Since 2017, I have been on a mission to beautify our New York City building and change negative behaviors like vandalism, litter, and dog owners’ misbehaviors. I have written about my work on my website, rutas-rules.com. The most recent blog is “Signs of the Beautiful —Celebrating Hope.” Aside from creating beautiful gardens with our small building staff, I also made…
Understanding the Golden Proportion
Decorating for energy involves utilizing the mathematics of nature. I generally just use the blueprint of a circle or an ellipse which, despite its simplicity, is enough to bring Energy into an environment. Sometimes you might hear of the Golden Proportion as an example of the mathematics of nature. It is good to know…
Beauty Heals in Troubled Times – Signs of the Beautiful
For many years I engaged joyfully in decorating the outside of our New York City coop. Although the world seems to have gotten dark and darker, I continue to decorate because I believe beauty heals most everything. Recently, though, in my decorating ventures, I suffered one of the darkest times of all. Our building is…
The Mathematics of Nature in the Most Unusual Places
I love to give paintings as gifts for birthdays and special occasions, especially impressionist floral paintings for wedding gifts. The mathematics of nature make up a major part of their design. I have an unfortunate attachment to these paintings, though, particularly the good ones. Still, the looming wedding or birthday dates force me to give…
Collecting Objects – The Purpose of Things
Collecting objects can be healthy. Collecting is not always a sign of materialism but a means to finding the spiritual. When my young niece used to visit years ago, we would engage in “clawing,” one of our favorite yearly sports. We would visit the arcades, K-Mart and the local supermarkets to try our hand at…
Beauty in the Age of Extreme Politics
Beauty is a powerful tool, especially in the age of extreme politics. One of my favorite books is Joan Kron’s Home Psych. Every page is a gem on the juxtaposition between decorating and all other aspects of life. She shares her experiences as a decorating writer who often finds herself in a defensive position with…
Making ‘Curb Your Dog’ Signs’ – Signs of the Beautiful
Making and displaying attractive curb your dog signs will be more apt to change the behaviors of dog owners and protect and beautify your neighborhood. In my blog, Curb Your Dog – Signs of the Beautiful, I promised to help you create your own signs. Some steps are a bit finicky. If you need help…
Curb Your Dog Signs – Signs of the Beautiful
When it comes to public space, decorating and vandalism are the opposite sides of the same coin. Both are trying to establish ownership. It is for this reason that our building cares for the public space between the building and the street curb. With this in mind, we plant flowerbeds, maintain tree guards and post…
Let Your Eyes Have a Pleasurable Dance
In metaphysical design, the goal is to elevate us by receiving energy and harmony in our environment. One way to do this is to impose a geometric scaffolding in our designs. Upon walking into a room you should let your eyes have a pleasurable dance. A friend and prospective client recently sought my advice about…
School Vandalism – The Bureaucratic Community
I began my teaching career in private schools in wealthy neighborhoods. In 1984, I changed to the public sector, however, and started to teach in the inner city. Both violence and vandalism were prevalent in my first public school. I heard that a co-worker had murdered a cafeteria attendant while she was closing out the…