View allAll Photos Tagged Simple
Vienna, Austria
I love how most places in Europe have glass soda bottles
I wish we still had them here in America. (I mean, I know we have those special, vintage-edition ones at supermarkets but they are expensive, whereas in Europe, they're just the standard)
and also, everything tastes better in a glass bottle. Fact.
taken at one of the remote village in Flores island,This boy just got back and brought Banana for his families Breakfast...he made a yummy fried Banana....
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The Simple Life?
A "road trip" for the Amish means more than taking a quick shower, racing to the dryer to pull out freshly cleaned clothes to wear and patting on some makeup before turning out the lights on your way out and turning the key to the engine - stopping briefly on your way out of town to gas up the car.
The horse has to be fed, watered, kept in shape, hooves shod, well trained and well behaved. Then you also have to do upkeep on the carriage and make sure any rotting or drying leather is repaired or replaced. Then you have to take the time to brush the horse to get off any loose dirt that can rub a sore into its withers or elsewhere when it is tacked up. You also have to know how the tack goes on and get it on securely but not too tight.
Your children are finally all fed and cleaned up and dressed - we won't even go into how long that took without electric or modern conveniences... just picture the clotheslines dotting the Amish country with handwashed clothes swaying in the breeze. You too, are finally ready to go, with your nice dress and bonnet.
That horse has to be kept steady when there is a semi truck riding too close behind or barreling down the road toward it head on. After all, you have precious cargo in that carriage... and no seat belts. No adjustable seats for you. No shocks to absorb the pavement - for you, your family or the horse.
How long does it take to drive into town when you average 5-8 mph? Try it sometime. They were at least 15 miles from the nearest small town in the direction they were headed. 2-1/2 hours in to town to do their business and pick up supplies and then 2-1/2 hours drive back home. Can you imagine how many times you might hear, "Are we there yet?"
They can't lock up the carriage when they are in town so they carry their purchases from store to store. Their horse is expected to stand patiently, while flies pester it. Then expected to get them safely back home. No cell phone to call anyone for help should they lose a wheel or the horse go lame. No, they don't just pull a car into the garage and forget it when they get home. They carefully remove the tack, brush out the horse and make sure it has plenty of hand raked hay and water for the night.... all before sitting down at their own supper.
And yet, it is a simpler life. Where you know what goes into cleaning your clothes, into the foods that you eat, how things work and how to appreciate what God gave you.
If you have a trip planned to Amish country, make sure you get up early one morning and go for a walk. When you hear the clop clop clop of the horse's hooves hitting the pavement, I hope it makes you think about the lives of the people and animals who live that way and I hope you appreciate all they have to offer.
There's nothing quite as rewarding as being among them and feeling that peace.
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Copyright: Jenny Gandert
The morning light catching on our kitchen cupboards. A simple and minimalistic composition. © Nicole S. Young
In one of Kolkatas moslem areas the floor of the street is decorated with paintings and bowls to celebrate the New Year.
As Priya Sharma wrote me it is called Rangoli :
Rangoli, also known as Kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali (Deepawali), Onam, Pongal and other Indian festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities. Designs are passed from one generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. Similar practices are followed in different states of India: Rangoli in Karnataka, Kolam in Tamil Nadu, Mandana in Rajasthan, Chaookpurna in Chhattisgarh, Alpana in West Bengal, Aripana in Bihar, Chowk pujan in Uttar Pradesh, Muggu in Andhra Pradesh, Golam kolam or kalam in Kerala and others except in North eastern states.
The purpose of rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. Design depictions may also vary as they reflect traditions, folklore and practices that are unique to each area. It is traditionally done by women. Generally, this practice is showcased during occasions such as festivals, auspicious observances, marriage celebrations and other similar milestones and gatherings.
Rangoli designs can be simple geometric shapes, deity impressions, or flower and petal shapes (appropriate for the given celebrations), but they can also be very elaborate designs crafted by numerous people. The base material is usually dry or wet powdered rice or dry flour, to which sindoor (vermilion), haldi (turmeric) and other natural colors can be added. Chemical colors are a modern variation. Other materials include colored sand, red brick powder and even flowers and petals, as in the case of flower rangolis.
Source: Wikipedia
Another photo of this striking building. Also see Simple Abstract 218 (flic.kr/p/2pBaBWF).
The information for my comments below was sourced from Wikipedia.
The Toast Rack, (the Hollings Building), is a Modernist structure in Manchester, England.
Completed in 1960 as the Domestic Trades College, it became part of Manchester Polytechnic, then Manchester Metropolitan University, until closure of the campus in 2013.
Designed by the city architect, Leonard Cecil Howitt, it is known as the Toast Rack due to its distinctive form, which reflects its use as a catering college.
The architecture critic Nikolaus Pevsner described the building as "a perfect piece of pop architecture".
It was Grade II listed in April 1998 by English Heritage who describe the structure as, "a distinctive and memorable building which demonstrates this architect's love of structural gymnastics in a dramatic way".
A semi-circular restaurant block is attached to the west and is informally known as the "Poached Egg".
Manchester Metropolitan University left their Hollings campus in 2013 as they consolidated their facilities towards the city centre.
The building is awaiting redevelopment.