An artist is an artist only because of his exquisite sense of beauty, a sense which shows him intoxicating pleasures, but which at the same time implies and contains an equally exquisite sense of all deformities and all disproportion. ~ Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821 –1867) French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe

I received a daily note from The Universe recently that used the delightful and maximizing word exquisite:

The real reason your brain is so large, Pamela, compared to most of the other blessed creatures dwelling in time and space, is so that you can vividly imagine all the exquisite, exciting and enthralling details of your heart’s desires; not so that you can figure out who you need to meet, when you need to meet them, where you need to be, or how you’re going to pull it all together. Your brain’s not nearly that big. But mine is, The Universe.

When you think of all the fabulous words you can use to describe something, an occasion or someone it just doesn’t get much better than exquisite. Such a fine word that out of the entire message from The Universe the main thing I got from it was something that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (considered the supreme genius of modern German literature from the early 1800s) wrote: Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.

Indeed. And in Central Oregon we are undeniably surrounded by exquisite sites, sounds and people. I couldn’t begin to talk to you about the numerous vistas that make the high desert so beautiful, the sounds of Mother Nature or the creative selections of local artists and musicians. I most certainly couldn’t make a list of the people who do absolutely exquisite deeds to make this a better, sustainable and beautiful place to live. The list would cover pages and pages of this magazine.

Caretakers deliver exquisite care.

Writers yield exquisite delights.

Ice-cream and Ida’s cupcakes are exquisite.

My home is filled with exquisite clutter.

Artists create exquisite fantasies.

Love and laughter are the most exquisite forms of gratitude.

Enough said, I just want to remind you to take every chance you possibly can to remember each and every exquisite thing you encounter every day.

by PAMELA HULSE ANDREWS Cascade A&E Publisher