Random Thoughts

Short but busy work week.

Off to see my brother getting married this weekend. Very happy about that.

Need some fun and travel worked into my life.

Spending much of "my" time working the real estate, without much success.

Trying not to get discouraged about lots of stuff these days.

I'm working on getting out of the black clothing phase I've been in for about 29 years. Black's just easy and since I'm not a shopper, easy is what I need. So, I went out on a limb and bought a pink and white striped shirt this weekend. Rest assured, the stripes are vertical. It works.

I've changed eye shadow. I've been a Clinique girl for some time but have recently changed to MAC. Its a bit more dramatic, and I think thats ok, for me, for now.

Positive thinking.... positive thinking.....

Its the last day of the first half of 2008. Crazy time flying.

I hope all your lives are moving in positive directions too.

Just Poppies

Sonoma Summary

As usual, I'm obsessed with the sky. Bachelor Button on one of the the trails we hiked. More sky and apparently lots of street too. On the Overlook Trail.

Not the best photos, but there's the sleepy little town nestled in the valley below.

This is on the drive from Sacremento to Sonoma. Do you see the red haze, that's smoke from the fires. It made breathing a bit raspy, but beyond gorgeous sunsets. No, I don't have any pictures. I really wanted some as the sky at times was burgundy and rose and pink and all other shades of red and orange. I told you before I went, I don't usually take picture so forgot to take the camera with me most of the time.

Anyway. When was your last little trip? Or your next? And have you had fun today?

And... have some fun

I read *THIS* post today. It made me think, really think. What do I do to have fun? I mean real live fun? Well, I guess I fly away to Sonoma, but in my every day life, what is fun?

I get up in the morning for work, I wouldn't exactly call that fun, even though I am a morning person.

There's the work thing. Now I like my job, but again, not what I'd call fun.

When I get home, I work out. Necessary, but not necessarily fun.

Make dinner. Again, necessary.

Take care of miscellaneous things for my other job, realtor extraordinaire. Now, in a bizarre way, that actually is kind of fun.

That's every day life, there really isn't a ton o' fun happening and I really do believe I/we should be having more of it.

So, can I have three minutes of fun each day? Maybe, I guess I just have to remember to find something and do it. (The sad thing about this is that my money would be on me forgetting to take my three minutes each day. Yes, very sad.)

What's fun in your life?

Tortillas

I love just about any food wrapped in a tortilla. Today's lunch is garden burger, lettuce, tomatoes, dijon dressing all wrapped up in a soft corn tortilla.

What's your lunch today?

Reminder

Be kind and patient and loving. Listen to each other, hear each other, take care with each other's feelings and thoughts and emotions. Whether you believe in karma or not, it will be returned to you in kind. If not immediately and if not from that person, someone, somewhere will feed your soul in your time of need.

Thank you all for being there for me, even if it is in an internet sense, I feel it and appreciate each one of you.

Ciao.

Summer Solstice

I *love* it!

And, its a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest.

My heart soars.

I hope you'll watch this. I found it on Jen Lemen's site which, of late, breaks and heals my heart.

NoCal

Is there a NoCal? Anyway...

I'll be flying away to the beautiful and sunny Sonoma this evening.

Sun and friends and fun and wine and hikes and food and relaxation.

My goal is #1 relax #2 take photos. I usually don't

even take my camera when I go. Its a girly weekend so we talk and talk and talk and the scenery is fab-u-lous, but generally just a backdrop, rarely noticed. This time, I hope to remember to focus or unfocus as the case may be.

In the interim, here are some photos I found on the web

(http://freelargephotos.com/?subject=Sonoma%20Valley&start=1) to get you into the spirit of where I'll be for the next three days, lounging, playing and generally doing a whole lot of nothing.

I hope you all enjoy your weekends as much.

Ciao bellas!

Onward

My little brother is getting married in 2 weeks! I'm so excited for them and for me and well, just for everything.

I can't figure out why they haven't invited Mister and I to go on their honeymoon with them??!?

1930

40 As a 1930s wife, I am Poor Take the test!

I don't iron my sheets, what can I say.

My Buddy

Its a random thought kind of day

Do you ever wish you were Mary-Louise Parker? I'm not sure why. I know they're just roles she plays, but she always seems so likable and easy going.

Or any other celeb of your choosing? Who would that celeb be and why?

Question

"Misery loves company."

I'd like to know why!?

Lunar event

Full moon tonight. Lock up your Werewolves, teenaged and adult alike. I plan to do some howling of my own. It may not be comprised of hairy naked running through the forest (maybe) but will most likely be in the form of a bottle of wine shared with one lovely sister-in-law.

Just Watched: Absolutely Fabulous

I really do like British humor. Thanks to DCB, Benny Hill and The Young Ones in the '80's. So, AbFab was a no-brainer for me. A BBK production from the '90's. Eddy and Patsy, two adults acting like teenagers. Always searching for the quick path toward fame and fortune and always drugged or drunk along the way. Saffron, Eddy's daughter acts as the overly adult counter weight and Eddy's progressively more and more senile mother also plays a part. If you like British humor, I think you'll like this. I should add that it is a series and after I watched the first disk, it took me several months to decide to give it another try. I didn't like it at first but then I relaxed into it, got to know the characters and eventually found it hilarious. So, I'm probably the only person to not have seen while it actually aired, but, I was never a cable teevee person. Sit back, relax, grab a cocktail, or two and enjoy.

the long haul ~ edition XXI

aka: a decision, a choice, at the very least, a plan

i work this way. i ponder and fret and wonder and mull 'it' over and over and try to see all the possibilities and pros and cons and it may take me awhile to go through that process but once i have and come to a conclusion, i'm usually pretty good at following through to the bitter or bittersweet or just sweet end.

i just made a decision, literally in the last 10 minutes, mister hasn't even had the luxury of hearing about it, you, my blog friends, are hearing it first. three years. yes, that's what i've given myself, three years to make the decision if real estate will be my future.

i think its a good plan... right... the first year, difficult and not very lucrative, at least that's what I've heard and the first year is when i hope to learn the basics, the ropes as it were. the second year to really understand what it is going on, work on expanding my client base and the third year to just work it and try to relax and have fun.

so, that's the plan. after three years, i'll (i think) be able to make the decision, one career path or another, just not both at the same time. oy!

good thoughts ~ 4/23/2011.

Choice ~ stream of consciousness

We all make them. We all have made good ones and we all have made bad ones. Living with all choices, good or bad, is what we must do. Living with the good ones, life is easier and much more fun and full of possibilities. Living with the bad ones, can tear at our souls, rip at the very fabric of our beings. Make us actually question the good choices. Choice often comes with change. Change isn't easy, for anyone really. Why does it take us so long to correct a bad decision? Do I feel like I owe the bad decision something? Do I think the bad decision will right itself if I stick it out long enough? I usually know a bad decision while I'm making it. Not always though. Why then do I continue to make the bad decision? Its not always as easy as a bad haircut - you can't necessarily just let it grow out for a second chance. Its more like a tattoo, you have to live with it until the choice is made to pay the price, usually a high price, to have it reversed. Analogies are my thing ~ weird but true. Sometimes, I don't know a bad decision when it is staring me in the face. How long should it take for me to decide whether the decision was bad or good? Does the fact that I question the decision automatically make it a bad one? When will I know if the decision I'm about to make is the right one? Why does it take me so long to commit to what I know is probably a good decision? "probably".... maybe that's my answer.

So many questions and decisions and choices.

ok, I'm off to breathe... listen... relax... contemplate... wonder... ask... ponder... maybe taking some photos would be in order... maybe a cocktail would be in order... ok now I'm just way off track... avoidance tactics much?... breathe...

Game ~ Flickr Mosaic

1. ...Manuel...Lucinda José..., 2. Brooklyn, 3. Foot bridge at North River Wildlife Sanctuary, 4. I want to be where the Sun warms the sky, 5. Daniel Day Kim & Jason Scott Lee, 6. grape juice, 7. Laguna, 8. vegan sparkled ginger cookies (detail), 9. The Earth is God's Canvas., 10. dVan, 11. Endure, 12. Boy

I've seen this 'game' around for awhile and never really gave it a second thought. I decided to just try a couple and see what happened, I was a bit hooked. The thing that made this fun was seeing what photos pop up when you enter your search criterion. Photos that I would never have thought expressed the word I had chosen. It was fun. I encourage you to check it out.

So. Here's how it goes:

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Favorite drink?

7. Dream vacation?

8. Favorite dessert?

9. What you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. One Word to describe you.

12. Your flickr name

If you click on the mosaic above, you'll be redirected to Flickr. Roll over the mosaic once you get to Flickr and the notes will tell you my answers to the questions.

Ciao!

Inspiration

I am finding inspiration in many places these days. You know how the internet is, click, click, click... how did I get here? What was I doing? Well, I've stumbled on these blogs that are inspirational and real and heart warming and lovely and all that I wish my blog to be but isn't.

Check out these lovely blogs and the women who pour out their hearts and souls in ways I only wish I could.

Here is Swirly Girl.

Here is Jen Gray.

Here is Boho Girl.

I feel like I know these women or wish they were in my circle of friends. They are able to be really real and willing to put themselves 'out there'. Willing to open up and reveal vulnerabilities and insecurities and capable of letting others in. I guess I'm just not that willing to do that. I'm not able to be so open and allow others to see what I fee must be the seamier side of me. This seems to be a recurring theme for me. That's probably something to ponder all by itself.

Tree Down

Lovely isn't it. We had so much rain Monday night this 20+ year old vine maple just fell over.! It doesn't look like that big of a deal. But the tree is probably 20+ feet tall, fully leafed out and soaking wet. Impossible for one person (i.e. Mister) to lift, much less lift and stake. It may have to go into the compost pile. Nice. Even though I don't live there any more and I find it unbearable emotionally to even go to that house which was my home for so many years, I will miss that tree. I love trees, but I don't think we really pay that much attention to them here in the great northwest. We sort of, inadvertently take them for granted. But, when they fall over or die for whatever reason leaving gaping holes in the scenery, we realize what they mean to us.

Anyway, trees. My ode: Beautiful to look at. Wonderfully cooling shade givers. Fun and habitat for the animals.

Seasonal delight.

Exhilirating recreation.

Trees, trees.

Just Watched: Sex and the City ~ the movie

Saw it Saturday night with girlfriends. Had cocktails before we saw it. The restaurant was packed with nothing but groups of women who had either just seen or were on their way to see Sex and the City. It was a phenomenon to behold.

The experience was made for me because I was there with a wonderful group of women. Its our women friends that we rely on, I think, for most of the emotional support we need that most men don't quite understand. Our women friends listen to our problems, laugh at our faux pas, give us the best advice and share all their own fears and doubts and successes in life in ways that men can not. Men (and I adore them) aren't wired to understand our stuff like other womean are. Men are the hunters, out alone, quiet, stalking their prey. Women are all together, back at the cave, rearing the children, homesteading with the other women. We are meant to hang out together then cleave to our men folk in a different way. I digress. blah blah blah...

I thought the movie was just okay. It was a definite must see, but would have been just fine seen on DVD. The pretty bows and ribbbons you wish for are all there and tied up nicely at the end. I laughed, I teared up, I'm glad its over. Sometimes, even though you might not want to, it is time to just let things fall into history where they belong. Onward, upward.

Morning - Third of June

The Rose Festival is underway in our fair city. Waterfront Park is sort of the hub for it all. Tents and rides and games and food and drink and arts and crafts and live music and all the people watching you can handle. It, nearly, always rains and the park nearly always becomes what I like to affectionately term a fecund cesspool. I know, I know, stop sugar coating how you feel about it.

It is such a great venue for so many reasons, location, accessibility, view, space. It is such a poor venue for so many reasons the traffic/commute impact the grassy park that is rained on and trodden by thousands of feet which turns it into a smelly mud hole wreaking of the fertilizer put there to green up the grass.

Enough of that topic.

I should go to a sales meeting this morning, but it raining. That sounds like a lame excuse and it is, but it turns the 20 minute, one way drive into a 30+ minute drive. Its only a few minutes each way, but, ick, just not in the mood or something.

Mister is meeting our brand new (whoo!! hoo!!) tenants today to give them keys and garage door openers and have them sign the final rental agreement and get rents from them. I can't tell you how much stress has been relieved by us (and when I say us, I mean Mister) having found a real, live, non-criminal, tenant who has decent credit.

How's your morning / month shaping up?

Ok, that's morning. I'm off to find more caffeine to bolster the rest of my day.

Ciao.