June 1st is Canada's Hunger Awareness Day. Please go to http://hungerawarenessday.ca/ and share your ideas of how to end hunger and browse events happening in your community to participate. Thank You!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Perception
Below is an article that was brought to my attention by a friend's friend on Facebook. I found it very interesting, and thought I'd share it with you here.
... Something To Think About...
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised:
- In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
- Do we stop to appreciate it?
- Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever writen, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.
How many other things are we missing?
... Something To Think About...
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised:
- In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
- Do we stop to appreciate it?
- Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever writen, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.
How many other things are we missing?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Creamsicle Sky
As I walked to my car
from the library last evening
a pastel orange creamsicle sky
met my eyes,
causing me to smile back
at the beautiful scenery.
Turning in a different direction
on the way home,
a perfectly round paper moon
hung in the soft smoky blue sky
as if it was a prop
from a movie set.
Lately my life does seem to
run like a feature film
with many delightful suprises
to keep me entertained.
Happy to realize again
that life is always on my side
so I have nothing to lose
and everything to gain.
from the library last evening
a pastel orange creamsicle sky
met my eyes,
causing me to smile back
at the beautiful scenery.
Turning in a different direction
on the way home,
a perfectly round paper moon
hung in the soft smoky blue sky
as if it was a prop
from a movie set.
Lately my life does seem to
run like a feature film
with many delightful suprises
to keep me entertained.
Happy to realize again
that life is always on my side
so I have nothing to lose
and everything to gain.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Best Day
And wished for the day
to turn out the best
he did, before opening his eyes
and stepping into the morning.
With this new dream conceived
the world around him began to change.
The flowers smiled more brightly
as he strolled by them,
and his colleagues' stress
mellowed as he patiently listened.
Lunch time was spent
in the sunshine
as both himself and the birds
were nourished by his sandwich.
The happy mood was infectious
everyone returning his smile
with their own beautiful grins.
Another best day ever
to add to the last,
and even more amazing dreams
to be realized tomorrow.
************************************************************
- The first line of this poem was actually taken out of a verse in a Dollarama Bible that my friend Maisie showed me 2 weeks ago! I didn't write down which book or chapter or verse it came from, but it seemed at the time an interesting prompt for a new poem. :)
to turn out the best
he did, before opening his eyes
and stepping into the morning.
With this new dream conceived
the world around him began to change.
The flowers smiled more brightly
as he strolled by them,
and his colleagues' stress
mellowed as he patiently listened.
Lunch time was spent
in the sunshine
as both himself and the birds
were nourished by his sandwich.
The happy mood was infectious
everyone returning his smile
with their own beautiful grins.
Another best day ever
to add to the last,
and even more amazing dreams
to be realized tomorrow.
************************************************************
- The first line of this poem was actually taken out of a verse in a Dollarama Bible that my friend Maisie showed me 2 weeks ago! I didn't write down which book or chapter or verse it came from, but it seemed at the time an interesting prompt for a new poem. :)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I Wanna Be Like Phoebe!!!
I was greeted this morning with an inspiring entry from dailygood.org titled "What Adults Can Learn From Kids". Following through to explore more on this topic, I was brought to a video about Phoebe, a 5-year-old kid from San Francisco whose idea to love the hungry helped feed 18,000 San Franciscans in just 2 months!!!
How awesome is that! And I just love how Love keeps on showing me that I already have lots of friends on this journey to love and feed all the hungry, from the worldwide United Nations World Food Programme, to my province's Ontario Association of Food Banks, down to my community's Mississauga Food Bank and even on to a random little kid named Phoebe in San Francisco I met through YouTube this morning. Each of us can make a difference in this world and I encourage you to do so, in whatever creative and imaginative ways you can think up! As I read from a random box around my house last night "Beginning with one small flower the garden blooms." May YOU be the one small flower in your part of the world that starts the whole world blooming with beauty, love and peace!!! :D
How awesome is that! And I just love how Love keeps on showing me that I already have lots of friends on this journey to love and feed all the hungry, from the worldwide United Nations World Food Programme, to my province's Ontario Association of Food Banks, down to my community's Mississauga Food Bank and even on to a random little kid named Phoebe in San Francisco I met through YouTube this morning. Each of us can make a difference in this world and I encourage you to do so, in whatever creative and imaginative ways you can think up! As I read from a random box around my house last night "Beginning with one small flower the garden blooms." May YOU be the one small flower in your part of the world that starts the whole world blooming with beauty, love and peace!!! :D
Monday, May 24, 2010
Love For The Hungry
I've just started a Facebook group called "Love For The Hungry" to help love and feed all the hungry by organizing food-raising and fundraising efforts in my own community and yours. Join me in realizing peace in our lifetime by participating in or organizing your own Love For The Hungry events!
As a start I'm offering to write a poem for your loved ones, a special occasion or just because and ask that in exchange you make a donation to your local food bank whether through a grocery store drop-off bin, the firehall or wherever is most convenient for you. Just send me an e-mail with some details (topic/the person's name, what they're like, what you like about them etc.) and I'll write and revise until you're satisfied! My promise is to write up to 3 poems/day for this cause.
Thanks in advance for partnering with me and I look forward to seeing the world change for the better with our efforts. Peace and blessings to you and have a beautiful day!!! :D
As a start I'm offering to write a poem for your loved ones, a special occasion or just because and ask that in exchange you make a donation to your local food bank whether through a grocery store drop-off bin, the firehall or wherever is most convenient for you. Just send me an e-mail with some details (topic/the person's name, what they're like, what you like about them etc.) and I'll write and revise until you're satisfied! My promise is to write up to 3 poems/day for this cause.
Thanks in advance for partnering with me and I look forward to seeing the world change for the better with our efforts. Peace and blessings to you and have a beautiful day!!! :D
Apple
You move like a snake
but you're really more like my favourite scarf
that keeps me warm and toasty
on a golden autum walk
in Algonquin Park.
Later I wander the apple orchard
delicious orbs of red goodness
tempting me to pick one
and bite into its forbidden
freshness.
Will I be like Snow White
falling into a deep slumber
because a witch has cast
an evil spell on it?
Or will I be like Eve
in the garden of Eden
cast out of paradise forever
because I disobeyed God's command
and destined to live with the consequences?
Thankfully this is my own dream
so I determine what happens.
I make up the scarf is really my Beloved
and when I bite into the apple
the spell is broken
and he returns to human form
enfolding me in an everlasting embrace.
but you're really more like my favourite scarf
that keeps me warm and toasty
on a golden autum walk
in Algonquin Park.
Later I wander the apple orchard
delicious orbs of red goodness
tempting me to pick one
and bite into its forbidden
freshness.
Will I be like Snow White
falling into a deep slumber
because a witch has cast
an evil spell on it?
Or will I be like Eve
in the garden of Eden
cast out of paradise forever
because I disobeyed God's command
and destined to live with the consequences?
Thankfully this is my own dream
so I determine what happens.
I make up the scarf is really my Beloved
and when I bite into the apple
the spell is broken
and he returns to human form
enfolding me in an everlasting embrace.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Poem Is
My new favourite website for inspiration is dailygood.org. Every e-mail I get from them has been enlightening, and as I was browsing the site this evening, I came upon this wonderful entry called A Poem Is from 26 April 2010.
In the article was a great quote from Dennis Garbor: "Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them."
And "ganola" left a beautiful reflection of a poem that I hope s/he does not mind me sharing:
A poem takes birth
as we begin
to look at the world
without blinkers.
A poem girgles
and smiles
as we open our arms
for a loving embrace.
A poem blossoms
as we kiss goodbye
to our preconceptions.
A poem heals
as we share our
vision without fear
or favour.
What beauty in the simplicity of a poem or even a quote with just a few words! Soul food like these gems keeps me spiritually nourished and ready for another game of wordplay.
In the article was a great quote from Dennis Garbor: "Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them."
And "ganola" left a beautiful reflection of a poem that I hope s/he does not mind me sharing:
A poem takes birth
as we begin
to look at the world
without blinkers.
A poem girgles
and smiles
as we open our arms
for a loving embrace.
A poem blossoms
as we kiss goodbye
to our preconceptions.
A poem heals
as we share our
vision without fear
or favour.
What beauty in the simplicity of a poem or even a quote with just a few words! Soul food like these gems keeps me spiritually nourished and ready for another game of wordplay.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time
In time it'll be fine
for in time you'll be mine.
Even out of time
I'm close behind
and on the other side
ready to let you in.
So let your worries go darling
and come float on the sea of love with me.
We'll watch the picture show of birds and clouds
and feel the gentle waves like a lullaby
sung by our own dear Mother Nature.
And as we drift into the dream world
you'll find that time doesn't matter at all.
For it has always been about our Love
and it will ever be the same.
for in time you'll be mine.
Even out of time
I'm close behind
and on the other side
ready to let you in.
So let your worries go darling
and come float on the sea of love with me.
We'll watch the picture show of birds and clouds
and feel the gentle waves like a lullaby
sung by our own dear Mother Nature.
And as we drift into the dream world
you'll find that time doesn't matter at all.
For it has always been about our Love
and it will ever be the same.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Romantic
Colouring in front of the TV
how romantic,
like how I would rather
caress your ears with a billion love songs
than buy you a dozen red roses each Valentine's Day.
For each day is Love
to me and you,
so while time is passing us by,
we only have eyes for each other
where one fleeting glance feels like
all eternity.
So let's start our dance again
this time I'll let you lead,
so I can feel how it's like to be
under yours skin
and you can have
your way with me,
as it has always been.
******************************************
The first two lines of this poem was my sister's comment as I left to go shopping last night. I thought it would make an interesting creative writing exercise and ended up with this.
I dedicate this poem to every musician in the world but especially Jason Mraz because his songs have helped me to remember who I really am, the Beloved. THANK YOU. :)
how romantic,
like how I would rather
caress your ears with a billion love songs
than buy you a dozen red roses each Valentine's Day.
For each day is Love
to me and you,
so while time is passing us by,
we only have eyes for each other
where one fleeting glance feels like
all eternity.
So let's start our dance again
this time I'll let you lead,
so I can feel how it's like to be
under yours skin
and you can have
your way with me,
as it has always been.
******************************************
The first two lines of this poem was my sister's comment as I left to go shopping last night. I thought it would make an interesting creative writing exercise and ended up with this.
I dedicate this poem to every musician in the world but especially Jason Mraz because his songs have helped me to remember who I really am, the Beloved. THANK YOU. :)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
My Wish 2010: Feeding All The Hungry
My Love KNOWS how much I love to feed people. I know this because as part of my birthday extravaganza, He prompted my sister to bake me 2 dozen muffins, 12 of the chocolate variety, and 12 of lemon poppyseed. This "birthday-to-go" box was one of MANY surprises throughout the day and I was so delighted to be able to share my birthday joy with everyone in the office at work. There were lots leftover too, they're now kept in the freezer for later. My sister knows and loves me so well, I'm really blessed to count her as family. :)
That was pretty incredible already but then it gets even more so as I begin to open presents after dining at my favourite restaurant The Apricot Tree Cafe with 9 amazing friends. (Visit the website and you can get your own FREE birthday dinner as well, when you sign up for their mailing list. See! Another opportunity to "feed" you, hehe...)
In all I received 6 beautiful and unique sets of teacups and saucers, which I didn't ask for, but my sister suggested as a gift item because I love teacups and am working on building my collection. So from the 2 teacup sets I received last year and now multiplied to 8, I'm feeling like the MOST BLESSED person in the world, and ready for a tea party! :D
As a result of counting my blessings and knowing how much more I've received from Love than I'm able to write down even just within my birthday week, there is no doubt in my heart that if I would like to feed all the hungry, LOVE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
So please join me in this venture by making The Hunger Site your homepage and clicking daily to give FREE FOOD!!! An while you're at it, why don't you help out the other 5 causes listed as well? It's ALL FOR FREE, and ALL FOR GOOD. Please pass the message on to all your family and friends and thank you for participating in the Love Evolution. May each of you be the MOST BLESSED!!!
And a final blessing to share, Happy Hour is happening in Starbucks across Canada and USA from May 7-16. Enjoy a half-price Frappucino blended beverage every 3-5pm on the listed dates. Enjoy! :)
That was pretty incredible already but then it gets even more so as I begin to open presents after dining at my favourite restaurant The Apricot Tree Cafe with 9 amazing friends. (Visit the website and you can get your own FREE birthday dinner as well, when you sign up for their mailing list. See! Another opportunity to "feed" you, hehe...
In all I received 6 beautiful and unique sets of teacups and saucers, which I didn't ask for, but my sister suggested as a gift item because I love teacups and am working on building my collection. So from the 2 teacup sets I received last year and now multiplied to 8, I'm feeling like the MOST BLESSED person in the world, and ready for a tea party! :D
As a result of counting my blessings and knowing how much more I've received from Love than I'm able to write down even just within my birthday week, there is no doubt in my heart that if I would like to feed all the hungry, LOVE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
So please join me in this venture by making The Hunger Site your homepage and clicking daily to give FREE FOOD!!! An while you're at it, why don't you help out the other 5 causes listed as well? It's ALL FOR FREE, and ALL FOR GOOD. Please pass the message on to all your family and friends and thank you for participating in the Love Evolution. May each of you be the MOST BLESSED!!!
And a final blessing to share, Happy Hour is happening in Starbucks across Canada and USA from May 7-16. Enjoy a half-price Frappucino blended beverage every 3-5pm on the listed dates. Enjoy! :)
fool of queens
I know this sounds unbelievable but I've been experiencing another love overdose lately, feeling overwhelmed by too much love and blessings. So while I take my time in recuperating from too much excitement, you can check out the old edition of my blog, fool of queens. Have an awesome day and much blessings and love to you!!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
In My Time of Dying
In my time of dying
I will don pink shorts
and wear a serene smile
while I survey the soundscape
on the radio waves
for our song.
Each tune rings love
and I am satisfied
to drift out of this life
and onto the next one.
For they will envelope you
in my presence forever
even though my body is decayed.
And we can dance once more
in the ballroom of your mind
like our first date.
Though I appear to have gone
I am still with you
in the emptiness and loneliness.
So breathe me in
and let us be one again
as we were before.
****************************************
This is the first poem of my third decade. It was inspired by an excellent book my lovely friend Joanne lent me called Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. In it she suggests us to pick a line from a poem and song and write from there. So this evening when I walked past my sister's room, I heard her say something which turned out to be the title of one of Led Zeppelin's song "In My Time of Dying". I had never heard it before but liked the title, so I combined it with the pink shorts Joanne gifted me in the morning, whirled it through the blender of my mind... and voila, this! My best friend Love is more of the strong, silent type, but if s/he wrote a song for me, I think the lyrics may go something like this. :)
I will don pink shorts
and wear a serene smile
while I survey the soundscape
on the radio waves
for our song.
Each tune rings love
and I am satisfied
to drift out of this life
and onto the next one.
For they will envelope you
in my presence forever
even though my body is decayed.
And we can dance once more
in the ballroom of your mind
like our first date.
Though I appear to have gone
I am still with you
in the emptiness and loneliness.
So breathe me in
and let us be one again
as we were before.
****************************************
This is the first poem of my third decade. It was inspired by an excellent book my lovely friend Joanne lent me called Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. In it she suggests us to pick a line from a poem and song and write from there. So this evening when I walked past my sister's room, I heard her say something which turned out to be the title of one of Led Zeppelin's song "In My Time of Dying". I had never heard it before but liked the title, so I combined it with the pink shorts Joanne gifted me in the morning, whirled it through the blender of my mind... and voila, this! My best friend Love is more of the strong, silent type, but if s/he wrote a song for me, I think the lyrics may go something like this. :)
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