>>>>Jane Through The Seasons

My neighbor, a tasteful fashionable woman between the ages 65 and 75, was very happy to see me in this outfit. Her face smiled brightly when I saw her on my way to this photoshoot. She chuckled when I greeted her, responding with, “You look like a little Mutant Ninja Turtle!” And we both laughed. She is very cool, that woman. But the inspiration for my new exciting headband style is not the Mutant Ninja Turtles––although I saw an advert with them the night prior to this shoot, so maybe they subconsciously pinched me––but rather a new addiction of mine, Jodha Akbar! Jodha Akbar is a TV series adaptation of a historical sixteen century Indian royal family, particularly  the love story between its Rajput princess, Jodha and Mughal emperor, Akbar. I caught the addiction in Ghana and was very glad to find the series here on YouTube! It is however in Hindi and unlike in Ghana, the one on YouTube has no English subtitles, except a little briefing provided in the description box under the vide…

ahem hem ahem
--
Jane

*Beggars
by Rumi

There's a voice in the beggar's ear that says, Come close.
Generosity needs you.

As beautiful people love clear mirrors, so abundance becomes
visible when you move near.

God reminded Muhammad not to shout and drive away the
beggars. Approach the source

with both hands out begging! There are two kinds of
mendicants: one grace causes

to call out for alms in the street, while the others are
given immediately more than

they need without saying anything. Both are mirrors for how
the absolute acts. Anyone else

is a fake. Don't hand a piece of greasy bread to the picture
of a dog! The beauty that a

true dervish hungers for is real. How can someone in love
with his own imagination also

be in love with the lord of all giving? I'll tell you.
There's a quality of sincerity in

some that leads them from metaphor to what's behind the
metaphor. I'm afraid to

elaborate on this. Weak minds may use the explanation
foolishly. Think of a sad

face drawn on paper.…

-- Jane

Let's make something today! Have you noticed how everyone seem to have a thing for perfume? I like them, too,...on other people. And I like shopping them to gift to other people. The thing is that my nose, a little too sensitive, makes wearing fragrance often unpleasant. But every now and then it is nice to wear something sweet smelling and so subtle even I can enjoy it. This is how I started  blending my own scented oil this year. To make your own scent here's what you need:

1. Carrier oil - e.g. olive oil
2. Essential oil(s) - e.g. lemon oil (not sure which you would like? See art of pairing essential oils)
3. Vitamin E oil (to help prolong shelf life)
4. A sample of your favorite perfume for a richer scent (optional)
5. Whole spice e.g. cloves or whole lavender or dried rose petals
6. Glass bottle to store scented oils
Preparation for a 2 oz bottle:
1. Add about 3 drops of essential oil (lemon oil) to your glass bottle
2. Add about 2 drops of Vitamin E oil
3. Fill almost t…

I travel light and the trip home to Ghana for Grandma's funeral was no exception. I brought few clothes appropriate for the scorching sun: pieces that would work well in day or night; would hand-wash easily and dry fast. This maxi dress worked great for it required little care, no ironing! and fitted well enough. I would say it was almost all I wore the days before and after the four-day funeral ceremony.

The last time I visited my hometown was almost two decades ago, when I went for Nana’s birthday party. After the funeral ceremony my brother and I walked through the town to see how it had changed since we were last there, and to see what memories would yield to us. In our family home, an aunt showed us some photos of when we were around three-four years old. It felt surreal. In one photo I was clutching a doll by the head and smiling cheerfully into the camera. Although I had initially forgotten that doll, suddenly I could recall it and how I used to try to draw it. I also reme…

It is 4:23am, a Wednesday’s dawn. The traffic is quite so loud it ceases to be sound. It feels like a body next to mine. Breathing heavily and resting Its head lightly on my right shoulder as I type. Having shifted a little to the left side of the bed there is a comfortable room for It on my right. It does not seem to care that perhaps my shoulder would prefer Its weight somewhere else. But It is right to think, or care not that I would mind. I do, indeed, like having It with me. I have always enjoyed as music that which seem noise to some. For instance, I am yet to meet anyone who would admit to having noticed and being capable of enjoying the beautiful music that is the cry of a toddler. You want it to stop and you do not want it to stop. There is something so heart wrenching about its wails and you find yourself mesmerized by the sharpness of sound; how swiftly it pierces through one, as though one is merely air. 
I am feeling a bit hungry and I would like for my friend, the Traff…

There Is No Natural Religion
[a]
The Argument. Man has no notion of moral fitness but from Education. Naturally he is only a natural organ subject to Sense.
I. Man cannot naturally Percieve but through his natural or bodily organs.
II. Man by his reasoning power can only compare & judge of what he has already perciev’d.
III. From a perception of only 3 senses or 3 elements none could deduce a fourth or fifth.
IV. None could have other than natural or organic thoughts if he had none but organic perceptions.
V. Man's desires are limited by his perceptions; none can desire what he has not perciev'd.
VI. The desires & perceptions of man, untaught by any thing but organs of sense, must be limited to objects of sense.

[b]
I. Man’s perceptions are not bounded by organs of perception; he percieves more than sense (tho’ ever so acute) can discover.
II. Reason, or the ratio of all we have already known, is not the same that it shall be when we know more.
[III lacking]
IV. The b…

Nana's funeral seemed it yet ours it was:  our novel deaths. -- Jane

There have been some significant occurrences since last I wrote here. Much on the contemplation plate. Luckily I am back to full-time self-employment, and thus back to being able to enjoy several spontaneous couch-ceiling sessions. In January I mentioned my new year resolution is to learn to love God. It seems to achieve this goal one must practice living truthfully. Having spent sometime analyzing what it means to live truthfully, I have reached an understanding which might be of some use to efforts to live in the present. Before I get to it, I must pass on something I learned this year: theory is much much simpler and easier than practice. Knowing something is not equal to experiencing it: Theory equals not practice. So one may know the theory of running but the experience of running is a different matter. This is probably obvious to you, and I thought it was obvious to me, too, but I was mistaken. I learned that I secretly believed that because I knew a theory of running, the exper…