“The search for wisdom is like a search for gold.” — Lajlah Gifty Akita The Vienna Secession, a group of artists who resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists due to differences of opinion over artistic concepts, constructed what remains today as one of Vienna’s best known buildings. The stark white building with beautiful, gold … More Wisdom
“If you want to experience joy, stop, slow down, and begin to pay attention to what you taste and smell when you’re making breakfast, when you’re in a restaurant, when you’re having wine, when you’re outside and it’s the beginning of spring and you can smell the earth getting soft under your feet. Pay attention … More Flavor
“You have no need to travel anywhere. Journey within yourself, enter a mine of rubies and bathe in the splendor of your own light. — Rumi “Light, that first phenomenon of the world, reveals to us the spirit and living soul of this world through color.” — Johannes Itten * * * The Chain … More Light
“It takes a huge effort to free yourself from memory” — Paulo Coelho “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.” — Czeslaw Milosz Shoes on the Danube Promenade ― A haunting and moving memorial to the Jewish victims shot into the Danube in 1944-45 by … More Commemorate
“Sometimes we feel that we’ve got to climb a mountain or raise a monument to leave our mark on the world. What we fail to recognize is that often we make a difference simply by existing, by handling what life gives us. Maybe the way we deal with our challenges and our rewards inspires someone else to … More Achievement
“Going around under an umbrella interferes with one’s looking up at the sky.” — Jerzy Kosinski * * * Shop awning fashioned from umbrellas hides the sun above the cobblestone streets of Szentendre, a colorful Hungarian village of artists and galleries. Photo by Mary O’Connor © 2016 (one of an ongoing series of photo posts from recent Danube … More Interference
“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” — Frank Gehry Bronzed windows of contemporary building (above) in castle district of Budapest, Hungary, reflect turrets and fantasy design of neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion. Designed in 1902, the Disney-like structure with its seven turrets represents the seven Magyar tribes that settled in Hungary at … More Timelessness
“When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.” — LL Cool J * * * Cobblestones and ornate cast iron manhole covers pave the narrow streets of the medieval Czech Republic town of Cesky Krumlov, as they do much … More Staying Grounded
not for how they look, but for how they see.” — Frau Feuerameise Eye on the Serengeti, photo by Mary O’Connor “Look into my eyes and hear what I’m not saying, for my eyes speak louder than my voice ever will.” — Unknown “I think she has an old soul in her … More “My eyes are my favorite part of me;
for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” — Vincent Van Gogh * * * Watercolor artist in Bonnet House gardens, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photo by Mary O’Connor © 2016
Life Is Full of Sweet Spots 