This gave me goosebumps when I watched it on Facebook this morning.
One of my wishes for all of us: That we could be so uninhibited and ALIVE. That we will not, as Thoreau said, "go to the grave with the song still in them [us]."
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Beauty #7
There is so much beauty in the world. Everyone could post about it and never run out of its proof.
We had to call an ambulance (again) for my dad Sunday morning. He is still in the hospital, but they will probably release him today, even though he may not be able to ambulate. I feel like we are walking on the razor's edge of a cliff. And we may or may not fall off. Well, of course we'll fall off. It's a matter of when.
Anyway, that is not the point of this post. The point of this post is 1) to talk about people in elevators, and 2) to share the last rhododendron photo of this series.
First, the elevators. You may already know this: People in hospital elevators are some of the nicest people in the world. A thirty second hospital elevator ride and ta-daaaaa! Instant connection. Talking, joking and "Have a Nice Day!"-ing. We are family, united by the illness of someone we care for. It could make one think that the world is a very friendly place! (Well, I already knew that, but some people just want, through their behavior, to try to prove otherwise.) I bet even those people would be friendly and sweet if we were to meet them on the hospital elevator.
Maybe hospitals spray Nice Juice in their elevators. Maybe we could find their source and spray it all over the world...
Below is the last rhodie that I'm going to post. I love the drops of water on the stems and petals.
We had to call an ambulance (again) for my dad Sunday morning. He is still in the hospital, but they will probably release him today, even though he may not be able to ambulate. I feel like we are walking on the razor's edge of a cliff. And we may or may not fall off. Well, of course we'll fall off. It's a matter of when.
Anyway, that is not the point of this post. The point of this post is 1) to talk about people in elevators, and 2) to share the last rhododendron photo of this series.
First, the elevators. You may already know this: People in hospital elevators are some of the nicest people in the world. A thirty second hospital elevator ride and ta-daaaaa! Instant connection. Talking, joking and "Have a Nice Day!"-ing. We are family, united by the illness of someone we care for. It could make one think that the world is a very friendly place! (Well, I already knew that, but some people just want, through their behavior, to try to prove otherwise.) I bet even those people would be friendly and sweet if we were to meet them on the hospital elevator.
Maybe hospitals spray Nice Juice in their elevators. Maybe we could find their source and spray it all over the world...
Below is the last rhodie that I'm going to post. I love the drops of water on the stems and petals.
The beauty of the heart
is the lasting beauty:
its lips give to drink
of the water of life.
-Rumi
Monday, February 21, 2011
Beauty #6
This one (the last rhodie I'll share) is for GoodnightGram. (She'll know why.) My purple rhodie photos didn't come out so well, so I played with Photoshop on this one. I didn't do it justice, but it's kind of fun.
"A flower's fragrance declares to all the world that it is fertile, available, and desirable, its sex organs oozing with nectar. Its smell reminds us in vestigial ways of fertility, vigor, life-force, all the optimism, expectancy, and passionate bloom of youth. We inhale its ardent aroma and, no matter what our ages, we feel young and nubile in a world aflame with desire."
- Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses
G.G., check this out: The Purple Store I think I could have fun there - how about you?
"A flower's fragrance declares to all the world that it is fertile, available, and desirable, its sex organs oozing with nectar. Its smell reminds us in vestigial ways of fertility, vigor, life-force, all the optimism, expectancy, and passionate bloom of youth. We inhale its ardent aroma and, no matter what our ages, we feel young and nubile in a world aflame with desire."
- Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses
G.G., check this out: The Purple Store I think I could have fun there - how about you?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Beauty #5
I think that this rhododendron from Whidbey Island has been a previous visitor to this blog. I love the "rhodie bouquet" that this plant created.
How did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its being,
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too frightened.
- Hafiz
How did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its being,
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too frightened.
- Hafiz
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Beauty #4
Yesterday evening, Mr. CfP and I experienced our second float. It was so, so, so... oh, there are no words. I am hooked. A WANT to be a float junkie! Flotation tanks are an antidote for this fast-paced, media-frenzied, too-many-demands-filled world.
I didn't want to go to the float tank. I wasn't feeling well - had a whining tummy and was very tired. After a short while in the tank, though, I realized my tummy had turned happy - no more complaining. I came out of the tank feeling more than fine. Renewed.
That's just one of the many reasons floating is my new drug of choice.
After our flotation experience, we went to dinner at my most favorite eating and community place in the whole world - the Mercury Cafe. Marilyn, the owner, is inspiring. She has created a space where all of these things can be happening at once: a local group was putting on a play; next door to that, people were eating soul-rejuvenating local, organic food; and upstairs someone was having a birthday party. The Mercury Cafe is funky, as are most of its people. Its food is real and one never knows what in-season vegetables they'll get. It has solar panels and the best water-saving toilets in town (this kind). Marilyn supports all who want to make the world a better place, sometimes opening the place up for meetings on Mondays, even though her establishment is closed on Mondays.
Last night as Mr. CfP took my hand across the table and kissed it (sweet, huh?), I noticed that Marilyn was walking by.
And I thought to myself: What a beautiful life. To be able to create an atmosphere that is such a contribution to our world, a place that does as little harm as possible to the planet, a peaceful oasis which encourages love, health, community, and a man to kiss his wife's hand.
I didn't want to go to the float tank. I wasn't feeling well - had a whining tummy and was very tired. After a short while in the tank, though, I realized my tummy had turned happy - no more complaining. I came out of the tank feeling more than fine. Renewed.
That's just one of the many reasons floating is my new drug of choice.
After our flotation experience, we went to dinner at my most favorite eating and community place in the whole world - the Mercury Cafe. Marilyn, the owner, is inspiring. She has created a space where all of these things can be happening at once: a local group was putting on a play; next door to that, people were eating soul-rejuvenating local, organic food; and upstairs someone was having a birthday party. The Mercury Cafe is funky, as are most of its people. Its food is real and one never knows what in-season vegetables they'll get. It has solar panels and the best water-saving toilets in town (this kind). Marilyn supports all who want to make the world a better place, sometimes opening the place up for meetings on Mondays, even though her establishment is closed on Mondays.
Last night as Mr. CfP took my hand across the table and kissed it (sweet, huh?), I noticed that Marilyn was walking by.
And I thought to myself: What a beautiful life. To be able to create an atmosphere that is such a contribution to our world, a place that does as little harm as possible to the planet, a peaceful oasis which encourages love, health, community, and a man to kiss his wife's hand.
The good is the beautiful.
- Plato
Friday, February 18, 2011
Beauty #3
Another pink one.
Beauty is truth's smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.
- Rabindranath Tagore
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Beauty #2
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Beauty #1
A couple of years ago, we visited with a woman who lives on Whidbey Island. An important aspect of her life is her love affair with rhododendrons. When I first heard of this love of hers, I was a bit bewildered. How could anyone have a love affair with a type of flower?
While we were on Whidbey, the woman took us to Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens and then to a private garden.
Oh, my! I got it! I could see why someone would be in love with rhododendrons. Well, sort of...
Last night as I went through my photos looking for some Buddha shots to send to a friend, I got so much enjoyment out of looking at the beauty of these graceful flowers that I thought I would share some of them over the next few days.
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
- Rumi
While we were on Whidbey, the woman took us to Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens and then to a private garden.
Oh, my! I got it! I could see why someone would be in love with rhododendrons. Well, sort of...
Last night as I went through my photos looking for some Buddha shots to send to a friend, I got so much enjoyment out of looking at the beauty of these graceful flowers that I thought I would share some of them over the next few days.
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
- Rumi
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Bloomin' Fence!
Photo by Judy DeHaas, The Denver Post
As I read this article this morning, I thought of 1) what a difference the little touches of beauty in life can make, and 2) what a great idea for G.G., even though she might do it in knitting, not crocheting. And I know she would need to wait until she has finished her gazillion Super Bowl scarves.
From today's Denver Post:
Her street name is "Esther."
She and her masked, hook-wielding crochet cronies have taken responsibility for the yarn bomb along a block of 16th Street between Wewatta and Union Station in Denver.
Her gang of five, also known as the Ladies Fancywork Society, made a chain-link fence warm and fuzzy, covering it with 30 panels, each 12 feet long and some 8 feet high, of crocheted flowers and garden creatures.
Blooms of vivid pinks, reds, yellows, greens, blues, purples cling to silvery metal.It took six weeks to make the handiwork and 20,000 zip ties to attach it.
The crocheted garden sounds wonderful - I'll have to go down there and visit - but there is more!
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