Wish I could have been around when this barn was being built in Wakeman, Ohio. What kind of equipment was used to raise these beams so high? Where did the wood come from? How were the boards sawn? And when did all this happen?
How old is this barn? Is it 100 years old? That's what I'm guessing. What did this plot of farmland look like in 1912? Abdul-Baha visited America that year. He may not have come to Wakeman, but he did traverse the American continent from coast to coast.
Before coming to America, Abdu'l-Baha was visiting Europe. In October of 1911, he was in Paris. Read about Abdu'l-Baha's travels 100 years ago on the following blog. http://bahaitravelswest.wordpress.com/
The research was done by John Conkling, the person responsible for inviting a young man living in Montana to come work at the Baha'i National Center in Illinois, where he stayed for almost seven seminal years. Thanks, John! -gw
The late Hand of the Cause H. M. Balyuzi writes about Paris: “Paris has a particular distinction among all the cities in Europe, inasmuch as the first Bahá’í centre of the European continent was instituted there. . . . Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus Barney were
at hand to serve Him. Lady Blomfield, her two daughters—Mary Esther and Rose Ellinor Cecilia—and Miss Beatrice Marion Platt (all of whom had also zealously helped at 97 Cadogan Gardens (London) had come over from London. It was their assiduous application which produced an invaluable collection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Talks:‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London a book that has, since 1912, gone through many editions on both sides of the Atlantic. Horace Holley, [long-time member and secretary of the United States National Spiritual Assembly] who was an eyewitness, has stated that “As London emphasized the social and spiritual aspects of Bahaism, so Paris revealed its intellectual content and unparalleled power of definition.” Book titles: Paris Talks, Wisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Oh… sorry. Last sunday our national TV broadcasted a 25 minute program about Abdu'l-Baha in Paris. And is mostly spoken in French. It was an act of cooperation between the NSAs of Portugal and France.
>11:37am
What a great opportunity the centenary presents…
Marco, the Portuguese blogger of Povo de Baha who inspired me to start blogging, was instrumental in assisting in the creation of this program to honor the 100th Anniversary of Abdu'l-Baha's visit to Europe, as I learned via Facebook chat the other day. Each day we ask ourselves, what would Abdu'l-Baha do? With the frequent remembrances of what Abdu'l-Baha did exactly 100 years ago appearing online, of which this one is a fine example, our task of finding inspiration is made that much easier. -gw
Almost 24 pounds of huckleberry goodness picked on Sunday! Expected to have to use the rain gear, but it turned out not to be raining. We got a gallon or so of berries in the Illahee Preserve, but Bonita concluded that not enough of the berries were ripe yet there, so we went to our regular spot on the Key Peninsula, which shall remain a secret (unless you read the captions on the photos). Took only 90 minutes. -gw
He, in truth, is of immense bounteousness and goodness. Blessed be the man that turneth his face towards thee, that perceiveth from thee the fragrance of God’s Presence, the Lord of all worlds. His glory be on thee, and the brightness of His light envelop thee, inasmuch as God hath made thee a paradise unto His servants, and proclaimed thee to be the blest and sacred land of which He, Himself, hath made mention in the Books which His Prophets and Messengers have revealed.
I was talking with John at the Tigers vs Hornets game about how many little league football teams there are of kids living on the Eastside of Tacoma. There must be a lot of kids and parents who love football in those neighborhoods, I said.
Competitveness off the field among these young football players can be a problem at school, Lisa said, talking with Matt at the Tigers vs Angels game. You're not a Tiger, an Angel, or a Hornet at Lister Elementary where Lisa works. "We're all Lister Lions here," she tells kids. We're all leaves of the same tree, she said, quoting Baha'u'llah. Competitiveness can't be allowed to divide us.
Matt remembered a conversation with Invaders adult league football players about swag. Don't let swag divide us, he said. We are all on one team. -gw
… each individual member of the human family is a leaf or branch upon the Adamic tree; that all are sheltered beneath the protecting mercy and providence of God; that all are the children of God, fruit upon the one tree of His love. God is equally compassionate and kind to all the leaves, branches and fruit of this tree.
Prayers in diverse languages set the tone. The recent District Convention had the kind of vibe that these highly important yearly events should have. Those in attendance were blessed to experience an environment made so beautiful, with love and unity abounding. Songs were offered spontaneously, from the heart. -gw
It's one thing to have one of my websites hacked again, and not notice it for two days. It's another to get it back up and running and then fail to autopost onto it for a week. So http://bahaiviews.net has a whole bunch of new posts on it, as of last night, all of a sudden.
There are three places to find Baha'i Views content:
Baha'i Views posts just on the social space within which I labor to establish the core activities, the Tacoma Invaders/Tigers football community, can be found here:
There are still some blogs lurking around that I may get to more once I'm retired, separate blogs just on canoeing, hiking, and camping, but then again, I may never retire, if Bonita has her way.
To the readers of http://bahaiviews.net, sorry about the delay in getting posts up. All of my Baha'i Views content is presently launched from the Posterous blogging platform at http://bahaiviews.posterous.com. -gw
[Flickr] Jamie Frank has invited you to see the Tribute to Virna ….. set on Flickr
Hey George ! …. make sure you take in the Virna Haffer show at the Tacoma Art Museum before it ends in November. When I was 18 I joined the local camera club in Tacoma where I met and became friends with this wonderful artist.
Tribute to Virna …..
About the set
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just got back from the Tacoma Art Museum to see my old friend Virna Haffer's show. Go to the google, the arbiters of art have started to catch up with her….. more later, including an edit and some stories of this very cool lady …. the initial idea of this set is 3 from back then ( '66-'70 ), then 3 more current …. all connected to my old friend and the wrinkly smile and twinkly eyes she would give me when I showed her my recent efforts ….. The most significant thing I picked up from her was the benefit of anonymity in creating art. Feedback from a handfull of particular others was better than a room of clappers. Forty years later I'd say it's still too true …….. The Tacoma Art Museum staff put together a fine book of Virna's work and some history of this radical lady. Contact tacomaartmuseum.org for a copy
Good to meet this radical lady , thanks to you, Jamie! -gw
Surely the world, contracted and transformed into a single highly complex organism by the marvellous progress achieved in the realm of physical science, by the world-wide expansion of commerce and industry, and struggling, under the pressure of world economic forces, amidst the pitfalls of a materialistic civilization, stands in dire need of a restatement of the Truth underlying all the Revelations of the past in a language suited to its essential requirements. And what voice other than that of Bahá’u’lláh—the Mouthpiece of God for this age—is capable of effecting a transformation of society as radical as that which He has already accomplished in the hearts of those men and women, so diversified and seemingly irreconcilable, who constitute the body of His declared followers throughout the world?
Creativity is taking something that is familiar and, with an adjustment here or there, making it new. Taraz slows down the dancing, and replaces the music, and the net result is ethereal. The very world of existence has been made new by Baha’u'llah, from whom we all draw inspiration. -gw
…through the rise of these Luminaries of God the world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things. It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity. It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the dead.
Thanks to KC for reminding me about this, an item that I covered on Baha'i Views in 2009, thanks to Robert of Northwest Baha'i Library. -gw
Bill lived a few houses down from me on the same street, and is the one that built the "Cream Soda" computer with me, not Steve Jobs as portrayed in "Pirates of Silicon Valley." Bill is also the person that introduced Steve and myself. Bill has also helped in my current computer class, teaching 3D drawing. So I know something of the Baha'i Faith and I appreciate it… — Steve Wozniak
Lisa and Matt were having a deep conversation at the Tigers game and the subject of how kids learn came up. How effective is yelling in either parenting or coaching? Is there a place for it, or does it really just cause kids to shut down? -gw
Content of this blog is autoposted from
Posterous (Baha'i Views & Baha'i Music). Also carrying this mirrored content is Baha'i Views (on Blogger). The email for all of these sites is: bahaiviews@gmail.com. None of these blogs constitute official sites of the Baha'i Faith. For authoritative material about the Baha'i Faith go to: http://bahai.org/ or http://bahai.us/. George Wesley Dannells
