Et cetera

In my job I see many beautiful things; but over the years and among a degree of ugliness it becomes obliterated.  The job and its so called urgency and personal demands becomes the direction of the mind.  Until I remind myself of beauty even at work and the books (and manuscripts; the Book of Hours written by hand)
I am not a religious person but I cannot fail to see the beauty in a Book of Hours.
It was a devotional book popular among Christians of northern Europe during the Middle Ages.  A typical book of hours would contain prayers, gospels and psalms. Usually written in Latin; used by monks and nuns and generally recited.  They were often given to women as a love token by a husband to his bride.
As many books of hours were richly illustrated   they form an important record of life in the 15th and 16th century as well s Christian iconography.
As a librarian the Book of Hours epitomises a beautiful book; a rose among the thorns. When I consider the colour and the quality; I cannot fail to imagine the difficulties of the craftsman, the cost, the availability of the inks, pens,paper, time and the light and I am in awe.

Like  water lily

that comes from the mud and rotting vegetation

at the bottom of the lake

it took her breath.

Our eyesight is a precious sense used and abused moment by moment.  In my job my eyesight is paramount.

How do we celebrate it?

As we do all our perfections that we fail to notice day by day. So not often then?