Inspire Me Monday

Over on Create with Joy, there's something called "Inspire Me Monday." It's "a place to share your creative inspirations, sharpen your creative vision, and showcase your creative talents." The goal is to write and share a post; and - in so doing - you "inspire others and nurture your creative spirit."

Inspirations and Delights

This past week, some of the youth and parents from our 4-H club went to WE Day in St. Paul. It was an inspiring day filled with speakers and performers. 

One of the speakers was Mae Jemison who was the first woman of color to travel in space. As an American physician and NASA astronaut, she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor on September 12, 1992.

Before doing that, she served in the Peace Corps from 1985 to 1987. She was selected by NASA to join the astronaut corps. She resigned from NASA in 1993 to form a company researching the application of technology to daily life.

Another speaker who had the 18,000+ members of the audience laughing and engaged with his message was Henry Winkler. He is an American actor, director, comedian, producer, and author. Most people my age and older know him best as "Arthur Fonzarelli" or "The Fonz" in the 1970s sitcom Happy Days.

At WE Day, Mr. Winkler  spoke about having a dyslexia, which was not diagnosed with he was 31 years old. That was the point when his son, Jed, was diagnosed. During that process Winkler realized that he’d had similar learning challenges.

But Winkler says he did not get much support as a student. “I was only told I would never achieve,” Winkler proved the naysayers wrong.

He said, “You are all powerful. Every one of you."

What has been rewarding for me to see this week also is the impact of attending WE Day on the youth. At the Club Banner Committee meeting, the youth came up with this preliminary design for our banner based on an image they saw at WE Day. 

They will develop this idea and then create a 3'x5' banner that we will display at our club meetings as well as enter in the County Fair. If it places well, it could be shown at the Minnesota State Fair.
Today, Sophia and I checked on the bees. We put some winter patties and 2:1  sugar water in the hive for the bees. They are still active and foraging, but there's really not much (if anything) out there. We need to make sure they have enough honey to last them through the winter.

On the way back inside, I looked at the pasture. The milkweed pods have burst open. For the most part, the seeds have been dispersed by the wind. However, there are still some clinging to pods...not quite ready to let go yet.

It reminded me of how - when the girls were younger - they would run through the pastures and on the nature trail in the back part of the farm with the seeds in their hands. Their fluff (comas) would carry the seeds in the wind when the girls let go. We would watch the seeds float off to find another area in which to settle and grow. 
An Idea that Inspires Me
A friend suggested that we dissect (or at least cut in half) this abandoned wasp nest. A couple of weeks ago, it was perfectly enclosed, but we've had some weather that taken a toll on the nest, so I brought it inside today so it doesn't get damaged any more.

I've never seen the inside of a paper wasp nest, so even seeing a peek inside one section is - to me - fascinating. To think: that from nothing, insects created this structure.  

Music that Inspires Me
There is a song that I like called "Meditations on Breathing." It was sung at White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church a couple years ago by the choir and congregation, and it was one of the most beautifully sung pieces I had heard because people sung the lyrics at different times and at different levels (e.g., soprano, alto). 
I haven't been able to find anything like it on the internet, but there are two versions of the song available on YouTube. Here's the first:

Here's the second version:

The other song that I enjoy listening to is called "Kyrie." It's on the CD Illumination . Richard Souther has original compositions and arrangements based on the work of Hildegard von Bingen. Here it is: