I had the wonderful privilege of earning my seaplane rating at the Aero Club Como in Lake Como, Italy. If you haven't had the pleasure of getting to know the region, I can assure you that on first sight you will ask yourself as Longfellow did in his lovely poem Cadenabbia: "Is this a dream? …
Continue reading With the catching ends the pleasure of the chase.
"A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined." - Ann Petry All this talk of fashion reminds me of a wonderful tour I was given of the John Lobb workshop in Paris, prior to its move to the rue de Mogador. If you haven't heard the name before, John Lobb …
Much to my surprise I discovered (by the onslaught of views and comments) that my post "Dress for Success" was promoted to Freshly Pressed this morning. Thank you, dear readers, for your support and encouragement. Thank you WordPress and thank you Joy! I wish you an uncommonly generative weekend...
"Great men are seldom over-scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire." - Charles Dickens One thing should be clear: clothes do not make a man a gentleman or a woman a lady; and, by the same token, a real gentleman or a true lady is always a gentleman or a lady, no matter what he …
I came across three rules today that provide effective guidance for a productive life: Rule #1: Success is an option. Rule #2: Failure to accomplish a goal is a last resort. Rule #3: Failure to give your very best is never an option. Countless human beings have lived out their lives never believing that success …
Continue reading The victorious life begins with successful attitude
My local Starbucks posted a sticker on the front door the other day that reads: "TAKE COMFORT IN RITUALS." The slogan got me thinking about the things in my life that border on ritualistic - my Matins and Vigils, Christmas decorations, tying yellow ribbons around old oak trees, and so on. What purpose do they …
Continue reading Take comfort in rituals but don’t stop there!
I saw two documentaries on the Anaconda, those infamous boas of the genus Eunectes. The first was a nature show that identified the Anaconda as one of the twenty deadliest critters on earth. The second, in stark contrast, featured a husband/wife team of scientists who walk through the swamps of South America (barefoot!) in order …
You may accuse me of becoming a fuddy-duddy and I'm sure I deserve the title in more ways than one, but it seems to me that Western culture, known for its materialistic roots, is becoming increasingly dependent on the drug of instant gratification. When I was young, email, online shopping, Twitter, Facebook and so many …
Shibumi is a Japanese word that refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle and unobtrusive beauty. It can be used to describe a person, place or thing, naturally occurring or man-made. I love to observe and photograph shibumi and below you will find a few of the more spectacular manifestations I have been privileged to witness. …
"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast." ~ Oscar Wilde From whence cometh humanity? Have you given much thought to that question? Are we the result of chance or divine order or as with most alternate of choice questions, are the heavily marketed options masking the truth of the matter? Whatever …
Continue reading The invisible made visible: It’s what you do!
Gregory Hake 