Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew. ~Saint Francis de Sales

Those who love deeply never grow old,
they may die of old age, but they die young.
~Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Anyone who stops learning is old,
whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps on learning stays young.
The greatest thing in life is to keep the mind young.

~Henry Ford

Spring scene – May 5, 2015.

The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun’s kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze.

~Julian Grenfell

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.

~Reinhold Niebuhr

Dogs could participate in doggie blood drives: dogs are able to donate blood to fellow pooches. Dogs have two times the amount of muscles in their ears than humans. The seeds of apples and pears should be kept away from dogs. Their composition includes arsenic, which could kill your dog. For running purposes, the shoulder blades on dogs are not attached to the rest of the skeleton. Source: Animal Planet

The other day a man asked me what I thought was the best time of life.
“Why” I answered without a thought, “NOW.” ~David Grayson

When drinking water, dogs cup the back of their tongues to transfer water from the bowl into their mouths. Dogs can be beneficial additions to the lives of children with Autism. Trained dogs can lessen the child’s tendency of aggressiveness and give them a sense of independence. Source: AnimalPlanet

No matter what happened yesterday, you can be strong today
and even be stronger tomorrow. ~Terry Mark

You will never be old with a twinkle in your eye
with the springtime in your heart as you watch the winter fly.
You will never be old while you have a smile to share
while you wonder at mankind and you find the time to care.
While there’s magic in your world and a special dream to hold
while you still can laugh at life you will never be old.

~Iris Hellelden

Jendhamuni with little girl — May 4, 015.

The first question, on entering the completed interior of the church of Sagrada Família, is: “Is it really there?” We have been so long accustomed to the idea that Barcelona’s most famous landmark is a permanent ruin, unfinished and unfinishable, that it comes as a shock to find it is now keeping out the weather. Source: Rowan Moore, The Guardian

La Sagrada Familia. Photo credit: School of Vice/KI Media

The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun on 19 March 1882 from a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883 Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then different architects have continued the work after his original idea.

The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years it has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

It has always been an expiatory church, which means that since the outset, 133 years ago now, it has been built from donations. Gaudí himself said: “The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people.” The building is still going on and could be finished some time in the first third of the 21st century. Source: Sagrada Familia.cat

Photo credit: School of Vice/KI Media

When the final stone is set in place, the Sagrada Família will be the world’s tallest church, soaring 560-ft (170-m) above the Catalan capital. It will also be the strangest looking and possibly the most controversial place of worship ever built on such an epic scale. Looking for all the world like a cluster of gigantic stone termites’ nest, a colossal vegetable patch, a gingerbread house baked by the wickedest witch of all or perhaps a petrified forest, this hugely ambitious church has confounded architects, critics and historians ever since its unprecedented shape became apparent soon after World War I. Continue reading →