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HeartWood
A blog about cultivating
creativity, connection and contentment
wherever you are

Last Wednesday Wisdom for May

5/25/2016

16 Comments

 
On the last Wednesday of every month, I serve up a potpourri of advice, inspiration and other tidbits I've come across in recent weeks. 

If you read through to the end (no fair skipping ahead!), you'll get a treat: a visual recap of a fun event from the past month.
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Such things . . . as the grasp of a child's hand in your own, the flavor of an apple, the embrace of a friend or a lover, the silk of a girl's thigh, the sunlight on rock and leaves, the feel of music, the bark of a tree, the abrasion of granite and sand, the plunge of clear water into a pool, the face of the wind—what else is there? What else do we need?
​--Edward Abbey, author, essayist and environmentalist
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Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now?
--William Stafford, American poet and pacifist
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I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
​--Diane Ackerman, author, poet and naturalist
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I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.
--Robert Brault, blogger
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Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks.
​--Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
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I love the sutra sthira sukham asanam: "Effort without tension, relaxation without dullness." It reminds me that energy should not be confused with anxiety and stress.
--Renee Loux, author, chef and green-living expert, interviewed in Yoga Journal, May, 2016
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To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.
​--Arthur Ashe, the first African-American man to win Wimbledon
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And now, as promised, a virtual visit to Tulip Time, an annual Holland, Michigan event that took place earlier this month. Put on your wooden shoes and come along!
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A view at Windmill Island Gardens, a 36-acre municipal park
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"De Zwaan," a 250-year-old, working windmill brought from the Netherlands in 1964
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More than 115,000 tulips grace Windmill Island Gardens in the spring
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Guaranteed not to wilt!
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The Kinderparade (Children's Parade), one of several parades during Tulip Time
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Kids in the parade carry handmade props related to Dutch culture
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Someone is having a good time on this float, and someone is not
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​So, readers, where has life taken you, and what wisdom have you gleaned in the past month?
16 Comments
Sally Pobojewski
5/25/2016 11:54:17 am

Great pictures, Nancy!! Now I feel as though I've been to Tulip Time, also.

Reply
Nan
5/26/2016 06:25:30 am

If the klomp fits, wear it!

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J.Q. Rose link
5/25/2016 12:03:59 pm

Hey Nan, so many great quotes but the one that stands our for me is the one about getting to the end of life living it long AND wide. I supposed that hit me since this week is my birthday week, so another year has flown by. Hoping to live wider this year! Your tulip time pics are wonderful! And oh those tulips. Did you discover that the miller at the windmill is a woman? The only certified female miller in the USA. Loved touring that amazing structure, but we went in the fall with no crowds! (but no tulips)Thank you.

Reply
Nan
5/26/2016 06:27:55 am

I loved that quote, too, JQ. Good words to remember.

Yes, I did learn that the windmill miller is a woman and that she went to the Netherlands to learn the trade. I didn't know she's the only certified female miller in the US, though (I must have been daydreaming or taking pictures when they mentioned that fact).

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Sue S.
5/25/2016 03:40:26 pm

This month I've learned the importance of self care in a different way than ever before. I recently took a trip with a friend and observed how many ways she takes care of herself in many little and big ways. Always good to have consciousness expanded. Thanks for the question as I hadn't reflected on this until you posed the question and this is what popped up first. Thanks Nan for your reflective questions.

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Nan
5/26/2016 06:30:24 am

That's interesting, Sue. In what ways did your friend care for herself? I'm trying to make self-care more of a priority, and it's amazing how easy it is to fill up days with everything BUT that!

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Tonya Howe
5/25/2016 06:42:33 pm

Spent an evening with two friends from jr. High,Haven't connected since we were 16. Thrilled to see they're still the same funny, charming, butterflies they ever were. Had a marvelous time sharing bits of wisdom we've learned as adults. Loved the colorful photos, Nan

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Nan
5/26/2016 06:30:54 am

That sounds wonderful, Tonya!

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Eric Bunyan
5/26/2016 12:09:00 am

Mahalo! Beautiful thoughts and pics. Eliki Baniani

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Nan
5/26/2016 06:32:32 am

Mahalo to you, Eliki! In the previous comment, Tonya mentions getting together with friends from her teens. How I wish we could get the whole Samoa crew back together again!

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Laura Bailey
5/26/2016 11:57:49 am

Love the pictures and the quotes. Especially the calendar consult quote...that's a true friend.

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Nan
6/7/2016 11:56:25 am

Yes, although that one made me cringe a little, realizing that I'm often the one with the calendar, trying to fit in social life.

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Katherine Myers
5/27/2016 05:03:34 pm

Loved the quotes and the pictures! I enjoyed the flowers, but I loved looking at the expressions on the faces of the parade participants and those watching!

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Nan
6/7/2016 11:57:03 am

That's what I liked best, too, Katherine.

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Rebecca Howey
6/6/2016 10:40:26 am

I sent a link to a friend in Holland - and pointed out the "all American" look of the parade participants. He liked your photos and appreciated seeing the happy kids in "traditional" garments. I've mentioned Holland, MI to him before, but seeing your photos made it real to him in a way that Wikipedia cannot.

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Nan
6/7/2016 11:58:40 am

Cool! The diversity of the kids was a surprise and a delight to me.

Reply



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    Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray.

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