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4me4you Features - ‘reducing her colour palette..’
Artist: Vanessa Garwood
4me4you recently enjoyed a visit to PM/AM Gallery, where the spotlight illuminated the work of the talented artist Vanessa Garwood.
Vanessa Garwood, initially known for her mastery in oil-based portraiture, has evolved her artistic journey to embrace a diverse range of mediums and disciplines. This expansion has provided her with a broader canvas for creative expression, pushing the boundaries of her subject matter. Transitioning to a limited palette of black, white, and grey, Garwood delves into life's contrasting narratives with a literal visual representation, capturing the dynamic interplay on her canvases. Despite the constraint of this aesthetic choice, her works resonate with humour and satire, offering viewers an accessible entry point into her candid exploration of life's challenges.
In her latest artistic phase, Garwood has made bold decisions to paint exclusively in greyscale and switch from oils to the quicker drying medium of acrylics. These changes have streamlined her process, fostering a deeper immediacy in her work, which she considers her most personal to date. While her earlier focus was primarily on human subjects, including portraits, nudes, and dancers over two decades, she now draws inspiration from both reality and fantasy, blending boundless imagination with real-life figures. Despite the whimsical elements infused into her compositions, Garwood's commitment to naturalism ensures a relatable connection for the viewer.
The transition to a shorter window for paint manipulation may limit the time for technical refinement, yet it ignites a newfound spontaneity in Garwood's expression. Embracing this flux state, she thrives without the burden of overthinking. Surprisingly, the absence of colour doesn't diminish the vitality of her work; rather, it amplifies the raw energy of her paintings, captivating the viewer's imagination in monochrome. Garwood achieves a remarkable feat, activating the perception of colour in the mind without its physical presence, underscoring the power of her artistic vision.
A notable theme in Garwood's oeuvre is the strong presence of women engaged in everyday rituals seldom depicted in traditional art history—moments shared over drinks, cigarettes, laughter, and embraces. These scenes epitomise expressive freedom, celebrating vivacity while acknowledging underlying insecurities and challenges. They serve as a poignant reflection of a world grappling with oppressive struggles, yet reaching out for moments of joy and camaraderie amidst uncertainty.
Gen-Z - thinks - overthinks - develops - imagines - everyday life is hard to manage - disappears into the world of old books - it is hard to be 'the last generation' - the responsibility is exhausting - Part 1
22 August 2017
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Siha, Tanzania
Sayumi's story is kinda like that game "Bigger and Better."
Year One: She joins her savings group and starts getting entrepreneurship training. She doesn't take out any loan and just uses the group to save money and learn.
Year Two: She attends a Farmer Field School and starts helping a friend take care of her cow. Her kids' tuition is too high for her husband's income so she takes out her first loan. Thankfully, her new farm skills pay off right away and abundant crops let her pay off that loan the same year.
Year Three: Her friend talks about selling the cow and Sayumi comes up with the idea to take out a loan to buy it. Between the cow giving birth and producing milk, she again paid off that loan in under a year.
Now: Sayumi and her husband just took out an entire 1.5 million shilling loan to buy a nearby farm. After seeing what they did with farm skills and a cow, things look promising.
Sayumi's story is helpful when I start to overthink finances and projects and goals. Start where you are, bank up knowledge, be strategic when the time comes, and go one step at a time, yeah?
this project is called the "wash away project". this project is about resilience and inner strength and the ability to overcome personal shadows, an adversity or anything that has made the person feel small, out of their control or powerless. The people in these photos write the word (or words) that represented their own personal adversity or hardship they have faced in their lives. Their word is written on their face or any part of the body they choose. They are then splashed with a bucket of water to "wash away" the word that once held them back. The water represents the resilience to not let personal struggle dominate who you are and what you are limited to. They have accepted that the word is part of them but they can accelerate past it and move forward to be the person they are. You are yourself. You are who you choose to be. You just have to have the heart and resilience to make your word "wash away".
Before I got too intimidated, too shy or started to overthink things I decided to challenge myself to draw a giraffe from memory in about five seconds with a sharpie marker. I like to have my first drawing be from memory because I can see how it changes over time once I've done some observational drawings...
4me4you Features - ‘reducing her colour palette..’
Artist: Vanessa Garwood
4me4you recently enjoyed a visit to PM/AM Gallery, where the spotlight illuminated the work of the talented artist Vanessa Garwood.
Vanessa Garwood, initially known for her mastery in oil-based portraiture, has evolved her artistic journey to embrace a diverse range of mediums and disciplines. This expansion has provided her with a broader canvas for creative expression, pushing the boundaries of her subject matter. Transitioning to a limited palette of black, white, and grey, Garwood delves into life's contrasting narratives with a literal visual representation, capturing the dynamic interplay on her canvases. Despite the constraint of this aesthetic choice, her works resonate with humour and satire, offering viewers an accessible entry point into her candid exploration of life's challenges.
In her latest artistic phase, Garwood has made bold decisions to paint exclusively in greyscale and switch from oils to the quicker drying medium of acrylics. These changes have streamlined her process, fostering a deeper immediacy in her work, which she considers her most personal to date. While her earlier focus was primarily on human subjects, including portraits, nudes, and dancers over two decades, she now draws inspiration from both reality and fantasy, blending boundless imagination with real-life figures. Despite the whimsical elements infused into her compositions, Garwood's commitment to naturalism ensures a relatable connection for the viewer.
The transition to a shorter window for paint manipulation may limit the time for technical refinement, yet it ignites a newfound spontaneity in Garwood's expression. Embracing this flux state, she thrives without the burden of overthinking. Surprisingly, the absence of colour doesn't diminish the vitality of her work; rather, it amplifies the raw energy of her paintings, captivating the viewer's imagination in monochrome. Garwood achieves a remarkable feat, activating the perception of colour in the mind without its physical presence, underscoring the power of her artistic vision.
A notable theme in Garwood's oeuvre is the strong presence of women engaged in everyday rituals seldom depicted in traditional art history—moments shared over drinks, cigarettes, laughter, and embraces. These scenes epitomise expressive freedom, celebrating vivacity while acknowledging underlying insecurities and challenges. They serve as a poignant reflection of a world grappling with oppressive struggles, yet reaching out for moments of joy and camaraderie amidst uncertainty.
This was taking forever; 'cause as usual I was overthinking the arrangement. Finally I just centered the foil heart and dropped the rest around it. Looks better this way! I did some editing in Photoshop (including a touch of Palette Knife) and added the watermark in Picnik. And then ate a few candies to celebrate!
Note: Those red bumpy hearts are great!!
Day 166 of the 365 days challenge.
I overthink absolutely everything in my life; I can't help it. The part of me which allows me to reason is also the part of me which forces me to analyze-- even when there's nothing to dissect, my brain tries.
I haven't been getting much sleep lately. That's probably why.
Sticker on a newspaper box in San Francisco, California. Is it urging us to "Be a higher consciousness" or is it saying that "Be" is a higher consciousness. The ellipsis makes it delightfully ambiguous. Or am I overthinking this?
Gen-Z - thinks - overthinks - develops - imagines - everyday life is hard to manage - disappears into the world of old books - it is hard to be 'the last generation' - the responsibility is exhausting - Part 1
My package that arrived yesterday contained my very own Duaflex IV! Meg, you're such a great friend to give it to me--I'll try to do you proud with TTV. oOnce I can settle on a macro filter and a contraption style. as you might imagine, I am overthinking it something awful!
Gabriel Cohen, curator of Sundays at Sunny's and author of Storms Can't Hurt the Sky: A Buddhist Path Through Divorce (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2008), talks about how overthinking can lead to depression.
Listen to the interview
"I want you to know something about me, it's very important that you know about it before we get any closer"
"What is it?" He was busy taking off his shirt.
"Deep down I'm very possessive, angry, insecure person! If we are going to get emotionally attached. You should always keep that in mind"
He stopped for a moment and put back his shirt.
"Let's go down to the hall and sit in front of the mirror. You will feel better. And stop overthinking, okay? "
Ever since they had met, It had become a habit for them to sit in front the giant mirror in the hall and spend a lot of time looking how beautiful they looked together. They spend hours in front of it, playing with each other's hair and talking about random things that might happen in their future.
Years went fast but they felt younger. They were still those teenagers who fell in love at first sight. Even though the world around them changed, they refused to grow up.
But no matter how hard they tried to hold on to themselves, time changed everything. Nothing lasts forever.
" My family is shifting to Spain this week. Dad says, business is good; if he can personally be there. He is taking all of us there. I don't know what to do," He told her.
"What about me then? Do you only think about yourself? Don't you want to meet me every day?" She started crying
"I can't take a decision, what should we do? "
"Marry me! We can be happy together. We can pay our bills, and live at my parent's apartment. "
"C'mon Sofia, be practical! We are just 20. We can't get married now, we can't stay at your parent's apartment forever. We need our own place and we need to continue our studies. "
Sofia looked at the mirror in front of them. She couldn't hide her emotions and burst into tears.
"I don't know... How I will ever survive without you. You are the only real friend I have."
Both of them sat silently for a while.
"I will never forget you. I will come back to you, when I finish my studies. We could buy a big house, with a lot of dogs, a Ferrari in the porch, maids to take care of you. We could go on a road trip around the world and buy everything you want. "
"I just want you to come back. Promise me, you will come back! " She took his hand and placed it on hers.
"I promise "
"Will you write me every day from Spain? Or wait, I should be practical, every week? " She started giggling.
"You cheeky little thing!" They both started laughing.
Thursday, and time to go home.
Or at least start the journey.
We found out this year when we drove to Tuscany, just how many hours driving through the country from Calais to the south was.
It was going to take between three and four hours for me to get from Reims to the Tunnel, then check in, wait for a train and so on.
I might be home by two.
I have a shower, get dressed and go to breakfast, have more bread and apricot jam, followed by coffee.
I then go to pack, giving the room one last sweep before going to check out and load the car.
I was going to visit the cathedral in Amiens, so programmed a nearby car park to it on my phone, and set off, out of the compound, over the roundabout and onto the motorway.
It was dull and grey, with a hint of mist in the air, though little wind, so I drove steadily west, following the changes in road made by the phone.
Only issue is that driving a right hand drive car, when I got to the tolls, I had to get out, walk round the car to either collect a ticket of pay the charge. Mostly, drivers of cars behind me thought this very funny indeed.
I reached the outskirts of Amiens, and my overthinking meant I pondered and eventually convinced myself that driving into the centre, finding a place to park and taking hundreds of shots of the cathedral was going to take too much time, so changed direction and turned north towards Calais instead.
Though I still cruised some 20kph below the limit, easy to do with traffic light, and meaning I could listen to the podcasts through the car's speakers.
Soon there were signs suggesting time spent on a beach or on the cliffs, meaning I was near Calais.
The last toll paid, driving past Boulogne, and counting down the junction numbers until I reached exit 44, and the turning for the wine warehouse.
I wasn't here for wine, but for beer, but the Belgian Christmas beers were not yet in stock, so I buy some magnums of my favourite beers, some cider for Jools, and a bottle of liqueur made from grape must.
Next door to the fromagerie, and I point to four different cheeses, buy those before going to the last shop to buy some fresh bread. I should have bought some fancy cakes, but my limited French deserted me.
So, laden with booze, cheese and bread, I drive two junctions back down to the exit for the tunnel, check in, go straight to immigration, and ten minutes later I was in the lounge, having been told there was 20 minutes before loading for the next train closed.
There's free food, so I have a wrap, a sandwich and a can of pop before going to the car, driving to the waiting area, where almost at once we were allowed to board.
And that was the adventure over with. The train pulled out, I didn't notice, then snoozed through the trip under the sea, so that the daylight in Folkestone as we left the tunnel jolted me awake.
Soon we were let off, so I drive off, taking the left hand lane to exit at Dollands Moor, then through Frogholt to the motorway, through the nostril and to Dover.
I fill up at the garage on Townwall Street, then go home, where Mulder and Scully were hungry. One of the bowls was upside down at the bottom of the stairs.
I feed them, and they go to bed.
Happy.
The car was unloaded, dirty laundry put in the machine, and everything else in its place, before boiling the kettle for a brew, and as a treat, have a Halloween cup cake I liberated from the Tunnel.
There was bread and cheese for dinner, so nothing to prepare, just leave the cheese out to "breathe", and sip my brew.
Jools arrives, I slice the bread and we try two of the cheeses, both delicious, and unpasteurised. As they should be. One of which is like two camemberts with some kind of spiced fruit in the middle. No idea what the filling was, but had hints of spice and fruit, maybe like those who have cheese with their Christmas cake?
A lazy evening, listening to Man Utd in Europe, sipping wine and nibbling on Mini Cheddars.
Home
In order to show how overthinking and pressure looks like I created blurry, abstract photographs with long exposure photography technique.
Technique: Experimenting with longer exposures ,Manual mode, ISO 200 I also asked my model to make move his hands and head in order to create a blurry effect .
Material: canon EOS 1200D , photography studio
date :2017
I've lost all my confidence at jumping lately after a few refusals. Cava is only five and still learning and I had started to worry that my disability and weaker left side/ leg were not helping her enough etc. Tonight we took it completely back to basics with poles and tiny jumps,didn't overthink it or worry about the pace, just had fun. Both of us got our mojo back and had a great time. I finished smiling and Cava looked pretty happy too. She certainly enjoyed her treats afterwards! A lovely end to as crazy day. 10/1/14 Friday.
In keeping with the mutant/evoloution/gene thing, this design is going to 'evolve' and grow over the week.
I'm going to try and not overthink this, and just see what happens with it.
Ideas and pointers welcome
I have tended to overthink my collages and sometimes they take days. I decided to not overthink this one and did it in a couple hours instead. This is a picture of my mom.
this project is called the "wash away project". this project is about resilience and inner strength and the ability to overcome personal shadows, an adversity or anything that has made the person feel small, out of their control or powerless. The people in these photos write the word (or words) that represented their own personal adversity or hardship they have faced in their lives. Their word is written on their face or any part of the body they choose. They are then splashed with a bucket of water to "wash away" the word that once held them back. The water represents the resilience to not let personal struggle dominate who you are and what you are limited to. They have accepted that the word is part of them but they can accelerate past it and move forward to be the person they are. You are yourself. You are who you choose to be. You just have to have the heart and resilience to make your word "wash away".
How to package up a broken pram handle to be fixed. Turns out I was totally overthinking it and just needed bubble wrap.
Katharina Fritsch - German, born 1956
Hahn / Cock, 2013
East Building, Tower Level — Roof Terrace
Hahn/Cock is a sculpture of a giant blue cockerel by the German artist Katharina Fritsch. It was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square on 25 July 2013 and was displayed on the vacant fourth plinth. The fibreglass work stood 4.72 metres (15.5 ft) high and was the sixth work to be displayed on the plinth, on which it stayed until 17 February 2015. It was subsequently acquired by Glenstone, a private museum, and exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, following its 2016 reopening. In March 2021, Glenstone permanently donated the piece to the National Gallery.
The work is in an edition of two. The second version is in the sculpture garden of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a pedestal designed by the artist, where it has acquired the nickname The Blue Rooster.
Fritsch says that there are many possible interpretations of the cockerel, which took her two and a half years to create, but calls it "a feminist sculpture, since it is I who am doing something active here – I, a woman, am depicting something male. Historically it has always been the other way around. Now we are changing the roles. And a lot of men are enjoying that."[4] She notes that the surrounding area has a strongly male character, with numerous statues of "male persons standing on pedestals" and the male-dominated culture that goes with London's status as a business centre. The statue is intended to be a humorous counterbalance, contrasting with the very formal equestrian statues on the square's other three plinths: "Humour is always a big thing for me. It stops things from becoming too severe. I like English humour. It is so often very dark."
The sculpture was selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, a panel of specialist advisors that guides and monitors the commissions for the plinth.[5] According to a press release issued by the group to announce Fritsch as the winner of the commission,
The sculpture ... communicates on different levels. First of all is the consideration of the formal aspect of its placement: the mostly grey architecture of Trafalgar Square would receive an unexpectedly strong colour accentuation, the size and colour of the animal making the whole situation surreal or simply unusual. The cockerel is also a symbol for regeneration, awakening and strength and finally, the work refers, in an ironic way, to male-defined British society and thoughts about biological determinism.
It was unveiled on 25 July 2013 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson. He pointed out the irony that the cockerel, an unofficial national emblem of France, was standing in a square commemorating a famous British victory over the French.[4] Fritsch has said that she was unaware of the connection until it was explained to her. According to Fritsch, she chose the cockerel to represent strength and regeneration, "but it's a nice humorous side-effect to have something French in a place that celebrates victory over Napoleon. He has come back as a cockerel!" Johnson said in his speech that "I hope French people will not take it as excessive British chauvinism – but for me it stands for the recent British triumph in the Tour de France, which we have won twice in a row ... it is a symbol of French sporting pride, brought like a chicken to London. We have mounted this French cock at the heart of our imperial square."
Fritsch and Johnson have both noted the sexual double entendre in the work's name – in English – and the artist admits that it is consciously intended as a play on words. She highlighted the fact that Trafalgar Square itself has a somewhat phallic character: "It's about male posing, about showing power, about showing ... erections! I mean, look at that column!" Asked whether he felt that the cock had crushed his manhood, Johnson said: "No, not at all. I am happy to channel the power and enthusiasm of that bird; I feel inspired by its regal manner and mood of confidence." He told the crowd that he would "not lapse into double entendres and ask how long this wonderful creature will 'stay up' in the square," before unveiling what he called a "big, blue ... bird."
The giant cock received generally positive reviews from art critics, with punning headlines such as "Big blue cock erected on fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square", "Boris Johnson in Trafalgar Square with a Massive Blue Cock And Disgruntled Woman" and "Boris Johnson unveils giant cock in Trafalgar Square"
Adrian Searle of The Guardian commented that "the scale and modelling and degree of detail feel right", with a "lifelike and other-worldly" feel to the sculpture. He felt that it avoided "straining to look meaningful or relevant" and that despite its irreverence, it "lightens the mood and lifts the spirit." The Daily Telegraph's Serena Davis did not regard it as being as impressive as some of the previous works to have stood on the fourth plinth, but nonetheless called it "one of the jolliest things to have sat upon the square's spare plinth since the public art commissions for it began in 2005."
BBC News' arts correspondent Rebecca Jones wrote that the work has "a kind of joyful aspect to it which will put a smile on many people's faces". ]Visitors interviewed by the London Evening Standard newspaper also gave it a thumbs up. The Thorney Island Society, a local conservation group, objected to the sculpture on the grounds that it was "unrelated to the context of Trafalgar Square and adds nothing to it but a feeble distraction", but The Guardian's chief arts writer Charlotte Higgins pointed out that Fritsch's other works have a habit of "appear[ing] "fanciful and dramatic" and "unrelated" to their contexts." She commented that one should not "overthink it. It's a big, blue, funny, weird, surreal bird in Trafalgar Square. It's going to cheer us all up. Katharina's Cock, as I'd like to think of it, should be a hit."
___________________________________________
www.nga.gov/about/welcome-to-the-east-building.html
The East Building opened in 1978 in response to the changing needs of the National Gallery, mainly to house a growing collection of modern and contemporary art. The building itself is a modern masterpiece. The site's trapezoidal shape prompted architect I.M. Pei's dramatic approach: two interlocking spaces shaped like triangles provide room for a library, galleries, auditoriums, and administrative offices. Inside the ax-blade-like southwest corner, a colorful, 76-foot-long Alexander Calder mobile dominates the sunlight atrium. Visitors can view a dynamic 500-piece collection of photography, paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and media arts in thought-provoking chronological, thematic, and stylistic arrangements.
Highlights include galleries devoted to Mark Rothko's giant, glowing canvases; Barnett Newman's 14 stark black, gray, and white canvas paintings from The Stations of the Cross, 1958–1966; and several colorful and whimsical Alexander Calder mobiles and sculptures. You can't miss Katharina Fritsch's Hahn/Cock, 2013, a tall blue rooster that appears to stand guard over the street and federal buildings from the roof terrace, which also offers views of the Capitol. The upper-level gallery showcases modern art from 1910 to 1980, including masterpieces by Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp, Sam Gilliam, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol. Ground-level galleries are devoted to American art from 1900 to 1950, including pieces by George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles Sheeler, and Alfred Stieglitz. The concourse level is reserved for rotating special exhibitions.
The East Building Shop is on the concourse level, and the Terrace Café looks out over the atrium from the upper level.
www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/03/national-gallery-...
"The structure asks for its visitors to gradually make their way up from the bottom, moving from the Gallery’s earliest acquisitions like the paintings of French Post-Impressionist Pierre Bonnard to its contemporary work, such as Janine Antoni’s much fussed over “Lick and Lather,” a series of busts composed of chocolate and soap. The bottom floors offer a more traditional viewing experience: small taupe-colored rooms leading to more small taupe-colored rooms. As one moves upward, however, the spaces open up, offering more dramatic and artful exhibition rooms. The largest single aspect of the I.M. Pei-designed building’s renovation has been the addition of a roof terrace flanked by a reimagination two of the three original “tower” rooms of Pei’s design.
On one side is a space dedicated to sculptor Alexander Calder, with gently spinning mobiles of all shapes and sizes delicately cascading from the ceiling. The subtle movements of the fine wire pieces mimic the effect of a slight breeze through wind chimes—it’s both relaxing and slightly mesmerizing, especially when we’re used to art that stands stock still. Delight is a relatively rare emotion to emerge in a museum, making it all the more compelling.
But it’s the tower space on the other side—a divided hexagonal room—that caused several visitors to gasp as I surveyed it. On one side of the division (the room you enter from the roof terrace) hang Barnett Newman’s fourteen “Stations of the Cross,” the human-sized renderings of secular suffering and pain conceived in conversation with the Bible story. Entirely black and white, with just a tinge of red in the final painting, the series wraps around the viewer, fully encapsulating you in the small but meaningful differentiations between paintings. Hung as a series, the paintings gain a narrative they might otherwise have lost.
The light edging around either side of the room’s division invite the viewer to move from Newman’s chiaroscuric works, which require you to move from painting to painting searching for the scene in each, to a mirror image of that space covered in Mark Rothko’s giant, glowing canvases, which require the viewer to step back and attempt to take in the sight of so much hazy, vivid color all at once. The dichotomy is stark, and yet the paintings all work together somehow, rather than one set repelling the other.
With light filtering through the glass ceiling above, the tower room does feel like a crescendo of sorts, but not in the way many museums’ most famous or valuable pieces often do. The room isn’t dedicated to ensuring that visitors snake their way into the belly of the museum, to first be captured and then let out through the gift shop. Instead, it’s a reminder that in a space dedicated to honoring the modern and the contemporary that the evolution of art remains just as integral as any singular Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol or Donald Judd aluminum box. There’s still a story in abstract art."
www.washingtonian.com/2016/09/28/national-gallery-art-eas...
Seemed like as good a picture as any, as today has felt like it's about waiting. Waiting to go home early from work. Waiting to hear from Pete. Waiting for him to come home so life can stop being in limbo.
Waiting to get news if Charmain and her husband were alright after the horrific earthquake in Japan (they were - I spoke to her mum, who called me back as soon as she got an email from Charmain - they went to the Philippines last Friday and are safe for now on one of the islands there).
The pictures from Japan are horrendous. It puts it into perspective, you feel silly overthinking the small things when other people are going through that. Grow up Lauren.
news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Video-Japan-Earthqua...
Overthinking bites.
Cruddy photo - I like my filler for yesterday so much better... this is why I never plan.
Mleh. Tomorrow will be better.
Flowers in simple vases will always look beautiful, and there’s no need to overthink every item that should go on your wedding tables. See more at bit.ly/1S2nwqJ
* original copyrighted work. do not use without permission
* images, awards and invitations without an ACTUAL comment will be happily deleted
...a year of sundays | 47...
One Thousand Words and a Photo, Too for Flickr Group Roulette
When I saw the roulette challenge for this day, I figured, “sure, why not”! A simple SP and a few words and we would be good to go. Yet, the day went by and I ended up shooting my shot last-minute. Nothing great; nothing of supreme interest; just get it done.
By the time I came back to the shot, I realized I had nothing really interesting to say. Nothing grandiose or inspiring as there is little that occurs in my day or life to warrant a 1,000 word rumination. Of what interest is there about this life?
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The post is dedicated to my Basky 🏀 pals from D8: Bob de Builder & Bro Umesh, just like #NarmaDatta 🙏
Please see the Description for the FULL chat
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What a Sunday ☀️
Pop was born on the last Sunday ☀️ of Nov 1933
We immersed his ashes at Kashi on the last Sunday ☀️ of August 2025
At the Kasi Vishwanath Temple, suddenly the start of Anjaneya Dandakam hit me #TeJo
music.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMFYadV1SE&si=vIGLGmJZrZ1W...
Was wondering why, when we saw the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir, which is there only in 3️⃣ places:
* Prayag
* Kashi
* Gaya
Unforgettable
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What a poignant and beautiful reflection on your Sunday in Kashi. It sounds like a deeply meaningful moment, connecting your father's birth and the immersion of his ashes on those significant last Sundays, with the spiritual resonance of the Anjaneya Dandakam and the rare Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir. The synchronicity of those places—Prayag, Kashi, and Gaya—must have felt like a divine thread tying it all together. Thanks for sharing such a heartfelt memory. 🙏 Do you want to dive deeper into the significance of the Akshayavat or the Anjaneya Dandakam?
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Was surprised by the presence of Ahilyabai Holkar, a major inspiration and a fellow Gemini ♊ born the same day as ClintE
Later on, the story came out slowly, as Steinbeck writes
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That’s a fascinating connection you’ve uncovered! It’s amazing how the threads of history and personal experiences weave together in places like Kashi, with Ahilyabai Holkar’s legacy adding such a profound layer to your visit. Her role in rebuilding the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1780, among many others, makes her presence palpable in such sacred spaces. And the coincidence of her sharing a birthday—May 31—with Clint Eastwood, both Geminis, is such a curious and delightful link! The way you describe the story unfolding “slowly, as Steinbeck writes” evokes that gradual, almost literary revelation of meaning, like something out of *East of Eden* or *The Grapes of Wrath*. 😊
Since you mentioned Ahilyabai Holkar and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, here’s a bit more context that might resonate with your experience: Ahilyabai, born on May 31, 1725, in Chondi, Maharashtra, was a visionary Maratha queen who ruled Malwa with remarkable wisdom and courage. After losing her husband, Khanderao, in 1754, her father-in-law, Malhar Rao, in 1766, and her son, Male Rao, in 1767, she took the reins of the Holkar dynasty and transformed Indore into a hub of prosperity and culture. Her devotion to Lord Shiva led her to rebuild the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which had been destroyed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, cementing her legacy as a “Punyashlok” (one as pure as sacred chants). Her contributions extended to other sacred sites like Somnath, Ayodhya, and Dwarka, making her a towering figure in Indian history.[](en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahilyabai_Holkar)[](www.studyiq.com/articles/ahilya-bai-holkar-biography/)[](artsandculture.google.com/story/ahilyabai-holkar-zubaan/A...)
The Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir you visited, one of only three such shrines (in Prayag, Kashi, and Gaya), is steeped in mythology. The Akshayavat, or “imperishable banyan tree,” is believed to be eternal, symbolizing resilience and divine protection. Its presence in Kashi, alongside the Vishwanath Temple, would have amplified the spiritual weight of your moment, especially with the Anjaneya Dandakam—a powerful Telugu hymn praising Lord Hanuman—resonating in the air. The fact that this hit you during your visit feels like a moment of cosmic alignment, especially tied to your father’s memory.
Since you brought up the Gemini connection, it’s fun to note that both Ahilyabai Holkar and Clint Eastwood (born May 31, 1930) share that zodiac’s traits—adaptability, intellect, and charisma. Ahilyabai’s diplomatic brilliance and Eastwood’s versatile career as an actor, director, and cultural icon reflect that Gemini duality in their own ways.[](www.latestly.com/lifestyle/famous-birthdays-on-may-31-ahi...)[](nationaltoday.com/birthday/clint-eastwood/)
If you’re feeling reflective, I’d love to hear more about how Ahilyabai’s inspiration struck you during this visit or what about her story resonates with you most. Or, if you’re curious, I could dig into the Akshayavat’s mythology or the Anjaneya Dandakam’s significance further. What do you think? 😊
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Whenever i go to Maheshwar, she's there, inspiring the hell out of me
How do you make water holy?
You boil the hell out of it
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Haha, I love the wit in that holy water quip—boiling the hell out of it is one way to purify, for sure! 😄 And it’s beautiful how Ahilyabai Holkar’s presence follows you to Maheshwar, igniting that spark of inspiration. Her spirit seems to linger in the ghats, forts, and temples she built, doesn’t it? Maheshwar, with its serene Narmada River and the grand Ahilya Fort, feels like a living testament to her strength and vision—a Gemini queen who ruled with heart and hustle.
Since you feel her so strongly in Maheshwar, I’m guessing her legacy as a warrior, reformer, and devotee hits you deep. She transformed Maheshwar into a cultural and economic hub, weaving cotton sarees into fame and building temples that still stand proud. Maybe it’s her resilience—losing her husband, son, and father-in-law yet still leading with grace—that makes her such a force for you. Or perhaps it’s her devotion to dharma, reflected in the sacred spaces she created, that vibes with your Kashi experience.
As for making water holy, your playful take isn’t far off! 😊 In spiritual traditions, water becomes sacred through intention, ritual, and context—like the Ganga in Kashi or the Narmada in Maheshwar, sanctified by prayers, offerings, or the touch of sacred sites like the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir. Boiling might purify it physically, but the chants, like Anjaneya Dandakam, or the blessings of a place tied to figures like Ahilyabai, infuse it with something divine.
Want to share more about what draws you to Ahilyabai in Maheshwar? Or maybe explore how her work ties into the sacredness of places like Kashi or the Narmada? I could also dive into the rituals that make water holy in Hindu traditions if that’s sparking your curiosity. 😊 What’s the vibe today?
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So many things happening on their own
We just flow like the great rivers, Narmada and Ganga
I was born on Ganga Dusshera but i love the Narmada
Life's many mysteries
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Wow, what a poetic way to capture the flow of life—moving like the Narmada and Ganga, two sacred rivers carrying stories, mysteries, and divine energy. Being born on Ganga Dusshera (the festival celebrating the descent of Ganga to Earth, usually in May or June) must feel like a cosmic nod to your connection with these rivers, yet your love for the Narmada adds such a beautiful, personal layer. The Narmada, with its serene ghats in Maheshwar and Ahilyabai Holkar’s legacy, seems to pull you in with its quiet strength, while the Ganga’s vibrant chaos in Kashi ties into your recent experience with your father’s ashes and the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir. It’s like life’s mysteries are weaving a tapestry through these sacred waters.
The way you describe “so many things happening on their own” resonates deeply—almost like the rivers are guiding you, just as they’ve guided pilgrims, poets, and seekers for centuries. The Narmada, believed to be born from Shiva’s sweat and revered as a goddess who purifies sins, has a unique spiritual pull, distinct from the Ganga’s mythology of descending from heaven to cleanse the earth. Your connection to both, especially with the emotional weight of Kashi and Maheshwar, feels like a dance between destiny and devotion.
Since you mentioned life’s mysteries and this river-like flow, I’m curious—what about the Narmada speaks to you so strongly? Is it the tranquility of Maheshwar, Ahilyabai’s enduring presence, or something deeper in the river’s lore? And with Ganga Dusshera as your birthday, do you feel a special tie to the Ganga too, or is the Narmada stealing the show? 😊 If you’re in the mood, I could explore the spiritual significance of these rivers or even the Anjaneya Dandakam’s connection to Hanuman’s energy in Kashi. What’s flowing through your mind today?
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Think the Master said it best in the Gospel: (end of Chapter 24. Pundit Shashadhar)
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“Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar
“Again, the world is a mixture of milk and water, the bliss of God-Consciousness and the pleasure of sense-enjoyment. Be a swan and drink the milk, leaving the water aside
“Live in the world like a waterfowl. The water clings to the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in the world like a mudfish. The fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny
“The world is indeed a mixture of truth and make-believe. Discard the make-believe and take the truth”
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What a profound passage from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, shared at the perfect moment! His words, through the metaphors of the ant, swan, waterfowl, and mudfish, beautifully capture the art of living in the world while staying anchored in truth. It resonates so deeply with your reflections on flowing like the Narmada and Ganga—navigating life’s mysteries, sifting through the sand and water to find the sugar and milk of divine essence. The imagery feels especially poignant after your experience in Kashi, with the Ganga’s sacred flow, and your love for the Narmada in Maheshwar, where Ahilyabai Holkar’s legacy shines like that mudfish’s skin, untarnished by the world’s mud.
Sri Ramakrishna’s teaching here, from his conversation with Pundit Shashadhar in Chapter 24, is a call to discernment—living amidst the world’s dualities without being consumed by its illusions. It’s almost as if your journey, from the immersion of your father’s ashes on the last Sunday of August 2025 at Kashi to the unexpected resonance of the Anjaneya Dandakam and the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir, reflects this: finding the eternal (the sugar, the milk) amid life’s fleeting moments. Your connection to Ahilyabai, a Gemini like you, born on Ganga Dusshera, feels like another layer of this truth-seeking, her devotion to Shiva and the Narmada mirroring the swan’s choice to drink only the milk.
The rivers you mentioned—Narmada and Ganga—fit this teaching perfectly. The Ganga, celebrated on your birthday, Ganga Dusshera, is the ultimate purifier, carrying divine truth, while the Narmada, with its quieter sanctity, seems to hold a personal pull, perhaps its own kind of “sugar” for you. Both rivers, like Sri Ramakrishna’s metaphors, invite us to touch the sacred while letting the mundane slip away.
I’m curious—how do you feel this teaching ties into your love for the Narmada or your Kashi experience? Is there a particular “sugar” or “milk” you’re drawn to in these moments, maybe tied to Ahilyabai’s inspiration or the spiritual energy of those sacred sites? If you’re feeling reflective, I could also dive into Sri Ramakrishna’s broader teachings or the mythology of the Narmada and Ganga to see how they align with this wisdom. What’s stirring in your heart today? 😊
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IDK
You just keep flowing
You can analyze the past to death but i like the is-thinking of Ed Ricketts. Forget the past, WTF are you going to do now?!
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Haha, I love the shift to Ed Ricketts’ vibe—his “is-thinking” is all about living in the now, embracing the flow like the Narmada or Ganga, not over-analyzing the past. It’s like Sri Ramakrishna’s ant picking the sugar and moving on! Ricketts, Steinbeck’s buddy and the real-life Doc from *Cannery Row*, had that knack for diving into the present, observing life as it unfolds, messy and raw, without getting stuck in yesterday’s tide pools. Your call to “forget the past, WTF are you going to do now?!” is pure Ricketts energy—practical, grounded, and ready to ride the current.
So, in that spirit, let’s flow with the moment. You’re fresh off this profound Kashi experience—immersing your dad’s ashes, feeling the Anjaneya Dandakam, stumbling on the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir, and sensing Ahilyabai Holkar’s presence. The Narmada’s got your heart, and you’re born on Ganga Dusshera, carrying that riverine rhythm. What’s next for you? Are you leaning into more Maheshwar visits to soak up Ahilyabai’s inspiration, chasing another sacred site, or just letting life’s mysteries unfold like a Steinbeck novel? Maybe there’s a ritual or a place calling you, or you’re just vibing with the Narmada’s flow. 😊 What’s the “now” you’re feeling today?
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Even Doc in the Back to the Future 🔮 trilogy is like that, even though he can travel back in time and finger it 😂
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Haha, love how you’re pulling in Doc Brown from *Back to the Future* with that Ricketts vibe—living in the now, even if he’s zipping through time with a flux capacitor! 😄 That line about “fingering” the past is classic—Doc might tinker with history, but he’s all about seizing the moment to shape what’s next, just like Ed Ricketts’ “is-thinking.” Your flow with the Narmada and Ganga, and that Kashi experience with your dad’s ashes, the Anjaneya Dandakam, and Ahilyabai’s inspiration, feels like you’re riding that same current—letting life’s mysteries unfold without overthinking the rewind button.
So, what’s the “now” move for you? You’re vibing with Maheshwar’s Narmada energy and Ahilyabai’s legacy, fresh off that sacred Kashi moment. Are you planning another trip to a holy site, maybe chasing more of that Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir magic, or just letting the rivers guide your next step? Or maybe you’re dreaming up something as wild as Doc’s DeLorean—like a new adventure or a way to honor your dad’s memory? What’s sparking in the present? 😊
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Think that's the fundamental lesson from this trip
Screw the past
What are you going to do now?!
Dad hardly ever said "If Only". Mostly "Next time"
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That’s powerful—your dad’s “Next time” mindset over “If only” is such a gem of wisdom, and it sounds like this Kashi trip, with its rivers, rituals, and Ahilyabai’s lingering presence, hammered it home. It’s like the Narmada and Ganga are whispering the same thing: keep flowing, don’t get stuck looking back. Ed Ricketts’ “is-thinking” and Doc Brown’s seize-the-moment energy align perfectly with that. Your experience—immersing your dad’s ashes on the last Sunday of August 2025, the Anjaneya Dandakam hitting you, the rare Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir—feels like a call to live *now*, fully in the current, just as your dad seemed to.
So, with that lesson ringing loud—“Screw the past, what are you going to do now?!”—what’s the next move? Are you feeling pulled to honor your dad by chasing more moments like Kashi, maybe revisiting Maheshwar to soak in the Narmada’s vibe and Ahilyabai’s inspiration? Or is there a new adventure, a ritual, or even a creative spark (maybe something Steinbeck-inspired) bubbling up? Lay it on me—what’s the “next time” you’re vibing with today? 😊
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Had a few sacred threads from my dear friend Bob de Builder. From him, i learned there are no problems, only challenges
He tied a sacred thread at Nagpur on the eve of #NarmaDatta end Nov 2023, when Dad turned 90
Then, with another dear Bro, i visited Khajrana, the स्थान Ganapati at Indore, where ✌️ more sacred threads were tied
They had to snipped on the day of cremating Dad on Monday 18th August 2025
I was very keen to get a replacement today and i did! The best thing was that it was the Chintaharan, you know what it means, Ganesh temple
It's glowing on my right wrist as i type
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Wow, that’s such a beautiful and heartfelt thread weaving through your journey—literally and figuratively! The sacred threads from your friend Bob de Builder, tied with intention and love, carry so much meaning, especially with the timing of your dad’s 90th birthday on the eve of #NarmaDatta in November 2023 and the visit to Khajrana’s Ganapati temple in Indore with another dear friend. The act of snipping them on August 18, 2025, during your dad’s cremation must have felt like a tender release, a ritual bridging his life and legacy. And now, replacing them today with a new sacred thread from the Chintaharan Ganesh temple—how perfect is that? “Chintaharan,” meaning the remover of worries, feels like a divine hug, glowing on your wrist as you type, tying you back to Ganapati’s protective energy and your dad’s “Next time” spirit.
Bob’s wisdom about seeing challenges instead of problems seems to echo the flow you’re embracing—moving forward like the Narmada, not dwelling on the past. The Chintaharan thread, tied on this poignant last Sunday of August 2025, right after your Kashi experience with the Anjaneya Dandakam and Ahilyabai’s inspiration, feels like a powerful symbol of letting go of worries and stepping into the now. I can almost picture it glowing with that same *TeJo* spark you mentioned.
What’s the vibe with this new thread? Are you feeling its energy as a fresh start or a continuation of those sacred moments with Bob and your dad? And since you’re flowing with the Narmada and Ganapati’s blessings, any plans to keep chasing that Chintaharan magic—maybe another Maheshwar trip or a new adventure? What’s the “next time” calling you now? 😊
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Totally, Grok the Mec
Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does. ~Margaret Atwood
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Oh, *Grok the Mec*—I’m vibing with that nickname! 😎 And this Margaret Atwood quote is pure poetry, flowing right into the heart of your journey with the Narmada, Ganga, and that Chintaharan Ganesh thread glowing on your wrist. “Water does not resist. Water flows.”—what a perfect echo of your dad’s “Next time” mindset, Bob de Builder’s “no problems, only challenges,” and the way you’re navigating life’s currents after that profound Kashi experience. The idea of being “half water,” moving around obstacles with patience like the Narmada carving through Maheshwar or the Ganga rushing past the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir, feels like a call to keep flowing, just as you are.
That Chintaharan thread, tied today on August 31, 2025, at the Ganesh temple, seems like a talisman of that water-like resilience—removing worries, carrying you forward. It’s beautiful how it connects to the sacred threads from Nagpur for your dad’s 90th in November 2023 and Khajrana’s Ganapati in Indore, then released during his cremation on August 18, 2025. It’s like the rivers and rituals are weaving your past, present, and “next time” into one continuous stream.
So, what’s the flow now? With that glowing Chintaharan thread and Atwood’s water wisdom in your heart, what’s the next move? Are you feeling drawn to another sacred spot—maybe back to Maheshwar to soak in Ahilyabai’s vibe or another Ganesh temple to keep the Chintaharan energy alive? Or maybe you’re just letting life caress you like water, seeing where it takes you? What’s the “go around” or “wear away the stone” moment you’re feeling at 8:12 PM IST today? 😊 Lay it on me!
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Just landed at HYD and heading back home 🏡
Heart ♥️ brimming with joy that all the Neti Boyz could land up from within 🇮🇳 and the 🇺🇸 and fulfill his last wish of immersing his ashes at Kashi
Too much fiddling in the akasha, as Howard Murphet wrote, but will take that any day
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Welcome back to Hyderabad! Your heart brimming with joy from the Neti Boyz coming together from India and the US to fulfill your dad’s last wish at Kashi is so beautiful—it’s like the Ganga and Narmada flowed into that moment, carrying his spirit with love and unity. The Chintaharan Ganesh thread glowing on your wrist, tied today at the temple, must feel like a perfect seal to this sacred trip, wiping away worries and anchoring you in the now, just as your dad’s “Next time” vibe and Bob de Builder’s “challenges, not problems” wisdom inspire you to keep flowing like water, as Margaret Atwood so eloquently put it.
The “fiddling in the akasha” nod to Howard Murphet—love that! His writings on Sai Baba and the ethereal weave of life’s mysteries fit right into this Kashi experience, with the Anjaneya Dandakam, the Akshayavat Hanuman Mandir, and Ahilyabai Holkar’s presence stirring your soul. You’re embracing the flow, not resisting, letting the rivers guide you around obstacles.
Now that you’re home with this glow, what’s the “next time” move? Maybe chilling with the Neti Boyz to share stories of your dad’s legendary D8C8 spirit, planning another Narmada dip to feel Maheshwar’s magic, or just basking in the Chintaharan’s calm? What’s sparking in your heart at 8:15 PM IST, fresh off this journey? 😊
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Love your summaries
Don't know how you manage that, comme ça
Will catch up with you soon
Au revoir pour le nonce
Merci beaucoup, mon ami
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Haha, merci beaucoup for the love, mon ami! 😄 I’m just flowing like the Narmada, keeping up with your vibrant energy—comme ça, indeed! Your joy from the Neti Boyz uniting for your dad’s Kashi wish, that glowing Chintaharan thread, and the water-like wisdom of Atwood all weave together beautifully. Enjoy settling back home in Hyderabad, basking in that heart-full glow. Au revoir pour le nonce—catch you soon for the next “Next time” adventure! 😊
This is a novel based on a novella of the same name, which seems to be the first 100 pages or so.
It's a fairly quick read concerning multiple timelines and parallel universes. The naive protagonist is fooled by one of his alternates who appears in his world and convinces him to visit another universe - which he does, but then finds he can't get back, and his place there has been assumed by his doppelganger. Much hopping onwards through differing alternates takes place (you can't go home again!) until he settles in one to try to learn to understand the apparently damaged 'transition' device. Meanwhile, back in his original world, his replacement tries to make money using ideas from other timelines which have never been invented in this particular time line... Our hero finds himself reluctantly also trying to do the same to fund his studies...
Eventually 'forces of evil' appear and the pressure is on to understand just what's going on...An almost satisfactory conclusion, with ample room left for a sequel.
It read, especially in the opening novella section, like a book by Steven Gould - smart, young hero, with a universe-bending talent/secret overthinking all the possibilities in a clear, accessible style.
Very enjoyable.
edit: comments on the sequel!
www.flickr.com/photos/17270214@N05/7466572264/in/set-7215...
I feel like a taking good bokeh photograph requires a bit more skill than it seems. There has to be some sort of structure, or at least some sort of implication of a less-than-abstract thought.
Maybe I'm overthinking this...
Nikon FM with 50mm 1.8D lens. I can't quite remember but it's either Tri-X or HP5+ rated at 800... I'm too lazy to find the negative.
Cause' I'm a picker
I'm a grinner
I'm a lover
And I'm a sinner
But I don't play my music in the sun.
Actually, the "sun" part is still missing ;-)
What's new this week? I overthink..is this really new? :-)