“Most of your life will not be extraordinary. Most of your life will be simple things, done regularly. If you’re only going to be happy when you’re on vacation, after a lush payday, after a big career win, you’re going to spend most of your life really dissatisfied. You either learn to love the day…
Category: photography
Wait for it
I recently bought a small digital camera that I am really loving. It’s light, plastic and toy-like, producing retro-looking images. But it’s not necessarily the photos that have me smitten: it’s the experience. Although this camera is digital, there’s no image playback feature. Yesterday I took it along for a walk in the park and…
Life lately
Just a few photos from recent walks in the park… And a trip to the flower truck for a peony fix. Which is entirely too expensive but totally worth it. Hello, weekend. I’m so glad you’re here.
Truths
I spotted a list of five harsh truths about life that I thought was pretty good – and accurate. 1. You are responsible for your own happiness. 2. The majority of your limits are self-imposed. 3. You can never fully prepare for everything life will throw at you. 4. You will mess up. The best…
Thank you
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure.” – Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire A homily I listened to this weekend referenced the above quote from Chariots of Fire and I’ve been reflecting on it ever since. I understand that God’s…
Look again
“Look at your body. Look at those arms that have held people they love. Look at those eyes that have seen oceans and mountains and big green trees. Look at those legs that have carried you through your longest journeys. Look at your feet that have held you up on your hardest days. Look at…
Sorry, not sorry
“You know what breaks me? When someone is visibly excited about a a feeling or an idea or a hope or a risk taken, and they tell you about it but preface it with: “Sorry, this is dumb but…” Don’t do that. I don’t know who came here before me, or who conditioned you to…
Magic in the desert
Somehow we’re approaching the tail end of April and I haven’t yet posted anything about two back-to-back trips I’ve taken this year. I count on this blog to maintain a record of important moments in my life, so I don’t want to miss this. In late February, I took a mother-son trip to Vegas to…
Be safe
“Be safe.” Today as I left the office, a nasty storm was brewing right outside the front doors. Several people were leaving at the same time and instead of the usual “have a good evening” pleasantries, there were lots of sincere and slightly anxious exchanges of “be safe.” I thought about that expression during my…
Details
“Immerse yourself in appreciating the details of this life. The present moment will save you…and then it will be gone, replaced by a new moment. Touch, and let go. This is our practice.” – Waylon H. Lewis I keep going back to these photos of bodega cats from my last trip to New York. But…
Mystery flowers
“The world is full of magic things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W. B. Yeats During a chilly walk in the park this morning, I saw in the distance what I thought were snowballs on the icy surface of the grand basin. But upon closer inspection, I found that someone had…
Hopes for the week ahead
Here’s hoping for smiles along our paths… and assurances of love, however faint… …or more obvious. Here’s hoping for warm blankets when hunkering down against the cold, cooperative traffic during our commutes, uninterrupted moments for rest, steaming hot cocoa to accompany a good book, and unwavering patience and peace. Here’s hoping for kind exchanges of…
Wonder
“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” — E.B. White A frigid Saturday visit to the park resulted in a little wonder. I don’t know how these little icy baubles formed in the lake, but they’re neat.
Say what?
“Don’t speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn’t know the difference. Words are energy and they cast spells; that’s why it’s called spelling. Change the way you speak about yourself and you can change your life.” – Bruce Lee Life is constantly telling me that I’m loved. Random hearts appear in…
Just because
A Finnegan appreciation post. Appreciating these photos of him that my son took… And Finnegan appreciating my son who took the photos.
Snowy Saturday
We got our first real snowfall of the season! Not a ton, but it was just enough to coat everything with a bit of magic. And enough for our neighbors to manage to build a snowman… …or two. And it looked like these snowmen were having a snowball fight. I had to stop my run…
The gift
“Their joy – that’s the gift to you.” Not long ago, I saw a Steve Hartman segment featuring some school kids who were inspired by a Secret Santa to raise and give away literally thousands of dollars to strangers in need. (Please watch the segment here if you haven’t seen it, which includes the above…
Gentle Goals
Gentle Goals for a New Year “Wander more. Notice at least one beautiful thing a day. Take the class you’ve been thinking about. Leave your comfort zone more often so you have stories to tell when you get back. Make a new friend. Read a book that changes you. Stay loyal to yourself. Act with…
A new year begins
“When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and the princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins. To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild…
Hey there, feathered friend
I’ve made a new friend over the past month or so and I wanted to make sure that I posted about him. (Or her.) He’s very quiet and calm, and visits quite often. He never imposes, but I drop everything as soon as he arrives. When I shower him with compliments, he listens with detached…
Priceless
Write about someplace you’ve been that you’re grateful for. The fifth of 15 gratitude journal prompts is taking me to….my Grampa’s house during Christmas when I was a child. The little chapel pictured above is well over 100 years old, made by my Grampa as a tribute to the first little church he attended with…
Catching up
Write about a happy memory. I’m a little behind on my gratitude journal prompts, but this is a fun one. This time of year has a disproportionate number of happy memories compared to other months, thanks in no small part to the holidays. From my Grampa’s red Christmas sweater to my young sons fighting over…
Where do I start?
“Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world.” – Oscar Wilde So yesterday I started a series of “15 gratitude journal prompts” — and prompt number two is “What’s a simple pleasure that you’re grateful for?” I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that simple pleasures make up 95% of my…
hey there, friends 