The poetry of boys / August 2010
“I need big hands
to help me
change the profile of planets;
the traveler requires
triangular stars;
constellations like dice
cut into squares by the cold;
hands that distill
hidden rivers in Antofagasta
and restore to the water
what its avarice lost in the desert”~ an excerpt from The Gift by Pablo Neruda
Continue reading "The poetry of hands, 38" »
Goldfinch in top, right corner; according to allaboutbirds.org they fly in a "bouncy, undulating pattern" / August 2010
This was just another summer day when the goldfinches visited my swath of black-eyed susans, swooping down to balance themselves on the seed-heads and pick at the seeds.
Moroccan tea glass casts lovely shadows onto the tea pot at morning tea / August 2010
“The first cup of tea should have a haunting flavor, strange and lasting. When you drink tea, sip only, otherwise you will dissipate the flavor. Moderation is the very essence of tea.”
~ Lu Yu (from the book 'Tea: bioactivity and therapeutic potential' by Yong-su Zhen)
“...tea was reported to exhibit 24 kinds of physiological and therapeutic effects, such as causing less sleep, calming down, clearing sight, relieving headache, dispelling thirst, dissipating fever, detoxification, helping digestion, reducing obesity, diuresis, as a pectoral for chest diseases, invigorating, strengthening teeth, and more.” (summary of effects from Chinese books about tea (618-1911); also from Zhen's book)
I've been wanting to embroider all summer and finally picked up the needle and thread (Bright yellow sweatshirt with ugly floral design, made new by covering it with a blue and yellow square set on the diagonal; embroidery added for texture) / August 2010
“The art of working with the needle any fanciful design, upon webs woven of linen, cotton or silk is of the highest antiquity.
... It is clear from Homer that the Grecian ladies were skilled and industrious in the use of the needle.”
~ A Short Historical Sketch on Tapestry and Embroidery by J. Getz, 1895
Knit dress in progress / August 2010
“Long before researchers found that experiences, not purchases, are what make us truly happy, home economists had it figured out. They taught their students that people who 'live richly' budget more for 'books and travel, leisure and hobbies, home improvements, entertaining, and giving' than for material possessions. So wrote Grace Margaret Morton of the University of Nebraska in 1943; she specialized in dress design but knew that mere stuff had limitations.
It amazes me how often we rediscover the truths set forth by earlier women scholars. And don't get me started on how useful their lessons on thrift and the dangers of credit would be today.”
~ a letter to the NYTimes by Linda Przybyszewski, Ph.D.
What delights: Unca C's fabulous hula hoops / August, 2009
“Saint Augustine said: 'The soul is weighed in the balance by what delights her. Delight or enjoyment sets the soul in her ordered place. Where the delight is, there is the treasure.' Perhaps this is why there is such delight in beauty. In the midst of fragmentation and distress beauty draws the soul into an experience where an elegant order prevails. This brings a lovely tranquility and satisfies the desire of the soul. When the Beautiful continues on its way, the soul has been strengthened by a delight that will further assist her in transfiguring struggle.”
~ John O'Donohue, an excerpt from The Invisible Embrace of Beauty
Read me a story, Tell me a story / August 2008
This was the day that two boys could traverse time and space using the simple device of ink printed on paper.
Summer nights made for porches / August 2010
This was the night of the porch music that swelled in the intense August heat, filled the expanse of the turquoise ceiling and wafted out over the expanse of black-eyed susans and lavender carrying with it tidings of good will.
Detail from a tile, Aldie Mansion / Doylestown, PA / July 2010
This was the day of rejoicing in the power of the repeated prayer — whispered over and over and over during thousands of days and nights — to watch over the loved-one.
Mitza sketching the girl wearing the sindhi topi / August 2010
“Think about this: Drawing is a natural activity you do all the time. Every time you sign your name you draw a special line. Every time you steer a car you are drawing a line with your hands. Your life depends on its accuracy.
Aiming a flashlight is drawing a line. Throwing a ball uses the same eye-hand skills as drawing. When you tie your shoelace or mix batter or pet a dog, you are drawing in the air. We sing all the time, too; talking is singing. We dance all the time; walking is dancing. Marching is just moving to a beat. We draw all the time. But when it becomes significant, when it involves ART, it intimitdates us into incompetence.”
~ an excerpt from The Creative License by Danny Gregory