l'Heure Bleue

Madrugada

This is the time when the sky fills with hope and

Image by _fLeMmA__ via Flickr

peace.

It's not quite day and not quite night.

The antithesis of "penumbra"

Not because of the precise differences of light vs. dark ratios, but because of the energy that surround these events.

L'Heure Blue evokes an unmistakable sense of calm.

No need to rush.

Look at the freedom and beauty captured here:

A boy jumps over a row of lavender in a field in Carshalton, south London, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

I wanna hop through a lavender field one day.

I love to do child-like things like that. To take in nature and its spirit. Not just visually but spatially as well.

To become part of the divine, even if just for a second.

"Who are you?"

This question was asked of me by a self realization book I was trying to grasp at too early an age. I don't even remember the name of the book. All I remember is that it stumped me, and that question has stuck with me for many years.

...you're not how much money you've got in the bank. You're not your job. You're not your family, and you're not who you tell yourself.... You're not your name.... You're not your problems.... You're not your age.... You are not your hopes. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 18

The point was not to answer the question based on the trivial and obvious, but to really look introspectively for a solid answer.

I still haven't been able to come up with a sound answer for myself.

(but I am working on it...)

Do you know who you are?

Great Courses

By now, it should come as no surprise to you that I am a geek. It's OK. I've come to terms with that. It's something that I have accepted and embraced.

Well, I'm just getting that out in the open because from time to time I would like to share with you certain things that I think are just AMAZING. But the truth is that they are pure Geekery.

Let me introduce you to Great Courses. Brought to you by The Teaching Company. From their site description: "The Teaching Company brings engaging professors into your home or car through courses on DVD, audio CD, and other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other leading colleges and universities have crafted over 250 courses for lifelong learners like you."

Seriously, this totally makes me happier than you could ever imagine: Having the best professors in the world teaching enthralling subjects. All at my fingertips and available in the comfort of my car!
What else could one want?!?

They cover subjects such as business, philosophy, religion, science, social sciences, intellectual history and many more.

I have completed a course titled: Augustine: Philosopher and Saint (12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture). At the end, I was in awe. I wanted more.

I am currently listening to Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) ~ This one is a wee bit dryer and has taken me a bit longer to digest. I still love these lectures. LOVE, I tell you.

So much so that I had to tell you. In case I happen to be soooo smitten by a new concept I learned through Great Courses that I just have to blog about it...

(Told ya I was a geek!)

Riddle Me This...

I was scanning through an old issue of Real Simple magazine (a publication about all things organizing) and a snippet caught my eye: A book called "Throw Away Fifty Things" ($20). I immediately thought: "I should get this!" ~ I know, I know: the mindless herd follows blindingly to

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its demise

Anyhow, shortly after contemplating my next Amazon purchase I thought. "Wait, Throw Away Fifty Things ...Is that pretty much the bones of this book?
Why can't I just "throw away fifty things" and see how it goes?
Why should I spend $20 on this? So the author can tell me why uncluttering my surroundings will liberate my mind?
So I can be given examples of crap that needs to be tossed? (I'm sure I can come with more than 50 things on my own)

If I buy this, Wouldn't this just be another unnecessary acquisition?
Will I then have to throw of fifty ONE things to make up for this purchase?

Suddenly, the seemingly brilliant buy had turned into Theater of the Absurd.

For the time being, I think I'll start out by throwing away fifty things on my own. If I encounter difficulties I might check out this book (from the Public Library)

This is how I feel most days...

An unidentified schoolchild wrestles with former sumo wrestler Taiichiro Tashima during a beach sumo promotional event in Tokyo, Japan (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

Of course I am the girl. And the sumo? Well, that's just my day...
hmmmm..... I think I need to change sports, or at least strategies. Something tell me I have no chance if I continue with my current approach.

"The things you own end up owning you" ~ Fight Club

On my way back from a weekend trip, I saw a storage facility and thought :"oh, maybe it would be a good idea to get a small storage unit to clean up the house a bit"
Then I saw the name of the place: 1-800-PACK-RAT
Wow, what a rude awakening.
I live in a comfortable home that should more than fit my needs, yet I am contemplating shelling out big bucks monthly in order to "clean up"
Who am I kidding, I need to downsize.
So I've decided to drastically reduce my belongings. By the end of August, I hope that have "relocated" a great portion of my possessions. I'm talking gifting, donating or trashing a lot of the clutter than consumes me.
Also, I have committed myself to making smarter purchasing choices in the future.
I mean all the de-cluttering in the world will do no good if I continue to accumulate junk, right?
I vow to not buy "stuff". I am only going to buy things I need or love.
If it's iffy. If it doesn't floor me. If I am not replacing something I already own and have ran out of: It's going back on the shelf!
Hopefully, in the process my mind will unclutter as well... I'll keep you posted.