Life goes on ...

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Outdoor Wednesday,
Thursday Thirteen, Yard Art,
Haiku Friday, Sky Watch,
Window Views & Just for the JOY of it!
But first, my belated ...

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Wordful Wednesday

Once again I find myself wondering where the time has gone since it's been almost two weeks since I've shared anything on this blog ... and considerably longer since I've opened my reader to visit anyone out there in the Blogosphere. I have published at Small Reflections and Happily Retired Gal ... sharing thoughts about tennis at Wimbledon & 4th of July photos snapped around the neighborhood recently, but even there my offerings have been few and far between.

Now that Grand Slam tennis is over until the US Open at the end of August and my friend 'S' is in the Midwest for a family wedding, perhaps I'll find more time for blogging. Of course I'm still doing my best to keep to a schedule of daily journal writing in anticipation of the upcoming Writers Retreat in Taos, New Mexico and continuing to clear out clutter accumulated during the 31 years I've lived in this house ... a task that seems endless no matter how much progress I make.

Molly's adjusting to life without Aloha and has made friends with the new tenant in the little blue house who moved to So Cal from Virginia and plans to 'rescue' a hound in the next few weeks once he's unpacked and settled in ... so perhaps she'll have another canine playmate eventually. Until then she's 'making do' with me and whoever happens by in the neighborhood when she's out front with me as I work in the garden & catch up with neighbors.

I thoroughly enjoyed a local performance of Boomers: The Musical Revue of a Generation at Vanguard University's Lyceum Theater recently. I was surprised to discover myself sitting next to a gal I met a while back at an Adult School class ... small world, eh? In addition, I've purchased season tickets for the Laguna Playhouse (Just for the JOY of it) and am looking forward to this year's series including performances of Life Could Be a Dream, I Loved Lucy, Daddy Long Legs, The Art of Leonard Bernstein, and Private Lives.

For the most part, June gloom has continued into July. In fact, yesterday morning's 'drizzles' were more like actual RAIN, but skies have cleared in the late afternoon and I've shared 13 beautiful BLUE sky views below showing off So Cal at it's best ... along with some views of a local 'historic house' and a mosaic of local holiday 'yard art' ... just for the JOY of it!

This year's fireworks
were spectacular but I
didn't photograph


anything at night ...
just some afternoon views as
drizzily skies cleared


Just for Joy as I
walked the neighborhood and looked
'up' as planes flew by

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in Thursday Thirteen, Sky Watch, Haiku Friday
Midweek Blues and Outdoor Wednesday

Newland House snapshots
from different perspectives ...
blue skies and windows

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participating in Window Views & Just for the JOY of it!


Finally a few
holiday 'yard art' views in
this week's mosaic

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participating in Yard Art

Thought for Today
"The United States is the only country with a known birthday."
James G. Blaine

Wistfully wondering where weeks went ...

Herein are my
Morning (perhaps Midday) Musings
belated (or early) 'thirteen thoughts' for Thursday
with some neighborhood flowers
... just for the JOY of it!


Scroll down for Watery Outdoor Wednesday.
Midweek Blues, Yard Art, Thursday Thirteen,
and Just for the JOY of it!

1. It's hard to believe that my last post here at Sacred Ruminations was published on May 6th and that I shared my last 'randomness' on April 27th. I guess this is a result of altering my morning routine a while back ... (Just for the JOY of it) ... taking time to meditate and write in my journal by hand before turning on the computer.

2. I've chosen to set aside 'true but useless' information & things over which I have no control and decided instead to focus myself on 'really good things' ... (Just for the JOY of it) ... a practice which leads me to feel motivated to tackle tasks around home with renewed enthusiasm. I find myself coming to the computer (and/or the days news on the television) MUCH later in the day ... if at all.

3. One blessing of retirement is freedom to choose how I spend my time ... and for the last decade I've delighted in that opportunity. Occasionally, underneath the daily joys of retired life is the nagging feeling that I'm not contributing to the world as productively as I did ... once upon a time.

4. I'm aware that my yard is a gift to myself and others ... so when I spend time there watering, weeding, cutting back exhausted blooms and preparing the soil for new bedding plants ...(Just for the JOY of it) ... we all benefit. Sharing photographed views on my blogs extends the blessings to this virtual world ...

5. ... in addition, I've continued my daily habit of sharing thought-provoking quotes (Just for the JOY of it) in my blog posts (as I did for decades in the classroom) ... but wonder if that's enough?

6. I miss connecting with others in the virtual world through blog visits and feel out touch with those I've come to think of as friends in the Blogosphere ... so I'm hoping to find some 'balance' between the real & virtual worlds as time goes by.

7. I'm concerned about the continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico ... pray it can be contained soon so that necessary 'clean up' efforts can be initiated ... HOPE this disaster will help us come to our senses about offshore drilling, rethink our dependence on fossil fuels and build a consensus to commit to real change now.

8. My heart goes out to all those directly affected by this oil disaster and the natural weather related destruction interrupting the lives of people in affected areas.

Click any image to embiggen for better viewing ...

9. After some lovely Spring weather over the past few weeks that allowed me to write outside on my front patio, we've had nothing but slow drizzles for the past few days here in Southern California ... just enough to keep the ground damp and the temperatures in the mid-60s. Last night I fell asleep to the sound of gentle raindrops on the roof ...

Fun to catch droplets
suspended from these lemons
on the tree out front

10. Today is no exception. In just a few minutes outdoors with Molly, I found myself quite damp & chilled ... and I needed to dry her off with a towel when we came indoors so I suppose that the colorful bedding plants I purchased over the weekend (shared yesterday at Small Reflections) will need to wait a while longer before finding a place in my garden!

11. I'm grateful for the small market a few blocks from home carries 'half & half' so that I can walk to replenish my supply when I run low rather than drive to the supermarket. That acknowledged, I'm relieved to have to have fresh produce and food in the fridge this morning after a major shopping run yesterday ... and it's very 'kewl' to have saved almost $43 using coupons.

12. A good friend just got herself an iPhone and is very excited about it. I'm reminded that Verizon Wireless keeps telling me that I'm eligible for a new phone. I suspect they'd like me to upgrade my service to include a $29.99 'data' package, but methinks I'm happy with my current plan and 'low-tech' red flip phone. I don't 'twitter' and hardly ever check my Facebook account so it hardly seems worth spending more money for something I probably won't use. My main reason for having at cell phone at all is for the regular contact with my sister as she travels the Southwest with her husband ... Just for the JOY of it!

13. My rose bushes are without blooms at the moment, but fortunately there are lovely morning glories and roses (like the ones I've shared above) in yards all around my neighborhood ... and I've shared some with you here ... Just for the JOY of it!

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Random Tuesday Thoughts, Midweek Blues,
Wordful , Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday,
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This 'yard art' seems like
it's been cast aside ... but I
like it anyway ;-)



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Midweek Blues and Yard Art
Hope you're each having a delightful day!

Thought for Today
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson

Midday Musings about my Outdoor World

Herein are my
Morning (perhaps Midday) Musings,
some struggling flowers and
a multitude of roses
just because!

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Watery Outdoor Wednesday
and Midweek Blues

1. It's cool & dreary out this morning but apparently the predicted rain isn't going to fall after all so I'll be watering the yard in a little while because WINDS are on their way and the ground is already quite dry ... even though I watered just a few days ago to keep my flowers blooming. Here are a few struggling plants ... Allysum, Johnny Jump Ups, Pansies, and Gazanias.

I love this 'string' of Johnny Jump Ups
appearing to support one another ...

while this one hangs in there all on its own.

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Small pansy plants above
and a clump of Johnny Jump Ups below

2. So far my roses don't seem bothered by the lack of water and are blooming enthusiastically in pink, red, and apricot hues! I've shared previously on each of my blogs, but here are photos from yesterday.

Red Veteran's Honor Roses above
and a more 'generic' pink rosebud below

My one remaining Mr. Lincoln rose ... fading

from various perspectives

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3. Roses seem to do well in the neighborhood as well. Here are some views from recent walks to brighten your day ... each treated with 'Poster Edges' because I like the look.

4. Molly & Aloha have become friends ... in fact Molly seeks her out whenever possible ... though their play is rough because Aloha (the almost one year old Dalmatian-Whippet mix) can be quite aggressive and relentless, and Molly needs frequent opportunities to rest mid-play ... though do both stop to drink often.

Straight out of the camera above
Poster Edges below

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Molly takes rest breaks sooner than Aloha ...

and Aloha initiates play quickly in a myriad of ways




... but BOTH take 'water' breaks often!


Other than from the hose,
this is all the water we'll be seeing outside


... unless we take a walk down to the ocean ...



where I see beautiful watery views like these ;-)


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Random Tuesday Thoughts, Midweek Blues,
Wordful , Watery and Outdoor Wednesday
Hope you're each having a delightful day!

Thought for Today
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
Albert Schweitzer