Haiku Friday #110 - Sky Watch #27

Haiku Friday #111 is at Small Reflections

Continuing change
to our California skies
captured and collaged ...

illustrate how wind
causes pattern shifts in cloud
formations & sky

color variance ...
and, of course, I'm playing with
my new camera.

Click to embiggen for better viewing.

Click for a second
Haiku Sky Watch Friday
at Happily Retired Gal
and for others participating in
Sky Watch, Looking at the Sky on Fridays
& Haiku Friday this week.

Thought for Today
"There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind." Annie Dillard

WW#55-Today'sFlowers & a Belated Thank You

Today's Flowers
Apricot Roses After the Rain
(photographed last week)

Click to embiggen for better viewing

for others participating in Wordless Wednesday today,

my previous WW posts at Small Reflections & Sacred Ruminations,
and what it looked like a few weeks ago BEFORE the rains.

Click for others participating in Today's Flowers

Belatedly ... I want to thank Tamy of 3 Sides of Crazy for this
Triple Award! I thought I'd shared it already but this morning I discovered it in my drafts folder where it's been since the 18th of January. Perhaps my confusion was caused by the fact that Forgetfulone shared this Triple Award with Small Reflections where I did share it on January 19th. This is clearly another sign that I'm just too busy to manage everything at the moment, but
once the Australian Open ends next weekend ... perhaps I'll find more 'balance' again.

Triple Award. Sisterhood, Lemonade & Best Friend

About this award, Tamy wrote the following:

I was super delighted to receive this award from Laane over at Crocodile Soup for the Soul who bestowed this wonderful triple award on me. This truly made my long hard day better! I'm so truly honored that she thought my blog worthy of the award.

Here are the rules for the recipients:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.
I would like to pass this award to:
Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers
Kiy at Rocking Chairs and a Tricycle
Jenjen at Tatertots and Jello
Diana at Forgetfulone
Misty Dawn at Misty's Words
Mimi at Screaming Mimi
Michelle at Scribbit
Janet at Fond of Snape
Storyteller at Sacred Ruminations

Since I've received and passed The Lemonade Award along on all 3 blogs already ... (click to see recipients at Happily Retired Gal, Small Reflections, and Sacred Ruminations) ... I hope that Tamy won't mind, but methinks I'm going to break the rulez and pass this along to all my regular readers of any of my blogs ... because I appreciate everyone's visits & comments immensely!

Thought for Today

"The best time to make friends is before you need them."
Ethel Barrymore

Monday Motivator and Thanks Michelle

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.
It will change your life mightily. Gerald Good

Last week Michelle of My Crazy Life with a Toddler shared the Lemonade Award with Sacred Ruminations and 9 others. I want to say a big THANK YOU MICHELLE!!!

In sharing, Michelle wrote the following:

"When I started this blog a year ago I had no idea what I was going to write about. I still have many days that I'm at a loss. My thought is that there are so many other amazing blogs out there, why would anyone read my little old blog. It still stuns me till this day that someone out there would be interested in my bibble babble. I feel there is so much more room for improvement in my writings. Practice makes perfect. Right? That's why I'm tickled pink to receive this wonderful Lemonade Award from Lisa over at Kid Accessories By Kidcessory Haven. It's such a boost to my self esteem. I feel so honored to be thought of today. Thanks Lisa! Stop on over to her place. She has a wonderful blog chalked full of great information. Stop by and say hello.

The way the “When Life Gives You Lemons, make Lemonade” Award (for short, The Lemonade Award) works is:1) You must link back to the person you received the award from.
2) You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

The award goes to......
Sacred Ruminations

On The Verge

A Nut In A Nutshell

Alice's Restaurant

Life's Journey

My Art And The Mom In Me

One Gal's Musings

Our Simple Life

Signe Says

The Crazy Green Cheapskate

Congratulations on the award ladies. You all have amazingly wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing each and every day.Thanks for spending time with me today!"

Interestingly ... The Gal Herself at One Gal's Musings passed the same Lemonade Award along to Small Reflections when she received it from Michelle ... so today I'm sharing this award on both blogs.

I shared this Lemonade Award previously on Happily Retired Gal when Clara of Coming Back to Life blessed me with it last December. I won't repeat those recipients here, but because I love to introduce my bloggy friends to one another ... I do commend that list to all who pass this way because their blogs are certainly worth visiting.

Today I bestow this Lemonade Award on the following blogs and encourage others to visit if you haven't already done so:

1. BJ Roan at Rubbish by Roan - publishes beautiful photographs uniquely paired with appropriate music daily.

2. Christine at Quietpaths - shares lovely scenic photographs and beautiful poetry

3. Lucy at Diamonds in the Sky - inspires with her honest explorations of herself ... asking questions that always leaves me thinking

4. Gemma at Greyscale Territory - publishes lovely photographs with delightful Haiku

5. George at Senior Moments - provides a bit of history with his photographs from all over the world ... sharing his memories of the past in a captivating manner

6. Geraldine at My Poetic Path - creates wonderful Haiku & poetry to share

7. Sandy at Gardenpath - captures & shares the most lovely images with her camera. Like with Lisa, I love to see the world through her eyes ... and both teach me to look differently when I walk in the world

8. Tumblewords - creates the most BEAUTIFUL fractals and writes eloquent Haiku & poetic pieces conveying amazing imagery

9. Wayfaring Wanderer - reflects thoughtfully & poetically able life's experiences & takes lovely photographs

10. WillThink4Wine - Barb has a wonderful sense of humor and creates marvelous collages of her 'swamp' in Florida ... beautiful skies ... and her famous fur-friends Gandalf and Grayson

In closing ... I've never been one to follow rulez very well and this is no exception. Although I've highlighted some specific blogs I follow to share with those who pass this way, I'd like ALL those I visit regularly to have this Lemonade Award ... so please feel free to 'snag' ... enjoy ... and pass it along to others by following the rulez or not.

Thought for Today
"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart." Henry Clay

Shadow Shot - BYBS - Sacred Life Sunday

This is my second ...

I seem to be 'stuck' on collages lately ...
and this one shows SHADOWS on & around Molly & Ms. Kitty

Click to 'embiggen' for better viewing
and for others participating in Shadow Shot Sunday at Hey Harriet.

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."
Cherokee Indian Proverb

1. I'm blessed with the company of two devoted fur-friends ... Molly & Ms. Kitty, and I've enjoyed sharing them both from time to time on each of my blogs as I did today, making them the subject of today's Shadow Shot collage. Trisha of Crazy Working Mom asked what program I use for my collages ... and it's Photoshop Elements.

2. Although it's not as much rain as we need here in Southern California, the change in the weather from gusty warm & exceedingly dry Santa Ana winds is more than welcome ... and more scattered showers are predicted to continue through Tuesday. My yard is drinking in the moisture and my skin no longer itches from the dryness.

Click to 'embiggen' for better viewing

I created this with collage with pictures
I took of the television screen.

3. I'm about a day behind with recorded Australian Open Tennis Championships ... currently watching 'Round of 16' matches ... specifically the 5th set in the tense match between Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer ... delighted Roger fought back to win sets 3 & 4 after losing the first two sets ... hopeful his momentum will carry him through the 5th and into the Quarter Finals. Addendum: Roger won the last set and moves on to the Quarters to play the winner of the Del Potro-Cilic match!

4. Andy Roddick and James Blake are still 'alive' in the draw as is Serena Williams ... but all other Americans are out. I'm sure Chris B of Ms Cellania is thrilled about Andy Murray's performance and is hoping he'll continue to play well.

5. Although several of the top seeded women have lost their matches, leaving lots of young players to complete for the title with Serena Williams & Elena Dementieva, it appears that the top men's seeds are all playing up to potential thus far.

What are some blessings in YOUR life currently?

For others who 'Blog Their Blessings'

go to My Blog Rolls and/or click on the
Blog Your Blessings logo
above Really Good Things.

For those who participate in Sacred Life Sunday
click the logo below:

Blessed Be ... and so it is!

Thought for Today
"Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along." Hugh Allen

Haiku Friday #108 - Sky Watch #26

Haiku Friday #109 is at Small Reflections

Because Lisa thinks

all my sky photos are so

beautiful, I share

cloudy skies and let

everyone know we have RAIN

finally ... a most

pleasant change from the

gusty Santa Ana winds

we've experienced here.

Click to embiggen for better viewing.

Click for a second
Haiku Sky Watch Friday
at Happily Retired Gal
and for others participating in
Sky Watch, Looking at the Sky on Fridays
& Haiku Friday this week.

Thought for Today
"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Almost WW - Today's Flowers and more ...

Purple is MY Color of choice.

What Color Do YOU need in YOUR life?

Pretty Purple Pansies growing in my yard currently.

Click for others participating in
Today's Flowers & Wordless Wednesday this week.
See also my other Wordless Wednesday
this week at Happily Retired Gal.

I found this quiz at Diamonds in the Sky ... quite a while ago. It's been in my drafts folder a long time so today seems a good time to share, just for fun. I hope you'll share your results either here in comments or on your own blog and leave a link ;--)

You need more Purple in Your Life

Purple will make you feel ambitious, independent, and creative. And with a little purple, you will project an aura of individuality. If you want more extravagance, you've got to get a little purple in your life! For extra punch: Combine purple with green or orange The downside of purple: It can evoke sad feelings The consequences of more purple in your life: You will feel an increase in your artistic abilities You will find balance in the most chaotic parts of your life You will feel calm and will be hard to disturb

What Color Do You Need?

Thought for Today
"Fun I love, but too much fun is of all things the most loathsome. Mirth is better than fun, and happiness is better than mirth."
Thomas Carlyle

Monday Motivator - Peace Filled Service

Shadow-Shot, BYBS & Sacred Life Sunday (see next post)

On this anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and National Day of Service, I'm reminded of my Monday Motivator of December 15th, What's Your Mission? ... in which I shared an email from Philosophers Notes ... a link to What if we lived from a place of yes? at Lunar Musings ... and 3 additional thought-provoking quotes.

I've had these two Blogthings in 'drafts' for a while now ... and both seem 'relevant' as I create this 'motivator' to share this morning.

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

and another ...

Your Spiritual Number is Eight

You bring inspiration and success into people's lives. You understand how the world works, and you have a knack for money. Right now, your life is all about goals and progress. This is nothing new though - you're always moving forward. You have a lot of perspective in life. You are able to remove your emotions and see the big picture. You usually bet right in life. You have are intuitive and win often.

What's Your Spiritual Number?

Although I don't put too much stock in these 'blogthings' ... I'm often surprised at how the results 'resonate' within ... so I decided that my first act of service today would be to share here.

Whether or not these quizzes entice you to play along, I leave one final link to previous 'Kindness' posts here in the hopes that something in one of them might spark a thought to guide your own acts of service today ... that whatever comment you might leave behind might kindle sparks for me and/or others who visit.

Thoughts for Today
"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." John Gardner

"God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road." Isak Dinesen

"The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness." Abraham Maslow

"Make time for the people you work with -- especially those that work for you. The more attention you pay, the more important they feel." Eric Harvey

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." Aristotle

BYBS - Sacred Life -Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my 35th BYBS ...

I awoke to the pounding of the surf against the shore this morning, and walked down to the water with my camera & Molly ... enjoying the subtle changes in the weather as the winds shift from off-shore to on-shore. Although Santa Ana winds blew most of last week, today they seem to have calmed down finally ... and by Wednesday or Thursday of next week we may get some rain showers here in Southern California. What a welcome change that will be. Gratefully these gusty winds have not sparked any wildfires. I'd certainly love to share some of our warmth with those of you out there dealing with extreme cold this winter.

I've enjoyed the company of my sister this past week, but unfortunately the Ritz Camera Classes we planned to attend on Wednesday afternoon & evening were canceled due to a 'corporate meeting' ... however, we're hoping to catch the series together in early February. I have enjoyed continued experiments with my new Nikon D60 .

This is my first attempt at ...

Click to embiggen for better viewing

and for others participating in Shadow Shot Sunday
at Hey Harriet

What are some blessings in YOUR life currently?

For others who 'Blog Their Blessings'

go to My Blog Rolls and/or click on the
Blog Your Blessings logo
above Really Good Things.

For those who participate in Sacred Life Sunday
click the logo below:

Blessed Be ... and so it is!

A Call to Service - Inaugurate Yourself
Michelle Obama on the National Day of Service

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday-January 19, 2009

I don't know how I missed this until today, but perhaps others did too ... so I'm spreading the word here as I check out options in my area. The Obamas are directing people to this site to set up a service event or attend one in their vicinity. By entering your zipcode you can find opportunities in YOUR area also.

Thoughts for Today
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." William James

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss

Haiku Friday #106 - Sky Watch #25

Haiku Friday #107 is at Small Reflections

Santa Ana Winds
bringing higher temp'ratures ...
mid-80s instead

of mid-60s and
blowing off-shore brings
larger waves to surf,

hazy skies obscure
Catalina ... 26
miles out to sea.

Click to embiggen for better viewing.

Click for a second
Haiku Sky Watch Friday
at Happily Retired Gal
and for others participating in
Sky Watch, Looking at the Sky on Fridays
& Haiku Friday this week.

Thought for Today
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."
Elwyn Brooks White, Essays of E.B. White, 1977

MyWorld#1 - Sunset Beach, California Landmark

This 19th Century Wooden Water Tower
in Sunset Beach, California
is a vacation rental.

It contains a 3-level living space including
a large bar in the tower-top
view room.

The unique landmark stands 87 feet tall ... is 30 feet in diameter ... and offers an amazing view of the coastal area from Newport Beach to San Pedro and Catalina to the San Bernardino Mountains. I snapped these photos over the weekend after breakfast at the nearby Harbor House Cafe with my sister and her husband.

Click for others participating in My World.

That's My World for this Tuesday.
Thanks to the My World Team:
Klaus | Sandy | Ivar | Wren | Fishing Guy | Louise

I apologize for neglecting Simply Kind Tuesdays and Monday Motivator this week and will try to get myself back on track next week, if not here ... then on another blog. Clicking on the links will take you to my previous posts for each in case you missed them and you have time to check them out.

Thought for Today
"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao Tzu

BlogYourBlessings - Sacred Life Sundays

This is my 34th BYBS ...

Two wonderful things happened this week! My sister returned from her RV travels with her husband and plans to be around for 3 months before leaving again and I bought myself a Nikon D60 camera! I always feel blessed ... but today those feelings are magnified immeasurably. I am delighted!

For this morning's post, I created an original Blog Your Blessings on Sundays logo composed of cropped (but otherwise untouched photographs) taken on Friday while catching up with my sister as we walked the beach and pier ... carrying our cameras and taking in the sights. It shows seagulls in flight and a seal hanging around the pier hoping to 'steal bait' from the lines of fishermen. You can click it to 'embiggen' for better viewing ;--)

The untouched sunset photo below is one I took on Wednesday afternoon ... one of the very first pictures I snapped with my new camera w/o looking at the manual. I hope to get around to checking it out sometime soon, but for now I'm using 'auto focus' and experimenting intuitively. My sister and I both bought our cameras at Ritz (hers is more than a year old now) and we plan to take the complementary classes together while she's here.

Click all images to 'embiggen' for better viewing.

I've been busily experimenting, so (if time permits) you can click to see the Sky Photos I've shared at Happily Retired Gal and here at Sacred Ruminations in the last few days. This weekend's Camera Critters at Small Reflections contains a collage of pelican pictures, and I've created a new header for Happily Retired Gal ... just because.

Although gusty Santa Ana winds are blowing here in Southern California (making it difficult to breathe outside and my skin dry & itchy) ... I'm relieved we're not buried in snow and/or coping with flooding as so many folks are currently ... I'm grateful that the winds have not resulted in firestorms, and I pray they won't this time around.

What are some blessings in YOUR life currently?

For others who 'Blog Their Blessings'

go to My Blog Rolls and/or click on the
Blog Your Blessings logo
above Really Good Things.

For those who participate in Sacred Life Sunday
click the logo below:

Blessed Be ... and so it is!

Thoughts for Today
"The really nice breezes blow through my body and into my soul." Astrid Alauda

Haiku Friday #104 - Sky Watch #24

Haiku Friday #105 is at Small Reflections

Sky Collage below
created with photos from
my new camera.

Another collage
Happily Retired Gal
Haiku Sky Watch 'Ku.

Nikon D60 ...
These are first experiments
on 'auto' setting.

My sister and I
plan to take some classes at
the Ritz Camera shop

where we each bought our
Nikon cameras ... She's HERE ...
camping at the beach!

I'm on my way there
as soon as I publish this ...
I'll visit later ;--)

Click for a second
Haiku Sky Watch Friday
at Happily Retired Gal
and for others participating in
Sky Watch, Looking at the Sky on Fridays
& Haiku Friday this week.

Thought for Today
"One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination." Sam Levenson