Is a door the way in or the way out? It depends…are you coming or going?
We find many interesting doors in life.
Sometimes we know just what we need…
Other times the choice is not so clear…
Some doors are lovely…
Others scary…
Some are daunting…
It would be nice if we could sneak a peek…
Some doors are difficult to get to…
Still others can be hard to find…
Or best avoided…
But you never can tell which door…
…will open up onto a new friendship…
…or even lead to a loving family.
Which is why we must not be afraid to step out into the sunshine, or forget to invite someone in out of the cold.
Reach for the doorknob….
…..and see what you can find.
All words and images Copyright 2012 Naomi Baltuck
Click here for more interpretations of Thursday Doors.
Click here for more interpretations of The Weekly Travel Theme: Doorways.
Writing Between the Lines 
What a fabulous set of photos – leading to… Ah, the unknown, the mystery, the adventure. Loved this post!
Thank you, Cathryn!
Naomi, these doors are marvelous. I love the giant door, and the huge lion handles. I find the second photo of the double green and red striped door (second photo) interesting because the door knocker is on the left. Maybe because I’m right-handed?
Tess, you are so observant! That just never even occurred to me! Thanks for stopping by, and sharing your thoughts.
Fabulous post! Just great. I love all the picture. I enjoy your writing. 🙂
Thank you so much! I have been enjoying your blog too.
I’ve seen a bunch of doors floating around WP in the last few months, but none as diverse or interesting as your doors! I love these doors! This is a wonderful post. Thanks, Naomi.
Thank you, George!
Fabulous! A little “Alice In Wonderland” like. Your pictures are amazing–and you put them all together like a puzzle. Thanks.
Suzanne
Thank you, Suzanne. That’s a little like how it feels. Thanks for the visit, and for sharing your thoughts.
What an adventure!! Thanks!
Thank you, Mary, for stopping by.
Beautiful PICS and words….I love how your brain thinks ~ very inspiring ♥ paula
Thank you, Paula!
I LOVE doors. Thanks for a fun post and a reminder to not pass up a good door.
Me too! Thanks for stopping by.
Beautiful post and beautiful pictures. The initial question makes me think of a scene from Firefly in which a character poses the question, “Is it still her room if she is not in it?” Is the thing imbued with the property we see in it, or do we assign that value to it independent of its actual qualities? I am also reminded of a sillier quote from the play Sideways Stories from Wayside School: “When going down the stairs please stay to the left. When going up the stairs keep right.”
Funny! Thanks for sharing, Katie. I’ve been enjoying your blog, and the photos of your trip.
The pictures were terrific, Naomi and I can tell you’ve been collecting doors for ages just so you could make a little homily about courage and stepping forth! It was fantastic:)
I used only a fraction of the photos I have of doors–I just like them, I guess. But the stories write themselves. Thank you for your visit, and for sharing your thoughts.
🙂
A pleasure!
I love these photos! I have always had a fascination with doors… and windows. You’ve got yourself a wonderful collection. Thank you so much for sharing with us. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Debra.
This is the best door post ever, and yes, there’s been a few this past week. I loved them all but your ” Sometimes we know just what we need…” got me right there 🙂
Hi Ella, thank you for that very fine compliment! And thanks for the follow! I visited your blog, and look forward to following you–I really like your style and your voice.
Hello Naomi,
For all the inspirations you have given me, I nominate you for Inspiring Blogger Award. Details are here: http://subhanzein.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/awards-galore-3-0/.
Hope you like it. And congratulations!
Subhan Zein
I am very honored! Thank you so much!
And by the way, I love this post. I made me chuckle.. not once, several times! 🙂
Subhan Zein
Thank you, Subhan. That was a fun one to put together.
Wonderful door pics and narrative, Naomi. I so enjoyed this post. 😉
I really appreciate your taking the time to visit, and comment.
Love doors, and especially the first, so full of light and hope!
Thanks, Anne.
wow love some of those doors you captured Naomi 🙂 such variety
Thank you, Kavi!
Great photos and commentary. I love them all. I don’t remember the old woman’s shoe trip or photo. I often wonder how much I have stored in my brain to which I no longer can find access.
(PS Did you happen to hear on NPR that AP guidelines are now accepting the use of the word hopefully to begin a sentence? I just don’t know how to feel about that. It was a usage that Mom abhorred!)
Dear Lee, you were probably too grownup to enjoy it. I remember loving sliding down through the inside of a whale to pop out of its mouth. I believe it was in Canada, perhaps in the Quebec area. I even remember that it was called “Storybook Gardens.”
So funny! In honor and memory of Mom, I will never employ that usage! I love you, Sis! So nice to hear from you. Con left yesterday and will be back on Friday, as Miriam is going to be in town for the weekend.
Wonderful! What a great collection of doors!
Thank you! I had fun with this one. I appreciate your stopping by.
Nice pictures… I love door pictures. That was a fun post!
Thanks, Maggie!
This is awesome, Naomi! Lovely photos (as always!) and such a poetic take on life…
Thank you, Kathy. It was a fortunate day when I opened the door an found you there!
Lovely post! So creative!!!
Thank you, Holly!
Outstanding – how did you know that I have a door fetish? They are such wonderful symbols of energy flow/ life force; beginnings/ endings; opportunities – waiting and lost. Doors are succinct and immensely complicated in their abstraction. The artistry can be as decorative as a Renaissance sculpture or as functionally sleek as Eames chair.
So cool!
That is so cool! This post had your name on it! I’m an old English Major, and love the symbolism–couldn’t have said it better.
This is an extremely fabulous array of doors.It looks like the challenge is just perfect for you.
Very nice ….
Hi Isadora, thank you! I appreciate your visit.
I loved this post. It was so fun to go on your door tour and learn the life’s lesson at the end. I will definitely try to do better at opening new doors.
Thank you, Char. I appreciate your visit, and the follow, too. I really enjoyed your blog, and look forward to following you as well.
Loved this post Naomi! What a wonderful journey…..such a story gifted to us in such a way, and with such perfect photos, that allowed each of us to write our own individual story. A ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’!
Thanks!
Terri
Hi Terri,
I just love the idea of this as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I hope you are well.
Great entry for this week theme I love it ,thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Jake, I am just getting the hang of this, and am looking forward to future Sunday Posts. Thanks for being the inspiration for this.
Great and thoughtful journey 🙂
This is a fabulous post and message. So true!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Love all your door photos. Terrific philosophical post too. Makes me think about the doors I will face tomorrow and the next day with a smile. 🙂
Thank you, Kourtney!
Wonderful photos Naomi!!
You’ve got a great eye; thanks for sharing all these beauties with us.
Dear Pablo, that means so much coming from such a fantastic photographer. I appreciate your visit.
Lovely post. I hope you’ll bless my door one day. -S 🙂
Hi Susan, that is so sweet! Likewise for you. Thanks so much for stopping by.
🙂
Beautiful post that made me smile. I loved all the pictures!
You have a fabulous collection happening Naomi – beautiful!
Thank you, Lynne!
That is the best ‘door’ post i have read so far! The doors are fabulous enough, but your words are no less. Well done Naomi!
Thank you, Madhu!
Worth waiting for. Love that you have so many and so varied images.
Thank you so much for stopping by, and taking the time to comment.
Naomi, what a wonderful job you did in capturing your travels. Absolutely gorgeous pictures, and comments.
Thank you, Eloise! I really appreciate your stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Doors can be great for shutting the bad in the past and starting afresh on the other side. Those are beautiful photos 🙂
Thank you, Sarah. I love that image of a door.
Really delightful, both the idea and the execution. I will start looking closer at doors tomorrow!
Thanks so much! Every door raises my curiosity–each one is a portal into another world.
Wonderful theme. Doors–never know what’s behind them but they always take you somewhere new. Risk and comfort encapsulated in a single concept, and yet as you show, each door is distinctive. Love it.
HI Sabrina, thank you for stopping by. I love your thought-provoking take on doors!
Stunning! Absolutely love this … and so true too. Thanks for posting.
Thanks so much! I appreciate your stopping by, Jamie, and taking the time to comment.
Perfection! 🙂
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your stopping by and taking the time to share a comment.
I wish I could do more… Sadly, I’m so behind on commenting…
It’s so easy to fall behind, isn’t it? I know how that goes! But I thank you for dropping by.
A very nice selections of doors. Thanks you for visiting my blog.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Thank you, I really enjoy your take on the photo challenges. It always seems fresh and colorful.
Oh, that’s lovely. And so true! a nice reminder of just how many things a door can be.
Thank you for stopping by, lleandra.
Naomi, since I cannot contact you thru e-mail, I’m jumping in here. Love this post but it’s probably waiting in my inbox which I cannot sent e-mails from right now. If I have to write to Bill GATES, I will about my e-mail conundrum. Thank you for commenting on my post and thinking of trying the tuna salad. I can’t think when I will become tired of it. Between the kidney beans and the OVOO, it so CREAMY. Yum. Hope you like it when you try it but nobody said it’s PERfect for everyone.
Dear Tess, I sure hope you are able to solve your e-mail problem. I know how frustrating that is. Thanks so much for stopping by. Best of luck!
cool set of Door images… 🙂
Thank you, and thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for commenting on by “Behind the Scenes” post- yes, it was a lot of fun. The Athol Fugard play was amazing too.
Thank you for your visit!
hi Naomi – i received an invite for a creative project today, thought this might be interesting for you, too: 100 Days of Summer, it’s about being creative on a daily basis for 100 days and sharing / inspiring each other – starts on 5th July. let me know if you interested, then i send details and send an invite (it’s all free + web-based, some interesting artists / authors / bloggers take part)
Hi Dorothee, thank you for thinking of me–I am very touched by your invitation. I hope I will be creative 100 days in a row, but it will be with the sort of thing that is hard to document. I have to craft a storytelling program and do a performance tour with my family, polish a novel, and keep the blog chugging. I am attending a big writing conference and pitching a novel. I have three sets of relatives coming to visit, so I have to be creative about juggling that too. But I love your blog, the photos and writing, and getting to know you through them. I will eagerly look forward to reading all about your 100 days of creativity.
Doors that leads to many adventures and stories that touches the heart. Just beautiful. Thanks.
Thank, dear Island Traveler!
These are fantastic pics. Beautiful. Mystical, magical and just plain good ole fun.
Thank you, Nae!
Wonderful goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely magnificent.
I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it.
You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to
keep it wise. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is really a great site.
Thank you so much! It is good to make your acquaintance. I appreciate your visit, and your taking the time to comment.
Great series Naomi! Can’t say much more than what’s been said already, but I really do love all of these doors.
Thanks, Angeline, I appreciate your visit and your kind words.
your gallery brought together so DIFFERENT doors!
Such a wonderful collection of doors. I love your variety.
Thank you, Pat! I love the symbolism of doors, opening and closing, and the mystery of what lies beyond, so I end up with many to choose from.
I just love this one. Love photos of doors. Something about them…
I just love this blog! Thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure. I appreciate your visit, too, and thanks for the reblog!
You are very welcome! I hope my followers will enjoy your blog as much as I did. I’m fortunate to be able to in June to spend 12 days in Switzerland with a friend on the way to America! Take care!
Switzerland is a beautiful country. Do you like to hike?
We love hiking but my wife says she is getting too old. We did the Grand Canyon three times, Poon Hill in Nepal, and a volcano in Bali, all after 50 years of age. Actually Poon Hill in the Himalayan foothills was at age 60! We might do some gentle hiking!
The incredible thing about Switzerland is all the escalators available to take you up to the top. It’s so civilized! You can enjoy a ridge-top walk, and on the top of the mountain there will probably be a little cafe selling Ovaltine to hikers. Have a fun, safe journey.
Thanks for the encouragement! I trust we will have a good time. Celebrating our 44th anniversary there as well as my wife’s 65th birthday!!!
Congratulations! We just had our 30th. Love that lasts is a wonderful thing to celebrate, not to mention birthdays. Happy 65th to your bride.
Reblogged this on Marland Photography and commented:
What a great theme with great comments! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Wow an amazing collection of some wonderful doorways!
Look what I found! It’s a little late, but thank you for stopping by, Eunice!
xoxoxoxo
Wonderful words and visuals! I think I know that barber shop … Rome? Loved the diversity and your accompanying comments were simply perfect. Thanks!
Hi Patricia,
You are absolutely right! This barber shop wasn’t far from The Spanish Steps in Rome. Thanks so much for the visit, and for taking the time to comment. I had a wander over to your blog and it looks great. Best wishes for your continued success with your writing!
This is a fantastic group of doors and each one has a story!
Dear Meg,
Thank you so much for the visit and for your kind comments. I do love a good story!
Great doors!
This is a wonderful collection of doors! Thanks so much for joining us this week 🙂
My pleasure! Thanks for creating an interesting challenge, Norm.
A beautiful path with doors opening for the viewer.