My Blog primarily consists of close-up nature photos (that I've taken locally) combined with original holistic-truth oriented prose and/or poetry involving mindfulness/awareness. I love nature and I love understanding the whole (not merely the parts and the details). I'm a retired teacher of the multiply handicapped.
I have a number of interesting hobbies, such as fossil collecting, sport-kite flying, 3D and 2D close-up photography, holography, and pets. Most of all, I am into holistic self-awareness, spontaneous insight, unconventional observation/direct perception, mindfulness, meditation, world peace, non-fragmentation, population control, vegetarianism, and green energy.
To follow my unique Blog of "Nature Photos and Mindfulness Sayings" and for RSS feeds to my new posts, please access at: tom8pie.com (On my regular Blog posting pages, for additional information and to follow, simply click on the "tack icon" at the upper right corner... or, on my profile page, you can click on the "Thomas Peace" icon.)
Stay mindful, understanding, and caring!...
Yes, all over, fewer butterflies each year. Monarchs are just 10% of what they were 20 years ago. Pretty soon, to see them, you’ll have to go to museums.
“You are responsible for the whole of life, because the whole of life is you.” If you really think about this one it’s mind-bending and beyond our capacity to integrate isn’t it unless we are awake to virtually everything? I was struck by this truth when visiting a friend the other day whose cancer has suddenly metastasized – now I Understand why the passionflower she loves so much is struggling so hard to live. the butterfly photo is amazing Tom… welcome back – hope your surgery went well.
Yes, Sara, few people really understand it. I’m so sorry about your friend. People, and animals, suffer too much.
The knee surgery went well but i continue to have a lot of trouble with sleeping (due to pain)… and taking care of all of the critters is harder now. Things will, one is sure, improve. 🙂
Thanks about the butterfly; pretty soon they’ll all be in museums.
Yeah – you’re right about the museum thing. The New York Times informs us that basically we are locked in to frying for the next 30 years – DUH – like this is a surprise? I am sorry about the pain – not getting decent sleep is a real problem – tell me a little about your critter care…if i were closer I’d help.
Oh dear Tom that’s hard but I do understand because I too keep only a few friends for plants, Lis b my free flying dove is 30 and I have two dogs but they are little….and manageable, at least so far – letting go of things is easy – our friends – well that’s a different story, and so although i applaud your decision I feel for you. Parrots get so attached to their people – do you plan to keep one at least? HARD CHOICES. and how about a picture of your parrots – i love those birds and had Red for many years…
Hey there Tom, and welcome back! 😁 I hope your surgery went very well. What a lovely reflection you penned today. Oh my gosh, I especially loved “A passionless mind is dead before it ever gets to the grave.” Not THAT my friend is one powerful drop-the-mic moment!!! 🎤🎤🎤 Take care of yourself and stay well. 🌟 🤗 ✨
Yes, thanks, Kym, “a passionless mind,” that is, a mind without compassion. The surgery went well. But i continue to have pain at night which prevents a night full of good sleep. Things will, one is sure, improve over time (at least that is what the physical therapist says).
Many, many thanks for the good wishes! 🙂
You have summed it up with excellence. We are a whole universe in ourselves affecting the rest of the universe. The butterfly effect alive but not so well these days. I don’t stop by often but somehow picked the perfect day. Stunning butterfly. We will miss them.
Yes, we affect the rest of the universe. We need to be more responsible and caring. Human beings are mistreating this planet and the creatures upon it. We need to change.
Nice to see you back Tom and hopefully this beautiful Buckeye butterfly is one you chased after post-surgery and the prose you wrote while recuperating.
Thank you, Linda. 🙂 Actually, the butterfly is from around this time last year. I am, with post-surgery, still too sore to be running around in fields chasing butterflies. Maybe next year. Slowly improving, but it has been especially painful at night, making it almost impossible to sleep.
I’m sorry to hear that Tom. I thought it might be a butterfly from your archives, but hoped it was a 2021 specimen. If you had as much rain as we did over the last few days, you’d be best staying from the edge of the forest with all the mosquitoes. I have stayed away from the bigger parks most of this Summer for that very reason. I feel like we’ve been cheated this Summer, but it’s likely a preview of coming attractions.
I don’t go into forests any longer. Lyme Disease is too risky and it would be detrimental, especially since i already have arthritis. I walk along the edges (on roads or paths).
Yikes. As a loner, this reads as a personal warning: “Separation (from others, for instance) is as a death.”
Thanks, I’m inspired by your words and your butterfly!
Darren, my wife passed last year, so now i am pretty much a loner. The separation that i mostly had in mind was separation psychologically from all others of humanity and animals. Such separation is illusory and is not intelligent. Giving to charities and animal shelters, for example, reflects the intelligence that negates such separation. 🙂
Ah, then I don’t feel as separated. I’m sorry to learn about your wife. I learned at a very young age what it’s like to lose someone so close (lost my mother when I was 10), and I always consider the experience a contributing factor to my preference for a solitary life.
Sorry about your mother, Darren. 10 years old is way too young to lose a mother. Being alone has its real advantages. Aloneness is wonderful for a life of real mindfulness/meditation. Too many people are afraid of being alone. Aloneness is conducive to silent awareness beyond mere dependency and escape.
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
good advice, Tom. What’s the name of the butterfly?
Sam is his name. 🙂
It’s a Buckeye Butterfly, Michael.
Gorgeous butterfly. We have had very few this year, unfortunately.
Yes, all over, fewer butterflies each year. Monarchs are just 10% of what they were 20 years ago. Pretty soon, to see them, you’ll have to go to museums.
I hope it doesn’t come to that, Tom.
“You are responsible for the whole of life, because the whole of life is you.” If you really think about this one it’s mind-bending and beyond our capacity to integrate isn’t it unless we are awake to virtually everything? I was struck by this truth when visiting a friend the other day whose cancer has suddenly metastasized – now I Understand why the passionflower she loves so much is struggling so hard to live. the butterfly photo is amazing Tom… welcome back – hope your surgery went well.
Yes, Sara, few people really understand it. I’m so sorry about your friend. People, and animals, suffer too much.
The knee surgery went well but i continue to have a lot of trouble with sleeping (due to pain)… and taking care of all of the critters is harder now. Things will, one is sure, improve. 🙂
Thanks about the butterfly; pretty soon they’ll all be in museums.
Yeah – you’re right about the museum thing. The New York Times informs us that basically we are locked in to frying for the next 30 years – DUH – like this is a surprise? I am sorry about the pain – not getting decent sleep is a real problem – tell me a little about your critter care…if i were closer I’d help.
Sara, i have a lot of aquariums, two parrots, and a dog. I need to, with getting older, sell a number of the aquariums. It’s getting to be too much.
Oh dear Tom that’s hard but I do understand because I too keep only a few friends for plants, Lis b my free flying dove is 30 and I have two dogs but they are little….and manageable, at least so far – letting go of things is easy – our friends – well that’s a different story, and so although i applaud your decision I feel for you. Parrots get so attached to their people – do you plan to keep one at least? HARD CHOICES. and how about a picture of your parrots – i love those birds and had Red for many years…
Welcome back Tom
Thanks, Andy! 🙂 I’m back, limping in!
Hey there Tom, and welcome back! 😁 I hope your surgery went very well. What a lovely reflection you penned today. Oh my gosh, I especially loved “A passionless mind is dead before it ever gets to the grave.” Not THAT my friend is one powerful drop-the-mic moment!!! 🎤🎤🎤 Take care of yourself and stay well. 🌟 🤗 ✨
Yes, thanks, Kym, “a passionless mind,” that is, a mind without compassion. The surgery went well. But i continue to have pain at night which prevents a night full of good sleep. Things will, one is sure, improve over time (at least that is what the physical therapist says).
Many, many thanks for the good wishes! 🙂
You have summed it up with excellence. We are a whole universe in ourselves affecting the rest of the universe. The butterfly effect alive but not so well these days. I don’t stop by often but somehow picked the perfect day. Stunning butterfly. We will miss them.
Yes, we affect the rest of the universe. We need to be more responsible and caring. Human beings are mistreating this planet and the creatures upon it. We need to change.
100% in agreement.
I don’t know when did humans become so disconnected from it all. Maybe the world has become too noisy?
Yes, disconnected! The Native Americans largely got it right, but then they were wiped out by a Nazi-like campaign.
Nice to see you back Tom and hopefully this beautiful Buckeye butterfly is one you chased after post-surgery and the prose you wrote while recuperating.
Thank you, Linda. 🙂 Actually, the butterfly is from around this time last year. I am, with post-surgery, still too sore to be running around in fields chasing butterflies. Maybe next year. Slowly improving, but it has been especially painful at night, making it almost impossible to sleep.
I’m sorry to hear that Tom. I thought it might be a butterfly from your archives, but hoped it was a 2021 specimen. If you had as much rain as we did over the last few days, you’d be best staying from the edge of the forest with all the mosquitoes. I have stayed away from the bigger parks most of this Summer for that very reason. I feel like we’ve been cheated this Summer, but it’s likely a preview of coming attractions.
I don’t go into forests any longer. Lyme Disease is too risky and it would be detrimental, especially since i already have arthritis. I walk along the edges (on roads or paths).
👌👌👌📷
Thanks, Mic! 🙂
Yikes. As a loner, this reads as a personal warning: “Separation (from others, for instance) is as a death.”
Thanks, I’m inspired by your words and your butterfly!
Darren, my wife passed last year, so now i am pretty much a loner. The separation that i mostly had in mind was separation psychologically from all others of humanity and animals. Such separation is illusory and is not intelligent. Giving to charities and animal shelters, for example, reflects the intelligence that negates such separation. 🙂
Ah, then I don’t feel as separated. I’m sorry to learn about your wife. I learned at a very young age what it’s like to lose someone so close (lost my mother when I was 10), and I always consider the experience a contributing factor to my preference for a solitary life.
Sorry about your mother, Darren. 10 years old is way too young to lose a mother. Being alone has its real advantages. Aloneness is wonderful for a life of real mindfulness/meditation. Too many people are afraid of being alone. Aloneness is conducive to silent awareness beyond mere dependency and escape.
Beautiful words Tom!! The miracle of life is amazing !
Thank you much, Marcela, and, yes, it is extraordinarily amazing! 🙂
What a beautiful post! Well said!
Very glad that you see something there, Shreya! 🙂
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