Haiku Friday #51 - Ups & Downs ... and Ups

HF#50, OSI Week 17 and 40PC#9 are at
Sacred Ruminations today.
Sharing what's on my mind today ...

Computer Issues - ups & downs

Yesterday I found
an email from Dell that said
shipping's been delayed

on my new laptop
and although I'd suspected
problems ... I was 'bummed'

but this morning there's
a new email stating that
it's been shipped! Hooray!

Apparently a
fire in a battery
plant in early March

created a few
problems for the company
they've not talked about

when accepting new
orders from their customers ...
Last night I wondered

if I'd made a huge
error ... but today all's well.
Funny how life goes.

~ ~ ~

As for Wimbledon
What a week it's been!
I'm still watching yesterday's
tennis matches and

just saw Maria
lose to Kudryavtseva
in the 2nd round.

James Blake now out too
also Novak Djokovic
and apparently

Andy Roddick lost
to Tipsarevic after
winning the 1st set ...

That's the match that I'm
watching currently because
I'm quite far behind

due to my classes
and a jazz concert last night
I attended with

a friend I'd not seen
in a LONG time. It was well
past eleven when

I returned home so
this morning I'm 'dragging' just
a bit ... creating

my Haiku today,
but at least I've got the day
at home to catch up.
~ ~ ~

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thought for Today
"Sometimes it's necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to back a short distance correctly." Edward Albee

HF #49 - Changes: I've been 'productively' busy this morning ... (and this afternoon too)

You may (or may not)
have seen a NEW blog listed
on my Blog Profile.

Hopefully this change
will correct problems without
generating new

challenges ... we'll see!
I have moved my Blog Rolls and
'summary' Bling posts

in hopes these changes
will help Small Reflections load
more quickly ... and that

leaving comments will
be less agonizingly
slow & tedious

for all visitors
plus make publishing my posts
easier as well.

I've modified the
About Me section in my
sidebars to reflect

these alterations
and updated links therein
to help visitors

find whatever they're
seeking ... although this laptop
over heated and

shut down several times
making it more challenging
to complete this post.

It is 6:20
and methinks I'll simply stop
and publish it now.

~ ~ ~

Addendum: 4:15am Saturday morning
I intended to share awards yesterday, but it got so late (and this old laptop was working so slowly) that I decided to skip that. This morning, however, I'm adding a couple of awards created and shared by Tammy of Mom Knows Everything ... way back in early May as she celebrated her 1st Blogoversary. Somehow they got 'lost' in my files until they surfaced yesterday while I moved my 'Awards & Bling' to my new blog and updated it.

I'd like to offer them to all who leave a comment below to show my appreciation, and if time permits, I hope you'll also check out my 48th Haiku Friday by clicking the link below the awards. You'll find more surprises there ;--)

My 48th Haiku Friday is at
Sacred Ruminations

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thought for Today
"Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations." Faith Baldwin

Haiku Friday #47 - Anticipation ...

Seems like there might be a theme for today
and , if so, I apologize for doing my own thing ... but
there's just one thing on my mind
this morning .

For several months
I've experienced challenges
with this computer.

512 mgs ...
not enough RAM anymore
(though this Inspiron

91 hundred
Dell laptop has served me well
since 2003).

After checking out
many brands at different stores
I determined a

Dell from Costco with
4 GB of RAM and a
17 inch screen

would be perfect ... but
it seemed 'prudent' to call Dell
just to see what 'deals'

not advertised on
their web site might tempt me to
order one direct.

As it turns out ... this
proved to be an excellent
idea because

Dell beat Costco's price
and offered a 'package' with
even more features!

So ... I've ordered a
1720 Intel
T 9-3 hundred

2.5 GHz
320GB hard drive...
I can hardly wait!



I'm not thrilled to switch
from XP Pro to Vista,
but I realize

it would be foolish
to buy a new laptop with
old 'technology'

so I'm counting the
days until June 26th ...
and just maybe it

will arrive sooner?
Stranger things have happened in
my life. Hopefully

this new Dell will serve
me for years to come the way
my 'old' laptop has.

~ ~ ~

My 46th Haiku Friday is at
Sacred Ruminations

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thought for Today
I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." Pablo Picasso

Haiku Friday #37 - Focus on Thinking

Happy Mother's Day

I hope that you're all
planning something delightful
in addition to

whatever else your
family does ... Make it a
day to remember!

Thanks to Scylla at Law & Motherhood for this cool Haiku button

Many of you moms
diligently raising kids
may be in'trested

in the T-13
I posted here yesterday
highlighting clear 'signs'

of 'improved' thinking ...
observable ... yet precise
methods to measure

and facilitate
growth ... development ... in your
children and yourselves

as you interact
with 'curriculum' and those
who might be engaged

in the process of
education in our schools.
Listening to the

thought-provoking link
will uplift (and entertain)
while raising a few

issues worthy of
reflection and discussion ...
Together we can

make a difference
focusing on 'creative
capacity' might

shift the 'focus' of
schools to help our children thrive
Just 'imagine' this!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thought for Today
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." attributed to Harry S. Truman

Thursday Thirteen #12 - Healing Beliefs

Happy Valentine's Day
to everyone!

Thirteen Basic Beliefs of Louise Hay

Since I shared a sampling of healing affirmations from Louise Hay's book YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE in last week's T-13, I decided to share some points of her philosophy today for your consideration. When confronted with such ideas initially, my mind resisted argumentatively ... but over time I've come to accept the possibility that I might be wrong in some basic assumptions I hold about life so that these days I have "a little willingness" to "suspend my disbelief" long enough to test them out. I'm frequently surprised by the little miracles that follow such actions on my part, and am healthier today that I've ever been. A few of them still give me pause, but I've come to embrace fully numbers 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12 ... while allowing the others remain possibilities for now.

Here they are for your consideration:

1. We are each 100% responsible for our experiences.
2. Every thought we think is creating our future.
3. The point of power is always in the present moment.
4. Everyone suffers from self-hatred and guilt.
5. The bottom line for everyone is, "I'm not good enough."
6. It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed.
7. Resentment, criticism and guilt are the most damaging patterns.
8. Releasing resentment will dissolve even cancer.
9. When we really love ourselves, everything in our life works.
10. We must release the past and forgive everyone.
11. We must be willing to begin to learn to love ourselves.
12. Self-approval and self-acceptance in the now are the key to positive changes.
13. We create every so called "illness" in our body.

Thought for Today
Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor ... let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eye, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." Mother Theresa

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Get the Thursday Thirteeen code here!

For easy access, I’ve listed more T-13 links along with the
Thursday Thirteen Blogroll to the bottom of my sidebar.

To see more of my T-13s ,
click on Thursday Thirteen in labels below.

Reclaiming my Yard (Part 2) or A Slow & Tedious Single-Handed Transition

I suppose this could also be entitled
How I Made a Bunch of New Friends From
Passers-by Who Stopped to Chat :)

Day by day (as time & energy permitted) I worked in the yard ... enjoying my progress (however slow & tedious it seemed to others) ... making new friends as folks on their way to and from the beach stopped to comment (many offering suggestions as to how I might speed things along, not realizing I was using this as a meditative practice). I spent considerable time thinking about how I might similarly reclaim the inside of my home (as in clear out the clutter of books and reading material that collect on any horizontal surface despite my best intentions).

I started by cutting the Korean grass covering the concrete "footer" originally designed & put in place to keep the lawn out of the flowerbeds. I knew it was there, but others were surprised as it reappeared. Next I cut back the bushes encroaching on my walk-way to the house, then started digging out the roots. That's when I discovered the first of many 3" in diameter roots from the city's tree on my neighbor's parkway and invested in a hand-saw to cut them out in foot-long pieces so I could pull them out in sections.

As it turned out, those tree roots were EVERYWHERE in my yard (and probably still run under the grass area) though the offending tree itself has been removed after the fact (illegally, of course, by my new neighbors who afterwards planted something in its place that is lovely and hopefully less intrusive ... all without the city's knowledge ... just as others on the block have done previously). When they asked me about taking this action (ie should they get a permit first), I suggested that it's often easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission in such cases. Actually, I suspect it's quite possible the city is relieved to have home-owners pay for such removal and replacement :)

But I digress (please bear with me as my mind wanders often these days) so I'll now continue with my tale of transition.

Removing the grass from the stream bed was most challenging. I'd clear out a section of rocks, pull the grass out by the roots, replace the 27 year old plastic with a new piece (cut to size & overlapping the previous one), sprinkle a little rock salt to slow down future grass growth, and replace the rocks one-by-one before moving on to the next section and repeating the process. Of course this took WEEKS of daily effort, but I enjoyed the pleasant weather and didn't worry about how long it would take. I snapped photos of my progress to email to family and friends (and now to share with you), but as I look at the photo-collage ... I realize it doesn't contain those close-up pix, so maybe I'll see if I can make a "mini-collage" to use in a later post (making note to self as I type that thought here).

I suppose I could have invested in a weed-wacker and/or some other tools, but I am "a senior citizen" and doing this by hand allowed me to sit down on the job. In addition, it didn't require me to learn new skills or risk injury by accident :)

Eventually it did become obvious (even to my independent self) that I could use some help. I managed to use my trusty pruning tools and newly acquired hand-saw to prune the lime and lemon trees (as I've done yearly for decades) as well as to decimate the peach tree that had never produced edible fruit probably because it was planted too close to the house and in the shade of the lime tree. What I couldn't do however was dig out the massive root system created by this tree over its 27 year life span. So, I enlisted the help of a local gardening service for this purpose.

When they offered a deal I couldn't refuse, I hired them also to finish stripping the lawn for me (much to the relief of my aching hands and back) and to clear off the parkway. It took three workers more than 4 hours (using power tools) to make the lawn area level as in the photo on the left, second from the bottom. Even better, they hauled away the debris so I didn't have make multiple trips dragging heavy trash cans filled to capacity the 120 feet from my front yard to the alley behind my house :)

I plan to create a mini-grid of those photos and pictures taken while they dug out the Tam Junipers on the parkway along with the Korean grass doing it's best to overtake them and claim the area for its own. The "parkway" task took 4 workers almost 5 hours to accomplish! Maybe I'll post it with the other mini-collage of my "rock clearing" photos.

So Karen ... I hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as you did Part 1.
More to follow as time permits :)

Reclaiming My Front Yard (Part One) or The Way Things Were Before I Started

As per Karen's suggestion in a recent comment,
I've decided to share the following saga in three parts.

In April of 2006, my front yard looked like this ... overgrown and crowded ... with plants and trees as out of control as the Korean grass that had crept over the concrete footers, infiltrated the rocks of the stream-bed drainage area and sneaked under the Tam Junipers on the parkway in an unsightly manner.

Navigating the walkway toward the house, avoiding the overhanging bushes and the fruit-laden branches of the Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree, required special skill for the Postman and other visitors. Ms. Kitty enjoyed the jungle-like growth because it offered many hiding places, but to me ... it had become an embarrassing eyesore.

Returning from a Caribbean Cruise, I struggled to drag my suitcase up the sidewalk and into the house muttering under my breath. The next day on a whim, I purchased several pairs of gloves and a hand-held electric clipper at Osh and got started doing what I could to take charge of the mess and reclaim the yard.

This was no small task and took the better part of 6 months to accomplish, but little by little I succeeded in pruning, weeding, ripping out, and reclaiming the space. This is Part 1.

Part 2 (the gradual process of reclamation) and Part 3 (new plants and regrowth over time) will follow in separate installments.

What's happened at Sober Briquette's Blog? (Thanks for the Memories!) and here's me ... wishing you a speedy recovery :--)

I love Sandra Boynton's work! And, even though Harry Nillson couldn't dance ... the man could sing a song we'd all end up humming for decades! Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Now I remember why I hate to "clean house" ... disaster often strikes unexpectedly! Best of luck on your "reconstruction" at Sober Briquette ...
Hugs and blessings,

5-25-09 Addendum

This post showed up under today's Memorial Day post and I was moved to check it ... just because. Apparently my original Harry Nillson link is no more ... removed for 'use violation' ... so I'm adding THIS link today even though it's likely no one will ever see it ... just because. It seems that Sober Briquette's gone missing once again ... dunno where SHE is but Sandra Boynton's still around making folks smile. Guess I may be the only one who checks out older posts from time to time. Let's hear it for nostalgia and returning to our beginnings ;--)

On Mindfulness, Transforming Anger, Practicing Peace, and Making a Difference

This morning, I found a post entitled "Mindfulness and Transforming Anger" at The Dream Life. It started me thinking about what matters and what doesn't. While listening to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh (two of my favorite people) discuss this topic -- I found the video clip both timely and perfect. I decided immediately to mention the post here, and to add a sidebar link at Sacred Ruminations so I (and others) can return easily to be reminded as needed in the future.

While I was at You Tube I discovered the following related links. I believe each to be well worth the time required to watch and listen whenever time permits. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks on Living in the Present Moment, Mindful Walking, and Peace in Every Step. The first two are a few minutes long. The last video link is more than an hour in length, but resonates so truly with my personal experience and beliefs that I opted to include it for anyone who cares to listen.

My "ex" was drafted in his mid-twenties and spent 13 months in Vietnam ... returning alive, but forever changed. In turn, my own life was altered. He was a social worker and I an educator. We did what we could with what we had to effect change in positive ways, yet we each spent many years frustrated and angry at the recognition that the main thing to be learned from history is that we don't learn from history. In the early 70s, I recall attending a meeting of a group called "Beyond War" based on an Einstein quote to the effect that war is obsolete. A story was shared there (leaving me with a vivid & long-lasting image) in which people were sitting together in a room filled with barrels of gasoline. Each person held a book of matches, but no one was foolish enough to strike one because doing so would destroy themselves along with everyone else. The older I get (and, of course, I'm a dinosaur) the more I realize that carrying anger & frustration doesn't help solve much of anything.

(Hmmmm ... that reminds me of a pink t-shirt I used to wear often that said something like "Never try to teach a pig to sing" on the front and "It wastes your time and annoys the pig" on the back) ... but I digress and my mind wanders easily these days. Forgive an old broad, please? :-)

While listening this morning to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh, I recalled that a couple of days ago I left a comment elsewhere on a different (but similar) topic and I share an excerpt here because it captures the essence of how I'm changing (with more effort than I care to admit) and articulates my current belief about how to make a difference which could lead to resolution of the difficult issues of our time. I quote myself here ...

"If we could just accept that we're not "alone" but rather "all one" we'd each do what's necessary to resolve the world's problems recognizing "we're all in this together" ... especially since we've seen earth from space and know how "precarious" life can be ... and we've learned that butterflies in Zimbabwe affect weather on California's coast. I have this image in my mind of a giant jigsaw puzzle and each of us is a piece. When we get lost (or fail to show up and get connected) gaps exist that no one else can fill."

One thing I know for sure from personal experience ... change begins with each of us as we gain awareness of what's within ... learn to own, honor, and live as congruently with our convictions as possible ... find ways to understand ourselves and others ... practice compassion & kindness while we pay attention to the results of our thoughts, words, and deeds as reflected in our relationships with others.

There are many paths, tools & habits to assist and/or guide our journey. A COURSE IN MIRACLES states "when the student is ready, the teacher appears" (and vice versa). It also assures us that all it takes is "a little willingness" to be open to the possibility for change. Don Miguel Ruiz offers a simple (if not easy) path through THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. Hundreds of others point to ways to begin ... and practice ... each moment ... to awaken to and embrace truth as we understand it in each moment.

I'm reminded of Thailand Gal's Blog Blast for Peace ... and perhaps this is my version? I offer it here for your consideration and comments.

My brother used to say "discretion is the better part of valor" and I'm taking it to heart today with GR

Alle alle auxen ... free!

After accumulating more than 900 new posts vying for my attention in Google Reader (watching the number drop as I devoted significant time to reading and leaving occasional comments on newly discovered Blogs ... only to see it climb again when I encountered more fascinating new sites everywhere I explored), I've decided to use the feature that allows me to "mark all posts as read" from now on when I add a new site, rather than continuing to try to "catch up" with previous posts as I've tried to do the past week or so. Clearly, it's a losing proposition anyway. Eventually I may go "exploring the past" ... but for now, I'm sticking with NEW posts to save my sanity. :)

I do like the convenience of GR letting me know when a Blog I've discovered (and enjoy reading) has something new so I don't need to search aimlessly any longer. Google Reading allows me to use my "computer time" more productively, and in addition, this nifty free program allows me to read posts "black on white" ... which is easier with these aging eyes than trying to decipher white writing on a dark background ... and that (in itself) is a gift to myself.

I've added a few new "favorites" to my link list here on Small Reflections finally (something I'd neglected for a while once I started using GR) and will try to keep it current as I find interesting Blogs. Live and learn ... baby steps. :)

Saturday's Saga or Life Away from the Computer

Late Friday afternoon workmen arrived next door to "tent" the neighbor's house for fumigation. I knew it was happening and planned accordingly for Saturday.

Molly and I took a long walk early and played "fetch" in the front yard until she was exhausted (it's no small thing to wear out a not quite three year old Lab). I showered, dressed in purple & red, donned a red hat, gave Molly a "Greenie" & a new Nylabone ... and left her safely indoors with the windows shut ... to chew & snooze away until I returned to play with her again.

Thus I left home (and the virtual world of bloggers) to join my favorite Red Hatters out in the world. I picked up A and we drove together ... joining the other gals at a Red Hat Holiday Boutique before moving on to have lunch at a Soup Plantation restaurant in the area. This year's boutique was tiny compared to last year's event and some of the women seemed disappointed, but I'm trying not to spend money anyway ... so I enjoyed visiting with everyone I hadn't seen for a while. The folks at the restaurant set up tables for the 12 of us and we had a wonderful time together. These gals know how to have fun.

In case you don't know about Red Hatters, you can learn about the Red Hat Society at their official website.

"The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next." Sue Ellen Cooper, Queen Mother

Women 50 or older wear purple with red hats while those under 50 wear lavender with pink hats. During our birthday month, we reverse the colors ... wearing either red with a purple hat or pink with a lavender hat ... so feel free to wish us "Happy Birthday" when you see our colors switched.

I joined the community of Red Hats a few years ago when I found myself alone (after my sister retired and hit the road with her husband ... and my best friends left for a few months simultaneously). I knew I needed someone other than Molly to get me out of the house. So I logged on to the official website, entered my Zipcode, looked around, found an event close to home, donned a purple outfit & red hat, and went "tea tramping" ... in search of folks I liked. That's how I encountered Sisters at Heart, the gals I "played" with yesterday. I occasionally link up with two other Red Hat groups for a meal or activity as well.

But I digress ... back to my vagabond sister and her husband. After retiring from the work force, B & R rented out their house (for gas money they explained), leaving Jeff (a friend of their oldest son) living in "Grandma's quarters" (you might recall mom died in 1989) in charge of collecting and depositing rent from others in the house. However, they returned after about 3 months when she fell and dislocated her kneecap. Fortunately Jeff agreed to find other lodgings allowing them to move back in into their house during her recovery & physical therapy. Living with strangers in the rest of their house presented interesting challenges for all concerned, but they were home for about 6 months before hitting the road again ... this time leaving a room available for future emergencies.

This time they meandered through Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Canada ... visiting friends & seeing sights along the way as they headed for Alaska where they spent a month touring with other RVers ... having a wonderful time. Afterwards they drove through Canada into Montana ... and on to Colorado where they visited with more friends ... experiencing snow for the first time as RVers ... eventually heading south through New Mexico and into Arizona ... intending meander through the South on their way to Florida. However, once again (this time after being on the road for almost 6 months) health issues brought them home unexpectedly around Thanksgiving of last year. It was my brother-in-law's knee replacement that "came apart" and needed to be redone ... requiring about six months of recovery & physical therapy. As I've written elsewhere, they're currently on the East Coast and plan to winter in Florida.

This is all to explain how it came to be that I didn't post anything yesterday. Here is Saturday's saga ... and perhaps I'll find something to blog about before this day ends, posting a second piece to make up for missing yesterday ... or not. :)

Equal Time for Ms. Kitty

It's the day after Halloween and I admit, I'm relieved to know Ms. Kitty has survived yet another ghostly holiday. M has encouraged me for years to bring her inside at this time of year, telling grisly tales of what some misguided folk do with black cats ... but she will have none of that.

She's an independent sort who values her freedom and definitely doesn't want to be indoors for any length of time ... especially with "the great white beastie" smells close by. The only way she ever enters the house is of her own volition ... and she'll remain calmly explorative only as long as the door remains open & accessible for a quick exit on her own terms. These days it's always from the front of the house ... into the living room where Molly is not allowed because it's carpeted.

This morning I found Ms. Kitty where she usually hangs out currently ... sleeping on the white bench pad my new neighbors donated after she had filled it with black hair in THEIR yard. They've since replaced it with another and have sprayed the new one with something to discourage her from claiming IT ... and interestingly ... she seems to like the new location of her comfy pillow on MY front patio ... underneath one of the blue chairs just outside the French Doors. Apparently it's protected enough for her to relax the way she once did in the fenced yard two doors inland ... before she adopted me.

Actually, Ms. Kitty has "a small igloo" of her own ... purchased especially for her by me after Molly moved in and claimed the larger one in the back yard that was home to Zonker for 16 years before he passed in 2001, a couple of weeks after I retired. It's furnished with the comfy cat bed that she once slept in at my feet in the family room ... (as long as the back door remained open). Once it was clear to me that the cat didn't want anything to do with the puppy ...(nor ME for a while)... I created a safe haven for her on the deck above the garage ... near the spa. She's long slept on the warm cover when the nights get chilly ... and since there's a gate at the top of the stairs to keep the dogs away, it seemed perfect. For a while I kept food & water there for her as well.

However, Ms. Kitty had other ideas ... and it didn't take long for her to claim the front yard as her own ... along with the front yard of my neighbor toward the ocean. That worked fine until they sold the house and moved back to Riverside to be near their family. The new owners made significant changes inside & out before moving in last year, and they have a cat of their own ... hence the changes described above.

I've tried putting the igloo on the front patio, but Ms. Kitty didn't use it there ... so I've moved it back on the deck where she DOES retreat occasionally ... usually when it rains. As my friend M is fond of saying ... it's good to have options ... and she does.

Now ... for all my cat loving friends, I offer this collage of kitty photos ... giving equal time for THIS fur-friend. For those of you unfamiliar with Blog-reading ... clicking on the collage gives you a larger view. Enjoy!

Beginnings

With encouragement and support from friends, I'm venturing out into this public space for the first time after making a promise to my Taos Writers Retreat "Buddy" yesterday that I'd post something before our next weekly call. I've been a "closet writer" for decades, only occasionally sharing anything with a few trusted friends so this is a BIG STEP.

"Today I choose to embrace changes. I open my heart to its hidden but abundant blessings."
(from Transitions) by Julia Cameron

I'm a "newbie" to Blogs ... jumping in with both hands and all my fingers to see what happens this morning. Because I usually journal with my favorite mechanical pencil in hand ... darkening the page with whatever crosses my mind as honestly and fluidly as I'm able, composing at the keyboard is a new experience for me. I've long created some unusual "visual" pieces that I've framed and given to friends as gifts. I'm hoping I'll figure out how to upload a few here eventually, but for now ... just posting something will have to be good enough because I've procrastinated far too long already.

"Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the two." Octavio Paz

With gusty winds blowing and devastating fires burning all over Southern California, I'm grateful to live where I do in a relatively "safe" flat area of the southland near the ocean ... though the closest fire is less than 20 miles away burning out of control. Smoke and particulates fill the air making breathing difficult, but the only actual challenges I'm facing today are the huge palm fronds littering my yard, my front patio furniture blowing into the neighbor's yard, the awning on my 2nd story patio deck flapping precariously as it threatens to self-destruct and fly away, my feral cat hiding out, my Labrador Retriever pup driving me crazy indoors because walking is not an option at the moment, and my lovely garden being sucked dry.

I'm praying for all those affected by these fires and am hoping that the weather will calm down enough to get these infernos under control quickly with minimal destruction. May we each go about our day gently and compassionately, gratefully counting our blessings and generously giving of ourselves as we're able.