Showing posts with label selfie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selfie. Show all posts

17 February 2017

Bare Footin'




"If you aren't grounded, you're like a leaf in the wind: 

very vulnerable and thrown off balance very quickly. 

But when you are well grounded, you are like a big, strong tree. 

If something happens around you, 

it doesn't influence you so much 

and you are able to feel much more peaceful 

and balanced in your daily life."


Some people call it grounded,

some call it centered.

Either way, it's not always easy to pay attention

to those little things because we find ourselves

too busy.

And when we begin to feel off balance, un-centered,

it makes everything else feel that much worse.

Or it could just be me.

I'm not myself if I don't take time for a walk,

just to sit and listen to birds, wind in the trees,

to watch the clouds, or the sun setting.

Today, I shucked off my shoes and socks,

stuck my feet in the grass.  When's the last time

your feet were tickled by blades of grass?

Do you feel the thrum of the Earth

when you take a moment to slow down?

01 February 2017

Well Used Feet


Lately, I've been doing a lot of

walking - at work, with Sadie,

and anywhere else I can!

Wearing my FitBit means every step

is tracked, and added up into mileage.

My totals for 2016:

3,576,019 steps and 1,561 miles!  *pat on the back*

These are two tired and well used feet!

23 January 2017

Dark Night, Bright Day








For every dark night,

there's a brighter day! 

-Tupac












I'm trying to keep this as my motto,

with health and with work,

as both things can swing a person's mood

from one extreme to another.

Some days, it is a struggle.

Other days, it seems to come easier.

22 January 2017

Just BE!



When I checked in on the blog, I realized

I hadn't posted in quite some time.  Things

have been crazy here.   Lots of emotions 

going on deep inside.  My sister was just

diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Have I mentioned that already?

Shocking, as she's only 53.  And as it is

when something hits close to home, you 

begin to feel every ache and pain and wonder

"Do I have .... something too?"

Of course, I headed off to the doc to make sure

and am in the midst of all the check-up things

that are done:  blood tests, mammogram, and

then a complete physical after all the "evidence"

is in.  I like my new doc, so it should be OK.

Work is crazy busy as it always is after the 

holiday season.  I'm ready for a break from it all.

I need a little time at home to just do, just be!

21 January 2017

Just Bein' Me




How I feel about myself

is more important than

how I look.

Feeling confident,

being comfortable in your own skin --

that's what really makes you beautiful.

-Bobbi Brown








To be honest, I'm not always comfortable

in my own skin.  I see other women,

especially in the media, and I think

"Why couldn't I look like that?"

But then I have to remind myself that

I am beautiful, too!



19 December 2016

Express It!


Greetings, my friend!

Yes, it's been a while

because there are things happening

that I have no control over,

no matter how much I might want to have it.  

So, today's thought as I was reading:

It doesn't matter if you're

20, 40, 60, 80 or 100,

Embrace your sexy-ass self and express it!


25 November 2016

Got Lights?









Who's ready for some lights???
















Black Friday has ended, which for my BigBox store

means it started at 6pm on Thursday.  I'm always so

disappointed in the direction Americans have taken.

There is no longer a traditional Thanksgiving.

I know I'm showing my age when I long for a

"simpler time in the past" but it's difficult watching

people's family traditions die off because of corporate

commercialism.  But it is what it is.

Now that it's over, it's time to get back to some of the joy --

which always starts with Christmas lights.  As Sadie and I

took our evening walk, several of our neighbors were starting

the task of hanging lights on the outside.  Can't wait to try

my hand at taking a few photos of them!

For myself, I'll have a small string of lights in my front

window, I'm thinking.  Although that's a bay window and

has become Sadie's favorite spot to wait for me to come home

each day, so we'll have to see if she tolerates the intrusion!

hehehehe

With Trans Siberian Orchestra's "The Lost Christmas Eve"

playing in the background, I'm smiling -- and almost wishing

for a little bit of snow!  (*smh*  ok, maybe not!)

22 November 2016

I Choose ...

I choose ...

to live by choice, not by chance;

to make changes, not excuses;

to be motivated, not manipulated;

to be useful, not used;

to excel, not to compete.

I choose self-esteem, not pity.

I choose to listen to my inner voice,

not the random opinion of others."                

-Isabel Bauche            

What do you choose?



I found this quote by random, and it really struck a chord.

How often do we choose the lesser path?

How easy is it to give in to the negative, rather than the positive?

I have had issues in my life and looking back, I can see where

the choices I made didn't reflect this list of choices very well.

As I gain years, and hopefully wisdom too, I choose these things

above the alternatives.  It is my goal for 2017 to live a better life,

doing more and worrying less what others think.

Now's the time to ponder and evaluate the past 12 months,

and to focus on a new me in the next 12 months!


And oh yes, fall is finally here -- time to break out some sleeves!

14 November 2016

Throwbacks


A throwback from Nov 2012...  
(because I can't post without a pic!)

Another Monday, and I'm tuckered as all get out.
I took off Thursday morning for a long drive to 
Calif to see my mom.  A wrong turn, a roadside fire,
an accident, smelly cows ..... What's normally an
11 hour drive took 13.5 hours! 

Always SO good to see family - even though it was
too short a visit.  I turned around and headed home
on Sunday ....  A major sporting event let out right as
I was cruising into town, add three separate accidents
and numerous extra bathroom stops (ugh - eating 
foods that are different from the norm really get to me
now that I'm in my "golden years"...)  14 hours to get home.

It took a huge effort to haul my butt back into the car
to head to work this morning - where I found that not 
much of my work that needs doing every day was done.
Which meant I was super busy all day.  Thank goodness,
or it would have been easy to fall into a nap  :) 

Who's ready for the Holidays?  
Seems like once one BigBox store stayed open on
Thanksgiving, now everyone is open as well. 
Not only open, but starting their special deals for Friday
on that Thursday as well.  Lucky me, I'll be working
the 3-midnight shift.  Wonder how that will work, 
considering my normal hours for sleep are 8-4am.
Hmmmm.

07 November 2016

Bloomin'






“Life doesn’t get easier

or more forgiving,

we get stronger

and more resilient.”

― Steve Maraboli,











A Yucca is known for

being strong and resilient.

Like me.

I've faced challenges,

and know that I'll face

even more for that's life.

But I never give up.



The state flower of

New Mexico, mine is blooming!

The flowers are also known as

"Lamps of the Lord"

And I'm a simple gal - thrilled when

one of my 'ugly' cactus plants bloom!!

27 October 2016

Quietude



An empath will go stir-crazy

if they don’t get quiet time

and the more time goes on, the

more prevalent that feeling is for me.

after a day of really busy work and the

constant interruptions of people -- by the

time I get home, all I want to do is my own

thing.  No cleaning, no chores, I just need

quiet and space.  Of course, Sadie doesn't

agree with me!  

I bring this up because I can see that I'm

back at the black and white photos, and some

of them are dark again.  A reflection of what's

going on inside?   Perhaps.   This just might be

some keen insight, as I've been feeling caught
Image result for quotes empath solitude
like a leaf in the fall, still attached to the tree,

but being blown around with every hint of a breeze.

Perhaps that just me being a little overly mystical

and it's just a reflection of the upcoming season.

In my BigBox store, we've had Christmas Trees

on display since the end of September.  UGH.

Time to find some kind of balance and quietude.

Maybe I should light the fire pit this weekend ......

roast a hot dog or two, sizzle up a couple of s'mores!


26 October 2016

Be YOU



You just can't apologize for being you 

nor for your emotional self, 

nor for your intellectual self, 

nor for spiritual self, 

nor for your physical self. 

It's all a part of who you are.

Hello readers!
October's been quite the month for this Gal
A trip home to see Mom
and things at work have escalated --
retail is getting ready for the Holi-daze!!
Not my fav time of year, to be sure. 

Now that the heat has (mostly) dissipated
I'm trying to get out more, 
walks with Sadie each evening.
I've also been following some of the less
mainstream shows on Netflix.  
My two favs right now:  Skin Wars
and Texas Move and Flip.

The art of body paint speaks to my 
creative side - and while I don't have the
body the folks do on this show, they DID 
paint on some sumo wrestlers in one episode
and then drag queens in another episode. 
A whole lotta fun and creativity flowing.

The Texas show I love because I really really
envy them being able to home renovate things.
My dream for years was to fix up an old house.
It didn't happen for me, but I'm working on the
fixer-uppers I can do in my own little house! 

Snapped this while in California - 
Mom just had to have a walk in the Redwoods! 


02 October 2016

Waking Up


The best part of waking up ...........

bet you sang that right along with me!

and at my age, the best part of waking up... is waking up!

Happy weekend

01 October 2016

Good Morning!



Good morning, world!

Fall has arrived and it's a cool

68 degrees this morning.....


Life has been busy here.

Preparing for a trip, my

aunt and I are traveling

to visit my mom.

Always nice to get away --

even better to come back home!

19 September 2016

Selfies

Shootin' a few photos over the

weekend.  This will be a weird

work week for me.

My company has "invented"

or maybe it's created, this new

"Academy" thing.  They're sending

people through all this to learn how

to be better ... workers.   Technically,

mine is for supervisors.  And frankly,

I don't want to go.  I don't feel the

need to learn to be a better supervisor.

After 8 years in the same position, my

supervisory functions have changed

in every direction.  Every thought or

idea presented to bosses about how to

work better/smarter/more efficient

has always been shot down.

I laugh now and tell them I'm at the bottom of the pile -

that shit rolls downhill -  and I'm a mushroom.

So why spend two full days in a classroom learning things that will never apply to me?

I've done all the "supervising" I want in this life.  I've raised six kids, three husbands, and

a few dozen workers who were under my command.  I don't care to command or supervise

anyone  any longer.   The one person that I *am* in charge of gives me the "willies" -

and I've been supervising him for five years.  Mistakes that are noted are taken to management

but over the years, because of other issues, they have not pursued any avenues to correct or

"encourage him" to do his job better.  After a while, I just felt like a babysitter, I still do,

and I'm tired.  Every new manager who comes through, I mention this, say that I've had no

management support in my efforts with this worker, and I always get the same "well, I'm here

now...." line.  And that's where it ends.  This person steals time, and only half listens to my

direction.  It gets old.  Correction.  It got old years ago.  Maybe that's a sign that it's time

to move on.  Something to ponder.

18 September 2016

Blowing Kisses


Blowing kisses in the wind

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Waiting for you is

Like blowing, blowing kisses



17 September 2016

Boots



"Nothin' but cowboy boots

sets your spirit free

It ain't proper, it ain't cool

but folks remember what you do

in nothin' but cowboy boots"

-Lyrics "Nothin' but Cowboy Boots"












There's something freeing puttin' on yer boots

and heading outdoors - 

leave the cares, the worries, and 

for me, my job that's been crappy lately,

and thinkin'  'bout nothing but sun and

warm breezes ... in yer boots, of course!

14 September 2016

Just Me


“Body acceptance means, as much as possible,

approving of and loving your body, despite its

“imperfections”, real or perceived.

That means accepting that your body is fatter

than some others, or thinner than some others,

that your eyes are a little crooked, that you have

a disability that makes walking difficult,

that you have health concerns that you have to

deal with — but all of that doesn’t mean

you need to be ashamed of your body or

try to change it.  Body acceptance allows

for the fact that there is a diversity of bodies

in the world, and that there’s

no wrong way to have one.”

― Golda Poretsky

13 September 2016

Being Shy







I'm not open to many people.

I'm usually quiet and

I don't really like attention.

So if I like you enough

to show you the real me ....

you must be very special!









“Deep rivers run quiet.” 

― Haruki Murakami




12 September 2016

Another Monday






OK, Monday .....

let's do this! 

















When you work retail, Monday could be any day

of the week.  For me, a "Monday" at work is the

first day back after being off  for a day.

Today was a true Monday on a Monday.

But because of scheduling issues, I worked on the

weekend, so today I was very busy, cramming

8 hours of work into a six hour work day.  

Really nice to be home from work by 1pm though :)

Wish I could say I'd done something constructive

to share ..... but because I love to write, I've taken

on the challenge of writing a family history.

Genealogy research has been a passion of mine for

many years; finding ancestors and relatives you

didn't know you had before is fun!  Adding family

stories and photos to the facts just makes it that

much more interesting to me.  Grandfather put his

wife in a mental hospital - no one knows the real reason.

Grandma wouldn't talk about her family history much,

she often said she thought she and her husband were

related.  My Great Aunt married her first cousin.

And large farming families were common, yet they

didn't get together on many occasions!

Just imagine how many stories have gone untold

for reasons we'll never know.....