Saturday, March 13, 2010

rain and rainbows


"Remember, you cannot have rainbows without the rain."

Rene Descartes -1596-1650 (French Philosopher and Mathmetician) -He writes:"Considering that this bow appears not only in the sky, but also in the air near us, whenever there are drops of water illuminated by the sun, as we can see in certain fountains, I readily decided that it arose only from the way in which the rays of light act on these drops and pass from them to our eyes. Further, knowing that the drops are round, as has been formerly proved, and seeing that whether they are larger or smaller, the appearance of the bow is not changed in any way, I had the idea of making a very large one, so that I could examine it better.

This weekend, lots of rain is forecasted and I was reminded by a dear friend that we must remember to look for the rainbows. My friend recently lost a close friend tragically and I think his reminder is in part, that he himself is trying to look for the rainbow. I was touched by his words. Thank-you Michael for your gentle and kind words.

Do you look for and follow rainbows?

27 comments:

Debra said...

Rainbows~ always so unexpected and brought to us with such joy and hope. Sometimes we must force ourselves to look for the hope and the good and just be still for a moment and relish in the memories.

Unknown said...

Oh yes, love them, they are such natural wonders! And so beautiful to look at. I always consider them little miracles. And reading Descartes description made me smile! It is wonderful to discover the nature of things...
As I am peparing a post for St.Patricks Day you will not believe that I have a picture of a gorgeous rainbow over the Irish sky among the pictures. I double checked if it's the same image, but no there are many rainbows in the skies!

I am sorry to hear about your friend's loss! He is so right about it! It's a lovely metaphor ...

XX
Victoria

pve design said...

Debra,
I must tell you about my "Maine" rainbow at the lake.
pve

Victoria,
You know St.Patrick's day is my b-day, therefore, many a holiday with green cakes, shamrocks and lore.
Thanks for your kind wishes, as always you are the sunshine to many!
pve

Southern Lady said...

As a little girl, I spent many days looking for the end of a rainbow! Carla

Maria Killam said...

I'm here in the rain :) It'll be nice to see you on one of my trips!!

Deidra said...

Rain here, too. But I'm reminded that we all need a bit of rain if we're to grow. Rainbows add a smile...

Gwen Driscoll said...

I love rainbows. It poured rain the day of my Dad's funeral and when we came out of church the rain had cleared and there was the most beautiful rainbow gracing the sky. It was a surreal experience.

You will love 21C. Lucy and her friend just loved it. Louisville is all grown up now! I hope you have fun while at home.

Unknown said...

My children and I saw a rainbow yesterday. And my youngest son said, "Mommy, I want to go to where the rainbow runs out." What a beautiful thought!

pve design said...

Shannon,
lovely words- When my son was wee thing, we watched the fire-works from the East River Drive and he said, Mommy, it's like diamonds in the sky. How proud would Elton John be of my boy!
Now he loves that song at 17!
pve

Leciawp said...

Indeed I do! Have a wonderful weekend. xo

Renee Troy said...

Patricia, thank you for your desire to participate in A Place to Bark fundraiser.
I needed to come up with a common theme and when I opened up your blog today I knew it had to be Rainbows...
I'll put your name down and get back in touch to give you the particulars.
Thank you so much.
xxxooo

Sandra said...

So very true, and I certainly forget that. A wonderful reminder about life in general. xoxo

Unknown said...

Last year we lost my Uncle, a very accomplished artist. Coming home from his funeral, July 4th weekend, we saw a huge rainbow across the sky, one of the biggest I have ever seen, there appeared to be a smaller one within the larger one. What could be a more fitting way for an artist to part this world? I took a photo with my phone, it is my screen saver on my computer to this day.

Formerly known as Frau said...

It rains so much here but I can honestly tell you I have NEVER seen a rainbow here NEVER. Wonder why! Hope your weekend is filled with love and laughter. xo

Unknown said...

Like the snowstorms that have passed the rainstorm with its strong winds and pelting rain will stop. Can't wait for the rainbow.

annechovie said...

I never tire of seeing rainbows - one of the best things about a rainy day. Have a great weekend, PVE! xx

Cristin // Simplified Bee said...

Love rainbows too. Great post!

xo,
cristin

Helen Young said...

Wow! I'm in Atlanta and just saw the most amazing rainbow. It was the full arc - I have never seen the full arc before. People all around me were trying to photograph it from their cars. By the time I stopped I only caught a part of it - it's posted on my blog -
www.whitehaveninteriors.blogspot.com

What incredible timing to read your post just now.

Marija said...

I haven't seen a rainbow in a long time. Thank you for the reminder to look for one the next time it rains around here (probably today!). I really appreciated this post - it seems this weekend design has taken a back seat to kindness and family. I like that. Have a great week. Marija

Emily said...

Beautiful picture. I do love to find a rainbow, especially in the plains of IL - so much room to see them in their glory. And I love what they represent: God and his love for us. Thank you for a great post!

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Drove through the end of one once. Interesting moment. Unforgettable.

Catherine said...

Our little valley is known for its abundance of rainbows. I don't know why so many live here but whenever they come out and show their great big colorful smiles, I smile along with them. xoxoTrina

Joyce said...

One of my favorite quotes. I love rainbows they give us a peace of hope,especially during the time we need it the most. My heart goes out to your friend. xo

LindsB said...

I wish the rain would go away so I could try and see a rainbow- its been raining for 3 days straight and I've had enough already. Spring where are you?

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

We're going through a persona struggle right now...but I'm searching for the rainbow peeping through the clouds for sure!

traci zeller designs said...

What a beautiful sentiment - to always look for the rainbow!

Rebecca said...

I am still looking for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

When our daughter was young she had the most adorable bedroom with rainbow wall paper. I will have to find a picture and post it soon.