Cheese Cake in a Jar and Hercules Segers

Valentines Day brought about two surprises. First, a wonderful co-worker made cheesecake served in little jars (akin to a parfait) for all of the workers on the clock. Second, my friend Emmet surprised me with a book about the printmaker Hercules Segers. We had talked about Segers and this book for months and little did I know he ordered it. Never, did I feel so thankful and blessed to have good friends. Regarding the photograph above, I cannot recall another time that I felt a picture need to be made fast because the primary subject would be digested. In more ways then one it seems that a treat in a jar and a book are food for thought.

Sunlight and Snow

Since a snow storm knocked out power in my house (this has lasted 5 days), blogging has not been at the center of my attention. However, I got out today and attended a lecture and worship meeting. One of the messages was a simple but profound reminder to 'consider what you can give without consideration for what you can get'. If one follows this approach then one will be less likely to be disappointed and more likely to feel the warmth that contribution provides.

Cold Feet

It could be that poor circulation makes my feet cold at night, but the winter is also not helping. The image above was captured in the early stages of a new drawing. The crisp white of the page reminded me of the sting of winter and my cold feet. For the first time in months I went out running today. My feet got very hot as a result of the activity. A couple of lessons or reminders occurred. One, movement is good for circulation. Two, momentum allows one to continue further than one would have otherwise. As I consider making exercise a part of life, I realize these concepts can lead to a thaw in other areas of life where "cold feet" (an emotionally frozen state that inhibits action) keeps one from trying and moving forward. Although an active mind is important, movement and momentum are crucial.

Descartes' Motto

Upon reading A.C. Grayling's biography of René Descartes, I wrote down Descartes's motto ("to live well you must live unseen"). When I consider nobility, celebrities, rulers, and other leaders who seek or attract notoriety, I wonder what value this attention ultimately has? The benefits of fame will inevitably be tainted by distractions. Without understanding the disruption that overblown attention brings, it seems like fame often leads toward spiritual compromises, disfunction, or ruin. Being shuttled by handlers from place to place for the purpose of being seen and heard (often causing difficulty knowing who to trust) is the antithesis to living unseen. One can see why Descartes wanted to be unseen, he had thoughts and an inner life that needed care.

Sleep Study

One of my biggest difficulties is falling asleep and staying asleep. In an effort to post more, I began to making drawings in a quick and less restrained manner. Through this process a sleeping figure emerged (see above). It seems there could be a correlation between this drawing and efforts to get more/better sleep. Learning to let go of worry allows one to relax, and a placid state also seems to help lead the way to sleep. It could be that relaxing the drawing process may make one more productive in ways that are similar to sleep. I know that sleep allows us to be more active during our waking hours and my suspicion is that the dream state of sleep functions in a way that frees our minds and open us a range of insights during our waking hours. The connections between the dream and the insight may not always be apparent. However, I am aware of feeling led by an unknown presence when rested. My guess is that more posts should indicate that I am getting better sleep and I am more relaxed.

Drip Coffee and the Sands of Time

The word drawing above is a small gesture, arriving in much the same way words in a conversation come about. Although printed words are set and have a chance to linger, soon enough it is time to move along. If one does not have much (time, money, etc.) then one can do a little. Little by little eventually that small part accumulates into something bigger, maybe a river. Even making coffee reminds me of this, one drip at a time I am left with a full cup. Each sip is a little different and it changes the day in a small way. 

A New Start

For a year I contemplated starting a new blog and planned new posts. Nothing got completed and stubbornly nothing was added here. Today I wrote a little note: 

"If something new is difficult, perhaps an option is restarting something old. What is old then becomes something new."

I can't say how exactly I came to write this. However, it inspired me to continue. More is on the way.