“On the other hand, you have different fingers – Stephen Wright


“The hand is the visible part of the brain.”
Immanuel Kant

Hands are possibly the most amazing part of our body.  Hands are my somewhat secret obsession.  I talk with my hands, eat with them, build with them and use them for nearly every aspect of every waking part of my day.  My hands are my verbs, nouns, adjectives and exclamation points all rolled into one, or I should say two, tiny little compact parts on my body.

Hands-on projects for kids are the most engaging and our hands are our little sensors that bring information into our mind, make sense of objects for our eyes, bring things closer to our ears and our mouths.  Hands express sometimes what we are not able to verbally say.  Hands are in fact one of our most taken for granted assets.

Am I solitary in this conviction?  I don’t think so.

The human hand is a miracle of biomechanics, one of the most remarkable adaptations in the history of evolution. The hands of a concert pianist can elicit glorious sound and stir emotion; those of a surgeon can perform the most delicate operations; those of a rock climber allow him to scale a vertical mountain wall. Neurologist Frank R. Wilson makes the striking claim that it is because of the unique structure of the hand and its evolution in cooperation with the brain that Homo sapiens became the most intelligent, preeminent animal on the earth. “The Hand” by Frank R. Wilson

Such beautiful, beautiful hands!
They’re neither white nor small;
And you, I know, would scarcely think
That they are fair at all.
I’ve looked on hands whose form and hue
A sculptor’s dream might be;
Yet are those aged, wrinkled hands
More beautiful to me.

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

We are all the same person trying to shake hands with our self.
Wavy Gravy

“I love a hand that meets my own with a grasp that causes some sensation.”
Samuel Osgood

“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.”
Carl Jung

Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.
Swami Vivekananda

I’m not even sure if this is really sign language.. but I like the expressiveness

Alison Skeat, a 44 year old single mum, living on an East London council estate, dreamt up The Dirty Hands Project in March 2008. She wanted to grow organic fruit and vegetables for her and her four year old daughter. However, with no food growing skills, she wondered how on earth this would fit in with full time work…

The human hand has 27 bones, 14 of which are the phalanges (proximal, medial, and distal) of the fingers. The metacarpal is the bone that connects the fingers and the wrist. Each human hand has 5 metacarpals.

His hand glides down my arm, folds over my hand. His fingers lace with mine, palms kissing. I can feel the fast thud of his heart through this single touch. Sophie Jordan

Her Hands

© Maggie Pittman
Her hands held me gently from the day I took my first breath.
Her hands helped to guide me as I took my first step.
Her hands held me close when the tears would start to fall.
Her hands were quick to show me that she would take care of it all.

Her hands were there to brush my hair, or straighten a wayward bow.
Her hands were often there to comfort the hurts that didn’t always show.
Her hands helped hold the stars in place, and encouraged me to reach.
Her hands would clap and cheer and praise when I captured them at length.

Her hands would also push me, though not down or in harms way.
Her hands would punctuate the words, just do what I say.
Her hands sometimes had to discipline, to help bend this young tree.
Her hands would shape and mold me into all she knew I could be.

Her hands are now twisting with age and years of work,
Her hand now needs my gentle touch to rub away the hurt.
Her hands are more beautiful than anything can be.
Her hands are the reason I am me.

“The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it.”
Colin Wilson

Songs about Hands

  • Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap), The – Shirley Ellis (1965)
  • Come Take My Hand – Slim Whitman (1970)
  • Daddy’s Hands – Holly Dunn (1986)
  • Hand in My Pocket – Alanis Morissette (1995)
  • Hand to Hold on to – John Mellencamp (1982)
  • Hands – Jewel (1998)
  • Hands Across the Table – Fats Domino (1962)
  • Hands Can Say a Lot – Johnny Bush (1978)
  • Hands Clean – Alanis Morissette (2002)
  • He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands – Raffi (1982)
  • Hands of a Working Man – Ty Herndon (1999)
  • Hard and Calloused Hands – Slim Dusty (1992)
  • Healing Hands – Sonny Isaacs and Dolly Parton (2000)
  • I Wanna Hold Your Hand – The Boston Pops Orchestra (1971)
  • I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles (1964)
  • I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water – Stonewall Jackson (1965)
  • Mama’s Hand – The Lynn Morris Band (1996)
  • Man’s Hands, A – Victor Lundberg (1967)
  • My Mother’s Beautiful Hands – Bradley Kincaid (1933)
  • On the Other Hand – Randy Travis (1986)
  • Put Your Hand in Mine – Tracy Byrd (2000)
  • Put Your Hand in the Hand – The Lewis Family (1971)
  • Shake a Hand – The Four Lovers (1957)
  • Let’s Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin’ – Kenny O’Dell (1978)
  • Shake Hands and Come Out Crying – The Newbeats (1966)
  • Shake Hands and Come Out Dancing – Dennis Edwards (1984)
  • Shake Hands with a Loser – Don Winters (1961)
  • Touch of Her Hand, The – Don McLean (1989)
  • Touch of Your Hand, The – Gordon Jenkins (1952)
  • Touch the Hand – Conway Twitty (1975)
  • Wait Til I Get My Hands on You – Wynn Stewart (1985)

SUNDAY POST : Natural Resources


Jake’s theme for this week is natural resources…click here to go to his page.  His weekly challenges always present a challenge for me because I like to find photos that are a little outside of the box.  This week I’m going to stay very much in the box and only as a side-note step out.  I hope you enjoy.

My first photos are from a visit to a Cambodian silk thread weaver factory.  We saw the process of creating yarn from piles of leaves to larvae to silkworm to yarn to weaving.  It was amazing to watch these ladies work, knowing that these ladies sat in these positions for hours using the natural resources that surround them to make a living as well as to create beautiful natural crafts.

Cambodia Silk making factory. Ladies weaving the thread.

Cambodia Silk making factory. Ladies weaving the thread.

Textile machines in silk factory

Silk worms at the silk factory in Cambodia

Silk baskets that hold the silkworms while they weave/spit their threads.

Silkworm bush to harvest silk.

Bed of leaves to grow and feed silk worm

Silk worm bushes/trays.

The next group of photos come from Spokane, Wa (natural water resources) and the drive to Seattle, WA (natural wind resources).

A river runs through it. Spokane, WA has a river running through the center of the city. Over the years it has helped to create energy for the city as well as a beautiful backdrop for the 1976? World’s Fair.

Windmills that produce energy on I 95. A very windy area.

A river runs through it. Spokane, WA has a river running through the center of the city. Over the years it has helped to create energy for the city as well as a beautiful backdrop for the 1976? World’s Fair.

Windmills that produce energy on I 95. A very windy area.

This is a water fountain in the middle of the city. I was told that it is fed by the Spokane river that runs through the city.

Windmills that produce energy on I 95. A very windy area.

Windmills that produce energy on I 95. A very windy area.

These next four photos are from Catatumbo, Venezuela.  They are of some local crabbers making their living and feeding their family off of the natural resources of the water they live in and are surrounded with daily.

The man doing the work. Amazing to watch their handmade crab trappers and how fast this man needs to work to catch each crab.

The job and the net

Local crabbers living on Venezuela’s natural resource

The haul

These final pictures are simply of people (me included) enjoying a variety of natural resources.

Sailing on wind power in San Francisco Bay

Using nature and a natural phenomena to enjoy the cold.

Climbing trees in Shanendoah National forest.

Trying to break up some dead wood for a fire using natural resources to do the task.

Hauling dead wood to create seating at a camp in the Shanendoah National Forest

Just hanging around on a hike in Shanendoah National Forest

Climbing trees in Shanendoah National Forest.

Some of my favorites in no particular order.

  1. SUNDAY POST: Natural Resources | Tea with a Pirate –
  2. sunday post : natural resources | bodhisattvaintraining
  3. Windmill at Sunset | Canoe Communications
  4. Sunday Post: Natural Resources…The Children of the World
  5. Eye candy | Thirdeyemom
  6. The Giving Tree | Thirdeyemom
  7. Sunday Post: Natural Resources « patriciaddrury
  8. SUNDAY POST : Natural Resources | tahira’s shenanigans
  9. Sunday Post:  Natural Resources -Another Day in Paradise
  10. Sunday Post : Natural Resources « restlessjo
  11. Positive Parental Participation
  12. Natural Resources. « Luddy’s Lens
  13. Jake’s Sunday Post: Natural Resources | A Number of Things
  14. BAMBOO- A Natural Resource « Zeebra Designs & Destinations
  15. If a tree falls | Beyond the Brush
  16. Jake’s Sunday Post theme: Natural resources « newsferret
  17. Tell me, was it one of those days? | The Wanderlust Gene
  18. Longing « Stray Thoughts
  19. SUNDAY POST: Natural Resources Wool | Cee’s Life Photography
  20. Wind Turbines | Figments of a DuTchess

 

Travel theme: Liquid


Ailsa’s challenge in ‘Where’s My Backpack Travel Photo Theme this week is:  Liquid.  Liquid, water, wet and a multitude of other damp images come to mind when I think of this challenge.  I think of refreshing liquids, boat rides, floating villages and wet kids.

I hope you enjoy.

A couple more of my favorite images:

Weekly Travel Theme: Liquid | The Tiny WandererTravel Theme: liquid | West Seventh FreelanceTravel Theme; Liquid « Day OneTravel Theme: Liquid | Adventures We SeekTravel Theme: Liquid | 50 Year ProjectMorning Musings: Let The Rain Kiss You « The Human Rights WarriorTravel theme: Liquid « Eclipse Of The Moonravel Theme : Liquid « Memories are made of thistravel theme: liquid | bob’s wife

Weekly Photo Challenge: Thankful


I was not surprised by the this week’s theme by the daily post.  It’s an appropriate theme to follow Thanksgiving.

If you know me you will know that I could never really demonstrate thankfulness with one single photo?  However, I am going to stick to one single theme for this topic.  I am currently preparing to leave Venezuela and at last count I am down to 3 small weeks from departure. I would first like to say I am so very thankful that I’ve been able to spend the past two years traveling through Venezuela and the countries that surround it.  I’m thankful for the amazing people, places and things I have seen and been a part of as well.

My also very thankful that for most of my life, no matter what my personal situation was I have been able to volunteer in organizations or with people who have assisted the homeless, fed the poor, played with kids in orphanages and on and on.  Volunteerism has always been something that has been an important part of my life.

My last trip in Venezuela was (as you know if you have been following my blogs) was to a place called Catatumbo.  I’ve already blogged 3-4 times about this place and how amazing it was.  I would like to meet this weeks photo challenge with one last blog regarding this amazing place.

The guide of our group, Alan Highton, also shared a passion for giving.  We were supposed to have had an extra person on this trip with us and so we paid for that person in advance.  When we arrived in Catatumbo, Alan stated that because the extra person did not show up he used that money to buy some basic food for a local village.  He offered to refund the money if we would like however, we chose to donate that small portion that we paid out and were given a gift of helping to deliver the food that was purchased to this community.

Alan has a plan to expand this portion of his tourism to the lightening capital of the world to include a slightly higher fee in order to include this experience for those who wish to participate.   The following are some of the pictures from the day we spent delivering this food to these very thankful families.  I have also included some of the photos from the resulting friendships that formed with the local boys and my friends son. I’m thankful for the opportunity we were given to be a part of this trip and the giving.  I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

When you learn, teach. When you get, give.                          – Maya Angelou

“Memories are perhaps the best gifts of all.”  – Gloria Gaither

I have learnt to give not beacause I have too much; But, Because I know the feeling of not having!            – Unknown

Special Photo Challenge: Inspiration


The Daily Post has a Special Mid-week photo challenge. This week we are challenged to post some photos of ourself doing the things that inspires us to blog.

Venezuela Animal Safari with friends and family

I could not decide on just one photo because I don’t really have one topic that I blog about.  I am inspired daily by the people I randomly meet, the people I work with, my family and things that make me laugh. I blog about things ranging from the love I have for the rush of extreme sports and the satisfaction of working with children to reuniting with old friends and family.  I blog because I want to share these experiences with my family and my friends.. the added bonus of blogging is I am, on a daily basis, inspired by what I read from other bloggers.

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite inspirations.