Quote on Solitude

I was out on one of my adventures this morning when I came upon a small ice house on a secluded lake. As I stood there wondering about its possible occupant, the door opened, and an old man stepped out for a minute, only to disappear inside again. I thought about walking out to visit with him a bit, but I didn’t want to ruin his solitude nor mine. Solitude is something to be treasured in our busy lives. It reminds me of a quote by Joseph Krutch:

“To have passed through life

and never experienced solitude

is to never have known oneself;

To have never known oneself

is to have never known anyone.”

–Photo by me

Log Cabin Quote

Whenever I run into an old log cabin on my misadventures, it reminds me of a quote by Gene Logsdon:

“A log cabin symbolized

The embrace between

Civilization & nature,

Humans literally wrapping

The trees around them

As they might draw on

A coat and hat.”

I’m also reminded of the log cabin my friends and I built back in the high school days, mostly for a place to drink. It turned out to be a stunning structure, with over one hundred logs, cedar bunk beds, a cellar, and even an ornate church door with a round, porthole window. (That’s me with the machete–boys will be boys!)

–First photo by me

Meaning of Life Quote

As another year sprints toward the finish line, we may find ourselves reflecting on this latest chapter of our lives and pondering the meaning of it all.

Some folks put God in the equation, while others hold that the meaning of life is that which you give it–you decide what you want your life to mean. Still others set the bar a bit lower, and that brings us to this quote by Albert Camus:

“The meaning of life is

whatever you’re doing

that prevents you

from killing yourself”

–Photo/art by my son, Aaron

Einstein Quote

My new ride. Harry Potter had his Nimbus 2000. This is my Stimulus 2020.

There are so many nice, winding bicycle trails linking the small towns of the Iron Range now. Paved and groomed, they’re great for the “mature” bicyclist such as myself.

Like walking or jogging, there’s something about doing it that helps you jostle things into place in your head, and keeps the body balanced–which brings me to the quote by Albert Einstein:

“Life is like riding a bike.

To keep balanced,

you must keep moving.”

–Photos by me

 

Quote on Dreams

“Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.”

–Marsha Norman

 

–Photo/Art by me

Quote

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”

–Henry David Thoreau

 

–Photo by me

Quote

I love this quote from The Color Purple: “I think it pisses God off when a person walks by the color purple in a field and doesn’t notice it.”

 

–Photo by me

Father’s Day Quote

“Dads are the most ordinary men turned by love into heroes…”

–Pam Brown

 

–Photo by me, at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN

Anne Frank Quote

One of my favorite quotes on nature and peace of mind is from the young Anne Frank. She says, “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy, is to go outside, somewhere they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” After hiding in a concealed attic for two years as a young teen, she knew what she was talking about. And standing here today, in the fresh spring air, overlooking this leaf-lined lazy river, I feel like I too know what she was talking about.

Another quote she used was, “Paper is more patient than man.” I get that one, too.

 

–Photo by me