This is a fun and very quick read, that contains many helpful insights.
Really Important Stuff
My Cat Has Taught Me
By Cynthia L. Copeland
Movie of the Week
I enjoyed watching the first six of this ten episode Apple TV series. Episode 7 will be available on July 2.The show is about a washed-up professional golfer, who turns towards a rising young star in the game to turn things around for himself.I find Owen Wilson is good in whatever role he is playing. Mariana Treviño Ortiz, who plays the mother is a joy to watch.
Don Quixote does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story meant for the annals of all time.
Perhaps more of us should be
“tilting at windmills”
The above is a 1955 sketch by Pablo Picasso
of the Spanish literary hero and his sidekick, Sancho Panza.
Art of the Week
The Healer (1937)
By Réne Magritte
The Cloaked Figure:
The figure’s anonymity, enhanced by the cloak, invites interpretation while obscuring identity, a common Magrittean technique.
The Birdcage:
The birdcage, often a symbol of confinement or hidden truths, juxtaposed with the birds (symbols of freedom) creates a paradox, suggesting both restriction and potential for liberation.
Healing and Mystery:
The title “The Healer” suggests a focus on restoration or guidance, but the unsettling imagery hints at a deeper, perhaps more complex, exploration of the human condition.
Existential Ambiguity:
The painting can be interpreted as a meditation on the nature of healing, both physical and emotional, and the inherent mysteries of life and the human mind.
Summary
Magritte’s work often challenges viewers to question their perceptions of reality and the relationship between the visible and the invisible, and “The Healer” exemplifies this approach.
Joke of the Week
Physical Traits
One of the competitors at the recent APF/AAPF National Powerlifting competition was 90 years old.
The Kindle version of this book is free, and the paperback version is $10However, I must warn you that this book will not change your life, only you can do that.This book can be ordered from Amazon
CURRENT EVENTS Stay Hopeful It seems everyone sooner or later hits a really rough patch. It is so easy during these times to slip into depression. Doing so just makes everything that much worse, so one needs to make every effort to stay “hopeful”. BOOK OF THE WEEK This readable version of Seneca’s writings will […]
Folks, if you have never experienced live theater other than a school play, I urge you to give it a try. It is an ancient art form and there is a reason it has been around for as long as the early Greek playwrights.
I realize most of you don’t live in S.E. Michigan; but for those of you who do, I urge you to see this play performed at the Baldwin Theater in Royal Oak, MI. I was at opening night and thought it was a terrific play, plus performed so well.
PHYSICAL TRAITS
Honor Thy Temple
Folks, please don’t be like this dog. Instead, try to get some exercise and eat properly.
CHARACTER TRAITS
The Foundation for Being Extraordinary
There once was a person who desperately needed to get to the other side of a river so that they could continue their journey.
They made a raft out of the materials at hand and floated across the river eventually reaching the other side.
Upon reaching the other side, they wondered what they should do with the raft. Should they tie it to their back and carry it on their journey if they met another river?
Should they trudge around with the raft on their back forever more?
No, the raft had served its purpose and they had no need to be fettered to it any longer.
If you wish to be extraordinary, you must ask yourself if you are carrying around things that no longer serve any purpose on your journey through life.
SOCIAL TRAITS
Getting Along with Others
LEARNING TRAITS
Growth Keeps You Extraordinary
The extraordinary person is always interested in learning about the beliefs of others, so to get you started on your journey of discovery I offer the following:
MISCELLANEOUS
The Odds & Ends of Being Extraordinary
The extraordinary person appreciates and protects nature.
SELF-HELP BOOKS
A Manual for Living
by Epictetus
At the top of the cover of this book are the words, A Little Book of Wisdom. This book certainly lives up to that. It is just 88 tiny pages, written by a former Roman slave, who describes the path to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility, no matter what the circumstances.
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
If Horror Movies Were Realistic
Did you ever wonder what horror movies would be like, if they were realistic. Well, Logan Paul gives us the answer. Just click on the link below his photo.
Last week I showed you a statue that I came across while in Italy. This week’s statue is one that I came across while in La Mancha region of Spain, where Don Quixote is from. It appears to be a statue of the famous Don Quixote.
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
Miguel de Cervantes
(Image not authenticated – none known)
Miguel de Cervantes (29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616), is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and the world’s pre-eminent novelist.
His major work, Don Quixote, considered to be the first modern European novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded among the best works of fiction ever written.
In 1569, Cervantes moved to Rome, where he worked as chamber assistant of a cardinal. In 1571, he decided to join the Spanish fleet at the battle of Lepanto, a major clash between the Catholic states and the Ottomans for the control of the Mediterranean.
Following this, Cervantes pursued his military career, but it was cut short when he was captured by Ottoman pirates and taken to Algiers, which had become one of the main and most cosmopolitan cities of the Ottoman Empire, and was kept there in captivity between 1575 and 1580.
In 1580, he was released by his captors on payment of a ransom by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order, and he later returned to his family in Madrid.
He worked as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada, and later as a tax collector for the government. In 1597, discrepancies in his accounts of three years earlier landed him in the Crown Jail of Seville.
In 1605, he was in Valladolid when the immediate success of the first part of his Don Quixote, published in Madrid, signalled his return to the literary world.
In 1607, he settled in Madrid, where he lived and worked until his death. During the last nine years of his life, Cervantes solidified his reputation as a writer; he published [ ] the second part of Don Quixote in 1615. (Source: Wikipedia)
THIS WEEK’S JOKE
BLOG
Thanks to Carolyn, Carol, Purpleanais, andSamanthafor commenting on last week’s post. Comments are so encouraging, I urge you to let me know what you are thinking via a blog comment.
Carisa, thank you for following this blog and bringing the total number of blog followers to 55.
My Harmony Books & Films Facebook page up to 62 likes.
If you think this blog has any merit, please pass it on to your friends. Hopefully, more of you will continue to share this blog with others. My thanks to Joanne,Carol, Cheryl, Glenda, Elizabeth, Rose, Octavia, Terry, Theresa, Toni and Carlafor sharing my post last week on Facebook.
MY BOOK
If you know someone who is trying to change their life or that needs to change their life, please consider my book.
For those of you into reading books on a Kindle, the Kindle version of my book is $4.95.
My book is available on-line from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million.
And if you have read my book, please leave an evaluation of it on Amazon. Thank you.
RESULTS OF LAST WEEK’S POLL ON YOUR SITUATION AT THE AGE OF 65
Last week poll was about an analysis I came across early in life that said that out of 100 young people aged 25, at 65:
36% have died
1% are rich
4% are financially & physically independent
5% are working
54% are dependent
Once again, those who take these polls are an extraordinary group. The results were:
0% percent of you expected to be dead–of course if you died before taking this poll, you probably would not have participated in the poll.
5% of you are or expect to be rich–extraordinarily well done.
90% of you are or expect to be financially & physically independent–the goal.
5% of you are or expect to be working–excellent, so long as you find joy and meaning in your work.
0% of you are or expect to be dependent–which is why I believe those of you who take this poll are an extraordinary group.
THIS WEEK’S THEME: SPAIN
I am writing this blog as I travel through Spain, visiting Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Serville, Cordoba y Barcelona; so what better theme for this week’s posting than Spain. And if you are following along in my book, it is Week 48: Travel – see Your Country as Well as the Rest of the World..
THIS WEEK’S JOKE
An American touring Spain stopped at a local restaurant following a day of sightseeing. He noticed a sizzling, scrumptious looking platter being served at the next table.
He asked the waiter, “What is that you just served?”
The waiter replied, “Ah senor, you have excellent taste! Those are bulls balls from the bull fight this morning. A delicacy!”
The American said, “What the heck, I’m on vacation! Bring me an order!”
The waiter replied, “I am so sorry senor. There is only one serving per day, because there is only one bull fight each morning. If you come early tomorrow and place your order, we will be sure to save you this delicacy!”
The next morning, the American returned, placed his order, and then that evening he was served the one and only special delicacy of the day. After a few bites, and looking at his plate, he called to the waiter and said, “These are delicious, but they are much, much smaller than the ones I saw you serve yesterday!”
The waiter shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Señor, sometimes the bull wins.”
WEEK 48: TRAVEL – SEE YOUR COUNTRY AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE WORLD
When it comes to money, you can either spend it on things or spend it on experiences.
I suspect you will find that the more things you own, the more those things end up owning you; since they require your attention in so many different ways.
If you do decide to travel, you may want to occasionally visit some place you have never been to before. There is nothing like seeing a place for the first time to give you that childhood sense of amazement.
My book is again available on Amazon as work continues turning it into an ebook. I expect the eBook version will be available in about a week.
SELF-HELP BOOKS IN ADDITION TO MY OWN
As I listened to our tour guide, Rui Miguell, describe Cervantes’ book about Don Quixote, and how it is as relevant about the human condition today as it was when Cervantes wrote in the early 1600s; I realized I have once again encountered an extraordinary individual.
I have listened to the book years ago on cassette tapes, but after hearing Rui talk about the book as we were traveling across the land once roamed by Don Quixote, I feel I should actually read the book or at least listen to it again.
Since this week’s theme is Spain and I am ending my tour through Spain in Barcelona, what better movie to suggestion than the one that initially inspired me to visit Barcelona in 2013. Below is the IMDB description of that movie; Vicky Christina Barcelona.
Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.
Director: Woody Allen Writer: Woody Allen Stars: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, …
I continue being willing to donate to anyone putting on a charitable fundraiser two copies of my book to auction off or raffle as a door prize. If you know anyone that is holding a charitable fundraiser and could use a couple copies of my book, please tell them about me. I can be reached at:
The Kindle version of this book is free, and the paperback version is $10
However, I must warn you that this book will not change your life, only you can do that.
This book can be ordered from Amazon
Harmony Books & Films, LLC 