Annie Birdsong's Homepage



    Inspirational Thoughts on Wisdom and Beauty    



__________________________________________________________________

You can influence future generations.
Keeping a Journal for Your Children

It is good to have a special journal -- a notebook -- for collecting things you want to share with your sons and daughters or future sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

In the notebook, you might collect special quotes gathered from across the world (you can find books by using World Cat database and interlibrary loan. See quotes I have collected on the right.), scripture verses, poems and insight gained from your life experiences. You might collect songs you want to share with them, as well as color combinations, the name of flowers you love, along with a drawing or photo, and a picture of gardening design etc.

You can cover it with lovely cloth -- maybe even embroidered cloth -- to make it very special.
__________________________________________________________________

Let's Grow!
Journaling for Your Personal Growth

I have four lovely small cloth-bound little books that I made: one for the names of authors and the books they have written that I want to read; one for thoughts; one for prayer concerns for the environment, politics, the media etc.; and one for my favorite songs. I also have a folder for collecting quotes (for you) and notebooks of important passages from great books and documentary videos.

(You can use interlibrary loan, as well as World Cat database, to find great documentary videos and books from across the country to view.)

Journaling and praying are activities that expand your vision and objectives and help you organize your personal growth.
__________________________________________________________________

Nurture your marriage.
Pres. Jimmy Carter Gives Advice to Strengthen Your Marriage


__________________________________________________________________

Finding alternatives to tv
Who Are the Happiest People?

How can we encourage more socializing in our communities?

Someone from China said in China they have a community garden where the people gather.

Old men play checkers, children listen to stories being read aloud, children fly kites and single people can socialize. (There is no dating, just gathering in public at the community garden.)

TV has replaced much of the socializing that once occurred in the country. People used to play more music instruments and sing and used to have folk dances.


__________________________________________________________________

From the book Earth in Mind: on Education, Environment and the Human Prospect
Quotes by Dr. David Orr
  • Intelligence, I think, grows as the mind is drawn to the possibilities of creating order, harmony, beauty, stability and permanence.

  • Is it possible... that we can systematically cultivate pride, gluttony, lust, avarice, sloth, envy and anger and remain intelligent?

  • How do we create good schools without first creating a good society that values the life of the mind and lives lived with heroism and higher purpose?

  • For Aristotle, the cultivation of virtue was both a goal of politics "to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions."

  • The seven deadly sins are sins, in part, because they corrode the intellect.

  • For the Greeks and Romans, virtue ws never separated from politics and from participation in the civic life of the community.