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Every Friday I present favorite items from my Twitter stream which amuse, are often quite beautiful, and usually inspiring. This week held a bumper crop! Enjoy!

Roger Ebert, Rest in Peace

@SarahEOlson2009 “I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” ~ Roger Ebert #RIP

@mcurtisnc3 Love letter from Roger Ebert to his wife, Chaz. Read it and try not to cry.
[SEO: Written on the occasion of their 20th wedding anniversary, in “Roger loves Chaz” he chronicles how they met, and many beautiful moments they experienced in their travels, and in coping with his ongoing illness. But I didn’t cry, I smiled. And I admire him for it more than I already did.]

@ericberlinct “Siskel and Ebert are already arguing.”

‏@janewells “Is it too corny to say Heaven now has two thumbs up? Then call me corny.”

The Rest of the Best

@HealthyPlace “Reality continues to ruin my life.” ~ Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

@Splinteredones Today’s sign of Spring
[SEO: This photo was taken outside of a florist shop, but soon these gorgeous spring flowers will be in gardens and yards everywhere.]

@soulseedz “Once you are real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.” ~ The Velveteen Rabbit

@Cmdr_Hadfield Don’t tell my crew, but I brought them Easter Eggs
[SEO: Tweeted early Easter morning, this required considerable advanced planning!]

@SarahEOlson2009 Adventure Kitten Gear! Everything your kitten needs to go backpacking with you!
[SEO: It’s all very expensive, and your kitten will outgrow it in a few weeks, but hey! Those weeks will be incredible! Add one of these items to your shopping cart to truly understand what this is about.]

@mjdub “Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.” ~ Tom Robbins

@Cmdr_Hadfield Orbital debris seems to be on a course moving a bit faster than ISS. I’ll try to take more pictures if it swings by.
[SEO: Don’t be alarmed, as apparently some people with no sense of humor were when this was published. Hint: Later that day, the ISS was “boarded” by a little green blob that said “Sloof Lirpa!”]

@zaibatsu “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

@mjdub 28 Incredibly Beautiful Places You Won’t Believe Actually Exist
[SEO: Most of these are majestic and gorgeous, and some of them are going on my bucket list.]

@pourmecoffee This lunatic kayaks by active volcanoes.
[SEO: The article, with many unbelievable photos, calls him a ‘daredevil’, which I think is a sub-category of ‘lunatic’.]

@HealthyPlace “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~ John F. Kennedy

Continue reading]]> I never thought I’d say that I love the new New Twitter, but that day has arrived! It was just foisted upon me this week, and to my astonishment Twitter will do all the heavy lifting in formatting and embedding tweets for me. You can see how gorgeous they look below, and all their buttons are live, so please follow and share. Plus, I’ve got a lot of videos this week! Enjoy!
 
 

@heykim Chocoholics — Sculptor carves room entirely out of Chocolate!
[SEO: Fabulous chocolate carvings and artwork! And then they ate it! Seriously.]

When you are the kind of woman who frustrates evil by your very waking presence — well then — you are onto something

— Mary Kay Evans LCSW (@CarePathways) February 16, 2012

@heykim Whitney — I will always love you
[SEO: This was my favorite song going back to Linda Ronstadt’s version. I didn’t think it could get any better till I heard Whitney do it. You won’t find many songs that so clearly convey — both musically and lyrically — the mixed feelings of love, longing, sadness, letting it go, and acceptance all at the same time. Rest in peace, Whitney.]
 

Progress might have been alright once, but it has gone on too long. – Ogden Nash

— Natasha Tracy (@natasha_tracy) February 11, 2012

@SuePeaseBanitt Happy Valentine’s Day Google Doodle: This is utterly adorabibble!

“As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.” ~ John Eliot

— HealthyPlace (@HealthyPlace) February 15, 2012

@pourmecoffee Insane rope swing
[SEO: Yes, it is! Filmed in Moab, Utah, home of incredible rock formations that people think are great to jump off of. (Well, yes, with a rope. So? Yikes.) At the end of the video you can also view the making of this video.]

@PetaPixel Stunning photos of the northern lights floating over an Icelandic volcano
[SEO: This looks so alien, even with the guy standing in front of the volcano field.]

“We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.”, Thich Nhat Hanh

— Butch Northwood (@Tamavista) February 14, 2012

Continue reading]]> What a sad day. Mary Travers, part of the ’60s folk rock trio Peter, Paul & Mary, has died.

In a statement on Mary’s website, Peter Yarrow reflected on his lifelong admiration of Mary, and how she lived her life.

I believe that, in the most profound of ways, Mary was incapable of lying, as a person, and as an artist. That took great courage, and Mary was always equal to the task.

Noel Paul Stookey (the trio’s “Paul”) also stated:

i am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without mary travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career.”

Here are partial lyrics to her “Poem for Erika/Poem for Baby”, that actually made me cry when I learned she had written it to her daughter. (And I realized that this is what genuine love from a mother is supposed to be/feel like):

I’ll walk in the rain by your side
I’ll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand
I’ll do anything to help you understand
I’ll love you more than anybody can

And the wind will whisper your name to me
Little birds will sing along in time
The leaves will bow down as you walk by
And morning bells will chime

I’ll be there when you’re feeling down
To kiss away the tears if you cry
And I’ll share with you all the happiness I’ve found
A reflection of the love in your eyes

And I’ll sing you the songs of the rainbow
Whisper of the joy that is mine
The leaves will bow down when you walk by
And morning bells will chime

Day is done, Mary. Rest in peace.