Nature

 

Benign

When "The World Is Too Much With Us"*

Redirect. Focus.

Flee from the now, and in mind or reality, find beauty. Breathe it in. Peace and calm will follow. 

...so I'm told. Frankly, I'm a bit skeptical. 

Perhaps, instead, just scream or have a beer or go for a walk or pet the pets. Find the absurdity. Smile sardonically. Laugh. Have fun. 

And if all that doesn't work, go to bed. Another day might be better.

Repeat as necessary. 

*William Wordsworth

Dark Times

 

Find the Light

Art

 

"You're traveling through another dimension, 

a dimension not only of sight and sound 

but of mind, 

a journey 

into a wondrous land 

whose boundaries are that of 

imagination."*

Inspires the Imagination

photo credit: rkb

* Opening to the Twilight  Zone

Bad Witch, Good Bitch

 

Photos courtesy of Time; cartoon Chris Britt taken from The Week

 We all saw Melania from the front with  everyone having their various ideas on her  outfit and hat, but it was here from the back with that hand that cemented my thought: wicked witch. 

And while I so admired Michelle Obama for skipping the show entirely, I also commend Hillary coming and casting scorn giving her opinion. Her clap the clap of Nancy Pelosi* combined with her facial expression, told the world just what she thought of the man. He's not worth the space he takes to breath. Hillary is the epitome of so many intelligent, strong women who have had to deal with people like him who have so little good in them and yet so much ignorance, ego and coarseness instead. Call her what she is: the good bitch.

Finally, out of all that day, it was a lone Bishop, at the pulpit, face to face with Trump (who never goes to church but did that day), who told him to have mercy in his policies. While most of the world cowers and cringes and does nothing but wring their collective hands, she, like the little boy who told the emperor he had no clothes, Bishop Marian Budde told Trump the truth. David to his Goliath, she is

Courageous Woman

*after having had to sit and listen to his ignorant nonsense at his State of the Union Address to Congress

Come On In

Four years at Islamorada: neon lights, music, beer and good fun with good friends. 

The Keys' Life

Alabama Jack's

A portal 

to possibilities, 

        or, just good food.

Paradise Found?

Found

 

Evening, a string of lights and a white chair makes? Abstract beauty.

Art

One Person's Drainage

Visiting friends down in Florida, I went walking to go to the pool area only to discover.... fossilized shells. 

Another's Private Beach

Always

We had wormhole a week or so ago and now we have this. 

Here's to immersing in joy.

Happiness in any form is happiness still.

Morning in Islamorada

 

In Five 

For Right or Wrong

 

I was looking for something to do with a resource class I was having the other day, and came upon this. 

So true!

Habits

Tips for the Taking

Reading the NYTimes today, I came across a wellness article. While there were some good ones that I don't do, and probably should, there were some that I do almost religiously. There was also one I wish I did better, if not the way they suggest. It was a quick read with lots of food for thought. 

I once was famous for writing out my daily list of to-dos...and the first one would be, write the list. Hey, being able to cross one off got me started in the right direction. I am very good about breaking down jobs into parts.

One tip definitely needs to be more of a part of my life, and all of our lives: stop complaining. I can't say I do it this way, but I do try to be conscious of it, especially in my subbing. I'm not there to make complaints; I'm there to be as positive as possible, and if I do complain, I try to turn it around as quickly as possible with the flip side. Didn't have the plans til late, complaint. But there are students who are starting to know me and helped me out, a positive. 

I like to stay busy, and a cup of joe in the morning is my ticket to that. As for keeping it going all day, I take numerous mini breaks of a few minutes to a half hour between what I'm doing to reward myself. I never get another whole cup of coffee but a half a one and a sit on the couch reading gets me ready to do the next task on my list. 

Finally, the last two. Instead of complaining about physical work, I try to make it a positive. Have to get up four times in the morning to let the cats out? Good, they're getting me off my chair. Bonus: I don't use my hands, just my core to do that, and there I go, more exercise. Mentally, it's the same thing with basic chores. Boring? Maybe, but then I get the added benefit of success. Doing the dishes, folding the clothes, anything that takes little thought but gets me a success when life isn't quite working the way it should helps me to change my perspective.

Finding what works is key; following through is success. 

Ticket to Success

Black Hole, Worm Hole

Word A Day

All the Same to Time

Which Is It?

 

Or, Both?

In the Eye of the Beholder

  

Four lines 

and a circle

sit, standing

on a blank

canvas

A lonely figure

on an empty board

waiting

to be seen

as the students run past

Art

Christmas in Montana

An incredible invitation came in November. Friends invited us to celebrate Christmas in a wonderland of winter, Montana! 

Top, right: compliments of CPH.

And wonderland it was. We went skating one day, bowling another, and on yet another we drove up the pass to go sledding. Added bonus, I now get to say I've been to Idaho (less than a half mile in, but hey, Idaho!) There were walk-abouts, a beautiful Christmas gathering and dinner, with other meals out and some other meals for snacking, all perfect. I appreciate people who eat but don't fixate on meals and who are active but don't push for every moment to be plotted. It's so much more relaxing, enjoyable and comforting. 

Staying at their place, there was less snow but just my kind of country: visible neighbors, open tree land, and a house that feels like home, even for visitors. I woke every day to some quiet time shared with their dog Charlie and ended every night with family and friends before going to bed for some more quiet time. It was amazing.

How lucky I am to have people in my life willing to share their lives! Truly, it was a... 

Christmas to Remember!

And a nod to the new year. From my friend on New Year's, a perfect meme of how we all might feel on the first: Charlie, the morning after.

A Lost Treasure

A young girl struggling with the death of her father, is the sad, but honest, promising and insightful premise of How It Feels to Float. The novel, one of the never-signed-out books, is now one of my favorites. Here's wishing that this wonder is found by more than me.

Photography is her hope for finding peace. 

And, much like so much of life, her solution doesn't .... and does. 

With the help of therapy, love and understanding, Liz begins her path, a life-long path, to finding and living with herself. 

The truth of our lives, and hers, is in the remembering, coping and then moving on to peace. 

Advice for All

Did It Again

A few weeks ago, I bought two cat beds, for up to 20 pounds. I knew that was a little small but cats curl, don't they? 

No. 

20 is not 25. Biggie could barely make 1/3 of his body in it, let alone the whole. I gave the two beds to a friend, and they have made her cats happy. 

Yesterday I repeated. Seeing a cat hidey hole, I (once again) convinced myself Biggie and Gus would fit. 

They didn't. 

Will I Ever Learn?