Of Sails & Inspiration

“The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and impatient when least effective.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Seems that summer was only lazy when we were little. School was out, one day spilled into the next in a stream of endless popsicles, watermelon seed-spitting, some bike riding, swimming and even a touch of boredom.

Now that we’re all grown-up and responsible, many of us yearn for a few lazy days where neither work nor bills nor laundry makes demands.

Yearning may serve a purpose I suppose (like fueling the fires to change things up), but if we look around, we can also find inspiration at every turn. A day off here and there, a simple walk, even just conjuring up a lovely, breath-of-fresh-air mental image can supply new vigor to the withering workaholic who “must go on”!  Not as effective as a month by the sea, I admit, but effective nonetheless ~ so that we can be more like the sail that labors best.

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Delicious Peace-Giving

Lest we forget July’s other holiday ~ it’s National Ice Cream Month! So treat yourself. Treat someone else. Celebrate well!

Ice Cream. Just the mention of it makes eyes light up. And for the month of July you can honor its pure, refreshingly delicious peace-giving goodness with guilt-free extra servings. Although I personally feel that “guilt” and “ice-cream” should never appear in the same sentence, I know some of you think ice cream is a likely culprit for that extra pound or two. In reality, what ice cream adds is cheer.

So dig in, scoop it up, slather on your favorite topping or have it au naturel ~ the thing is to enjoy this smile-breeding treat!

ps: What’s your favorite ice cream? I’m pretty passionate about mint chocolate chip and coffee. How about you?

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Stars & Stripes

Happy Birthday USA!

In May 1776, Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. A year later in 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, establishing an official flag for the new nation:

“Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”

However, between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to reflect each new state. This broad span of time without specific guidelines resulted in many design interpretations – which in a sense also reflects the deeply rooted sense of freedom so cherished by Americans. The expressions were rich and proud, eventually evolving into the flag we pledge allegiance to today.

Carrying that theme of evolvement forward, in 1986 I discovered a beautiful book by Kit Hinrichs, called “Stars and Stripes” – a compilation of exceptionally creative American Flag images created by some of the finest graphic artists of modern time. I found it absolutely delightful, and a great tribute to the creativity and talent that abounds amongst us – and the creative freedom we’re able to enjoy in this great land of the free and home of the brave.

Below are just 13 samples of the many ingenious designs from that book honoring our American flag.  Enjoy!

flag1flag2flag3flag4flag5flag6flag7flag8flag9flag10flag11flag12flag13all images copyright of creator

 

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A Plethora of P’s / #58: Potato

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

A moment of quiet reflection, please, in honor of the Potato ~ a humble, understated vegetable of enormous natural value.

Glamour evades the Potato; it isn’t particularly pretty and doesn’t dress-up for attention very often ~ but oh! the versatile delight it possesses! And so, I pay tribute and celebrate this near divine offering from the Good Earth.

It’s hard to imagine a life without potatoes. This is especially true if you’re Irish, I suppose, but we all enjoy their many variations. Red potatoes, golden ones, brown ones, white ones, sweet ones. Mashed potatoes (lumps or no lumps?), baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, roasted, fried, french-fried, sautéed, grilled, boiled (I even like a raw slice now and then), and of course, potato soup, potato salad and potato pie.

Potatoes go with almost any meal (except maybe ice cream), and as if it couldn’t get any better, aside from their yumminess they’re jam-packed with nutrients.

Some spud facts: Potatoes contain no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium. What they do have is natural fiber in the skins, vitamins and minerals and great flavor. A six-ounce potato contains 2 grams of highly digestible protein, almost as much as half a glass of milk, making it a great foundation for a whole meal. One potato has more potassium than a banana, and is a great source of both vitamin’s B and C. And, as a nutritious carbohydrate, your muscles and your brain will thank you for fueling them, saving your heart and other vital organs from trying to do that extra work.

Viva La Potato!

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More Evidence of Purple’s Fabulousness

When I first started in the industry, I took some teasing about my love for purple. “New design, Pat? Is it purple?”

No, not everything was purple, but it’s an awesome color when used well ~ and nobody does it like Mother Nature. Here’s more evidence of its fabulousness:

hyacinth

iris

iris

iris

iris

can’t remember what this is called

petunia

How can you not love purple?

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Ah, Summer…

Waves and seagulls, and
Skies made for painting,
Ice cream trucks and watermelon seeds
And lazy streams in shaded glens
Where dragonflies lead to fairy dens.

Moonlit walks and dusty trails,
Kites and flip-flops, storms and rainbows,
Sails and snails and lemonade,
Crickets sing, zinnias smile ~
Ah, yes…
Summer’s come to stay a while.

~ P. Saxton

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Wise Words

“Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. And love everything you love, and every one you love, with all your might.”
~  David McCullough, Jr., English teacher, from his Wellesley High School Commencement Speech

Wise words. Inspiring words. Yet apparently McCullough’s speech to the 2012 graduating class of High School seniors caused a fuss ~ because, in the speech, he told the students that they were “nothing special.” But if you listen (and I recommend that you do), many of you, like I did, will wonder what the controversy was all about.

Are we so coddled and inattentive that we get sidetracked by dissecting the minutia of a few phrases without hearing the full context of truth and wisdom?

Maybe the shame here is that it took the raising of eyebrows to make it to a broader audience. It’s outstanding. Bravo, well done!

If you want more on this, there’s a great editorial write-up about this video here.

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A Plethora of P’s / #57: Purple

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Because purple is fabulous.The color of royalty, the color supreme for little girls, the essence of spirituality. It’s sublime and grand and bright and fun and radiant and plush and proud and deep and mysterious and joyful and lavish and luscious and lovely. We should all have some purple in our world.

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On Being Authentic

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde

We hear a lot about being “authentic” these days. I feel like I’m witnessing a bit of a mass re-discovery that being yourself holds water. That genuine is valued over false. That individuality, not sameness, carries the day. And in my humble opinion, if people take these notions to heart, we’re going in a good direction.

But I will (hesitantly) admit that my internal radar is measuring a slight cynicism, fearing that it’s being bandied about (almost) as if it were something fashionable. A concept du jour. Hitting the target but not the bullseye. Skimming the surface. You hear it and agree that it sounds good, but what do you really do with it?

In truth, of course,  “authenticity” is as real as it gets and is never out of style. It’s wheat grown in the open field and the stars that shine above it, it’s a homemade card or a hunk of solid gold ~  and it’s who you are, your true self, how you think, what moves you, what you do about it, how you express yourself.

It’s not glamorous or badass or cool. It’s not celebrity or dying your hair blue. It’s not about clever ways to show how unique you are; it’s about being real.

Maybe the real you is about originality, maybe even outrageous ~ but it’s not authentic if it’s contrived. You don’t wake up and say, “I think I’ll be authentic today, it’ll look great with my new shoes.” You either are, or you aren’t, no matter what shoes you wear. You know the difference ~ and others usually do too.

I think it’s a lot easier to get through life without pretending to be something that you’re not, and a lot more productive, too. So go be real. Just you, the genuine article, the real McCoy, the only you there is.

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