Five on Friday: Quotes from My 5-Year Diary

"Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it."

GEORGE ELIOT

With autumn officially here, I'm adjusting my thoughts to be thoroughly present to the seasonal changes going on around us. It's been a very full week, with all manner of planned events and several unexpected situations.

As my mom's garageman noted when we went to pick up her car: I'm sorry it's not ready yet, almost done, but it's been the kind of day where Thursday and Friday are rolled into one. It was Wednesday as he said it. Oh yes, said I, I understand, it's been that kind of day for us as well. We chuckled. I intuitively understood his meaning—two days' work rolled into one; two days' problems rolled into one; two days' worth of busyness all rolled into one. And then some days we don't even know what day it is. Ha, sometimes life is like that.

On this cool September Friday, I've been dipping into my 5-year quote diary, looking at lines that have caught my imagination these last few days. If you don't know about the diary, you can find earlier posts HERE and HERE. I'm grateful to have access to so many inspiring and insightful thoughts—lines that make me sit up and take notice. I'm also appreciative of the many photographers who make their beautiful photos available to use, gratis, on sites like Pixabay.com. What a gift. On that note, here is Five on Friday. Hope you enjoy.

— One —

"Every morning lean thine arms

awhile upon the windowsill of heaven and

gaze upon the Lord. Then with the vision

in your heart, turn strong to meet your day."

attributed to THOMAS BLAKE

— Two —

(Brunetti) thought of something Seneca had written in one of his letters,

advising us that it wasn't until we had begun to go without things

that we realized how unnecessary they were.

Note from a Donna Leon Venetian mystery

That's certainly true in some cases. Interestingly, I have also found the opposite to be true, when I had gone without and realized something was necessary to my well-being. I guess it's about paying attention, knowing when to let go what I do not need and fully embracing what I do.

A note about Donna Leon's books. I love how thoughtful she has made her main character. While Commissario Brunetti works through his current investigation, he often finds himself musing about life, about the books he reads, about the authors his wife is devoted to, why people do what they do. As an avid reader myself, I find his musings thought-provoking and entertaining—often I come away with new thoughts and book titles to chase down in real life.

— Three —

"It is important to be able to hear 'the poetry of earth'.

W.O. MITCHELL

It was one of my great delights this summer to sit in the garden while reading, for the first time, the classic novel Who Has Seen The Wind by W.O. Mitchell. It's the story of young Brian O'Connal growing up on the Saskatchewan prairies in the 1930s. Mr. Mitchell's prose sometimes reads like poetry.

— Four —

"Realize that life is glorious, and you have

no business taking it for granted."

ANNA QUINDLEN

— Five —

"(My friend) set me an example of how to deal

with life gracefully, and I hold it in mind

even if I can't always imitate it."

HILARY MANTEL (1952 - 2022)

from an interview she did a few months ago before she died

— Bonus —

"On my patch of the planet, the days keep getting shorter.

I'll miss these long, light-filled summer days, but

there's something about earlier sunsets that feels

like the language of my soul right now."

PARKER J. PALMER

as seen on his Facebook page

❦

Wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Brenda

Photo Credits:

Top - KimGreenHalgh90 from Pixabay

One - HoaHoa111 from Pixabay

Two - Jennifer Latham from Pexels

Three - Raman Talpada from Pixabay

Four - S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

Five - Tammy Shook from Pixabay

Bonus - Juanma Martin from Pixabay