photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello


"Far away there in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them,
but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and follow where they lead."

Louisa May Alcott

The "Artist's" Spirit



"Suffering offers us many choices. When we choose the path of art...and we have a passion for creative excellence...we open a doorway of possibilities to giving immeasurably to the "Artist's" Spirit that permeates the universe and encourages the continuation of life." ~ Patty Ann Smith

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

A Velvet Revolution



The words of Doris "Granny D" Haddock at the age of 95...this year!

"...a movement....to be successful....must become that place where people go for personal help....in every neighborhood that needs help....filled with volunteers who have learned that the joy of life comes only through service."

"Look at me: I am still alive, and I am looking at you, and you are alive. This is our world as much as anyone else's. We who are old enough or wise enough to see the edges of life can understand that we have a choice between fear and joy, and between victimization and service...happy days are here again when we but say they are. We do not turn our hearts away from injustice or suffering, indeed we mend them as best we can with our joyful engagement and our courageous non-cooperation with the forces of fear and death. And no one can take away our joy."....

"This is our Velvet Revolution, American style. We resist what we must and what we can. But our victory is not in defense, but in a cultural offensive made irresistable by the power of love and courage, pulling our people together, and our own lives together, over time."


"For the will of one can change the world, and the might of millions can lift up mankind." ~ John Edwards

photo by Patty Ann Smith Posted by Hello

Yikes! Close Neighbors!


photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

"VERY"... Close Neighbors!


photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

The Necessity of Solitude and Silence


"...when men are violently deprived of...solitude and freedom...the society in which they live...festers with servility, resentment and hate."..."When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude, it can no longer be held together by love." ~ Thomas Merton

"Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish"


photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

"And then the day came
when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful
than the risk to blossom."

Anoir Nin

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

"...the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place in the family of things."

Mary Oliver

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

"What you see in the physical plane is a part of evolution."....."Inside each one of us dwells this inner light. There is a light that is inside that is beyond all. The more you are aware of this, the more you come in touch with the inner spirituality of all things." ~ Stuart Wilde

Be True Hearted And Uncomplicated

A Relationship With Nature Can Heal Dysfunctionalism


photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

Hope


"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

"Each of us inevitable;
Each of us limitless --each of us with his or her right upon the earth;
Each of us allow'd the external purports of the earth;
Each of us here as divinely as any is here." ~ Walt Whitman

Happy Mothers Day


Mothers Day photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

PATTY ANN'S


copyright Patty Ann Smith Posted by Hello

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello

Knowing and accepting ourselves is very important. We need to be gentle with ourselves and realize that our health depends on our thoughts and lifestyle, because every action and thought that we have affects us both physically and spiritually. Taking care of our physical bodies by getting sufficient rest and good sleep, a good diet, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and time outdoors in nature is essential to our true well-being. Many of us have more stress in our lives today, and we need to take a look at our priorities. As a sensitive person, I naturally seek out some tranquil solitude whenever I can. It helps me to recover my sense of organization and priorities. Whether we reel out in other directions once in a while or not, these things are still important so we don't go reeling out so far that we can no longer easily get back. I hope you find some time for solitude today.
"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..."

from The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks

Woman With A Guitar


Beverly "Guitar" Watkins

photo by Craig Smith Posted by Hello