July 2017 - Page 2 of 2 - Roses in the Alley

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017

Mirror in Mirror – Are You “YOU”?

For a moment, listen to this beautiful piece, called “Mirror in Mirror” by Arvo Part from “Smile”.

While you listen, consider the equally beautiful picture of the woman in the mirror by Enrico Carcasi.

What is she thinking behind those eyes? Is she listening to music like this? Is she seeing herself in the mirror, her true self?

When you look in the mirror, do you see your true self, and are you Beautiful to you? If you do see this, good for you. If you don’t see this, why not?

We live in a world that often hides you from you; that tells you what you need to be, what you need to look like, and how you need to live.

What helps you see YOU and understand the beauty in that face and within those eyes of YOURS?

And remember to SMILE. You know you’re more beautiful when you smile!

July 8, 2017July 8, 2017

Live Forever? Should We Try?

“I intend to live forever, or die trying.” — Groucho Marx

Just like the rest of us will, in 1977 at age 86, Julius Henry Marx fell short of living forever…

Obviously Groucho had no intention of outrunning Father Time who gets even faster the older we get. This quote, like so many this American icon left us, was just a wonderfully funny way to look at our lives.

He’s not telling us to research every herb and tincture to keep us alive as long as humanly possible (I’m a bit guilty of this).

While mental and physical health are very important, he’s really just telling us to TRY AT LIVING while we’re here. Whatever that means to each of us, if we TRY maybe we can leave the world a much better place like he did.

I’d imagine there was a smirk on that funny face when time caught up with Groucho. A well-earned smirk prompted by the memories of all the funny words and moments he would be leaving us.

At least on this Earth, none of us will be living forever. That much we can be sure of. The real question is, when the time comes….

WILL WE BE SMIRKING??

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July 4, 2017July 7, 2017

Freedom ≠ License

Today we celebrate our Declaration of Independence, our Birthday of Freedom! -Hard-fought in the beginning, hard-earned through its nearly 2 1/2 centuries, and even harder to maintain today.

Our challenges to Freedom today are unlike the past, even as recently as a few decades ago. Our freedom is being undermined by the seemingly innocuous concept of personal license. For freedom is not license. In fact, license will destroy our freedom, it it is not properly directed and contained.

The Statue of Liberty was given to us by France as a a symbol of the essence of Europe’s Enlightenment. As Julián Carrón writes, “Europe was born around a few great words, like ‘person,’ ‘work,’ ‘matter,’ ‘progress,’ and ‘freedom.’ ” *

These 5 words are more important than ever to look at again today.

Do we honor the person – every person and his/her rights?

Do we honor work with integrity, perseverance and just pay?

Do we honor matter, our resources, our environment?

Do we honor true progress, not just economic, scientific and technological progress but human progress?

Lastly, do we truly honor freedom – individual and communal, religious and secular, for the strong and for the weak, the popular and the un-popular?

On this day of Freedom, let us honor our forefathers and foremothers by thinking on these things. Personal license must give way to true freedom and progress for all persons to work and live with integrity and justice.

And for the beauty and truth that underlies our human existence to express itself more brightly than ever before!

Photo by Brandon Mowinkel on Unsplash

*excerpt from Carrón, Julián. Disarming Beauty: Essays on Faith, Truth, and Freedom (Catholic Ideas for a Secular World) (p. 3). University of Notre Dame Press. Kindle Edition.

July 2, 2017July 7, 2017

An Unlikely Pairing in the Desert

“Well balanced profiles forged by the desert soil, wind, sun, and the Colorado river.” — Bodega del Desierto

At first glance I would certainly think someone is referring to the Grand Canyon with this statement…but I’d be wrong! This is actually the mantra from the makers of Desierto 25 wines.

This weekend’s movie and wine pairing is Desierto 25 Sauvignon Blanc with the film, Grand Canyon.

It surprised me to realize how many people haven’t seen this terrific pic with stars such like Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, and Danny Glover in it. My assumption would be that even less people have heard of this refreshing, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc from Patagonia, Argentina.

Indeed, these are two different Colorado rivers. One forges its way through the Grand Canyon here in the U.S. The other flows from the Andes Mountains onto the soils of Alto Valle del Rio Colorado on the Argentine side of Patagonia.

The Chilean side of Patagonia is a land of fjords and rainforest, where nature thrives. Argentina’s side is more desert-like and barren. It isn’t the first place I think of for vines that produce this nice of a wine to flourish. But these producers went for it and, man, did it work out!

This picture gives us relationships that are not of the most likely variety, either. It revolves around strangers in L.A. whose lives, like vines, intertwine. Kevin Kline’s character believes that a trip to the desert to witness the Grand Canyon will help him re-connect with his family.

Desierto 25 and Grand Canyon work so well together because they are both great examples of how beautiful things can be given to us from the most unlikely and barren of places.