I can hear Olivia Newton-John with the Electric Light Orchestra singing Xanadu as I read the word. It turns out there was a movie that was made with Olivia Newton-John titled Xanadu.
Xanadu represents paradise or a place of contentment and perfection.
My front yard is my Xanadu. I've had part of field in front of my house mowed. I've got a mess of volunteer Peach trees and they are loaded. Walking between the trees, I feel a peace.
I looked up Paradise on Google. The results were interesting. I'd expound but POV affects how you see different terms. Funny how we all have connotations that would be offensive to someone else.
Some were oxymorons.
I think of my brother's quote, "Whatever floats your boat.". I don't know if I believe in heaven per se. I remember a friend saying when he was a kid he thought heaven with streets of Gold sounded like a terrifying place.
With age, you can have pretty lofty opinions much like being a teenager. One opinion I have is that your disadvantages are your advantages. There are only somethings you can only understand by being in that position of discrimination. Mind you, I am not interested in learning anything more in life. I just know the hard parts in life have seasoned me.
I'm grateful for what I do have. I am humble enough to know I have a lot of advantages. And if the car cranks when I get in it; I've got a good car.
Olivia Newton-John singing Xanadu
I'd share a picture
But how can you take a picture of a soft breeze
The scent of flowers blooming and hay being mowed.
Sunlight dappled on the ground by fluffy clouds moving above
The crunch of the grass beneath your shoes
A bird skiffing across the ground to capture a bug
The sound of bees buzzing
Your body being tired from coaxing a garden to life
A dog follows you unbothered by the gnats
Stepping out of the shade into the golden glow of the evening sun
The smell of rain coming.
This is beautiful, Ann. I remember the song, but I don't think I've seen the movie. I think I'll check it out on Netflix. I agree that I'm just grateful for what I do have. My view of Paradise would be to see all the people again who I've lost in my life.
ReplyDeleteI find heaven in beauty. In the here and now which is just as well because I am dubious about an afterlife.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images!
ReplyDeleteWell done on the X post! Xanadu, of course! I may steal that next time I do the A to Z Challenge. The backyard of my favorite house was my Xanadu, with a pond, bird, butterfly sanctuary, fruit trees, my lovely Koi and goldfish. Oh how I loved that place!
ReplyDeleteHi Ann. What a lovely post with X. And am glad to have picked up a new word. It's beautiful. Will come back to read more of your previous posts.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Arpita @ https://arpitamisra.blogspot.com/
I never would have thought of Xanadu for my X post. My back yard isn't fancy but it's my Xanadu. You can't take a photo of the fragrance of spring flowers or the scent of fresh mowed grass, true, but we also say we paint word pictures. Yours were good paintings and it made me taste fresh picked peaches, something I haven't experienced in over 30 years. Xcellent post. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteOh you picked a good word for using X.
ReplyDelete