Affirmations

I'm working on, well, me. I'm sort of always doing this and sometimes, like maybe now, I'm having to work a little harder than at other more relaxing times. I'm always tweaking and tinkering and trying to figure out how to make me and my life, better, happier, more sustainable (pardon the eco-pun), more pleasant and peaceful. No, I've not joined an ashram (although, I would love to for a while - maybe some day...) I am fully aware that I live what could only be termed a charmed life. I have a wonderful husband and family and friends and a job and health and with all that, I sometimes have anxiety. For no good reason that I can come up with other than the fact that I've just been this way since I was five years old. Its just me.

Hence, always working on something. Something to remind myself how easy I have it. Blah blah blah.

In that vein, I've finally come to accept that I have some sort of (dare I call it...) artistic bent that I need to express. It comes out in my having owned a camera since I was in grade school. Remember those old Vivitars(?)

Maybe you're just not old enough to remember those, but, hey, they were great. Point, click, wait 4 months for your parents to remember to take the film to Bi-Mart to get developed then another 2 weeks for them to remember to pick up the prints, all that heart wrenching waiting just to see the photos you took of your stuffed animals. (Hmm, the internets reveal that Vivitar still exists.... just not in this 1979 version... anyway..) After that, I had a Kodak Disk camera.

I loved that silly thing. It was novel and different and had film in the same shape as ViewMasters.

The next camera I remember was my super fabulous, 35mm Olympus or Minolta...? Heavens I can't remember the maker. Oh well, I have (present tense) lenses and cases and filters and cleaning equipment and more equipment than I can think of. I love that camera. If only I wasn't addicted to the instant gratification of the digital age I would SO use it more often.

My next camera, which I am so excited about getting some day, will most likely be a Canon 40D. Oh, how I drool over it.

I've digressed, because I am so enamored with photography. So, back to my point, I love to cook and bake and photograph and I used to play the piano and always wanted to play the guitar and I've come to realize and accept that I need to express myself creatively to be fully "me".

What's on my plate right now. Rocks. Stones to be more specific. I've started (who knows how long it will last...) creating what I call Affirmation Stones. See below. This is my first painted stone.

The first affirmation that I had to write, was Joy. These silly little stones have actually brought me joy.

Hey, whatever works, right.

Hello from Firenze, Italia (Florence, Italy)

I'm copying someone who is in Ireland right now who posted on her blog while on vacation. I have nothing much to say though, shame. Mister and I spent my bday in Paris, lovely. Walked for hours and did our best not to get food poisoning from the airport, more on that later. Walked under the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Walked through the Louvre, sadly not enough time to even go inside, still beautiful from the outside and in the gardens. Much wine, inexpensive and very good wine. MUCH walking, I love it. Today, after several plane rides, train rides, boat rides and days of being on my feet, my back finally said enough. I believe I would have not had any issues, but, I'm going into my girlie cycle (is that TMI?) and my lower back has had enough, until tomorrow when we start again. Venice and the Grand Canal, stinky but beautiful. Some food, amaZing@! Some food, not so much. The cafe is really great when you pick it up as espresso or americano in little shops. The drip in the hotel for breakfast, nasty and cold. Just my opinion. Museums in Florence, wow. A bit much, I mean seriously, renaiisance overload, but I've gotten to see amazing art in and amongst the art I don't personally care for. Photos when I get home. This isn't my laptop and I'm not comfortable taking up too much time on it. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Will chat at you soon enough. Ciao bellas!

Today is a new beginning - A wonderful new beginning

I am 41 today. I am in Paris. I can't believe I am going to share this picture with you. Its me and my sister-in-law, last summer (?) and we'd had a couple (read: more than a couple) glasses of wine. My pupils actually frighten me here. But, I'm over 40 now and just don't give a rip whether I am the beauty queen I wish I was. I'm me. Love me or leave me. I hope your day is as fabulous as I plan mine to be.

Earth Day 2009

Well, when I look at last year's Earth Day list and also Earth Day 2007 of what we wished to accomplish during the ensuing 12 months, we failed a bit.

Mister has not, yet, installed solar panels on our home. We, unfortunately, do not have the right exposure.

I have not ridden my bike to work more often. The real estate thing kep me from doing it at all last summer and fall. I had to be available with my vehicle most days. (excuses, excuses)

We do not yet have a solar vehicle. Mister either want to build one - we don't have a garage for him to do that in, at present and Mister refuses to buy into what he terms the ugly and ridiculous electric cars which have been mass produced to date. Electric cars do not have to be ugly i.e. check out the Tesla Roadster.

They also don't need to be that expensive. We're just waiting until its viable.

Anyway.

What have we done? Well, I've become rather anal and bring home anything from the office that can be recycled but not from the office. For example, plastic bags can not be put into the regular recycling, I bring them home and we include them with our bags which are returned to the grocery. I've also done this with old plastic food containers and lids from the office that would have ended up in the land fill.

We did, just last weekend, and when I say we, I mean Mister, anyway... we installed a wood stove into our home. We loved the one at my other house so much, now we have one too. Mister brings home construction materials (wood) from his work sites that would be recycled (so they say) but we take it and use it as fuel. You know, palettes and 2x4 ends, etc. I guess a lot of construction guys scavenge for stuff on job sites that would end up basically garbage and reuse it somehow.

Mister has pretty much removed all non-native vegetation from the back yard - with the exception of my tulips and a very few other plants. Our goal is to attract native bees and bugs and birds.

We have Mason Bee boards up hoping for native bees to come live with us.

They are far more gentle than ordinary honey bees and apparently are native to the region.

We've put up some natural bird houses. No birds living there yet, but that could be because there are tons of cats, including ours, in the neighborhood.

Mister and I commute together, when we can.

We have a compost bin and put all our vegetable scraps there for future use in garden beds.

That is all I have for now. We are doing what we can and always searching for new things to add to our palette.

I hope you all have a good day today. My thoughts are with you.

Weekend

This weekend is my annual girls beach retreat. Nine women. We each have one meal for which we take responsibility, with a partner. Other than that, its just relax and hang and do whatever. No laundry, no cleaning (a few dishes, but that's really it), no yard work, no feeding the husband or the cat, no one calling, no one complaining about anything, no tv (although we usually watch some movies), no computers, no politics, just unadulterated, relaxating girl time. I hope your weekend is as pleasant, however you choose to spend it. Maybe I'll have photos next week... miracle happen! They do! This photo has nothing to do with anything. I just like the sky.

Ciao bellas!

Inauguration Day

I have few words. Something you may find unbelievable. Joy and Hope and Relief and Excitement and Inspiration. Those are just a few of my words for the day. And the words I will have for some time to come.

Are you planning or attending any events today? Mister and I are having a potluck gathering of friends and family in celebration of the incoming administration.

Yesterday's 365 photo.

Refresh ~ 2009

A photo I took recently during our "Arctic Blast 2008" (the coined phrase of the newscasters here, lovely). Anyway, it captured me and I really like it. I think its the monotoneness that soothes me. A wonderful way to start the new year. Fresh and reflective.

I thought this was a fun treatment.

Anyway...