Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

It took me a while to decide what "Photo Challenge" to go for this week. I wanted to choose my own topic this week, not one I found online. While I considered several topics such as sidewalk shots, walls, For Sale signs, trees, benches, cloud pics, water and animals, in the end I decided to go with Bridges. Although I did see lots and lots of animals - real and decorative - so that might be next week's topic. I'll think about that some more... Heck, I've got time to choose and repeat / re-visit lots of challenges, it's my party challenge after all! Functional yet decorative, bridges are awesome. I've taken photos of bridges before and have written about why I like bridges. In a nutshell, they connect worlds (there, saved you the trouble of clicking on that link!); worlds above and worlds below as well as worlds on either side of the bridge. Here's the first Bridge photo, will add more photos later today. Enjoy!   Photo Challenge: Bridge #1 | ...

Just saw a very inspiring post on Twitter. The Wildlife Trusts (UK) is introducing a #30DaysWild challenge for the month of June. They're encouraging people to spend more time appreciating and enjoying nature this coming month. What an awesome idea for my next Photo Challenge! Or perhaps for a month-long challenge just for me? For the thirty days of June, 30 Days Wild suggests that people commit to giving themselves some time with nature every day, even if it's just a few seconds to smell a flower or appreciate the sunshine. What a lovely idea! As today is May 31st, the challenge starts tomorrow. Devon Wildlife Trust's suggestion for Day 1 is to hug a tree. The #30DaysWild challenge starts tomorrow! What will be your first Random Act of Wildness? We'll be hugging a tree! pic.twitter.com/QLRhZMhzNE — Devon Wildlife Trust (@DevonWildlife) May 31, 2015 As I read those words, my brain thought Hey, I can do that! I've even got a photo to match the theme ...

“It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” “The Strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.” “If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life's exciting variety, not something to fear.” “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.” “Reality is incredibly larger, infin...

Mind Body Green shared thirteen inspirational JFK quotes in honour of John F. Kennedy's birthday. The 35th President of the United States would have been 98 today, the article states. "Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly." "...we can have faith in the future only if we have faith in ourselves."   "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."  "If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live." "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were and ask 'why not?'." Happy Birthday, JFK! 13 Of His Greatest Quotes To Inspire You Today | Mind Body Green

The Tunnel of Change | Nimavenl This photo of a wall, some grass and a few trees was taken coming out of a tunnel. It's a tunnel I walk or bike through several times a week, a tunnel that always makes me smile as coming out of it (on either side) provides one with an amazing view of the world. On one side is a very Dutch polderscape - water, a bridge, a mill and a beautiful view of nature. On the other side is city life - a train station, buses and cars, flats and houses and people rushing around living their lives. For me, going through this tunnel signifies change, which is probably why the setting inspired me to write the following words: It may be dark, you may be going through a tunnel or a valley. Your life may be changing in ways you can't imagine and never thought possible. Whatever you're going through, whatever's happening in your life, whatever changes you're facing - Remember to stop every once in a while, to smile and cherish the journey life is t...

Very interesting video by The Journey of Purpose (TJOP)

“There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream”  ~ Brian Aldiss In context: “There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream” says Brian Aldiss, who made me dream for such a long time with his science-fiction books. In principle I believe that every human being on this planet has at least one good story to tell his neighbor. Paulo Coelho on How You Can Become a Better Writer | Time Magazine I've read my fair share of books - good ones, great ones, unforgettable ones, awful ones, tearjerkers, page-turners... Some books resonate with me more than others, some I remember better than others, some I simply can't put down. When it comes to my favourite writers, they all write books that fall into the 'can't put down' category. Because I want to know what happens next, on the next page and in the next chapter. All writers on my 'favourite writers' list write books that make me ...

Spotted this message and image of a bowl of rice at a local skate park while out walking during the eclipse back in March. As the sun wasn't exactly shining brightly, the image came out quite dark and has a bit of a post-apocalyptic feel to it. Hope to go back on a sunnier day to take more photos of the funny, colourful and inspirational art on display. For now - I hope you Have a Rice Day and enjoy this photo! Have a Rice Day | Nimavenl

Having decided that I'm going to assign myself Photo Challenges on a weekly (perhaps bi-weekly? perhaps fortnightly?) basis, the time has come to investigate Challenges. The whole idea is that I want to challenge myself to take photos based on themes and ideas or photograph certain features such as trees, flowers, buildings, windows, doors, playgrounds etcetera. The first Challenge was to walk a route I normally don't take my camera on and photograph what I see every hundred or so steps. After completing that Challenge and posting a set of eight photos of nature and the Dutch landscape, the next challenge is... To decide on the next Challenge. While  I want to challenge myself to take photos of new and different things, to look at the world in a new way and to go 'hunting' for photos (something I don't usually do), I don't want to pick challenges that are too hard or difficult and don't want to lose interest in the whole concept. The whole idea is to have ...

New Kiwi TV show Westside hasn't even aired yet and I'm already wondering when it'll be out on DVD so I can watch it. Although I must admit there's a devil on my shoulder wondering if I ask really ( really, really ) nicely, perhaps someone in NZ will feel like directing a web cam at their television just so I can watch from over here. Yes, I'm kidding... Blame it on my enthusiasm for what looks to be a great new show! "There are lamingtons and screwdrivers, sausage rolls and crates of beer, lots of orange, lots of brown, vintage Holdens and Fords. This is Westside , the tale of Ted, his family and his gang, cruising and bruising through the 1970s." ( Westside: Outrageous Fortune rewinds the clock | New Zealand Herald, 24 May 2015) This new prequel to the massively successful Outrageous Fortune is set in the 1970s and looks to be just as outrageous as Outrageous . Not to mention funny, shocking and thrilling. The show stars Antonia Prebble as Rita We...

These words were written thousands of years ago, in a book known and read by millions upon millions over the years - possible the most well-known book in the entire world. This knowledge is not something we only figured out yesterday, so to speak. How sad that humanity still doesn't seem to get this basic truth. “Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath . . .” — Ecclesiastes 3:19 (A Quote from the Bible / Tanakh) The heartbreaking effects that humans have on our planet | Mashable Providing a little more context: I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all c...

The UK's Daily Mail writes that actress Lena Headey - who many will know as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones - is expecting a baby girl in about six weeks. On the website of Plan International USA , she  writes a guest blog post entitled " My Daughter " with some very inspiring words for her future daughter. As she's a famous actress known by millions around the world, her words reach a lot of people. They reached me and hopefully, through this post, they'll reach a few more people. "The ever-present abuse of social and human rights in our world keeps me consciously awake, grateful, and humble."  I got to know Lena Headey as Sarah Connor in television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles . She played the mother of John Connor, the young man who will one day lead the human revolution against the machines known as Terminators. Yes - that tough as nails Sarah Connor who stops at nothing to protect her son and with him, the future of humani...

Oh boy. This sure made me laugh. Good evening. It's six o'clock and here's what we want you to think... #MSM pic.twitter.com/ZZtFWsrfLM — Olio Studios (@myolio) May 26, 2015

"Earth laughs in flowers." — "Hamatreya" "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” — Self-Reliance Source: Happy Birthday, Ralph Waldo Emerson! 20 Of His Greatest Quotes To Inspire You | Mind Body Green

Being of the Field by Traci Harding My rating: 5 of 5 stars There are some authors whose next book you simply must read no matter what, because you enjoy their work and the way their minds work. Traci Harding is one of those authors. I've been a fan of her writing and her thinking for over a decade now (fourteen-ish years? Seriously? Wow!) and while sometimes a character makes me wonder if maybe they're not too perfect (and good at almost everything to boot!), it is the story that keeps me coming back for more with every book. Traci Harding takes her readers on an amazing adventure that I hope will continue through many more books, stories, characters, countries, worlds and universes. I enjoyed getting to know Taren, Lucian, Zeven and the rest of the crew of AMIE. They were new characters yet felt like old friends - books two and three explained why that was, exactly. I actually squealed and couldn't stop smiling upon realising where these books were taking me. The ideas t...

“All of our current environmental problems are unanticipated harmful consequences of our existing technology. There is no basis for believing that technology will miraculously stop causing new and unanticipated problems while it is solving the problems that it previously produced.”  —Jared Diamond The heartbreaking effects that humans have on our planet | Mashable If we don't find ways to deal with the impact we are having on our only home, what will we be left with? What kind of a planet will our children and grandchildren be left with? Planet earth is beautiful, breathtaking, amazing and stunning, yet our greed and our quest for more more more are destroying it. Will we ever figure out that the world we have is perfect as it is, without feeling the need to destroy it, wreck it and turn it into an ugly concrete jungle? We think of ourselves as the smartest and most evolved beings on the planet, yet prove time and time again that we are irresponsible, greedy and destr...

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop My rating: 5 of 5 stars I very much enjoyed this book and loved reading more of the adventures of the well-written characters in this series. Meg's development was very interesting to read about; getting to know more of the Others was lots of fun and the way the blood prophets learn to find their place in the world made me both happy and sad. I would love to live in this world and get to know the many Others who inhabit it. The way the Others see the world makes so much more sense than the way the humans live and makes me wish humanity in the real world thought more like the Others in this book. Loving the land and living in harmony with nature and each other makes so much more sense than attempting to destroy, dominate and control both the planet and other beings. I wrote this last month about the same book and thought I'd include it in this review: Brilliant. Awesome. Amazing. Heart-wrenching. Sweet. I love Anne Bishop's work and the intri...

“I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress.”  —Ed Begley, Jr. The heartbreaking effects that humans have on our planet | Mashable

#01 - Polderscape The Challenge: Find a route I've never photographed along. Stop every 100 steps or so to take a photo. As I've explained in previous posts, I don't like taking photos of strangers. This means I plan to photograph locations, structures, natural features and perhaps some animals, however not people. I'll go for a nosey around town today and decide where to go. I've got a few ideas already... #02 - Cows The hoops and the hurdles: While it was most definitely my intention to take photos in the city (downtown / in the binnenstad ), when push came to shove I felt quite uncomfortable trying to take photos with people all around. People don't stop living their lives, walking past and going about their business just because I want to take a photo of a funky building, an interesting door or a pretty window. While yelling "Oi you lot, get off the street now unless you want me to shoot you" might have seemed funny to my teenage se...

Be who you want to be, not what other people want to see. — Success Motivation (@successins) May 22, 2015

I loved this quote when I read it! “Only a female could be as calculating and have the foresight that destiny requires,' the gypsy explained. 'Now fate is a man,' he went on, 'no planning, just go with the flow and see what tomorrow brings.” ― Traci Harding, The Dragon Queens

“Look closely. The beautiful may be small .” “Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end.” “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” “Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own intelligence!” “For peace to reign on Earth, humans must evolve into new beings who have learned to see the whole first.”

Just a photo of a gorgeous-looking tree branch with some pink flowers. Nature is simply beautiful. Tree branch with pink flowers | Nimavenl

#quote #life pic.twitter.com/ihfRSgGghr — The Quote Today (@TheQuoteToday) May 21, 2015

Something about this photo makes me want to write the words "By your powers combined... I am Captain Planet" only there are no Planeteers in this photo; no-one's fighting injustice, pollution, smog or environmental disasters. It's just a snail who decided to call a flower home. The combination of the snail with the flower has me thinking of symbiosis, unity and the concept of combined powers; a snail and a flower working together to create a pretty home for the snail the way the Planeteers together make Captain Planet appear. Still - The flower and the snail in this photo have little to do with superheroes, even ones that fight for the environment. Perhaps sort-of descriptive and possibly-appropriate lyrics work better? Our house, in the middle of our street Our house, that was where we used to sleep Our house, in the middle of our street ( Our House , Madness) Our House, in the Middle of our Flower | Nimavenl Something tells me I might be over-thinkin...

Some time ago (back in January 2011), I wrote a blog posts about Zeppelins in alternate realities . I used examples from television series Doctor Who and Fringe , two shows that both feature alternate universes. One key way of identifying that characters had gone from the regular universe to an alternate universe was the appearance of Zeppelins in the sky. They weren't travelling through time to go to an era in our past when Zeppelins were common; they were in the current era. Just somewhere a little different from where they were before. " Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more ," those Zeppelins seemed to scream at the viewer. While I did not intend my post to be read as meaning 'both alternate universes in Doctor Who and Fringe are the exact same universe', apparently someone did think that that's what I meant. A link to my blog post appeared on Reddit and suddenly my post got lots and lots of visitors. Please don't get me wrong,...

How cool is it to be mentioned or featured online?!!!! Thanks for featuring my photo / blog post Steve G. Bisig, I'm honoured! :-) Nature & Landscape Photography is out! http://t.co/vis0AtuIh0 Stories via @NLCT @nimavenl @RSarkuv — Steve G. Bisig Photo (@SteveBisig) May 19, 2015 Thanks for featuring my work Steve G Bisig Photo , I'm honoured!

Nature in Yellow | Nimavenl Nature is beautiful. Each and every day. Each and every way. Just as we all are. Each and every day. Each and every way. Period. Our world is such a beautiful and amazing place, yet too often we disregard the beauty of nature and of humanity in favour of fighting, squabbling and making war. We oppress people and try to rule their lives, some we even try to kill because we don't agree with their ways, their thinking, their religion or simply because we don't like the colour of their skin. Will we ever learn to love, respect and cherish our fellow human beings, simply as they are? “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Becoming a better photographer through participating in challenges. I like the idea and know it from (when I used) Instagram . My current mobile phone is an older model HTC that often 'freaks out' when trying to do simple things and on which I can't uninstall certain apps that all have permission to collect my data and personal information which means I don't use it to connect to the internet (as it's no-one's business but my own who I text or call, as far as I'm concerned). That means no Instagram for me since my old smartphone broke and I started using this one. New smartphone will possibly probably mean a return to IG (however even with a new smartphone I'm still undecided about returning to IG). As for now, the BBC.com article directs me to their own challenge and the 12 by 12 website (and Flickr group ). Colour me intrigued. When looking for a way to challenge yourself photographically it can pay to scan the online photographic community in se...

Chemtrail Chemistry | Nimavenl "Shooting the Sky" "The Sky's the Limit" "Sunset Sky Surprise" "Chemtrail Chemistry" "All the Colours of the Sky" "The Sky is Alive with the Sound of Colour" Finding the right title for a post or a photo can be a bit of a challenge, especially when trying for a witty, funny, interesting or catchy title. Above are some of the options I considered for this photo.I'm not quite sure why, however 'chemtrail chemistry' sounded like the best title for this photo. It might be the chemtrails in the photo, it might be that some of the other possibilities sound more like I'm talking about an amazing flavour of ice cream than describing a photo of chemtrails in a sunset sky!

With Vegan Ice Cream Snickers... Honestly, I think I may be in love. If it's possible to be in love with chocolate. And ice cream. And peanuts. And dates. These vegan ice cream Snickers bars don't just look amazing, they sound super-delicious too! Check out the recipe over at the Minimalist Baker website (where this screen capture came from). They have more amazing photos too that just make me want to climb into my screen to get to the chocolate! Vegan Ice Cream Snickers | Minimalist Baker

" Iedereen is van de wereld En de wereld is van iedereen " "Everybody belongs to the world And the world belongs to everybody"   ~ The Scene

Reading an article in yesterday's online Israel National News, I am now aware that something called "International Hummus Day" exists. It was celebrated yesterday, on the 13th of May. It sounds vaguely familiar, something tells me I probably had a similar reaction to the news this time last year. I like hummus. I only wish I'd known about International Hummus Day sooner, would've made a point of eating hummus on the day. Apparently "Nutella Day" is also a real thing. Thanks for letting me know, article. Again, I learnt something new. Seriously - what will we come up with next? Days on which we celebrate peanut butter, cheese or chocolate? Bread? Eggs? Milk? Cake? Perhaps days like that already exist and I just don't know about them? As the supermarket is closing early today due to it being some sort of special day on the Christian calendar I didn't know about until learning the supermarket would close early, I am doubly sorry I missed Intern...

It scares me how little we care about what we are doing to the only home we have. We Blew It: A Time Line of Human Impact on the Planet http://t.co/eOKSYaJ5A1 pic.twitter.com/cveFm9XXI8 — VICE (@VICE) May 8, 2015 We fight. We argue. We use. We abuse.  We waste. We pollute. The next day, we do the same thing. All over again. Will we ever learn to care about the future of our planet and the human race?

"Optimism — it does both your mind and body good. In fact, numerous studies indicate that optimists generally enjoy healthier hearts, brains, immunity and tend to live longer than their less upbeat counterparts. But for some, optimism is easier said than done. Let’s say you weren’t born with an innate abundance of optimism, or perhaps life’s challenges have tamped down some of your enthusiasm ... then what?" 01: Make a point of being grateful every day. 02: Don't sweat the small stuff. 03: Look for the silver lining (It's in there.) 04: Have faith you'll get beyond the bumps. 05: Choose your media wisely. 06: Limit your exposure to negative people. 07: Be mindful of the language you use when talking to yourself. Source: 7 Ways To Become The Healthy, Upbeat Person You Want To Be | Mind Body Green Read the full article at the link above, I've only named the seven ways mentioned without explanations or the wise words of the author over at Mind Bod...

... And The World Smiles Back At You... When was the last time you stopped rushing around, took a moment, and just enjoyed being alive? When was the last time you let go of stress and simply appreciated the beauty of nature? When was the last time you smiled at a stranger for no reason at all? When was the last time you took a walk, not to exercise but just to be outside? When was the last time you looked up at the birds soaring through the sky and appreciated their beauty and freedom? When was the last time you looked at a weed, a flower or a tree and thanked God / nature / the universe for the beauty surrounding us, day in and day out? Nature's Beauty

Only weeks after a 7.8 magnitude quake struck Nepal, another 7-pointer (7.3 this time) has hit the same region. The first quake caused a lot of damage and thousands of deaths. It was felt not just in Nepal but in surrounding countries as well. The second earthquake earlier today has, according to news reports, caused at least 30 40 57 66 deaths and injured hundreds thousands. No doubt the numbers will continue to rise. As the hash-tags #NepalEarthquake and #prayforNepal trend on Twitter, I can't help but think of what the poor people of Nepal must be going through. After losing so much (and so many) already, people in one of the world's poorest regions again go through agony, suffering and heartbreak. Everyone has lost a relative, a friend or a neighbour, or all of them in #Gorkha . http://t.co/e1XjISSAee pic.twitter.com/Sr096cyjSP — Nepali Times (@nepalitimes) May 11, 2015 Having lived in Napier, New Zealand for several years, I am no stranger to earthquakes...