How to Use This Blog

Welcome to my blog.  This blog has been set up to make it easy to start at the beginning or go to an area of interest by clicking on a Label in the sidebar at the right.  The blog begins with the "Introduction" Label and goes on from there....  There are also Labels for summer, fall, winter, and spring photos as well as "Quotations" and "Special Occasions."  Visitors are welcome to come back and go into the blog as often as they wish.

Disclaimer:  This blog is intended for educational and recreational purposes.  It is not meant to take the place of competent medical, psychiatric, or psychological treatment.  The author assumes no responsibility for the outcome of using any information or advice, stated or implied, found in this blog.


NOTE:  There are more of my nature photos, an "art show," posted at -- www.WaterlilyStoryII.Blogspot.ca , under the Label "Nature and Scenic Photos" in the sidebar.

Nature Art--64

"Into each life some rain must fall."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains."

Psalm 147:8, King James Version of the Bible

Nature Art--63

The flowers on this vine are called Morning Glory.  They normally bloom in the morning and then their petals fold up for the rest of the day.








NOTE, added on August 8, 2018:   In the past, in my blogs, I've stated I wanted to keep the nature blog separate from the Waterlily blogs--except when there were overwhelming issues which overlapped.  Also, I recently stated in Waterlily II that this nature blog wasn't significant to the business in the Waterlily blogs....  However, another issue came up here.  That is that I learned the meaning of "Morning Glory" is "restricted love."

The homosexual people don't want to associate with this meaning, I'm sure.  A lot of rights have been gained in North America and some other places, but the gays have really been COMING FROM a place of "restricted love...."  In some countries in the world, the practise of homosexuality is still regarded as a crime and that's sad, in my opinion.  And even for conservative Christians, like myself, who don't condone homosexuality we have to consider how to not just "tolerate" the differences but how to show kindness and mercy...?  And I've been writing about these and other issues in the Waterlily blogs for nine years, and writing and lobbying elsewhere for even longer....  Homosexuality is honestly a complicated issue; and it's an ongoing and progressive debate.

It happened that I didn't even plant the Morning Glory in my garden but a seed or two were somehow carried over from my neighbour's garden last summer...?--She had planted a lot of the flowers.--It seems to me that God made the flower grow in my garden so that some discussion could be generated in this blog?  Skeptics would scoff but I want to use this opportunity as I've stated....  And I don't mind using the nature blog to support the Waterlily blogs, although not only for that purpose....

P.S.  Have double-checked the Internet and apparently the Morning Glory has some other meanings as well, besides "restricted love," including ideas about love and mortality....  But "restricted love" is one of the meanings, regardless, and I believe it certainly applies--according to the characteristics of the flowers....

Catching Up

Last fall, I wrote in this blog that I had some "forgiveness work" to do...and I'm happy to say I've made a lot of progress.  As for health problems, they're harder as we're aging...but I've been told some of my medication is causing some symptoms also, and I'll have to see if anything can be done about it...?

Author Louise Hay had also suggested a gimmick to help forgive someone....  She said imagine the person sitting at a table on a stage, with all their family around them.  And then think good thoughts and imagine that everything is going well with this family....  This is one of the things I've been working on and I find it helps.  Louise Hay has some free emails that people can sign up for if they wish....  [I don't agree with all the views of her company but some of the advice is excellent, in my opinion.]

Under the "About Me" section on the Home page of this blog, there's a link to a 3-part blog of mine.  Have explained about some personal business I've been working on; and if it's not resolved very soon, it seems I'll need to quit working on all the blogs--including this one....  So far, I haven't had many readers on this blog, anyway....  But I've enjoyed and appreciated the work....  Blessings to all!

Nature Art--62

"Butterflies...flowers that fly and all but sing."

Robert Frost, an American poet who lived from 1874-1963.


I don't have the right lens on my camera to get a close-up of butterflies but people can Google something like "butterfly images" or "images for Robert Frost butterfly...," if they'd like to see more.

Nature Scenes Are Refreshing, research says

According to the "Woman's World" magazine of July 30, 2018, researchers at Georgetown University in Washington DC found that looking at photos of flowers or other nature scenes for even six minutes at a time helped to refresh the brain and improve concentration.  I wasn't able to find a specific write-up about the research on the Internet but people can try it for themselves...especially if they're doing other work at a computer or a desk....

Georgetown University is a private school associated with Jesuits and Catholics, but they serve people from many faiths.  It's a well-respected and -established school; and former U.S. President Bill Clinton and actor Bradley Cooper had attended there.  See www.georgetown.edu, for more information.

The new edition of the women's magazine is out now but people can see www.womansworld.com, if they wish.  [It's a weekly magazine.]

Summer Fruit

"You can't pick cherries with your back to the tree."

John N. Mitchell, a late U.S. politician.

Canada's Food Guide recommends eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, and they're usually cheaper and more plentiful in the summertime.

Quotation--25

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

Khalil Gibran

Quotation--24

"Your children are not your children.  They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.  They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

Khalil Gibran

Nature Art--61

Have planted mostly flowers in my garden this year but these daisies grew up naturally....  They remind me of an old TV show called, "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," which had an Old English Sheepdog.  I wasn't very familiar with the show but I saw the name in passing sometimes.  The show aired in the 1960s and was based on a book and a movie.

Quotation--23

"A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle."

Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran is quite well-known.  He was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist.  He lived from 1883-1931, and died at the age of 48 years.

Nature Art--60

Canada Day

Happy Canada Day,
on July 1st!

Quotation--22

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over,

and expecting a different result."

                     ~Unknown

Nature Art--59

Nature Art--58

These are photos of pussy willow branches.

A children's author, Aileen Fisher, has written a very cute poem about pussy willows but unfortunately I don't have permission to publish it....  It seems it'd be complicated to get permission...? 

Ms. Fisher lived in the USA from 1906-2002.

Quotation--21

"Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods.  Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that you have never seen before."

Alexander Graham Bell

Quotation--20

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."      Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu was a Chinese philosopher and writer who lived around the year 500 BC; and he is thought to be the founder of Taoism.  I'm sure I don't agree with everything about Taoism but I like the quotation, and I don't mind learning things from other religions when there's something I consider worthwhile.... 

"Forest Bathing"

A concept known as "forest bathing" was first studied in Japan a few decades ago; and Germany held an international conference on it last year.  Forest bathing means to take in the atmosphere of trees, for both physical and mental health benefits....  It's nice to get a change from technology, as well....  Strenuous exercise isn't required, unless a person wants to and has an opportunity....  Just breathing the air and enjoying the scenery is helpful...and the effects can last for some time after leaving the area.  Probably most trees are good

but pine trees are reported to be especially beneficial, if people have them available.

Quotation--19

"Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured."  

Proverbs 13:18, King James Version of the Bible

Happy Easter!

Quotation--18

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."

Napoleon Hill

Nature Art--57

Art Show

Yoko Ono is the 85-year-old widow of the former Beatle, John Lennon.  She is an award-winning artist with a show currently on display in Toronto at the Gardiner Museum.

The show is an interactive one called "Yoko Ono:  The Riverbed" [until June 3]; and it features a lot of smooth stones which can be held in the hands while focusing on different thoughts or feelings...there's some broken pottery which people can repair...and people can help to create a web of strings which signifies our connections to other people....  I think this is a fascinating and very meaningful exhibit!

For more information, people can go to:  www.gardinermuseum.on.ca

Quotation--17

"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others."

Audrey Hepburn

Quotation--16

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Nature Art--56

Quotation--15

"The best things in life are nearest:  breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.  Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was a well-known writer from Scotland...he lived from 1850-1894, dying at the age of 44 years.  He was sickly from a young child but he enjoyed writing--and was good at it--and his father encouraged him.

The above quotation may seem a little old-fashioned but I believe it has some points to make....  I wouldn't say we should never "grasp at the stars," but unless we can afford to hire servants and staff to help with our daily duties we can't get away from them....  And I believe we can find satisfaction and self-respect in doing our daily duties well.

Quotation--14

"Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something."

Plato

Quotation--13

"Everything has beauty, but not
everyone sees it."

                                Confucius

Quotation--12

"Forgiveness is rediscovering the

shining path of peace that

at first you thought others took away 

when they betrayed you."

                      ~Dodinsky

This is a nice quotation that I found, and I was grateful for it....  Maybe the word "betrayed" is a little strong, in some cases....  But the word "offended" could be used, and any offense whether large or small can be forgiven....  Sometimes we have to forgive ourselves, as well.

Mr. Dodinsky is a modern-day person and if you Google his name, there's a lot of information that comes up.  Many people are acquainted with his work and quotations already.

Guest Nature Art--4

Thanks again to my brother for sharing another photo.  He took this with his cell phone in Colorado, while on a cross-country skiing trip.

Quotation--11

Here's a poem about the value of a day--this day, today.

Salutation to the Dawn

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence;

   The bliss of growth

   The glory of action

   The splendor of beauty,

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow only a vision,

But today well lived makes every yesterday

A dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

                                         Kalidasa

[Kalidasa was a Hindu living in India and he wrote plays and poetry.  He lived in about the 4th-5th century.]

Would like to add that some other simple pleasures [but not insignificant ones], besides those mentioned in the poem, are the enjoyment of fun (sometimes) and relationships; and the satisfaction of participating and working in a group, and of contributing something to the community or society.

(And some people have to work on the evening or night shift, and their time counts as well!)