While doing some gardening today I discovered that the lilies of the valley were flowering, such a heavenly scent. I picked some for the house and got to play around with taking photos, then experimenting with editing, it is after all the weekend, we worked hard all day, and anyhow I have got writer’s block right now. I have one favourite among these pictures, I wonder would anyone guess which one. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend everyone.
The sea was playing magic, shimmering in a thousand sparkling mirrors of itself,
the sun, movement like a vibration, disappearing on the horizon,
two people appear out of this fragmented light – in a canoe –
they move fast into the still and aquamarine waters of the cave,
leaving no trail.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
It had been a long time since I was in London for any reason, but recently we had the pleasure of being invited to a luncheon with my partner’s brother and cousins, a bit of a reunion you could say, and very pleasant it was. This meant that we would take a taxi ride from the train station to the venue, and sitting in the back of the vehicle I had quite a good view behind me and also from the side windows, so out came my mobile phone and I just snapped away. Not too unhappy about the result I decided to share some of the photos here. All these photos are taken somewhere in the central area. London has so much to see architectural wise, also delightful is to see all the people passing by, normally I am very careful about photographing people, I am always conscious of not wanting to be intrusive, so I was delighted to notice that I got quite a few people in my pictures this time, I find it so interesting, such an amazing diversity of humankind to be seen in this cosmopolitan city. I was very impressed with the beautiful contemporary architecture of Kings Cross railway station. Like being underneath a gigantic mushroom inside!
I am also always very interested in the trees that grow in cities, they make all the difference to and add enormously to the beauty of the buildings, even, and perhaps especially in winter. I am thinking of the boulevards in Paris, the many mulberry trees in Lisbon, the pine trees around Athens, and the plane trees in Antwerp to name but a few. It is also good to see that trees can still form part of modern city planning, more and more so in fact.
I’ve enjoy the short visit to London and after all it’s only an hour’s flight from Cork!
“It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir
But in the ending of one year is the beginning of another, and I’m spending these last days of 2015 to reflect over the last few months, and to make goals for 2016, it’s exciting, and it’s wonderful. Saying goodbye to some things that I’m leaving behind and looking forward to plans for the months ahead.
2016 is hopefully going to be a year of friends for me, making time for my friends, meeting over coffee, making a point of giving them a ring.
And it’s going to be a year of yoga, back into my yoga practice on a daily basis, and enjoying. It’s also going to be a year of more walks. Because during 2015 I got my life back, the condition that I was diagnosed with three years ago and that robbed me of so much energy I’m now able to manage and has quietened down so much, yes I’ve got my life back and I’m so thankful for that.
And I’m looking forward to a lot of blogging, and reading lots of interesting blogs of all of you, and so much more.
So much to be thankful for.
Wishing all my dear friends all over the world peace and happiness at this time of year, now and all year through.
At mid winter time
a fresh new cone on our little Korean fir tree
a snowy landscape during one of the colder winters some years ago
a star coming straight from India
dear friends all over the world
the library where I worked
our once delightful cat ‘Goldberg’ licking the cream, a special treat
our bird table under snow
and candles in the fireplace.
Great memories, lots of people in there too, times spent with my family, in India with the children of the orphanage, with friends, always wishing for a more peaceful world. Enjoying walks in nature, exchanging gifts, listening to beautiful music, and just generally having a wonderful time. Mid-winter is a magical time, it’s lovely when it comes around.
So I would like to wish all my dear friends, followers, and everyone, Peace, Joy, and happiness at this time and always.
Blessings all year round.
I dream of a world where old and homeless people are cherished and cared for by all those around them, and where those elderly people give of their wisdom to the younger generation, nourishing them too.
I am sure that humankind is capable of this without exception.
Then we won’t have to see these sad and homeless elderly walking the city’s streets, begging.
This, the woman with the sad face, she was not getting a good response to her begging – I wondered what her story was? How she ended up homeless, she could barely walk or stand on her legs. A taxi driver told me those begging in the street are the homeless. Suffering a sad and lonely existence.
I wish her warmth and sustenance over the cold winter nights, and all like her.
A golden sun was setting soon after four thirty this evening, it had been a dark day but, as often happens, around sunset the sun came out and like a wizard transformed everything with a golden glow. The roses which are still flowering abundantly took on a magical luminosity, that’s the only way I can describe what I saw, it was magical, I was so happy that I happen to glance out through the window and saw what was going on. This made my evening and banished for a while the sad thoughts going through my head with what is happening in the larger world right now, how whole families and little children are now looking at these same skies scared of what is to come, scared of, not a beautiful sunset, but of what destruction and death may be coming their way. I’m learning to find peace deep inside me so that I can be strong in sharing out peaceful thoughts in the hope that it will help bring about peace on a larger scale. Is this possible? I am not sure, but ‘peace’ does start with each one of us, in our immediate circle, in ourselves.
Let there be only peace!
agoyvaerts 