omar khayyám

XIV

The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon
Turns Ashes - or it propsers; and anon,
Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face
Lighting a little Hour or two - is gone.

XV

And thsoe who husbanded the Golden Grain,
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain,
Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd
As, buried once, Men want dug up again.

incense, in a sense

Decisions, decisions.  Pack this.  Donate that.  Ship these.  Store those.  - I'm moving to Boston.

Little bag of incense, where do you belong?  It sat on the table in the middle of the "maybe" things and "yes" things, but one suitcase is packed and the others are waiting.

So I lit a stick.  & discovered, really discovered, the beauty of smoke.  It curls, folds, ripples, and rises, all right in front of your eyes in this little thing called reality.  & all you have to do is sit back and watch.  What a pleasant by-product!  Did everyone know this?

So some little dinky item that I wasn't sure served a purpose in my life had me kneeling, elbows on the dresser, actually sighing "wowww" alone in my room.  Thus, I'm packing my incense and will have one more thing to do in my TV-less east coast apartment.

You have to realize beauty on your own.  No one can explain or the importance of February sunsets or heat rising off a car on a summer day.  They can try to show you, but you must find it on your own - let it bring you to your knees on your own.

I need to do more of that.  The nature within reach is enough entertainment.

If that makes me a hippie, then sobeit.

amen

proverbs

Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling consent.

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

Soft words win hard hearts.

Every man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given away.

No answer is also an answer.

terrence malick

This great evil - where's it come from?
How'd it steal into the world?
What seed, what root did it grow from?
Who's doing this?
Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we mighta known?
Does our ruin benefit the earth?
Does it help the grass to grow and the sun to shine?
Is this darkness in you, too?
Have you passed through this night?

from The Thin Red Line

stefan sagmeister

Everybody who is honest is interesting.

astute peer refutes root beer repute

Long intro short, my French friend and I are hanging out for the first time on American soil 7 months after we last saw each other, this time speaking in English instead of German.

There is a minimal language barrier, more in the subtleties than anything else.  During her stay in San Francisco, she improved her knowledge and daily use of English.  More importantly, she was allowed to experience a new way of life and has expanded her breadth of the world merely by being, seeing, and allowing the newness in.

Of course, I think this is great.

She reminds me of how hard it is to find people with an open mind.  People who are empowered by knowing that they don't know much.

So we finish our meal, our conversation, walk down the block and move onto dessert because I can't wait for her to try her first root beer, let alone her first root beer float!  With her blessed open mind, Anaïs takes a few spoonfuls of this newness and says it tastes familiar, pulls out a pack of gum from her purse and tells me that she's not sure, but it reminds her of chewing gum.  She shrugs and the gum is put away.  "Hmm maybe," I wonder, "but I believe it's flavored with sassafras or some other... well... roots."

Later at home, my nightly routine brings me to Google where I find:

In 1960 the FDA outlawed sassafras because it contains safrole, which was proven to cause cancer in lab rats. The primary element in the root beer flavor we know today is wintergreen.

And sure enough, the next time I share this information over brunch, one of the newly-enlightened conjures up a box of wintergreen mints, as if by magic.  We three shut our eyes, so as not to be disturbed by the color stigma that so rudely kept us from the truth and... voilà!

Brown meets green, particles dissolve on our tongues, and the power of an open mind brings forth an unmistakable sensory connection.

sybyl partridge

Just for today I will be unafraid, especially, I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

scrumptious smoothie

I have always looked forward to breakfast, probably because I develop a favorite, easy-to-prepare food with which to start my days off right.  For a few months now, I've found smoothies to be pretty cool.  It's a smoothie and raw almonds (and coffee, as always) every day.  So the fridge, freezer and fruit bowl are kept with plenty of variety and I never pour the same slurpy goodness from the blender twice.  By far, the creation below has been my favorite.  I'm not sure if it was the fresh orange what, but you will not regret trying this bad boy!  Bonus for raw almonds on the side.

(click image if it's too small)

I also like to add untoasted wheat germ to my smoothies for a little more texture and tasteless fiber. Yum!

[cat]

Q: Look, though.  It's in its natural habitat; we can barely see it.  It has found its home because it was meant to be there.  What's our natural habitat?  Where do we blend in?
[cat's] A:  With one another.

love breeds love

...breeds love breeds love...

& more on this later.

shhh

If you haven't (recently) browsed PostSecret, check it out!

icing on the cupcake

Eureka! I've found it! This frosting is not only delectable, but perfectly glossy and opaque.

                         1 c.                   ½                                              3 oz.

Although I love lime or lemon juice in a cream cheese frosting, I think it will also be delicious with other comibnations of flavor extracts and milk.  I am just tickled that my family's favorite flavor of icing can be so beautiful!

classic

ebb and flow

We're served with stressful waves and troughs of routine in between.  (Or at least I'm sure that is true in a balanced life... but I'm pretty darn sure it's unanimous.)  In the times where we're challenged and thrown into situations unprepared, we grow.  We have to.

I think the key to success is to use the times in your life where you feel comfortable to reflect, I mean really reflect, on the more difficult periods.  For one, we have all sorts of incomplete emotions that were swallowed by necessity, but unlike food, cannot be digested.  To think about “why” or “how” or “what did I learn” is hardly ever a waste of time, especially when these questions are perplexing.  To really sink your teeth into your past makes your experiences more significant.  And when all we really have is the human experience, why not?

I imagine our growth as structure on a building, the foundation skyrocketing in spurts of forced adaptation.  But on the downtime, there's so much more to be done - the softer details, if you will.

Perhaps that's why I love traveling.  By walking the streets of a foreign place, you're learning of the world and how to navigate it.  But also, by removing yourself from your little habitat, it is much easier to think about the "why"s of your life and how they relate to the bigger scheme of things.  Although you can't really work towards conventional success while on the road, there are ways to fit travel into your life to make it functional (a.k.a. my ultimate goal for the next 5 years, after loan repayment).  Albeit indulgent, I think it's the perfect activity for growth.

charlie kaufman

John Laroche: Point is, what's so wonderful is that every one of these flowers has a specific relationship with the insect that pollinates it. There's a certain orchid look exactly like a certain insect so the insect is drawn to this flower, its double, its soul mate, and wants nothing more than to make love to it. And after the insect flies off, spots another soul-mate flower and makes love to it, thus pollinating it. And neither the flower nor the insect will ever understand the significance of their lovemaking. I mean, how could they know that because of their little dance the world lives? But it does. By simply doing what they're designed to do, something large and magnificent happens. In this sense they show us how to live - how the only barometer you have is your heart. How, when you spot your flower, you can't let anything get in your way.

from Adaptation

things he has learned in his life so far

1. Helping other people helps me.
2. Having guts always works out for me.
3. Thinking that life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
4. Organising a charity group is surprisingly easy.
5. Being not truthful always works against me.
6. Everything I do always comes back to me.
7. Assuming is stifling.
8. Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
9. Over time I get used to everything and start taking for granted.
10. Money does not make me happy.
11. My dreams have no meaning.
12. Keeping a diary supports personal development.
13. Trying to look good limits my life.
14. Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
15. Worrying solves nothing.
16. Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
17. Everybody thinks they are right.
18. If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first.
19. Low expectations are a good strategy.
20. Everybody who is honest is interesting.

Stefan Sagmeister

I admire his message and style.

I feel so much more about this, but it could be awhile before the words come to fruition.  For now, I'll just say that to someday work for Mr. Sagmeister would be a dream come true.

interests align

I knew I loved these podcasts!

Somehow, my public library kick took away from watching my two favorite podcasts: Best of YouTube and TEDTalks.  With all this free time, I thought I could catch up on so many life changing books and movies (complements of the local government) without sacrificing my updates on the best selection of web clips and intellectual/designer forces in the world.  Free time, free rentals, free podcasts - I love this country.

I am filled with love right now, can you tell?

Anyway, I was very impressed by this YouTube in my podcasts and decided to keep it in my iTunes along with the elite handful that have survived.  So I scroll down, watch a few TEDs and come across him again!  Both selection processes appeal to my soul after all.

Everything is connected; just sometimes it takes a new perspective in order to see it yourself.

speak from the heart

So I heard multiple people reference the book, The Five Love Languages, in relation to their romances and then I noticed it prominently displayed at Borders.  Actually I think the first time I heard the title was on Real Housewives of Orange County - shoot me now.  Needless to say, Gary Chapman's ideas have swept up masses, or at least brought them to purchase and skim the book.

I guess the book is a way for lovers to find out what "language they speak" and what their partner wants to "hear".  The five:

Words of Affirmation  Kind, affirming words of praise build confidence, trust and respect.
Quality Time  Conversations, walks and shared meals are things couples can do together if one of them needs to feel loved this way.
Physical Touch  A preference for receiving love through physical touch involves hugging, holding hands, kissing, caressing and patting that doesn't necessarily lead to sexual intercourse.
Gifts to Express Love  People who feel loved when they receive a present indicate their primary love language is through the receiving of gifts. It is the number of gifts, not the size or cost, that count.
Acts of Service  Preparing a meal, running errands, doing the laundry, cleaning a car, mowing the grass, fixing a leaky faucet, painting a room, vacuuming the floor and cleaning the bathroom or kitchen all are acts of service for the benefit of a loved one.

Chapman's five languages of love can all be simplified down to one message - generosity.  I take it he agrees that the best way to love is to share yourself with another.

& I think it's safe to say we all speak that language.

liggie fudim

How sweet it is when the strong are also gentle.