Up the Rainbow Stair

A L O H A !

 

picture-click for tiny revelations

Find the stair

to the rainbow-

Up there

is a grand, light-filled

room
  whose pillars 

are giant trees

That room is filled 

with the languages

and voices

of all the world

Her dome a filigree

of light and white

There is also timely season 

of  night,
 glowing

to relieve the sight-

Else how could there be

windows seen in heaven

openings and gates

of light & love 

Portals

that some never

learn of

Note the Oahu weather map on the TV through the reflection. Click on this one for sure.

Through which to thread

the rainbow stairway

down-

Rainbow fairway
gaily painted
as a clown-

Rainbow
contradiction:
happy  frown !

Thank YOU

for riding here

on your pixel steed;

To leave a comment

is divine

                    indeed!   Warmly, cloudia

Be a Rat

A L O H A !

" Do good work 

and do it because it is a gift to the world.

  No matter how inconsequential

others may feel 

about the value of your contribution,

it is the giving that matters. 

The surprise here

  will be that the beneficiary

who gains most . . . is you. "

James Woods

" Cherish the dead

you once loved

so carelessly.

They still live

in your heart. "

James Woods

" The more perfect we are
 the more gentle and quiet
 we become
 towards the defects
 of others. "

Joseph Addison

( ´_?`)

Researchers

at the University of Chicago were surprised

at the consistency of their results;

Again and again, lab rats freed

a fellow rat.

To make it interesting,

scientists added tempting chocolate

to the situation.

23 of 30 rats

opened that cage door

for the other rat first.

"Basically they told us

that freeing another rat

is as important

as eating chocolate."

"In some case, rats first 

took the chocolate chips 

but didn't eat them,

they freed the other rat

and shared. "

Peggy Mason, PhD,

Some of the male rats,

7 of 24 tested,

didn't free the other rat.

"There were days when the male rats

took the day off

from helping their trapped partner,

but the females never did. "

Peggy Mason

study author

 in the journal

Science.

"If rats can be so caring and helpful

there's a sense of optimism.

It's something we could be. "

Jeff Mogil PhD

McGill University

So empathy is not a disadvantage,

but a characteristic we have preserved

as useful to survival.

Thank YOU freeing me

from the cage of my 'alone-ness'

today.  Leave a chocolate comment;

Be as sweet . . . As a RAT!

                                                Fondly, cloudia

Here's an amazing liberation:

ADYTUM-

 " A sacred place that the public is forbidden to enter; 

an inner shrine. "

A L O H A !

Welcome to our Adytum

click-ture   the picture

" A slight daily unconscious luxury. . .

like the gentle air

of a genial climate. . .

  is a perpetual 

minute

enjoyment.  "

Walter Bagehot

" It is the spirit behind your actions 

and words 

that announces

your inner state.  "

Rene Char

A gentle word, a kind look,

a good-natured smile 

can work wonders

and accomplish

miracles.  "

William Hazlitt

" In a gentle way,

you can shake the world. "

Mohandas Gandhi

   > < } } ( ° >

Now SHAKE it!

                                                  

                               warmly, cloudia

Walking in the Rain

A L O H A !

click to enlarge the photos

The weather in Honolulu 

has been mesmerizing:

Breezy Trade Winds,

blue skies,

and clouds of all sorts 

scudding along

high & low.

Temps in the 70c F.

The other evening

I got caught in a steady downpour 

walking home 

from the Waikiki Post Office.

Having recently moved off of the boat 

after 20 years,

it was a distinct pleasure

to enter my new, sturdy, 

DRY building!

Passing through the INDOOR garage,

I noted my scooter

playing a hand of cards

with my small car 

in the same parking space.

Nothing looks quite so bedraggled,

as a scooter or motorcycle

huddling under a dripping cover,

sitting in a puddle,

in the middle of a rain storm.

"There's my scooter,

dry in a rain storm."

I thought with satisfaction.

Instead of having wet rain

slide off of canvas

and down my neck,

I rode upstairs in the elevator

and entered my dry apartment.

Through the window, 

I could see squalls

pouring over Honolulu Town.

Then I took a hot shower.

Soon my husband returned home.

The winds did not stir us.

The rain did not reach us.

We prepared & ate food,

while Kitty played on the carpet.

Ah!  Civilization!

I shall never take it for granted.

And the next day,

Hawaii of post card fame

waited outside:

Thank YOU for visiting!

For a taste

of what I'm talking about

look at what happened

one year ago

HERE

Your comment is a gift we share -

Warmly, cloudia

Orange You Glad

" Try not thinking 

of peeling

an orange.

Try not imagining 

the juice running down your fingers, 

the soft inner part of the peel. 

The smell.

Try and you can't. 

The brain doesn't process 

negatives. "

 
Doug Coupland

 > < } } ( ° > 

" whatever is true,

whatever is noble,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about THOSE things."

 Philippians 4:8

" This itself 

is the whole of the journey:

opening your heart 

to that which is lovely.

  This is the way

you must train yourself: 

closely observe and embrace 

all states of mind

that are

good. "

Buddha

It is GOOD

to see you here!

Thank YOU

What's the good word?

                 Tell us in comments-

                                                                                                           Warmly, cloudia

How to be Right, while Dead Wrong

A L O H A !

“ People may not remember 

exactly what you did

or what you said,

but they will always remember

how you made them

feel. ”

Tony Hsieh

" Boldness

is a mask

for fear,

however great. "

John Dryden

" There is only one judge. . .  So who are you
to judge your neighbor? "

 GOD'S WORD ® Translation

"who art thou that dost judge the other? "

Young's Literal Translation

James 4:12

Bible

  > < } } ( ° >

     

Was there ever a time

when we debated ideas?

Today

what we do
is choose sides

and attack!

We have no patience

for the details-

everything 
is a chance

to argue.

We used to try to 

convince

in good faith;

Now the most shocking assertions

get all the attention.

There is no career to be made

with common sense.

To keep passion alive,

(and reason asleep?)

  assertions need to be 

more

and more extreme.

And since we only listen

to those we already agree with

the extreme gulf in partisan views

only grows wider.

Who is building a bridge?

How can you invite agreement
with a combative, angry tone?

Our "news" &

politics is reported the same way

that celebrity gossip is,

repeating the same trivial,

school-yard stuff

over and over again

without un-packing it.
Gotcha!

So what are we trying to accomplish?

Media, pundits & radio personalities

want attention, airtime and money.

What do YOU want?

In a free society,

can either extreme win,

then rule 

their neighbors?

So what's your bottom line?

Would you rather make the best put-down

or find common ground upon which 
society

- all of us -

can move forward
together?

Do you want to be "right"

or be effective?

Merciless - or wise?

You can be technically
correct,

but the person you argue with
is telling you

what is Emotionally True to THEM,

what matters most to THEM.

Do you care enough to listen
instead of merely
preparing your 

ammunition?

Can we even really
hear each other
anymore?

Yes,
you may be "correct"
on your facts,

but be DEAD WRONG
in your attitude,
behavior,
results.

This is a Democracy -

not a winner-takes-all 

demolition derby.

Or is it?

We do not need to agree
on everything,
in order to live agreeably.

But we do need to understand
what really motivates
people
who hold opinions that seem
incompatible with our own.


To do that,
we need to regard them
once again
as
people,
not as stereotypes.


We need, in a real sense,
to 'love' our neighbor
as we do ourselves;
That is: as
basically good persons;
Persons who deserve
to be listened to.

So what is missing today?

Please share your opinion with us
in comments.

& Thanks for your valued visit.

                                                                    Warmly, cloudia