tree...

http://flickr.com/photos/25744047@N03/2670298356/in/photostream/
http://flickr.com/photos/25744047@N03/2670298356/in/photostream/

to celebrate my daughter's 1st birthday...
http://flickr.com/photos/24035778@N04/2662680661/in/photostream/
^^^ not my photos... taken by my friend PhotoMom86{Melissa} ^^^

[Janine]

...meant to post this one too...
http://flickr.com/photos/25744047@N03/2669477417/in/photostream/

[mnkathy]

Better late than never, eh?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25773211@N07/2663482740/

[ElizabethK.]

I just found your wonderful site yesterday, and I'm not sure how to do this...

A picture of Queen Anne's Lace (Just curious, is it Ann or Anne?) taken with a nice point & shoot camera with a great super-macro. The intricacy of this flower has always fascinated me. God is so good!

http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/gallery/details.ihtml?idx=116530

[jfrancis]

A child's hand
holding
what the sea values.

[Naomi]

I took this photo earlier this year in my parents backyard. I spent a lot of time reading, studying, escaping out here. This just happens to be one of my favourite canopies. In spring, it blooms like nothing I've ever seen, during summer there are bright green leaves for shade, and in autumn, the leaves change and fall to almost completely cover the lawn. I rarely get sick of taking photos of this tree.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2481959487/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2481959485/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2481959485/

[jwylie]

I found my first whole sand dollar today! I am 33 year old stay at home mom of two, with a wonderful husband. I completely understand what you mean about the power of the ocean. I feel ,to use a modern day, rebooted, and ready to take on a new school year and all the chaos it brings.

[tips to save money]

I just spent the weekend with friends on photo shooting adventures. We visited ponds, gardens, historic towns . . . and then spent time with family, capturing the love there. It recharged my inner batteries while depleting my camera's!!

[HSBC credit card]

Very nice article..I saw my first sand dollars in this article, so this photo was a nice reminder.It's been a while since i have bought a sand dollar but i think they where around $3-5 dollars awhile back. so just do some checking online and you probably can get a good estimate...thanks for sharing

[mortgage broker]

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