Quote of the Week

Image Source:  Wikipedia

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.  
 - Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli, the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, was a British Prime Minister in the mid 1800's, as well as the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction writings.

I must admit this was one of the more difficult quotes to get a handle on.  Here are my thoughts on this.

If thought is the child of action, does that not presume that we have acted without thinking, and that upon reflection (thought) we discover that the result of that action is experience.  

In other words, when we think about what we have done and draw conclusions, what remains, good or bad, is experience.

It's Magic!

Captain Jim's Magic Show

I've written about Magic Carpets and Magic Apples, both the product of rubbing my two brain cells together.  But this, ladies and gentlemen, was magic up close and personal.  Not on TV, not from an elaborate stage.  Nope, this was my first live and in person magic show.  

Our dear friend, Sallie, generously opened her home and arranged some magical entertainment for our enjoyment for our latest Cheers get together, and it was a blast.  

Captain Jim has an interesting story, and magic is his second career, but that's all I'll say as he prefers to weave his story into the show.

After he had introduced himself and told a little about the show and how he got started, he chose a volunteer from the audience.  "What is your name?" he asked.  

"Jim," replied the volunteer.

"Hmmm...you know JIM stands for Jim Is Magic!"

Moving on to the next act, he chose another volunteer.  "What is your name?" he asked. 

"Jim," responded the next person.

"Really???"

Three of the four Jims in our group were present that night, and you know it can get interesting when someone calls out "Hey Jim".  All heads turn and three guys respond.

Getting back to the show, Captain Jim did mind tricks, rope tricks, card tricks, appearing dove tricks, and made objects move through solid surfaces, each with carefully chosen musical accompaniment. 

It was a magical night of illusion and fun.  Many thanks to Sallie for setting this up.

Quote of the Week

There's a lot of love in his heart.

A full heart has room for everything and an empty heart has room for nothing.  -Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

Antonio Porchia, 1885-1968, was born in Italy, but spent most of his life in Argentina.  He was most famous for his book "Voces" (Voices) originally written in Spanish and then translated into English and Italian.

If your heart is empty then you have no love, and without love you cannot accept anyone or anything into your heart.  Love is a like an endless circle.  The more you have, the more you can give, and the more you give, the more you have.


 

Quote of the Week

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. - Albert Einstein

Image Source: Wikipedia

This German-born physicist was best known for the mass-energy equivalence (E = mc2). He was also the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Interestingly, he was visiting the U.S. when Hitler came into power.  He did not return home to Germany, but instead remained in the U.S., becoming a citizen in 1940.

If you counted the kernels on an ear of corn or the bristles on your hair brush, would that matter? If you counted the stars in the night sky or the the coins in a child's piggy bank, what difference would it make? These things can be counted, but of what importance is their numbers in the big scheme of things. Things like love, respect, integrity and dignity cannot be counted. These important aspects of human life are not measured in quantity but in quality. Let's strive to measure up in ways that cannot be counted.

In Plain Sight

Betcha can't see me now.

Do you see the spider...hidden in plain sight?  Some of the best camouflages are found in nature.  I think this one is a Wolf Spider, and he recently participated in a capture and release program.  He was captured in the basement and released into a natural area outside.

Here is his release photo.  The capture equipment consisted of a flat piece of metal and something to contain him during transport.  As you can see he has been accessorizing with items found in the basement.

Freedom!

He quickly departed the table for the safety of the ground below.  They are fast!

Oh what a tangled web...wait, that's not mine!

He did allow us to remove some of his new-found accessories so he could hasten his escape.  Hopefully he found suitable quarters elsewhere.

I'm planning a change in my blogging schedule, but at this time I'm not sure what days I will be posting - other than Monday's Quote of the Week.  Thanks for reading Roses to Rainbows, and I hope you'll stick around while I sort this out.