intensify photos on Flickr

Had a great time waking up at 5 AM every day to shoot tunnel view and then driving around down in the valley to Half Dome, Bridalviel Falls, Cook's Meadow and the glorious Cook's Meadow elm tree, Sentinel Bridge, Valley View, Swinging Bridge, and more! Yosemite winters are made for black and whites, and Ansel Adam's ghost haunts the brilliant landscape scenery!

The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

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PARACELSUS AND ENERGY BLOCKAGES...COLMAR..."I got into Meditation because I was inhibited. Turns out I was inhabited!" by Hughes Songe

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Winter fine art landscapes!

Epic Yosemite valley village winter snowstorm!

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

Conflict intensifies by northern star pics

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Manzana - for BCEU by G.Baby Dolls

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I intensified her makeup since this wknd. Much better now ;)

by 6.5st

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Transparency.

The overexposure intensifies the transparency of the petals.

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From basic, Paracelsus went to Colmar where he stayed with Lorenz Frics, the author of popular medical literature- written like Paracelsus treaties in the vernacular. There, however, the similarity ends - Fries work being on common dietetic lines. Though rejoined at Colmar by his pupils- notably Oporinus- Paracelsus soon moved and, after a short stay at Essingen, reached Nuremberg in 1529.

However, he soon moved to Colmar, to stay with an acquaintance, Doctor Melchior Fries. This may have been unfortunate choice, as Fries was a supporter of Avicenna and published a defense of him the following year. Someone other than Paracelsus may have been able to accommodate his host’s support of his authority, but inevitably he quarreled with Fries and departed for Esslingen, south east of Stuttgart. This way was not the only reason for his departure from Colmar. The authorities of that town had refused Paracelsus the right of permanent residence and also did not permit the publication of a manuscript that he had just written. However, something soon went wrong at Esslingen, and for unknown reasons Paracelsus moved to Nuremberg. Here he got involved in the struggle to publish his work on syphilis.

Other version;

At Colmar, Oporinus left his master, exhausted by his demands, and returned to Basle. Despite some attempts by biographers to cast this separation as acrimonious, there is no real evidence that the parting was other than friendly, and Paracelsus even gave to his former secretary a portion of his famous laudanum remedy. Oporinus became a man of fluctuating fortunes: he married four times, and his reputation as scholar and printer apparently did not spare, him from the persistent specter of debt. When Paracelsus posthumous fame began to grow, Oporinus deeply regretted having lent out the book of his former master and never getting them back.

For a time Paracelsus thrived in Colmar. He told Amerbach that he had quickly become busy with patients there, and Oporinus confirms how much Paracelsus was admired in the town. He was welcomed into the humanist circle of the town officials, and befriended the town provost. Hieronimus Boner, and the magistrate, Konrad Wickram. His commitment to clients and his chemical experiments did not prevent him from writing: he dedicated a book on syphilis, paralysis, boils and agues to Boner in June, and another entitled ; On Open and Visible Discases to Wickram in July.

The relationship with Fries was agreeable. Given the Colmar doctor’s Galenist inclinations and veneration of Avicenna, it was inevitable that the two would quarrel sooner or later. Fries‘ s astrological prediction for 1531 contains a jibe against physicians who reject the ancient and claim to each a new kind of medicine, wich was probably a barb meant for Paracelsus. In time he was to accuse his former guest of being a necromancer who did the devil’s work.

Paracelsus influential connections did not help him gain permanent residence in Colmar, for the authorities were aware of his chequered career and controversial ideas, and would not extend the temporary permit required for residing in the town. Not would they allow him to publish his book on syphilis. And so he had no option but move on again, wich he did some so he had no option but to move on again, wich he did some time in the first half of 1529. He travelled to the Duchy of Wurttemberg, east of Alsace, and made his way to the small town of Essingen, close to the ancient family of Hohenheim.

The work on Syphilis From Basle, Paracelsus went to Colmar where he stayed with Lorenz Fries”, the author of popular medical literature – written like Paracelsus' treatises in the vernacular.” There, however, the similarity ends .

Nuremberg was the town of his hope- the great center of commerce, of artists, artisans and religious reformers. His reputation went before him, however, and and precluded any access to the phalanx of professionals which stood firmly closed against him. He immediately challenged the latter by proposing to cure any patient deemed incurable- in which he miraculously succeeded among nine or five-teen of the lepers of the town. Conceivably this intensified the hostility of his colleagues. Worse than this, he alienated the strong Lutheran orthodoxy. In this view this was just a condemnable a popery. Standing as he did for practicing rather than preaching Christianity, he was bound to take exception to the Lutheran worship of ‘Word’ and ‘Faith’ in contrast to ‘Deed’. The support given by Luther and his Church to social injustice as practiced by the ruling circles in exterminating the rebellious poor, the dissenters and the enthusiasts could not fail to provoke Paracelsus ‘anger and disgust ‘. More than anywhere else, his literally work at Nuremberg went straight against recognized doctrines and ruling opinions.

Paracelsus von Hohenheim (1490-1541) was the outstanding medical therapist of his time and, perhaps, the greatest mystic in the history of Western medicine. He devoted his life to research in the healing arts. Paracelsus visited Constantinople to acquaint himself with the secret practices of the Dervishes and the Sufis.

The following is an excerpt from Paracelsus - His Mystical and Medical Philosophy, by Manly P. Hall, published by the Philosophical Research Society:

[According to Paracelsus]...the elementary energy blockage is an artificial being, created in the invisible worlds by man himself - and some of the guys who do this are really bad people. In harmony with more recent findings, Paracelsus noted that most elementaries energy blockages seem to be of an evil or destructive nature. They are generated from the excesses of human thought and emotion, the corruption of character, or the degeneration of faculties and powers which should be used in other, more constructive ways....

Bad habits, emotions, addictions, irritation - all from energy blockages.

Man is therefore a creator, not merely in terms of the perpetuation of the species, but especially in terms of the imagination. Man is creative in the arts, sciences, and philosophies, but his creative powers are not only external, but also internal. Because he lives, man bestows life, and he can generate creatures from his thoughts and emotions....The power to create is the power of vibration, by which anything is set into a peculiar motion....

The invisible progeny of man include thought-forms and emotion-forms energy blockages . These are like infants or inner children, especially in their beginnings, for they depend upon their creator for their nutrition and survival. Later, however, if the forces which generate continue to operate, these thought and emotion-forms gain strength, finally attaining a kind of independence....Having thus become even stronger than their creator, these thought and emotion-forms energy blockages will turn upon the one who fashioned them, often causing in him a terrible habit or addiction and destroying his health and happiness.

We know that the human psyche can become ridden with pressure centers or pressure-patterns which we call fixations, complexes, phobias, and the like. We know that these negative psychic formation energy blockages are nourished by the continued repetition of the attitudes which caused them. We say that negative attitudes become habitual energy blockages, by degrees taking over and destroying the mental and emotional integrity of the individual.

A fixation energy blockage, well nourished by attitudes suitable for its perpetuation, intensifies, becoming actually avaricious and resolved to dominate or possess the entire life of its unhappy victim....

Modern thinking therefore, sheds light upon the concept of elementaries energy blockages, extending beyond the basic research of Paracelsus...[He] used the term obsession to signify possession by an entity. Today the term is used to signify possession by an abnormal attitude....Is it possible that the abnormal attitude has gradually become an entity?

...Many persons under psychological obsession energy blockages resist treatment, as though some foreign creature were fighting for its survival in them....

Out of his philosophy of elementaries energy blockages, Paracelsus came to the conclusion that a very large part of what we consider to be disease, results from psychic parasites energy blockages generated by wrong thoughts and emotion - Energy Blockages of this particular type.

There is a process of removing, eliminating, the energy blockages which exhibit Attention seeking behaviour through the Energy Enhancement Process. This is the process of Integrating the mind under the aegis of the Soul, the Higher Self, and by purifying the Nafs, the Talents, the Energy Blockages in Energy Enhancement Level 2 - Eliminate Energy Blockages, and Energy Enhancement Level 3 - Eliminate the Attention Seeking Sub-Personalities and Strategies of the Vampire

ENERGY ENHANCEMENT DESTROYS, REMOVES AND INHIBITS ALL ENERGY BLOCKAGES...

The Kundalini Kriyas and The Five Elemental paths of the Chi of the Taoist masters, like Energy Enhancement, gives the Hidden Taoist Secrets of the Microcosmic AND the Macrocosmic Orbit, The Energy Enhancement Supra Galactic Orbit

These symbols symbolise how to clean all the Chakras through a guided meditation. Helping all parts of the mind including the Unconscious, to become more calm and still.

"To remove the stones in the path of the watercourse. To remove blockages to the flow of your energy" A description of Samyama or Energy Enhancement from the 5000 years old Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the source of Raja Yoga.

The Kundalini Kriyas and The Five Elemental paths of the Chi of the Taoist masters, like Energy Enhancement, teaches how to cleanse the psychic body so that our psyche becomes sensitive and our energy more powerful.

The Kundalini Kriyas and The Five Elemental paths of the Chi of the Taoist masters, like Energy Enhancement, strengthens the psychic circuits and decreases the resistance to the flow of Energy. It helps to build the psychic body, as Gurdjieff called it, "The Body Kesdjian".

The Kundalini Kriyas and The Five Elemental paths of the Chi of the Taoist masters, like Energy Enhancement, are guided meditations to increase sensitivity to energies is given in the next Initiation of the techniques of Energy Enhancement- "The Grounding of Negative Energies." - the Earth Path of the Five Elemental Pathways of the Qi.

Energy Enhancement's first seven Initiations of the full Twenty Eight Initiations consists of Meditation, Shaktipat, Energy Circulation, The Kundalini Kriyas, The Five Elemental Paths Of The Chi Of Chinese Alchemical Taoism, The Grounding Of Negative Energies, Alchemical V.I.T.R.I.O.L and the Art Card Of The Thoth Tarot, Kundalini Energy, Strong Psychic Protection, The Merkaba, Pyramid Protection, Power Tower Protection, The Antahkarana, Soul Fusion, Monadic Infusion, Logos Infusion, the Painless Removal Of Stress, Trauma And Negative Emotion.

www.energyenhancement.org/Paracelsus.htm

We cried colour in abundance by 6.5st

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The Gathering Storm (LCC) by Jimmy Clinch

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The mood was buoyant on their way back to Arrowford. One of the things Thomas had already known about any endeavour, be it warfare or commerce, was that teams intensified effort. He was pleased that the trip had been a catalyst for the bonding of him and his men.

“Rider ahead sir!” Everyone’s necks craned at the news.

“One of our own. Out of Arrowford sir.” The rider was not sparing the whip and was soon among them.

“Master Thomas sir! I have urgent news. The King is Dead.

We have received additional information from the Prince sir, but Stylus has said it was too sensitive for a rider sir. He respectfully advises you to return at haste sir.”

Thomas, Hamas and Gunnar rode on ahead of the men and where greeted at the gate by Stylus branding a scroll emblazoned with the seal of Prince Jarius.

Thomas tore open the seal. “Prince Jarius calls us to arms... The King was murdered... It contains details of our intended deployment... We are at war.” Thomas summarised. “I had not expected things to move so fast.”

“That’s how war’s work.” grunted Gunnar. ”Endless strutting and posturing and then within the blink of an eye all hell breaks loose. Then when the dust settles no one can even remember what it was all about.”

Hamus raised his eyebrows “I expect it’ll be something to do with the murder of the King though.” He replied dryly. “Not exactly spilt milk this time is it.”

Gunnar was now pacing back and forth in the dirt. A soldier’s anxiousness at the talk of war, that was only going to end when he could see his enemy in front of him.

Thomas recognised a man that needed something to do. “Uncle, when the men get back they can have the rest of the day off. But, I want every last man starting at dawn, no exceptions. I will give you the details of how I want to reorganise our army based on what we learned in Toberg.”

“Father, I’m going to need your skills as an artisan, we will discuss what it is we need.”

And Stylus…” Thomas drew Stylus aside while his father and uncle put the horses away. “…I’m in need of someone skilled in discretion.”

“I shall send for him at once sir.” replied Stylus.

[Firepower intensifies] by Ian MacDonald

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Creepy Organ Music Intensifies by Edwin Ruskin Nordrike Parker

75$ and this lovely organ could be yours, you buy it, it doesnt work as the keys are busted but you love the way it looks so you put it in the parlour, then one dark, rainy night you awake to hear organ music, you rush to the parlour and see the organ playing by itself...

P5290341-Edit by Russ200

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South Spain Landscape by Daniel H. Lewis

Sony A7RII Yosemite February Horsetail Falls Firefall! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens SEL24240 by 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography

New facebook for Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscapes!

facebook.com/mcgucken

Sony A7RII Yosemite Horsetail Falls Firefall! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Ansel Adams Tribute!

Follow me on Instagram! instagram.com/45surf

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."--John Muir

Follow me on instagram for more!

The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

Follow me & 45surf!!

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Winter fine art landscapes!

Epic Yosemite valley village winter snowstorm!

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! February Horsetail Firefalls Fine Art!

World of Coca-Cola by lukedrich_photography

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. With an estimated 2018 population of 498,044, it is also the 37th most-populous city in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5.9 million people and the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Atlanta is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia. A small portion of the city extends eastward into neighboring DeKalb County.

Atlanta was originally founded as the terminating stop of a major state-sponsored railroad. With rapid expansion, however, it soon became the convergence point between multiple railroads, spurring its rapid growth. The city's name derives from that of the Western and Atlantic Railroad's local depot, signifying the town's growing reputation as a transportation hub. During the American Civil War, the city was almost entirely burned to the ground in General William T. Sherman's famous March to the Sea. However, the city rose from its ashes and quickly became a national center of commerce and the unofficial capital of the "New South". During the 1950s and 1960s, Atlanta became a major organizing center of the civil rights movement, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and many other locals playing major roles in the movement's leadership. During the modern era, Atlanta has attained international prominence as a major air transportation hub, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998.

Atlanta is rated as a "beta(+)" world city that exerts a moderate impact on global commerce, finance, research, technology, education, media, art, and entertainment. It ranks in the top twenty among world cities and 10th in the nation with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $385 billion. Atlanta's economy is considered diverse, with dominant sectors that include transportation, logistics, professional and business services, media operations, medical services, and information technology. Atlanta has topographic features that include rolling hills and dense tree coverage, earning it the nickname of "the city in a forest." Revitalization of Atlanta's neighborhoods, initially spurred by the 1996 Summer Olympics, has intensified in the 21st century, altering the city's demographics, politics, aesthetics, and culture.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola is a museum, located in Atlanta, Georgia, showcasing the history of The Coca-Cola Company. The 20-acre (81,000 m2) complex opened to the public on May 24, 2007, relocating from and replacing the original exhibit, which was founded in 1990 in Underground Atlanta.

There are various similar World of Coca-Cola stores in locations such as Las Vegas and Disney Springs.

An Intensification drum & bass parts of Konami MSX SCC Games with MIDI-PACv2 by Moonsun Kang

I've significantly strengthened drum & bass parts of Konami SCC games with MIDI-PAC v2

(feat.) OCM + YAMAHA MU80

Youtube Full version here - youtu.be/Zy74v3Ud5vU

NASA Satellites See Sandy Expand as Storm Intensifies by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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For the latest info from NASA on Hurricane Sandy go to: 1.usa.gov/Ti5SgS

NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured this visible image of the massive Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 28 at 1615 UTC (12:02 p.m. EDT). The line of clouds from the Gulf of Mexico north are associated with the cold front that Sandy is merging with. Sandy's western cloud edge is already over the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S.

Credit: NASA GOES Project

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project

Cornflower - Bachelor's Button (Centaurea Cyanus) by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower or bachelor's button, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Europe. In the past, it often grew as a weed in cornfields (in the broad sense of "corn", referring to grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, or oats), hence its name. It is now endangered in its native habitat by agricultural intensification, particularly by over-use of herbicides. However, Centaurea cyanus is now also naturalised in many other parts of the world, including North America and parts of Australia through introduction as an ornamental plant in gardens and as a seed contaminant in crop seeds.

Description

Centaurea cyanus is an annual plant growing to 40–90 cm tall, with grey-green branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate and 1–4 cm long. The flowers are most commonly an intense blue colour and arranged in flowerheads (capitula) of 1.5–3 cm diameter, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. The blue pigment is protocyanin, which in roses is red. Fruits are approx. 3.5 mm long with 2–3 mm long pappus bristles. It flowers all summer.

Distribution

Centaurea cyanus is native to temperate Europe, but is widely naturalized outside its native range.

It has been present in Britain and Ireland as an archaeophyte (ancient introduction) since the Iron Age. In the United Kingdom, it has declined from 264 sites to just 3 sites in the last 50 years.

In reaction to this, the conservation charity Plantlife named it as one of 101 species it would actively work to bring 'back from the brink'.

In the County Clare (VC H9) in Ireland, Centaurea cyanus is recorded in arable fields as very rare and almost extinct, while in the North-East of Ireland, it was abundant before the 1930s.

Genetics and breeding

Centaurea cyanus is a diploid flower (2n = 24). The genetic diversity within populations is high, although there could be a future decline in diversity due to population fragmentation and intensive agriculture. In general, Centaurea cyanus is a self-incompatible species. However, selfing still occurs occasionally, but results in inbreeding depression.

Cultivars

Several cultivars of Centaurea cyanus with varying pastel colours, including pink and purple, have been selected for ornamental purposes. The species is also grown for the cut flower industry in Canada for use by florists. Doubled blue cultivars (such as 'Blue Boy' or 'Blue Diadem') are most commonly used for this purpose, but white, pink, lavender and black (actually a very dark maroon) cultivars are also used, albeit to a lesser extent.

Breeding goals

As for all ornamental plants, important goals of Centaurea cyanus breeding include the induction of phenotypic variation (e.g. in flower coloration, size and shape, foliage characteristics or plant height), higher flower yield, resistance to pests and diseases as well as tolerance to abiotic stress (e.g., extreme temperatures, drought or salinity).

Ecology

Weed in arable crops

Centaurea cyanus is considered a noxious weed in arable crops, especially cereals and rapeseed. In winter wheat, one plant per m2 can cause a yield loss of up to 30 kg / ha. Centaurea cyanus produces around 800 seed per plant, which are either shed shortly before the harvest of cereals, or they are threshed together with the cereal grains, contributing to the further spread of the species by the harvesting machinery and contaminated seed. The occurrence of Centaurea cyanus strongly decreased during the last decades due to improved seed cleaning, more intensive nitrogen fertilization and herbicide use. However, Centaurea cyanus has become more common in cropland due to an increase in crop rotations dominated by winter cereals and rapeseed and the use of more selective herbicides with a low effectiveness against Centaurea cyanus. In addition, the emergence of resistance against the herbicide class of sulfonylureas has been reported recently. Due to its strong roots, Centaurea cyanus is difficult to control mechanically in spring.

Fodder for insects and birds

The pollen of Centaurea cyanus is used by several different insect species. Insects of the orders Hymenoptera and Diptera are particularly attracted by the flower. As Centaurea cyanus is a self-incompatible species, it needs external pollination. The nectar of Centaurea cyanus is very sweet with a sugar content of 34%. Due to its high sugar production of up to 0.2 mg sugar per day and flower, the species is highly appreciated by beekeepers.

The seeds of Centaurea cyanus are one of the favourite foods of the European goldfinch.

Control of insect pests

Centaurea cyanus was found to produce volatiles attracting Microplitis mediator, which is a major parasitoid of the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae), which is the most important pest of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) in central Europe. Planting Centaurea cyanus in cabbage fields as a companion plant was thus suggested as an alternative to the widespread use of insecticides to control Mamestra brassicae. Field experiments showed that planting Centaurea cyanus in cabbage fields at a density of 1 plant / m2 can result in a significant increase in parasitation of Mamestra brassicae larvae, predation of Mamestra brassicae eggs (e.g. by carabid beetles or spiders) and ultimately cabbage yield.

Cultivation

Soil and climate requirements

Centaurea cyanus requires full sun and neutral (pH 6.6–7.5) to mildly alkaline (pH 7.6–7.8), moist and well-drained soil. However, Centaurea cyanus is quite tolerant to drought once established.

Sowing

For summer-blooming plants, sowing should be executed in late spring. In moderate climates, however, it is also possible to sow Centaurea cyanus in early fall. In this case, plants will already start to flower in the following spring. Recommended spacing between plants is approx. 20 to 30 cm. Centaurea cyanus can germinate from up to 10 cm depth, but the best result is obtained at 1 cm sowing depth. Germination occurs quickly after sowing.

Fertilization and cultural practices

High phosphorus fertilization in mid-summer will increase flower production. Mulching is recommended to prevent drying out of the soil and exposure of the root system to the sun.

Pests and diseases

In general, Centaurea cyanus is not very susceptible to pests and plant diseases. However, it may be affected by stem rot and stem rust if grown too tightly or by powdery mildew. Furthermore, aphids and leafhoppers can cause relevant damage to Centaurea cyanus.

Seed harvesting

Seeds are harvested either by hand or, in an agricultural setting, with a seed harvesting machine. On average there are 97,000 seeds in a pound of cornflower seeds.

Hand collecting can be time-consuming and yields are rather low.

A seed harvesting machine is more efficient than collecting the seeds by hand, but it is costly. The main principle of such a machine is that it brushes the ripe seeds off the plant and creates a cross flow fan action that generates sufficient air velocity to hold and gather the seeds into the seed bunker.

Pruning

Deadheading will encourage the plant to produce more blooms. Cornflowers are often used for ornamental purposes and by cutting them, up to their third leaves, they will produce more blooms and grow a bigger stem.

Uses

The flowers of Centaurea cyanus can be eaten raw, dried or cooked. Dried petals are used in foods, including in spices. Their main purpose is to add colour to food. There are cheeses or oils that contain raw petals. Petals can also be added to salads, drinks, or desserts for garnishing purposes in raw or dried form.

Beverages

Dried petals are also used in teas and other beverages. Blue cornflower petals are sometimes one of the ingredients in Lady Grey tea.

Ornamental use

Centaurea cyanus is used as an ornamental plant. There are varieties with blue, white, purple, pink or even black petals.

Pigment

The blue color of Centaurea cyanus is due to protocyanin, an anthocyanin pigment that is also found in roses. Different anthocyanins derived from Centaurea cyanus are used as natural additives in food products, such as yoghurts.

Medicinal purpose

Centaurea cyanus contains a wide range of pharmacologically active compounds, such as flavonoids, anthocyanins and aromatic acids. Especially the flower head finds application in herbal medicine, but leaves and seeds are also used for pharmacological purposes, albeit to a lesser extent.

In particular, extracts from the flower heads have anti-inflammatory properties used in the treatment of minor ocular inflammations. Antioxidant properties are high due to ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds. Furthermore, extracts of the flower head and vegetative parts of the plant were shown to have gastroprotective effects due to their content of quercetin, apigenin and caffeic acid derivates.

Phytoremediation

Centaurea cyanus has been evaluated for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with lead. Inoculation of the contaminated soil with Glomus spp. (fungus) and Pseudomonas spp. (bacterium) would significantly enhance the biomass production and lead uptake of Centaurea cyanus.

Folklore and symbolism

In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's love was not returned.

The blue cornflower was one of the national symbols of Germany. This is partly due to the story that when Queen Louise of Prussia was fleeing Berlin and pursued by Napoleon's forces, she hid her children in a field of cornflowers and kept them quiet by weaving wreaths for them from the flowers. The flower thus became identified with Prussia, not least because it was the same color as the Prussian military uniform. After the unification of Germany in 1871, it went on to become a symbol of the country as a whole. For this reason, in Austria the blue cornflower is a political symbol for pan-German and rightist ideas. It was worn as a secret symbol identifying members of the then-illegal NSDAP in Austria in the 1930s. Members of the Freedom Party wore it at the openings of the Austrian parliament since 2006. After the last general election 2017 they replaced it with the edelweiss.

It was also the favourite flower of Louise's son Kaiser Wilhelm I. Because of its ties to royalty, authors such as Theodor Fontane have used it symbolically, often sarcastically, to comment on the social and political climate of the time.

The cornflower is also often seen as an inspiration for the German Romantic symbol of the Blue Flower.

Due to its traditional association with Germany, the cornflower has been made the official symbol of the annual German-American Steuben Parade.

The blue cornflower has been the national flower of Estonia since 1969 and symbolizes daily bread to Estonians. It is also the symbol of the Estonian Conservative People's Party.

It is also the symbol of the Finnish National Coalition Party, and the Liberal People's Party of Sweden, where it has since the dawn of the 20th century been a symbol for social liberalism.

It is the official flower of the Swedish province of Östergötland and the school flower of Winchester College and also of Dulwich College, where it is said to have been the favourite flower of the founder, Edward Alleyn.

In France the bleuet de France is the symbol of the 11 November 1918 armistice and, as such, a common symbol for veterans (especially the now defunct poilus of World War I), similar to the Remembrance poppies worn in the United Kingdom and in Canada.

The cornflower is also the symbol for motor neurone disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Cornflowers are sometimes worn by Old Harrovians, former pupils of the British Harrow School.

A blue cornflower was used by Corning Glass Works for the initial release of Corning Ware Pyroceram cookware. Its popularity in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia was so high that it became the symbol of Corning Glass Works.

Cranes in the Fog by Charles Pearce

The fog helped intensify the colors of these Sandhill Cranes waiting to take off to get to their feeding grounds at dawn. The fog helps give this image a painterly look as it softens everything and envelopes everything in soft light.

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Ansel Adams Tribute!

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"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."--John Muir

Follow me on instagram for more!

The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

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www.circularchurch.org/history

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

Winter fine art landscapes!

Epic Yosemite valley village winter snowstorm!

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

The Circular Congregational Church (1892) by A.Davey

From the web site of the Circular Church:

The members of Circular Congregational Church are proud to be one of the oldest continuously worshipping congregations in the South.

Highlights:

Charles Towne's original settlers founded this protestant, or dissenting, church about 1681.

The graveyard is the city's oldest burial grounds with monuments dating from 1695.

The first meeting house on this site gave Meeting Street its name.

The third structure here, a vast, circular hall built in 1804, burned in 1861. Bricks from "Old Circular" were used in building the present sanctuary, completed in 1892.

From its beginning more than 300 years ago today, the story of Circular Church has been attached by muscle and sinew to the history of the city around it. The beauty and cultural vigor of antebellum Charleston were intensified in this church. Likewise the calamities and dogged endurance of this church put the trials of the city into high relief.

This congregation was co-founded with Charles Towne, 1680-1685, by the English Congregationalists, Scots Presbyterians, and French Huguenots of the original settlement. In a spirit of diversity and liberality, these "dissenters" erected a Meeting House in the northwest comer of the walled city. The present sanctuary occupies that exact site. The street leading to it was called "Meeting House Street," later shortened to Meeting Street.

The earliest records of the church were lost when a violent hurricane swept them from the manse, located at White Point (the Battery), in 1713.

The only artifact remaining from the 17th century is the brick grave structure of the Simonds family, dating from 1695, found on the south side of the sanctuary. With its large concentration of 18th-century gravestones, the churchyard rewards exploration with rare glimpses into the religious and artistic history of the young, struggling colony.

The slates of the Peronneau family, for example, comprise a graphic history of changing portrayals of death in colonial America. The skull and crossbones of the earliest slates evolve into the skull with wings, the angel's head with wings, and then portrait busts, first primitive and then classical.

A British cannonball burst in the graveyard during Sunday services in 1780, and earthquake, fire, and vandalism have taken their toll. Nevertheless, the recently restored graveyard (a project shared with the Historic Charleston Foundation) is unmatched in the South as a repository of distinguished funerary art.

Independence, Tolerance, and Activism

During the colonial period, this unusual church had no official name, but "suffered itself to be called either Presbyterian, Congregational, or Independent: sometimes by one of the names, sometimes by two of them, and at other times by all the three. We do not find that this church is either Presbyterian, Congregational, or Independent, but somewhat distinct and singular from them all." (Church records, February 5, 1775)

Many of the early ministers hailed from Scotland, England, Wales, and New England. The "old White Meeting House" was enlarged in 1732, only a year after 12 Scots families had moved down the street to start a church with stricter Presbyterian government and doctrine. While many Presbyterians remained, the policy of this church "was not so much to define exactly the particular mode of their discipline, and to bind their hands up to any one stiff form adopted either by Presbyterians, Congregationalists, or Independents, as to be upon a broad dissenting bottom, and to leave ourselves as free as possible from any foreign shackles, that no moderate persons of either denomination might be afraid to join them." (Ibid.)

Shaped by its independent mind and goaded by a colonial government that treated "dissenters" (non-Anglicans) with contempt, this church became a greenhouse for revolutionary sentiment in the colony.

Prominent members of the Meeting House, and its distinguished minister, William Tennent (1772-1777), were frequently heard speaking for political and religious freedom. Tennent took his life in his hands when he made a wide tour of the Carolina backcountry in 1775 to gain subscribers for the cause of independence.

The Church in Exile

When the British captured Charleston in 1780, this church was bitterly rewarded for its love of freedom by the illegal exile of 38 heads of families to St. Augustine (in Spanish territory) and then to Philadelphia. Their families were left destitute in an occupied city. The Meeting House, vacant since the cannonball episode, was used as a British hospital and left a shell.

Yet these years of suffering were a furnace that forged the Independent Church into an Instrument that would exert great influence on the political, religious, and cultural renaissance of its city after independence. In 1782, acting in astonishing faith, the church-in-exile held a congregational meeting in Philadelphia where they made arrangements to call a minister to Charleston "as soon as may be feasible." (Tennent had died in 1777.) Members remaining in Charleston began the week of British evacuation to rebuild the Meeting House.

By 1787, the vigorous congregation had built a second meeting house on Archdale Street to accommodate their growing number. For 25 years, Drs. William Hollinshead and Isacc Keith, co-pastors of the church, preached one sermon in both houses each Sunday, alternating morning and afternoon services.

Circular's Clergy Society was established in 1789 to provide for the support of disabled ministers and their widows and children. It was one of the first such societies in the country. Today, this fund is Circular's Endowment, and it's the means by which we support and maintain a long-term approach to the mission and ministry of the church.

Robert Mills' "Extraordinary" Building

In 1804, the time had come to replace the Meeting Street house with a more commodious building. Martha Laurens Ramsay proposed a circular form and Robert Mills, Charleston's leading architect who also designed the Washington Monument in D.C., completed the plans.

The church he designed was a Pantheon-type building 88 feet in diameter with seven great doors and 26 windows. On its main floor and in the gallery it was said to accommodate 2,000 worshippers! The first major domed building in North America, it was described by one observer in 1818 as "the most extraordinary building in the United States."

However, people made fun of the fact that the church lacked a steeple and for years laughed at the rhyme:

Charleston is a pious place

And full of pious people

They built a church on Meeting Street

But could not raise the steeple.

The people of Circular Church, as it was now popularly called, stopped the laughter in 1838 by raising a New England-style steeple that towered 182 feet above Meeting Street.

The Archdale Street Meeting House separated in 1817 as the Second Independent Church, and in the 1830's it adopted the name Unitarian.

The congregation of Circular Church remained trinitarian under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Benjamin Morgan Palmer (1813-1835). Noteworthy is the fact that Palmer was a special son of this church, born in Philadelphia just two weeks after his parents had been driven into exile there in 1781.

During the "glory days" of 1820-1860, Circular Church had a large congregation of white and black members. The first Sunday School for religious education in South Carolina was started here in 1816, and members founded the Charleston Bible Society, a prototype to the later American Bible Society. The membership included two governors of the state, prominent senators, the editor of the Courier, and many others whose voices made Charleston eloquent and who extended the influence of their church far beyond its walls. It also included many slaves and poor whose names were unknown to anyone beyond its walls.

Those walls of the splendid Circular Church were not long to stand. On December 11, 1861, a great fire started near the Cooper River. During the night, a "hurricane of fire" swept all the way across the city, leaving in its wake the ruins of Old Circular. The Civil War soon followed with its devastating effect. The black members of the church withdrew in 1867 to form Plymouth Congregational Church.

The psychology of defeat continued to demoralize the church for more than a decade, and it was a chastened and much reduced congregation that gathered the brick from the overgrown ruins of the great 1804 meeting house and began erecting a new sanctuary in 1890.

Once again Circular Church raised the eyebrows of the establishment. The building they created from the ruins - our present meeting house - was a radical departure from traditional Charleston architecture. Its Romanesque style, quite modern in 1890, was inspired by Henry Hobart Richardson and designed by Stephenson and Greene of New York City. It bespeaks a spirit of nonconformity and high adventure in a church that was breathing life again.

The building combines two powerful forms: the circle (the exterior plan), reminiscent of the former church and universal symbol of eternity and wholeness, and the Greek Cross (the interior plan), the Christian symbol of death and resurrection. For more than a century this worship space has moved the congregation gathered here to seek the wholeness and integrity of individuals, of the community of faith, and of civic life.

From Independence to Interdependence

The Independent or Circular Church joined the Congregational Association in 1882 and continued its membership when this organization became the United Church of Christ in 1957. Circular also joined the Atlantic Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1968. It is one of the few congregations in the South that expresses its ecumenical commitment by belonging to two denominations, the U.C.C. and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Circular Church fosters active interdependence in the local community as well, trying to be aware of the needs of people on the margins of society. In recent years, this church was instrumental in founding the city's first marriage and family counseling center, Charleston's crisis intervention service (Hotline), Hospice of Charleston, and the Elder Shelter. Space and leadership were provided to the Charleston Interfaith Crisis Ministry, Amnesty International, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Charleston PEACE, and other community organizations.

The congregation, international and multiracial, has been served for over 30 years by "tent-making" (part-time) clergy, a reminder to the congregation that every member is called to priesthood and ministry.

Worship at Circular is enhanced by an exceptional tracker organ built for a church in Boston in 1890 by George S. Hutchings. The organ was moved here and restored in our loft in 1987 by Circular's then organist and choir director, Vernon S. Elliott. Restoration of the sanctuary was achieved in 1987, also largely by members of the congregation.

Source:

Frangipani by peter.carlsen

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St. Nicholas Church, Nicholas Quarter, Mitte, Berlin, Federal Republic Of Germany - Nikolaikirche, Nikolauviertel, Mitte, Berlin, Bundesrepublik Deutschland. by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Church%2C_Berlin

The St. Nikolai-Kirche, (Nikolaikirche or St. Nicholas' Church) is the oldest church in Berlin, the capital of Germany. The church is located in the eastern part of central Berlin, the borough of Mitte. The area around the church, bounded by Spandauer Straße, Rathausstraße, the River Spree and Mühlendamm, is known as the Nikolaiviertel 'Nicholas quarter', and is an area of restored medieval buildings (in some cases recent imitations). The church was built between 1220 and 1230, and is thus, along with the Church of Our Lady at Alexanderplatz not far away, the oldest church in Berlin.

History

Originally a Roman Catholic church, the Church of St. Nicholas became a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation in the Electorate of Brandenburg in 1539. In the 17th century, the prominent hymn-writer Paul Gerhardt was the minister of this church, and the composer Johann Crueger was musical director. The prominent Lutheran theologian Provost Philipp Jacob Spener was the minister from 1691 to 1705. From 1913 to 1923, the minister at the Church of St. Nicholas was Wilhelm Wessel, whose son Horst Wessel later became famous as a Nazi: the family lived in the nearby Jüdenstraße.

On Reformation Day in 1938 (October 31) the church building served its congregation for the last time. Then the building, the oldest structure in Berlin proper, was given up to the government, to be used as a concert hall and ecclesiastical museum. The number of parishioners had shrunk due to the ever intensifying gentrification of the inner city, as residential premises became superseded by offices and shops. The congregation later merged with that of the Church of Our Lady.

During World War II, the Church of St. Nicholas had its roof and the tops of its towers destroyed as a result of Allied bombing. In 1949 all the vaults and the northern pillars collapsed. The ruins were located in East Berlin, and it was not until 1981 that the officially atheist East German Democratic Republic authorities permitted the rebuilding of the church with old designs and plans. Thus, the Church of St. Nicholas as seen today is largely a reconstruction. Today the church serves again as a museum and as a regular concert venue, administered by the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin (Landesmuseum für Kultur und Geschichte Berlins). There is an organ recital there almost every Friday at 5pm. It is renowned for its acoustics and the rebuilt church has been equipped with a fine set of 41 bells.

Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey) during the time of the Roman Empire. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the pious, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus ("Saint Nick") through Sinterklaas.

Little is known about the historical Saint Nicholas. The earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death and probably contain legendary elaborations. He is said to have been born in the Greek seaport of Patara, Lycia, in Asia Minor to wealthy Christian parents. In one of the earliest attested and most famous incidents from his life, he is said to have rescued three girls from being forced into prostitution by dropping a sack of gold coins through the window of their house each night for three nights so their father could pay a dowry for each of them. Other early stories tell of him calming a storm at sea, saving three innocent soldiers from wrongful execution, and chopping down a tree possessed by a demon. In his youth, he is said to have made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Syria Palaestina. Shortly after his return, he became Bishop of Myra. He was later cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian, but was released after the accession of Constantine.

An early list makes him an attendee at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, but he is never mentioned in any writings by people who were at the council. Late, unsubstantiated legends claim that he was temporarily defrocked and imprisoned during the council for slapping the heretic Arius. Another famous late legend tells how he resurrected three children, who had been murdered and pickled in brine by a butcher planning to sell them as pork during a famine.

Fewer than 200 years after Nicholas's death, the St. Nicholas Church was built in Myra under the orders of Theodosius II over the site of the church where he had served as bishop, and his remains were moved to a sarcophagus in that church. In 1087, while the Greek Christian inhabitants of the region were subjugated by the newly arrived Muslim Seljuk Turks, and soon after the beginning of the East–West schism, a group of merchants from the Italian city of Bari removed the major bones of Nicholas's skeleton from his sarcophagus in the church without authorization and brought them to their hometown, where they are now enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola. The remaining bone fragments from the sarcophagus were later removed by Venetian sailors and taken to Venice during the First Crusade.

Very little at all is known about Saint Nicholas's historical life. Any writings Nicholas himself may have produced have been lost and he is not mentioned by any contemporary chroniclers. This is not surprising, since Nicholas lived during a turbulent time in Roman history. The earliest mentions of Saint Nicholas indicate that, by the sixth century, his following was already well-established. Less than two hundred years after Saint Nicholas's probable death, the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II (ruled 401–450) ordered the building of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Myra, which thereby preserves an early mention of his name. The Byzantine historian Procopius also mentions that the Emperor Justinian I (ruled 527–565) renovated churches in Constantinople dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Saint Priscus, which may have originally been built as early as c. 490.

Nicholas's name also occurs as "Nicholas of Myra of Lycia" on the tenth line of a list of attendees at the Council of Nicaea included by Theodore Lector in the Historiae Ecclesiasticae Tripartitae Epitome, written sometime between 510 and 515. A single, offhand mention of Nicholas of Myra also occurs in the biography of another saint, Saint Nicholas of Sion, who apparently took the name "Nicholas" to honor him. The Life of Saint Nicholas of Sion, written around 250 years after Nicholas of Myra's death, briefly mentions Nicholas of Sion visiting Nicholas's tomb to pay homage to him. According to Jeremy Seal, the fact that Nicholas had a tomb that could be visited serves as the almost solitary definitive proof that he was a real historical figure.

In his treatise De statu animarum post mortem (written c. 583), the theologian Eustratius of Constantinople cites Saint Nicholas of Myra's miracle of the three generals as evidence that souls may work independent from the body. Eustratius credits a lost Life of Saint Nicholas as his source. Nearly all the sources Eustratius references date from the late fourth century to early fifth century, indicating the Life of Saint Nicholas to which he refers was probably written during this time period, shortly after Nicholas's death. The earliest complete account of Nicholas's life that has survived to the present is a Life of Saint Nicholas, written in the early ninth century by Michael the Archimandrite (814–842), nearly 500 years after Nicholas's probable death.

Despite its extremely late date, Michael the Archimandrite's Life of Saint Nicholas is believed to heavily rely on older written sources and oral traditions. The identity and reliability of these sources, however, remains uncertain. Catholic historian D. L. Cann and medievalist Charles W. Jones both consider Michael the Archimandrite's Life the only account of Saint Nicholas that is likely to contain any historical truth.[21] Jona Lendering, a Dutch historian of classical antiquity, notes that Michael the Archimandrite's Life does not contain a "conversion narrative", which was unusual for saints' lives of the period when it was written. He therefore argues that it is possible Michael the Archimandrite may have been relying on a source written before conversion narratives became popular, which would be a positive indication of that source's reliability. He notes that many of the stories recounted by Michael the Archimandrite closely resemble stories told about the first-century AD Neopythagorean philosopher Apollonius of Tyana in the Life of Apollonius of Tyana, an eight-volume biography of him written in the early third century by the Greek writer Philostratus. Christian storytellers were known to adapt older pagan legends and attribute them to Christian saints. As Apollonius's hometown of Tyana was not far from Myra, Lendering contends that many popular stories about Apollonius may have become attached to Saint Nicholas.

Family and background

Accounts of Saint Nicholas's life agree on the essence of his story, but modern historians disagree regarding how much of this story is actually rooted in historical fact. Traditionally, Nicholas was born in the city of Patara (Lycia et Pamphylia), a port on the Mediterranean Sea, in Asia Minor in the Roman Empire, to a wealthy family of Greek Christians. According to some accounts, his parents were named Epiphanius (Ἐπιφάνιος, Epiphánios) and Johanna (Ἰωάννα, Iōánna), but, according to others, they were named Theophanes (Θεοφάνης, Theophánēs) and Nonna (Νόννα, Nónna). In some accounts, Nicholas's uncle was the bishop of the city of Myra, also in Lycia. Recognizing his nephew's calling, Nicholas's uncle ordained him as a priest.

Generosity and travels

After his parents died from an epidemic, Nicholas is said to have distributed their wealth to the poor. In his most famous exploit, which is first attested in Michael the Archimandrite's Life of Saint Nicholas, Nicholas heard of a devout man who had once been wealthy but had lost all of his money due to the "plotting and envy of Satan." The man could not afford proper dowries for his three daughters. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment, be forced to become prostitutes. Hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, but, being too modest to help the family in public (or to save them the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to the house under the cover of night and threw a purse filled with gold coins through the window opening into the house. The father immediately arranged a marriage for his first daughter, and after her wedding, Nicholas threw a second bag of gold through the same window late at night.

According to Michael the Archimandrite's account, after the second daughter was married, the father stayed awake for at least two "nights" and caught Saint Nicholas in the same act of charity toward the third daughter. The father fell on his knees, thanking him, and Nicholas ordered him not to tell anyone about the gifts. The scene of Nicholas's secret gift-giving is one of the most popular scenes in Christian devotional art, appearing in icons and frescoes from across Europe. Although depictions vary depending on time and place, Nicholas is often shown wearing a cowl while the daughters are typically shown in bed, dressed in their nightclothes. Many renderings contain a cypress tree or a cross-shaped cupola.

The historicity of this incident is disputed. Adam C. English argues for a historical kernel to the legend, noting the story's early attestation as well as the fact that no similar stories were told about any other Christian saints. Jona Lendering, who also argues for the story's authenticity, notes that a similar story is told in Philostratus's Life of Apollonius of Tyana, in which Apollonius gives money to an impoverished father but posits that Michael the Archimandrite's account is markedly different. Philostratus does not mention the fate of the daughters and, in his story, Apollonius's generosity is purely motivated out of sympathy for the father; in Michael the Archimandrite's account, however, Saint Nicholas is instead expressly stated to be motivated by a desire to save the daughters from being sold into prostitution. He argues that this desire to help women is most characteristic of fourth-century Christianity, due to the prominent role women played in the early Christian movement, rather than Greco-Roman paganism or the Christianity of Michael the Archimandrite's time in the ninth century, by which point the position of women had drastically declined.

Nicholas is also said to have visited the Holy Land. The ship he was on was nearly destroyed by a terrible storm but he rebuked the waves, causing the storm to subside. Thus, Nicholas became venerated as the patron saint of sailors and travelers.

While in Palestine, Nicholas is said to have lived in a crypt near Bethlehem, where the Nativity of Jesus is believed to have taken place. Over the crypt where Nicholas is believed to have lived now stands the "Church of Saint Nicholas" in Beit Jala, a Christian town of which Nicholas is the Patron saint.

Bishop of Myra

After visiting the Holy Land, Nicholas returned to Myra. The bishop of Myra, who had succeeded Nicholas's uncle, had recently died and the priests in the city had decided that the first priest to enter the church that morning would be made bishop. Nicholas went to the church to pray and was therefore proclaimed the new bishop. He is said to have been imprisoned and tortured during the Great Persecution under the Emperor Diocletian (ruled 284–305), but was released under the orders of the Emperor Constantine the Great (ruled 306–337). This story sounds plausible, but is not attested in the earliest sources and is therefore unlikely to be historical.

One of the earliest attested stories of Saint Nicholas is one in which he saves three innocent men from execution. According to Michael the Archimandrite, three innocent men were condemned to death by the governor Eustathius. As they were about to be executed, Nicholas appeared, pushed the executioner's sword to the ground, released them from their chains, and angrily chastised a juror who had accepted a bribe. According to Jona Lendering, this story directly parallels an earlier story in Philostratus's Life of Apollonius of Tyana, in which Apollonius prevents the execution of a man falsely condemned of banditry. Michael the Archimandrite also tells another story in which the consul Ablabius accepted a bribe to put three famous generals to death, in spite of their actual innocence. Saint Nicholas appeared to Constantine and Ablabius in dreams, informing Constantine of the truth and frightening Ablabius into releasing the generals, for fear of Hell.

Later versions of the story are more elaborate, interweaving the two stories together. According to one version, Emperor Constantine sent three of his most trusted generals, named Ursos, Nepotianos, and Herpylion, to put down a rebellion in Phrygia. However, a storm forced them to take refuge in Myra. Unbeknownst to the generals, who were in the harbor, their soldiers further inland were fighting with local merchants and engaging in looting and destruction. Nicholas confronted the generals for allowing their soldiers to misbehave and the generals brought an end to the looting. Immediately after the soldiers had returned to their ships, Nicholas heard word of the three innocent men about to be executed and the three generals aided him in stopping the execution. Eustathius attempted to flee on his horse but Nicholas stopped his horse and chastised him for his corruption. Eustathius, under the threat of being reported directly to the Emperor, repented of his corrupt ways. Afterward, the generals succeeded in ending the rebellion and were promoted by Constantine to even higher status. The generals' enemies, however, slandered them to the consul Ablabius, telling him that they had not really put down the revolt, but instead encouraged their own soldiers to join it. The generals' enemies also bribed Ablabius and he had the three generals imprisoned. Nicholas then made his dream appearances and the three generals were set free.

Council of Nicaea

In 325, Nicholas is said to have attended the First Council of Nicaea, where he is said to have been a staunch opponent of Arianism and a devoted supporter of Trinitarianism, and one of the bishops who signed the Nicene Creed. Nicholas's attendance at the Council of Nicaea is attested early by Theodore the Lector's list of attendees, which records him as the 151st attendee. However, he is conspicuously never mentioned by Athanasius of Alexandria, the foremost defender of Trinitarianism at the council, who knew all the notable bishops of the period, nor is he mentioned by the historian Eusebius, who was also present at the council. Adam C. English notes that lists of the attendees at Nicaea vary considerably, with shorter lists only including roughly 200 names, but longer lists including around 300. Saint Nicholas's name only appears on the longer lists, not the shorter ones. Nicholas's name appears on a total of three early lists, one of which, Theodore the Lector, is generally considered to be the most accurate. According to Jona Lendering, there are two main possibilities:

Nicholas did not attend the Council of Nicaea, but someone at an early date was baffled that his name was not listed and so added him to the list. Many scholars tend to favor this explanation.

Nicholas did attend the Council of Nicaea, but, at an early date, someone decided to remove his name from the list, apparently deciding that it was better if no one remembered he had been there.

A later legend, first attested in the fourteenth century, over 1,000 years after Nicholas's death, holds that, during the Council of Nicaea, Nicholas lost his temper and slapped "a certain Arian" across the face. On account of this, Constantine revoked Nicholas's miter and pallium. Steven D. Greydanus concludes that, because of the story's late attestation, it "has no historical value." Jona Lendering, however, defends the veracity and historicity of the incident, arguing that, as it was embarrassing and reflects poorly on Nicholas's reputation, it is inexplicable why later hagiographers would have invented it. Later versions of the legend embellish it, making the heretic Arius himself and having Nicholas punch him rather than merely slapping him with his open hand. In these versions of the story, Nicholas is also imprisoned, but Christ and the Virgin Mary appear to him in his cell. He tells them he is imprisoned "for loving you" and they free him from his chains and restore his vestments. The scene of Nicholas slapping Arius is celebrated in Eastern Orthodox icons and episodes of Saint Nicholas at Nicaea are shown in a series of paintings from the 1660s in the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari.

Other reputed miracles

One story tells how during a terrible famine, a malicious butcher lured three little children into his house, where he killed them, placing their remains in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as ham. Nicholas, visiting the region to care for the hungry, saw through the butcher's lies and resurrected the pickled children by making the sign of the cross. Jona Lendering opines that the story is "without any historical value". Adam C. English notes that the story of the resurrection of the pickled children is a late medieval addition to the legendary biography of Saint Nicholas and that it is not found in any of his earliest Lives. Although this story seems bizarre and horrifying to modern audiences, it was tremendously popular throughout the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period, and widely beloved by ordinary folk. It is depicted in stained glass windows, wood panel paintings, tapestries, and frescoes. Eventually, the scene became so widely reproduced that, rather than showing the whole scene, artists began to merely depict Saint Nicholas with three naked children and a wooden barrel at his feet.

According to English, eventually, people who had forgotten or never learned the story began misinterpreting representations of it. That Saint Nicholas was shown with children led people to conclude he was the patron saint of children; meanwhile, the fact that he was shown with a barrel led people to conclude that he was the patron saint of brewers.

According to another story, during a great famine that Myra experienced in 311–312, a ship was in the port at anchor, loaded with wheat for the emperor in Constantinople. Nicholas invited the sailors to unload a part of the wheat to help in the time of need. The sailors at first disliked the request, because the wheat had to be weighed accurately and delivered to the emperor. Only when Nicholas promised them that they would not suffer any loss for their consideration did the sailors agree. When they arrived later in the capital, they made a surprising find: the weight of the load had not changed, although the wheat removed in Myra was enough for two full years and could even be used for sowing.

DSC_0073 by Octavius Ryan

LCC GC3 - The Battle of Scorchridge Pyre by ShareburG

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As Lokiten’s men advanced inland on the Isle of Lost Souls, their skirmishes with various outlaws intensified by the day, until finally, scouts reported sightings of an enormous, glasslike construction that sprouted from the very ground of the mystical island and burnt with a powerful, seemingly unfueled flame. Reasoning that this strange temple had to be what the locals where defending, Lokiten ordered an advance on the mysterious altar, where they camped, intent on awaiting allied Roawians before moving further on. Fittingly naming the location Scorchridge Pyre, they had just begun fortifying the gentle slope when large hosts of goblins were spotted in the surrounding swamplands. Then, the attacks soon began.

As the day grew into evening and another wave surged upon the battered defenders, Lokiten finally admitted that they were all growing too weary to fight on. As the first breaches began breaking open in the thinning shield wall, he turned at the sound of a sudden, shredding screech. From the darkening sky, pale, monstrous terrors on wings had begun descending unto the hilltop. Detaching himself from the bloody fighting, he dropped his shield and helmet and began marching determinately uphill. Feeling a strange, new connection to what he dizzily reasoned had to be the very mind of the Pyre before him, he knew that he somehow had to extinguish the great flame. In the hope, that seeing their relic destroyed would break the enemy’s morale and make them give up fighting the staunch Lenfels that still stood between the Pyre and its guardians, he hurried through the noisy chaos of the battle.

Yep, it's cliffhanger time, because I'm just annoying like that ;)

My entry for the second phase of the running contest in the LCC

Anyway, close-ups of stuff and other angles are in the MOC's folder. Enjoy!

Emscherkanal - LaPaDu 2016 by Michael Hauschild

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Developed with Intensify CK

#FreeAlaa 3 - Alaa Abd El-Fattah by Alisdare Hickson

On Saturday 12 November, Egyptian activists from all across the UK joined up with protesters in London demonstrating for climate justice, to demand an end to Sisi's murderous dictatorship and the immediate release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian citizen on hunger strike, and at least 60,000 other political prisoners held in appalling conditions in Egyptian prisons.

As COP27 continues, Sisi's government intensifies its repression against civil society, arresting anyone in Cairo and other cities found with any mention of Alaa or other political dissidents on their phones, as well as targeting anyone suspected of planning strikes or protests.

I'm still working on individual captions for each photo - sorry for the delay - but in the meantime I'm reposting an earlier commentary I posted about Alaa Abd El-Fattah.

Last weekend on Sunday 6 November, activists gathered outside Downing Street for a candle-lit vigil as British-Egyptian democracy dissident, Alaa Abd El-Fattah, escalated his hunger strike in an Egyptian prison, refusing to take water.

Even prior to his refusal of water from Saturday 6 November, Alaa was already over 200 days into his 100 calorie a day hunger strike in prison in Egypt.

On Tuesday 8 November Sanaa Seif gave a speech to journalists at COP27 - "They are very happy for him to die. The only thing they care about is that it doesn't happen while the world is watching."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXibJ7PUTY

Alaa Abd El-Fattah has endured much of the last twelve years in some of the worst prison conditions anywhere in the world, on account of his brave work in promoting democracy in Egypt.

He was last arrested in September 2019 while attending Cairo's Dokki Police Station and in December last year was sentenced to five years imprisonment for "spreading false news undermining state security." More precisely, he had shared social media posts explaining the hell-hole reality of Egyptian prison conditions.

TORA PRISON - "A DAY HERE, IS LIKE A YEAR IN BELMARSH"

In April, Alaa began his hunger strike in a cell in one of the most secure sections of Cairo's sprawling and notorious Tora Prison - a maze of grim high concrete walls and watch towers, which strike fear into even the thousands of commuters who have to pass daily.

In 2012, one young Londoner confined to one of the least uncomfortable and most survivable wings of Tora prison, contrasted it with his own previous experience at Britain's high security Belmarsh. I can never forget his exact words. "A day here, is like a year at Belmarsh!" A little over 12 months later, he died of TB - the prison authorities had refused to listen to the pleas of his aunt, who fell on her knees during a rare visit, begging that he be admitted to the prison hospital.

ALAA'S HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES AT WADI EL NATRUN PRISON

More than 200 days have passed since Alaa started his hunger strike. He has now been moved to the Wadi El Natrun prison complex in the desert north of Cairo, dubbed by inmates as the "Valley of Hell."

He may not survive much longer. However, as he holds British-Egyptian nationality, one would hope that the British government would be doing everything they could to secure his immediate release and it would be reasonable to suppose that the Foreign Office could get an immediate pledge in this regard, especially given that the British companies, including the likes of British Petroleum and BP, are the biggest investors in Egypt.

NO CONSULAR ACCESS

However, the British government have failed even to get him any consular access - think about that. That's an outrage. Even a convicted mass murderer, if British, would be entitled to consular access while in prison. That meeting would obviously not take place in his cell - but in a designated room in the prison or the highly supervised prison visiting area.

British men and women convicted of drug smuggling and other crimes in Egypt have received consular visits, so why not Alaa? The answer is because Alaa's crime is that he dared to tell the truth about Egypt, and the injustice both inside and outside its many prison walls. Nobody knows exactly how many political prisoners Egypt now has, but the number is estimated to be at least 60,000.

ALAA WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was one of the leaders of arguably the most inspirational democratic revolt the world has seen in the last hundred years. Although the first phase of the 2011 uprising in Egypt lasted just 18 days, and although it followed the toppling of the dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia - the streets and bridges around Tahrir Square became a deadly stage watched by the world, where protesters from every walk of life were pitted against Egypt's feared state security forces. Against all the odds, and at the cost of many lives, Egyptians refused to leave the square, sleeping in front of the tanks and fending off attacks from government militia.

The Egyptian people's initial success in toppling the dictator Mubarak led to further revolts not just across the Middle East (most notably in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria) - the highly organised Tahrir-Square sit-in provided the inspiration for strikes and workplace sit-ins against austerity across the United States and Europe and to the Occupy Movement of the same year. The people of Egypt showed that it does not matter how brutal, feared and authoritarian a government is, it can be toppled if people act collectively.

THE MILITARY BACKLASH

It's true that Egypt's flirtation with the path to greater freedom seemed to be only temporary - the Egyptian authorities deployed the usual divide and rule tactics - encouraging the less committed protesters to return home - and then rushed to elections without allowing time for genuinely democratic opposition parties to develop.

Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood won the presidential election in 2012 - the Brotherhood (contrary to the perception many people have here in the West) had genuinely progressive elements within it, but the chance for any transformative radical programme was prevented partly by the corruption and self-interest of some of the main political actors and partly by opposition to its democratic mandate from the deep state (the military, the Interior Ministry, State Security, the police etc.)

The army, seeing its chance, seized power in 2013, superficially in the name of the people, but in reality, to advance the interests of the generals. The new president, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, moved quickly to crush all opposition, and ordering his security forces to attack Muslim Brotherhood supporters who had gathered in eastern Cairo at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square, killing at least 800 people - the bloodiest massacre of civilians in Egypt's modern history.

DON'T ALLOW EGYPT TO USE COP27 TO GREENWASH ITS REGIME - AND PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE ALAA

Now COP27 is scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh and Sisi has been given a golden opportunity to greenwash his murderous regime, which has also seen ever increasing levels inequality and corruption. While British representatives at COP27 will be given accommodation in the most luxurious five star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves, another British citizen, Alaa Abdel El-Fatah is near death, on a painful hunger strike in the darkest of places - his dimly lit cell. The only thing he might hear at night is the desperate cry from some prisoner in another cell appealing for medical help which most likely never comes.

If we care for freedom, real democracy and justice, we can't allow the British Foreign Office to forget Alaa - especially if it's simply not to upset the highly profitable relationship British multinationals have with one of the world's most authoritarian and corrupt regimes - a relationship which only benefits the wealthiest of Egyptians.

Please show your support by signing the petition. Let's not fail Alaa. Thank you.

www.change.org/p/help-free-my-brother-before-it-s-too-lat...

Communal maize shelling on char land in Rangpur by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

A community gathers to shell maize by hand in Rangpur district, Bangladesh.

The community lives on char land, new land that appears on the shifting coastlines of the delta. They have no access to electricity or irrigation services, and the village is only accessible by ferry.

Credit: CIMMYT/Sam Storr

What Dreams are Made of by raaen99

58 56

Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.

Today however, we are following Edith, Lettice’s maid, along with her best friend and fellow maid-of-all-work, Hilda Clerkenwell, who works around the corner from Cavendish Mews in Hill Street as a live-in maid for Lettice’s married friends Margot and Dickie Channon. It is Wednesday, and both maids have Wednesdays as a half-day off work and are free until four o’clock. The pair of maids head east of Mayfair, to a place far removed from the elegance and gentility of Lettice’s flat, in London’s East End. As a young woman, Edith is very interested in fashion. This interest has intensified, particularly since she started stepping out with Mayfair grocer Mr. Willison’s delivery boy, Frank Leadbetter. She is hoping that after several years of serious courting, that he will soon ask for her hand in marriage and they will become officially engaged. This idea is more predominant in her mind these days, especially now that Lettice is engaged to Sir John Nettleford-Huges and talk at Cavendish Mews often revolves around their forthcoming nuptials*, even if they do seem a little fraught. Edith’s own desire to make their engagement official has gotten the better of her in recent times, and after a fierce row over when Frank would propose to her whilst they were window shopping together up the Elephant** one Sunday afternoon, Edith resorted to visiting a “discreet clairvoyant” named Madame Fortuna, in Swiss Cottage***. Luckily, Madame Fortuna told Edith that Frank would propose within the year, which has allayed her concerns. Like most young girls of her class, Edith’s mother has taught her how to sew her own clothes and she has become an accomplished dressmaker, having successfully made frocks from scratch for herself, or altered cheaper existing second-hand pieces to make them more fashionable by letting out waistlines and taking up hems. Thanks to Lettice’s Cockney charwoman****, Mrs. Boothby, who lives in nearby Poplar, Edith now has her own hand treadle Singer***** sewing machine, and frequents a wonderful haberdasher in Whitechapel, Mrs. Minkin, whom she goes to frequently on her days off when she needs something for one of her many sewing projects as she slowly adds to and updates her wardrobe. Edith’s interest in fashion is greater than that Hilda, who is more bookish, isn’t walking out with a young man like Edith is, and with a fondness for sweet cakes and pastries, has a fuller figure than her best friend. Hilda is also the exception to the rule, and she cannot sew a stitch to save her life. However, Mrs. Minkin has managed to get Hilda involved in her knitting circle, which Hilda joins on some of her own Sundays off, whilst Edith and Frank spend time in one another’s company. Mrs. Minkin’s Haberdashery is just a short walk from Petticoat Lane******, where Edith often picks up bargains from one of the many second-hand clothes stalls.

The pair of maids now stand in Mrs. Minkin’s cluttered, yet cosy and well organised haberdashery. The long and narrow old Victorian shop is illuminated by the early summer light filtering through the plate glass front window and several old fashioned Art Nouveau gas lights suspended from the high ceiling which Mrs. Minkin turns on and off and adjusts with a long stick with a hook on the end. The shelves stretching three quarters of the way up the walls of the haberdashers, full of bolts of colourful textiles and dazzling white pressed linens help to dull the noise of the foot traffic outside and cocoon Edith and Hilda in a snug comfort, as do the piles of cloth and lace and the tables of materials artfully arranged to show off all that Mrs. Minkin has to sell. The shop’s smell is always comforting for Edith, as the familiar scent of a mixture of soap, starch, cloves and lavender remind her of her parent’s home, where Edith’s mother, Ada, takes in laundry to supplement the family’s income.

Edith spies a holly sprigged tablecloth and six matching napkins on a table and walks over to it. “Perfect!” she breathes, smiling with delight. “I’ll buy them for Mum for Christmas. She’s always wanted a Christmas tablecloth!”

“Cor, you are so lucky Edith,” Hilda remarks to Edith as she joins her friend in front of the table which is covered in fabrics laid out expertly in layered rows, carefully showing off enough of the pattern for each one to attract the eye.

“Me?” Edith ask. “Why?” she drops her green leather handbag on the textile covered surface of the table and places a hand lovingly on some fabric covered in a bold floral pattern in lupin blue and scarlet that has caught her eye.

“Your Miss Lettice seems never to be home. Weekend parties and all that.” Hilda elucidates.

“She’s gone home for a few days is all, Hilda,” Edith says dismissively as she runs her hand over the bold, almost pansy like flowers of the fabric. “She’s gone to talk about organising and buying her trousseau******* with her mother, the Viscountess. She’ll be back tonight.”

“Yes,” Hilda answers. “I know.”

“Oh of course!” Edith exclaims. “She’s going to a dinner party at the Channons tonight, isn’t she.”

“As is that American Mr. Carter and his wife.” Hilda adds with a morose sigh. “And you know what that means.” She eyes her best friend with a knowing look.

“The hard graft of grinding coffee beans to make fresh coffee for Mr. Carter.” Edith replies with a nod of understanding.

“That’s right!” Hilda opines, raising her chin and looking down her nose at Edith before continues, “No Camp Coffee******** for His Majesty the King of the American Department Store!” She sighs again and runs her own pudgy, worn fingers across a bolt of exotic floral fabric in bright pink and blue, embroidered with gold thread. “Still, I mustn’t complain. At least with Mr. Cater and his bottomless American dollar pockets and largess with wine and champagne, I won’t have to worry about telling bare-faced lies********* to the wine merchant, who just like the butcher, the baker and your Frank’s Mr. Willison the grocer, all know about the Channon’s precarious financial situation.”

“That’s so awful for you, Hilda.” Edith looks at her friend and smiles sadly. “Being a maid-of-all-work is hard enough graft as it is, without having to try and put off shopkeepers whom Mr. and Mrs. Channon are indebted to.”

“I know. I don’t think Mrs. Channon will ever learn how to balance a household account. I’m only relieved that Mrs. Channon’s father Lord de Virre pays my wages.”

“We must be grateful for small mercies, Hilda.” Edith says sagely.

“Oh, I am, Edith!” Hilda breathes. “Believe me I am!”

“Thinking of things to be grateful for, I believe Mr. Bruton will be attending the Channon’s dinner party tonight as Miss Lettice’s escort, and he’s always polite and not dismissive of servants, like Mr. and Mrs. Carter.”

“That’s true, Edith. He and Miss Lettice always smile and acknowledge me, and say ‘thank you’, and that does make things a little bit nicer for me when I wait at table for the Channons. And of course Mrs. Channon always tells me at the end of a dinner party, how grateful she is to have me.”

“I should think she should!” Edith opines. “There are fewer and fewer servants like us, now, what with working class women like us becoming shop girls and secretaries. I hope she appreciates everything you do for her.”

“Oh, she does, Edith. It’s just the chaotic nature of the Channon’s household and their financial precariousness and foolishness that wears me down, sometimes. Mrs. Channon would rather spend eighty-five guineas********** on a new frock from Mr. Bruton to parade around the Crystal Palace Horse Show*********** in, than pay off the sixty pound debt she and Mr. Channon have accrued with the wine merchant, who has flatly refused to extend their credit any further until at least half the amount is paid.”

“Imagine spending eighty-five guineas on a frock, Hilda!” Edith gasps. She moves her hand to a green patterned material further down the table, rubbing it between the thumb and forefinger of her right hand before letting it drop in distaste, deciding that it too thick, and therefore not suitable for her purposes. “And here I am, looking at material so I can cut a pattern from Weldon’s************ and make myself a new summer frock for a few shillings.” Her eyes stray back to the brightly patterned pansy fabric.

“Do you suppose Mr. Bruton will make Miss Lettice’s wedding frock, Edith?”

“I would imagine so, Hilda. I can’t imagine anyone else making it. Then again, that all depends upon Miss Lettice’s mum, the Viscountess, Lady Sadie.”

“Why?”

“It would be the same for us. Our mums will get involved in our weddings when we get married.”

Hilda snorts derisively. “I don’t think I’m ever going to meet a man who wants to marry me, Edith.”

“It’s more like the other way around, Hilda.” Edith retorts. “With your exacting standards.”

“Well, why shouldn’t I want to step out with a young man who respects me for my mind, and allows me my independence, Edith?”

“Oh, you should, Hilda!” Edith assures her. “It’s just that young eligible men are sometimes intimidated by women who are smart and independent.”

“No, not all men are like your Frank, that’s for certain, Edith.”

“I’m hardly smart or independent,” Edith replies, her hand drifting back to the pansy fabric which she caresses softly. “Well, not like… well, like you, Hilda.”

“What rot!” Hilda retorts. “Of course you are, Edith! Frank wouldn’t want to marry a girl who had no brains or ideas of her own.”

“Well, I think in that area, you’re probably more of a match for him than I am.” Edith says with a little bit of discomfort. She has always felt that Hilda is far smarter and more forward thinking than she is, and she feels inadequate sometimes when Frank and Hilda talk about politics or the state of working conditions for the everyday man. She decides to try and guide the conversation back to something she does feel more comfortable discussing. “Anyway, just like your mum or mine, Miss Lettice’s mum will want to have her say about Miss Lettice’s trousseau. It’s her right, as Miss Lettice’s mum, to help with it, which is why she has gone down to Wiltshire to see her.” She pauses. “Mind you I don’t think Miss Lettice wants her mum to help her with it.”

“Whyever not, Edith? I’m sure being a Viscountess, she can afford more than one eighty-five guinea frock.”

“I’m quite sure she can!” Edith chuckles. “I know Miss Lettice certainly can! From what I can gather from snippets I have overheard around Cavendish Mews, I think, Miss Lettice thinks the Viscountess is too old and stuffy and staid in her tastes.”

“Well, your Miss Lettice is very fashionable.” Hilda opines.

“And she gets help from Mr. Bruton, who is forever making her something new to wear. Her ‘muse’ is what he calls her, whatever that is.”

“A ‘muse’ is a person who inspires an artist, Edith.” Hilda elucidates. “So I suppose he must like designing frocks for her.”

“See Hilda! You’re as smart as a whip*************.” Edith opines, making Hilda blush. She then goes on, “Miss Lettice’s head has also been turned by her fiancée, Sir Nettleford-Hughes’ sister, who is apparently ever so smartly turned out.”

“Have you seen her, Edith?”

“No. Not yet anyway, Hilda. But I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before she comes to Cavendish Mews and I can see her for myself. Miss Lettice tells me that Mrs. Pontefract is much older than she is, but that she had been living in Paris for many prior to returning to live in London after her husband died. Miss Lettice is always talking about how much Mrs. Pontefract knows about the latest styles, and how much she admires her style and taste.”

“Her mum will have her nose out of joint over that, I’d imagine, Edith, if that’s what Miss Lettice gone down to talk to her about.” Hilda’s thick and dark eyebrows arch over her eyes in apprehension.

“I think you’re right, Hilda.” Edith nods in agreement.

“That would make a lovely autumn frock, Edit.” eagle eyed Mrs. Minkin calls from behind the shop counter where she is sorting through a box of miscellaneous sewing notions**************, her pudgy finger decorated with a few sparkling gold rings moving with dexterity as she sorts. “The colours would suit your complexion and colourings.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Minkin.” Edith calls cheerfully in reply. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I have some lovely buttons in this box that would go perfectly with it, Edit my dear.” Mrs. Minkin goes on, holding up half a card of glass buttons in a pretty shade of cobalt blue. “I will give them to you as a gift if you buy the fabric.” she says as she tries to tempt Edith.

A refugee from Odessa as a result of a pogrom*************** in 1905, Mrs. Minkin’s Russian accent, still thick after nearly twenty years of living in London’s East End, muffles the h at the end of Edith’s name, never ceasing to make the young girl smile, for it is an endearing quality. Edith likes the Jewess proprietor with her old fashioned upswept hairdo and frilly Edwardian lace jabot running down the front of her blouse, held in place by a beautiful cameo – a gift from her equally beloved and at the same time irritating Mr. Minkin. She always has a smile and a kind word for Edith and Hilda, and her generosity towards her has found Edith discover extra spools of coloured cottons or curls of pretty ribbons and other notions in the lining of her parcel when she unpacks it at Cavendish Mews. Mrs. Minkin always insists when Edith mentions it, that she wished all her life that she had had a daughter, but all she ever had were sons, so Edith is like a surrogate daughter to her, and as a result she gets to reap the small benefits of her largess.

“That’s far to kind of you, Mrs. Minkin. You are too generous.” Edith replies, blushing as she does.

“Nonsense Edit my dear!” Mrs. Minkin scoffs with a wave of her hand. “For me, it is a pleasure. Besides, they are just sitting idly in this box. Better they go home with someone who will use them!”

“She’s right about the colours, Edith.” Hilda remarks. “They would suit you.”

“Hilda Clerkenwell!” Edith exclaims, here eyes widening in surprise as she looks in amused startlement at her best friend. “Since when do you have an opinion about colours and how they’d suit someone’s complexion!”

“Let’s put it down to Mrs. Minkin’s knitting circle.” Hilda replies with a smirk, her doughy face brightening as a blush runs up her neck and floods her face.

“Well! That is a turn up for the books****************, I must say!” Shew turns to Mrs. Minkin behind her shop counter. “It seems as if you are having a good influence on Hilda, Mrs. Minkin.”

Mrs. Minkin bows her head a little bit and smiles indulgently at the two maids. “I do my best to be a good influence on Hilde, and anyone else, wherever I go, Edit my dear, except perhaps upon my Mr. Minkin.” She rolls her eyes to the stained white painted ceiling above. “Oy vey*****************! No-one can be a good influence upon my tsedoodelt******************Mr. Minkin!”

Just as she speaks, the door to Mrs. Minkin’s storeroom opens and her husband in his grey flat cap with his dark beard that is starting to slowly grey steps out. He wears a beautiful silk cravat of jade green and gold at his throat – an expensive, showy and stylish piece that looks like it should belong to an outfit that Beau Brummell******************* had worn in the Eighteenth Century, rather than Mr. Minkin’s outfit of a thick apron over a collarless shirt, dark woollen vest and worn work trousers. He has thick bushy eyebrows arch over soft, dark brown eyes, and a gentle and friendly smile graces his aging face.

“What are you saying about me now, Rachel?” he asks in a good natured way, his heavily accented voice soft, rumbling and deep.

“Well Soloman,” Mrs. Minkin replies, spinning to her right, away from Edith and Hilda to face her husband, placing her hands firmly on her hips in a stance she is obviously well versed in striking after thirty-five years of marriage and raising three sons. “I was just saying what a tsemisht mentsh******************** you are!”

“No wonder I am a tsemisht mentsh, being married to a yenta froy********************* like you Rachel!” A booming laugh bursts from his chest full of teasing joviality. He turns his attentions to Edith and Hilda. “Good afternoon, ladies.” he says politely, bowing towards them in acknowledgement. “Watch out for Mrs. Minkin,” His brown eyes twinkle with mischief. “She’s schlau**********************, my dears innocent ones. She’ll have you buy something you don’t want before you can say… err… say… ay cleaver!”

“It’s knife, Soloman, you schlemiel**********************!” Mrs. Minkin says with an air of mock offence. “How many years must we live in London before you learn to speak English properly, or keep your hoykh moyl*********************** shut!”

Mrs. Minkin snatches up a half used roll of pink grosgrain*********************** ribbon from her box and throws it across the shop at her husband. As it tumbles through the air, the ribbon uncoils, cascading like a pretty celebratory streamer. Mr. Minkin ducks as, with very good aim from his wife, the spool and streamer of ribbon hits the doorjamb behind where he had been before ricocheting off the wood and tumbling to the floor.

“I’ll let you clean that up, Rachel, my beloved schlemiel.” Mr. Minkin says to his wife before slipping back into the safety of storeroom with a final cheeky and loving smile towards her, before closing the door.

Mrs. Minkin laughs as she walks the short distance along the aisle behind the counter and bends to pick up the spool of mostly unwound ribbon. “Oy vey!” she laughs.

“I wonder what schlemiel means?” Hilda asks Edith.

Edith smiles as she chuckles softly. “I think I can guess.”

“Thinking of trousseaus and wedding frocks, we should ask Mrs. Minkin to unpack some of her special lace for you.” Hilda says to her friend as Edith runs her hands lightly over a piece of quilted fabric with a pattern of flowers on it.

“Hhhmmm?” Edith murmurs distractedly.

“Lace Edith.” Hilda insists. “For your wedding frock.”

“Has your young man finally proposed, Edit my dear?” Mrs. Minkin pipes up, her figure appearing suddenly from behind the notion filled counter, her middle-aged face a mixture of excitement, joy and expectation as her own dark eyes sparkle with anticipation.

“Nothing escapes you, does it, Mrs. Minkin?” Edith laughs. Not expecting an answer to her rhetorical question she goes on. “No, not yet.”

“But it’s going to happen soon, Mrs. Minkin.” Hilda pipes up.

“How do you know, Hilde?” Mrs. Minkin asks, depositing the roll of ribbon, still only half wound back onto the spool, onto the glass surface of the counter. She quickly steps away from behind the counter and walks over to the two girls.

“Well, I thought he was going to ask me on Easter Sunday, Mrs. Minkin.” Edith explains. “He was acting like he wanted to say something… something important, but then at the last minute he didn’t.”

“And Edith says he’s been like that a few times since, hasn’t he, Edith?”

Edith nods shallowly in acquiescence.

“Well then, Edit my dear! There is no harm in looking is there?” Mrs. Minkin purrs. “I have just received some beautiful Huguenot lace************************ from my suppliers in Spitalfields************************.” She carefully guides Edith around with her hands firmly on the young girl’s shoulders and indicates to the counter opposite, which is draped with a collection of crisp white and soft creamy lace.

Edith and Hilda both smile with delight as they observe the beautiful and intricate patterns in the lace. Dainty daisies, large asters, bobbles wound around curlicues of white and ecru, each piece seems more ornate and exquisite than the last.

“There is no harm in looking, Edit my dear.” Mrs. Minkin says cheerfully. “You don’t have to buy anything today, but let your creative mind imagine what you could do with this lace.” She holds up a length of creamy off-white lace made up of large, stylised chrysanthemum flowers. “Or this.” She carefully withdraws some lace covered with different sized asters from beneath it. “There is no harm in looking, is there?”

As Edith looks, her imagination is sparked as she imagines herself arrayed in a blouson style************************** wedding frock of creamy white crêpe de chiné*************************** with ruffles and a braided waistline, embroidered with tiny glass beads, wearing a bridal coronet made of lace, decorated with wax orange blossoms with a cascade of cream lace falling in romantic cascades down her back.

“What dreams are made of.” Edith murmurs softly as she feels the delicate lace as Mrs. Minkin runs it lightly across her careworn palm like a whisper of spiderwebs.

*Nuptials is a alternative word for marriage. The term “nuptials” emphasizes the ceremonial and legal aspects of a marriage, lending a more formal tone to wedding communications and documentation.

**The London suburb of Elephant and Castle, south of the Thames, past Lambeth was known as "the Piccadilly Circus of South London" because it was such a busy shopping precinct. When you went shopping there, it was commonly referred to by Londoners, but South Londoners in particular, as “going up the Elephant”.

***According to the Dictionary of London Place Names, the district of Swiss Cottage is named after an inn called The Swiss Tavern that was built in 1804 in the style of a Swiss chalet on the site of a former tollgate keeper's cottage, and later renamed Swiss Inn and in the early 20th century Swiss Cottage.

****A charwoman, chargirl, or char, jokingly charlady, is an old-fashioned occupational term, referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually lives as part of the household within the structure of domestic service. In the 1920s, chars usually did all the hard graft work that paid live-in domestics would no longer do as they looked for excuses to leave domestic service for better paying work in offices and factories.

*****The Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, then the Singer Company in 1963. In 1867, the Singer Company decided that the demand for their sewing machines in the United Kingdom was sufficiently high to open a local factory in Glasgow on John Street. The Vice President of Singer, George Ross McKenzie selected Glasgow because of its iron making industries, cheap labour, and shipping capabilities. Demand for sewing machines outstripped production at the new plant and by 1873, a new larger factory was completed on James Street, Bridgeton. By that point, Singer employed over two thousand people in Scotland, but they still could not produce enough machines. In 1882 the company purchased forty-six acres of farmland in Clydebank and built an even bigger factory. With nearly a million square feet of space and almost seven thousand employees, it was possible to produce on average 13,000 machines a week, making it the largest sewing machine factory in the world. The Clydebank factory was so productive that in 1905, the U.S. Singer Company set up and registered the Singer Manufacturing Company Ltd. in the United Kingdom.

******Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market in Spitalfields, London. It consists of two adjacent street markets. Wentworth Street Market and Middlesex Street Market. Originally populated by Huguenots fleeing persecution in France, Spitalfields became a center for weaving, embroidery and dying. From 1882, a wave of Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in eastern Europe settled in the area and Spitalfields then became the true heart of the clothing manufacturing district of London. 'The Lane' was always renowned for the 'patter' and showmanship of the market traders. It was also known for being a haven for the unsavoury characters of London’s underworld and was rife with prostitutes during the late Victorian era. Unpopular with the authorities, as it was largely unregulated and in some sense illegal, as recently as the 1930s, police cars and fire engines were driven down ‘The Lane’, with alarm bells ringing, to disrupt the market.

*******A trousseau refers to the wardrobe and belongings of a bride, including her wedding dress or similar clothing such as day and evening dresses.

********Camp Coffee is a concentrated syrup which is flavoured with coffee and chicory, first produced in 1876 by Paterson & Sons Ltd, in Glasgow. In 1974, Dennis Jenks merged his business with Paterson to form Paterson Jenks plc. In 1984, Paterson Jenks plc was bought by McCormick & Company. Legend has it (mainly due to the picture on the label) that Camp Coffee was originally developed as an instant coffee for military use. The label is classical in tone, drawing on the romance of the British Raj. It includes a drawing of a seated Gordon Highlander (supposedly Major General Sir Hector MacDonald) being served by a Sikh soldier holding a tray with a bottle of essence and jug of hot water. They are in front of a tent, at the apex of which flies a flag bearing the drink's slogan, "Ready Aye Ready". A later version of the label, introduced in the mid-20th century, removed the tray from the picture, thus removing the infinite bottles element and was seen as an attempt to avoid the connotation that the Sikh was a servant, although he was still shown waiting while the kilted Scottish soldier sipped his coffee. The current version, introduced in 2006, depicts the Sikh as a soldier, now sitting beside the Scottish soldier, and with a cup and saucer of his own. Camp Coffee is an item of British nostalgia, because many remember it from their childhood. It is still a popular ingredient for home bakers making coffee-flavoured cake and coffee-flavoured buttercream. In late 1975, Camp Coffee temporarily became a popular alternative to instant coffee in the UK, after the price of coffee doubled due to shortages caused by heavy frosts in Brazil.

*********A bare-faced lie is a blatant, obvious lie told without any attempt to conceal it. It's a lie that is told with complete confidence and without any shame or remorse. The term "bare-faced" itself implies being without disguise or concealment, like a bald head is without hair.

**********The guinea was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where much of the gold used to make the coins was sourced. It was the first English machine-struck gold coin, originally representing a value of twenty shillings in sterling specie, equal to one pound, but rises in the price of gold relative to silver caused the value of the guinea to increase, at times to as high as thirty shillings. From 1717 to 1816, its value was officially fixed at twenty-one shillings. After the guinea coin ceased to circulate, the guinea continued in use as a unit of account worth twenty-one shillings (£1.05 in decimalised currency). The guinea had an aristocratic overtone, so professional fees, and prices of land, horses, art, bespoke tailoring, furniture, white goods and other "luxury" items were often quoted in guineas until a couple of years after decimalisation in 1971. The guinea was used in a similar way in Australia until that country converted to decimal currency in 1966, after which it became worth $2.10.

***********The Crystal Palace Horse Show was not a single event but rather a recurring fixture of the Crystal Palace, a large glass and iron structure built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, London. Initially housed in Hyde Park, the structure was later moved and reconstructed in Sydenham Hill, south London, becoming a popular attraction and the namesake of the area, Crystal Palace. The horse show was a regular event within the larger Crystal Palace complex, which was designed for public entertainment and events. While the Crystal Palace did host horse racing, the horse show itself likely involved other equestrian events and displays beyond just racing and became a popular destination for Londoners and visitors alike, offering a variety of entertainment and attractions. Held after the Fourth of June at Eaton, the Crystal Palace Horse Show became a fixture of the London Season and thereby the social calendar for the upper-classes: a place to see the latest fashions and be seen in them in a prelude to Ascot Week later in the month.

************Created by British industrial chemist and journalist Walter Weldon Weldon’s Ladies’ Journal was the first ‘home weeklies’ magazine which supplied dressmaking patterns. Weldon’s Ladies’ Journal was first published in 1875 and continued until 1954 when it ceased publication.

*************Meaning very quick-witted and intelligent, the idiom "smart as a whip" originates from the quick, snapping movement of a whip when it's used to urge on a horse. The rapid action and effectiveness of the whip led to its association with sharp, quick thinking and intelligence.

**************In sewing and haberdashery, notions are small objects or accessories, including items that are sewn or otherwise attached to a finished article, such as buttons, snaps, and collar stays. Notions also include the small tools used in sewing, such as needles, thread, pins, marking pens, elastic, and seam rippers.

***************Pogroms in the Russian Empire were large-scale, targeted, and repeated anti-Jewish rioting that began in the Nineteenth Century. Pogroms began to occur after Imperial Russia, which previously had very few Jews, acquired territories with large Jewish populations from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire from 1772 to 1815. The 1905 pogrom against Jews in Odessa was the most serious pogrom of the period, with reports of up to 2,500 Jews killed. Jews fled Russia, some ending up in London’s east end, which had a reasonably large Jewish community, particularly associated with clothing manufacturing.

****************“A turn-up for the books” is a British idiom that means a surprising or unexpected event, typically one that is pleasing. The phrase was originally “a turn up for the book”. At Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century English race meetings, when bets were placed the punter’s name and wager were written down in a notebook. Not unreasonably, this process was called “making a book”. If a race was won by a horse that the bookmaker had no record of in his book, he had a “turn up” and kept all the wagered money. By the 1820s, the reference was to cards or dice, which are “turned up” by chance. Specifically, the “turn up” was referred to in the game of cribbage. At the start of a game of cribbage a member of one team cuts the pack and a member of the other turns up the top card. If this is a knave, the second team gets extra points – called “two for his heels”. Holding the knave of the suit that is turned up also merits a point – “one for his nibs”, the knave being one of the “Royal” cards and “nibs” being slang for “a person of importance”.

*****************Oy vey is a commonly used Jewish exclamation indicating dismay or grief.

******************Tsedoodelt is Yiddish for befuddled or confused.

*******************George Bryan "Beau" Brummell was an important figure in Regency England, and for many years he was the arbiter of British men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but after the two quarrelled and Brummell got into debt, he had to take refuge in France.

*******************Tsemisht mentsh is Yiddish for a confused man.

*********************Both the forms yenta and yente are used in Yinglish (Jewish varieties of English) to refer to someone who is a gossip or a busybody. The use of yenta as a word for “busybody” originated in the age of Yiddish theatre. There is a mistaken belief that the word for a Jewish matchmaker is yenta or yente. In reality a Jewish matchmaker is called a “shadchan”. The origin of this error is the 1964 musical “Fiddler on the Roof”, in which a character named Yente serves as the matchmaker for the village of Anatevka.

**********************Whilst there isn't one single word in Yiddish that perfectly translates to “wily” as it is used in English, there are several Yiddish words can convey similar meanings depending on the specific nuance. "Schlaum” or "schlau" mean sly, clever, or cunning, which can fit the context of “wily.”

***********************Schlemiel is a Yiddish term meaning "inept/incompetent person" or "fool". It is a common archetype in Jewish humour, and so-called "schlemiel jokes" depict the schlemiel falling into unfortunate situations.

**********************Hoykh moyl is Yiddish for “loud mouth”.

***********************Grosgrain is a type of fabric characterized by prominent transverse ribs created by a heavier weft than warp in a plain weave. It's a firm, close-woven fabric with a distinct texture, making it suitable for various applications like ribbon, millinery, and crafting.

************************Huguenot lace is a type of imitation lace where floral cut-out designs are sewn onto a muslin net ground. This style of lace was popular in England, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Northamptonshire.

*************************After the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day in Paris in 1572, when over ten thousand Huguenot Protestants were murdered, many fled to England. A second, larger, wave of Huguenots fled from France in the 1680s when King Louis XIV revoked a previous royal edict protecting Protestants from religious persecution and they were again attacked. Many Huguenots had difficult and dangerous journeys, escaping France and crossing to England by sea. Many Huguenot Protestants upon arriving in England after their dangerous journey, set up in London, in Spitalfields, the City, Clerkenwell, Soho, Greenwich, Marylebone and Wandsworth. Here they established weaving and lace making businesses, some of which are still in existence today, albeit not in quite the same form as when they were first established.

**************************A blouson dress is characterised by its loose, flowing silhouette, often with a gathered or cinched waistline, creating a blouson effect (a billowing or puffy appearance) over the bust and upper body. The waistline is typically undefined or slightly gathered, creating a comfortable, relaxed fit. This more relaxed style of dress became popular with the abandonment of tightly laced corsets after the Great War in the 1920s, which revolutionised women’s fashions, creating a look that is more characteristic of what we see today.

***************************Crêpe de chiné is a lightweight, luxurious fabric known for its smooth, silky feel and fluid drape. It's often associated with silk, although by the mid 1920s, when this story is set, cheaper crêpe de chiné made from other materials like rayon and man-made silks were readily available for women whose budgets couldn’t extend to real silk crêpe de chiné. The name "Crêpe de Chiné" translates to "crêpe from China," reflecting its origins.

Mrs. Minkin’s cluttered haberdashers filled with an assortment of notions, bolts of colourful fabrics and swags of creamy lace is not all it seems to be at first glance, for it is made up of part of my 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures collection.

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

Edith’s handbag in the foreground handmade from soft leather is part of a larger collection of hats and bags that I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel. The black umbrella came from an online stockist of 1:12 miniatures on E-Bay.

The fabrics on the table in the foreground are, aside from the holly print cloth, which is a 1:12 size square tablecloth, all embroidered ribbons from my collection of haberdashery. Each ribbon was given to me by a very drear friend who knows I love and collect beautiful and vintage haberdashery. The ribbons were either manufactured in India or France. The Christmas themed tablecloth and serviettes are 1:12 miniatures from Mick and Marie’s Miniatures in the United Kingdom.

The delicate lace you see on the counter in the midground and the wooden shelves in the background are a mixture of antique hand sewn and embroidered doilies, milk jug covers or rolls of very fine lace. The ecru coloured lace you see draped beneath the folded linen tied with a ribbon to the right of the photograph is in reality an antique French lace collar from the late Nineteenth Century.

The corsetry boxes on the counter are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Known mostly for his books, most designed to opened to reveal authentic printed interiors, he also made other paper and cardboard based miniatures including a selection of beautiful boxes. All of Ken Blythe’s books, magazines and boxes are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes and boxes, with meticulous attention paid to the detailing of each one. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make the corsetry boxes miniature artisan pieces. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire a large number of pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago, as well as through his estate via his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.

The spools of cotton in the box in front of the corsetry boxes, I acquired from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop in the United Kingdom. The concertina wooden sewing box on casters which you can see closed in the background to the left of the photograph, beside the counter, also came from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop, as did the starched sheets tied with ribbon on the counter in the midground to the right of the photograph.

GARC Race #3 - Brickfair Virginia 2014 by 4estFeller

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[swooshing intensifies]

#TBT Find the Spinach by Elné

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A close up of a spinach leaf.

#ElneLeafSeries

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The open road - Intensify Pro version by Jim Nix

New Mexico - nomadicpursuits.com/

Revealed! by V.C. Wald

The early morning spring sun suddenly intensified the brilliant colors and moody steaming atmosphere of this hydrothermal runoff cascading down the mound that is Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin to the Firehole River below.

When the gentle breeze momentarily moved the steam away from the formation underneath, something interesting was revealed. Do you see it?

As the very hot mineralized water emanating from deep underground overspills the rims of Yellowstone's geyser craters and hot springs, like all moving water, it finds channels to take it down hill. Also in Yellowstone, of course, specialized extremophile bacteria, algae, viruses, and other life-forms flourish in the flow. Here the predominant orange color is due to the presence of the cyanobacterium Phoridium.

IMG_9384D by acb

*Popol Vuh intensifies*

Rain-New York City August 1993 by A. Starb

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The Downpour Intensifies. Lots of wet New Yorkers.

Whirling spring by Kirill ΞΚ Voloshin

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Happy Women's Day!

This photo was made with a 'spiral blur' technique (as I call it). The zoom ring of the lens is fixed on the tripod. Rotating the camera body while the shutter is open changes the angle and focal length leaving these spiral traces on the image.

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Freedom {1} by Amanda Creamer

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After the unspeakable evil and the harm you’ve experienced, sometimes it feels the only way you can experience freedom is to close your eyes and “disappear” to try to escape the continual, extreme overwhelm which can intensify beyond your capacity to cope. It’s not ideal, can be very complex, crippling and is understandable considering your devastating circumstances. It’s certainly not simple or easy and you are working so faithfully and diligently to find more freedom in the present moment.

. . . . . . . . .

Since most of our belongings are packed up and in storage I don’t have access to much and I was able to find some (very lightweight) sewing thread and a very flimsy needle my daughter had here with her and I used our low budget home printer to create this. Normally I wouldn’t use such low quality items for something like this. I didn’t have much to work with and I was determined to not let this completely stop me from creating. I have since made a few more little photo collections like this and this practice and process has been very helpful in my coping and healing journey. I’m so thankful I gave this a try and for how I find this process to be therapeutic and how it helps me continue to grow. I included this collection of printed images with notes I took to an appointment with my therapist and am so thankful I took pictures of it as a reminder of this work since I no longer have a copy for myself.

[image created on 1-30-2024]

____________________________

As a way to cope with circumstances beyond my control, survive and work to keep fighting for life I decided to try to take at least one photo (or more) each day. I call this “a photo (or more) a day.” Practicing this form of therapeutic photography helps me work to focus on the present moment, gives me something familiar and enjoyable to focus on as I use photography skills that have become like second-nature to me and being able to view the images I capture helps me recall what I was thinking, feeling and noticing at the moment when I created the photos. More of the photos from this series can be seen on my Instagram account

I may not always have the energy, time or capacity to share photos from this series—especially with the very challenging circumstances my family and I are experiencing—and will do my best to continue taking a photo (or more) a day even if I’m not able to share.

If you would like to support my work and my family, one way you can do so is by ordering my zines:

CLOUDS

in the moment | collection 1

in the moment | collection 2

Moving Forward

Many thanks for your support.

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Sony A7RII Yosemite Horsetail Falls Firefall! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

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"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."--John Muir

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The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

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