You should keep the world clean as your house. It's the only world you have to set your house on.

#EarthDay2026

Howard Finster (American, 1916–2001) | Waste Can | ca. 1979

Happy Birthday John Muir
April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

Natural beauty inspires us and grows our creativity. No better place to be, no better balm, than right smack dab in the middle of it.

It was really hard to 'heart' this post, but I want to find it again later.

This is exactly why they are trying to rewrite history too. . . We are living in George Orwell's 1984.

And a later work by Joan Miro, in a more familiar style.
Woman Encircled by the Flight of a Bird, 1941

Happy Birthday Joan #Miró i Ferrà
Apr 20, 1893 - Dec 25, 1983
(Pronounced Jhoo-ahn Meeh-ro).

The Table (Still Life with Rabbit), 1920, is an early example. You can see the influence of Cezanne in the distorted table, vanGogh in the colors, & Dali in the surrealism. (Private collection.)

Jacky Terrasson 'Smile' | Live Studio Session YouTube video by KNKX Public Radio

Favorite version of 'Smile', by a fav jazz pianist, Jacky Terrasson Music, as featured in live studio session on one of my fav radio stations. . . .Jazz 24. Crank it up.

youtube.com/watch?v=7FKQ...

jazz24.org

Happy Birthday Charlie Chaplin
Apr 16, 1889 – Dec 25, 1977

Everyone knows Charlie Chaplin as the comic actor in silent films. But he also composed 1 of my fav songs ‘Smile’ for his movie, “Modern Times”. tinyurl.com/2jbhsdau

This ‘eating machine’ clip is hilariously funny.
tinyurl.com/3hym5m4m

Happy Birthday Leonardo daVinci
Apr 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519

Time to brush up on one of the most important images of the Renaissance. With this 'squared circle', Leonardo combines the disciplines of math, religion, philosophy, architecture, and art in ONE IMAGE.

youtube.com/watch?v=aMsa...

Bach - Opening Chorus Kommt, ihr Töchter from St Matthew Passion BWV 244 | Netherlands Bach Society YouTube video by Netherlands Bach Society

Bach's St Matthew Passion premiered OTD in 1729 - surely one of the summits of Western art. Heart-breaking beauty. The whole thing is just under 3 hrs long. So I share the opening chorus- just 8 min long, should you wish to hear a portion of this miraculous work.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnkS...

Hidden within the Coffer Illusion are 16 circles. Once you see them, you won't forget where they are. It's good to remember that sometimes the answers are hidden in plain sight. We just need a different perspective and focus.

Montparnasse derailment - Wikipedia

The Montparnasse derailment occurred in 1895 when the Granville–Paris Express overran the terminus. The conductor entered the station too fast & the brake failed to stop it. After it crashed through the station wall, it fell onto the Place de Rennes below.

MORE: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpar...

Happy Birthday Thomas Jefferson
Apr 13, 1743 – Jul 4, 1826

An undeniably brilliant man, inventor, philosopher, architect, naturalist, astronomer, food & wine connoisseur, musician, & writer of the Declaration of Independence. And yet owned slaves. Many slaves.

Hardly know what to do with him.

Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island YouTube video by jazzhole13

Happy Birthday Herbie Hancock
April 12th 1940-

So glad this hep cat has still got a few lives left
#Jazzappreciationmonth

youtu.be/8B1oIXGX0Io?...

💯

Awesome place to volunteer! Ray Bradbury: "When I was 19 years old I couldn't go to college because I came from a poor family... so I went to the library... I got my education in the library and for free." There are many accomplished people who say the same thing.

Thank you Philipp. .. the fruit of such an effort is likely immeasurable. A kid can learn how to be anything at all in a book.

April is National Volunteer Month. Where do you go on your own time?

Not to speak is to speak.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer died on this day in 1945, (just a few months before the end of WWII), for doing what he could to thwart the face of fascism.

A macro of a red anemone with a white and deep purple center. Camera: iPhone 15 Pro. February 2026. My garden.

“...Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
– Attributed to Howard Thurman

🌅Good morning!
Wishing you a lovely Wednesday! ❤️

#ColorADay #RedWed
#dailyflowers 🌱
#flowerreport
#bloomscrolling

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
~ Henri Matisse

Happy Birthday Billie Holiday
Apr 7, 1915 - Jul 17, 1959

White gardenias were Billie's signature style. While getting ready to perform, Billie singed her hair with a curling iron. Another singer bought a large white gardenia to pin over the burned section & transformed her into “Lady Day”.

Little Sunflower - Original Version - 1967 YouTube video by techitizzy

Happy Birthday Frederick Dewayne Hubbard
April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008
Little Sunflower:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtB8...

Happy Birthday Raphael
Apr 6, 1483 – Apr 6, 1520

You’ve most likely seen these most famous cherubim. The Sistine Madonna was rescued from destruction during the bombing of Dresden in World War II, but could have easily been lost or damaged during the multiple times it was moved and stored.

What a great idea.

I planted three colors of Lenten roses in my garden last year, and they were too new to bloom. Here's hoping this spring they will. Happy Spring Shantha!

Fascinating indeed. Please tell me how they know how to return to the same geo-location every year. (JUST KIDDING!) It's especially confusing considering they only live--MAX-- 6 weeks. Do they whisper the coordinates in their offspring's ears?

I just googled it and it's a completely different specie than the one we have in Iowa. Ours are frequently called Hawk Moths. I didn't know there were so many different species! This one is much smaller than the ones we have in our garden. They return year after year to the same flowers.

Happy Birthday Maria Sibylla Merian
April 2, 1647 – January 13, 1717

Maria Merian, naturalist, scientific illustrator, & educator famous for her published entomology collections, was born OTD.

She is every bit as good as Audubon, but though she was born 150 years prior, we never learned about her.