Wednesday Haiku #10

temple bell artist unknown

Icy winter!
   Warm in bed,
       the temple bell startles
                    my sleepy head."
                         ... annie

my painting using special brush for tree

Two moons this winter night.

One of them is floating !

See it's light?"
     annie

unknown artist

She passed by...
A camelia blossom fallen from the sky."
annie 



click to see pictures full sized.



Note: the State of the Union post is posted again beneath this post.

The State of the Union Address

disclaimer: If you find the mention of God or religion offensive, skip this post. If you are 'my country right or wrong', better skip it too.

Talk is cheap. As the old commercial said, "Where's the beef?"
Every administration tells you the happy, happy, joy, joy but fails to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Things were not okay under Bush or Obama or Trump and none of them are the messianic figures they would have you believe they are.
In my estimation being a little better than bad is still not good enough.   A nation should be righteous.
 "How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways..."..Psalm 121
And Psalm 33: 12
 אַשְׁרֵי הַגּוֹי, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו
 This is: "Ashrei(happy) ha goy(the nation) asher(whose)(then the name of God) God is the Lord".
 Is America happy? Is it righteous?
Does America fear God?  Some, but today fewer and fewer and overall I don't think so.
If we are not righteous will he bless?    Consider that.
America is shoving God into the closet.
 Ecclesiastes says:"What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun."
 Things go in cycles. Nations rise, fall and new nations rise in their place.
Whole civilizations fall while others rise.
Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greco-Syrian, Roman, Britain... all once mighty empires now fallen.
 It was once said that the "sun never sets on the British Empire."
Well, baby, it's twilight and getting darker by the minute.

 I am not Republican. I am not a Democrat. I find both crooked and corrupt, but I find a lot of truth in what Dr. Paul has to say so I am sharing it.


    Post Script after the Address Tuesday night: Though I am neither Republican or Democrat I will say I was deeply ashamed of the way the Democrats acted during the speech. They sneered, sat still, disrepected families of children murdered,  heroes, wage hikes,etc. There was no mistaking the utter disrepect and contempt for Americans. Normal people do not react that way. It was horrifying to see and for the first time I realized that there is something else going on with these people.   Something is very, very wrong there.

A Trip to the Museum

Most definitely it is time once again to go on another adventure with Toni!

click the picture to visit Toni

The Art Museum
1.   With not much to do and living in the city, tonight I decided to visit the local art museum before it closed. As I entered I encounted the ticket agent who seemed terribly bored.

2.   Looking straight at me and greeting me with a smile  he said "You are my 10th costumer today. It's been a very slow day  because of the weather."
I paid the fee and went into the museum hoping to relax a bit. It was a terrible day weather wise and nice to see some lovely art work instead of the steady downpour outside.
There was a nun standing and looking intently at one painting.
As I stood next to her she said, "Lovely, isn't it? Do you know what it is all about?"
I had to admit that I really didn't know what the artist had in mind but I had my own ideas.
She explained the painting and it was then I realized this was the great Sister Wendy!
Pleased that I was so keen on her teaching she offered to take me around and explain some paintings to me.
3.   Guiding me through the Great Room where all the great masters of art and their paintings and sculptures stood I was amazed to see all the paintings through the painters eyes via the descriptions and stories of Sister Wendy.

4.   Upon leaving I wondered If what I had seen was truly a new beginning in  love for art and art history. Sister Wendy had awakened in me a great interest in knowing why and where and how.

Sister Wendy is an art teacher but that is putting it very mildly. She is a joy to learn with. This lesson is amazing and a little shocking, too.
The series is on YouTube, so do yourself a favor, continue your education with a trip through the world of art with Sister Wendy.
This video is very short.

Photo Potpourri

 
Photos of all kinds are included in this weeks Friday Foto Friends.
 The first one is a couple of Penguins who like to hang around and guard my books.
Very useful little guys.
Danielle Steele's 44 Charles Street is a favorite of mine that I have read and re-read several times. The Island by Elin Hildebrand is also nice reading. It is about summer and finding and re-finding romance on Tuckernuck Island in Massachusetts.
The flower covered book is an old English book from a high school in Brooklyn, NY from the 1940's. I use it for grammar correction in posts, etc.

I broke the top of my coffee grinder from Holland.
I love Delft from the Netherlands.  My Aunt Johanna was born in the Netherlands and my love of blue and white and all things Delft comes from her.
I put delft handles on my kitchen cabinets because I love it so much.
I used to love staying with her at her house, which I thought was the most beautiful home in the world. I find myself trying to copy her in so many ways.
Each year she went back to the Netherlands on the  Holland America line's SS Rotterdam. She loved sailing the Atlantic. She would bring me home the menu from the cruise.
 I loved that.
Each year she brought home Delft items.Once I got a sterling bracelet with a little Delft wooden shoe on it and a windmill. I don't know what became of it sadly.

I love my coffee grinder too and hope I can find another top so the coffee beans stay fresh.

More Delft in the kitchen

Blue and white handles make me happy.

Next is a shot of New York  City on the way home on the boat in spring time .
We are pretty equidistant from NYC and Philly. NYC is quicker by boat though.
My oldest daughter commutes to NY daily for her job.
 Here in New Jersey we just call New York City  "the city". Everyone knows where you are going and what you mean when you say you are going into the city for the day.
If you go to Philadelphia to shop you say, "Philly".

Click any photo to see full size

 And the Famous Anonymous Kid squinting in the bright NY sunshine.

I was trying to see if my hair was getting white streaks in the back since my hair gets  some silvery white hair, not gray and I couldn't tell properly with the mirror. The Famous Anonymous suggested I try a selfie.  (We  are very bad and sometimes text back and forth while she is at school)
I sat on the edge of the sink and well... got a bad partial photo of my head with distorted color but a pretty good shot of my little bottom in the mirror in the upper half of the photo.
Also in the shot is my Clifford the Big Red Dog cup. Used to be the Famous' cup but, I inherited it when she got too old for it. She did,  but I didn't. Ask anyone who knows me.. I am really 10.
 I thought having taken a rear end selfie was pretty funny... so I included it.
As the Famous Anonymous said, "Only you can take a photo of your head and get your butt too."
Yeah, pretty much.

After many tries, I got a picture but, you can't tell really.
So I went to the Beauty Store and they told me to let them be white because it really is platinum and adds nicely to the blonde.  So, I will :).

 You can sort of see one thick chunk of it in the center of the hair, and there are a few chunks like that. It was a waste of time.

The only thing I got was some exercise while doing gymnastics to take the photo

 Here is the bay, yet again.  The sharp dark line in the distance is the barrier island.
It is also part of my town and our town's ocean beaches are over on that side.

And a blast from this summer past.   I took it in August and, I think I have shown it before, but I like the  yellow sky so here it is again.

That's it for this week.
Join in Friday Foto Friends at Debbie's. Its a lot of fun and there are some beautiful photos to see  and I promise,  most of them NEVER include the back of someone's head or their behind either..so take a look!

Simple Woman's Daybook Entry

Today

Looking out my window

It is sunny , cold and windy today.

I am thinking 

That I got up too early because of leg cramps.

Need to go back to bed a bit.

One of my favorite things:

watching Hercule Poirot

I am creating

I am painting more headers for the blog.

I am wearing

Have not gotten dressed yet 

because I am achy today.

I can't stand too many clothes at night 

and absolutely hate flannel pajamas,or nightgowns.

 I wear little shorts and a tee or tank top all year round.

I am reading / watching

YouTube documentaries on various subjects
Here is a recipe I was watching:

I am learning

That Feng Shui really works.

In my kitchen

Made waffles this morning.  

Hamburger salad for dinner tonight

In the school room

The Famous Anonymous Kid (18 now)

has  been accepted  at Rutgers, Columbia and a few others.

I went to Rutgers and Ohio U, so I am biased in preference.  😏

In my garden

4 large pine trees are falling down

and need serious attention.

Pond needs a new pump.

Shared Quote

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday Haiku # 9

Winter solitude
In a world of one color...
the sound of wind.
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)                         




The snow of yesterday
That fell like cherry blossoms
Is water once again!
Matsuo Basho

Tuesday...

Rainy, dark, stormy, thundery days by the bay are interesting in winter. They seem out of place.
It is suddenly very warm, 58F, and unseasonable.
I opened the bathroom window and after awhile the house had a spring scent to it.  Yet, winter is only one month old!
Winter began December 21^st and ends March 20^th at the spring solstice. We do have a ways to go and I am in no hurry to see winter end just yet.

Today I thought I would do Toni's  Unconscious Mutterings.
She gives you a word, you reply with an association.
Here it goes:

1.  Train: Love

2.  Anxiety : Not worth it

3.  Wasted : Life

4.  Bread  : Rye

5.  Open face  :Sandwich

6.  Cheese : Swiss cheese

7.  Booth : John  Wilkes

9.  Line : in the sand

10.  Weird  : Tales

11.  Mattress  : Soft

Painted Newsboys

I am joining in Friday Foto Friends.
I have just 2 photo this week plus a post with some art I have been working on .

Night at the cove. Click to see full size

Salt marsh in winter

 Newsboys were an interesting part of American history.

They stood on street corners in almost every city in America hawking newspapers with their loud "Extra, extra. Read all about it."

Feb 3, 1908

They worked in all weather, all seasons and earned little money but did it to help out their families. Most kids gave their pay to their mother.


I drew some cartoon pictures of newsboys a while back and yesterday I spent the day drawing a news girl to join their little group too. I started in the morning, stopped to welcome the Little home from school and the next thing I knew it was dark outside.
I thought you might like to meet the trio.

Perhaps in my little fantasy world, they work for the fictious Bayside Evening Express (which never has fake news and is always just 2 Cents a copy).   It's nice to have a story to go along with paintings.
The three kids are children of immigrants who came to America in the late 1880's.
Shiobhan (sh-vawn, which means God is gracious and is an Irish name) is the new kid on the block.
The youngest child of the Keenan family who came to America from County Cork, Ireland, Shiobhan joins my other two newsboys, Daniele D'Allesio, whose parents  came from Tuscany,Italy and young Mike Bradshaw,whose parents came over from Birmingham, England.
I re-painted the boys which were originally posted on my other blog and Here as well.

Introducing Shiobhan Mary Keenan

Daniele Andrea D'Alessio

Michael Martin Bradshaw

The three kids have basically the same face shape but that is because they are caricatures.
There are small differences in coloring etc. but, I wanted to make them very alike to stress that we are family after all is said and done.

Don't forget to look at the post below this one. I ranted and raved and would hate to think it was for no purpose. So take a look at my ravings, okay? I promise I really am not mean.

Exercising the Mind

How lazy are we humans?
We exercise the body... maybe.. if we get time.. if we think of it.. if we can get ourselves moving and motivated.
We procrastinate in so much. "Oh, I will do it later," rather than getting it done when it needs doing and then we sit on our fat behinds doing.. what?
What do we do instead of what needs to be done?
What we do is promote stagnation in mind and body.

 We use the tired excuse that we aren't capable of doing things. And that excuse is pure, unadulterated, 100% organic, smelly Horse Hockey.

Listen, the mind needs exercise as well as the body.
Now Toni was putting up a good brain exercise every week. She posted a small number of questions in story form and challended us to fill in the blanks and create something.


"Oh, I am just not creative!"
No, of course not if you never try to create.  Sheesh! Cause-Effect!

A while back,  Marva Collins knew that children could learn far more than they did.
In impoverished Westside Park in Chicago, Mrs. Collins was troubled at children labeled "learning disabled".      Oh, no they were not!
Mirs. Collins started her own school teaching Shakespeare and Latin to students who every one thought could not learn.
Stupid you say? No. Both expand the mind just as Mozart will increase your IQ.
Did the kids learn? You bet they did. She taught them to move, stretch themselves and get going.
"I could never learn Latin or Shakespeare."    Nope, not with that "I
have already failed before I even bother" attitude you can't.

Let  me ask you: has your education ceased? Why?
This isn't really off topic but speaks to a problem people have.  A woman on the radio was talking about "back in 'my' generation, etc..."
Wait a minute, lady. YOUR generation? Does that mean you are dead now and speaking from the grave? Because if you are alive this is still YOUR generation and will be until you kick the bucket.  Your are already finished before you finish. That is pathetic isn't it?

I mention this because it is a mind set that is downright evil. You limit yourself to the past and that is always a great mistake. You are never too old to learn, to grow, to exercise the mind and the character. Yes, character, like muscles, needs to be used to grow.
When you say you have no imagination and can't write a story you are limiting yourself willfully and limiting your growth. You can do it. You can do whatever you put your mind to do.
Your generation is NOW. Your generation is the one you are living in right now. This is your time.
Stop warehousing yourself and get back to shaking the earth, changing, teaching, learning and growing in knowledge and wisdom.
No one says that your story must win a Pulitzer prize. No one expects it to be earth-shattering in scope or even grammatically perfect!  What they do expect is to see a bit more of you and your ideas.  It is what blogging is all about.

Worry that no one will like what you blog is ego gone wild. Drop it. Just drop it and move on.  You have a huge amount to give and share and I don't care who you are or what lame excuse you come up with. You are amazing!

You say you have nothing to blog about? Toni gave you something. Use it, darn it.
You don't have ideas?  You really come right out and admit that? Whoa....
 
Where does your mind go? How does it get there? What is your process of thinking?
And the benefit to you? Growth my friend.
Think outside the box. Use your past experiences, your friends, your dreams and hopes to fill in blanks., but use your mind.Stretch yourself to be more than you are. Don't sit back and we satisfied with who and what you are. Grow!
We are in the image of God. Well, are you? Are you smart? Are you composed of stellar character and high morals? Is your understanding of world events correct or even real?
How do you know?
Learn! Do things. Get outside of your comfort zone and learn to do more than you do.
Never stop learning or growing, giving and sharing who and what you are with others.
We need one another.

You want ideas for blogging?
Tell us how you clean your home. What products do you use? Why?
What books are read? Why?
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Got a problem? Ask the community to help sort it out.
Tell us about breakfast. Do you  realize we run out of ideas and need your help on dinners, lunches and breakfast ideas?
What do you wear. What makeup is best? Let us know. We need you. We just really do.
Give advice. Give support. Give your time in blogging. You have things to give whether you realize it or not.
Stop finding excuses to do nothing. As I said, you really are amazing. Stop hiding your light beneath a bushel and give yourself a chance.
 I can be very blunt, I know, but I love people and want to see them succeed and reach their hightest potential.
Now I don't want to have to get tough here.. so shape up.
No animals were harmed in the making of this rant.
Love and kisses,
Annie

Ancient History and The Quiet Place

Toni has a new fill in the blanks adventure for us this week. She keeps coming up with great new ideas every week and I am joining in once again since they are a lot of fun and stretch your imagination.
If you are not trying these you are missing out on a great opportunity and a way to keep the brain moving and growing.  Some people think they have no imagination or that it is hard to come up with a little story. Well, rethink that, my friends, because that is just something you've let yourself believe. You can do anything you put your mind to do and doing these, even if you feel you "can't" will open you up mentally and challenge you to grow and do more.  Try some of them.
This is the last adventure she is posting because few tried it.
Having given my lecture, I will now move along with the adventure :) ...Thanks, Toni!

The Quiet Place
1.   While looking for a quiet place to rest my tired body after a bad day at work I stumbled on a section of the university library that I had never been in before.

I work as a teacher at the university's college of archaeology and I had a particularly bad day because of a run in with another professor who sticks to the ridiculous party line about the megaliths .. well never mind. I had a bad day and I was looking for a quiet place to rest, relax and read a few papers.

I found a room in our enormous library that I had no idea existed.

2.   It was the most beautiful place that I had seen in a long time.

3.   I turned and spotted a big soft leather chair that was perfect for reading and relaxing for a bit.

I read and re-read the papers on the megaliths and knew that the explanation made no sense. These stones were precision cut. A stone mason told me that he suspected a laser may have been used and I was certain that pre-history is not what  most would believe.

I recalled Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the Atomic bomb, telling newsmen who had asked him how it felt to be the first man to explode an atomic bomb, that he was only the first in our time, but not the first at all. 

He quoted the Bagavad Gita,part of the Hindu Vedas, where Vishnu tells the Prince, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"  The Mahabarata  also reports nuclear war and the resulting devastation.

It acurately describes atomic bombs being exploded well over 5000 years ago and we know that several cities and deserts in the world today show evidence of atomic blasts complete with extreme radiation levels.
I sat and pondered all this and realized that there were forces in this world that did not want the truth to be known about history, real history anyway. It proved far too many things they seek to destroy.
The Vedas were written 5,000 years or more ago and we know they were already much older than that at the time.  Pre-flood I surmise.

4.   After a long quiet while I knew I had to get home and that one person would never change this. It would require a change of heart in a humble humanity that doesn't believe it has all the answers.