Illumination Wellbeing Center

09/08/2025

Edvard Munch, The Sun, 1913.

09/06/2025

Cold (43° at 6:00 a.m. – down in the country, at Little Valley for example 32°) but sun shining brightly all day.

About 9:30 called up Sally – not having heard from them for so long we wondered if all was well – But it was, they are just terribly busy – All the children are in school now but Melissa. Sally has quit work at H.J.’s so as to devote more time to the children – Red is head over heals with the light of the coming season.

Most of the day in the studio – Making a little correction on the “Appalachian Highway” (1959) –

But most of the day on “Summer Solstice” I had thought this picture all but finished, but the more I got into it, the more there seemed to do; I question whether I had better try to force it to completion before John’s visit.

About 3:30 Bertha + I food shopping.

Evening called Vi + Art (we had not heard from them in some time, and we were worried about Vi’s health, as she had taking medicine for anemia) – Everything was all right, in fact a letter from Vi to us was in the mail. Art and I talked Hi-Fi for a time, then we turned the phone over to Bertha and Vi.

Evening – Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (which recently gave so much static trouble) I tried the new “Dust-Bug” on it, but it did not work well and made too much noise – Later I looked at the directions, and discovered I had mounted it backwards! However I managed to clean the record pretty well, and the dust-static was greatly reduced.

What a magnificent performance this is of the Fifth! (as well as the Consecration of the House Overture) –

Charles E. Burchfield, September 6, 1962

Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), Summer Solstice (In Memory of the American Chestnut Tree), 1961-66; watercolor on paper, 54 x 60 inches; Image from the Burchfield Penney Art Center Archives

09/06/2025

In France, eco-villages are reimagining home construction with a brilliant blend of creativity and sustainability — by building walls made from recycled glass bottles. These bottle walls serve a dual purpose: they provide excellent insulation and bathe interior spaces in a colorful, filtered light that shifts throughout the day, creating a vibrant, energy-efficient living environment.

The bottles are carefully arranged in patterns and set into mortar or clay, with their bottoms facing outward. This traps insulating air inside each bottle, reducing heat transfer and keeping homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The glass also allows natural light to pass through, eliminating the need for daytime lighting in many rooms while casting beautiful, mosaic-like glows across the interior walls.

Each wall becomes a unique work of art, often made from donated or locally collected wine, soda, or water bottles. Builders mix colors and shapes to create stunning visual effects that change with the sun’s angle, turning ordinary homes into living light sculptures. The technique is low-cost, eco-friendly, and surprisingly strong — many such homes have stood the test of time in rural French communities.

France’s glass bottle homes are part of a growing movement toward earth-friendly architecture that doesn't compromise on beauty or function. They reflect a philosophy of waste-as-resource, where sustainability isn't hidden — it's celebrated in every shimmering wall.

09/06/2025

09/06/2025

Frank Brangwyn
The Swans, 1921
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frank_Brangwyn_-_The_Swans.jpg

09/06/2025

🌱 "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." – Charles Darwin
🌿 Darwin’s insight goes beyond biology—it speaks to life itself. Strength and intelligence matter, but adaptability is what keeps us alive and thriving. Life is unpredictable; those who can bend without breaking endure. Change is not an obstacle but a path to evolution. The ability to adapt is the true sign of wisdom and resilience.
❓ How well do you adapt when life changes unexpectedly?

09/05/2025