The Wonder of Nature
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The Wonder of Nature -
Common Chicory
Common Chicory Common chicory is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons, or roots, which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive. In the 21st century, inulin, an extract from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiber.
Chicory is grown as a forage crop for livestock. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and is now common in North America, China, and Australia, where it has become widely naturalized. “Chicory” is also the common name in the United States for curly endive; these two closely related species are often confused. (Wikipedia)
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Just Playing Around
Coneflower One of the presets in Topaz Adjust.
We have overcast skies and the look of rain. It has also cooled down which is refreshing to me. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
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Acceptance and Gratitude
Daisies on Campus There are days when my inner peace is troubled or just not there. It can be due to the political environment and struggles of our world, a troubled relationship in my life, my weight, a task I really do not want to do, traffic, road construction, money (the lack of it). I could go on but I’m sure you have your own list. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’d have more peace if I did more walking, got more rest, spent more time in prayer and mediation, more solitude, more…. a lack of something? Then at some moment of clarity I stop and laugh at myself. More is not my answer, although this culture wants to convince me it is. I’ve come to realize it’s not the wants that bring peace and serenity but it’s the acceptance and gratitude of what I already have. And, maybe having less will allow more peace, letting go of something(s).
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Follow Your Bliss
Aaah Summer “Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that
Joseph Campbell -
Signs of Spring
My creative process begins when I get out with the camera and interact with the world. A camera is truly a license to explore. There are no uninteresting things. There are just uninterested people.
Jerry UelsmannThe above quote is one reason I take my camera for walks. My last post was a sunset from my friend Kay’s back porch. As I watched the sun drop below the clouds and just above the mountains, I figured there could be a nice sunset so I grabbed my camera out of my backpack. Kay made some remark about having my camera. Yes, it is almost an appendage. Maybe I need to refer to the camera as a friend. Anyway!
We are expecting showers this afternoon and need the moisture. Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
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Grateful for …
Tulips on Campus “And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home.” Wendell Berry
Just as nature and a spiritual life have become important to me so have words, words I read, hear, and write. Grateful for words!
It is a nice spring day so thought I’d post this springlike image. Grateful for spring! The college does a wonderful job of planting tulips all over the campus. Grateful for tulips!
