dont text and drive

from watercolor sketch book

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 at this time there were only 

2 cars in all of ohio

the drivers crashed into each other

true story

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im against talking on the phone  while driving as well .

when you are driving a car then drive the car 

when cars crash there is little warning if any at all...

and when it is over ones life is sometimes changed or .....

sometimes taken away.....

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You win some, you lose some, you wreck some. – Dale Ernhardt Sr.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

from the promise land in lipscomb al

where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

 flow freely 

and the train whistle blows 

                          

  

   justine            

justine is a mannequin aquired from a window display at "whats on second"

mannequins are hard to understand .... something about them,,,,,

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"the principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke."

jerzy kosinsky

................................
perhaps that is true of justine ...she has "being" ........does she also have a soul.....
 ....

today i wish you good fortune

from the promise land in lipscomb al
where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
flow freely
and the train whistle blows

wisdom

wisdom

                                                         ihis is the guardian of the records

The Metamorphosis of Wisdom

Wisdom is that which makes a vessel into a teacup when it is filled with tea, a sauce dish when it is filled with sauce, a rice bowl when it is filled with rice, and a medicine pot when it is filled with medicine. There is no set method in the functioning of this wisdom. It is simply that which knows how to utilize things according to the case at hand.

–Kusan Sunim

___________________________

wisdom is not so much learned as it is aquired. that is why it is so associated with age. wise people seem to be older people. this though is not necessarily true however and wisdom is not automatically aquired with age. we must open our hearts and minds.

t openshaw 

this is an older post ressurected

____________________

the beginner has many options

the expert has none.

idea from i believe 'zen mind beginners mind'

__________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows

profile

its a nice day here in lipscomb al....the other side of the tracks.....43 so far......

                     
                                               from sketch book
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

i dont like to feel the need to compare  my lot to someone elses misfortune in order to feel grateful
and i try not to ever do that.......i am a fortunate person on its on accord.......
if however you feel the need too do so then see time magazines 100 photos from 2014 .........
they arent all negative but plenty of them are.......
holy cow ....yesterday a near disaster....when i went to get the dog pack in from their yard.....the puppy..fairmont...snuck between ebbie and bridgette and took off......i got in the jeep and searched high and low to no avail........i had to decide that she might just come back home knowing where her bed and food are.....about an hour later ebbie and bridgette started barking in the house....i looked out front and on the front porch was the scoundrel and the dog from up the street. ill be happy when she learns to come straight to the back door when i get them in.......all is well now.....
>...................................................................................................

"imagine that a boat floats along a river. imagine that those who have sat by the oars and rowed tirelessly have stopped and gone ashore; and that the travellers who remain in the boat do not bother to take up the oars and push the  boat further, but think that it will travel by itself,as before, into the future.
life has no meaning without purpose"
giuseppe mazzini
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"every person should make a small effort, even the smallest effort, to improve the general well-being of humanity
"                                                  leo tolstoy
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
......................................................................
from the promise land in lipscomb alabama
where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
flow freely
and the train whistle blows 
>>>>>>>>>

16 dec 2014.........
im gonna try to put a couple of pieces up. from my sketchboook this morning ....art before breakfast ........blew the color one to flinders ......being too picky and not stopping on time ....so we can just call that "overdone" id like think i could add something everyday.....by the way there is lots more further back ......some days i suspect ill post old work....if anything at all.......i havent painted anything in well over a year...we got carried away with that car......loved that......by the way i thin k the video was a run just to feel out the course.....i never was fast but i was faster than that........

 

" the time is coming, a time of cocord, harmony, forgiveness,and love. depend on it./ we must do everything in our power to bring this time closer, and to stop those things that delay its arrival."

leo tolstoy

from lipscomb alabama..
where golden eagle table syrup 
and buffalo rock flow freely....
and the train whistle blows.....

" my brain is only a receiver... in the universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge. strength, inspiration....i have not penetrated into the secrets of this core but i know that it exists...."
                                                  nikola tesla 

i cant say what will happen here....this was once a daily..or nearly daily blog with illustrations mostly from my art.....i havent painted anything in well over a year
but no one can tell when i might start back...my focus...passion if you will...these days seems to be racing/autocrossing our mg midget...

 this video is from 17 august 2014 scca autocross in pelam alabama
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we of course have no way of knowing what tomorrow will bring but we may be able to continue this blog on some timely basis....

                                    *******************************************
this is just to say........i have eaten the plums.....that were in the icebox.......
and which you were probably saving for breakfast
forgive me...they were so delicious..so sweet..and so cold
                                                               william carlos williams

TBC

you are it

8x10

ink on newsprint

You Are It
We have the habit of always looking outside ourselves, thinking we can get wisdom and compassion from another person or the Buddha or his teachings (Dharma) or our community (Sangha). But you are the Buddha, you are the Dharma, you are the Sangha.
–Thich Nhat Hanh
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we all have within us buddha nature

we must strive to expose it

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Moral convictions based on spiritual enlightenment and rooted in human experience are just as real and certain as mathematical deductions based on physical observations, but on another and higher level.

The Urantia Book, Page 2077 (195:6.12)

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

_____________________________

choices

this is tommy

boxer..merchant seaman..story teller.. and friend _

he has been one of the most inspirational people in my whole life

tommy said as he knew he was dying

"this is just part of the deal"

8x10 acrylic on canvas

published in the current issue of birmingham arts journal

Choosing Harmony

As thinking human beings, we can choose not to act and speak in a manner that is demeaning or shameful. Our natural proclivity for righteousness, or the ability to feel shame, can become our guide in behaving harmlessly and in harmony with other beings. Without it we would be untethered and absolutely free to act selfishly and destructively without impunity.


–Ajahn Sumano Bhikkhu
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its all choices..

if we can but keep our mouth shut until our brain catches up to our speech ..

if we can realise that what happens next will be the result of our action now..

then we will benefit greatly for that



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The happy and effective person is motivated, not by fear of wrongdoing, but by love of right doing.



The Urantia Book, Page 1572 (140:4.6)



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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

wisdom

The Metamorphosis of Wisdom

Wisdom is that which makes a vessel into a teacup when it is filled with tea, a sauce dish when it is filled with sauce, a rice bowl when it is filled with rice, and a medicine pot when it is filled with medicine. There is no set method in the functioning of this wisdom. It is simply that which knows how to utilize things according to the case at hand.

–Kusan Sunim

___________________________

wisdom is not so much learned as it is aquired. that is why it is so associated with age. wise people seem to be older people. this though is not necessarily true however and wisdom is not automatically aquired with age. we must open our hearts and minds in order to aquire wisdom.

____________________

the beginner has many options

the expert has none.

idea from i believe 'zen mind beginners mind'

__________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

change your mind

Change yourself, change the world

Trying to change the world without changing our mind is like trying to clean the dirty face we see in the mirror by scrubbing the glass. However vigorously we clean it, our reflection will not improve. Only by washing our own face and combing our own unkempt hair can we alter the image. Similarly, if we want to help create conditions that foster peace and well-being in the world, we first need to reflect these qualities ourselves.

–Lama Shenpen Drolma

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

essentials of peace

Make Peace with Your Mind
For the spiritual power of peace to touch every person on this earth, it must radiate out from a profound peace within our own mind: across political and religious barriers, and across the barriers of ego and self-righteousness. To this end, we should seek an inner peace so pure and stable that we cannot be moved to anger by violence or to selfish attachment and fear by those who view or confront us with contempt and hatred. We can achieve such stability only by purifying the mind’s poisons—ignorance, anger, attachment, jealousy, and pride; then we can clearly see that war and suffering are but their outer reflections. The essential difference between true peacemakers and those who wage war of any sort is the presence of extraordinary patience and discipline in the minds of the peacemakers as they work with these pervasive poisons. If we truly understand this, we will never allow ourselves to be defeated from within or without. –Lama Shenpen Drolma

we can never have world peace until we are at peace with ourselves..with our neighbors..our community..with everyone....everyone... someone will go first....i will try.

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

creative living

Religious living is devoted living, and devoted living is creative living, original and spontaneous. The Urantia Book, Page 1097 (100:4.1)

Just Do It

All success, great and small, whether in spiritual or temporal affairs, derives from your stock of merit. So never neglect even the slightest positive deed. Just do it.

–Dudjom Rinpoche

Religious living is devoted living, and devoted living is creative living, original and spontaneous.

The Urantia Book, Page 1097 (100:4.1)

acrylic house paint on pole

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

rights and responsabilities

remember this tyrant?

'the snicker'

pen and ink on paper

today is voting day in lipscomb to replace district 19 state senator for the remainder of this term.

alas at 10:30 this morning 10 people had voted at the firestation in lipscomb. the rest will unquestionably gripe for the rest of the term. voting is not only our right .. it is our responsability. we have no other way to have any say so at all in how our country is run. we have seen what can happen.

be a part of america and vote..in all elections. your vote counts. hopefully voting will pick up here later in the day.

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

we are at the art feast in avondale park

birmingham alabama

see yesterday for 'today'

_______________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

today

wasteland

16x20

mixed media

can be seen at art feast in avondale park tomorrow

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Everything that Happens Will Happen Today

david byrne

i dont care for the song at all but the statement is true

___

yesterday is dead and gone

tomorrow's out of sight

kris kristofferson

___

'plan as if you will live foreverlive as if you will die today'

james dean

___

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Lasting Happiness

Being sensitive and responsive to human need creates genuine and lasting happiness, while such kindly attitudes safeguard the soul from the destructive influences of anger, hate, and suspicion. The Urantia Book, Page 1575 (140:5.16)

mother teresa
9x12 block print
available



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The Path to True Happiness
Everything in life changes. The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience. This integration is represented in the Taoist symbol of yin/yang, a circle which is half dark and half light. In the midst of the dark area is a spot of light, and in the midst of the light area is a spot of darkness. Even in the depths of darkness, the light is implicit. Even in the heart of light, the dark is understood, acknowledged, and absorbed.
–Sharon Salzberg

________________________________

Henry James once said to his young nephew,

"There are only three things important in human life:

be kind, be kind, be kind."

______________________________

***

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

It's Hard Work Being a Control Freak
We don’t need to control the world. We don’t need to defend ourselves against it. We don’t need to preserve anything. We only need to be here—totally, completely, freely—responding to the actual occasion.

–Steve Hagen, from Buddhism: It’s Not What You Think

_________________________

we will again be today at the baa space at magic city art fest..

________________________________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

art

________________________________________________________________

i will be at the birmingham art association booth at the magic city art festival at linn park today.....space 349

_________________________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

No use fretting over gold, beauty, or fame;Nurturing these, how can we calm our Fluttering heart? Non-attachment brings deep truth, And a truthful nature brings immortality. Empty your heart. Sit quietly on a mat. In meditation we become one with All; Tao billows like the vapors in a mountain valley, And its supernatural power wafts into our soul.

- Loy Ching-yuen 1879-1960’s)
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hopefully i will be able to again update this blog somewhat regularly. we have/have had guests. i am trying to set up our [birmingham art association] space this weekend at magic city art festival in linn park.
of course always if it isnt one thing its another.....my mother said that often.

we [birmingham art association] will be at the magic city art festival this weekend at space 349 in the cultural district
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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows

sunrise

easter sunrise service

9x12

watercolor

my oldest daughter carrie at sunrise service

on the bayou in tarpon springs fl

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Be Gentle
"Be gentle; love even your enemies; be tolerant."

Jesus, To John: The Urantia Book

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Not Just Wishing
I cannot help but observe that we often are content

with merely wishing and praying for the happiness of others,

whereas for our own purposes we do everything we can for our betterment,

not just wishing!
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from Becoming Enlightened

__________________

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Transforming Misery
The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention. Do we, in the midst of water, look for something elsewhere to drink? Transformation comes from looking deeply within, to a state that exists before fear and isolation arise, the state in which we are inviolably whole just as we are.
–Sharon Salzberg, from Loving-Kindness

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Where Fear Ends
Fear is finding fault with the future. If only we could keep in mind how uncertain our future is, then we would never try to predict what could go wrong. Fear ends right there.
–Ajahn Brahm from Opening the Door of Your Heart

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows