Der Fluß aus Steinen

These have been on the coffee table since the wee hours of New Year’s Day.  If I move them, does that mean 2012 has begun in earnest?

Lions are dangerous.  That’s why there’s the yellow and black warning tape.  He seems to be inching out of the building, making his escape.

Two ways to sell chocolate.  Both involving balls.

Should I iron them?

Why is there a triangle at the end of every roof?  Is it not easier to end in a gable?  does it discourage nesting birds?  Or more roof means less wall to paint?  Why are garages ugly, but boat-sheds beautiful?

White like teeth.  Ready to chew whomever walks in the door.

A Christmas tree on a construction crane over the Residenz in Munich. Are there presents underneath?

The River of Stones is a fascinating web project.  Buddhist Priest Kaspa and his fiance Fiona began it as an exercise in mindfulness—living in the moment and appreciating the world around us.  They urge us to find a small item of beauty or meaning in the physical world, every day, and notice it.  One need only write it down; if we share it, that’s our choice.

Each of these, symbolically, is a stone in a river bed.  A small anchor of permanence in a turbulent environment.

Munich, where I live, makes a great place to start such a journey.  Literally, a river of stones runs through it.  The city uses the river for just such a purpose—a place to reflect and pause.  The Isar is an animal of many moods, sometimes raging, sometimes quiet, often testing our efforts to keep it under control. 

This young lady, posing for a camera that’s beyond the top left of frame, seems to be tempting the river on whose bank she sits.  She’s made he own personal stone peninsula, surrounded by calm, even lazy, waters.

The Honourable Husband’s River of Stones starts today.  If you’re like me, your upbringing and temperament may steer you away from such mindfulness.  The damage this does to your health and state of mind is incalculable. 

Fiona and Kaspa place the project on a distinctly spiritual footing.  For my part, spiritual matters take a back seat; the exercise gives me both pleasure and peace of mind.

My friends often discuss the topic of serenity.  This is a small way to live it.