made my day

Such a wonderful, beautiful, round box! ~ 05.23.07

This beautiful, round box - filled with goodies - came in the mail today as part of the Box Swap over at CAC. (thanks nyjlm! I love it.)

"Just living is not enough said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Anderson

reaching

portrait of a mini rose ~ 05.18.07

"Ethics is about how we meet the challenge of doing the right thing when that will cost more than we want to pay." ~The Josephson Institute of Ethics

journey

Mama & babies ~ Monroe, WA ~ 05.17.07

4PM today: I'm sitting in my car, waiting. A field of long grass and weeds in front of me, in a way it is beautiful. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something moving along the edge of the parking lot. A mother duck and her three babies waddling along in the long grass. Mama ducking her head, seemingly trying to make the group less visible. She was sneaking. The babies, heads bobbing, weren't following suit - just bobbing along behind her.

I grabbed my point & shoot digicam and followed them, but kept my distance. The mother seemed to be trying to loose me, so I didn't follow them long. I wanted to though. I wanted to follow them all evening, to find out where they were headed.

Still now, hours later, I wonder where they ended up. And if they crossed a nearby road safely. I can't think of any water near where they were, or in the direction they were going. I've managed to convince myself that they will be fine, but I still wonder where they were going and where they had been.

"There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend." ~Ted Koppel

h2o

water in a bottle ~ 05.15.07

remember

"It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen." ~Frances Burnett

mail call

Some days I let myself wonder as I step toward the mailbox, what might I find inside? Will there be a letter or card from someone that I love? Or might it be bills and catalogs? Yesterday, the post contained a special delivery.

A beautiful handmade journal, created by Marta ~ 04.23.07

Inside it holds a surprise on each page, quotes. I love quotes. This bounty was brought as part of a journal swap over at CAC. Thank you Marta for the truly lovely journal!


"Readers are plentiful. Thinkers are rare." ~Harriet Martineau

above & beyond

cloud ~ 1:32PM ~ 04.14.07

clouds ~ 5:05Pm ~ 04.14.07

sun breaking through ~ 5:08PM ~ 04.14.07

give me a hand

My hand ~ 04.12.07

Thursday is Photo Day over at CAC. The subject this week, hands. This is my submission. : )

obscure

Clouds with potential ~ Redmond, WA ~ 04.11.07

light & shadow

Evening clouds ~ Duvall, WA ~ 04.10.07

a good day

Easter basket bounty ~ 04.08.07

Easter daisies ~ 04.08.07

Long tree shadows ~ Alki Beach, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Rocks on the beach ~ Alki Point, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Seagulls sailing on the sky ~ Alki Beach, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Skyline through artwork ~ Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Spring in your step

Blue sky + clouds = thoughts of Spring (rain?) ~ Above Bothell, WA ~ 040507

The Thursday challenge photo for CAC.

2:44PM

Rameses sends a grimacing stare as I try to lean back on the couch, "Yeah, it hurts", I say. He seems to be aware of the pain that is piercing my back, but it's much more likely that he's ticked because I don't give him kitty treats whenever he askes. He's gained quite a bit of weight the last three months. Short of training him on the treadmill - we've decided less treats and smaller portions at meals might help.

There are times when he's staring at me that I think he's trying to use ESP in an effort to persuade me to supply more food. Seriously, I think he may be frustrated by his inability to brainwash me.

deepest, darkest ...

Look deep, deeper. Keep looking. What do you see? I see a light, shimmering light. It comes and goes, follows it's own path. Then there, look. Shadows playing with the light - teasing. Where one goes, the other follows - on a parallel mission. Fishing for something or leading us on. Appearing joined at the hip, it's a ying and yang thing, an ebb and flow -a team at work or maybe it's play.

blossom

Spring in bloom ~ Bothell, WA ~ 03.31.07

I saw this bud opening up today, and thought it fit perfectly with the quote Seren proposed a just few days ago. So I made a portrait to share here.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anais Nin

orange kitty

orange kitty waiting ~ 03.30.07

There's an orange kitty that lives in our neighborhood. We love him. He always wants to come inside and visit. In the evenings, on non-rainy days, he sits and waits on the front stoop for us to come home. We've been told his name is Charley, but we call him Orange Kitty - he seems to like it.

portraits of a daisy

pink daisy ~ 03.30.07

pink daisy ~ 03.30.07

Trader Joe's has a good deal on flowers, I usually pass them by. Today the pink daisies were calling my name, so they came home with me.

"Three keys to more adundant living; caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others." ~ William A. Ward

words

People that you meet on the street;
Sometimes seem to keep up with your heartbeat.
Then silence, not a peep.
Makes you wonder, is there really any easy speak?

change is good

I saw a preview for a new airplane today (the 787 dreamliner), at a Schools Foundation luncheon. Seems an unlikely place, but there it was - an advertisement that brimmed with inspiration and good feeling. You know the way I mean - where you forget they're trying to sell you something. The keynote speaker was Bob Watt from Boeing, and though I'd usually have a touch of bitterness about his creatively slipping a plug in for the company - this time I'm letting it slide.

His words were genuine and meaningful. He spoke of intellectual horsepower, persistence and creativity. Then of the constant changes in the world - saying, "change is good as long as we can see it as a challenge and not as a crushing reality".

At first this quote struck me as exactly what I needed to hear, I was prepared to write a glowing letter saying so. Except that now, twelve hours later, I'm less enamored by the sentiment. The question, "what if I am (temporarily) tired of challenges?" has crept into my mind several times. His words are good, and they certainly apply to the world in which we live. In my case, though, I think a respite is in order. I agree change (in moderation) can be good. At this moment though, I'd like to get my bearings. So, if there must be change - I'd like only good changes from here on out.

Okay?

begin

"You can't prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair." ~ Chinese proverb
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I'm back to reading more often. Still, I have more books than time to read them - but they are a joy to have around. They're the kind of companions that can sit with you for hours without complaint. Friends waiting, happy for the company. Or maybe inanimate objects incapable of movement, until the reading begins.