January 1, 2017 by IdealisticRebel

Washington DC in Photographs

I am starting the New Year with photographs of the American capital, Washington, D.C. I have always thought Washington to be a beautiful city. I have been there many times for marches, art exhibits, and for treks through the government agencies. The FBI, the US Mint, the Ford Theatre — where Lincoln was assassinated — were some of them. I wanted to begin 2017 with a bit of beauty and a feeling for our Capital City before the upcoming change of government. I hope you enjoy Washington.

Namaste,

Barbara

bjwordpressdivider-1

The full moon rises above the flags at the Washington Monument on Monday, June 20. June’s full moon, also known as the Strawberry Moon, coincided with the summer solstice for the first time since the Summer of Love in 1967.
Getty

The U.S. Capitol dome can be seen behind piles of snow removed from parking areas and walkways around the Capitol grounds on January 26. The Washington area was resuming partial business on Tuesday as trains and buses restarted near-normal service, while federal offices remained closed following the massive blizzard that hammered the U.S. East Coast.
REUTERS

Patrons, reflected in a rain puddle, watch near the Washington Monument as the Independence Day fireworks go off on the National Mall on Monday, July 04.
Getty

The Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, NMAAHC, sits near the Washington Monument on Tuesday, August 9. The Museum would open to the public on September 24 in a ceremony attended by President Obama and many other dignitaries.
Getty

Children play in the snow on the National Mall after a snowstorm on January 23.
Getty

The Washington Monument is seen from the Lincoln Memorial on February 12. When it was completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was the tallest structure in the world, and it remains the tallest structure in Washington, D.C.
Getty

Joggers run past blooming cherry blossoms that surround the Tidal Basin on March 24. The National Park Service had predicted that the cherry blossom trees would reach peak bloom later that day.
Getty

Construction Manager Shane Gallagher leads members of the media on a tour of the rebuilt cast-iron dome of the U.S. Capitol, which was formally completed on Tuesday, November 15, on time for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
REUTERS

From the top of the Department of Commerce building looking south across Constitution Avenue NW, the NMAAHC sits between 14th Street, left, and 15th Street, right, near the Washington Monument.
Getty

A visitor to the Jefferson Memorial casts a long shadow as she holds up her tablet to take a photo on October 12.
REUTERS

People frolic in the snow near the Washington Monument during a winter storm on January 23. A deadly blizzard blanketed the eastern United States in near-record amounts of snow, shutting down New York and Washington in a colossal storm expected to affect more than 85 million people. More than 4,400 flights were cancelled as the mega-storm brought airports in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore to a halt, shuttered transport in the US capital and prompted New York officials to issue a sweeping travel ban.
REUTERS

A tree is awash in autumn color as the moon rises over the White House on election night, November 08.
REUTERS

The Jefferson Memorial is surrounded in fog as a man rides a bicycle along the Tidal Basin, on November 30.
Getty

The Washington Monument stands at the National Mall on December 02. The National Park Service announced that day that the monument will remain closed until 2019 for updating the elevator system in the structure.
Getty

People look at a Christmas tree at CityCenterDC in downtown Washington on December 04.
Getty

The sun sets at the U.S. Capitol as the 114th session of Congress comes to a close on Thursday, December 08. The House passed a spending bill to fund the government through April before heading home for the holiday recess.
Getty

April 28, 2016 by IdealisticRebel

Divine Love

bjwordpressdivider

“Wherever I go, thou art my companion.

Having taken me by the hand thou moves me.

I go alone depending solidly on thee.

Thou bearest too my burdens.

If I am likely to say anything foolish, thou makest it right.

Thou hast removed my bashfulness and madest me self-confident.

O Lord, all the people have become my guards, relatives and bosom friends.

Tuka says, I now conduct myself without any care.

I have attained divine peace within and without.”

—Book of Prayers, M. K. Gandhi

What makes up Divine Love

“All things in creation and manifestation, even all things in existence, are held together by Ishk. This is Divine Love. It is difficult to express it in such a limited way, but we know that sunlight contains electricity, magnetism and numerous other forces or aspects of cosmic force.”

—From Spiritual Brotherhood, Samuel Lewis

“Gravitation, light, attraction, adhesion, and cohesion are all aspects of this Divine Love in the physical world. But even these aspects extend far into the unseen, and it cannot be said that Divine Love is limited or qualified by its mental aspects and characteristics…Behind all mysteries, behind all activity and behind all life is Love or Agape or Karuna which holds all things and persons together, which creates the beauty and harmony of this cosmos.”

—Samuel Lewis

Desire

“I desire you

more than food

or drink

My body

my senses

my mind

hunger for your taste

I can sense your presence

in my heart

although belong to all the world

I wait

with silent passion

for one gesture

one glance

from you. ”

—Rumi, The Love Poems of Rumi

Open up your heart

“In your light I learn how to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you,

but sometimes I do, and that

sight becomes this art.”

—-The words of Rumi

You are a child of the Universe. Get out there and shine.

“Love is the greatest component of life. It unifies everything. It attracts and draws to us all that is good. Through love we become more aware and responsive to the needs of humanity. We see the oneness, commonality, and the spark of God in each person. We can begin with our family, friends, and coworkers. We can love them even if we think they have done something wrong. We can be there for them, with compassion, kindness, gentleness and acceptance. That is how we demonstrate our human love.”

—James Van Praagh

Divine Love is everywhere.

April 24, 2016 by IdealisticRebel

My Green Thumb

I was having a really interesting conversation with a friend yesterday, and my friend, who has never been to any of my houses up north, where I had room for gardens, asked me if I have a green thumb.

I decided that, rather than just answering, “yes, I do”, I would post some pictures of gardens and flowers that I loved so much. It is one of the very few things I miss now that I moved to the South, because I no longer have room for gardens.

I hope you enjoy them, and perhaps even become inspired to add your own gardens.

Namaste,

Barbara

bjwordpressdivider (1)

Daffodils around a light post in Bay Village, OH Copyright and Photograph by Barbara Mattio 2006

Tulips in the garden. Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2006

Tulips by the Fence. Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2006

Flowing Plum Tree in bloom. In memory of my late husband. Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2006

Weeping Cherry in Bloom. Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2006

House and Garden Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2005

Red Rhododendron Bay Village OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2005

Blue Iris and White Rhododendron Bay Village, OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2005

Front Porch and Garden Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2009

Front porch and garden Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2009

Autumn blooming white Clematis Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2009

Front porch and garden Late Summer Avon OH Photograph and Copyright 2009

Rio Rose bloom Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2014

Dahlias Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2014

Hardy Hibiscus Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2014

Dutch Irises. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2015

Pink Drift Rose Avon OH Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2014

April 14, 2016 by IdealisticRebel

Let Me Walk in Beauty

From Self Reliance Book

“What you believe you become.

Believe in beauty, for the Earth Mother is covered

with beauty.

Believe in love, for your Earth Mother and Sky Father love you.

Believe in magic and you release your soul from the prison

your mind tries to build around it.

Above all, don’t be afraid.

The Great Spirit provides all that is needed.”

—Sun Bear

Sun Bear, Chippewa Tribe

Thy Sacred Dwelling

“Why have I two eyes if not to behold Thy glorious vision?

Why have I two ears if not to hear Thy gentle whisper?

Why have I the sense of smell if not to breathe the essence of Thy spirit?

Why have I two lips, Beloved, if not to kiss Thy beautiful countenance?

Why have I two hands if not to work in Thy divine cause?

Why have I two legs if not to walk in Thy spiritual path?

Why have I a voice if not to sing Thy celestial song?

Why have I a heart, Beloved< if not to make it Thy sacred dwelling?”

—Hazrat Inayat Khan

Weeping Cherry Tree Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2006

Global Peace

“Man Must first create peace within himself if he desires to see peace in the world;

for lacking peace within, no effort of his can bring any result.”

— Hazrat Inayat Khan

The Healing Heart

Sympathy—a china doll sheds a tear

and a piece of the Great Wall comes down.

Synchronicity—at the same time, in New Your City a lover’s heart mends a tear

and a flower breaks through the concrete.”

—Hadj Pearlman

Painted Sky Orchid. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2013

Let Me Walk in Beauty

“O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds,

and whose breath gives light to all the world,

Hear me—I come before you, one of your children,

I am small and weak.

I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty,

and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things that you have made,

my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise, so that I may know the things

you have taught my people,

and the lesson you have hidden in every rock and leaf.

I seek strength, not to be superior to my brothers and sisters,

but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself.

Make me ever ready to come to you,

with clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades as a fading sunset,

my spirit may come to you without shame.”

—Yellow Hawk Sioux Chief

Yellow Hawk, Sioux Chief

October 28, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Our Place in the Universe

The American Museum of Natural History, in association with the Hayden Planetarium and the Rubin Museum of Art, has created a Digital Universe – a beautifully rendered graphic representation of the Universe as we have so far been able to discover it.

Watching this video made me think about all the things that divide human beings on Earth, and how truly petty they are. We are fighting wars and killing our planet, and we think that we have so much power; but when you compare us to the brilliance, the ordered chaos, the sheer beauty of the Universe and other Universes, the greediness, the hatred, the lack of compassion and lack of respect for life and the planet is so unimportant.
We are made of stardust. We are all as beautiful as the stars in any Universe.

Namaste,

Barbara

bjwordpressdivider

The sun in our Universe

Our solar system

September 16, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Kahlil Gibran

Khalil Gibran is the author of The Prophet and is known through the world as the immortal Prophet of Lebanon and the Savant of the time. He wrote in Arabic and his works have been translated into English and other languages. I hope you enjoy what I have selected.

Song of the Rain

“I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven

by the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn

Her fields and valleys.

I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the

Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn

To embellish the gardens.

When I cry the hills laugh;

When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;

When I bow, all things are elated.

The field and the cloud are lovers

And between them I am a messenger of mercy.

I quench the thirst of the one;

I cure the ailment of the other.

The voice of thunder declares my arrival;

The rainbow announces my departure,

I am like earthly life, which begins at

The feet of the mad elements and ends

Under the upraised wings of death.

I emerge from the heart of the sea and

Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in

Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and

The trees in a million little ways.

I touch gently as the windows with my

Soft fingers, and my announcement is a

Welcome song. All can hear, but only

The sensitive can understand.

The heat in the air gives birth to me,

But in turn I kill it,

As woman overcomes man with

The strength she takes from him.

I am the sigh of the sea;

The laughter of the field;

The tears of heaven.

So with love—

Sighs from the deep sea of affliction;

Laughter from the colorful field of the spirit;

Tears from the endless heaven of memories.”

bjwordpressdivider

My Soul

My soul is my friend who consoles me in misery and distress of life. He who does not befriend his soul is an enemy of humanity, and he who does not find human guidance within himself will perish desperately. Life emerges from within, and derives not from environs.

I came to say a word and I shall say it now. But if death prevents its uttering, it will be said by Tomorrow, for Tomorrow never leaves a secret in the book of Eternity.

I came to live in the glory of Love and the light of Beauty, which are the reflections of God. I am here living, and the people are unable to exile me from the domain of life for they know I will live in death. If they pluck my eyes I will hearken to the murmurs of Love and the songs of Beauty.

If they close my ears I will enjoy the touch of the breeze mixed with the incense of Love and the fragrance of Beauty.

If they place me in vacuum, I will live together with my soul, the child of Love and Beauty.

I came here to be for all and with all, and what I do today in my solitude will be echoed by Tomorrow to the people.

What I say now with one heart will be said tomorrow by many hearts.

—khalil Gibran

bjwordpressdivider

Zen400swprodshutterstock_168559829 copy

April 29, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

A Journey of Creation

It’s been a rough week. Volcanos, earthquakes, riots. It makes people forget the beauty in the world, and the importance of creating beauty.

I found this talk, by Sabina Ulubeanu, a music composer, and Co-Artistic Director of InnerSound New Arts Festival in Romania, on the TED Talks channel on YouTube and wanted to share it with you, my loyal readers.

Sometimes, when things seem the worst, we need to remember that there is still beauty in the world, and that the creation of beauty in all its forms — music, art, poetry, prose and, yes, science — is the most important work of all.

March 7, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Ghazal

“Thanks be to God, the very world that birthed us

now is bathed by wondrous Nature

in a rapture of her glorious light:

the splendor of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, now revealed.

And humankind, highest of creatures,

endowed with Intellect’s might

so that all the beasts,

winged and hoof’d,

are placed under his command

And Adam’s veins are filled

with Art, Science, Faith:

he knows the sciences are clear

-but music is the weightiest

as a surging ocean

outweighs the very world through with it flows.

If he whose heart’s been moved

by the science of Music’s whole effect

were offered the pleasure of emperorship,

he’d certainly ignore it

-for Man is not alone in his delight

at that sweet sound

since even animals have sacrificed themselves for it.

More stubborn than a donkey,

he who holds that Music’s “impure”;

Ignorant of beauty

how claim acquaintance with the Lord?

Creator!

the Ocean Surges!

Permit my skiff to reach the shore

-King!

I beg what kindness

-Inayat-

thou canst afford.

—Translated from the Urdu by Pir Zia Inayat Khan and Lamborn Wilson

bjwordpressdivider

The Dalai Lama

Embrace your world and make it be whatever you want.

January 18, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

It’s Time to Start Livin’

Stop a moment. Let your heart dance and take a good look around and see all the blessings in the world, and all the beauty that surrounds you. We will get Peace. We will find Joy. We will have Justice and Equality. It may not come today, or tomorrow, but if we keep working for it, I know that, as surely as the sun will rise in the morning, it will come.

In the meantime, keep living for today — or start living, as recommended by this song from the wonderful musical Pippin, sung by the inimitable Martha Rae

Namaste,

Barbara

bjwordpressdivider

December 2, 2014 by IdealisticRebel

The Harmony & Peace Award

HarmonyPeace

I created this new award to celebrate all those who promote Harmony & Peace, and who add Love & Beauty to the world through their Blogs and through their lives. Their Positivity makes the world a better place for all of us.

Rules:

As most of you know by now, I am not big on rules, but here they are:

Give this award to seven bloggers who have added Harmony & Peace, Love & Beauty and Positivity to the world you live in.
Let them know that you nominated them.
Acknowledge the blogger from whom you received this award
Display your award on your blog, because you have earned it!
Continue to live in Harmony & Peace

The first nominees for this award: