Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

Reading about ongoing acts of terror and destruction around the world and people who use their interpretation of religious teachings as an excuse to hurt or kill others makes me wonder about humanity, makes me wonder if we are really as smart, special and evolved as we like to believe. With all we think we know, with all we've learnt about the world and about the universe, everything we've achieved in fields like science, technology and medicine, somehow many of us still seem to believe that it is right or just to kill living beings, to keep people as slaves, to treat others as property and hurt people for not following rules some believe are right. Last week, I wrote this post entitled Violence, Death, Destruction... in which I wrote about a number of horrible attacks that took place, attacks by people who support terror, brutality and injustice. Wanting to write about what's going on in the world yet desiring to write something positive and inspiring instead of a do...

As social media seems to explode about the Supreme Court of the United States of America's (SCOTUS) decision to legalise gay marriage in the US and Twitter can't seem to stop talking about how great the world is, I have to admit that there's this voice in the back of my mind that wants to tell Americans "Welcome to the club! Glad that you finally made it..." For a country that prides itself on its inclusiveness and democratic values, why did it have to take so long to legalise marriage for all people? The U.S. is now among nearly two dozen countries that allow same-sex marriage nationwide: http://t.co/GDlydLBCWW pic.twitter.com/awVwTfyHXi — PewResearch Religion (@PewReligion) June 26, 2015 As the above map shows, there are many other countries where marriage is legal for all couples, regardless of their gender. In fact, both of my countries - The Netherlands and New Zealand - have already legalised gay marriage. According to the data on the website, The...

If you truly love Nature,  you will find Beauty everywhere.  ~Vincent Van Gogh Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Nature | Nimavenl

Just sittin' here, livin' life A few days ago I posted the first photo of my third Photo Challenge. Still deciding what the challenge would be about exactly, I narrowed it down to either do Flowers, Life or Yellow. I took several photos of yellow things yet yellow didn't do it for me this week. I biked and walked past several very interesting animals. Spotted a stone elephant in a stranger's garden, a photo of a dog in a window and a gorgeous cat wanting to play. Yet animals... Maybe another day. I ended up choosing flowers. Flowers brighten our world and always make me smile. Here are a few flower photos which I hope you'll enjoy. Yes, they're a little late - I forgot all about posting the Challenge photos, so sue me. All of these photos were taken on the same day while out enjoying the sunshine, the gorgeous weather and the beauty of nature. Remember to enjoy the beauty of nature and to cherish the flowers in your life! Daisies in the Gra...

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

Hello Nature, My Good Friend I love spending time outside enjoying the beauty of nature, admiring trees and flowers, watching birds fly or ducks quack at each other. Spending time outdoors helps me feel alive and connected to nature and the natural world. It reminds me of the important things in life - smiles, enjoyment, love, compassion for living creatures, appreciation of nature. We live busy lives rushing from appointment to appointment, feeling stressed or pressured for time, focusing on have-to s and must s instead of embracing life with joy and wonder. I try to spend time outside every day enjoying nature, appreciating the beauty of the natural world and feeling connected to the planet and to other living beings. While outside, I remind myself to breathe and just be, to watch the birds as they dance on the wind, to appreciate the warmth of the sun and smile at the beauty of the world around me. Nature balanced me and reminds me that no matter how stressed or pressured I ma...

Have you ever smiled when hearing a favourite quote or instantly liked someone because of the book they happened to be gushing about? Language connects us and words are powerful. The way we use them says a lot about who we are as people and as a society. Personally, I'd love to live in a world where insulting or belittling others is unncessary and hurting others using words is a thing of the past. A world where people talk to each other, accept and respect others as they are and do not feel the need to try to change people just because they don't happen to think or believe as we do. I am very much in favour of free speech and believe it is extremely important that people are able to honestly say (and write) what they think or feel, without having to fear for their lives. However I also believe that it is important that we respect others as they are, without belittling them using words or actions and without the need to insult the choices people have made in their lives or be...

This remains one of my favourite photos ever! There is beauty all around us, if only we stop and take the time to look at our amazing world - something too many of us forget all too easily. "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."   ~ George Washington Carver Source: Quotations about Nature | The Quote Garden Bloomin' Beautiful * * * Gozo, Malta * * * Feb 2013 A photo posted by Nicole M. Verhaaf (@nimavenl) on Apr 20, 2013 at 2:43am PDT

As much as I love eating cake, adoringly gazing at photos of delicious-looking cakes and other gorgeous food is lots of fun too! This cake makes me hungry, makes me want to visit my nearest library and may be one of my favourite cakes ever! Yum! Post by Title Wave . In case you can't see a photo above this text, click here to visit the Title Wave Facebook page to have a look at this super-gorgeous Library Cake for yourself!

While I applaud this initiative, it saddens me that it is necessary. Hating others simply because of who they are, what they believe or who their family is, makes absolutely no sense to me. I oppose discrimination and senseless hatred, no matter what. We are all human, all equal, all one big family, all inhabitants of planet earth. We may look different, think different things, speak different languages, read different holy books and believe different truths, however we are all human and whether we like it or not, we are all stuck on this planet together. The Facebook page for the event has mostly Norwegian posts however I've read several English-language posts from those who applaud the idea and wish they could join in themselves. Personally, I believe that this is a good idea, it reminds me of the " I'll Ride With You " campaign in Australia after the Sydney Siege. Hatred is not the answer, intolerance is not the solution. Oslo Muslims to form 'peace ring...

The following is a quote from a Times of Israel newspaper article regarding the fatal shooting outside a synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark, this past weekend. T he mother of the girl who celebrated her bat mitzvah at a Copenhagen synagogue when a gunman opened fire outside, killing one Jewish security guard, recalled the attack with horror and grief on Monday, and expressed sorrow at the death of the beloved community member, Dan Uzan.  “Only an hour beforehand I went out to bring [Uzan] cakes and sandwiches,” Mita Ben-Tov told Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth. “All of the sudden the celebration looks vain, [my daughter] Hannah told me ‘Mom, I wish I had not had a bat mitzvah and that Dan would have stayed alive.'”  Ben-Tov said guests and children were forced to hide in a basement for two hours following the shooting.  “We were dancing and singing, and suddenly the second guard entered and told us to turn the music down,” she said. “We were not aware that there was ...

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, the floor creaked. Not unusual, however something that still reminds me of our cat who died last year. Just for a few seconds lying there in between sleep and waking, I allowed myself to imagine our cat was still alive and prowling through the house; that it was her making the floor creak. Catching some Sunshine | Nimavenl As I wiped away a tear I smiled and reminded myself of the famous quote from Alfred. Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam that it is "Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." How true indeed and such perfect words for when one remembers a loved one who is no longer with us (no matter the species of that loved one!). Today's photo is for all those who have loved and lost - Always remember the good times, the sunshine and the times that made you smile, laugh and love.

"Remind yourself that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing." pic.twitter.com/pZRMsitIBb — banksy (@thereaIbanksy) January 28, 2015

Worrying about what's going on in Sydney with regards to the #sydneysiege . My thoughts are with the hostages and all who know and love them. I have friends and family in Australia; really don't like how close to home this feels. Silver lining to this horrible situation must be the " I'll Ride With You " social media posts tagged #illridewithyou and the way Australians are coming together as one. It's good to see that the Australian people won't let terrorists scare them into being quiet, going into hiding or turning on each other.

“ You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. ” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Being grateful. Sometimes it sounds very easy, at other times it sounds quite hard. When life seems to be going well, being grateful feels easy. We love our job, enjoy spending time with friends, attend interesting courses, we're fit and healthy - whatever makes us feel happy, satisfied and content, those are all things to feel grateful for. When life throws you curve balls and making ends meet or staying sane feels impossible, being grateful can seem pointless or futile. Life sucks - why should I be grateful for that? Yet even in the face of disappointment, curve balls, stress, grief, loss or hardship, we are alive and able to think about whatever may be happening in our lives. We are able to examine our lives, to look at what is happening and to find ways to get through whatever it is we're going through. One of the many perks of the way our minds work! Focusing only (or mostly) on negative thoughts, feelings and emotions like Life sucks / I'm a failure / Nobody love...

Jennifer Aniston is destructive to society? Oh come ON! Seriously?! Apparently she is, according to Fox News Commentator Bill O'Reilly. I've never heard of the guy, however reading this article about what he said on iVillage.com , I'm curious to see what else he comes up with! According to the article, Mr O'Reilly had a problem with remarks Aniston made while promoting her new comedy The Switch, in which she plays a single mother who gets pregnant through artificial insemination. What Jennifer said? Here goes... Earlier this week at an L.A. press conference, Aniston, 41, reportedly said, "Women are realizing it more and more, knowing that they don't have to settle with a man just to have that child....Times have changed....What is amazing is that we do have so many options these days, as opposed to our parents' days when you can't have children because you have waited too long." The Emmy-winning actress added, "The point of the movie ...

With my new Twitter account going and people deciding to "follow" me every day, I figured there might be a chance some of these people actually read what I have to say. I "follow" 200+ people, and I certainly can't read everything written by everyone, so I don't expect others to read everything written by me, however if some people read what I write and enjoy it, then that would be awesome! I tried to find a quote I liked to use for today's update. Something about how life is a train and we should enjoy not only the journey but also the destination. Or maybe something about how every cloud has a silver lining and how after rain there will be sunshine (Dutch saying). As I couldn't find a quote on any of those subjects I decided to go with something slightly different: "I have found that if you love life, life will love you back." ~Arthur Rubinstein Also true, and also a reflection of how I'm feeling today. As I'm still tr...