"Vivez, si vous me croyez, N'attendez a demain, Cuellez des aujourd'hui les roses de la vie." Ronsard


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Ryne's Fine Madness



Incredible footage from my cousin, Ryne Olson, who just completed the Iditarod Race in Alaska.


Be sure to read Gary Paulsen's account as well.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Sims Sneak Peak



Incredible unveiling this weekend of the Sims Property, honoring the Garden Lady of Homewood, Catherine Sims. Above are some wonderful SEC logo inspired Sunflower Cupcakes from a group of Homewood Girl Scouts.

Please visit this gorgeous 5 lot property at 109 Highland Avenue in Homewood. Ask for Laura Rodgers, gardener extraordinaire and the caretaker of the property. Thank you to SEC's Roald Hazelhoff and Stoneshovel's Arne Rutkis as well as all the volunteers who made this happen!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Science of Love...




Two things to absolutely make me uncomfortable: SCIENCE and LOVE!

So here I go being awkward again, and what made me think of this is an experience working with a class on an ACT passage that included "A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud." by Carson McCullers. I have since become fascinated with this idea, the science of love. What would happen if we all loved each other without condition? And, just as the man ends the conversation with the young boy, "I love you," what would happen if we ended more interactions with these three words?

I. Love. You.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are many interpretations for love and much power associated with these words; however, why not think of it this way? For every person you meet, love them for being themselves, whether that self is developing, just like you, or the opposite of you. With so much power in these words, what I began to think about while reading was, what power could be gained through simply loving the people I come in contact with? Why's it so difficult to love others without condition?

The truth is somewhere in this, many people will let you down and we might let others down. That's what makes it tough. But, the hero in the story is the one who continues to love, just as Lauryn Hill spelled out in a favorite album of mine, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, to
L-O-V-E, regardless.

Another recent hit, by One Republic goes, "Oh, this could really be a good life."

I believe it may just be <3!



Some quotes from the story I LOOOOVE...

"It is hard to explain scientifically, Son," he said. "I guess the logical explanation is that she and I had fleed around from each other for so long that finally we just got tangled up together and lay down and quit. Peace. A queer and beautiful blankness. It was spring in Portland and the rain came every afternoon. All evening I just stayed there on my bed in the dark. And that is how the science come to me."

"Anything. I would walk around and I had no power of how and when to remember her. You think you can put up a kind of shield. But remembering don't come to a man face forward—it corners around sideways. I was at the mercy of everything I saw and heard. Suddenly instead of me combing the countryside to find her, she begun to chase me around in my very soul. She chasing me mind you! And in my soul."

Here's an online version of the story

For more incurable optimism, watch War Horse or Secretariat!

AND, GO MUSTANGS! :)