Nature

We’re on the threshold of a brand New Year and as it approaches, we’re all offering good wishes to those we meet for a “Happy New Year.” One of the principal components of happy would include healthy. That’s certainly a priority for me and I’m sure for you. Good health certainly includes a healthy body but is so much more. It is this “so much more” that I’m pleased to share with you through Simply Spectacular Design’s video. I’m grateful that Ronald Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs has agreed to be my guest for this post. Nature, as we see it in this video presents us with opportunities to enjoy and to heal those deep places within us - our own sea of consciousness within. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often don’t take the time to nurture our souls and spirits. ...

[caption id=“attachment_2933” align=“aligncenter” width=“5256”] “The symbolic language of the crucifixion is the death of the old paradigm; resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking.” – Deepak Chopra[/caption] It’s time to celebrate Easter once again. Like Christmas, Easter is one of the big celebrations in the Christian calendar year. The crucifixion of Jesus took place on Good Friday and the resurrection followed three days later. On Good Friday, many people go to church but not quite as many as on Easter Sunday. Even people who don’t attend church the rest of the year sometimes go to church on Easter Sunday. I once heard a priest lament about the numbers that come out for Good Friday services. He said that people aren’t as much interested in the death of Jesus as in his resurrection. Below are some interesting statistics I found on the internet showing the percentages of persons of different faiths (age-of-the-sage.org). As you can see, there are many people for whom Easter is just a secular holiday. ...

Magnolia tree Attracting me, Gladly blooming. Nothing to prove Only to bloom profusely, Lovely you are with your pink hues. Imbuing all with joy at Spring’s arrival Annulling all the hardship of the winter past. How lovely it was in High Park today. Sheer beauty! The magnolia’s time for blooming has come and irregardless of who’s watching or what anyone’s saying, she’s mesmerizing to everyone. Photographers are there trying to capture her beauty from all angles and positions. Some are taking microcosmic views and others macrocosmic ones. She knows how to be both beautiful and still. ...

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” (Isaac Newton) Life has a wonderful way of bringing us back to the basics sometimes. It was fun to turn my shells and coral out on the kitchen table and examine and play with them. Fifteen years ago when I visited Fiji, I wasn’t into taking too many pictures or into blogging. In fact, I had not even heard the term. In the above collage, the two images of the resort are postcards I bought there. ...

All over the world where Native peoples are found, they bring a deep love for the land and creation. They don’t have a “religion” as such but more wisdom and reverence towards Nature. While there are different tribes and different locations of the world where they live, they all have similar words of wisdom to impart. All the images in this collage were taken by me. The background is Niagara Falls with what looked like icebergs to me - right in front of the Falls. It was spectacular! From what I have seen of different kinds of Native art, there are certain similarities. I bought a lovely little book recently called “The Song of Life” and I will share some of the wisdom that was in there. ...

 [caption id=“attachment_359” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Artsy Peacocks”][/caption] I have a weakness for both artsy paper products and peacocks. I’m fascinated with just how beautiful the covers of journals have become as well as greeting cards and stationary. Peacocks are ostentatious and showy and make a colourful subject to attract the attention of buyers and admirers of peacocks alike. All the images in this collage come from such products. I took them at different times because of their attractiveness and wasn’t sure how I would use them. They just seemed to be begging to be photo-collaged and this is the result. ...