Tag: Beauty

Quote of the Day: The Beauty That Remains

 

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” — Anne Frank

This quote speaks to me in a very personal way. To a great extent, I am healthy and doing pretty well. But at times, I am tempted to focus on my ongoing maladies, the suffering of others, and the state of the world. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by personal difficulties and the struggles of people around me.

Is beauty objective, or merely a personal experience? Do we need beauty in our daily lives, or is it just icing on the cake? Is the sole purpose of art self-expression? Sociologist Margarita Mooney Clayton *05 of Princeton Theological Seminary discusses the history and philosophy of beauty, and its relationships with truth and the sacred.

More on Margarita, https://margaritamooneyclayton.com/bio/

Beautiful Gratitude

 

I was recently asked to put together a few words to share at a company picnic – this is the result.  Our work involves the preparation of Structural Engineering plans and specifications. The mention of ‘Rhett’ in the text is to a newborn in our little group. You can check us out here. Happy Labor Day!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

There are two words that of late I have been coming back to.  Or perhaps they are coming to me. They are very familiar words – and you will immediately recognize both.  But unfortunately for you, you don’t know their meaning. As in fact neither do I.

As the United States celebrates 246 years since we declared our independence, Jim and Greg each list three things they love about America.

 

Autumn Is In the Air

 

My friends in Wyoming are posting photos of the fall scenery with the golden aspen leaves that ring the bottoms of the mountain ranges. Occasionally there will be a maple tree flashing red leaves that grab your attention like a police light. It would frequently snow as this month began, and then the snow would melt, and we’d have a few more weeks of Indian summer. I love autumn in the Rocky Mountains. I wrote this poem in my head 50 years ago while I was driving back to college after a weekend at home to help my little sisters with the milking so my dad could go elk hunting. I’ve illustrated it with photos from my friend’s cabin in those same mountains where I got the inspiration for the words.

Enter October

Holy Thou Art

 

What does it mean for something to be holy? I think it means that a thing or person directs us to God or expresses His presence. Holiness is connected with pious awe. 

What artistic works seem holy to you? Which are the most peculiarly holy — holy in some unusual and perhaps less obvious sense? Is there some work of sculpture or architecture, painting or music, oration or literature that draws you closer to God in a way your associates don’t fully share? 

On the Why of Poetry

 

A Sierpinski sieve. Thanks to the magic of Ricochet this one is even more fractal than it looks; there’s a sixth level of the pattern hidden in the image resizing.

Last time I wrote about poetry I took a scientist’s view of the matter. This time I’m starting in math. Clearly, I understand what all this poetry stuff is about. Do y’all remember what a fractal is? It’s a pattern that repeats itself all the way down.

Imagine, if you will, that those white triangles are islands in a sea of black. You have a continent in the middle, a couple isles nearby, and more and more islands and islets the further away you get from that central continent. It’s bad water for navigating in because there’s an infinite number of rocks, pebbles, and even smaller navigation hazards poking up out of the surface of the water. Maybe it’s more of a swamp than an ocean. Okay, now zoom in. Let’s say you’re small enough that you live on one of the islands. You can deduce the pattern; you know that just over thataways there’s a bigger island. Is there another, larger one beyond it, or are we looking at the top of the pattern?

Mon Cher, We Will Never Be Second: Phillipe de Rothschild’s Wine Bottles and the Beauty of Capitalism

 

Wine is an art in France. And a business. Considering its dual nature, perhaps there was no one better to revolutionize both aspects of the French wine industry than a Rothschild. One from a family that has been entwined for centuries in Europe’s money and its art, as patrons and creators.

Nowadays, to the extent that he is remembered at all in the Anglophone world, Baron Philippe de Rothschild is remembered as a race car driver or the husband of style icon Pauline. However, the Baron was also a poet, film and theatre producer, playwright, translator, and vigneron of almost unparalleled success.

Château Mouton Rothschild, a wine estate located in Pauillac, southwestern France, has been in the Rothschild family since 1853, when it was purchased by Nathaniel de Rothschild and renamed from Château Brane-Mouton. Nathaniel was actually an English, not a French, Rothschild, though he spent the majority of his life residing and working in the country with the French branch of the family, and Phillipe believed that this is why the vineyard was denied Premier Cru status despite meeting the price standard. (The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was based on each château’s trade price and reputation, which at the time was closely related to the quality of the wine that it produced. Even in the face of significant criticism, the classification list remains in force today). Despite Nathaniel’s love of it, Château Mouton Rothschild little interested James Mayer de Rothschild, the heir, or his son Henri.

A Sense of Wonder

 

Whether you are Christian or not, Christmas is a good time for renewal of innocence and wonder. The common sights of people excitedly opening gifts, decorating homes and public streets in lights, retelling stories of miracles and merriment — such experiences can rekindle in us a joyful pursuit of the good and the beautiful.

Member Post

 

Now, having talked about why people dislike science fiction, I’ll say why I like it. I like most kinds of fiction, mostly for the same qualities, none of which is specific to a single genre. But what I like in and about science fiction includes these particular virtues: vitality, largeness, and exactness of imagination; playfulness, […]

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Member Post

 

The past week ended, and the new week started with birds singing and more sightings of beauty and beast-mode. Thursday, May 14, 2020, Maria Bartiromo got an extended interview with President Trump on the White House grounds. She asked 44 questions in a 55 minute interview and got answers to every question, from coronavirus to […]

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The Bicycle Ladies

 

We’ve started our days taking a walk together, my husband and I. It’s a shorter walk than I usually take in the morning, but I’m taking it easy for at least another week. The sun seemed to light the trees, and we could hear the cardinals calling to each other from dense branches and leaves. The temperature was perfect and we strolled along, my husband on the outside next to the street of course. He’s always a gentleman.

On our way back, we heard voices behind us and we turned to see who was coming. (People sometimes ride their bicycles on the sidewalks and give little notice when they zoom around us.) Two women rode next to each other in the street on two beautiful women’s bikes (no fancy extra gears for them!) and as they approached us, we called out, “We love your bikes!”

Member Post

 

Married people or even anyone who has shared a romantic connection might have occasionally wondered: “Why can others not see what I see in this person? Why are they not thrilled and impressed as I am?”  Everyone experiences something similar when trying and failing to share any focus of joy. From music and stories to […]

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Winter of Our Discontent and the Balm of Color and Light

 

I recognized the effects of color one winter when I bought a bag of lemons, before they were priced out of my league. I had them in a bowl in the kitchen, and I noticed that I was drawn to keep looking over at them. The little shock of glossy yellow was comforting. I got a similar effect from a heap of limes and tomatoes I purchased for salsa, chili, and spaghetti ingredients. My groceries were doing double duty as medicine for the soul.

I observed something else during the drab, frozen days when darkness closed in before five and a bleary dawn held off until almost nine the next morning. Movies I watched piecemeal on the treadmill were a real mood lifter. Even a few minutes of absorption in a drama not my own made a difference. Of course watching movies was a far more sophisticated solution than buying a bag of fruit. But viewing life in faraway places; where the sun always shone, a gentle breeze ruffled lovely dresses, green lawns stretched alluringly, ladies took walks in rose gardens, and characters conferred under trees where the light through the foliage made fretted patterns in the grass had healing properties that made me glad for the technology that provided luxurious escape.

Member Post

 

  Some days, when my own academic self-expectations seem crushing and even a six mile run can’t seem to exhaust my endless, bouncing anxiety, I can feel my fingers itch to play the harp. I’ve played for more than half of my life, and having to leave it so suddenly behind (when I could continue […]

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Member Post

 

A woman’s beauty – what is beauty, what makes a woman beautiful, who is the most beautiful, etc. – has been the subject of much discourse and debate (and women’s magazine articles) through the ages. Vibrantly beautiful women are sometimes described as “blooming like a rose”. Pregnant women in particular are sometimes referred to as […]

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A Moment in Time

 

I’m not a fan of the Disney Parks. I think they are contrived fantasy (yes, there is legitimate fantasy), overly expensive, and boring. But there are simple moments in life when you have the chance to see into a father-daughter relationship: adoration, pride and beauty, demonstrated in a few sweet moments. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do.

Member Post

 

  On n’est Pas Belle Par Hasard. “Nobody is beautiful by happenstance.” The French have a saying or two about beauty, and this is one of the truest. It takes a little effort. With another New Year stretching before us like a shimmering road of possibility, what better time can there be to resolve to […]

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