Dandy



Credit goes to Redding Cal Faris for this photograph of a dandelion.   It sure is a dandy and when the wind blows or you decide to be the wind and make the little fronds fly into the air . . . he loves me, he loves me not . . .  we should all have one of these for Valentine Day.   



I have seen this snapshot before.  The new way to correspond to someone, or each other...who knows?   How quick they are to learn, hope it improves the spelling and grammar.  At lest this generation is talking to each other about what I wonder. . . maybe he loves me he loves me not.....



Little did we know the little man with his shoe on the desk would be so prolific in his thoughts for America's future.   

So today with all kinds of communication in our world, words of fate and  wisdom, we need to pay attention and live our lives not locked into a modern electronic device but with our eyes and ears open to what is going on around us.   We see, we hear, we feel yet we remain the silent majority;  we are known for it;   when are we going to wake up and look around at our foibles and straighten up . . . ten little commandments to learn, to live by and our world would be what it was meant to be.     Think of what it would be like to live our faith, have hope and be charitable, kind benevolent and loving . . . we probably wouldn't know how or what to do with it as we stay in our box and peek out now and then.    Yeah, cowards . . . afraid of the good life.   It starts with each of us in our own bailiwick and today is a good day to start being open, honest and true to your convictions.   So get busy and live a little more in tune with yourself and find some peace and sanity in your world.     Don't forget to hum a little, smile a lot and share a hug or two as they will lead you to the 'perfect' day.   Hugs to all.



Last but not Least

One of the lost photographs of the calendar contest that would not come up when I wanted it to.  Imagine having a dust storm of such proportions...I know I wouldn't like it, even a little bit.   



Here is the other picture that wouldn't come up yesterday, but today, well, that is another story....as 'they' used to say. . . 'go figure' . . . it must have been a storm to remember.     Sorry I couldn't give credit to the photographers, but they did earn a place in the 2012 calendar out of New Zealand.



At long last, Grandma Karen sent Great Grandma Pauline a picture of Alice (Allie) and her parents Alex and Corrine.   She, Allie, as we call her, is growing up and from the looks of it she really is 'daddy's girl'.    A beautiful family who live over in France.    My granddaughter Erin is traveling and may look the family up if she gets the chance.  We hope so.



Food for thought......could be an attack on bosses. . . haven't we all had a thought in that direction more than one time in our working life.   
Patience is the name of the game and we all have to work on that so we can succeed in life and work around those big 'holes' that get in our way.     You know the old mantra, 'if you don't succeed, try , try, again....

So today try and see what you can do to succeed.    Try something new and different and make inroads to something bigger and better.   Yesterday I did get to visit one of the senior residences and I was introduced to a ninety five year old gentleman who is in high hopes he will live to finish a book about Wake Island from World War II, as he is the very last survivor.   Several volunteers read to him and yesterday I took a turn.    We sat on a sofa in the hallway with a large window behind us and the sun was shining out in the outside garden where there were tables and chairs.   I was wishing we could be out there but it is still a bit chilly.   He is a soft man, a gentle soul and still has a very sharp mind.   He listened and when I would read a name, he would stop me and tell me it was an old buddy and a little about him.
 I don't know if you know or remember much about Wake Island but it is an atoll south of Hawaii and the USA owned it as far back as 1938. Congress allocated money to build a fueling area for the big Pan Am planes that took people from San Francisco to the Philippines.   1,200 men were hired to do the job and a decision to make a military base there came about in 1942.    The Japanese bombed the island, the same day as Pearl Harbor,  and took whatever workers that survived to China for two years until they could build a camp in Japan where they were held for another two years.   They were put to work in rice fields and factories.  President Franklin Roosevelt didn't stand still for minute and before long the war was over, the prisoners returned and Wake Island is still part of our territory.  There is more to read and I can hardly wait to get back and do another stint.   

So today, think about veterans.   Think about what they did , and are doing, and what they went through then, and now, for each and every one of us.    We have no idea .    Maybe you will think about visiting a veteran and doing a little reading or writing if they cannot.   Maybe you will learn something, I did.     There is such a tremendous need out there in our world.  The need for a hug is always on top of the list.   You can do that, all you have to do is look around, listen, and make a few of your seconds available to show a little love and appreciation to an old timer who has memories both sad and happy when he or she was very young and devoted precious time fighting those who want to rule the world . . . and believe it or not, oil . . . really is at the base of it all;  even World War II . . . I didn't know that.     Live, Learn and Read to a veteran, you really will enjoy it.   Hugs to all.



Endings

Shadows of Cumulus clouds parallel dunes in the Simpson Desert.  Picture taken by Steve Strike and it made the calendar contest.  

The last of the calendar pictures that I could get to show on the computer.  Several just refused to be copied.    This one is a real beauty and a storm I wouldn't want to be in.   It looks quite ominous although I am betting it would clear the air.   

So today, clear the air.  It is Tuesday and a good day for cleaning cobwebs from the brain.    Be active, get some exercise and look up and see what is in the heavens today.    We have been having sunshine early in the day but the fog rolls in and ends that fast enough.    We expect it so are never disappointed for our energies are high with the sun and we calm down and catch up with ourselves when the clouds roll in, or a fog bank makes its way in from the sea.     Coolness, calmness so necessary to our running around in circles in our hectic lives.    Weather is the best friend we have, like it or not, as it reflects the human side of life.     Look up, catch a snow flake or a rain drop on your tongue;   walk on top of a snow bank or dance in the rain ; smile with your eyes and hum a catchy tune as you enjoy your seconds today.     Hugs to all. 

More . . .



A lonely ship in a fog and mist in Phillip Bay, Victoria, picture by Meredith Banhidi.    A beautiful quiet picture for a calendar . . . I'm humming 'all by myself I get lonely......' 



John Allen's picture of hail that blankets a paddocks in Marning, Victoria.   A really lovely winter scene that brings out the goose bumps as you wander about on a winter's morning.



A wilderness sanctuary in Southern Australia . . . rainbow. . . and I didn't write down the photographer.     He or she caught the moment and went on to win a spot in the calendar contest.

A picture speaks a thousand words or more and it can change your mood from low to high in a matter of seconds.   I hope the calendar on your desk is filled with beautiful pictures, if not, then one of your favorite animals or a Maxine one with words to cheer you.     I hope you took time out and enjoyed your weekend.   I was invited to have dinner with my neighbors, Jim and LaVerne and thoroughly enjoyed a delicious roasted chicken with all the trimmings.   Jim is ninety-two and has stories to tell.   He was and still is a 'cowboy', a rancher, a man who loves the outdoors and has a memory that brings history to mind.     I brought him a western novel and he was delighted  That is all he reads and it is hard to find one he has not already read.    La Verne takes such good care of her husband, and like the old married couple they are, each vies for attention and each has tales they want to tell.    She is American Indian and her background and tales have enough adventures to write stories about.     They make the word neighbor have meaning and I left filled with great food  for both the body and mind.    
So today, check in on your neighbors and find out what kind of tales they have to tell.     It is a very enjoyable way to spend some of your seconds, and I am sure you can come up with a few tales of your own.     Be a good neighbor;  be open, be honest, be friendly and extend an invitation and learn how the other half lived.  It can be a delightful trip down memory lane and drudge up some beautiful pictures to keep your mind and heart alive and well.     Listen up and you will hear me humming "People . . . ordinary people . . . we are the luckiest people in the world . . ."  aah, Barbara Strisend comes to mind . . . "people"  what would we do without them?   I hope we never have to find out so that there is some special ones to call up and spend some precious time with.   I can feel a hug coming in the door.  Go...open the door and you may find one waiting just for you.     Hugs to all.



Calendar pictures



The Bureau of Meteorology in Australia has a competition for calender pictures every year.  I would hate to be on the judging side as each picture was a winner.    This one was an electric storm taken on Australia Day.,2012 by Matthew Timonis.  A spectacular show as lightening strikes compete with the fire works of the day.



This one looks ominous, like the start of a tornado with the clouds forming a tunnel all its own but it was just a thunder storm caught on camera by Bruce Cooper..



Mist and Fog,  the colors of the sky are different and so awesome.    Grant Dixon took this picture.



A cumulouibus cloud taken by Helen Simpson.      Nevada has a form of cumulus clouds that are more flat and look like space ships.  This one looks like it took off and puffed up with someplace to go.
All in all each picture was chosen to make up the 2012 calendar and I'll  show the rest tomorrow.    

Our skies are wondrous.    We see something new and different every day and all we have to do is take the time to look up.    In our young years, and even later, we take time out in the summer to look up and see what sights we can see and what animals live in the clouds.  Sometimes it is people or sometimes a special wave action copying the sea . . . . or it could be a mountain scene or something from a fairy tale.   We have seen skies blacken and storms come in that shake our entire being.    We have seen colors that shake the heart with the beauty and depth it shows, and the rainbows after a storm makes us smile.  And . . . a fog rolls in and hides our earth but it brings a beauty all its own;  a fine mist that shows silhouettes of trees and houses, fields and animals.     It all reminds me of our moods and moments as we live our days out.     It is like looking at a movie and seeing the changes in ourselves.    We cannot control the elements, nor would we want to, as they breathe life into us.   No sameness,  lots of change . . . isn't that what life is all about?   
It is Sunday, take time to walk out and look up.  I hope you find beauty to behold and it finds its way into your heart.   Make your day special, just like you.    Hugs to all.



Venice



Erin and Donaleo are in Venice enjoying the city in the sea.  I was lucky to travel some years back and Venice was one of the wonders of our trip.     When we got off of the boat there was two feet of water in St. Mark's square and we had to walk on a man made walk way.   I even wrote a story poem about it . . .

Venice

We caught a little ferry boat
sailed in murky seas
to visit the Doges Palace
and St. Mark's in the square
to find the storm had
left behind, two feet of water there.

Iron horses holding planks
made a path for us
we inched along
to the church, and saw the walls of gold,
but it was kind of scary
as the floors felt very spongy
and the carpet very old.

It was disappointing
not to have a gondola ride
and be serenaded
by a smiling Venetian guide
but the seas were turbulent
and high.

Visiting the little shops
made everything alright
as we found some treasures
to take home on our flight.

I hope Erin and Donaleo are having the time of their lives.     They have fallen in love with Italy and its people and enjoy the daily siesta which they think makes everyone more mellow.   Maybe we should try a siesta after lunch, sounds good to me. 
Make today a good one after all it is the start of a weekend that will disappear before you know it;  time flies when you are having fun.     Fun, a nice word, has a ring to it . . . yep. . . smile with your eyes, hum a merry tune and get on with having one of the very best days of your life......go, enjoy!   Hugs to all.



Snow



Andrea and Bob sent a couple of pictures of the mountain snows in their neck of the woods.
Arizona does get cold.  I usually equate it with hot, but the desert can get very cold I hear.   Maybe that is why they have the huge and beautiful cacti growing there.

Today is Friday, the end of another week, but the beginning of a brand new month.    February is not always the prize of winter, but sometimes a beast with storms to satisfy everyone.    According to the news they have started already and the storms are showing off their might and power.    This  month touts Groundhog day so we will find out if we are to have six more weeks of winter or not . . . taking any bets?    My niece, Eileen, is having 'another' birthday  and if she isn't careful she will be catching up with me . . . Happy Birthday Eileen, hope you have many,  many more all in good health.   Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season will begin on the thirteenth;  forty days to Easter and Spring.  We also have Valentine Day to remember those we love . . . aah, Cupid's arrow, may it strike your heart with fiery embers to last a life time.  Be loving, be thoughtful, be kind, be aware just how important it is to share words, thoughts and deeds from the heart.     Yeah, there's a song . . . "Three little words, that's all I live for...the rest of my day....la,la,la...three little words ......I love you."      and, I do . . . Go, have some fun picking out Valentines and if you are young in spirit, put a few under the door of those close by and you will stay young and loved forever.   Hugs to all.