Author: Mihaela Limberea

It Is Foolish To Think That You Have To Read All The Books

26th July 2024
BooksQuotes
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Cozy home library

It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones.

There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion.

If, for example, we consider books as medicine, we understand that it is good to have many at home rather than a few: when you want to feel better, then you go to the ‘medicine closet’ and choose a book. Not a random one, but the right book for that moment. That’s why you should always have a nutrition choice!

Those who buy only one book, read only that one and then get rid of it. They simply apply the consumer mentality to books, that is, they consider them a consumer product, a good. Those who love books know that a book is anything but a commodity.

Umberto Eco (1932 – 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, and cultural critic).

To read more quotes, click here.

Before Parting

23rd July 2024
Poetry
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  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet Scheduled for 30th July 2024
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow Scheduled for 6th August 2024
Night landscape with full moon

A month or twain to live on honeycomb  
Is pleasant; but one tires of scented time,  
Cold sweet recurrence of acceptance rhyme, 
And that strong purple under juice and foam  
Where the wine’s heart has burst; 
Nor feel the latter kisses like the first.  

Once yet, this poor one time; I will not pray  
Even to change the bitterness of it,  
The bitter taste ensuing on the sweet,  
To make your tears fall where your soft hair lay  
All blurred and heavy in some perfumed wise  
Over my face and eyes.  

And yet who knows what end the scythed wheat  
Makes of its foolish poppies’ mouths of red?  
These were not sown, these are not harvested, 
They grow a month and are cast under feet  
And none has care thereof,  
As none has care of a divided love.  

I know each shadow of your lips by rote,  
Each change of love in eyelids and eyebrows; 
The fashion of fair temples tremulous  
With tender blood, and colour of your throat; 
I know not how love is gone out of this,  
Seeing that all was his.  

Love’s likeness there endures upon all these: 
But out of these one shall not gather love.  
Day hath not strength nor the night shade enough  
To make love whole and fill his lips with ease, 
As some bee-builded cell  
Feels at filled lips the heavy honey swell.  

I know not how this last month leaves your hair  
Less full of purple colour and hid spice,  
And that luxurious trouble of closed eyes 
Is mixed with meaner shadow and waste care; 
And love, kissed out by pleasure, seems not yet  
Worth patience to regret. 
 

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 – 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist and critic.

To read more poems, click here.

Harry Potter And The Squirrel Wizard

19th July 2024
BooksPhotography
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One rainy afternoon, while sorting through thousands of safari photos, I decided to take a much-needed break, indulge in my love for Harry Potter, and have some fun.

Being a huge fan of both the books and the movies, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to immerse myself again in the magical world of witchcraft and wizardry, even if for a few hours.

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In Summer

16th July 2024
Poetry
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  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet Scheduled for 30th July 2024
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow Scheduled for 6th August 2024
Hilly landscape at sunset

Photo by Claudio Testa on Unsplash edited by me

There were the black pine trees, 
        And the sullen hills 
        Frowning; there were trills 
        Of birds, and the sweet hot sun, 
        And little rills 
        Of water, everyone 
Singing and prattling; there were bees

Honey-laden, tuneful, a song
        Far-off, and a timid air 
        That sighed and kissed my hair, 
        My hair that the hot sun loves. 
        The day was very fair, 
        There was wooing of doves, 
And the shadows were not yet long. 

And I lay on the soft green grass, 
        And the smell of the earth was sweet,
        And I dipped my feet 
        In the little stream;
        And was cool as a flower is cool in the heat, 
        And the day lay still in a dream, 
And the hours forgot to pass. 

And you came, my love, so stealthily 
        That I saw you not 
        Till I felt that your arms were hot 
        Round my neck, and my lips were wet
        With your lips, I had forgot  
        How sweet you were. And lo! the sun has set, 
And the pale moon came up silently. 
 

Lord Alfred Douglas (1870 – 1945) was an English poet and journalist.

To read more poems, click here.

The Sun By Day And The Stars Of Heaven By Night

12th July 2024
Quotes
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Sunset by the lake
Sunset by the lake, Marakele National Park, South Africa

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on—have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear—what remains? Nature remains; to bring out from their torpid recesses, the affinities of a man or woman with the open air, the trees, fields, the changes of seasons—the sun by day and the stars of heaven by night.

Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist.

To read more quotes, click here.

On the Wing

9th July 2024
Poetry
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  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet Scheduled for 30th July 2024
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow Scheduled for 6th August 2024

Photo by kilarov zaneit on Unsplash edited by me

Once in a dream (for once I dreamed of you) 
    We stood together in an open field; 
    Above our heads two swift-winged pigeons wheeled,  
Sporting at east and courting full in view:—
When loftier still a broadening darkness flew,  
    Down-swooping, and a ravenous hawk revealed; 
    Too weak to fight, too fond to fly, they yield; 
So farewell life and love and pleasures new.  
Then as their plumes fell fluttering to the ground,  
    Their snow-white plumage flecked with crimson drops,  
        I wept, and thought I turned towards you to weep: 
    But you were gone; while rustling hedgerow tops  
Bent in a wind which bore to me a sound 
        Of far-off piteous bleat of lambs and sheep.
 

Christina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) was one of the most important poets of the Victorian age in England.

To read more poems, click here.

Favorite Photos: June 2024

2nd July 2024
PhotographyWildlife
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  1. Favorite Photos: January 2023
  2. Favorite Photos: February 2023
  3. Favorite Photos: March 2023
  4. Favorite Photos: April 2023
  5. Favorite Photos: May 2023
  6. Favorite Photos: June 2023
  7. Favorite Photos: July 2023
  8. Favorite Photos: August 2023
  9. Paris Is Always A Good Idea
  10. Favorite Photos: October 2023
  11. Favorite Photos: November 2023
  12. Favorite Photos: December 2023
  13. Favorite Photos: January 2024
  14. Favorite Photos: February 2024
  15. Favorite Photos: March 2024
  16. Favorite Photos: April 2024
  17. Favorite Photos: May 2024
  18. Favorite Photos: June 2024
Close-up of a lion

The King.

As you may have seen from my Instagram stories, I went on a safari in South Africa, a truly awe-inspiring experience. We spent ten incredible days first in the Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, and then in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, where we were privileged to witness animals in their natural habitat, a sight that never ceased to amaze us.

A lion walking in the early morning light.

A lion strolling leisurely through the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve bathed in the gentle glow of the early morning light.

A lion resting in the early morning light.

Captivated by the serene beauty of the wilderness. Witnessing this majestic lion immersed in the soft morning light was truly an unforgettable experience.

Two giraffes

Chasing giraffes and zebras! 🦒 Spotting giraffes in their natural habitat is always the highlight of any safari for me. I absolutely love animals with spots or stripes, so this was a dream come true. While some people rushed to look for the Big Five, I went after giraffes and zebras, LOL. 

I captured this photo in Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, our first stop. During our visit, we spent a few days at the Marataba Mountain Lodge, featuring only five suites and offering a breathtaking view of the nearby mountains. Situated in a privately managed area within Marakele National Park, the lodge is approximately a 3-hour and 30-minute drive from Johannesburg.

Walking cheetah

Imagine the thrill of spotting a young male cheetah on a beautiful golden afternoon while walking just a few meters behind him! It was just my husband, our experienced guide Brendan Vorster (IG: @brendans_wildlife), and me alone in the long grass; the quiet scene occasionally interrupted by the calls of birds and the sound of the wind rustling through the tree leaves. It was an unforgettable experience that we’ll always cherish. 

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), the fastest land animal, can sprint at an astonishing 93 to 104 km/h (58 to 65 mph). Its body is uniquely designed for speed, with a slender build, long, thin legs, and a lengthy tail. The semi-retractable claws, a distinctive feature not found in other cats, play a crucial role in its remarkable speed.  

*

Lapalala Wilderness Reserve was our second safari destination. We were incredibly fortunate to be accommodated at the Noka Camp, one of the renowned Lepogo Lodges. The five villas, perched on a striking 100-foot clifftop, not only offered awe-inspiring views over the Palala River but also provided a lavish and cozy stay. The lodge, a few hours’ drive from Johannesburg, is completely malaria-free, a key factor in our decision to choose it.

Close-up of two cheetahs

Brotherly love at its finest. These two cheetah brothers always have each other’s backs.

Two walking cheetahs

Double trouble. Two young cheetah brothers walk gracefully in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve on a golden afternoon, the epitome of grace and speed. They moved effortlessly at a seemingly slow pace, yet we could barely keep up with them.

Close-up of an elephant with a baby

Mesmerized by the gentle strength and protective nature of this beautiful female elephant with her adorable baby following closely behind. 🐘💕

Elephant breeding herd

An elephant breeding herd in the breathtaking Marakele National Park, what an awesome sight! The mother in front was very protective of the baby, stirring up dust, flapping her ears, and trumpeting vigorously to keep us away.

Stay tuned, because I’m bursting with excitement to share more from this unforgettable adventure with all of you!

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My Second Cover Photo!

1st July 2024
PhotographyTravel
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The Erechtheion, Athens (Greece) in the golden light of sunset

I’m feeling grateful and honored as Canon Romania chose my photo to be their Facebook cover for the month of July. I am so excited to share my passion for photography and travels with a broader audience!

This is what the Canon Romania Facebook page looks like now; I’m so proud!

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Twilight

25th June 2024
Poetry
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  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet Scheduled for 30th July 2024
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow Scheduled for 6th August 2024
Twilight

Photo by Mohammad Alizade on Unsplash edited by me

There is an evening twilight of the heart,  
    When its wild passion-waves are lulled to rest,  
And the eye sees life’s fairy scenes depart,  
    As fades the day-beam in the rosy west.  
’Tis with a nameless feeling of regret 
    We gaze upon them as they melt away,  
And fondly would we bid them linger yet,  
    But Hope is round us with her angel lay,  
Hailing afar some happier moonlight hour; 
Dear are her whispers still, though lost their early power.  
In youth the cheek was crimsoned with her glow; 
    Her smile was loveliest then; her matin song 
Was heaven’s own music, and the note of woe 
    Was all unheard her sunny bowers among.  
Life’s little word of bliss was newly born; 
    We knew not, cared not, it was born to die, 
Flushed with the cool breeze and the dews of morn, 
    With dancing heart we gazed on the pure sky,  
And mocked the passing clouds that dimmed its blue, 
Like our own sorrows then—as fleeting and as few.  
And manhood felt her sway too—on the eye,  
    Half realized, her early dreams burst bright,  
Her promised bower of happiness seemed nigh,  
    Its days of joy, its vigils of delight; 
And though at times might lower the thunder-storm, 
    And the red lightnings threaten, still the air 
Was balmy with her breath, and her loved form, 
    The rainbow of the heart was hovering there.  
’Tis in life’s noontide she is nearest seen, 
Her wreath the summer flower, her robe of summer green.  
But though less dazzling in her twilight dress,  
    There’s more of heaven’s pure beam about her now; 
That angel-smile of tranquil loveliness,  
    Which the heart worships, glowing on her brow; 
That smile shall brighten the dim evening star  
    That points our destined tomb, nor e’er depart 
Till the faint light of life is fled afar,  
    And hushed the last deep beating of the heart; 
The meteor-bearer of our parting breath,  
A moonbeam in the midnight cloud of death. 
 

Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790 – 1867) was an American poet and member of the Knickerbocker Group

To read more poems, click here.

Happy Midsummer!

21st June 2024
Life
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A red squirrel holding a strawberry and wearing a flower crown

Happy Midsummer!

If you’re wondering how we celebrate midsummer 😉.