Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

Absolutely Stunning! Popular #photography on #500px : Bonsai by Dunyphoto pic.twitter.com/AgW50RVO0m — Pekka Puhakka (@PekkaPuhakka) May 12, 2015

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...

I wish more people knew this... Any thoughts? A photo posted by iansomerhalder (@iansomerhalder) on Feb 6, 2015 at 5:35pm PST "The environment is in us, not outside of us. The trees are our lungs, the rivers our bloodstream. We are all interconnected, and what you do to the environment, ultimately you do to yourself."  ~ Ian Somerhalder

I took this photo of white flowers / white buds on a tree branch a few days ago. It was a warm and sunny day, the sky was a gorgeous blue and there was just enough wind to provide a pleasant breeze. A perfect day to stare up at the trees and the sky, to enjoy the beauty right there and all around me. I walk past this tree almost daily however rarely stop to actually look up at the beauty above. How much beauty and how many happy moments have I missed, walking past without looking up? White flowers can have different meanings depending on country, culture and context - purity and innocence, perfection, or death and mourning. A quick online search for the symbolism of white flowers tells me they are "Often associated with innocence, humility, and reverence" ( Teleflora ) as well as purity, honesty and perfection ( Flower Shopping ). Today all those meanings feel appropriate. As The Netherlands remembers those who died in World War Two , I am drawn to the diary of a young girl...

Vanavond zijn wij om acht uur twee minuten stil. Zeventig jaar na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog is er vrede in Nederland. Wel in Nederland, maar op zoveel andere plekken niet. Wij staan stil bij wat er tijdens de oorlog gebeurde, bij de mensen die omkwamen, die vermoord zijn, vervolgd zijn om wie zij waren en wat zij geloofden. Twee minuten stilte om miljoenen doden te herdenken. Al ben ik jaren na de oorlog geboren vind ik het belangrijk om twee minuten stil te zijn, om stil te staan bij wat er al die jaren geleden gebeurd is. Elk jaar weer vraag ik me af of twee minuten stilte wel genoeg is. Elk jaar weer weet ik zeker dat twee minuten lang niet genoeg is. Wat is een mensenleven waard? Wat zijn miljoenen mensenlevens waard? Toch zeker meer dan maar twee minuten per jaar? Twee minuten stilte Op 4 mei vindt elk jaar in Nederland de Nationale Herdenking plaats. Tijdens deze dodenherdenking worden om 20.00 uur in het hele land twee minuten stilte in acht genomen voor de Nederl...

No caption... A photo posted by iansomerhalder (@iansomerhalder) on Dec 14, 2014 at 11:02am PST

The word polder is a Dutch word - reclaimed land or land that was once under water that's protected by dykes. The word polderscape means a polder-landscape. A photo (in my case) of a typical scene from a polder usually featuring grass, a farm, a mill, a river or canal. Often some birds, cows or sheep as well. Today's polderscape is about as typical as they come - flat country featuring some grass, some water, a bridge and a mill in the distance. Polder noun 1. a tract of low land, especially in the Netherlands, reclaimed from the sea or other body of water and protected by dikes. 2. a stretch of land reclaimed from the sea or a lake, esp in the Netherlands Source: Meaning of Polder at Dictionary.com The Dutch celebration of Koningsdag (King's Day - previously Koninginnedag or Queen's Day) is a day on which we celebrate the birthday of King Willem Alexander. It is also a day of people, crowds and togetherness. At concerts, outdoor markets and public events or...

"Knowledge, surprising as it sounds, begins with the unknown. With accepting how little you know. A few drops of humility, I've learned, can save me from an ocean of arrogance! Then, with a touch of curiosity... a person can learn and grow endlessly." Excerpted from: The Wisdom of Merlin by T.A. Barron (Philomel Books) Source: " The Secret To A Meaningful Life In Just 7 Words " Article by Alena Halll | The Huffington Post

As they say, "Smile and the world will smile back at you." Sunshine, spring weather, colours all around - I'm certainly smiling! Pretty in Pink

Some days I need to force myself to leave my camera at home...  Seeing the world through a lens is a great experience However seeing the world with my own eyes is even better! Still... Being able to share the beauty with others is amazing too! Blossoming Spring Colours | Nimavenl

I like posting quotes. There's something very satisfying about posting a small(ish) bit of text in a large font, emphasising it and not having to write much else. No paragraphs of information, no need to explain why I think or feel something. Just a quote. Here's one from Game of Thrones: “ It is a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don’t want to be most of us. ” -- Oberyn Martell | Game of Thrones

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom Ha Shoah in Hebrew. May we never forget. May we never be silent. May we remember those who died and those who lived, scarred and beaten but not defeated. May we always remember the words "Never Again" and work, year in and year out, to understand their meaning and to honour the memory of those who died, those who suffered, those who fought and those who lost so much.  Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah ( יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה ; "Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day"), known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah ( יום השואה ) and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the Jewish resistance in that period. In Israel, it is a national memorial day and public h...

Spring is here! All seasons are beautiful, however there is something extraordinary about seeing the world come to life again after winter, seeing colours erupt all around us. Humans may fight and argue, kill and make war - Nature is constant, beautiful, amazing and always changing. I wonder, how different might our world be if we spent as much time loving & enjoying nature and caring for our planet as we do fighting, arguing and hurting others? Nature vs Humanity - Beauty and the Beast | Nimavenl

Nature... Once Asleep Dark and Cold Waiting Only Dreaming Now Awake Light and Warm Colourful  Newly Alive Spring Has Arrived! | Nimavenl