Pink and Yellow Flowers …

Weekend Reflections and Window Views are in the next post
I’m having computer crash problems still …
please bear with me … I’ll visit as I’m able
and catch up eventually.

Pink and yellow blooms
Lantana by name (I think)
… if not mistaken

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and for others participating in Pink Saturday
Mellow Yellow Monday and Today’s Flowers

Thought for Today

“All things are difficult until they are easy.” John Norley

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Dramatic Skies and Reflections

13 photographs
Dramatic skies … Window
Views and Reflections

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others participating in Thursday Thirteen, Midweek Blues,
Sky Watch, and Haiku Friday

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for others participating in Window Views and Weekend Reflections

A playful bonus … just because
cropped then ‘screened with exclusion’ and lightened

Thought for Today

“To repeat what others have said requires education; to challenge it requires brains.” Mary Pettibone Poole

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PINK Diplodania blossoms in the rain …

Sorry to be late this morning
but I had issues with Photoshop and Mozilla …
Weekend Reflections and Shadow Shots
are two posts down from here

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and for others participating in Pink Saturday
and Today’s Flowers

Thought for Today

“All things are difficult until they are easy.” John Norley

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Rainy views while driving home …

muted blues from my
drive in the rain yesterday …
captured through windows

of my Explorer
wet and wildly windy
I’m glad to be home

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and for others participating in Thursday Thirteen,
Midweek Blues, Window Views, Haiku Friday, Sky Watch

Bonus … three shifting views from this morning
snapped through my French Doors looking East …

Thought for Today

“All was silent as before -
All silent save the dripping rain.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Ruby Raindrops … Shadowy Reflections

My World, Macro Monday and Monochrome Weekend
are in the next post

Enjoying the rain
here in California …
watching TENNIS too

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and for others participating in
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday
Ruby Tuesday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday,
Color Carnival, Weekend Reflections, Shadow Shot Sunday

Thought for Today

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Weather, Termites and Creative Play …

Scroll down for Monochrome Mania & My World

Enjoying the rain
Might the termites wash away?
Wishfully dreaming …

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and the links for others participating in Macro Monday

Not our usual
Southern California skies …
lovely anyway

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and the links for others participating in
My World and Monochrome Maniacs
Hmm … I see it’s become Monochrome Weekend
making this post late … sigh! Such is life.

A playful bonus … just because

Just for Fun … Creative Experiment
‘screened with exclusion’
(original is below)

Thought for Today

“A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.” Eudora Welty

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I spy colorful flowers and shadows too

Weekend Reflections is in the Next Post

Colorful blossoms …
subtle shadows photographed
on a recent walk

Straight out of the camera above and Poster Edges below

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and for others participating in
Pink Saturday and Today’s Flowers

Straight out of the camera above and Poster Edges below

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and for others participating in
Color Carnival and Shadow Shots

Thought for Today

“Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.” Walt Whitman

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Watery (Reflective) Views at Mission Viejo Mall

ALMOST

Scroll down for Wordful Wednesday and T-13

I spent yesterday
with my sister walking and
taking photographs

“Walking gets the feet moving, the blood moving, the mind moving. And movement if life.” Carrie Latet

“Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird.”
Jules Renard

Click to embiggen and for others participating in
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday, Watery Wednesday,
Thursday Thirteen, Weekend Reflections
and Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus

I intended to take and share additional photos this morning (since steady soft drizzles are falling outside) and add a brief update about yesterday with my sister as a follow up to my Wordful Wednesday post at Sacred Ruminations … however methinks I’ll allow the two quotes about WALKING augment the eleven watery reflective photos to make ‘requisite’ thirteen. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the disastrous earthquake in Haiti.

9:30am Addendum
While visiting blogs this morning I found this lovely award at Hootin’ Anni’s. Since she shared so generously … I wanted to pass it along as well to all of you who bring ‘sunshine’ to MY life by visiting and sharing your thoughts. Hope you’re having a lovely day.

Thought for Today

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” Soren Kierkegaard

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Pink streaks at sunset are pretty, but

Click for my Weekend Reflections,
Camera Critters and Pet Pride this week

… not as beautiful
as the sunrise mosaic
at Small Reflections

of course I’m using
my Casio Exilim …
(Nikon’s in the shop)

yearly cleaning and
‘adjustments’ … recommended
by those in the know

suffering a bit
of ‘withdrawal’ and I hope
they’ll be finished soon

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and for others participating in Color Carnival,
Sky Watch, Haiku Friday and Pink Saturday

Thought for Today

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” Moshe Dayan

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Outdoor Watery Wednesday at the Beach

ALMOST

Each day at the beach
just a wee bit different …
always beautiful

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and for others participating in Outdoor Wednesday,
Watery Wednesday, Midweek Blues, (Almost) Wordless Wednesday
and Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus

Thought for Today

“By all means use some times to be alone.  Salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear.” George Herbert

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Pink Saturday – Today’s COLORFUL Flowers

Weekend Reflections is in the Next Post

Neighborhood blossoms …
pink flowers I photographed
on a recent walk

Straight out of the Camera

Poster Edges, lightened just a bit

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and for others participating in
Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers and Color Carnival

Thought for Today

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” Hal Borland

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December Gratitude List from Small Reflections

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” Thich Nhat Hanh

South Breeze Farm hosted the Giving Thanks Challenge and I participated at Small Reflections in November of 2008 and decided to continue indefinitely … generating the following list one day at a time throughout the month of August. I’ve decided to transfer the lists at the end of each month from Small Reflections to Happily Retired Gal … just because. Click to see previous lists already published here.

1. for all I’ve learned about blogging … especially HTML codes that allow me to transfer my gratitude lists to Happily Retired Gal more easily these days.

2. I managed to stay awake all the way through my computer class from 6-9pm last night even though I’d been up since 2am.

3. that (with the information I’ve learned in my ‘Fix Your Own Computer’ class) I’ve managed to speed up my old laptop considerably … and hopefully make the newer one more ‘stable’ (crossing my fingers that I won’t get the ‘Blue Screen of Death’ several times a day any more)

4. for a pleasant ‘catch up’ lunch with a good friend and phone chat with my sister who is gradually headed home for the holidays

5. I attended the wonderful Vanguard University Christmas Concert last night at St. Andrew’s church in Newport Beach … what a glorious way to get me in the holiday mood

6. for my many ‘virtual’ friends sharing their thoughts and photographs in the Blogosphere.

7. it’s RAINING … finally
8. there’s a break in the rainy weather so Molly & I can take a long walk together, but more of the ‘wet stuph’ is on the way.
9. I’ll be getting a new perm this afternoon.

10. I’m registered for 3 new Adult School classes in 2010 with a good friend. It’ll be fun to have this regular time to connect twice weekly for the next few months as we learn more about Photoshop and collages.

11. for another day of light drizzily rain.

12. I was able to share Satsuma tangerines from my sister’s tree with friends and attended a Buon Natatle Party last night … catching up with friends I’ve not seen for many years.

13. I finally figured out (with the help of Google) how to change the letter of my 1TB WD ‘My Book’ drive with the Vista OS after one got accidentally changed (wreaking havoc with the PSE6 ‘organizer’) when I installed a new WD Passport drive to back up photos for safety’s sake.

14. I remembered that today’s the 2nd Monday of the month so I didn’t miss catching up with friends at Retired Ladies Lunch

15. that after spending the day successfully backing up my photos on a WD Passport Drive, finally I managed to create and publish my Almost Wordless Outdoor Watery Wednesday post with photos from the Bolsa Chica Wetlands after the Rain before heading to my Fix Your Own Computer class tonight.

16. that I’m able to access the Internet with my ancient laptop while dealing with connectivity issues on the newer one … even though it’s E X T R E M E L Y
S L O W going to access & comment on blogs!

17. that this afternoon I was SUCCESSFUL finally in getting my newer laptop (a Dell running Vista) to access my encrypted wireless network … so I’ll be able to visit blogs more easily again, however I’m leaving for class soon so those visits will need to wait until tomorrow.

18. for all I’ve learned about fixing my own computer in my Adult School class and that I’ve got the rest of the year off for the holidays!

19. My sister and her husband have returned home and we’ll be able to celebrate Christmas together with extended family!

20. for a delightful day spent with my sister yesterday starting with a delicious meal at Z’Tejas (I’ll share photos another day), followed by a long walk (enough to make my feet hurt) with good conversation, late-afternoon coffee at Starbucks, and topped off with a lovely Christmas concert at the OC Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Theater.

21. I created my Christmas cards to send to family & friends.

22. after spending more hours than I care to admit trying to make my printer work, I’ve decided to send New Year’s cards this year in order to cut myself some slack and limit stress.

23. for all those who offered suggestions and/or support as I worked on printer issues … as yet unresolved.

24. to spend the day with family in Hemet … celebrating Christmas Eve with my sister, her husband, their two sons (age 30 & 28), my brother’s widow, their youngest son, his wife, their two daughters (age 5 & almost 4), and their son (age 2).

25. that I woke early enough to visit many of my virtual friends leaving Joyous Christmas wishes before taking Molly for a walk then heading to my sister’s house for traditional strawberry waffles.

26. for a good night’s sleep

27. I may be able to get my belated Christmas cards printed with an OLD Photosmart printer if I can get the driver’s installed & functioning on my laptop running Vista.

28. for last night’s holiday gathering at a dear friend’s house providing the opportunity to connect with folks I’ve not seen in a long time & to meet new people.

29. for glorious ocean views & sunsets

30. this entire day of gentle drizzily rain soaking the soil rather than running off down the street.

31. for good heath during 2009 and the many ‘virtual friends’ I’ve encountered in the Blogosphere.

FYI – My previous Gratitude Lists can be found at Happily Retired Gal, my new WordPress site. It is my intention to keep this ‘Daily Gratitude List’ in my sidebar indefinitely because I believe it makes sense to focus on what’s right in our lives regularly. Click for:
2009 Lists – November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2008 Lists – December, November

Thought for Today
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’” William A. Ward

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