Great Henry James Quotes

A man who pretends to understand women is ad manners. For him to really to understand them is bad morals.
Henry James

An Englishman's never so natural as when he's holding his tongue.
Henry James

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.
Henry James

Cats and monkeys; monkeys and cats; all human life is there.
Henry James

Deep experience is never peaceful.
Henry James

Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for yourself.
Henry James

Experience is never limited, and it is never complete; it is an immense sensibility, a kind of huge spider-web of the finest silken threads suspended in the chamber of consciousness, and catching every air-borne particle in its tissue.
Henry James

However British you may be, I am more British still.
Henry James

I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I really much respect.
Henry James

I hate American simplicity. I glory in the piling up of complications of every sort. If I could pronounce the name James in any different or more elaborate way I should be in favor of doing it.
Henry James

I hate American simplicity. I glory in the piling up of complications of every sort. If I could pronounce the name James in any different or more elaborate way I should be in favour of doing it.
Henry James

I hold any writer sufficiently justified who is himself in love with his theme.
Henry James

I think I don't regret a single 'excess' of my responsive youth-I only regret, in my chilled age, certain occasions and possibilities I didn't embrace.
Henry James

I've always been interested in people, but I've never liked them.
Henry James

Ideas are, in truth, force.
Henry James

If I were to live my life over again, I would be an American. I would steep myself in America, I would know no other land.
Henry James

In art economy is always beauty.
Henry James

In museums and palaces we are alternate radicals and conservatives.
Henry James

It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance... and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.
Henry James

It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self-conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to the belief that the other nations of the earth are in a conspiracy to under value them.
Henry James

It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.
Henry James

It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition.
Henry James

It's a complex fate, being an American, and one of the responsibilities it entails is fighting against a superstitious valuation of Europe.
Henry James

Life is a predicament which precedes death.
Henry James

Live all you can; it's a mistake not to. It doesn't so much matter what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If you haven't had that what have you had?
Henry James

Money's a horrid thing to follow, but a charming thing to meet.
Henry James

One might enumerate the items of high civilization, as it exists in other countries, which are absent from the texture of American life, until it should become a wonder to know what was left.
Henry James

People talk about the conscience, but it seems to me one must just bring it up to a certain point and leave it there. You can let your conscience alone if you're nice to the second housemaid.
Henry James

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
Henry James

The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to a really grasping imagination. To write well and worthily of American things one need even more than elsewhere to be a master.
Henry James

The only obligation to which in advance we may hold a novel, without incurring the accusation of being arbitrary, is that it be interesting.
Henry James

The only reason for the existence of a novel is that it does attempt to represent life.
Henry James

The only success worth one's powder was success in the line of one's idiosyncrasy... what was talent but the art of being completely whatever one happened to be?
Henry James

The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.
Henry James

The superiority of one man's opinion over another's is never so great as when the opinion is about a woman.
Henry James

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
Henry James

There are two kinds of taste, the taste for emotions of surprise and the taste for emotions of recognition.
Henry James

Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.
Henry James

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.
Henry James

To criticize is to appreciate, to appropriate, to take intellectual possession, to establish in fine a relation with the criticized thing and to make it one's own.
Henry James

To kill a human being is, after all, the least injury you can do him.
Henry James

Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
Henry James

We work n the dark - we do what we can - we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.
Henry James

What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
Henry James

Young men of this class never do anything for themselves that they can get other people to do for them, and it is the infatuation, the devotion, the superstition of others that keeps them going. These others in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred are women.
Henry James

A ouple Simpsons Quotes

"He was one of those he-man scientists who worked on the atom bomb by day, slept with Marilyn Monroe by night and sold secrets to the Russians by lunch." Professor Frink on his dad


"Muffins are suprisingly high in calories. The pyramids were built by Sears." Father Frink while Eating Brains
"He's right it all checks out!" Lisa

Hindu Wedding Traditions

Haha My Hindu friends (Parvati & Adhip) just tied the knot here in beautiful Bali where I will be on R&R for the next 2 weeks!! :D.

Wedding Traditions

The Indian culture celebrates marriage as a sacrament (Sanskara), a rite enabling two individuals to start their journey in life together. In a Hindu wedding, the multiplicity of creation becomes possible when spirit (Purush) unites with matter (Prakritti). The Hindu wedding lays emphasis on three essential values: happiness, harmony, and growth.

The institution of marriage can be traced back to Vedic times. The ceremony should be held on a day in the "bright half" of the northern course of the sun.
Months before the wedding an engagement ceremony known as Mangni is held. This is to bless the couple, who are then given gifts of jewelry and clothing by their new family.

Jaimala (Exchange of Garlands)
The couple exchanges garlands as a gesture of acceptance of one another and a pledge to respect one another as partners.

Madhupak (Offering of Yogurt and Honey)
The bride's father offers the groom yogurt and honey as the expression of welcome and respect.

Kanyadan (Giving Away of the Bride)
The father of the bride places her hand in the groom's hand requesting him to accept her as an equal partner. The concept behind Kanyadan is that the bride is a form of the goddess Lamxi and the groom is Lord Narayana. The parents are facilitating their union.

Havan (Lighting of the Sacred Fire)
The couple invokes Agni, the god of Fire, to witness their commitment to each other. Crushed sandalwood, herbs, sugar rice and oil are offered to the ceremonial fire.

Rajaham (Sacrifice to the Sacred Fire)
The bride places both her hands into the groom's and her brother then places rice into her hands. Together the bride and groom offer the rice as a sacrifice into the fire.

Gath Bandhan (Tying of the Nuptial Knot)
The scarves placed around the bride and groom are tied together symbolizing their eternal bond. This signifies their pledge before God to love each other and remain faithful.

Mangalphera (Walk Around the Fire)
The couple makes four Mangalpheras around the fire in a clockwise direction representing four goals in life: Dharma, religious and moral duties; Artha, prosperity; Kama, earthly pleasures; Moksha, spiritual salvation and liberation. The bride leads the Pheras first, signifying her determination to stand first beside her husband in all happiness and sorrow.

Saptapardi (Seven Steps Together)
The bride and groom walk seven steps togehr to signify the beginning of their journey through life together. Each step represents a marital vow:

First step: To respect and honor each other
Second step: To share each other's joy and sorrow
Third step: To trust and be loyal to each other
Fourth step: To cultivate appreciation for knowledge, values, sacrifice and service
Fifth step: To reconfirm their vow of purity, love family duties and spiritual growth
Sixth step: To follow principles of Dharma (righteousness) Seventh step: To nurture an eternal bond of friendship and love

Jalastnchana (Blessing of the Couple)
The parents of the bride and groom bless the wedded couple by dipping a rose in water and sprinking it over the couple.

Sindhoor (Red Powder)
The groom applies a small dot of vermilion, a powdered red lead, to the bride's forehead and welcomes her as his partner for life. It is applied for the first time to a woman during the marriage ceremony when the bridegroom himself adorns her with it.

Aashirvad (Parental Blessing)
The parents of the bride and groom give their blessings to the couple. The couple touches the feet of their parents as a sign of respect.

Menhdi (Henna Ceremony)
The traditional art of adorning the hands and feet with a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the Henna plant. The term refers to the material, the design, and the ceremony. It is tradition for the names of the bride and groom to be hidden in the design, and the wedding night is not to commence until the groom has found both names. After the wedding, the bride is not expected to perform any housework until her Menhdi has faded away.

Mangalasutra (Thread of Goodwill)
A necklace worn specifically by married women as a symbol of their marriage.




Bengali Wedding Traditions


Adan Pradan
In the presence of a Purohit (priest), the bride and groom, (after approval of each other), their elders (usually parents, grandparents and elder aunts and uncles) sit down together. It is established that the couple are not close blood relatives and have the same status. This occasion is called Adan Pradan. After this takes place the date of the marriage is set according to the Indian calendar. (There are several time periods during which a wedding cannot be held.)


Aashirwad
The Aashirwad is a confirmation of the marriage alliance. It takes place a day or two before the actual wedding in the evening. A priest is present. The ceremony takes place at either the groom's or the bride's home. The door of the entrance is decorated with a string of mango leaves which will stay for a period of one year after marriage. The bride is given a sari. The groom is presented with a ring, gold buttons and a watch.


Vridhi
On the day before the wedding, the priest will visit the house of the bride and the groom and offer a prayer to the ancestors. This ceremony is called Vridhi.


Dodhi Mangal
On the day of the wedding, early in the morning, before sunrise, the Dodhi Mangal ceremony is held. Eight to ten married women accompany the couple to a nearby pond. They invite the Goddess Ganga to the wedding and bring back a pitcher of water from the pond to bathe the bride and groom. The bride and groom are offered the only food they will eat that day. This meal is fried fish, curd and flattened rice.


The wedding Ceremony
At the actual wedding ceremony the groom's father and all other relatives are present. The groom's mother does not attend. A paternal or maternal uncle gives away the bride. The bride's father and other relatives attend, but her mother does not. It is believed that if the mothers are not present it will protect the bride and groom from the evil eye.

As the groom arrives he is welcomed by blowing conch shells, ringing bells and ululation. The mistress of the house touches the silver plate to the groom's forehead and then the ground, and up to the groom. This is repeated three times, the groom is offered sweets. Water is then poured on the doorstep of the house as the groom enters.

The priest comes with an idol of God and in the presence of the family and friends the ceremony begins. As a part of the ceremony there is an exchange of the floral garlands and other rituals. While the ceremony is taking place, dinner may be served. After the ceremony is over, games are played and the couple is kept awake that night by songs, poetry and jokes offered by the family and friends.


The Mandap Ceremony
The morning after the ceremony the bridegroom applies vermilion on the bride's forehead. This is a symbol of her marriage status. At the Mandap ceremony, in the presence of the priest, they then worship the Sun God. They seek the blessings of all elders and set out to the groom's house.


The Arrival at the Groom's House,
and The Bou Bhat Ceremony
On arrival at the groom's house, women pour water on the ground under the vehicle which they have traveled and the couple exit the vehicle.

In some houses, the women wash the feet of the bride with milk and flour before offering sweets and sherbet to the couple. In others, the bride steps into the milk and flour and imprints her soles on the the mixture. The bride is then led by the women in the house.

The elders present bless the couple. Ornaments and saris are presented to the bride. She and her groom sit on a wooden plank and the Bou Bhat ceremony begins.

Women blow conch shells, ring bells, and take up wailing. The bride does not eat any food in her in-laws house. That night, the bride wears a new sari. The bedroom is tastefully decorated with flowers. The flowers and clothes come from the bride's house along with the sweets.


The Return to the Bride's House
A few days after the wedding day, the newly wed couple return to the bride's home. The thread which was tied on the bride's wrist by the priest is cut.




Ritual Baths and Attire

A ritual bath of turmeric, oil and water is applied to both the bride and groom's hair by married women. Both parties wear new clothes.
The ritual of wearing conch shell bangles takes place at the bride's house. These bangles are dipped in turmeric water.

Mariam Aziz, one of our readers, tells us that a Pakistani Bride wears red on the day of her wedding because red symbolizes happiness. Another reason why red is worn is because it is bright. No one else wears red that day except the Bride.


Mehandi
Highly exotic, intricate patterns decorating the bride's hands and feet with henna is called mehandi. It is believed that the deeper the color the stronger is her love for her husband.


Attire
The bridal dress is a sari and the bride dons all the ornaments. Her hair is usually in a bun and covered with a crown and veil. Sandalwood is artistically applied on her face in the design of the crown.

Covering the head during a wedding is a mark of respect to the deities worshipped and the elders present. The ghunghat, which is equivalent to the veil of the Christian bride, is worn by the bride.

It may vary in length, covering not only the head but the shoulders, back and almost down to the waistline. The draping may be done is several ways. The chunri, worn with a ghaghra choli, is tucked in at the waist on one end, pleated beautifully around the body and draped delicately over one shoulder.

An odhnis is usually made of silk with a tie dye pattern. The center of the veil is used as a head covering the ends taken carefully under the arms and tucked inside the neck of the abho or chorio (the upper garment).

The groom will wear a Dhoti, which is an unstitched garment, and a shirt. On arrival at the brides house he will change into another similar outfit. He will cover himself with a sheet and wear the topor (paper mache headdress).

The groom may wear a white silk brocade suit, sword and turban as his wedding outfit.

The groom may sport a safa with its flowing tail-end. Others may wear a nattily wound pagdi, or a topi. White flowers can be tied in suspended strings over the forehead, called sehra.

In northern, central and western India, a golden kalgi studded with precious stones is tied over the right side of the groom's safa. In the center of the forehead sandalwood is applied and further decorated with gold, red and white dots. This decoration may also be done over the eyebrows.

A Couple Random Factoids

The snow in snowglobes used to be gold foil.
The Chicago Cubs won the 1908 World Series.
Sweden has a population of about 9 million people.
Saskatchewan is the seventh largest province at over 600,000 kilometers.

Random Factoid

In England black cats are considered good luck.

Kenojuak Ashevak

(1927- )
Sculptor, Draughtswoman




Companion of the Order of Canada, recipient of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation's award for lifetime achievement, member of the Royal Academy of Arts and recent inductee into Canada's Walk of Fame: Kenojuak Ashevak is probably contemporary Inuit art's most famous personality. Born in an igloo in 1927, she is an artist who has lived in two very different worlds -- the traditional Inuit culture, and, increasingly, the twentieth-century western culture.

Kenojuak grew up travelling between hunting camps on Baffin Island and in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. To be able to survive on the land, the Inuit had no choice but to master many skills: making their own weapons and clothing, building "qarmaqs" (sod houses) and igloos, hunting, fishing, trapping and adding ornamentation to functional everyday objects. From a young age, Kenojuak was required, under the guidance of her grandmother, to learn such skills as designing and creating handicrafts, sewing waterproof seams with caribou sinews and making repairs on skins being prepared for the Hudson's Bay Company. These manual skills proved to be transferable to her later career as an artist. Kenojuak's life was put on hold in her early twenties however, when she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to recover, for three years, in a Québec City hospital.

In the late 1950s, Kenojuak and her husband, Johnniebo, met James Houston, who was then serving as a federal administrator. Houston was encouraging Inuit of the Cape Dorset area to make soapstone carvings and, later, prints and drawings, to be sold in the cities of southern Canada and abroad. Since their camp was not far away, Johnniebo and Kenojuak went into Cape Dorset regularly to obtain everyday supplies. They began to develop an interest, and take part, in the projects organized by Houston and his wife, Alma.

During this period, Kenojuak experimented with a great variety of different materials and techniques. She carved stone sculptures and made kamiks (boots), sealskin wall hangings and bags with cut-out ornamental details and beadwork. She has continued to work with all of these materials throughout her career. Kenojuak received high praise for her work, and she and Johnniebo welcomed the second source of revenue as insurance against failed hunts.

The Houstons commissioned Kenojuak to create sealskin appliqué designs, which became the basis for her artistic style. The designs' simple forms and bold outlines were particularly suited for the prints being created by the newly formed West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative, which included a busy printmaking shop. The Houstons also encouraged Kenojuak to try her hand at drawing with two foreign media -- pencil and paper. She commented about her introduction to paper in the National Film Board's 1962 film, Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak saying "a piece of paper from the outside world is as thin as the shell of a snowbird's egg."

In her first tentative drawings, Kenojuak usually portrayed subjects that were well known from her sealskin appliqués and essentially bound to tradition -- people, faces, qarmaqs and igloos, sled dogs and sleds, fish and birds. As with her previous works of art, Kenojuak's drawings proceeded directly from design to finished product. She simply put her pencil to paper and did not lift the pencil until she had completed the essential form of her image. Preliminary sketches were rarely made.

Kenojuak's drawings were among the first by an Inuk woman to be transferred to a template for printing. Interestingly, while Kenojuak is perhaps best known worldwide for her prints, she does not make them herself. Instead, the prints are made by stone cutters and printers on the basis of her drawings. Kenojuak has never been involved in the actual printing process.

Over the past forty years, Kenojuak has continued to pursue works of art that, above all else, satisfy her own aesthetic ideals. She says that her drawings, prints and sculptures are explorations of design and form and colour, rather than illustrations of events or stories. Over time she has developed some favourite subjects -- especially birds, fish and human faces -- and most of her work from the 1990s to the present includes these forms. Usually, the subject matter of her images is static; a solitary icon without any kind of background or context. She is also known for creating flowing webs of interconnected images and intricately constructed patterns of texture and colour. But there is no need to look for a deeper meaning in the interconnectedness of the images, because the overall effect of the whole image is all that concerns her.

Although she has travelled widely for exhibitions and is internationally renowned, Kenojuak insists that she puts no more importance on her art, than any other aspect of her life. She now lives in a solid house, rather than a qarmaq, but her memories of living a traditional Inuit life are strong and she still gets out fishing regularly. She has many grandchildren, with whom she spends a good deal of her time. When she does draw, her intense and powerful images continue to keep the rest of the world enchanted with the beauty of the Canadian North and its people.

Kenojuak Ashevak is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and the recipient of two honorary doctorates and also a 2008 winner of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts.

Birthstones

January—Garnet
February—Amethyst
March—Aquamarine or bloodstone
April—Diamond
May—Emerald
June—Moonstone, pearl, or alexandrite
July—Ruby
August—Peridot or sardonyx
September—Sapphire
October—Opal or tourmaline
November—Topaz or citrine
December—Turquoise or zircon