Climbing Up, Falling Down

Thought this was insightful.

All paths up are different.

All paths down are the same. 

Climbing up is challenges and we all have to find our determination, strength, and skill to make it up rung after rung on the ladder of life.

Falling down is when the sh*t hits the fan and the walls come crumbling down and we freefall into the abyss.

The key as we usually learn early in life when we take our first falls is to quickly get back up (on the horse). 

Life is never just smooth sailing.

It's not meant to be. 

You wouldn't learn or grow if it was. 

Be prepared for the occasional fall from grace, and get your tushy back in the saddle and ride again.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Climbing Up, Falling Down

Mr. Golden Sun

There's nothing like the hot sun.

Too bright to look at it. 

It enlightens our whole world.

The warm glowing sun is life.

Cold empty darkness is death. 

Light drives out the dark. 

We need more light in this world. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Mr. Golden Sun

Vibrant Fashion Colors

Wow, what a vibrant fashion display of color at Macy's!

This is bold. 

This is fun.

This is exciting. 

This is alive. 

We're coming from the Covid dead back to the pre-pandemic life!  

Take out your stimulus checks and get ready to spend. 

There is still hope for humankind.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Vibrant Fashion Colors

Stretching Cat

This cat crawled between 2 pillars and up to this tree. 

The cat extended its paws and started to stretch. 

Reminded me of fitness guru, Richard Simmons, but with a far better hairdo!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Stretching Cat

Missing My Dear Mom

I had the Yartzeit (memorial anniversary) for my mom this last week. 

Can't believe it's been 7 years already!

Came across this picture where I'm sneaking up behind her at the veggie restaurant. 

My mom was always so full of life!

And while she went regularly to work, she also made sure to took care of us and the home. 

Whatever time I found myself coming home from school or work, there was a wonderful home-cooked meal waiting for me, and the salad always came first!

After I met my wife, Dossy, my mom and dad welcomed her to the family with open arms and hearts, and then together with our own children (their grandchildren), we were one (extended) family. 

Mom, hope you and Dad are doing well and G-d bless you both in Heaven!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dossy Blumenthal)

Missing My Dear Mom

Beautiful Flowers 4 A Beautiful Day!

Beautiful flowers for a beautiful day!

In this painting, art does a wonderful job imitating life. 

I love the flower pot as well as the flowers. 

Nature, in real and artistic ways, fills us with renewed life.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Beautiful Flowers 4 A Beautiful Day!

Absolutely Incredible Jellyfish

(Credit Video: Andy Blumenthal)

Absolutely Incredible Jellyfish

Happy Thanksgiving!

Beautiful sunflowers for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

(Credit Painting: Jane Wolf)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Man's Best Friend

What a cute little dog. 

Little fur ball. 

Ready to play. 

Love for the family. 

A companion and friend. 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Man's Best Friend

Grass Not Always Greener

Sometimes the grass isn't (always) greener. 

Instead the grass grows in beautiful multi-colors. 

The grass art in this garden looks a lot better than the grass itself. 

The only real green is money and envy!

When comparing your lot with others, make sure you're comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. 

Even then you'll never know the person's real "package" (or basket) in life. 

Be sure that everyone has their share of good and bad, so never be jealous of anyone. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Grass Not Always Greener

Never Any Rest In Life

First day in 15 weeks! that we went to a real store yesterday.

Dick's Sporting Goods was open, but still not much else.

It was refreshing to look around again.

Nearly all the bicycles were cleaned out with people forced to do their own exercise routines these days.

People walking around mostly like they were on Mars.

Had some restaurants with just their patios open and people are sitting outside in the good weather.

Also, some eateries open for takeout.

Best part is still nature, and all the closures have brought us back to it.

This turtle was tanning in the warm sun on the rocks and swatting the snake away with its rear foot.

Sort of funny that even a turtle can never get any rest in life. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Never Any Rest In Life

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

Freedom USA!

Nothing says freedom in the USA like a nice Three Wheeler Motorcycle. 

Vroom Vroom!

Super fun and a perhaps little more stability for your butt. 

If the air is clear and the road empty, you can let the wind blow through your hair and the whole world go by. 

F*** everything! 

Life was made for living.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dossy and Andy Blumenthal)

Freedom USA!

O - Change The World - O

Change the world...by changing your attitude.

Life is Beautiful!

It's a gift.

Every day is renewal and opportunity. 

Everything is for the best. 

Believe it.  Live it.  And share it.

A smile and a positive attitude is contagious in a good way!

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

O - Change The World - O

Life In The Times of Coronavirus

I heard my daughter laughing from another room.

A real hearty bellyaching laugh. 

Then she came in and shared a WhatsApp post from one of her friends which said:

I ate 11 times and took 5 naps and I woke up and it's still today!

Then I couldn't stop laughing. ;-)

(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

Life In The Times of Coronavirus

Camel In Thought

Love this little camel.

My daughter got this is Israel and displays it in the living room. 

Sitting peacefully, looking upwards. 

Colorful mosaic. 

Jerusalem, its brand. 

Amazing animals. 

I wonder what he's thinking. 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Camel In Thought

How Fish Come Up To Breathe

This was one of the most interesting facts that I learned recently.

Dolphins needs to come up to the surface to get air to breathe. 

But how do they do this when they sleep?

The answer is that only part of their brain sleeps at a time, so that they can continue to rise to the surface for air 24/7. 

Part of their brain sleeps while the other part stays awake. 

I think that this truly happens with people too. 

If you have ever been overtired, your brain still needs to sleep. 

At some point, you can literally feel part of your brain go to sleep even as the rest is awake to do what it needs to do (even at suboptimal functioning). 

This is beyond fascinating how G-d created us to adapt and survive. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

How Fish Come Up To Breathe

Hope You Had A Good "Veek"

So I was asked do you spell week with a "W" or a "V."

I guess sometimes it does sound like we say veek.

Someone else told me that they are divorced and that person is still a "dark force" in their life.

They said they have to pay child support but can't afford it. 

It's not like I still earn $55,000 like I used to.

But if they don't pay...

Well my ex will just refuse to let me see my son!

People have tough lives. 

So when you think about your week, hopefully in context, you can resolutely say that you had a good veek. 

Shabbat Shalom! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Hope You Had A Good "Veek"

The Beauty of Tefillin

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "The Beauty of Tefillin."

Like the colorful coat that Jacob gave Joseph to wear, the mitzvah of tefillin that G-d gave us to wear is also filled with spiritual color and the love of Hashem. This is in no way intended as sacrilegious or as trying to change our holy mitzvot. Rather it is an artistic attempt to see the tefillin in a new way that perhaps excites and bring Jews back to this important mitzvah.

Over time, as I continued to learn and grow as a person and as a Jew, I found much of my way back to Yiddishkeit and to wearing my holy tefillin with love and Joy. To me they are forever colorful and full of spiritual energy that are uplifting to me as I pray with them on for Hashem’s everlasting mercy and blessings for all of us.

(Credit Image: Andy Blumenthal)

The Beauty of Tefillin

Nature Boy

When I was a kid and I went to the supermarket with my mom, I remember always seeing the "Andy Boy Broccoli" in the produce aisle. 

Of course, I was always curious why Broccoli was called Andy Boy--what boy or any kid for that matter likes to eat broccoli???

And like most things in life, there really wasn't a good answer except that this company, "Andy Boy" grows and distributes it. 

Anyway, I was always a nature boy feeling most at home and at peace in the countryside. 

I love being in nature, surrounded by G-d's amazing beauty, and at one with the universe and with G-d.  

In building all our great cities, buildings, and structures, aside from the crowding, pollution, crime and traffic that we have consequently, we have also lost something elementary to our lives with the absence of real nature. 

A park is not a forest.  A pond is not a river.  A plant is a not a lush valley.  A garden is not a farm.  A hill is not a mountain range.  A pet is not a teeming ecosystem of diverse life.  

The city is man made and fake, but nature is from G-d and real. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nature Boy