Category Archives: REDONDO BEACH

Little Shop of Horrors

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“I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.”
Claude Monet

 

Spring Has Sprung
I love flowers. All kinds of flowers. My favorites are the daffodil, peony, tulip, carnation, daisy, and of course the rose.

Last year for Mother’s Day, my son gifted me an orchid plant.

Not having any knowledge of orchids, I did some research, so that this beautiful flower would keep its bloom as long as possible. On the web site “Caring for your orchid dot com”, they suggested not to over water the plant, and to find a perfect spot where the plant would thrive.

I must be doing something right, because to my surprise, the blooms on the orchid lasted for several months. After the pedals all fell off, it lay dormant for about seven months. I continued to keep it watered while new leaf growth appeared. Suddenly two weeks ago I noticed a new bud on the orchid. The other morning when I got up, I was excited to see that a beautiful flower had unfolded over night.

The detail on this flowering orchid was so unusual that I took some photos. There’s a feature on the flower I never noticed before. It looks as though it has two bottom teeth. I’m assuming this is a common feature. If not, I might have to name the plant, Audrey III, from Little Shop of Horrors.

Shine On

Ahead of the Game

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“Follow your passion,
be prepared to work hard and
sacrifice, and, above all,
don’t let anyone limit your dreams.”
Donovan Bailey

A Head of The Game

Cyclist and friend at waters edge on the Esplanade

Find Your Passion

I believe everyone needs to find out for themselves what makes them happy. Especially during these unprecedented times, it’s so important to find ways to relax from all the stresses we are experiencing in 2020.

Several years ago I read an article about “Finding Your Passion”. The article was about  losing yourself in a passion and that doing so is not an indulgence. It’s a fundamental part of achieving a kind of happiness known as “Eudaimonia”.

The definition of Eudaimonia is, “a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous.” Eudaimonia is not something new. Aristotle and other Greek philosophers wrote in great detail about this subject.

You don’t achieve Eudaimonia through cheap thrills such as watching your favorite reality show, but through activities where you experience “flow”. This flow is the feeling of total engagement in the activity so that you don’t notice anything outside of what you’re doing. You forget time and you forget yourself. As you concentrate on the activity you are engaged in, you clear your brain of things that are bothering you.

You obtain “flow” when engaging say in an activity such as horseback riding, sailing, editing a movie you shot, drawing, painting, puzzles, games, even washing your car. That’s when you know you have found your passion.

Passion and/or flow helps to eliminate stress, increase happiness and most importantly improve your overall mental health.

Next time you are doing an activity that clears your mind and allows you to lose yourself in what you are doing, take note. For your health and well-being, a little free time is important for everyone. And if you find your passion along the way, you are ahead of the game.

Shine On

The Beach After Quarantine

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“We have been endowed with just enough intelligence
to be able to see clearly just how utterly inadequate
that intelligence is when confronted with what exists.
If this humility could be imparted to everybody,
the world of human endeavors
would become more appealing.”
Albert Einstein

RB After Quarantine Lifted

Shine On

Paradise and Joyfulness

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“I’d rather have roses on my table
then diamonds on my neck.”
Emma Goldman

 

Paradise and Joyfulness

Today on my walk, I came across some birds of paradise that were in full bloom. I couldn’t resist taking some photos of this exotic looking flower which happens to be the official flower of Los Angeles.

How did this South African flower become LAs official flower? Well, back in 1952, Mayor Fletcher Bowron decided to name the bird of paradise the official flower of LA, after heavy lobbying by seed company president and civic booster Manfred Meyberg. Soon after, the plant and seeds from this orange and blue flower became a hot item in nurseries throughout California.

The bird of paradise flower is so named because its magnificently colorful petals resemble a colorful bird in flight. The flower is a symbol of paradise as well as a symbol of joyfulness.

How apropos for Angeleno’s official City flower to be a symbol of paradise and joyfulness.

Shine On