Upside Down Flower On Stairs

Thought this was an interesting picture to take. 

It’s an upside-down pink flower bent over a concrete stair. 

And the stem is sticking straight up and out. 

The contrast of the live soft pink flower and the cold hard grey of the concrete stairs is astounding to me.

Life can so easily be bent over, squished out, and left for dead in the cold harsh realities of this world 

We are alive, but life can be hard. 

We fight to go on, but life is sometimes unforgiving.

The bright spark of life seeks to illuminate the hard grey block.

Breath, beat, live…good health is unbelievably precious.

Arise flower and once again stand tall in the glowing sunshine and the pouring rain. 

Nourish yourself in the soil of the Earth, give praise to the L-rd as only life can do. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Make The Oy Vey Go Away

What a wonderful way to make the oy veys go away…

This amazing beautiful flower.

Made by G-d Almighty.

See the perfection of the geometry and the shape that springs forth from mother earth.

Open your eyes to the magnificence and brightness of the colors. 

Feel in your mind’s eye the soft texture of the petals and droplets. 

Breath in the smell of freshness and new air into your expanding lungs. 

Yes, whatever ails you…

Make this for yourself a renewal of spirit and of flesh. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Beauty In The Downtown

I took this photo in downtown Washington, D.C.

Right between the limbs of this tree trunk was this amazing yellow flower almost popping up out of nowhere. 

It was like “Here I am, enjoy me!”

The more nature we put back into our cities the nicer and friendlier they are. 

Nature sooths man’s inner beast–and we definitely need more of that. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Flower For My Love

While hiking in the mountains today, I came across this beautiful flower.

The yellow with the orange accent is so amazing.

I brought it home in my rucksack and gave it to my honey.

Just a little sign of how I feel.

Now reading this, she says that this had better be about her. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Goodbye Mr. Yaffe

Last night, my dear friend lost his father–Mr. John Sommer.

He was known to many as just Mr. Yaffe–a twist on an electrical business, Yaffe Electric, that he owned for many years.

John Sommer was a good man–he was a holocaust survivor who came to America, married his dear wife Yona, had two boys–Danny and Harry–and worked hard in his business for his family and his community.

Yona, was a saintly woman, who died about 11 years ago from cancer and John carried on into his upper 80’s with many an illness–finally succumbing on Friday night into a coma, and last night, he passed.

John and Yona were wonderful to me–as I was friends with their sons–and their home was like a 2nd home for me.

I always felt like I had a place at their table and they made me feel like one of the family.

I remember saying the table prayers before and after meals there, talking about religion and politics, playing board and video games, watching movies, doing homework, and more.

On the Jewish holidays, the Sommers invited my family to join them, and they joined us on the Sabbath at times, and on Thanksgiving, we meet at the restaurant together.

The Sommers sat just two rows behind us in Synagogue, but that didn’t stop some friendly banter between us all–G-d forgive us.

Regularly after synagogue on weekdays, John Sommer would say let me give you a lift home–he was always willing to help others.

For the community, he frequently gave his electrician services to the synagogue for free and sponsored the kiddish (meal) after the services.

The Sommers were at my Bar Mitzvah and my wedding, and I always remember their friendship and generosity.

Losing good people is very painful–there are not enough of them in this world.

I pray that John is now with his wife, Yona, in heaven–and that they are at peace and that their legacy of good deeds continues long after.

Good people should not suffer, but these people did as so many do–it is not easy to live or to die, but I have fond memories of what they gave to me and I am grateful to them.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)