Best Looking Bees

These are some of the best looking bees that I've ever seen.

They almost look friendly. 

No stinging, please!

Go ahead and pollinate the beautiful flowers. 

Then go back to the hive and make us some delicious, sweet honey. 

Bees bees bees. Buzz buzz buzz.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Best Looking Bees

Sunflowers For Shabbat Shalom

Love these beautiful sunflowers. 

Perfect for enhancing the Shabbat and holidays!

The sunflowers provide warmth and happiness for the honor of these special and spiritual days!

May Hashem in His abundant mercy grant us a full healing and peace to welcome the Shabbat and to celebrate this weekend a joyous Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Sunflowers For Shabbat Shalom

@Clarksville Sunflower Festival 2020

(Source Photos: Andy and Dossy Blumenthal)

@Clarksville Sunflower Festival 2020

Girl With Rose

Beautiful art from a few years ago by my daughter, Rebecca. 

Peace, happiness, and life.  ;-)

(Credit Art: Rebecca Ochayon)

Girl With Rose

Flowers and Well Wishes 4 Shabbat Shalom!

"When you keep the Sabbath day, the Sabbath day keeps you!"

(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

Flowers and Well Wishes 4 Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom!

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Shabbat Shalom!

Filled With Love

Really liked this painting in Florida.

Hearts and flowers. 

Makes me feel filled with love!

Love, beautiful love.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Filled With Love

Butterfly + Flower

(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Butterfly + Flower

Smell The Flowers

Beautiful flowers. 

G-d made them for us. 

Soft petals. 

Magnificent colors.

Fresh sweet smells. 

The sound of rustling in the wind. 

Absorbing the rays of sunshine.

Drinking the rain water. 

Planted in the soil of the earth. 

Magical flowers of life, love, and peace. 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Smell The Flowers

Potpourri Smells

I'm not really into perfumed smells.

But I thought these bowls and batches of potpourri were pretty attractive. 

The fruits and petals mixed with spices looked good. 

I guess anything that can improve on room odors is a positive thing. 

I sort of imagine the scent of the potpourri battling the odors in the room and pushing and pulling back and forth until one smell wins out.  

Better keep that potpourri new and fresh--the nose knows. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Potpourri Smells

Alligator Govie

So this was a little surprising. 

In the courtyard (next to the cafeteria) at work, there is a nice seating area open during the Spring/Summer seasons. 

Pretty trees, flowers, and a pond. 

In the pond, next to the water lilies, there was a what?

Alligator.  

Not a full alligator.

But someone put an alligator's head in to make things interesting. 

It's nice at work when people are normal and have a sense of humor. 

An Alligator Govie that's what it is. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Alligator Govie

Flowers and Bird

Just wanted to share this beautiful painting from Reuben in our synagogue.

I love the plethora of colorful flowers in the vase.  

The sweet bird with it.

The verdant green background. 

The unique etched wood frame. 

Very happy...and all the world is okay.  ;-)

(Source Photo of Reuben Art: Andy Blumenthal)

Flowers and Bird

An Early Death

So I received an email last night from the teacher of my Ulpan class. 

She was passing along a message from a wonderful man in class letting her and us know some terrible news.

His son suddenly and unexpectedly died at just 28-years old this past week. 

He wrote about how tragedy like this impacts a person and family, and that obviously he didn't know when he would be coming back to class. 

The message from this man who had just prematurely lost his son in the prime of his life really hit me. 

Life is so tenuous--where everything truly hangs in the balance by a thin thread. 

You can think you are building a fortress of success where no one and nothing can touch you, hurt you.

But life has its own catapults, battering rams, siege towers, and explosive moments in store.

You can't really plan for these things, and you are never ready when they happen. 

Having to bury a child is not the normal way of the wold, and the pain of this is unimaginable. 

A child is the culmination of all our efforts and represents the future, even while we are the past. 

I am so sorry for what happened to my friend from class and I wish him my sincerest condolences and that no one should have to go through such tragedy any more. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

An Early Death

Simple And Beautiful

Thought this was a nice touch on the table. 

Just a simple drinking glass with a little water on the bottom and these three beautiful flowers inside. 

Pink, Yellow, Orange. 

So simple, yet so beautiful.

Maybe that's the point. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Simple And Beautiful

Beautiful Teapot (Just For Looking)

Just wanted to share this really beautiful yellow and flowered teapot. 

Love all the shapes--the pyramid base, the curly spout, the circular handle, and the little round ball at the top. 

Like most nice things, it's too beautiful to actually use. 

(Almost like a million outfits in my closet that I never wear, because I don't want to mess them up...)

This is where design trumps functions--and I would rather look at this and enjoy it as art more than drinking another cup of tea! ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Beautiful Teapot (Just For Looking)

@National Museum of Women In The Arts

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

@National Museum of Women In The Arts

@Bonnet House Museum and Gardens

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

@Bonnet House Museum and Gardens