Worse, or Better?

“Just when you think 

it can't get any worse, 

it can. 

And just when you think 

it can't get any better, 

it can.” 

― Nicholas Sparks

Life is funny that way, one minute you're thinking

"holy cow" -- what next???  

Then things turn around again, 

and its much better than it was.... 

thank goodness!  

Sometimes

“Sometimes people are beautiful.

Not in looks.

Not in what they say.

Just in what they are.”

― Markus Zusak

Love is Life

Love is life. 

And if you miss love, 

you miss life.

--Leo Buscaglia

It's Yours

The world you desire

can be won.

It exists.....

it is real.....

it is possible.....

it's yours.”

― Ayn Rand

Be Bold

Live in the sunshine, 

swim the sea, 

drink the wild air…

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be bold ..... Be Brave ..... Be Yourself! 

Singin' 60's

I'll sing to you each mornin'

I'll kiss you every night

But darlin', don't cling to me

I'll soon be out of sight

But we can sing in the sunshine

We'll laugh every da-a-y

We'll sing in the sunshine

Then I'll be on my way

From 1964 by Gale Garnett

(*hear it here*)

it was a gorgeous morning here

in the Valley of the Sun ---

and this song has been ringing

through my head all morning.

I can remember sunny Saturday mornings, 

doing the little chores that my parents 

assigned me and my siblings.

This would come on the radio, and

my sister and I would belt it out,

singing to our hairbrushes ---

oh yeah, we were   S*T*A*R*S!  

*laughing* 

Sunshine

"You've got to get out

and pray to the sky

to appreciate the sunshine;

otherwise, you're just a lizard

standing there with

the sun shining on you."

--Ken Kesey

that was pretty much my Saturday -
parts of it spent lazing in the sun
like a lizard.
Other parts of it were being busy
outdoors in the sunshine,
working my garden,
and in the last heat of the day,
shedding the last of my clothes
to feel the warmth of the sun
on my naked skin.

Doing Nothing

Don't underestimate 

the value of Doing Nothing, 

of just going along, 

listening to all the things you can't hear, 

and not bothering.  

~Pooh's Little Instruction Book

good ol' Pooh, 

he has some of the best advice! 

there are some moments when

you just have to chill, stretch out,

and let the rest of the world 

take care of itself.  Happy Friday!

Sunset

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, 

my soul expands in worship of the Creator”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

this was my view from my

backyard chair as i sat

gazing at the sun as it went down.

We have marvelous sunsets here in

the Valley of the Sun!!

Toes

here it is 8 days later ... and my toe is still swollen and listing off to the side.  Yeah, they're odd looking feet, but the right foot, middle toe has been swollen and sore to the touch for over a week -- broken or sprained, it was the dumbest thing.......

some nights Sadie doesn't settle down very well -- i think pugs by nature are a finicky sort -- and i had gotten up with her three different times after being put to bed.  Mind you, this was the week i was on a 5am-2 shift, and i needed every little zzzz i could grab!

When Sadie woke me for the umpteenth time, i marched to the back door to let her out, grabbing the knob and flinging the door open, smashing it right into my toe.  i think i saw stars!!!

Since i'm not the wimpy type, the next morning i hobbled out of bed, i shoved my foot into a shoe and limped my way through the next three days at work.  I even struggled through two days of workouts at the gym - but no running!  Over the weekend, i went barefoot and rested as much as possible.

It's still sore to the touch 8 days later, but at least i can walk without looking like a gimp!

Square it up

another post inspired by a topic....."Square it up!"

Colour My Week

i'm chuckling to myself as i sit here
looking at the blog, getting ready to
make another post.

my forehead scrunches up, my eyes
squint - i can't believe i named two
posts in a row with the same title!
*laughing and shaking my head*


it's been quite a week, what with a
schedule change, loads of work, and
preparations for a new manager to
step in.  That's always ... fun!  heh heh


when i get tired, and bogged down in
other parts of life,
finding inspiration for my photos
is harder to come by,
so i turn to topics posted by a group....
this one was called :

"Colour my week: with a mixture of strong colours"

Express Yourself

“It's ok to express yourself, and be different. 

That is life, and we need to learn that it's ok to do just that.” 

― Prisila Villafan

Express Yourself

“Beauty 

without expression 

is boring.” 

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alone is not Lonely

“Know this and know it

more than you've ever bothered 

to understand anything before: 

I am as lonely as they come.

As empty as they make them......

But I have come to the 

conclusion that loneliness,

no matter how often it weighs the soul, 

is sometimes a beautiful thing.” 

― Christopher Poindexter

i have to admit, i found that to be an interesting quote.

Being alone is not a thing i dwell on often. 

It is what it is, and i'm ok with it, with the way things are.

i don't have to share my closet space, i don't pick up

someone else's dirty sox, the toilet seat is always just

how i left it, and the remote is buried somewhere and

i'm ok with that too!  *laughs*  

being alone gives me time to think, to dream,

it frees up time for me to pursue any kind of photography

that suits my mood, tickles my fancy.  

Does that mean i want to be alone for always?

no... who does?  but sometimes i think i'm more

accepting of the way things are, not trying to fill

every waking moment spent in pursuit of the ideal

that most people assume:  if you're alone, you're lonely.

but a comment now and then from you

is always most welcome :) 

.. in ourselves

“The appearance of things changes 

according to the emotions; 

and thus we see magic 

and beauty in them, 

while the magic and beauty

are really in ourselves.” 

―Kahlil Gibran

Just me

“Sometimes people are beautiful.

Not in looks.

Not in what they say.

Just in what they are.” 

―Markus Zusak

 

Body Positive

You would never tell your friend 

she looks fat in a bathing suit, 

or tell your coworker his arms are scrawny, 

so why would you tell yourself that?  

"To wish you were someone else 

is to waste the person you are." 

—Anonymous

"A beautiful thing is never perfect." 

—Egyptian proverb

i hope you had a good week, 

it felt like a long one for me after

coming back home from a visit

with my folks.  Catching up with

all the things that accumulate when 

you're away has kept me busy -- 

laundry, grocery shopping, errands --

all mundane necessities of life! 

And now that i'm home, we are 

finally getting rain in the Valley of 

the Sun after going without rain

for 70 days.  i woke up to wind

and pattering rain drops -- and just

wanted to stay curled up in bed all day!