Sharing my reflections

Stone face

2012-01-16T19:43:00.002+01:00

You never know who you can come across on your way...

Once you are flying...

2012-01-04T19:45:00.004+01:00

A colleague of mine at the office had a birthday in the end of the last year and I was delegated by the other colleagues to choose and buy a wall calendar for him. I was browsing through many calendars and in the end I chose one with a theme of motivation. There are usually just clichés in such a calendar but this one seemed quite special to me. Firstly, its pictures were nice and perfectly matching the thoughts for each month and secondly, I liked the thoughts and found them inspiring. For example, January starts with "Courage" and conveys:

"Once you are flying, it no longer matters whether you jumped on your own or if someone had to give you a push."

True, isn't it? I don't know how you see it but quite many times I was pushed - either by circumstances or by my own acts - into a position or situation I wouldn't have chosen at all if I had had another option. But there I was and needed to cope with the situation. Later (sometimes much later) I could see how good an opportunity it had been to get further. I mean further as regards my personality, my attitudes, the way I generally see life. I believe that the flying, both intentional and unintentional, has made me grow.

PS The photo accompanying January shows a group of penguins standing on the very edge of a covered-in-snow cliff overhanging the sea bellow and one penguin heading downwards into the sea with its flippers widely spread as if flying...

Once you are flying...

PF 2012

2011-12-31T21:09:00.001+01:00

Well, another year's coming, something new starts so let's use it to our advantage and make the best of it. There is always something new to be discovered, something old to be improved, something interesting to be followed. I wish you to be healthy, satisfied and open-minded. [Sometimes we're all a little bit stubborn, aren't we? ;-)]

Have you ever heard a smell?

2011-12-11T22:13:00.005+01:00

A few weeks ago I coincidentally came around two interesting articles dealing with a phenomenon I've never heard about and which I find really interesting. Synesthesia. Does it ring a bell with you?

We all have 5 senses and they operate independently of one another. But there are people whose senses are combined in such a way that they can e.g. taste sound, see coloured numbers or letters of the alphabet, hear smells, see colours when hearing musical tones or sounds generally, etc. Any senses and any number of them can be combined but commonly just two of them are involved. Even in this case, perception is rather complex.

Karen Chenausky who sees letters to be coloured says that words are not just a compilations of those letters. The individual letters influence one another: their colours bleed into each other, change shades of the neighbouring letters and importantly, initial letters influence the final look of words more than the final letters.

James Wannerton who tastes sound says that he gets fairly complex mixture of tastes and textures on his tongue and when someone speaks slowly, he is even getting too many tastes to focus on what the person is saying.

These people are called "synesthetes". They often inherit this feature and realise its existence in their childhood or adolescence after finding out that not everybody possesses it. Probably many of them never go public and keep it as a secret, on the other hand many take it for granted that it is something entirely ordinary.

For synesthesia, it is typical that

you can't influence its occurrence, it's automatic and involuntary
the perception is the same all the time and doesn't change throughout the person's life so e.g. if you see the letter "a" as orange, the colour of the letter will never change
the perception is remembered better than the trigger itself so you will rather remember the colour of the word than the word itself
the perception is unique for each individual, i.e. if you see the letter "a" as orange, I can see it green
the perception may cause emotional reactions, often pleasurable ones

Synesthesia is not a medical condition. Many synesthetes regard it as a gift and many say that it helps them in their everyday life as it supports remembering and increases creativity. It is interesting that in case of family occurrence, the types of synesthesia usually differ which means that you don't inherit the particular type but just the capability of "crossed-wiring".

While reading about synesthesia, the following quote appealed to me:

"Nature, so endlessly creative, has managed things so that each of us, hosts of synesthesia or not, perceives a slightly different world... a world colored by our one-of-a-kind pattern of neurons and experiences."
Patricia Lynne Duffy

Plain truth, isn't it?

Source of information: http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/, http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/syne.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

Numbers and worked out problem with signing in

2011-11-19T21:40:00.003+01:00

When I was driving home on Wednesday afternoon, the number 22777 appeared on the display of the dashboard. It was the number of kilometres our car has done since we bought it but that's not the point. The point is that I felt somewhat enchanted by the number and realised how much I was attracted by that. Strange, isn't it? I know nothing about numerology and I'm not interested in it but somehow I perceive that numbers play some role in my life. There are numbers I would probably never use for my password or online nickname, e.g. eight. That number repels me and I don't know why. Maybe it's like with colours. We feel good in some of them or surrounded by them but we can't stand others. Although I like to work with soil, I feel particularly uncomfortable in similarly brown clothes... Once I bought a dark brown dress (my mum and my husband were telling me how good I looked in it and I let them persuade me) but then I wasn't able to wear it... Do you have the same experience either with numbers or with colours?

Well, let's change the subject now. Probably all of you have met some blogger bug and so you may know how annoying that can be. I have had a problem with signing in lately and I was already feeling quite desperate about it. When I signed in, everything seemed all right but when I switched to see my blog, my user name didn't appear in the right top corner. Moreover, when I wanted to post a comment (either in my blog or in any other), I was told that I needed to sign in under another account. I even created a new account and connected my blog with it in order to try and solve this problem and it seemed to work, but just for a while. In the end I succeeded in finding a Blogger forum where I could post a description of my situation and found out that firstly more people have already had this problem and secondly someone posted some helpful advice in the forum. I have the problem worked out now but because it was not easy for me to deal with it, I decided to share it here and to give you a helping hand in case you would encounter the same problem. Nevertheless I have to add that my advise is limited to Internet Explorer, which I use. The solution is easy: Firstly sign out of your blog. Then go to Tools, choose Internet Options and click on the button removing the history, cookie files, temporary files, passwords, etc. Sign into your blog again and this time (and any other time) don't tick the option "Stay signed in". And if you forget and let the option "Stay signed in" ticked as it is the default option, just repeat the above given procedure and that's it. PS If you have any other problem, you can find the help forum here.

Autumnal colours

2011-11-13T21:24:00.005+01:00

What makes autumn so interesting to me are its colours and atmosphere. I consider the fact that fog and sunny rays are not afraid of one another and that they share many autumn days as extraordinary. Light is softly changed in this period and colours are deeper, haze on the horizon makes the scene somewhat sentimental. And even many places that wouldn't catch my attention during another season become poetic and memorable. Don't you think so? Just have a look at the pool in the first picture...

Pink variations

2011-10-20T20:57:00.000+02:00

I will never grow tired of taking photographs of flowers as they are so beautiful. These were taken in August in my mother-in-law's garden. The bumblebee shouldn't originally have been there but I was deeply impressed by his pollen coat...

- Echinacea -

- Hibiscus -

- Hydrangea -

Late Summer and Early Autumn Greetings

2011-09-08T21:11:00.003+02:00

The summer hasn't managed to close the door yet and the autumn is already knocking at them... I've had an enormously busy summer because of renovating our house and I am going to have a very busy autumn because of preparing for an English exam. I really haven't had time to be here but I want to let you know that I often think of you. I'm looking forward to reading your posts again...

Enjoy the autumn and take care!

Doors

2011-05-13T20:50:00.001+02:00

When you are entering a building with a beautiful, prominent or impressive entrance door, you may find yourself full of expectations what will be shown to you behind that door. What marvels of architecture or refined taste you will see. Well, the door may or may not hide anything special but still, it brings something special itself or helps to create a great scene... I took the following photos during our last family holiday in different towns of the Czech Republic:

- an entrance portal of the benedictine cloister situated in the town Police nad Metují -

- a detail of the portal -

- a place of pilgrimage "Mountain of Mother of God" situated above the town Králíky -

- a door in the courtyard of the castle situated in the town Náchod -

- a door in the courtyard of the castle situated in the town Nové Město nad Metují -

At the eleventh hour

2011-05-04T21:55:00.002+02:00

Some time ago I read in English "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins and really liked the story and its characters. I met there - for the first time - an English phrase "at the eleventh hour" and understood from the context that it meant "at the last moment". I looked at my dictionary and browsed the Internet and found the following explanation:

"The eleventh hour is the last possible moment at which something can be done, or which problems or solutions might arise. The phrase, “at the eleventh” hour became popular in the 19th century, but was in use much earlier. It alludes specifically to the book of Matthew in the New Testament (20:2-16). This account in Matthew is a parable regarding workers who arrive at the eleventh hour of the workday and are still paid a full day’s wage. Biblical scholars have suggested that the parable can mean that even people who come to Christianity late in life, at the eleventh hour, will still earn the full benefits of the joys of eternal life."

Do you use this phrase?

In the Czech language we simply say "at the last moment" or more idiomatically "at five minutes to twelve". The idiomatic expression is used only when something was achieved at the last moment. E.g. "The operation was performed at 5 minutes to twelve. Otherwise he would have died." or "She came to the station at 5 minutes to twelve. She didn't miss the train." Well, I haven't found any explanation for the time...

* * *

Our cat found a new place for having a rest...

The signboard reads "Antiques"

Sometimes you go through a city, glance up and see something like this...

Spring in terms of flowers

2011-04-27T21:17:00.001+02:00

It's beautiful to come out of the house right into the garden and to see the nature so close... I grew up in a city, in a block of flats with garages in the backyard and a busy main street in front of the house. Moreover, both grandmothers lived in the same city, just in other parts of it. How much I longed for some nice relatives living in the country!! I would never have guessed at that time that one day I would be living in the country. One never knows what experience waits round the corner... :-)

I guess this is some perennial kind of begonia, I have a few of them in my flowerbeds. The plants survive winter frost and snow quite bravely.

Do you like narcissi? A few years ago I bought some bulblets and made the choise according to the picture of grown flowers that I liked. Well, the flowers are beautiful but they never last long because their heads are too heavy for their stalks and always bend in a while. Well, tell me, beauty at such a price? I intend to buy narcissi with much simpler inflorescence to see them live longer...

The redcurrant is my favourite in this set. :-) I planted this one about 4 years ago and it seems that this year it will be heavy with berries at last! I just need to get rid of greenflies, they attack currants every spring and I have to spray the plants with chemicals. Fortunately, it's enough to perform the treatement just once, I don't like using the chemicals too often. Ladybirds are welcome, come nad have a feast!

Spring has finally come...

2011-04-14T20:21:00.002+02:00

... although winter hasn't given up yet. April is known for its uncertain weather here and so we had 25°C a few days ago as well as just 5°C today. I am quite happy that we were able to do quite a lot of work in our garden during those warm days and so the world looks a liiitle bit better now :-). On the other hand, I nearly don't remember how my camera looks as I haven't used it since winter. Let me open my archive for a while and present a photo from the last spring to start the new season:

These crocuses are planted in front of our house and I love their flowers. I have them in three coloures - violet, yellow and white - and all of them look great!

Winter scenes

2011-02-16T20:44:00.001+01:00

When we woke up on 30th December in the end of the last year and looked out of a window, there was a beautiful blue sky and unusually white trees. My husband got up, came back with his camera and started to take pictures of our garden. First I was laughing but after a while I went for my camera too... After comparing our shots we separated our ways - he made a decision to go to the village and explore its surroundings and I went into the garden to take a closer look. My hands were freezing while playing with the camera and when I finally went home, I found out that there was 15°C bellow zero. My husband came back afterwards, hard frozen but displaying wonderful photos. What else could I do than to follow his example once again and set out! :-) He went with me and we spent a great hour outside taking photos and enjoying the winter scenes. I felt like having jumped into an icy kingdom for a while, it felt wonderful to breathe the crisp air and watch the frosted branches against the blue sky. I can't let you experience the overall atmosphere of that morning but here are at least a few photos:

This picture comes from the same place as the one in my previous post. Only the perspective differs...

This photo may look somewhat chaotic... but have you ever seen something like this?

There was no wind, the trees are bent permanently this way...

And the last photo today... I wish this was my saying goodbye to winter but according to weather forecast we should rather expect frost and cold air in the next days. So be it but with every new day spring is coming nearer bringing fresh green and warmth. Whoopee!

Second chance

2011-02-09T21:17:00.003+01:00

While I was browsing through blogs a few hours ago, I unexpectedly found inspiration in one of them. There was a photo picturing trees lit by golden light and a forked trail running among them. First trying just to write a short rhyming comment I could not stop looking for better suited words and here it is, a product of that inspiration, together with a photo I took in the end of the last year:

Snowy scenes

And

Lonely trails

Stretching to infinity

Hearts being weighed

On precise scales

Found guilty or not guilty

Of emptiness,

Of apathy,

Of being cold as ice

We beg for our second chance

Another game of dice

PS You know, it's weird. I am not tempted to write poems in my native language but from time to time I feel urged to express something like this in English. I know that the result may sound different than I feel it but maybe that's it. Don't try to understand, try to feel...

Winter atmosphere

2011-02-07T20:40:00.001+01:00

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

Andrew Wyeth

Once I read an article about how to find the soul of a garden. The author of that article expressed an idea saying that the soul becomes obvious just in winter when there are no leaves disturbing its expression.

Well, the truth is that places do look different in summer and in winter, no doubt about it. However, I am not so sure that only the bare winter appearance presents the soul.

I like all the disguises nature wears. One place can be either dull or prominent under different conditions such as light, time of the day, weather, season. Don't you think so?

Kozel castle - Part 3

2011-01-25T21:08:00.002+01:00

I tidied up my blog a bit, got rid of some older posts I found pointless, dressed the blog in a winter coat and now I can happily return to the last part of my Kozel castle series:

There is a small island in the pond inhabited by ducks. I saw it from this side of the pond for the first time and was surprised that it was arranged and maintained.

There were many ducks, coming for feed and looking tame, they were not afraid of watching people at all. Only when a dog appeared and ran after them, they followed their instinct without hesitation and flew away.

I guess that this figure is less than 1 meter tall, placed at a corner of a small fenced garden behind the castle. It is accompanied by ceramic hens and probably represents a woman taking care of them. I never liked her and didn't even want to take a photo of her. I stood by a gate of the garden and tried to take photos of benches that are situated there. And then it happened. I saw the figure from a different angle and saw not a farmer but a praying woman looking to heaven with her hands turned upside, giving thanks to God and asking Him to come and fill her. My husband doesn't see it in the picture but I do and like it very much.

The golden (or rather coppery) leaves looked beautiful above the dark water and it seems to me that they express a worthy farewell to both the trip and the autumn. See you in winter... :-)

Kozel castle - Part 2

2011-01-08T20:45:00.005+01:00

So, the New Year is not that "new" anymore... do you feel settled? As my birthday is at the beginning of January, a start of a year is also the start of another year of my life, funny feeling... How many years will follow... better not to know.

I was wondering whether to continue my autumnal Kozel castle series when glittery white snow was everywhere here but as the snow has been disappearing lately and green and brown colours have been appearing again, the decision has been made for me. I am starting with a scrapbook page I created in the scrapbooking course following one of its assignments. I got a template, used one of the photos shown in the part 1 for it and added a text that occured to me and suited both the autumnal atmosphere of the photo and the clock in the background paper. It suits also the beginning of the year, don't you think so?

And now, you are invited to enter the garden of the Kozel castle once again:

There were a few of these arbours in the garden, some of them open, others like this one locked. But they all looked interesting.

To be one among many, to differ from others, to attract attention... the pale leaf seems comfortable in that position. :-)

I like the contrast of the photo. I was waiting for ages to take it because some people were passing there and then they stopped and didn't move, so I chose another view. Don't regret though, this one may be better than the intended one...

We spent a few hours by the castle and you can see here the changes of lighting we experienced there. From clear blue sky to misty and dreamy atmosphere...

That's all for now, I am going to post a few more photos next time and finish the series.

Credits for the kit and template of the scrapbook page: Lauren Grier, Digital Scrapper

PF 2011

2010-12-21T20:40:00.002+01:00

Some time ago I subscribed to a scrapbooking course via the Internet to improve my skills in using the Adobe Photoshop Elements software which I use for editting my photos and for making occasional scrapbook pages. The course has been great but it has taken all the time I have for sitting at my computer so I haven't been able yet to continue my Kozel castle series. Autumn is gone, there is snow everywhere and I see I am running late... I am hoping at least that I will catch up with your blogs as soon as possible but for the time being, let me wish you a wonderful Christmas time and a happy year 2011.

Credits for elements and papers: Adori Graphics, Katina Curten, Snowsmoon’s Design, Marie Stones

Kozel castle - Part 1

2010-11-08T21:02:00.000+01:00

The official website of the castle Kozel states that this castle is the most visited castle in western Bohemia. On the one hand I wonder whether this statement might be biased but on the other hand I find it easily believable. I love the castle with its beautiful garden and park and I like to come back from time to time. But I don't remember being there in autumn... this might have been for the first time... and I was enchanted.

The castle season ends on 31st October in the Czech Republic and we came there on Saturday, the 30th. It was a nice afternoon. Quite cold but accompanied by clear sky and only a few visitors, simply wonderful conditions for taking pictures. We explored the park throughout and found many new parts we had never visited.

Kozel used to be a hunting castle and the building itself looks quite simple. The architect of the castle was supposedly influenced by the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau who propagated return to nature.

"Kozel" means "goat" in Czech and it seems a peculiar name for a castle. According to a legend, this name stems from an old pagan Slavic habit. Ancient Slavs would sacrifice a goat in the time of equinox in this location to reconcile gods with them and to hope for good harvest.

There is also a chapel, riding-school, stable and building for servants in the areal. My friend got married in the chapel, weddings are quite popular there. I wish we visited also the interior but our children were not keen on that idea and we didn't want to force it upon them. Next time, maybe...

Sumacs and a piece of good advice

2010-10-26T20:52:00.002+02:00

We went shopping on Sunday afternoon because our supplies of food were almost exhausted and moreover, our children needed new shoes for approaching winter. So instead of walking in some beautifully coloured country we were walking among shelves full of goods. I definitely prefer the first option but well, I have to respect the needs too. So, we went shopping. Shopping among Christmas decorations and Christmas trees, what a bizarre look it was. The untimely decoration on the one hand and the memory of our trip two weeks ago on the other hand:

Unlike the plastic trees, the sumac is beautiful, isn't it? I like sumacs a lot, the structure of their leaves, their shape and their colours but we had one in the yard and since then I have known it is a terrible weed. Its roots grow to long distances and carry tubers where new little trees sprout.

Blimey, I have just noticed that there is also a sumac in the picture bellow! Only much older one. I liked the place and couldn't leave the spot without taking a photo. We started our trip quite early and there was the misty air you can see in the background, it complemented the scene perfectly.

I'd like to finish this post with a quotation I have found:

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

A piece of good advice, isn't it? :-)

Passers-by

2010-10-15T17:49:00.004+02:00

I took this photograph by a railway museum - you can see a carriage behind those windows. I liked both the contrast between the stone building and the new car and the complementariness of colours. When I was looking at the photograph a few days ago, I had to think about another car...

Sometimes there are things happening that influence us without our consent or decision. This way a car and its driver entered my life. I commute to work by my car, park the car by the wall of the areal where I work and go about 5 minutes to the building where my office is situated. My working hours are regular beginning at 6.30 a.m. and so I go there at approximately the same time every morning. I noticed that the same silver car was passing by me from time to time and sometimes I saw an older man with glasses and grey hair to get out of the car by a building that was on my way. His car is usually parked by that building and I know its registration number better than my own. It starts with "7A7" and always when I am getting near that parking place I wonder whether 7A7 will be there. More than once I even watched the car on the same road when heading to work, the driver apparently lives somewhere in my direction. I noticed that the driver has a VIP parking card and it didn't surprise me because he looks like a manager. Nevertheless, although I know nothing about him and don't wish to get to know him, I feel in some odd way connected to him and to the car. They became a part of my daily routine. Without my decision, without my will. Like many others, those uknown people we meet day by day, you surely have this experience too...

Autumnal air

2010-10-03T20:53:00.001+02:00

There was a pond fishing in our village yesterday and I was firmly convinced to go there and to take my camera. The pond fishing takes place every year in the beginning of october and although we have been living here for 9 years, we have never been to it. I supposed that it would start early and wanted to be there at 8 o'clock at the latest but we got up not that early and came to the pond at about 9:15 a.m. Yes, I had the camera but there was nothing interesting to be shot as nearly all the fish were already out in tanks being weighed, sold and prepared for transportation... Well, I didn't give up and asked my children to have a look around and go for a walk. Fortunately, chestnut trees grow in that direction and children were thrilled to go and find some fallen chestnuts. It was a nice walk and we found 95 beautiful shiny chestnuts. The younger son is going to take them to school tomorrow for him and other children to create figures from them. Do you know those chestnut figures?

Here are a few observations from our walk:

- autumn may be cold but its colours make it up for us -

- never give up, there is always some way how and in which direction to grow -

- autumn can be both bright and melancholic (some might even say depressive) -

- rosehips are a symbol of autumn, summer is entirely forgotten -

Looking for a model

2010-09-30T20:52:00.002+02:00

The other day I felt strongly like taking pictures but as it was raining all day, I was stuck at home. I decided to find some scenery there to take a picture of and my thoughts fell immediately on a metal doll that has guarded one of my flowers for quite a long time. I am not a fan of these products, I ususally find them kitsch, but when I saw the doll, I couldn't take my eyes of it. Well, sometimes you come around a thing that touches your feelings and you feel sort of allied with it, don't you?

I took several photos, played with the scene, with my camera settings, with light. I know that the result is far from a technically perfect photograph but it makes me feel good and moreover, the doll looks great, doesn't she? ;-)

After taking the photos of the doll, I had another idea. A few years ago we bought a toy for our son. You might have seen it already, I used to know this thing (whose name escapes me) from shops where children could sit by a table and draw a picture or do some "sitting activity" while their parents were doing their shopping. I remember seeing it in a bookshop. The thing is made of metal and wood and there are several shaped and coloured metal rods that lead small wooden balls from one side to the other. We have quite a small one at home but I saw much bigger ones and they were wonderful! I took several photos again, with different background, settings and light and this is the one I like best:

A toy and yet a piece of art, isn't it? :-)

My new logo and then back to Krkonoše - Part 2

2010-09-11T11:33:00.003+02:00

When I started my first blog on Yahoo a few years ago, it was with the intention to learn English and to be in touch with an Argentinian professor of English who was willing to share his rich knowledge of English with us, his virtual learners. As the time went by, I took a fancy to blogging itself and started to create my own entries. I used mostly my own photos but a few times I also used photos from the internet. After a while I wanted to express "the ownership" of my photos, to say clearly "these photos were seen by my eyes" and I started to sign them.

Now I use only my photos but I still like the presence of a signature, it makes the photos even more personal. Nevertheless, I was not quite satisfied with the signature I was using and so I was eager to create a new one. I tried a few shapes, sizes and contents and here is a result, a logo:

It sort of belongs to me... and you can judge its appearance in the photos bellow. :-)

And now, let's get back to Krkonoše:

These thistles are a common part of the local flora, there wery plenty of them.

The mountain in the middle in the background is Sněžka, the highest mountain of the Czech Republic. If you look closely, you can see a few buildings on the top.

I loved these boundary stones showing where the border between the Czech Republic and Poland is. I found them expressively fotogenic and have a few photos with them.

Here and there. In reality and in dreams. Being down-to-earth and being visionary. Live by presence and look into future. I like the contrast of those scenes...

Krkonoše - Part 1

2010-08-30T21:20:00.001+02:00

Krkonoše is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic. Its highest peak - Sněžka - is 1602 metres high and is situated on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. My 6-year-old son was thrilled to be at the Polish border for the first time! :-) Sněžka is the highest summit of the Czech Republic and it was crowded by ascending and descending people both from the Czech and Polish side. We went on the top by a cableway and then walked along the range.

- colours of summer in Krkonoše -

- tundra resembling landscape under the Sněžka mountain -

- view from the top of the Sněžka mountain -

Bent thinking

2010-08-18T20:34:00.003+02:00

Generally and probably like everybody else, I am used to do things in a certain way and usually don't question that way. But then a situation comes which doesn't let me follow my way and I am forced to change the point of view and to bend my thinking more or less to deal with the situation. If I do it well, I reach a solution that seemed impossible at first. Like in the picture above. I liked the top of the building but I was not able to take the photo in the way I wanted. So I gave up and left the scene. A few hours later I went there again and was looking at the building regretfully. Then I took my camera and turned it in the way I wouldn't have accepted before and here is the result. I find the angle unusual but interesting, what do you think?

My blogger friend Dixxe wrote in her last post that we should embrace changes and I agree utterly. But I would go even further. From time to time we should not only embrace changes but actively look for them to be enriched and to alter our thinking routine. I definitely need it...

At the top

2010-08-13T21:41:00.003+02:00

I took this photograph at the top of an interesting sandstone formation with narrow passages, so called "cat castle". I lifted my head and there was this tree. I was enchanted by the scene. It seems that being "at the top" may be a wonderful experience but may also bring strong feeling of solitude and certain fragility...

Addendum to the previous post

2010-04-24T20:22:00.009+02:00

Some comments I got on the previous post made me think about adding some information to those photos, to spice up the story with details... :-)

This building is a church of St. Jakub and is situated on the top of a hill so that it is visible from wide surroundings. The church is baroque and was built in 1722. It is interesting that another church had been in that place already in 14th century and the bells in the current church come from the years 1493 a 1526. Quite old, aren't they? I do have very personal memories connected with this place as I got married there 15 years ago... :-)

To show the difference between the church and the castle in Nebílovy where we started our outing I am adding a photo of the castle. This is how the castle looks from the front:

I have seen some pictures of the other side, i.e. of the inner courtyard and the view seems much more attractive. One day I have to go and see it!

The castle in Nebílovy represents typical Viennese baroque architecture that is quite rare in the Czech Republic. The castle was built in the years 1706 -1719 as a representive residence but it was not used much because of some problems with static and later it was used just as an agriculture building. Reconstruction took many years, the castle has been open to public since 1998.

In this picture I would like to attract your attention to the marking. The upper mark (or rather sign) shows the direction of the nature trail, the lower mark is used to mark routes for hikers in the Czech Republic - the colour of the middle stripe can be red, green, blue or yellow (at least these colours are most common). Some routes are more interesting than others but it's always great adventure to choose one and follow it. I have so many memories...

Well, I have reached the end of my story, next adventure is round the corner... :-)

Nature trail by Nebílovy

2010-04-08T13:39:00.005+02:00

In the end of March the weather started to be nicer with clear blue sky (at least from time to time), higher temperatures and more positive feelings :-). Me and my husband wanted to realise a family outing and so we buried ourselves in internet and maps to find some interesting target. We wanted to choose some shorter trail for the start and in the end I found out a suitable one in a brochure describing local nature trails. When Saturday came we packed cameras, drinks and snacks and set off after the dinner. The nature trail starts and ends in one place, by a castle which was unfortunately closed yet because the castle season starts here in the beginning of april. But it doesn't matter, the castle is not far from here and we can go and visit it any time later. The trail is only about 5 kilometres long but we spent the whole afternoon on it and we were really pleased. Even our children liked it and that's something to say :-)! So, join me for a moment on the trail:

Amaryllis

2010-03-09T21:30:00.025+01:00

A few years ago I got an Amaryllis from my husband, an Amaryllis grown in a pot. It was being sold with beautiful red flowers but I was afraid that it wouldn't be easy to see those prominent flowers again. Surprisingly, the other year, just before Christmas, new flowers appeared. I was thrilled... Such a beautiful Christmas present!

Next two years the Amaryllis was obviously having rest but I waited to see the repetition of that "important event" this winter - the first bud opened exactly on 24th December. Wonderful timing, wasn't it?

And then I experienced another surprise when after the stalk with flowers faded, a month later another one appeared.

Some people say that flowers at home are of no use but I can't imagine my life without them. They don't need much but give a lot...

Credits for elements and papers of the scrapbook page: Irene Alexeeva, Mega-Doodle Inspired

Being forty

2010-01-03T23:04:00.025+01:00

I have celebrated my fortieth birthday today and I still don't know what I should feel... Am I already getting old or is it just a part of my path? Well, I don't feel old yet, rather "more mature". My most distinct feeling is that this is the age when I should know what I really want and what is important for me and it seems to me that I do know, so I feel quite relaxed. Moreover, no one guesses my real age as I look a bit younger than I really am so what else could I wish? :-) Well, to be rich and popular and skilful and have plenty of talents and ... OK, that's enough, no day dreaming... :-) Instead I'll cite to you a wise advice I read on a birthday card I got from my friend. Brother Roger from a community in Taize says there: "Experience happines in the joyful gift of your life". I find these words strong and encouraging and return to them again and again.

I spent my birthday at home with my family and one of the best moments was when I went into a nearby forest to try my both Christmas and birthday present - a new digital reflex camera. My husband bought it for me and I was so touched... But I see, there is a long way in front of me to manage how to handle it with confidence. I took some shots changing various settings to achieve the best results and found some weak spots of my settings I have to focus on next time. The main problem I have is sharpness as those photos I have taken are not clear enough. Surprisingly, especially those ones taken with a tripod have been fuzzy! I have a few tips what I should do differently so hopefully next time I'll be more successful. Wow, what an adventure, keep your fingers crossed for me! :-)

PS The start of the new year has gone but let me wish a prosperous year to all of you who come and comment on my blog, a year full of interesting encounters, as few as possible troubles and as many as possible dreams coming true. Take care of you. Petra

Ferns

2009-12-17T21:44:00.013+01:00

Do you like ferns? I love them. I like the different shadows of green they display and I like their variability.

You can find them in woods,

you can see them in a city park,

you can plant them in a garden and you can even grow them in a pot at home.

Some of them grow as solitares,

other may prefer dense growth of many individuals together.

I tried to grow some pot ferns - Asplenium, Pteris, Nephrolepis and Pellaea - but the ends of their leaves started sooner or later be dry and the drying continued until the whole plant looked terrible or faded. Maybe the air was too dry but it seems to me that there had to be some other reason too.

I was much more successful in planting ferns in my garden. There are already a few of them and they sort of soften the look of the flower bed. I only regret that ferns don't resist winter cold and disappear for a few months every year... Fortunately, they germinate in spring again and enrich their surroundings.

Aren't they beautiful? :-)

Intruder

2009-12-06T19:57:00.002+01:00

A few days ago my husband told me that he read somewhere that December is supposed to be a special month this year because there are two full moons occuring - on 2nd and 31st December. Wow, another surprise as I have never realized that usually there is only one full moon in a month. And you know what? Maybe the moon influences our fates and maybe not - high and low tides prove moon's physical influence on the Earth but did anyone prove moon's influence on personality? - but this morning happened something "special" in my life.

I woke up with a start at 5 o'clock hearing steps inside our house. The house was dark, my husband sleeping next to me and the steps sounded quite alarming. I was wondering whether one of our children went to the toilet but the noise was different and I started to be afraid that some intruder came inside. I leant against my elbow and my husband opened his eyes listening too. Then he got up, told me to stay there and went first downstairs (as our bedroom is on the first floor) and then outside. There is a second door in our house leading to a small room and the attic above it, the attic that neighbours with our bedroom, and I realised that most probably the noise was coming from that place.

How could I lay in the bed?? I got up too, went downstairs and waited, listening to the silence around. I didn't know what to do. Should I stay and wait for my husband or should I go and follow him and leave our children alone inside? Isn't my husband hurt while I'm standing here undecidedly? There was silence outside and I decided to wait by a window and watch the situation there. The gate was closed and it didn't look like anybody would be in the yard or in the house.

At last I saw my husband coming in front of the window and got to know that the next door was locked, as usual, and there was nobody inside. Just the insulation laid under roof tiles was torn in the attic and a torn nest was inside. My husband has come with a theory today that a marten could get inside through some very small hole (as our house is under reconstruction) because it scented birds and the nest. It sounds reasonable and would explain the situation satisfactorily.

Well, the experience was not pleasurable to me at all, what if I had been alone at home, just with my children? I would be scared. I still have a bit strange feeling about that. If the intruder was a marten, I hope it never comes back as the nest was old and no birds were inside. Hopefully the reconstruction will be finished soon, leaving no holes... Hopefully it was a marten...

Untypical snail

2009-11-28T08:10:00.002+01:00

A few weeks ago I heard a report on a local TV that attracted my attention. The report was about a finding of a snail with a left-handed shell. A man found this snail in his garden and I got to know that shell growth is usually right-handed, but on very rare occasions it can be left-handed. Attractive left-handed shells may even be precious exhibits of considerable value. Wow… next time I see a snail in my garden, I have to examine it thoroughly! :-)

As regards this particular snail, not only its shell is untypically rotated, also all the organs of the snail are situated on the other side than usually...

So, if you take into consideration that the occurrence of such a snail is quite rare and that not everybody knows about this phenomenon, it's an interesting coincidence that the snail and the man met. Louis Pasteur said (and many people repeated) that luck favours those who are prepared. This case proves it to be true, don't you think so?

An open-air folk museum - Part 4

2009-11-17T21:16:00.007+01:00

I am going to finish my show of the Wallachian Village with a few photos that sketch in a few details and help to perceive the real atmosphere of the place.

You can see typical small fenced gardens in front of some houses (notice the cup on the fence),

neatly straightened woodpiles on doorsteps ready for use and geraniums in small windows,

flowers typical for country gardens like mulleins

and marshmallows...

We live quite different life than those people who lived 1 or 2 centuries ago but still, you can see marshmallows in my garden too... :-)

An open-air folk museum - Part 3

2009-11-12T21:32:00.002+01:00

There are 27 buildings in the Wallachian Village and I am going to introduce 3 of them to you today.

1) Timbered campanile

This timbered campanile used to announce rest at noon, time for supper and most importantly it was used to raise the alarm in case of fire. During the reign of the Empress Maria Theresa and her firefighting laws, all villages which didn't possess a church with a belfry had to build such a campanile.

2) Windmill

This windmill was built in the first half of the 19th century and it is still functional. When we came there, there was a miller inside dressed in typical white clothes who told us some theory and then started the mill. It was so impressive to see those paddles turning arround...

3) Evangelic toleration church

Would you say this building represented a church? I wouldn't and I found the explanation why this church looked like any ordinary house very interesting. In 1781 Maria Theresa's oldest son Joseph issued the Edict of Tolerance which enabled existence of 3 other Christian denominations next to the Roman Catholic church. Civically, members of those denominations had the same rights as Catholics, nevertheless Catholics kept the privileged position. Churches of the tolerated denominations had to stay out of main streets, they were not allowed to have towers, bells and other visible features typical for a church.

There is also one more interesting thing about this building. It was built thanks to Norway grants supporting preservation of European cultural heritage. Amazing, isn't it?

An open-air folk museum - Part 2

2009-11-08T21:44:00.019+01:00

The Water Mill Valley, which is the youngest area of the museum, represents its second part. The Water Mill Valley was opened in 1982 and you can see technical buildings like a sawmill, oil press and watermill there, that are functioning so far. The tour is guided and for me it was too technical and a bit boring...

...so let's move into the third (and my favourite) part, The Wallachian Village:

The Wallachian Village is the most extensive areal of the museum and it consists of 27 buildings. Many of the buildings are open and you can have a look at furniture, equipment and tools typical for inhabitants of that time. In some buildings there are even persons seated, dressed in period costumes and prepared to answer your curious questions. It takes about 2 hours of walking to get from the first building to the last one but if you want to examine the insides thoroughly or simply want to enjoy the atmosphere, you can spend there the whole afternoon.

To enhance the impression of a real village, you meet also domestic animals on your way through the village. We saw goats, horses and a donkey and I find it quite strange that to see a goat or a donkey was a very special occasion for me... Goats and donkeys are quite rare animals here nowadays.

An open-air folk museum - Part 1

2009-09-16T21:25:00.010+02:00

In the town Rožnov pod Radhoštěm in the Czech Republic there is an open-air folk museum where one can see old historical buildings preserved for the sake of knowing history (and one's roots). The museum has three parts: 1. The Little Wooden Town, 2. The Water Mill Valey and 3. The Wallachian Village. The Little Wooden Town is the oldest part of the three. It was opened in 1925 and consists of about 19 wooden buildings such as a burgher's timbered house, the town hall, the inn, the residence of the bailiff and the little timbered church of St. Anna. The origin of the buildings dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century.

I mentioned the church of St. Anna above, this is it:

There is a cross in front of the church which is not very common here nowadays. Instead of such a flat picture of Christ we usually have a statue nailed to a cross and the arc above the cross is also very unusual.

Around the church there is situated a cemetery where many outstanding Wallachian personalities have found the place of their eternal rest. There is a side gate named "The last number":

In the cemetery there are several interesting tombstones but my attention was caught by the one that you have already seen in my post Grieving. Here it is in its original position:

Drumming my fingers

2009-09-15T20:58:00.014+02:00

Drumming my fingers
Nervous in expectation
Of coming events
Of nearing acts

Feeling them sharply
Sensing them fully
By touching tension
By denying facts

Saying it loudly
Accepting tension's presence
Through heart's decision
Through reason's fights

Reaching peacefulness
Breathing harmony
When there is silence
Soaring to heights

Grieving

2009-09-05T20:07:00.008+02:00

From time to time I come to the cemetery where the family of my mother is buried and I like the place very much. There is a nice church, a lot of nicely arranged graves with lots of flowers and an impressive cross facing the gate of the cemetery. I even tried to take a few photos there but I "had to" delete them because they looked too depressive and gloomy. It's interesting how different my feelings were while looking at the photographs and while staying in the very place.

A few weeks ago I came across another cemetery where I saw a beautiful tombstone. It belonged to a grave of a female painter and was created from two parts - a tube-shaped stone with etched name and dates was situated underneath a wooden statue of a woman. I couldn't take my eyes off the statue and had to come back again. I took two photos of the tombstone but the background was not very nice so I decided to play a bit with the photos. So, here she is, the grieving lady. Let me introduce her:

Being creative

2009-07-25T19:25:00.012+02:00

Clivia

2009-07-13T17:02:00.015+02:00

About 10 years ago I got two Clivia plants from my mother-in-law. They were probably two different kinds - one plant possessed long narrow leaves, the other one's leaves were much wider. As the time was passing by, one of the plants didn't survive but still there was the other one. And although neither of them had flowers, I liked their long dark-green leaves.

The remaining Clivia is placed above the staircase now, in the middle of four other plants and under a rooflight and the place suits it well. And not only well, perfectly. When I went upstairs a few days ago, I noticed buds growing together with a thick stem from the middle of the Clivia and couldn't believe my eyes!

The Clivia's determination didn't wane and so I can admire its beautiful flowers now.

This made me really happy and pleased, after all those years I didn't expect any new development. By the way, when speaking about happiness... I wrote two entries on happiness but still - such quite unimportant event has brought happiness into my soul regardless of any missing theoretical explanation of what happiness exactly is and how we can achieve it... Isn't it how it works? We need to let ourselves be presented with these small pleasures.

Řežabinec

2009-06-07T14:52:00.019+02:00

Once I told a colleague of mine that I had found a group of bloggers on the Internet interested in birds and publishing many wonderful photographs dealing with the birds and nature overall. The colleague told me: "Why don't you come and see the reserve "Řezabinec" that is situated in South Bohemia near the place where I come from? There are lots of birds and the area is protected." As I found out from some information on the Internet, the place seemed really interesting and moreover, it wasn't too far from our home. I decided to go on a trip there as soon as possible. The right moment came a few weeks after that chat when we - it means I, my husband and our children - sat into the car and went there. The colleague told me that there was a nature trail around the pond but it wasn't that easy to find it. In the end we found the trail by chance when we wanted to make a short stop by a side road and I noticed a sign there showing the way to the pond. When we followed it, we arrived to another sign announcing the beginning of the National Nature Reserve. All's well that ends well, isn't it? :-)

The sign of the Czech National Nature Reserve looks like this:
It consists of the national emblem of the Czech Republic and the words "National Nature Reserve". It is the most important category of small area protection and is used for protection of unique nature ecosystems with rare and endangered organisms and inorganic phenomenons.

The pond Řežabinec was built in 1530 and pronounced a Nature Reserve in 1949. The area is natural roost of many bird species and in 2004 was pronounced a bird area of the network Nature 2000. It is also included in the list of Important Bird Areas.

Another reason for being interesting is huge amount of reed growing around the pond:

The brown building in the picture is used by ornithologists, the middle part is open for the public to see the whole pond.

There are several footbridges heading to the brim of the pond and crossing a wetland, if you are lucky and quiet enough, you may spot a bird.

On the eastern part of the dam there is a pool area and when we were coming to it, so many sounds were heard... especially frog croaks that every time fell silent as soon as we came to the pool.

Well, something's missing... The birds. Actually, there were not many of them visible. A few swans, ducks and a dipper, all of them too far away, perhaps it was't the right time for watching birds there. But the sounds and the atmosphere made it up for us. Definitely.

If you click on the photos, they will enlarge.

A few details of the city Plzeň

2009-05-15T19:59:00.009+02:00

A view of the city Plzeň from above

2009-05-08T14:11:00.024+02:00

When I was a young girl I was taught that in the 2nd World War the former Czechoslovakia was liberated by the Russian army. When I was a bit older, I got to know that this wasn't the whole truth. The Communist party proclaimed the importance of the Soviet Union to that extent that it lied when it was "necessary". Well, after the "velvet revolution" in 1989 the truth was brought to light and I found out that Plzeň, the city I was born in, was liberated by the American army. American solders appeared in the city on Sunday 6 May 1945, after General Patton gave the order to resume the offensive in West Bohemia. And so, since 1990 a Liberation Festival in May has been organized in Plzeň where many people come to see old American military vehicles and meet American veterans who come to celebrate the anniversary of liberation. Last week the festival took place again and we went there to see the cars and a military camp from the 2nd WW, we expected that our children might be interested. And by that occasion we came to the central square of the city and went up the tower of the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew that is situated there. The tallest spire of the cathedral is 102.3m high, being the highest in the Czech Republic and you can reach the lookout at the height of 62m.

It was a sunny day and visibility was great, I took a few photos:

The castle ŠVIHOV

2009-04-19T19:17:00.006+02:00

My younger son loves trains and it is always a feast for him to go by one of them. So, although we usually go by car, from time to time we take a trip by train.

By the way, a few weeks ago, I got to know the probable reason of my son's interest. During a visit of my mother-in-law we looked through some old photos of my husband's family and there he was - my husband's grandfather sitting in an engine and earning his living by being an engine-driver... ! :-)

One day we spent a beautiful afternoon first going by train and then visiting the water castle Švihov and its surroundings. I took some photos and found some information on the castle's history, so

COME AND TAKE A TOUR with me!

The water castle Švihov was built between the 15th century and the 16th century on the site of a former stronghold. The core of the castle consists of two residential wings which enclose two internal regular yards. The presbytery of the chapel stands out from the moat in the east, in the west there is a mighty prism tower. Around the castle there was a settlement fortified by bastions and another water dike.

The water castle was protected by a unique fortification system of two fortification lines, moats and a system of ponds. In case of danger the surrounding meadows could be flooded and the castle became an artificial island.

The interiors of the castle illustrate the life in the 16th century. There are precious sculptures in the chapel, the armory of the castle is also remarkable. There is a valuable set of Gothic art from the collections of the National Gallery in the castle. Historical exhibitions alternate in the exhibition hall.

We haven't seen the interiors yet so it is on the cards that one day we will come to see the castle again...

Moody morning

2009-04-14T20:49:00.009+02:00

SPACE …millions of stars
Scattered in the space

MIND … millions of thoughts
Scattered in the head

THOUGHTS that are
Alive
Forgotten
Simple
Unique
Shared
Misunderstood

Meanwhile a DAY is dawning
Opening its gate...

It doesn’t let us know
What’s waiting for us
We will see
When the right moment comes

The MOMENT
To rejoice
To laugh
To smile
To frown
To cry
To feel desperate

That’s our LIFE
Space full of
Surprises
Emotions
Crossroads
Decisions
Encounters
Discoveries

Sometimes it’s easy to live in that space
Sometimes it’s that difficult
difficult
difficult

Endless ups and downs…

HEADS UP!!

FORWARD MARCH!!!

Hibiscus

2009-04-07T16:08:00.014+02:00

My husband loves hibiscuses in any shape and colour but I have to admit that I haven't shared this love of his before. Until...

Well, let's start from the beginning. About two years ago my husband brought a hibiscus home saying that it was for me. For me?? Oh no, he should have already known that I didn't like hibiscuses much... But of course, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, after all I appreciated that he wanted to please me, so I said nothing and tried to be pleased. I found a place for the plant and after some time it started to be in flower. There were quite big buds showing promise but before they were ready to burst into flowers, they fell off. All of them. I gave up my expectations and decided to buy no more hibiscuses.

A few months ago we finished renovation of one of our rooms. There is a new floor, new windows and of course new window sills and I decided to move the hibiscus there. And guess what happened! A bud appeared and then a flower, a big, beautiful flower of unbelievable size. I was enchanted.

The flower had been fresh for about three days before it fell off but there were new buds waiting and I was eager to see their beauty. Apparently the plant didn't have enough light or perhaps not the right light. Instead of looking to the north it is now looking to the west. I am so glad now that my husband brought this particular flower to me! :-)

I've started a new adventure now - I am trying to grow a hibiscus on a shank. I used another type of a hibiscus for this purpose (the one which grows quite quickly) and it seems that I might be quite successful at it. As soon as the height is appropriate I am going to shape a crown...

Promise of spring

2009-03-11T18:45:00.008+01:00

Colours of rainbow

2009-02-04T18:34:00.012+01:00

In days of yore rainbow was grey. It lasted only one short moment when rays of light surveyed their reflection in droplets of rain and the rainbow was so sad that this moment couldn’t persist forever... well, at least for a little bit longer…

One day the rainbow spread out its majestic arc just next to a place where a nipper was sitting. The girl was crying and the front of her dress was soaking wet with tears. In the distance you could see a big multicoloured ball, bouncing down stream of a nearby river, emerging and disappearing among coltish wavelets. The further the ball moved away, the more desperate seemed to be that cry of the child. The rainbow pitied the poor girl and was eager to do anything to make her happy, to dry her tears out and bring smile onto her face. “What can I do, I am just so ordinary,” pondered the rainbow. But after a while it got an idea and started to show all the colours which the rays of light reflected in drops of water. The girl noticed that colourful glimmering and raised slowly her head. First she smiled disbelievingly and watched the sky with a quizzical expression but after a while she started to laugh and jump about, she sang and danced among meadow flowers that dodged her tiny feet and laughed all over her face. The lost ball was entirely forgotten.

And from that time on rainbow wears that bright colourful dress. Who knows, it might meet another sad person…

A spa

2009-02-03T20:40:00.017+01:00

We took a trip one day and went to a spa. Just to walk for a while and to enjoy its atmosphere. The spa is situated in the city Mariánské Lázně and its beauty consists of both architecture and nature. There are many interesting houses and there are many lawns and trees and woods. Autumn had already come there and so there was quite special atmosphere full of colours and a bit of sentiment. Make a tour with me now:

Mariánské Lázně is a relatively young spa town, developed at the beginning of the 19th century in a valley where several excellent healing streams spring from the ground, though its inhabitants were aware of the springs as early as the 1200s. In 1528, King Ferdinand ordered these springs to be examined for salt content. By the end of the 18th century, the prelate of the Teplá Monastery, Dr. Jan Josef Nehr, had begun a systematic examination of their curative effects. In 1805, he founded the first brick house for spa guests near the Cross Spring called "The Golden Globe", built at the site of a former wooden cabin.

There are approximately one hundred mineral springs found in the surroundings of Mariánské Lázně; in the city itself there are about forty. The close proximity of several very different springs is considered a balneological rarity.

All the springs have cold acidulous water, with temperatures ranging from 7° to 10°C. The amount of water prescribed for a drinking cure is usually about 750 ml per day. The mineral springs are also used for inhalations and mineral baths.

The spa pavilions were mostly built in the classicist and neo-Renaissance style, while most of the buildings in the spa district of the town bear the imprints of the Art Nouveau style.

The source of information: An official city presentation

A trip

2009-01-26T20:55:00.019+01:00

One Sunday morning was cold, the sky was overcast and we tried to decide whether we should take a planned trip or not. In the end we decided to wait till the afternoon and it was a wise decision. The weather improved a lot, it was a sunny afternoon and much warmer than the morning. So we sat in the car and went to a town named Starý Plzenec where we parked and started a 1,5 kilometres long walk up a hill on whose top is situated an old castle. It was wonderful to breathe that fresh air intermingled with the aroma of trees, moss and needles. We spent a great afternoon there, even our children liked it. :-)

Radyně is a castle built by Charles IV in the period 1356-1361 on a hilltop 1849 ft high. It was originally called "Charles' Crown", but subsequently assumed the name of the hill. It was the centre of the Royal Estate in the neighbourhood of Plzeň. The castle was abandoned after fire around 1529.

Winter Enchantment

2009-01-06T18:06:00.019+01:00

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind,
As man's ingratitude."

William Shakespeare

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned

that within me there lay an invincible summer."

Albert Camus

"In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago."

Christina Rossetti, A Christmas Carol
English poet (1830 - 1894)

Collage from Cyclamen

2009-01-03T12:54:00.020+01:00

Fraction of time

2009-01-02T11:50:00.013+01:00

Cars.

Yellow, blue, green, grey, cars of more colours and shades than you would be able to imagine right now.

New, old, battered, polished, scuffed, cars of various age and condition.

Cars moving fast as though jets flied past you, cars full of energy and enthusiasm, cars moving slowly with grace or breathing strenuously with an obvious effort.

Cars following shapes of roads, roads narrow or wide, straight or crooked, roads bathed in sunshine and roads hiding in darkness.

Cars driven by different types of people - young, old, scowling, laughing or just whistling a tune. People of different races, people dressed in business suits, expensive robes, patchy jackets or shabby jeans. All these people are sitting in their cars with fellow travellers or without them; they are hardly noticing occupants of other cars. Their minds are full of their own thoughts, full of anger, happiness or just emptiness.

Time is suddenly slowing and all the cars are moving as though in a slowed film. People in cars passing each other are watching the other passengers with unintended attention and interest. They see details of faces, freckles, wrinkles and scars; they can distinguish roguish smile or crumpled expression. The sex and age don’t matter at this moment. They can see these entirely strange people with their mind’s eye, they can feel their humanity to the core. And it nearly hurts when this intense perception touches their malice, their egoism and arrogance but at the same time they are strengthened by this profound interconnection of all humankind.

It was only a fraction of time in which this happened but those people have never forgotten their unexpected experience.

Pain

2008-12-29T10:42:00.020+01:00

The picture by Jaroslav Panuška - A sorceress

PAIN

… as sharp as a razor
… as dull as a blade
… as tiring as a long run
… as endless as a bad day

If accepted, makes you strong
If refused, makes you lost
If experienced, changes your life for ever

But the life goes on…
And perhaps it’s good, isn’t it?

We are given love.
We are given hope.
We are given strength.

We just have to go on.

Trees

2008-12-28T15:49:00.014+01:00

They are

... small and big
... young and old
... fresh and dry
... growing slowly and growing fast
... attractive and ordinary

Well, do I still speak about trees?? :-)

Fruits can be sweet, sour, flavourless or delicious but we never know before we taste them. People don't show their true colours openly either...

In nature only strong individuals survive but people can help one another.

The enormous power was given into our hands...

Dreams come and go but some of them stay forever...

I believe that God accompanies me all my life but even those who don't believe in God are never alone. Their memories and experiences will never leave them...

Sometimes there is no need to speak when one accompanies someone else.

Sometimes the mere presence is enough. Sometimes we speak too much...

Rhymes

2008-12-27T22:51:00.012+01:00

The other day I attended a lesson of English conversation. We were given a task to find rhymes among several words written on the board and to write a poem using those rhymes within about 10 minutes. I found and chose the rhymes gate - late, run - fun, bar – car, walk – talk, letter – matter and wrote the following "poem":

Date

Mom, would you please open the gate?
I am afraid I'll be terribly late!
Oh, why I planned such a boring date…

I’ll have to run
to be there on time
May I hope that this date
will bring us good fun?

We can sit in a bar
or we can walk
We can ride in a car
or we can just talk

And if I don’t like him
I’ll write him a letter
He may be sad
but… does it matter? ;-)

Relief

2008-12-25T16:31:00.006+01:00

It’s been raining today
It was raining yesterday

Perhaps I should be sad
that there is no sunshine
and the sky is grey
The earth is soaked
and mud is everywhere

But instead I’m feeling
as if the rain was washing away
all that tiredness of last days
I’m feeling like being prepared
for something new coming soon
I’m feeling as if each drop of rain
was bringing me strength
and energy for next days

I am at home with my children now
but I wish I stood outside
and let the rain flow down my body
to feel its gentle touch on my skin

That soothing touch…

I wish I stood outside

Perspective

2008-12-24T11:59:00.014+01:00

Our house is quite old and as soon as we moved in 7 years ago we decided to renovate it. Well, actually we had decided to renovate it BEFORE we moved in but we didn't have exact plans at that time.

My mother says that she wouldn’t go through such renovation for all the tea in China. It really isn’t easy to live in a house that is renovated… so much dirt... and it also takes a lot of time and needs a lot of money. But it’s interesting to make decisions on the new appearance and to change the original appearance of the house so that at the end it’s tailor-made exactly to one's needs.

What I want to write about is a window, the new window in our bathroom. If you were staying inside the bathroom and were having a look at that window, you would find it quite big. I have been used to seeing much smaller windows in bathrooms and felt that this window was simply too big. But one day I was staying in our garden and just in front of me was the wall where this window is situated. Well, this time it wasn’t that big, its size was proportional to the size of other windows and of the whole wall. I’ve had to think about it, about that difference when you were looking from inside and from outside. How many times can one see some idea or an event from “inside” and from “outside”?

I happened to read a reflection in a magazine several days ago. It was about a woman, who was used to carrying a big bag full of various things. She found herself weird and unsure of herself because of this bag and because of that need to carry so many things with her but her friend told her: “Don’t be silly! How many women carry so many useful and interesting things in their bags? Be proud of it!” It may sound crazy too but this is the point. When we are unhappy or/and disappointed, let’s try to look at our situation from a different angle. We might be surprised...

Listening

2008-12-23T15:37:00.009+01:00

When two people speak the same language and it is their native language, it doesn't mean that they understand one another.

* Sometimes people don't listen properly and catch just some parts of the conversation and then draw conclusions only from those parts.

* Sometimes people don't understand but don't ask for explanation.

* Sometimes people understand something quite different than one wanted to convey just because their experience is different and they judge those thoughts from a different angle.

* And some people simply don't want to think about what they are listening to at all.

Just don't be shy

2008-12-10T17:56:00.018+01:00

Do you have any question

that needs to be asked?

Do you have any longing

that’s hidden behind a mask?

Just don’t be shy

and let people know

or your expectations

will melt like the snow

The Call of the Wild

2008-11-20T19:02:00.010+01:00

I have experienced "the call of the wild" lately... I have longed so much to listen to the sounds produced by moving leaves, to feel the fragrance of a wood, to touch soft ground covered in moss under my feet... I wish the weather was warmer and we were all healthy in my family to make a trip and visit some place hidden inside the woods... But there is also another story called "The Call of the Wild", a story written by Jack London. Have you ever read it? I am just in the middle of the book and I am enchanted. When I was a girl, I was taught about Jack London and his work and I have remembered some titles of his books, but I have never read those books. Well, until now. Life has its surprises and so my husband wanted to make me pleased some time ago and bought me the book "The Call of the Wild" in the English original. I thanked him, put the book into a bookshelf and that would be the end of the story. I was only surprised that this quite a famous book is that thin, I would have expected much thicker volume... Coincidentally, a week ago I was going to travel by a train for about two hours and I decided that it was the right occasion to start reading this book. I wanted to read it just because of my husband, to make HIM pleased. :-) I got to know that the story is seen through eyes of a dog that was forced to change his life dramatically - from quite a peaceful life in a judge's house into a hard life of a dog pulling a sled in a team of other dogs by temperature dropping to fifty below zero. The dog had to find his new place and he discovered plenty of "secrets" hidden in his character and his background.

"And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as they ran it down. It was no task for him to learn to fight with cut and slash and the quick wolf snap. In this manner had fought forgotten ancestors. They quickened the old life within him, and the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed were his tracks. They came to him without effort or discovery, as though they had been his always."

This is a story of a dog, the story of quite a cruel change he had to face, and it makes me feel enriched. We have instincts and we have reason and many times either of them is underestimated. That's not good because only combination of them both makes us strong, makes us capable of surviving. If you haven't read that book yet, read it because its reflections are wise. I am still in the middle but I may understand now why it's so thin and yet so famous.

PS A bonus for me is that picture on the cover page - I like very much the portrait of that old man sitting in a boat and looking back...

Happiness ... once more ... and never more :-)

2008-10-28T17:26:00.015+01:00

Some time ago I was looking for some interesting quotation and I came across this one:

"Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness."

Robertson Davies

I was stunned. Happiness – a by-product? Everybody needs to be happy to lead a satisfactory life! Happiness is essential for our being, how couldn’t I demand it from my life? I was a little bit confused…

After several days I had second thoughts. Couldn’t be anything truthful in those words? Is happiness really that important as we presume? Is life without that feeling less valuable? Is happiness the only reason why is life worth living? Actually I don’t think so. I think that life is worth living even without that exalted feeling of happiness and maybe we should really start to search for those treasures hidden inside our unhappiness...

Happiness

2008-10-27T08:32:00.016+01:00

What is it happiness? I believe that “happiness” is a slightly mysterious word. Every person that you ask about what they imagine when they ponder upon this word will give a different answer. They would like to have money, to find a boyfriend/girlfriend, to travel around the world, to have children, to be successful at job, to be healthy… If you accept these definitions, you can say that many people have to be happy and that all of us have the possibility to be happy, to influence whether we are happy or not. But walk along a street and look in faces of passers-by, look at their gait and tell me how many happy people you met. I am afraid not so many as one could presume. I often see faces full of worries, faces full of indifference, bent figures. People often search for their happiness in circumstances which are missing from their lives. An ill person sees happiness in health, a poor person sees happiness in wealth. We all have had problems and we all have been missing something. Life plays its game with us and sometimes it is not easy to understand all those rules and tactics.

Can we be happy under these circumstances? I think so. I think we have to stay open in depth of our heart to the course of our life, to people we meet, to events we experience and let them teach us what is really important for us. Maybe we will be surprised because we may find happiness there, where we wouldn’t have looked for it before. Because there are many things which make us happy but when we lose them, what is left? Real happiness lies in our personality itself. If you find out your needs and expressions, if you accept yourself within depth of your soul, if you recognize your uniqueness and accept your imperfections, if you let your soul open, than you can find happiness that is not related to circumstances of your life. I haven’t managed by far all that I described above but it happens to me from time to time that I feel strong joy in my heart and soul, joy which is not connected to any event, it just comes and enriches me and it seems to me that my chest has to snap because of that inner tension. It may be that sheer (but not everlasting) happiness for me.

Clouds

2008-10-22T10:24:00.013+02:00

Patience

2008-10-18T07:47:00.021+02:00

I asked myself a question whether patience sometimes can't be mistaken for weakness. Isn't patience just lack of action, lack of bravery? On the other hand, sometimes you can do nothing with a situation, you just have to endure that or try to overcome it step by step. There is patience a real virtue and if you possess it, you are a winner.

I think there is only one patience. Circumstances can differ but there is always the only need to withstand what is inevitable or what is hard to endure, whether it is a process of learning or conditions of one's living. Always you have to suppress something inside you longing for a change that you can't realize at that moment.

Let's say that when you can do something and you don't try to do anything, you are just lazy, not patient. But when there is nothing to be done and you accept it, then we can speak about patience... But I am afraid that the view which has the person who is involved can significantly differ from the view which has the person who is not involved.

Patience comes from within and there is the place where one's faith dwells. One's patience is surely strengthened by the presence of that faith. On the other hand, someone's patience can be motivated by vengeance, a person can patiently wait for an opportunity for revenge the whole life. So, I believe that patience is only one but reasons are many.

I am quite sure now, patience is not a synonym for passivity! You can be patient and active at the same time... Just imagine a person who is trying to find a new job. He/she isn't successful, can't find anything but does their best. At the same time the person is patient, doesn't lose his/her head. The person can't do more but is not desperate.

Rituals

2008-10-11T21:32:00.013+02:00

- Java Time by Kathryn Fortson -

Do you like coffee? Do you drink it often? I didn’t drink coffee until I met the guy who became my husband a year later. He was used to drink many cups of coffee a day and I slowly began to join him. Firstly with small cups and nowadays with much bigger amount…

I drink coffee twice or three times a day and it is always a special moment for me – such private joy and delight. I dare say that there is even more hidden on these occasions. Drinking coffee has become sort of a ritual for me under some circumstances. While sipping first hot and half an hour later quite cold coffee I feel relaxed and I like this feeling.

Once I read the book “Children need rituals” and I was intrigued by it. E.g. it is so important for a good night’s sleep of a child to keep rituals that will calm him/her down and prepare them for a sleep - to read a fairy tale before sleeping, to sing a song, to have a teddy bear in a bed… My five-year-old son needed a bottle of warm milk before sleep to feel comfortable. And my eleven-year-old son needed a ritual of the whole day, he doesn’t like changes. Children need rituals. But, you know, I am convinced that adults need rituals too. When we feel blue or depressed, when we are down, rituals lead us and let us go on and keep on. They will give us a direction. Such bright spots in the ocean of darkness… I saw in the film “The Lord of the Rings” that a message was turned over by lighting fires on hills. When one fire burst into flames, the patrol on a next hill saw it and ignited another fire and so on until the last fire brought the message. This way these bright spots of rituals lead us through the whole day. And I think that there are many more rituals in our daily life than we are aware of and that they help us without our cognizance…

So, let me finish my coffee, which is already cold enough, one of my rituals is over…

Bedtime stories

2008-09-29T16:23:00.018+02:00

Every evening at 6:45 p.m. many children (and many adults too) in the Czech Republic sit in front of TV screens waiting for a bedtime story. Every time a small boy in a paper cap appears in an animated performance to announce the beginning and the end of the story. The story lasts from 7 to 10 minutes and has been put on since the year 1965.

Here is a small piece of history regarding frequency of broadcasting:

1965 - 1967: once a week on Sundays

1967 - 1969: three times a week

1970: four times a week

1971: five times a week

1972: six times a week

since 1973: daily

Just imagine, the animated boy whose name is Večerníček hasn’t changed at all, he will remain a child for ever… and my children have been watching the same (and many more) stories as my generation.

There are many bedtime stories - animated, with puppets or with real actors.

I don't watch bedtime stories any more but I like that tradition and I am glad that my children enjoy them a lot, as much as many other children do!

Metamorphoses

2008-09-26T19:29:00.013+02:00

Just a small rise in temperature is enough to turn sparkling white snow into muddy and dirty slush.
Just an inconspicuous moment of hesitation is enough to turn a resolution into empty words.
Just the slightest breath of laziness is enough to turn promises into reproaches.

Well, be sure that mud won’t turn back into snow.
Trust won’t arise from disappointment.
But every following minute brings a chance to start again.

A chance for me.
A chance for you.
Because each of us carries the burden of their guilt.

Like notes...

2008-09-24T19:31:00.014+02:00

...of a song are sitting these birds on lines leading above a road situated next to our garden.

What song are they singing for you? A sad one, a melancholic one, a rhythmic one or a joyful one? A piece of classic, jazz, pop or rock?

I hear such a joyful and light-hearted chattering intercut with occasional tunes. Those sounds are so soothing...

On a journey

2008-09-21T13:52:00.011+02:00

There was a man aboard
He was just a common guy
No Lord
Sitting on his trunk
He thought
That he had nothing
For his girl
To be brought

The ship was full of crew,
Of wood, of stone
But he found himself
Being quite alone
On his endless way
That should bring him home

Blow, my dear wind,
Oh blow
Although I have no gift at all
I still carry my love and all
The understanding of the girl’s soul

The wind seemed suddenly to know
Which way the ship was supposed to go

Inspiration

2008-09-20T14:45:00.011+02:00

Every time I opened my old blog, I felt guilty because there was no new contribution. Well, it was me who should have written it so I shouldn’t have been surprised… :-) I was eager to participate more but I didn't have much free time for writing contributions to my blog. But... after several days (or weeks…) my mind always became busy with some idea and I felt a need to write it down. I didn’t plan that moment and I had no intention of writing anything at that moment. Is this inspiration? The inspiration that makes poets write their poems and novelists write their novels?

It’s always the same, just like the other day. I was lying in a bed trying to lull my son to sleep and my mind started to create English sentences. The first one was this one: Not only life but also weather plays its game with us. And many more followed: It’s extremely hot summer here this year. After long winter came an oppressive hot of summer, nearly without a break for spring. Will there be any autumn at all? I hope so. I love spring and autumn, they are mild seasons. They are just perfect, don’t you think so? Fresh grass and first warm days, colourful leaves and sentimental atmosphere… no blinding light and paths covered in snow, no burnt skin and wet socks…

Is this the inspiration? I don’t know but isn’t it interesting how our mind works? I am quite amazed…

Close your Eyes

2008-09-18T18:44:00.014+02:00

Leaves flying in the air

Foggy mornings

Soft light of sun's rays

Coloured leaves on trees

You can't doubt that autumn is here...

Do you like it?

Don't you miss those bright summer days

Sunny weather

Beams of light

A twitter of birds?

Aren't you afraid of cold evenings

Muddy paths

Dark mornings

Windy weather conditions?

Just close your eyes and abandon your thoughts

Let your mind forget worries and memories

Let your soul experience calmness of the present moment

Touch mere existence

You will see that you are stronger than before

You will see that you are calmer than before

You will see that you can start a new day...

What a coincidence...

2008-09-16T21:56:00.017+02:00

Have you read the novel “The Swarm” written by Frank Schatzing? Its dust jacket contains this description: “Whales begin sinking ships. Toxic, eyeless crabs poison Long Island’s water supply. The North Sea shelf collapses, killing thousands in Europe. Around the world, countries are beginning to feel the effects of the ocean’s revenge as the seas and their inhabitants begin a violent revolution against mankind… “

I’ve read this book and I have to admit that many described scenes are not pleasant at all and that possible events are not desirable either. Disaster. Catastrophe. But it helped me to understand that there are so many organisms living on Earth - with us, beside us or far from us - that are important for the balance of nature. In one chapter jellyfish began to cause serious problems to people and there are several pages describing these problems in detail. And just imagine - some time ago I opened our newspaper and found an article regarding jellyfish. Its title was

Why is sea full of jellyfish?

Predatory fishery and warming of sea has caused increasing jellyfish numbers.

Will the coastal invasion repeat next year?

Wow! What a coincidence… A shiver ran through me. The book is only a fiction but this is reality:

“Some Spanish beaches have been closed, Italy and Africa are reported to be badly affected. Thousands of holidaymakers have been stung by jellyfish…

Scientists say that there are several reasons for this coastal invasion of jellyfish:

Jellyfish spend most of their life at the open sea because water is warmer and saltier there. But coastal waters were warmer than usual because of the hot weather and saltier than usual because of low river flows.
Saltier coastal water discourages natural freshwater competitors of jellyfish.
The number of natural enemies of jellyfish is diminishing because of overfishing.
Wastewaters bring phosphates and nitrates, substances present in washing powders as well as in preparations used in agriculture.
Enriched seawater is suitable for growth of plankton and algae that serve as food for some kinds of jellyfish.

But jellyfish are not only a threat for holidaymakers, they are voracious eaters of small fish and so their increasing numbers can cause the extermination of these fish.”

You can say that you are not interested in jellyfish, that you don’t eat fish and don’t like swimming in sea. But we must not be deaf and blind to such “inconspicuous” connections that may decide our future.

“When we will ravage Earth on and on and devastate a diversity of life forms, we will disturb integrity that we don’t understand and that we are not able to replace by anything. What we will pull apart, it will remain pulled apart for ever. Who wants to decide which part of nature in that tangled web we can abandon?”

Frank Schatzing, The Swarm

The purpose of photographing

2008-09-16T21:23:00.008+02:00

I like photographing. It brings me a chance to look at things around me through the eyes of another person. I often see something new through a viewfinder of my camera and moreover, everybody who takes photographs surely shares the following experience of mine. You see something either nice or interesting and definitely worthy of photographing but when you take a photo, you find out that the photo is neither nice nor interesting. Some other time you just play with your camera trying to catch things around you and there are quite original and great pictures among your shots. Sort of adventure, isn’t it? And there is hidden even more. We visited a zoo with our children some time ago and my son saw that I was taking a photograph of a swan. Mum, why are you photographing something as common as a swan? We are in a zoo... Well, I tried to explain that I wasn’t photographing just the swan. I tried to catch the atmosphere and composition of that picture. But he didn’t understand. So I hope that he will understand a few years later, I hope that he will see something new through a viewfinder of his camera too.