Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Beautiful Dog Pictures

Here and there are some wonderful collections of dog pics. These are not mine, i found these just floating about the ethosphere! click on pic to view larger.
















what a beauty.

7 seconds of happie

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Goldfinch, a Painting

by carel fabritius has made its second comeback due to a novel , The Goldfinch by Donna-Tartt/



The first comeback was the restoration of this sublime painting.


The artist, Carel Fabritius, died in an explosion with most of his work. [Of all Rembrandt's pupils, Fabritius was the only one to develop his own artistic style.]



seeing a close-up on TV made me want to see it.
But-- 
i do have Goldfinches here at my very door...





more birds HERE and HERE










Sunday, December 29, 2013

Advice

Do not give your attention to things that make demons happy.
Your attention changes the universe.



[...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things...]


ink wash by mary todd



Energy goes where attention flows








Whoa Nellie




large horse poster click to enlarge


more horses here

and here



these horses i see driving into town.

but here are some floating about the web:




Perfectly Timed Photos

The Twilight Zone Poetry

I was led to this amazing poem from watching an old twilight zone.

link:  i would be true [ story and author(s) ]

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love and lift.
I would look up, and laugh, and love and lift.

I would be faithful through each passing moment;
I would be constantly in touch with God;
I would be strong to follow where He leads me;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.

Who is so low that I am not his brother?
Who is so high that I’ve no path to him?
Who is so poor, that I may not feel his hunger?
Who is so rich I may not pity him?
Who is so rich I may not pity him?

Who is so hurt I may not know his heartache?
Who sings for joy my heart may never share?
Who in God’s heaven has passed beyond my vision?
Who to Hell’s depths where I may never fare?
Who to Hell’s depths where I may never fare?

May none, then, call on me for understanding,
May none, then, turn to me for help in pain,
And drain alone his bitter cup of sorrow,
Or find he knocks upon my heart in vain.
Or find he knocks upon my heart in vain.

Words: Howa­rd A. Walter, 1906 (verses 1-3); S. Ralph Har­low (verses 4-6), circa 1918. Walter wrote this hymn while living in Ja­pan. He sent it to his mother, who forward­ed it to Harper’s Maga­ine, which pub­lished it.
Ralph Harow’s daughter Ruth Harow Ber­man wrote:My father was a friend of Howard Walter—and after Mr. Walter’s death, he had a dream in which Mr. Walter told him that he had three more verses he would like add­ed to his hymn “I Would Be True.”



Monday, December 23, 2013

beauty life love art of heaven


New Christmas Music Favorites (Old is New)

wiki say "The Holly and the Ivy" is an English traditional Christmas carol. Holly and ivy have been a mainstay of English Christmas decoration for church use since at least the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when they were mentioned regularly in churchwardens’ accounts (Roud 2004). Holly and ivy also figure in the lyrics of the "Sans Day Carol". The music and most of the text was first published by Cecil Sharp.[1] Sir Henry Walford Davies wrote a popular choral arrangement that is often performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and by choirs around the world..."




The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ

Sweet singing of the choir


Elvis Presley Christmas Music















More Christmas Music

  HERE

and HERE


Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Trouble with The Hobbit 2: The Insulting Hobbit Movie Reviewed

Peter Jackson chose action adventure flash over the less modern and more mysterious world of jrr tolkien.
In fact,
 while we know from twenty angles how an orc's head can be severed from its body and the amazing swiftness with which an arrow can be dispatched through an adam's apple,-- the deeper storyline and the wondrous mysteries contained in Tolkien's dialog are barely whispered loud enough to hear above the crunch of bone and the roar of fire.

The imagination used many years ago when reading the four books (Lord of the Rings) is not insulted whatsoever by the visuals and the capturing of  Middle Earth in Jackson's films. There is no fault to be found with the marvelous painting of another culture and the perfect details that take us there.



A mind is captured by plot when reading a novel or watching a movie for the first time-- then nuances of character and such devices as metaphor kick in on the second go-round, and subsequently the marvels of recapitulation and historical allegory amaze the readers of all great literature or even good novels.

more hobbit and one horned goat HERE

That is why reading the hobbit is satisfying the third and fourth and fifth time.
That is why watching the movie was ok for one time.

I am sorry -- whether all the action adventure and additions to the movie were made in order to fill out three rather than two releases-- or Jackson is just seduced into thinking the public wants more of what it already has too much of----
none of us were impressed and instead were saddened by the contrast
 between the breadth of feelings created back when the deeper story was read, (do you remember your first copy?)
and this movie--
 the exchange of storyline/history/motives for the yawn of  repetitive "action" packed movie--
 we watched.
(and-- why eliminate or change scenes from the book? Why? WHY!   AUUUGHHHHHH??!!?!



One Insult 

An insult to true fans was the cartooning of the book. Impossible stunts turned the real world of middle earth into a transformers comic book. There were several that annoyed me. Sliding down gold (that was turned molten in 10 minutes) on a shield made into a sled was laughable.

Tolkien did not insult readers that way and moviegoers already have scores of directors who insult them mercilessly with crap.
We didn't need it like this.







The wonderful moments and
 the fine acting were wonderful and fine. 
Can we have some more of that please?




.