WPC: Quest

24 september, 201624 september, 2016 / Leya / 24 kommentarer

Cheri Lucas Rowlands encourages us to show a picture of Quest. An almost impossible task…When I think of this word, Quest, I think of all my teaching years in literature and all the glorious quests portrayed there:

The Epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian story, The Odyssey by Homer, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and of course The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling.

In these stories, the protagonists set out to almost impossible tasks, leaving home and safety plunging into the unknown. So, where am I, a 21st century, middle aged woman, in all this? What is my Quest?

I guess in my little world there are no big ”saving the world”- quests – maybe saving myself quests only. I am constantly searching for and heading towards Inner Peace, being kind and compassionate along the road. I find peace in Nature and through doing good things, helping other fellow passengers on this route.

Hopefully, one day, I will be standing there, feeling that my quest is completed. I will be completely calm and at peace with myself and the world.

It Is All About Bulls…

21 augusti, 201621 augusti, 2016 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

A rather big city, renowned for its yearly dangerous race between men and bulls…

…running along this street…

…ending up in the arena on the other side of these red doors.

The man who made this race known to the whole world had a street named after him here – just beside the arena.

And he happens to be one of my favourite authors. Although I must say the monument does not do him justice…

Surely you, by now, know where we are in Spain? – Pamplona!

Travel theme: Writing

13 augusti, 2016 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

Travel theme: Writing

We once started writing to sum up collected taxes and to label things. We still do. But, we also write for many other reasons – Love for example, and for religious reasons (I guess that too is out of love).

Me meeting all the H.P. fans at the "Elephant House"

Me meeting all the Harry Potter fans at the ”Elephant House” in Edinburgh.

Sometimes the writing is not that beautiful…but still written out of love.

Tibetansk skylt ovanför ingången till ett tempel – Tibetan sign from a temple in Lhasa.

And sometimes I find writing utterly beautiful.

Often the eastern ”alphabets” and writings are much more artistic and beautiful than ours – or what do you think?

Travel theme: Poetry

30 april, 201630 april, 2016 / Leya / 18 kommentarer

Travel theme this week is all about poetry.

William Wordsworth´s poem To Daffodils is one of my favourites. Especially since I found this marvellous illustration on it. Showing my students this piece of ”art cartoonery” from an unknown artist has been one of my ”musts” in life.

Travel theme: Sensory

26 mars, 201626 mars, 2016 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

Ailsa at Where’s My Backpack ? wants us to use our senses – and one of the places where most senses are at work is the Jokhang temple in Tibet. The dense smoke and all the people – eating, waiting, praying…

…and the Tibetan landscape…its vastness and immense beauty, Its total silence is overwhelming.

WPC: Half-Light

25 mars, 2016 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

One of my favourite poets is William Butler Yeats – here a poem for the WordPress’ Challenge Half-Light.

He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven
William Butler Yeats

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

CFFC: Indoor Seating

15 mars, 2016 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Indoor seating for Cee this week – I just adored this chair at J.K. Rowling ‘s favourite café (where she wrote Harry Potter) in Edinburgh – The Elephant House.

And…

in case you have got some money you do not know how to spend…

…and maybe you are in desperate need of a hand carved and hand painted Chinese palanquin?

Well, here you have garanteed indoor seating even outdoors…

Cosy

2 mars, 20162 mars, 2016 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

I went to a gallery today, Dunkers in Helsingborg, to see the exhibition on Vivian Maier – a brilliant street photographer. More about her tomorrow…

When I passed by an open door, I saw there was a room for children to play in. At the far end was a giant bed full of cushions and roses, and there they had snuggled up…to read about the world’s strongest and most kind little bear – Bamse. I wish I could have snuggled up there too.

Saturday Snow and Sorting Out

13 februari, 201614 februari, 2016 / Leya / 27 kommentarer

To my great surprise, it was snowing heavily this morning. I knew it would come…but just two days ago I heard the lark had arrived. Always the same thing – get ahead of the others…it might work to your advantage – or not.

I finished my prunings today, giving my pot plants (about 170 plants) new soil and a new life. I had a cup of coffee while contemplating their thankfulness.

Time for the dog walk – should I forget, there is one young man here who is quick to remind me…so I had better call my mother it is time to go.

A thin layer of white – and Totti is totally happy!

Suddenly his nose went into the air…

…and two deer gently sailed away between the trees.

Home again I started on the bookcases – a project I have wanted to start upon since long, but somehow never did. So many books…and so hard to sort out or throw away.

Now I must do it. These are some of my old university studies…more than 30 years old. A photo at least before they go…surely to make room for others though. How I enjoyed reading them in those days! With all my notes and translated words inside, I went through them again, sitting by the fire. But, I’m sure I will never re read them. So, Goodbye, dear friends. Parting is such sweet sorrow…

I wonder, do you have the same difficulties …parting from old friends?

Bodil Malmsten is dead

6 februari, 20166 februari, 2016 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

The much loved, Swedish poet and writer Bodil Malmsten is dead. Two hours ago I heard it on the news. She was in her seventies only and a brilliant thinker and poet. I cannot say how sad this day is – no more poems, books, subtle humour or new thoughts to look forward to. She had such a crisp and different look upon things…something we all needed. Many of us has got her last book by our beds today.

Media is filled with personal memories of her and people’s thoughts of what she has meant to them. She said herself she was not afraid of the big secret – what happens after death. She also said about her cancer: Why not me? Where many of us would think – Why me?

I guess I should not ask – Why you, Bodil. But I do.