Archive for October, 2015
Influence
Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley found its way to the top of my book pile. I didn’t realize I still had a copy. As I sat staring at the cover, I realized that years ago when I read this work, it had had a profound influence on me.
It led me to other Huxley writings, Brave New World and The Perennial Philosophy: An Interpretation of the Great Mystics, East and West. I bathed in the illumination of his work, his wit, his wisdom, and his insights. The following is a tiny sample of the tidbits that continue to resonate with me. Enjoy.
“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.” A. Huxley
“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” A. Huxley
“The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.” A. Huxley
Coloring
No, not Easter eggs…coloring books. Adult coloring books are hot items. Touted as a simple and affordable way to reduce stress, the popularity of this movement is growing exponentially.
According to Livres Hebdo, adult coloring books are more popular in France than cookbooks. Americans are on the band-wagon. Check out www.amazon.com/books and you might be surprised by the volume of offerings. Pinterest and Clip Art & Crafts have single pages you can download for coloring.
I confess, I have been coloring for decades. In fact, I am not sure I ever stopped coloring. The Dover Coloring Book series is a staple always found in my creative cupboard. Current issues are Color Your Own Seed Packet Illustrations, Japanese Prints Coloring Book, and Favorite Wildflowers Coloring Book. For me, it is not just the beautiful illustrations, but also the crayons, colored pencils, water-color pencils, pastels and colored pens that are part of the process.
And, yes, I do find it relaxing and enjoyable. I invite you to take a stress break and engage the art of coloring.
Laugh
Laugh. A good way to start a week Enjoy!
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” ~Terry Pratchett
“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” ~Mark Twain
“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like.” ~Lemony Snicket
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.” ~W. C. Fields
“Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.”
Autumn 2015
As each season arrives with it’s smells, colors and weather patterns, I often say to myself, “This is my favorite season.” I believe it is the marking of time, the cyclical change and the resplendent beauty that the Goddess of each season displays, that enamors me. This piece by George Eliot expresses my heart in Autumn.
“Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love – that makes life and nature harmonize. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one’s very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns.”