Sassy!

Sassy:

(adj.) lively, bold, and full of spirit; cheeky








The word sassy

popped into my head

the moment I saw this pose.

Frankly, I'm not sure I could be

considered sassy -- because I'm

more introverted than not.

Or maybe it's that most don't

get to know or see my sassy side.

I tend to keep a lot hidden!

Goodbye, 2017!

Hello New Year!

Sunshine!

Sending you

a little bit

of sunshine

to brighten

your day!












A gorgeous 76 degrees today

in the Valley of the Sun

so I thought I'd share a bit with you!

As for me, I'm tired. 

Work has been hellish

but plenty of overtime!

Which I don't want! 

I'd rather have more "me" time!

As 2017 comes to a close,

I look forward to a bright new year!

Merry Christmas!

Unique Gift

I am

a unique gift

to this world!

Don't Be!

d o n ' t   b e  

l i k e   t h e   

r e s t   o f   t h e m

d a r l i n g 

- c o c o   c h a n e l

Peaceful

 

"I love the idea that everyone has a gift to give. 

And I believe that the world is waiting for us to give it to them." 

-Elle Luna

After a long stretch of work days,

ahhh, a day off feels so good!

It's been as quiet and peaceful

as it can get ... and that's how I like it!

If you're like me, you avoid all forms

of shopping!  I do what I must, but 

never any more than that! 

Wishing you peace, my friend! 

Dear Santa

D e a r   S a n t a :

I s   i t   t o o   l a t e

t o   b e   g o o d ? ?

Keep It Simple

“Not believe in Santa Claus! 

You might as well not believe in fairies!” 

― Francis Pharcellus Church

Children and Christmas, they go together

and when your children are grown and gone,

Christmas becomes different.

Not in a bad way, 

just different.

Me, I try to find ways to bring a little of the

joy I found being a parent at Christmas time

to my grown kids.  Today, I cooked up a huge

batch of spaghetti and took it over to my son's

family, along with a loaf of french bread, 

some goooey cupcakes, and gifts.  

I wrapped a box of dog treats for their dogs,

I gave my son his favorite jerky and beef stew lunches.

I gave my daughter in law a pair of wonderfully soft

socks, and cute lap blankets for the two teenagers. 

(along with a box of Mike and Ike candy!)

I also fixed up a dish of Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark

(and added in some Smirnoff Peppermint Twist).

Simple gifts, wrapped simply,

designed to bring a smile to their faces!

Keeping Christmas simple ... that's me! 

Unbecoming

Maybe the journey

isn't so much about

becoming anything.

Maybe it's about

unbecoming everything

that isn't really you,

so you can be who

you were meant to be

in the first place.

So What!

“So what if you have stretch marks.

So what if you have cellulite.

So what if you don’t have flawless skin.

So what if you don’t have a body

that other people deem to be perfect.

So what!

Don’t allow people to define YOUR beauty.

Hold your head up high

and know who YOU are!

DO NOT EVER allow anybody to make you feel

as if you’re NOT enough.

You ARE enough!

BELIEVE that.”

― Stephanie Lahart

Diamonds

Your diamonds

are not in 

far distant mountains

or in yonder seas;

they are in

your own backyard,

if you but dig for them.

-Russell Conwell

An absolutely gorgeous day

here in the Valley of the Sun.

80 degrees and full of sunshine.

It would be a shame to mar it

with thoughts about anything else!

Happy Weekend, my friend!

Throwback Thursday

From December, 2012

To be beautiful

means to be yourself.

You don't need to be

accepted by others.

You need to accept

yourself.  

-Thich Nhat Hahn

Life has a way of keeping me

busier than I like!

We've finally hit cool weather

here in the Valley of the Sun.

We barely reach 70 degrees,

and with the winds kicking in

tonight's walk with Sadie was

quite a chilly one,about 55!

Well, chilly for us -- I wore a

long sleeved shirt AND a light jacket!!

Pick Me Up!

Sometimes the perfect

pick-me-up

is a phone call

from an old friend!

So thank you, friend,

for calling;  I was shooting

as we talked!  *grin*





A work update that's had me upset

has to do with the co-worker issue.

I took it above store level to HR,

and her advice?  "Let the system

do it's job."  My reply was that I've

tried to let that happen -- for SIX YEARS!

Sadly, because of how the "system" works,

by the end of March, the coaching(s) will

drop off and he'll be starting over fresh.

AGAIN.

I told her and my store management that

"I'm done".  This seems to be a true sign

that I need to find a different location.

Of course, no one's doing much hiring during

the Holiday Season without major issues, so

I'll just have to bide my time until the new year.

Poetry in Motion

Morning twilight turns

to a lavender sky

as the sun rises.

In the sweep of my

headlights, I catch the

soft glow of

a black machine

sleek gloss black paint

with lots of shiny chrome.

My heart thunders

as I admire this sexy machine.

We approach a red light

and stop side by side.

I rolled my window down

and smiled.

With a quick glance

our eyes met and held -

until the light turns green.

And in timeless fashion

he drops the pedal to the metal

and races off as

I watch the taillight glow

of this sexy 67 GTO.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's hoping you had an 

enjoyable day with family 

and/or friends!

Those of us who work retail

get the short end of the stick

prepping for the rest of the world

who want to shop for their 

Holiday gift giving! 

But no matter, I still had a nice

plateful of turkey, mashed taters,

cornbread stuffing, green beans,

covered in gravy along with the

other normal side dishes. 

Sans family. 

But after 17 years, I guess you could

say this is the norm for me.

In the mean time, I happened to catch

the last rays of sunshine streaming in

my window, so I posed just for you!

My Backyard

Me:   I really want to travel!

My Credit Card:   Like.... to the backyard??

I saw this and found it humorous

because lately it seems I spend most of my time

at home.  In my yard.

And really I'm OK with that!

Travel with Sadie is difficult, at best.

As I grow older, I find that my circle of travel

is smaller.  I don't see the need to be on the go

all the time.  When I was younger, had children,

it seemed I was going somewhere.

Every single day!

So having the freedom to choose to stay home

can be a joyous thing! 

What's in your backyard?

Foolin' Around

Playing around with my new backdrop

and trying my hand at some motion

at the same time.

Sometimes ya just gotta fool around.

*grin*

Sunday Mornin'

Starting this Sunday with a clean heart.

No doubt, no tears,

No worry, no fears.

Retail and Black Friday.

If you're involved in either parts of this,

you can attest that it's the equivalent of a

walk through hell. 

Hours upon hours are spent prepping for

the madness, and lasts less than 24 hours.

So today, Sunday, is a very restful kind of day.

An early morning stroll through my backyard

checking on things newly planted to clear my

mind and put aside worries about work.

Early morning is my favorite time of day!

Sadie Smiles!

Side by side

comparisons

Personally,

I prefer B&W!

"Sadie ... let's go get the stroller!"



Lately, this has been how my afterwork

hours go.  We have our veggies for dinner,

then it's off into the stroller she goes

where I spend at least 30 minutes

getting in a good long walk, pushing her,

just over 1.5 miles. 

Just look how it makes her smile!

But it leaves little time for doing other "creative stuff" !! 

It's Wednesday, and we made it over the hump!

Free to be Me!

Out of your vulnerabilities

will come your strengths.

-Sigmund Freud

I was reading about being vulnerable today.

And it's not a weakness, it's more a strength.

People who consider themselves vulnerable

are those who feel deeply, who show others

parts of themselves that they may not be 

happy with.  And I've always felt I'm that way

too.  I allow myself to feel things, to share things,

to let a person get to know "the real me".  

But in my reading, I've also come to the conclusion

that I've shut off that part of me out of habit

because of my work situation.  

I know that I cannot be who I am, cannot share "me" 

with those I work with.  While it's not because of me, 

it affects who I am.  And I need to learn new ways

around that.   Perhaps that's why this blog works for me,

where I am free to be me! 

Morning Routine

Rise up,

start fresh,

see the bright opportunity

in each day










Sometimes, it isn't easy to do that!

I was watching an old Frazier episode

where he describes his morning routine,

he has to shower and shave, have his coffee,

a high fiber muffin, a touch of yogurt and

an untouched newspaper to read. 

If he doesn't have those things, his day is ruined!

And he's finally OK with that part of himself.

It got me thinking about my own morning routine.

I dress and get ready for work, then walk Sadie.

Neither Sadie nor I have a good day when we

skimp on our routine.  It's like having this segment

of things to do, and when they're done, your mind

is fresh to begin thinking and going about your day.

What about you, my friend?  Do you have one, too?

My Own Skin

Beauty is being

comfortable and confident

in your own skin

A Bit Blurry

Sometimes

blurry photos

are okay.

Sometimes life feels just a little bit blurry!

Things at work haven't improved

but my attitude toward it has....

sorta.

If higher ups don't give a damn,

neither do I!

Sadie and I have been busy

doing a lot of walking now that it's

finally cooled off in the evenings.

And when she tires, I toss her in

her stroller and just keep on walking.

Doing something always feels better

than doing nothing!

Just a Splurge!

Just a Splurge!

Every now and then

you come across something

you can't resist buying.

This week, it was a photographer's

adjustable backdrop by LimoStudio.

Not something I ever had in mind to 

want - or need - but there it was and

yep, I bought it!  

It's just a simple stand with a black

backdrop .... now it's just a matter of

figuring out what I can actually do with it! 

Looking forward to some "experiments"

this week! 

So. Mad.

What does it take to make you mad?

(I let this post sit, debated deleting it, yet here it is...)

I don't get mad often, but there are days .....

and this has been one of those kind of weeks!

It dragged on and on - and my co-worker Elvis

made it that way.  He has been doing the

same exact job for the last six years.  I am his

supervisor.  He was coached for pouring

gasoline from a power tool into a trash can. 

He's been trying to argue his case against this

since March.  When they finally told him

last week that they will not remove this coaching, he

has become very upset.  And he has made me his newest

"target".  Most times, I can shake off bad gossip, old tales,

but he takes it to a new level.  He told one of the gals that

I supervise that three years ago I called her a b***h.  He told

another of my peers that he is going to go 'over my head'

because he needs a better supervisor.  Today he told another

guy that I was the reason this guy didn't become part of the

management program 4 years ago (I know this guy well, he didn't

want  to be part of it!).  So how do you stop a runaway gossip?

I've been taking the "Rise Above" approach for nearly

six years now, and am finding it harder each day

to be anything more than civil to this individual.

I know I need to just stand tall, and keep doing what needs to be done.

but I sure am getting tired of it all!

What would you try?

Vacation's Over

Take chances, Make mistakes

Hello, my friend.

I'm back from my mini (working) vacation!

It's always nice to get away, even if it's so you 

can work on your Mom's "honey do" list!

My son and I traveled to see her, and tackled her

list of trimming trees, painting a workbench, 

running her around town on some errands, 

we even got one step ahead and hung her 

Christmas lights!  Yes, a little early, but that's

better than her climbing on a ladder outdoors!

It's not always nice coming back to work ....

all I can say is "ugh" and move on.  Do what I know

needs doing, and just not think about the rest.

I'm not a game player, so Elvis can ride back out

on the horse he rode in on, IMO.  I'm sure another

confab with management is in my future. 

I keep wondering if these are signs that I'm meant

to make a change, to move on, find something else.

Only time will tell.

In the meantime, it's good to be home!!

Thanks for stopping by :) 

Battles

Night is the

wonderful opportunity

to take rest,

to forgive,

to smile,

to get ready

for all the battles

you have to fight tomorrow.





Here it is, evening time:

the sun sets earlier every day.

And I know there are battles

I will have to fight again tomorrow.

Work has become very unpleasant

on days when I have to work with

my associate who I refer to as Elvis. 

Every Monday when I return after

a weekend off, there's no telling

what he's done to create another bad situation. 

This week was no different. 

Eight work hours never dragged on soooo long.

Thank goodness for a 4-day weekend coming up!

More when I return.  Happy weekend, my friend!

Strongest Weakness

He was my strongest weakness

I surrendered heart and soul

Its gonna be a long, long time

'Til I regain control

I'm still a prisoner

Held captive by his memory

He was my strongest weakness

And I'm afraid he'll always be

October always seems to bring up

those long ... lost ... feelings .....

This quote is a chorus from a song

I heard on the radio and it reminded me

of those who have passed through my life.

As with every life situation, there is always

the good and the bad, happy times, sad times,

and those moments of disagreement where

you think you'll never find even ground.

But if you're like me, you have one

who's the strongest weakness,

the one who crosses your mind

in the darkest hours of night. 

And even though it's been years,

you find yourself wishing ... again.

Rise Above

Don't get mad.  Don't get even.

Do better.  Much better.

Rise above.

Become so engulfed

in your own success

that you forget

it ever happened.

I don't know who said that, but it's been my mantra.

I work with a person who is very ... toxic. 

And as is the case when these types realize they

can't control you, they change tactics and try to 

undermine you, your actions.

I am a supervisor;  I was asked by management

to travel to another facility to do some training.

When the time arrived, I checked in with management,

and went on my way.  When I returned, my manager 

told me how this person approached her and stated that

I left the building without saying where I was going.

She said, "Yes.  But she reports to management, not to you."

He sputtered about it, and she walked away. 

When I returned, he said "You should have told me you

were leaving, it's the courteous thing to do."

I stood tall, bit my tongue, and just nodded silently.

On Monday of this same week, as I was going about my

job, he walked up and started spouting off about how

the AZ Cardinals beat the SF 49ers in football.  I just

shrugged (I'm not watching NFL games this year). 

Another co-worker said "Good morning, Lynne" and I

answered "Good morning" back to her.

And again he spouts off, talking to her as if I'm not

standing there at all and says "YOU got a good morning,

I don't even get a hello, this must be ignore Elvis week."

Again.  Stand tall.  Bite my tongue.  Nod and walk off.

After 5 years of this type of behavior,

it's the only thing I can do to save my own sanity.


** Thank you, my friend, for sharing this toxic person message with me!

Tuckered

Ohh.  Emm.  Gee.  All tuckered out.

Hello, and yes, it's about time I got

something posted!  It's been a really rough

two+ weeks.  So many changes with my 

work status.  They changed my hours.  

For 8 years, I've worked the 6-3pm shift.

They moved me to 7-4pm.

It's only an hour.  But it's making a huge

change in my life!  And I'm having a hard time

keeping up.  Literally up!  I'm ready for sleep by

7pm - I now force myself to stay awake until 8:30

so that I'm not awake at 4am, pacing floors.  lol

     ~~~~~>  It's hell getting old!  <~~~~~

My toe/foot is healing nicely, but taking it's sweet time.

With the swelling down, I can get into a shoe without

much discomfort, and while I hobble just a bit if I've

been sitting down for a while, once I get moving,

I'm good to go!  

Thanks for thinking of me and stopping by! 

Love Chooses

Remember that you don't choose love; 

love chooses you. 

All you really can do is accept it for all its mystery 

when it comes into your life.

-Kent Nerburn

Hello again, my friend!

It's been a busy week, a long stretch of non-stop work days

with a badly sprained pinky toe, causing a swollen foot and

broken blood vessels.  But it's healing.

I chose this quote because it reminds me of a toast from "Frasier"

An obsession kicked in and I'm watching the series over yet again

And now I know why.   It has to do with not wanting to get married

but doing it anyway; of hoping a Knight in White Armor would

rescue me and declare his love.  (Only in fairy tales, right?)

It finally kicked in why I like the episodes where Niles 

wants Daphne, and Daphne runs out on her own wedding.

I realize now that if I wanted something different, it was 

up to me to find the nerve to choose.  

I didn't.  Daphne did.

And I applaud her.  

And while it's somewhat of a (comedic) fairy tale .....

Love fuels the reason(s) to go after your dreams.  

They won't come to you without your own efforts.

... and one more.

There's something about light coming through a window

that makes me grab my camera and shoot.

Just a little more of me and my weird!

Me. Weird.

"Weird is my nature,

my way of being,

don't mess it up."

--Gaby Hinojosa

Just feeling a little .... off my game today.

An odd Monday - no work, and it's too hot to play.

I had my flu shot on Thursday, maybe I've been 

feeling a little bit of that over the past few days.

Definitely weird.

Do you ever feel that way too?

I never know what to do with it.

So it hides, gets pushed behind "the norm"

until it goes away.

Backyard Babe

Friday Motivation:

This is the year I will be

Stronger

Braver

Kinder &

Unstoppable

This year I will be fierce!










As I get older, weight loss as a goal just doesn't work.

My body says "nope" even when I say "ohhh yesss"

Image result for 8 lbsAnd it's a struggle.  Every.  Single.  Day.

I decided two weeks ago to change my goal

to focus on being healthy and strong.

And to my surprise, I've lost 8 pounds!

It's still not easy.  It never will be.

But I am strong, tough and resilient

and I can do this!

Hello, weekend.  What are YOUR plans?

Hello, September!

Hello, September

I've been waiting for you!

By the 15th, we are past the

"monsoon season" so the

humidity will go back to it's

usual 10-15%.

And the temps will grow cooler!

Today .... a high of 108, it's finally

cooled to 107 and I can walk barefoot

on the pavement ... but only for a

few moments!

Today was a wonderful Friday.

Done at work by 10am, I headed to

Planet Fitness.  I jumped on the treadmill

and set it for 55 minutes, 3.0 mph, and

covered the display.  I didn't get the urge to

peek for quite a while, and had discovered that

32 minutes had passed, and I was well on my way

to making my 3 mile mark.  I had reached that

"exercise high" and felt I could keep going and going

so I bumped it up to 60 minutes, finished at 65, and 3.25 miles.

Whew!  It felt so good!

Back in the day when I had a personal trainer he taught me

to always finish strong.  To the beat of a Beach Boys tune,

I finished the last 3+ minutes in a slow jog.   Six hours later

I still feel pretty good .... but I'm sure I'll feel the pains tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Dusk

The light fades, and the desert twilight winks briefly.

Just before bed, I take a moment, 

a simple pause from the chaos of life

because there's more to life than the mere details.

It is here in this quiet hour where thoughts come,

where there is just a little bit of peace 

and I can stop and be grateful for all that I have.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Stillness

We all have

within us

a center of stillness

surrounded by silence.

~ Dag Hammarskjold












Why is it that when these should be "the golden years",

that life should be slowing down to a manageable pace,

I feel busier than ever?

I know that back when I was raising kids, I was running

from one thing to another, just so things were ready for

the next hectic day.

And it still feels that way, to an extent.

Perhaps because I feel time pressing against me,

and the need to get all that I want said and done

out there.

Immersed in a family project, I find myself writing about

memories on a daily basis.  Which is a good thing.  But it

all takes time.  Frankly, I thought it might spark some

lively bits of conversation among the kids - my own,

my nephews, etc.  It hasn't.  I don't think they've reached

the age where they have finally realized that who they are

has a lot to do with where they started, where they came from.

Maybe some day.

I was dashing around the house, and the light coming through

my back window was lovely .... so I snapped this quickie for you!

Six Years Already?

August 14, 2011.  This was my first blog post.

And now, six years have gone by.

I'm not sure I even remember my original hope

for this blog.  That hope shifted to something else

somewhere in 2014, I think.

And now, it's just become a place for me to

exercise my photo skills, if you will.

I no longer think I'll find "that certain someone".

I've been blasted with a few bad comments,

a few choice words,  I've blasted a few of my own

right back at them.  And that's not me.  I don't

enjoy it, and refuse to be engaged in silly

discussions about my choice of photography.

It's not porn, it's art.  It's not meant to offend or entice.

If you don't like it, or it bores you, then move along.

Plenty of other things to see on the 'net.

I'm chuckling to myself ... the backyard was so bare

back then!

Shine

“Do what makes your soul shine.”

Hello, Friend!  I've been away from this

for a little while as I've immersed myself

in some genealogy research projects.  

Yes, plural!  

I created a place to post photos of when me 

and my siblings grew up, where I can put comments

and descriptions about what was going on, who was 

in the photo (and sometimes why!)  and just general

comments about the house we grew up in.  Because

my mom is STILL in that house they bought in 1966.

Many things have changed, and it's fun to watch the 

changes through the photos that my dad took.

I'm also researching old family history and putting names

and dates to the old photos I got from my grandmother's

things back in 1995.  She had a lot of old photos, some

of folks I didn't know.  But with a good family tree I can 

usually narrow it down to one or two people ....  :)

It's a great project for an overheated summer when I can't

get outdoors with Sadie.  Hurry up, Fall!  I'm ready!!

Old School

Yes, I stole this piece of "advice" from 

somewhere on the 'net.   Shame on me! 

But it's good advice.   And every so often,

I need a reminder.

Pardon the look of this photo.  I have spent

the last two weeks immersed in family history.

So much has been digitized lately! 

It's so exciting to find and share tidbits ---

my great grandfather ordered his farmhouse

from the Sears & Roebuck catalog!

Feeling my age, and looking at photos from .....

goodness!! Some of them are 100 years old now!

Yowza! 

Have a wonderful week, my friend! 

Some Days

Some days, she has no idea how she'll do it

But every single day it still gets done

Some days, life seems like more struggle

than it should be.  At my age, shouldn't

these be "golden years"??

Ahh well.  I'm busy and I just keep on going

Some days I come home feeling like I was

the Energizer Bunny, running without stopping.

I tell myself "this too shall pass" ... 

Hello, friend, and thanks for checking on me!

Just Boots

No I can't outrun these roots, 

Even if I wanted to

'Cause they run too strong, run too deep

Cutting right through the heart of me

No it don't matter where I plant these boots

Can't outrun these roots

Sometimes, the roots of your raising

are so deep, you just can't outrun them

no matter where you are.  

I'm that way. 

I transplanted myself from California

to Ohio

because I thought I needed to be 

closer to my roots. 

Even here in Arizona,

I am still a country gal at heart!

And I wouldn't change a thing.

Boots!

Blame it all on my roots....

I showed up in boots.....

Forget Glass Slippers

This princess

wears boots!

You can kick anything

with the right boots!

A woman

can never own

too many boots!

I don't want a

knight in shining armor

just a man in boots and plaid!

Just havin' a little bit of fun

with my boots.

It was a rough week!

thank goodness the weekend was

a whole lot better.

Of course, when you start your

weekend leaving work early

on a Friday .... how bad can it get?