Doors & Windows of San Miguel de Allende

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During the month of November I’ll share photographs from my recent trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where I was one of the speakers at the First Annual Wellness and Spirituality Expo.

While there, my heart was touched—particularly by the work of two non-profit organizations. The purpose of this first blog is to set the stage by asking:

What do you find when you open the door of your heart?
What do you see when you look through the windows of your soul?

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan

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113 thoughts on “Doors & Windows of San Miguel de Allende”

  4. Beautiful architecture and photography. I just want to get on my bike and ride past them all.
    What do you find when you open the door of your heart?
    First that comes to mind is a mirror like image reflecting me to you and feel that flow of love that boomerangs back.
    What do you see when you look through the windows of your soul?
    Pure love shining through and through.

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  5. Dear Laurie, beautiful images! There is something so comforting and solid about looking at some of these old wooden doors and windows. Most of all thank you for the two stirring questions concerning the door of our hearts and the windows to our souls. Hugs, Sharon

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  6. Laurie,

    Well first of all I am thrilled by the beautiful photographs of amazing door ways and windows! Well done!

    What do you find when you open the door of your heart? I find fullness of purpose.

    What do you see when you look through the windows of your soul? I see unconditional love.

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  9. I just found this site and I’m in love for the second time this morning! What a way to start the day. Opening the door of my heart I find every emotion imaginable rushing in looking for peace. The window of my soul looks out onto an unquiet world that needs love…I try to give.

    Doug

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  11. Oh, Laurie, these images are stunning. And the questions coupled with those images really resonate. I don’t know how to begin answering them. I hope over the next month to be able to respond. Looking forward to these posts, my friend.
    Hugs,
    Kathy

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    • Don – I can tell you with certainty that it was a bittersweet experience as there is much abject poverty amidst tremendous color and beauty. Over the next two posts I’ll be sharing about how we can help.

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    • Dave – I’ll definitely be sharing about the two non-profit organizations that this event raised money for. A total of 9 speakers were brought in from all over the globe. The monies raised at attending this event went to help the local people in dire need. Please stay tuned, there’s more to come (with photos)…

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  18. Laurie – you are truly gifted in so many ways. Your photography has blossomed and become amazing over these past several years. I love your perspective and have decided you’re coming with me on my vacations to be my photographer 🙂

    So , as for the questions….When I allow the door to my heart to open I find happiness and satisfaction and pleasure in life’s simplest moments. Moments that I am very guilty of taking for granted. When I look through the windows to my soul I see a spirit that cannot be broken. I see someone who has had quite a lot of crud tossed in her direction and yet still gets thru each day, quite often with a smile. I believe that as the door stays open longer, the window will reveal more contentment.

    Welcome home, glad you had safe travels and a wonderful trip.

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  19. These doors and windows look magnificent! They looked so beautiful on my Kindle Fire this morning at 5:30 a.m. that I stared and stared and stared in awe and amazement at the many opportunities for opening into something new in our lives. Beautiful post, Laurie.

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    • Sandi – The pleasure was all mine. We do, indeed, take oh-so-many things for granted. This was really hammered home during my week long stay as I had an up-close-and-personal view of abject poverty.

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  21. Beautiful doors and windows, stunning colors, wonderful composition in your photos! As to your questions – they require some thought and I cannot give quick, casual answers.

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  22. Hi Laurie,
    Wow, I LOVE doors and windows pictures – actually painted a whole series of them ten yrs ago. The ones you have here are incredible. Thanks for sharing! We certainly share a love of them! My other favorite is trees, esp. the old gnarly ones – and old barns. But these pics make me want to get away to Mexico – esp. now with this season changing here!
    Hugs
    SuZen

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    • SuZen – I’m glad you enjoyed the photographs, I loved taking them (many of them with just a cell phone camera as my stand-alone Olympus camera pooped out). Like you, I’m a fan of ancient trees and old barns 🙂

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  25. The photographs are stunning Laurie and remind me so much of my time in Peru in 2002.

    When I open my heart I find I am at peace and this is familiar place with wabi-sabi surfaces from frequent visits.

    When I look through the windows of my soul I see that there is a great love which we are capable of embracing simply by choosing.

    The best of today to you Laurie and to all that visit your special place here! 🙂

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    • Terrill – I take your photo compliments as high praise knowing well the source, thank you. Many (not all) of the photos were taken with a cell phone camera as my stand-alone camera pooped out.

      I love what you shared about what you find behind the door of your heart, and see through the windows of your soul – thank you for sharing it here.

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  26. Clearly creativity is alive and singing in that magical place. Thank you for the questions. I’m only on the tip of being able to answer them. Looking forward to enjoying November’s posts. : )

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  27. Hi Laurie

    Lovely photos and interesting questions.

    The doors and windows tell us a little about the people who built them, and suggest something of the conditions prevalent at the time they were built, but say little or nothing about current residents.

    Doors tend to block all information transfer when they are closed, and windows offer a limited view, unless there are a lot of them, and they have no curtains. And no single window offers an unobstructed view of all within.

    In terms of what is going on within us, none of us really have much idea.
    An analogy would be like trying to figure out what software is running on your computer by looking at the CPU.
    The computer is working far faster than any of our senses can work, and all the important stuff is hidden from us.

    It seems to me that most of what is going on in our subconscious minds is much like that computer analogy. We are all such amazingly complex entities, that we have little chance of consciously seeing much of it at all.
    And it can be very powerful for each of us to go back and examine the earliest declarations that we have made about ourselves, as these early declarations tend to have a large influence on the context of our being, particularly in times of stress.

    When I look within myself, I see a sense of injustice and a drive to seek justice, for myself and all others. I see lots of other stuff also. All of the range of emotions present – from rage to love, curiosity to fear, bliss to boredom, ….

    It seems to me that we are all amazingly complex entities, all limited more by our own declarations about who and what we are than by any external constraint.

    So yes – very interesting questions.

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    • Ted – I’m in complete and total agreement with the observation you shared:

      “And it can be very powerful for each of us to go back and examine the earliest declarations that we have made about ourselves, as these early declarations tend to have a large influence on the context of our being, particularly in times of stress.”

      And when you talked about the range of emotions…

      I went from bliss at seeing the surrounding beauty, to grief seeing the squalor that so many people live in. To know that some people have water that comes out of a tap in their home, to thousands of others walk miles, sometimes barefoot, with empty pails to fill and carry back. I’ll be sharing a more about this (and other things) in the coming weeks.

      THANK YOU for sharing your observations here.

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  28. Oh the beauty found here today is inspiring and I am so happy you shared your adventure – windows and doors of possibility. Lucky us.

    Because of allergies we do not have many flowers or plants in our house…but my partner designed nearly every interior and exterior door to be windows and as pictures hanging on the wall….we have to block the office door 1/2 way because ZIP just sees too many squirrels and birds from that door! Bark Bark..

    We are warm and cozy or cool and shaded within but are still fully surrounded by natures beauty.

    In all my travels, I have fallen in joy with all the window dressings people use, particularly of the floral variety.

    What an experience you must have had and I like how you are sharing each little piece/peace with us. Thank you for your generous gift.

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    • Patricia – Your house sounds lovely (and I love Zip’s invigorating personality). I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, thank you for letting me know. Over the next weeks I’ll be sharing more photos, along with some wonderful non-profit information.

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  35. These two questions are really helpful. You have posted some lovely photos too, Laurie, with beautiful colours. My favourite is the first one – there are so many openings there, and it is a very inclusive wall – all shapes, sizes and colours fitting together. Thanks for the post.

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    • David – The photo that you pointed out (the first one) I took at “CASA” which I will showcase next Tuesday, Nov 13. I post once a week, on Tuesdays. Many of my friends, family, and subscribers refer to it as Tuesdays with Laurie. I’m glad that you enjoyed the questions as well, thank you for letting me know.

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  38. Pingback: Doord & Windows | Ted Howard NZ's Blog

  39. Laurie, your pictures are dazzling – such vivid, lovely colors! They make me want to spiff up the appearance of my own front door…

    When I open the door of my heart I find compassion and empathy, when I look through the window of my soul I see connection and oneness.

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    • Barbara R. – After seeing their beautiful doors, I want to paint my door too! I love your phenomenal finds: compassion, empathy, connection, and oneness – thank you for sharing them here 🙂

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  40. Oh, Laurie these are lovely! Would you be open to my using one or two as a Daily Shot or as a part of a Pics of the Week feature over on Zen and Genki? (Naturally, you and your blog would get a link/credit)…let me know!
    Gorgeous work!
    anne

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  41. This is JUST my kind of post — using photos to ask questions ;-). The images of doors and windows are so, so beautiful and conjure so many stories, don’t they? I always love how Mexican culture is not afraid to use such vibrant colors! I hope you had a marvelous time. (And I saw your last post; dia de los muertos plays a big role in my WIP!)

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    • Melissa – I had a grand time in Mexico. Like you, I admire the way their culture uses vibrant, cheerful colors! Ohhhhh, now you’ve really piqued my curiosity about your work in progress!

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  43. The beauty, peace and serenity of this heavenly setting certainly does contrast with the East Coast storms and the bombast of the presidential election stateside. I greatly look forward to your report in the meetings and a trip that I’m sure you’ll always look back with fondness. The heart and soul must surely work in unison in such a tranquil setting. Welcome back Laurie!

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    • Sam – And while I loved the San Miguel de Allende experience, I’m glad to be back home. The devastation you folks on the east coast are experiencing makes my heart break. I hope that your dad is back in his own home now.

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  51. The pictures are so fitting for those two powerful questions you ask! When I open the door to my heart, I see people in a whole different way, as equals, as a source of knowledge, hope, and connection. People are just people, after all! I think that sometimes the abundance of labels (occupation, religion, nationality, race) can blur our acknowledgement of that fact that we are just all people who live on earth, who all have the same basic needs.

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