Serena Williams – 4th Wimbledon Win and my June Gratitude List from Small Reflections

Scroll down for Mosaic Monday
Ruby Tuesday and more …

Roses photographed
in my yard and filtered with
Watercolor here

One more strawberry
from my yard … delicious treat
as I wait for more

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for
others participating in Pink Saturday and Today’s Flowers

Strawberries and Cream
is the name Serena gives
to this year’s outfit

Happily today
Serena Williams achieved
13th ‘major win’

playing Wimbledon
against Zvonareva this
morning in straight sets

passing Billie Jean’s
total of 12 major wins …
What a sight to see!

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for
others participating in Mosaic Monday and Ruby Tuesday

“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. that I’m feeling healthier after a weekend of cold symptoms.2. my DVR hasn’t deleted tennis matches I’ve not had time to watch yet.

3. for caller ID … allowing me to ignore annoying calls from people I don’t know who ignore ‘Do Not Call’ listings hoping to sell me things or services I neither need nor want.

4. that (after uninspired & disappointingly short women’s semi-final matches yesterday) both men’s semi-final tennis matches at the French Open were competitively entertaining … although I hoped that Melzer would win the 3rd set against Rafa so the match would have continued to a 4th (and possibly 5th) set like the Berdych-Soderling match did … just because.

5. for a good night’s sleep 😉

6. both the men’s and women’s Championship Tennis Matches were competitively entertaining this year.

7. a fun catch-up visit with my sister last night on the cell phone.

8. for a free medium latte when I purchased a pound of decaf coffee beans at Peet’s today.

9. for a delicious breakfast at Mimi’s Cafe, leftovers for tomorrow, and a free 4-pack of muffins currently in my freezer 😉

10. for afternoon sunshine bringing blue skies following morning drizzles all week.

11. after weeks of tendonitis in my elbow limiting activity, I’ve been able to toss a toy for Molly to fetch this past week and we’re BOTH happy about that.

12. for a tasty home-cooked meal at a friend’s house after which we watched ‘The Blind Side’ … what a wonderfully uplifting film about real people!

13. my neighbor from across the street who loves Molly came over today to play fetch with her … saving MY arm for another day’s play.

14. to connect with friends at Retired Gal’s Lunch this afternoon and catch up on summer plans.

15. my friend ‘S’ wasn’t injured physically when she totaled her Forrester this afternoon while driving home.

16. I was available to drive ‘S’ to her last craft class this morning so she could collect her ‘creative stuph’ … it was fun to meet the people she’s talked about for the last couple of years.

17. to hear from my sister finally … (this time from Colorado) … they’ve not had cell service and I was beginning to worry just a bit because it had been quite a while since her last call, but they’ve been enjoying their adventures on the road and that’s a good thing.

18. to all the ‘virtual friends’ who continue to visit my blogs whenever I find time to post something … hopefully one of these days I’ll be able to catch up with each of you 😉

19. for the 1st bloom ever on a relatively new Day Lily in my yard … a little lighter in color than my older one.

20. Wimbledon starts tomorrow and my DVR is cleared off & set to record ESPN’s coverage so I can record matches to watch as time permits.

21. that Roger Federer found a way to come back from 2 sets down in his first 2010 match at Wimbledon against the Columbian Alejandro Falla (who played the match of his life even though he couldn’t quite pull off the upset) to win his 200th match in a major tournament (saving match points along the way) … joining the likes of Jimmy Connors at 233, Andre Agassi at 224, Ivan Lendl at 222 and Pete Sampras at 203. That could have been the worst 1st-round upset ever at Wimbledon!

22. the veterinarian had a big bag of Molly’s Royal Canin Duck & Potato food in stock today.

23. for a tasty breakfast and a free 4-pack of muffins at Mimi’s Cafe this morning … with leftovers for tomorrow too 😉

24. John Isner won his 3-day 1st round Marathon Match against Nicolas Mahut … though I do feel bad that either had to lose this multi-record breaking 5-setter!

25. for all I’ve learned about Photoshop Elements, allowing me to ‘fix’ and share pictures I’ve snapped of ESPN’s tennis coverage with my Nikon D60 … quite fun 😉

26. Andy Roddick is through to the Round of 16 and seems to have a good draw against Yen Hsun Leu, a player I’ve not heard of or seen play before.

27. American Sam Querrey and Australian Leyton Hewitt made it through to the Round of 16 … with Sam to play Rafa Nadal and Leyton to play Novak Djokovic on Monday. I’d like to see those matches 😉

28. that both Serena & Venus are through to the Quarter finals in both singles & doubles, but saddened at the upset of Andy Roddick along with losses by Leyton Hewitt and Sam Querrey (both in untelevised matches) … and I confess that I’m upset with NBC’s coverage starting so late on the West Coast pretty much after all matches have been concluded in England.

29. Serena has made it through to the Semi-finals though what a surprise to see both Kim Clijsters & Venus Williams upset in their matches today.

30. to watch competitive men’s Quarter-final matches today at Wimbledon … but saddened to see Roger Federer out of the tournaments & learn of his injuries.

FYI – My previous Gratitude Lists can be found here at Happily Retired Gal, my  WordPress site. It is my intention to keep this ‘Daily Gratitude List’ in my sidebar at Small Reflections indefinitely because I believe it makes sense to focus on what’s right in our lives regularly. Click for:
2010 Lists – June, May, April, March, February, January
2009 Lists – December, 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

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Advertisement

Ruby Blossoms in My Outdoor World

I happened upon
RUBY blossoms in these trees
on a recent walk

“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.” Confucius

“The mind is everything; what you think, you become.”
Gautama Buddha

Click to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in Ruby Tuesday, My World,
Outdoor Wednesday, Midweek Blues, and Wordful Wednesday

Thought for Today

“So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.”
Gaston Bachelard

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Outdoor RUBIES in My Watery World

Scroll down for Wordful Wednesday & Midweek Blues too

Warmer weather brings
people to the beach and pier
also the Street Fair

Do you see the seagull in the picture below?

How about in the next photo?
If you missed the one above, look up again 😉

If walking to the end of the pier and back is more exercise that one wants, there are folks who will give you a ride in one of these.

Kids can play in these colorful contraptions and people enjoy a variety of foods while enjoying the Street Fair on Tuesday evenings from 5-9pm.
Click to see more views and entertainment shared previously

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for
others participating in Ruby Tuesday, My World,
Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday,
Midweek Blues and Wordful Wednesday

Thought for Today

“Live out of your imagination, not your history.” Stephen R. Covey

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

A bit of RUBY in my Watery Outdoor World

stormy skies above
as we walked out on the pier …
surveying the scene

very different
from the ones I shared last week
at this local beach

just a few people
brave enough to swim, walk, and
lay upon the sand

For Ruby Tuesday
here’s the bright Barefoot Bar sign
and menu outside

My sister likes her fish tacos ‘battered’ …

I prefer mine Cajun style

and THIS is Hula Pie … delicious!

Click for others participating in
My World, Ruby Tuesday,
Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, and Midweek Blues

Thought for Today

“Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.”
Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

I’m CELEBRATING all week!

Scroll down for Today’s Flowers, Ruby Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday

Click to embiggen for better viewing

This is a pizookie from BJs from LAST February … DELICIOUS

Of course, my computers aren’t cooperating with me lately and I’ve had difficulty posting and visiting. This morning I had no internet access at all. My D-Link router seems to have given up the ghost entirely (just as my older Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop) but with some help from my local cable company, I’ve managed to come up with a short-term ‘fix’ and have established a Broadband connection for the time being … and it just MIGHT work around the wireless access issues I’ve experienced ever since I got the newer Dell Inspiron 1720 about 19 months ago.

If I had the money, I’d go buy myself a Sony Vaio and a LinkSys router … but I’ve not yet replaced the HP Photosmart C6180 ‘all in one’ printer that developed a glitch in December and doesn’t work at all … so that needs to take precedence since I can’t print anything at all currently now that the old Dell has died. Seems like it’s always something, right?

I’m not letting it get me down however because the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day in Southern California at the beach. I’m hoping to get Molly to the Doggie Spa this week because she’s a dirty smelling pooch at the moment … not fun to ‘cuddle’ with currently.

I’ve been told this plant
is a type of ‘aloe’ … if
it’s not, please do tell

Click to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in Ruby Tuesday,
Today’s Flowers and Outdoor Wednesday

Thought for Today

“After all is said and done, more is said than done.” Aesop

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

My Outdoor World is Changing …

Cut back just last week
my rose bushes have begun
to regenerate

Delicate white blooms
opening already on
this ‘unknown bulb’ plant …

I’d appreciate
knowing what it is if you
recognize the bloom

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for others participating
in (my belated) Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday, My World,
and Outdoor Wednesday

Thought for Today

“A faith like Lincoln’s would transform the world.” James Oppenheim

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

More Views from Balboa Island along with my January Gratitude List from Small Reflections

Mellow Yellow Monday
(along with Pink Saturday & Today’s Flowers)
is in the next post

More views from my walk
on Balboa Island this
weekend with my sis …

Kewl ‘ruby’ brick work,
blossoms, and ‘accents’ on the
yard’s ‘inhabitants’

More ‘rubies’ below …
Cyclamen blossoms I think,
if not mistaken

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for
others participating in My World,
Ruby Tuesday and Outdoor Wednesday

“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 the new & old friends in the Blogosphere who visit and leave comments on each of my blogs. Thank you all 😉

2. I managed to successfully transfer my December Gratitude List to Happily Retired Gal this morning on the 4th try. I’m not sure why, but I kept losing my sidebar there this morning … but all’s well that ends well, right? Right!

3. Molly got to play with the 3 pugs (Jake, Alle, & Noah) this morning … see Pug Invasion if you’ve forgotten or missed this post from mid-March.

4. I opted for the extended warranty when I purchased my Nikon D60 & Tamron lens last January at Ritz Camera. I should have them back in less than a week since I chose to drop them off at the camera repair shop this afternoon (rather than the one remaining local Ritz store in Fashion Island) to be cleaned & adjusted (something I was advised to do at least yearly).

5. I found my old Casio Exilim camera and it held a charge, so while I’m experiencing a bit of ‘withdrawal’ without my Nikon,
I have something to use in the meantime.

6. for time to create a mosaic with Monday’s surprise sunrise photos and to publish it at Small Reflections before leaving for class tonight.

7. to be home after spending the day at my sister’s house making 247 tamales (about a hundred more than usual) … I’ll be catching up on blog visits tomorrow and sharing photos from the day soon since she let me use HER camera since mine’s in the shop getting cleaned & adjusted after it’s first year of almost continual use.

8. for a day at home to catch up on blog visits, create multiple ‘tamale and critter mosaics’ then write Haiku reflections to share at Sacred Ruminations as a follow-up to the ‘big day’ of tamale-making.

9. I added to yesterday’s tamale post … (Blogging my Blessings there and providing a bit more info in response to questions). Spending time with my ‘reader’ last week … cleaning house (eliminating blogs no one has posted on in a long time), marking older entries as ‘read’ & reorganizing entries into functional categories is helping me manage time for blog visits more easily already.

10. my sister & her husband met me at the Harbor House Cafe in Sunset Beach for ‘brunch’ this morning. Since my ‘all-in-one’ HP printer still doesn’t work, my BIL is going to scan my sister’s tamale recipe then email it to me so I can share it with those who asked for it.

11. the camera shop called to say my camera & lenses are ready for pickup … HOORAY!

12. for Tuesday with my sister. We had a wonderful time together. I’ve shared ‘fountain photos’ from the Shops at Mission Viejo at Happily Retired Gal.

13. her husband emailed the tamale recipe to me so I could share it with those who asked for it.

14. that I’d saved often while creating my Thursday Thoughts … so that when Mozilla crashed this morning (as it does all too often due to a problem with my wireless card and/or driver that no one seems to be able to find or fix) … I was able to pick up where I left off rather than starting over.

15. for the ‘free ticket’ (worth $10) for a Friday Class at Adult School … (apparently M-W classes got these because of the Monday holidays making the courses shorter than T-Th classes so this was how they ‘evened things up’.
I used it this morning to learn about Facebook. I don’t know that I’ll find time to actually USE the information, but at least I understand how Facebook works now … sort of. LOL

16. we’ll be getting some much needed rain in the coming week. I’m hopeful the folks in the recently burned areas won’t suffer mudslides however.

17. I remembered to answer the Simple Woman’s Daybook questions to share with my Blues & Mosaics at Sacred Ruminations and to publish Macro & Monochrome photos at Happily Retired Gal … so I’m ‘set’ for Monday.

18. my DVR recorded the Day One tennis matches overnight at the Australian Open … so I can watch today as I visit blogs.

19. there were breaks in the rain so Molly & I could get outside for some much needed exercise.

20. for this afternoon’s (much needed) appointment to get my hair cut … and I’m hoping for a break in the weather to drive into Long Beach … then on to my sister’s in Cerritos and back home to feed Molly before my Adult School class tonight at 6pm. I’d kind of like to just stay home in this kind of weather, but I’ll drive carefully and hope for the best.<

21. last night’s class was canceled … (because the HB police asked yesterday afternoon that residents not drive for the next 48 hours unless absolutely necessary ) … so I didn’t have to go out in the storm again … at night.

22. that I took the initiative and drove to the local Social Security office (in the rain) to get my paperwork scanned into my file rather than continue to wait for the ‘secure envelope’ to arrive. Wish I’d done this a week ago!

23. the rain seems to have stopped this afternoon and it’s supposed to be clear on Sunday.

24. the laptop still ‘boots’ after multiple ‘Blue Screen of Death’ crashes this past week … so I’ve had time to back up my recent files & photos before I call Dell again, but the crashes have been frustrating when I try to visit blogs and leave comments!

25. I was able to help my sister get started on a computer related photo project over the phone and still get myself to class last night to learn some kewl new ‘digital media’ techniques.

26. my faulty wireless LAN card & Mozilla let me visit some blogs this morning before crashing …

27. for the ‘kewl’ new skills & techniques presented in tonight’s Digital Media class. Now what I need is time to practice 😉

28. my persistence paid off with Social Security. After spending MANY hours on the phone with multiple calls (asking many questions until I connected with the right person), I finally have my ‘claim number’ for Medicare, allowing me to finish signing up for a ‘supplemental care’ & ‘drug plan’ … so coverage should begin on February 1st (barring any unforseen issues).

29. I rewarded myself for a challenging week dealing with Beaurocracy by spending the day with my sister today and signing up for two ‘review’ Digital Photography classes with her tomorrow … one in the morning & the other in the afternoon.

30. for the Digital Photography 1 & 2 classes at Ritz Camera in Fashion Island letting me get my settings right again … and learning a few new things about the Nikon D60 to practice in the future.

31. to watch Roger Federer play well to win his 16th Major Championship in straight sets against Andy Murray at the Australian Open … regaining that title after losing there the last two years, putting him at #1 again … the first father to win a Major Championship since Andre Agassi did it in 2003.

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 – December, 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

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

My World – Colorful Seasonal ‘Rubies’

After Christmas Sales
are YOU out there exchanging
gifts … seeking bargains?

South Coast Plaza Mall
views during the holiday
season … delightful

Click mosaic to embiggen for better viewing
and to see more South Coast Plaza Views shared previously
at Small Reflections and Sacred Ruminations

Click for others participating in
My World, Ruby Tuesday and Color Carnival

Thought for Today

“Next to a circus there ain’t nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit.” Kin Hubbard

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Ruby Tuesday Outdoor Holiday Mosaic

If I can get my
HP ‘all-in-one’ to print
this mosaic will

appear on my cards
with New Year’s greetings because
technical problems

have plagued me this year
I am tempted to give up …
but I’ll persevere

Some of these red views
may be familiar if you’ve
visited before

others are quite new
but I like the holiday
mix in my collage

Click to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in Ruby Tuesday,
Window Views and Outdoor Wednesday

Thought for Today

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Ruby Tuesday – Festive Mailboxes

Festive mailboxes
greet the postman … waiting for
holiday greetings

Straight out of the camera above
and Poster Edges below

Click to embiggen and for others participating in Ruby Tuesday

Thought for Today

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!”
Hamilton Wright Mabie

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

An Unusual Southern California Fall Find

Scroll down for Blue Monday, Ruby Tuesday,
My World and Wordless Outdoor Wednesday too

After being sick
last week I am catching up
by multi-tasking

Here in Southern Cal
we don’t see many color
changes, but walking

recently I found
colorful deciduous
trees and snapped a few

photographs to share
in mosaics … splendidly
this week, just because

Originals … straight out of the camera

Palette Knife

Click to embiggen for better viewing

Accented Edges, lightened

Invert

Accented Edges Solarized

Click to embiggen for better viewing

Accented Edges

Poster Edges

Click to embiggen for better viewing

ALMOST

Colored Pencil

Solarized

Click to embiggen and for others participating in

Mellow Yellow, Mosaic, and Blue Monday …

Ruby Tuesday, My World, Outdoor Wednesday,
Color Carnival, and Wordless Wednesday too.

Thought for Today

“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” Dalai Lama

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather
than at the bottom ;–)

Ruby Red Mr. Lincoln Roses

Click to embiggen and for others participating in Ruby Tuesday.

Thought for Today
“Forever is composed of nows.” Emily Dickinson

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Watery Outdoor Views in Reds and Blues

Today’s Flowers are in the next post.

Scenic photos from

my sister in Canada

RV traveling

Collaboration..

I create the mosaics

then share on my blogs.

These natural blues

against subtle ‘ruby’ reds

create lovely views.

Until embiggened

dif’rences seem minimal …

Click and you will see!

Originals – Straight out of the Camera

Accented Edges

Ink Outlines

Palette Knife

Poster Edges

Ruby Foliage

Click to embiggen and for others participating in …

Mosaic Monday,

Blue Monday and Ruby Tuesday

Watery & Outdoor Wednesday … too.

Thought for Today

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.” Standing Bear

Click for comments at the TOP of the post under the title, rather than at the bottom ;–)

Multi-tasking on Tuesday

Once again I share

a photo from my sister …

Looks like fun to me ;–)

Click to embiggen and for others participating in …

Mellow Yellow, Ruby Tuesday,

Color Carnival, Midweek Blues … t00.

Thought for Today

“You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance.” Franklin P. Jones

FYI (in response to some recent questions from visitors having difficulty leaving comments) – If you’re on my HOME page, click for comments at the TOP of the post, but if you’re on the post page itself … for some unknown reason, the comments are WAY DOWN below the post itself … so don’t give up until you find them please ;–)

Want a Ride?

Beach conveyances

of the ‘pedaled’ kind … for four.

Looks like lots of fun ;–)

Click images to embiggen for better viewing …

Click for others participating in Ruby Tuesday

Mellow Yellow Monday and Monochrome Mania.

Thought for Today

“The real problem of leisure time is how to keep others from using yours.”

Arthur Lacey