. . . and then there was Jim

Jim Gillies grew up watching cartoons, reading comic books, looking through kaleidoscopes, watching the clouds roll by and gazing at the stained glass windows in Church (among other things).

At the same time, Granpa, Michael Quirk from County Galway, Ireland, used to make up limericks and sing them to Jim at Sunday dinner visits.  With lots of encouragement from Mom and Dad, along the way all of these melded together.

Also, along the "way" he heard the songs of prolific writers like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Leonard Cohen, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Richard Farina (to name just a few).  He also witnessed the explosion of art and color in a new and exciting way.  He saw the composite nature of form, color, words and sound.

In later years he tapped into the Spiritual dimension by exploring the works of Rumi, the Dhammapada, the Gospel of Thomas and other inspirational vehicles.  Add to that a few contemplative retreats, years of meditation and exercise and an ongoing stab at understanding the workings of Quantum Mechanics (but don't ask him to explain any of it!) and what you have is . . .

. . . his simple interpretation of all of the above.  And hopefully it has come together like a fresh baked loaf of his Grandmother's sublime Irish Soda Bread . . . a joy to behold and consume.

And realizing that the "way" is never easy or straightforward (and is apparently not supposed to be) he keeps in mind this little bit of wisdom: