Sunday In The Woods

It was an overcast day and I went out purposely to take some 'gloomy' shots, but all that changed. The sun broke through and it turned from cold to humidy warm...not what I was prepared for. Then once again, the sky filled with clouds, rain began to spit and cool temps descended. The weather didn't know what to do, much like how my spirit's been feeling these past few days.

I managed to shoot some photos regardless of the changing conditions. I was afforded a good chunk of quality time to read some Thoreau too_____outside, which is always a nice feeling.

Night set in quickly. Darkness arrived. I knew it was time to leave.

One who is touched by the sun

If you want to be brave
And reach for the top of the sky
And the farthest point on the horizon
Do you know who you'll meet there
Great soldiers and seafarers,
Artists and dreamers
Who need to be close, close to the light
They need to be in danger
of burning by fire
And I, I want to get there
I, I want to be one
One who is touched by the sun,
One who is touched by the sun

Often I want to walk

The safe side of the street

And lull myself to sleep

And dull my pain

But deep down inside I know

I've got to learn from the greats,

Earn my right to be living,

Let my wings of desire

Soar over the night

I need to let them say

"She must have been mad"

And I, I want to get there

I, I want to be one

One who is touched by the sun,

One who is touched by the sun

I've got to learn from the greats,
Earn my right to be living,
With every breath that I take,
Every heartbeat
And I, I want to get there
I, I want to be one, One who
is touched by the sun,
One who is touched by the sun.

Bow To You

Whatever challenged you today may be a light in the dark one day.

Hope lives in the darkest of places and love always shows it's light. There is a divine spark within each of us located in the heart chakra....

Namaste!

Water, Shadow & Stone II

Calm the winds of your thoughts, and there will be no waves on the ocean of your mind.

This picture made me think

of this song.

The Guitarist and The Ballerina

Alessandra Ferri, soloist
Sting, guitar

'Prelude' from Cello Suite No.1 in G major music by Johann Sebastian Bach.






*****
Suite No. 1 in G major
The Prelude, mainly consisting of arpeggiated chords, is probably the best known movement from the entire set of suites and is regularly heard on television and in films.
Click HERE to read more. A fine sample can be heard here also. Allessandra Ferri and Sting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KHuDHfFApo

Setting The Mood In Motion

Stone Parliament of Art would like to extend warm holiday wishes to everyone.
To set this mood in motion here are pictures from The Church of The Nativity, Bethlehem.
Visiting Israel was a highlight for me and in the future I hope to share some amazing stories. Anyone who has travelled to this part of the world knows how deep an impact this place can make - it touches the soul in a very special way.

I wish I could take credit for the beautiful photography below, but they were sent to me by a special friend who has given me permission to post them. Thank you! The first one is my favorite. Ancient columns have always intrigued me, wondering about past generations who travelled on these stone pavers.

Church of The Nativity, Bethlehem

inside the church...

the original manger site...

The spot where baby Jesus was born.

ART and Ignatian Spirituality

As soon as you look at the world through an ideology you are finished. No reality fits an ideology. Life is beyond that. That is why people are always searching for a meaning to life… Meaning is only found when you go beyond meaning. Life only makes sense when you perceive it as mystery and it makes no sense to the conceptualizing mind.

The above statement is the thought of Fr. Anthony de Mello, S.J. I seemingly enjoy applying this thought to art. People tend to look at a work of art and search for the meaning of the piece. What is it the artist was trying to convey? One must go beyond that approach and look deeper into the art work...each artist has his/her own way of exploring the soul_ the 'spirit' of the work that is evolving. Yes, often a mystery. Thus, can we say the art work only makes sense when you perceive it as a mystery and that it makes no sense when one tries desperately to conceptualize it in his/her mind? Or, can it be said that the art work is a mystery and each one of us sees it in a different light...in which, that 'light' is the mystery unfolded. Thoughts?

De Mello was a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist who became widely known for his books on spirituality. He hosted many spiritual retreats and was considered by some a gifted public speaker. I never had the opportunity to attend any of his seminars, but friends tell me they were an awe inspiring experience, that de Mello was a gifted charasmatic presenter. Click here to visit his Centre for Spirituality.
His quite controversial paradigm for Catholic dogma is mainly because many of his ideas were influenced by Thai Buddhist teacher and founder of monasteries Ajahn Chah - who, some say, was a kind of teacher to him. Despite the Church's condemnation, his works are popular especially among those interested in Ignatian Spirituality.





*De Mello died suddenly in 1987.
Painting: Acrylic on Canvas, Francesca

How fragile

Has the heat made you fragile or has it been something else? Interrupted sleep caused from night stirs as the windows remain open and you hear all the night sounds in the dark as nocturnal creatures come to life and roam the garden...you hear rustling leaves, soft paws crawling in the dark. Last night I hoped for rain. The air was moist and you felt that mother nature wanted to cry her soul to the earth, but it just didn't come...maybe today. How fragile we are, how fragile we are...





If blood will flow when fresh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are

Banana cake, pansies and daffodils

They're Coming Soon!

Below is my post from April, 2010  'Gone Banana's' and it's that time of year again. Cancer Month. This year I will be adding the colour purple to yellow in support of pancreatic cancer research.  Pancreatic Cancer Canada launched a campaign April  2012 in Ottawa. Pancreatic cancer is a 'silent killer' and much needed research is yet to be done in helping find a cure and treatment for this dreaded disease. Please think about giving. You can read more about Pansies of Pancreatic Cancer HERE.

Gone Banana's

The weekend.
Four black bananas.
Gorgeous weather.
Company arriving.
and what do you have?

You have the recipe for something very special!

As we talked about here, April is the month that the cancer society sells daffodils to raise money to help support the fight against this dreaded disease. Many of us have been touched by cancer in one way or another. Perhaps directly or through a close friend or relative. It makes it's appearance when you least expect it and can turn your world upside down. Have you ever wondered how you would react if you were diagnosed? Ever thought of a positive plan in case that would happen? We plan our escape route in our homes in case of a fire, we plan for our future, for retirement. We plan for our children's education and some seniors prepay their own funerals! We plan, plan, plan...but how many of us plan for a life altering illness? No, we don't want to think about stuff like that! We prefer to think positive and don't like thinking in the 'what if' department of life. Even if you don't have a strong family history of cancer it still makes sense to practice preventative medicine and a healthy lifestyle. Since April is the big fundraising month for cancer perhaps it's a good time to book that annual physical that you haven't had in ten years!

What has all this got to do with four black bananas? Banana cake of course! And healthy too because I made it with whole wheat flour, added raisins, didn't put icing on it and cut the required sugar in half! Then it was 'dressed up' in daffodils. After guests ate and enjoyed, a basket was passed around to collect donations for the cancer society. It was a wonderful weekend!

Mad World

Some days I like to sit back and watch everyone going nowhere. It's a mad world. We often find ourselves getting caught up with the swift current of technology, dancing life in a daze, not stopping to look around. It's a double edge. If we want to stay connected, we have no choice but to give way to social media. Many of us choose to distance ourselves from the pressure of becoming part of the tech world...it's a mad world.

The other night in the company of friends, the topic of 'social media' came up. The majority felt that although it's a great tool of life now, it has crippled us to some degree and our social skills have gone mad. It's a mad world.   A pretty deep discussion took place...some felt that it has ruined us...and I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad.....people run in circles....it's a mad world.

https://youtu.be/etSbOs3aUqI?si=ufp38Xw1nmlUnsr1

Mad World - Gary Jules

Setting Sun

Mausoleum, Marymount Catholic Cemetery, Guelph Ontario
Photo Image captured Good Friday ~ April 6,2012

Lament

She played piano. Dressed somberly in black. She sang.

Flight 93 - 9/11 - Memorial Service - Sarah McLachlan - Angel - Sept 10, 2011

"I Will Remember You"

Flight 93 National Memorial dedication crash site

"Just a day before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Sarah McLachlan gave a touching tribute to those who lost their lives when hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed to the ground in Shanksville, Penn." Resource/Image HERE.

Right Here - Right Now

There is a beauty about tonight. It's a calm silence that I'm listening to as I write this. A warm August night with a damp chill in the air...French doors swung open wide and Im feeling that this is the best part of the summer - the end of it... when you can literally hear nothing but stillness and crickets. I love that sound...and right this moment I can even hear the far off sound of a train in the distance. This is beauty!

Edge of Light

“When you have come to the edge of all the light you have
And step into the darkness of the unknown
Believe that one of the two will happen to you
Either you'll find something solid to stand on
Or you'll be taught how to fly!”

Richard Bach
American Writer, author of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull', b.1936

Meditate With Me

There are tons of studies that show that meditation helps relieve stress and helps you regain energy. You don’t have to light candles or sit cross legged. You can achieve a 'mini-meditation' throughout the day quite easily...chose a quiet place at home or at the office. Think about taking a short walk during break/lunch time...even just three minutes to just calmly breathe in nature is nourishing. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your body. Think of something positive, visit your happy place. Mine is chilling near water or 'head in the sky' drifting upwards towards the clouds. 

It's about 'letting go' of the noise.

Get outside!

Start the day, on 'positive'!

Wake up a bit earlier each morning. Perfect time to clear the head. Meditate. Reflect. Breathe.

Carry 'positive thoughts' with you during the day. 

Fill your heart with joy!

Ditch energy leaches.

Increase your 'life energy' long term with a good practice of reflection, breathing and meditating.

Surround yourself with positive people. Leave  negative energy behind.

FEELINGS

What I thought would happen today, did not. Would I be able to take a short nap to help shake off this sore throat and cold that's been lingering for a few days? No, it did not happen.It was all about my piano today which for me means an almost perfect day.

I'll be able to play with some sound of sense now. The tuner called and had time to come over. Excitement!

Image Above ~ The Piano Tuner ~ The Movie ~ To be released in 2013

"Based on Daniel Mason's novel,
Edgar Drake is sent to war-torn Burma in the 1800's to repair an eccentric military man's piano. Drake falls in love with a Burmese woman and her country, but as the officer wins over locals through music and medicine, things grow treacherous when his troops begin to suspect him of treason. "
Read more HERE.

The Tuner

And after 'the tuner' left I sat down and played for a couple of hours...in my own insane heaven.

Please click to view photos on black background on flickr, but more importantly do yourself a favour..take time to listen to Helene Grimaud play one of my cherished pieces by Bach.

mystical

“Truth is the torch that gleams through the fog without dispelling it.”
Claude Adrien Helvetius ~ French Philosopher, 1715-1771

*Stumbled across this photo a few months ago saving it for further posting - not sure of the name of it nor did I write down the site - sorry, but I think you'll agree it's effective for this day. Least here. We're experiencing some wondrous fog. Wish I had a field of sheep to go along with it, but I'll take the fog gladly. Beauty!

Frozen Tears

I heard something beautiful today...it was a comment someone wrote on a friend's fb wall which reminded me of a beautiful piece of music.

Words that sound 'poetic' stay with me forever and these two words have that kind of 'staying power.'

What do you think of when you hear the words 'frozen tears?'

For me it encapsulates a lot of emotion.




Void,
frozen in time,
waiting to breathe life back into me,
waiting for tender words
shatter the silence,
wipe the frozen tears.
Tears
frozen upon my face.
You are missed.

Frozen Tears from Winterriese by Franz Schubert

On 'Winterreise'

Winterreise is also known as Winter Journey which is a cycle of 24 poems by Wilhelm Müller and best known as the song cycle set for voice and piano by Franz Schubert. It is the second of Schubert's two great song cycles on Müller's poems, the earlier being Die schöne Müllerin. Both were originally written for tenor voice but are frequently transposed to suit other vocal ranges - the precedent being established by Schubert himself. These two works have posed interpretative demands on listeners and performers due to their scale and structural coherence. Although Ludwig van Beethoven's cycle An die ferne Geliebte (To the distant beloved..and was thought to be the first true song cycle) had been published earlier, in 1816, Schubert's two cycles hold the foremost place in the history of the genre.

Listen to Die schöne Müllerin(Part 1 of 8) HERE.
Listen to An die ferne Geliebte (1st Song)HERE.

Sombrely obscure....tonal.

In a well lit forest, Sarah's haunting voice penetrates. Clear beauty resonating. A depth seldom heard. Brilliant. As one commenter suggests.."the sick bass line is really fantastic." Iagree.

I love the cover picture...forest lights. How awesome!

What is this love
That I leave behind
How can I turn
From the tears in your eyes
What is this world
Where we always pretend
That it is worth it
Worth it in the end
What is this life we share
That I just throw away
Is this love

That causes so much pain
What is the promise
That I leave behind
Why can't I
Just lie beside you again
What's goin' on
How'd it get so wrong
What is this dream
That I'll never find
What is this prayer
That's stealing my mind
What is this deal
That I've just made with fate
And I wonder
If I have left it too late