“The ability to play the clarinet is the ability to overcome the imperfections of the instrument. There’s no such thing as a perfect clar...

“But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes For Food Friday, some traditional sweetmeats....

“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” - Marcus Tullius The Parentalia , was a Roman religious festival held in h...

“I don’t believe in astrology; I’m a Sagittarius and we’re skeptical.” ― Arthur C. Clarke What part does astrology play in your life? I...

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” - William Shakespeare   Magpie Tales has used as a prompt the painting “...

“All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.” - Spike Milligan   At the weekend we raided the specials box at t...

“So many of my dreams were to actually be able to make a living of what I did as a hobby.” - Rick Baker   Ever since I can remember ther...

“To love beauty is to see light.” - Victor Hugo   A Schubert symphony for Music Saturday. Amongst the classical composers, Franz Schubert...

“One man’s poison ivy is another man’s spinach.” - George Ade   For Food Friday, a tasty and nutritious vegetarian quick meal, perfect ...

“Who loves not forever, is not a lover.” – Euripides The history of St Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, is shrouded in mystery. ...

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” Norman Cousins   Magpie Tales is show...

“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?” - George Eliot   George Eliot (pseudonym of Mary Ann, or Mari...

“A picture is a poem without words.” – Horace For Art Sunday today, the life and art of “Il Guercino”. This artist’s real name is Giovan...

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” - Confucius It is Chinese N...

“Work is the meat of life, pleasure the dessert.” - B. C. Forbes Although we should eat a healthful diet, occasionally we may indulge ou...

“Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.” - Plato   Next week, an asteroid will approach Ear...

花鳥風月 (Kachou Fuugetsu) Literally: “Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon” -This means: Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about...

“Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play! No sense have they of ills to come, nor care beyond today.” - Thomas Gray The ...

“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” - Benjamin Disraeli We watched the 2008 Tomas Alfredson film “Let the Right One In” yesterday...

“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” - John F. Kennedy   Albert Bloch (1882-1961) was an American artist, ...