The End of the Day

At the end of the day,  tell yourself gently:

"I love you, you did the best you could today

and even if you didn't accomplish all you had planned,

I love you anyway."

Sometimes I get so busy

and so caught up

in the junk and the everyday stuff

that I forget to appreciate

all that I did today.

Instead, there are nights when

I lay in bed, thinking about all the

things that *didn't* get done.

Tonight, I'm happy with all that I did!

and tomorrow's another day.

Perfectly Me

Love your curves

and all your edges

All your

perfect imperfections

-John Legend









I'm not perfect

but I'm perfectly me.

The last of the evening light

shines on a white door

more computer playtime

creating art

while Sadie snores at my feet.

R&R

The mind

should be allowed

some relaxation,

that it may return

to its work

all the better for the rest.   

~Seneca








From mid-November til mid-January,

work is very intense in my position

at my BigBoxStore.  It has always been

this way, and I've become accustomed to

setting my mind to the intensity, and

tend to live and breathe work,

coming home to grab a bite, fall into bed,

only to do the same the next day. 

My one day off tends to be utilized in the

normal ways:  chores!

This was finally my weekend to relax.

To let my mind be away from it all.

My only chore today was to give Sadie

a bath, and then warm ourselves in the sun.

It's been a perfectly lovely weekend, and

tomorrow I return to the grind.  I know that

I will walk into a mess -- I always do.

But I won't let my mind think about it

for another 12 hours. 

My only job today is to relax.

In the last rays of the day

streaming in  my window.

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!!

Keep Shining

Let them judge you.  Let them misunderstand you.

Let them gossip about you.  Their opinions aren't your problem.

You stay kind, committed to love, and free in your authenticity.

No matter what they do or say, don't you dare doubt your worth

or the beauty of your truth.  Just keep on shining like you do.

-Scott Stabile

Have I mentioned

I collect teddy bears?

Not sure where the inspiration 

came from for this pose.

Recently found this quote

from Scott Stabile

and knew that it had to be included

on a body shot

because this is me

V-Day

I hope you had a good Valentine's Day, my friend!

Mine was ... uneventful.  Typical day at work.

but that's ok with me!  All in all it wasn't a BAD day, so that's a plus!

When it comes to love on this greeting card holiday .....

eh, it's not something I even think about.

Everyone is at different stages in their life, 

and we're all in the exact place we're supposed to be!

Carrie Bradshaw, from the hit show "Sex and the City" 

says it like this:

“Some people are settling down, 

some people are settling 

and some people refuse to settle 

for anything less than butterflies.” 

Once upon a time, I settled down,

I also settled ....

never settle! 

We're worth so much more than that!

Rise

“And like the sun, 

I will always rise.” 

― Nikki Rowe

There's a country song with lyrics that

describe how I was raised, how I see life.

and while it's been a good attitude, 

it's not very well balanced in me:

"Soaking in the rain

baking in the sun

Don’t quit 'til the job gets done

That’s the only way I know

Don’t stop 'til everything’s gone

Straight ahead, never turn 'round

Don’t back up, don’t back down

Full throttle, wide open

You get tired and you don’t show it

Dig a little deeper when you think you can’t dig no more

That’s the only way I know"

Deep down, I'm just a country girl,
born in the wrong decade,
and in the wrong part of the states.

I tried moving, living a more country life
but .... it wasn't something I could do on my own.
To be successful, you need a full-on partner
who thinks the way you do.

I've always told folks
"I'm not your normal, average woman"
Never have been, never will be.
And at my age, I don't think things are
going to change, so I just keep doing.

Backyard Breeze

There is nothing in all the world 

more beautiful or significant of the laws of the universe 

than the nude human body. 

-Robert Henri

Post #1000

“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. 

Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. 

Go against the grain, refuse to conform, 

take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. 

Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. 

Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. 

March to the beat of your own drummer. 

And stubbornly refuse to fit in.” 

― Mandy Hale

Here we are at my
1000th post!

It's been quite a journey -
thank you for traveling along with me

Sunny Morning

I love early mornings when I feel like a rest of the world is fast asleep 

and you’re the only one who’s awake 

and everything feels like it isn’t really real 

and you kind of forget about all your problems 

because for now it’s just you, the world and the sunrise.

That's exactly how I feel each morning
when Sadie and I take our walk,
the sun just beginning to rise......

Today, an early morning sunny silhouette!
The sun is bright and intense
here in the Valley of the Sun
from June until October.

The sun rises in a different corner
of "east" than it does in the winter
which makes for a good silhouette
in my bedroom window.

Find Stillness

Today, find a place of stillness

When things feel topsy turvy at work -

and they often do, as I am a perfectionist

with slight OCD conditions - the one thing

I seek out is quiet, solitude, quietude.

It recharges my battery, calms my soul

and makes me able to face another day.

It's not the work itself that becomes too much,

it is the people.  There are many who do not - 

or cannot - work in an orderly fashion.  

Maybe that sounds crazy, but why would a

person pick up and put down the same item

over and over?  I'm a one-touch worker:  if I

pick it up, I deal with it right then and there.

It seems to me that some people might gain

many minutes in their day if they just did things

a little less frenetic and a little more orderly.

Yes, that's my own issue, and I realize it. 

Most days, most times, I can work around 

those and do my own thing.  Other days, their

"issues" are burdened upon me; the tasks I 

can handle, the negative energy that comes 

my way from those people is the harder issue.

Which is why my home time is so precious 

to me, why I need my space and quiet, 

to set my bare feet on the Earth, letting the

negative flow out, the positive recharge me.

Quietude

“When people look at my pictures 

I want them to feel the way they do 

when they want to read a line of a poem twice.” 

― Robert Frank

maybe it's an Instagram influence

but I'm becoming fond of the 

5x5 format lately.  Or maybe it

reminds me of the old polaroids

(yes, I'm that old!) 

back in the day, that was the 

easiest way to have sexy selfies

done -- take them yourself, no 

processing involved!  

Desert Living

“Somehow, we'll find it.

The balance between

whom we wish to be and

whom we need to be.

But for now, we simply

have to be satisfied

with who we are.”

― Brandon Sanderson








I walked Sadie into the

backyard just as the sun

disappeared beyond the

horizon.  The colors that

'bounce' after sunset

are often the most beautiful.

I'm not sure a camera or

photo can convey all that the

eye encompasses looking at

these astounding colors.

I love living in the desert!

Play Around

“Beauty shouldn’t be about changing yourself

to achieve an ideal or be more socially acceptable.

Real beauty, the interesting, truly pleasing kind,

is about honoring the beauty within you and without you.

It’s about knowing that someone else’s definition of pretty has no hold over you.”

― Golda Poretsky

Here's the last photo from the
morning I spent playing with
a pinhole photography type thing
only I used a box.  Makes an odd
kind of frame, but it's always fun
to play around!

No postings for a few days as
I'll be out of town, visiting my mom.
Hope your weekend is happy!

Sunshine

Spring's sunshine

is the best antidote

to winter's blues! 

It's Friday!

Life should not only be lived

it should be celebrated!

-Osho

It's Friday, the weekend is here

so I dashed into the backyard

to enjoy the cool morning air

and the rising sun! 

Just Fine

Every once in a while
I come across a passage in a book
that .... says more than I ever could.
When you find something like that,
read it, then pause.
Sometimes you can relate to the writer.

“Take a shower. Wash away every trace of yesterday. Of smells. Of weary skin. Get dressed. Make coffee, windows open, the sun shining through. Hold the cup with two hands and notice that you feel the feeling of warmth. 
 You still feel warmth. 
Now sit down and get to work. Keep your mind sharp, head on, eyes on the page and if small thoughts of worries fight their ways into your consciousness: threw them off like fires in the night and keep your eyes on the track. Nothing but the task in front of you.

Get off your chair in the middle of the day. Put on your shoes and take a long walk on open streets around people. Notice how they’re all walking, in a hurry, or slowly. Smiling, laughing, or eyes straight forward, hurried to get to wherever they’re going. And notice how you’re just one of them. Not more, not less. Find comfort in the way you’re just one in the crowd. Your worries: no more, no less.

Now get back to work.
 Work with your mind sharp and eyes focused and if any thoughts of worries or hate or sadness creep their ways around, shake them off like a runner in the night for you own your mind, and you need to tame it. Focus. Keep it sharp on track, nothing but the task in front of you.
Work until your eyes are tired and head is heavy, and keep working even after that.

Then take a shower, wash off the day. Drink a glass of water. Make the room dark. Lie down and close your eyes.
 Notice the silence. Notice your heart. Still beating. Still fighting. You made it, after all. You made it, another day. And you can make it one more. 
You’re doing just fine.
You’re doing fine."     ― Charlotte Eriksson


So often, our daily lives are
routine,
monotonous,
repetitive.
When in reality, we should be making
more of our lives than everyday tasks,
noticing the little things that are right
in front of our very eyes.
Even if it's just one little thing every day
that shows us there's more to life.

I notice those things about myself
this time of year.  Holidays and work
in the retail sector -- after so many years
it seems to suck the life out of a person.
I think that's why I make pictures -
whether they're of nature,
or selfies,
being creative is essential to being me.
As long as I'm doing that,
I'm doing just fine.

Persuasion

“Odors have a power of persuasion 

stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. 

The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, 

it enters into us like breath into our lungs,

it fills us up, imbues us totally. 

There is no remedy for it.” 

― Patrick Süskind

A photo for a friend who called me on 

not posting photos for a month,

for allowing me to vent 

and ponder what's next ....

Thank you!

Appreciation

The internet is a busy place.
So many people posting things:
thoughts, dreams, selfies ....
the list goes on and on.
But what does it take to get noticed?

It seems most folks nowadays are on
FaceBook.  And the people with
busy pages (read lots of "likes")
are celebrities, national and local.

Have we become a society who
values notoriety over everything else?
Jumping on the bandwagon of "likes"
because everyone else did?

This blog is a very personal space -
MY personal space.  Ad I've always
thought it a place where I am free to be me.

You're right, it's not something I can
discuss with anyone in my "real life".
Just a simple Gal who likes taking pix
and putting a little bit of creativity into
a life that is sometimes .... too routine.

The number of folks who drop by and
peruse my work has been dwindling,
which is one of the reasons I stopped
posting.  What's been weighing on my
mind is whether or not it's time to
shut it down, maybe move on to
something else, something different.

I know it takes an effort on your part
to log in and look at a blog to see if it's
been updated in any way.  For those of
you who are regular visitors, thank you,
it's appreciated!

Old n' Bold

When you are old:

More wrinkles   yet   fewer doubts

Looser skin    yet   firmer confidence

Greyer hair   yet   more colorful

older mind   yet   younger spirit