Water, water...

Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor;

canst not be defined,

art relished while ever mysterious.

Not necessary to life, but rather life itself,

...thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the

delight of the senses.

~~Antoine de Saint-Exupery,

Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

Before the sun...

I said to my soul,

be still, and wait...

So the darkness shall be the light,

and the stillness the dancing.

T. S. Eliot

Indulgences

Last January, after our son completed the Disney Full Marathon,

we visited Universal Studios and its newest amusement park,

Hogsmeade, the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

There, we indulged in our first mugs of BUTTERBEER

at the barrel in the street, above.

The movie finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

hit town this weekend so we said goodbye to Harry with

"Harry's Butter Beer," a recipe we found in the Des Moines Register

Indulgence with a capital I.

We toned the indulgences down with calorie-cutting versions of the original~~

some alcoholic, others not:

12 ounces of diet caffeine-free cream soda

1/1/2 ounces butterscotch schnapps

 or 2 tablespoons of butterscotch syrup for a non-alcholic drink.

A scoop of light butter pecan ice cream, if desired.

Time to go.

Bye, bye, Harry.

And, thank you :)

Blogtopia

Blogtopia:

a place

 where everything is lovely,

even if it isn't,

 and everyone is charming and supportive

 and has written a little poem.

A bit of truth and humor written by Mise over at
PRETTY FAR WEST.

Makes me smile every time I read it.

Does anyone know the name of these flowers?
I photographed them in a Florida tree last spring
so they're, no doubt, something tropical.

UPDATE:
JoJo says these are blooms on a HongKong orchid tree, a lovely southern Florida tree. :)
Thanks, JoJo!

Time to Reflect

People travel to wonder

at the height of the mountains,

 at the huge waves of the sea,

at the long course of the rivers,

at the circular motion of the stars;

and they pass by themselves

 without wondering.

~~St. Augustine

This summer, I have time to wonder~~I have no work.

Most everyone involved with print has been replaced by internet editors and stylists.

I don't know what to do with myself.

Early in the morning, before the fountain turns on, I step onto our balcony

and gaze into the still, still waters of the waterway below.

It's a peaceful place to sip coffee and reflect on how to create my new day.

These words accompany me:

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,

but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

~~Maria Robinson

Don't ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive,

and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

~~Howard Thurman

When working, I did what made me feel alive.

Now I wonder what else can make my heart sing...

What makes you come alive?