Revisiting Taos Trip Photos …

Scroll down for Yard Art, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shots,
Finding Beauty, Weekend Reflections, Today’s Flowers
Mellow Yellow and Macro Monday

Nifty colorful
bench behind art studio
in New Mexico

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participating in Pink Saturday

Whimsical metal
sculptures scattered in back of
Pat Woodall’s, Taos

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participating in Yard Art and Shadow Shot Sunday

more lovely vistas
from Henningsen Gardens in
Taos, New Mexico

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participating in Weekend Reflections, Finding Beauty,
Today’s Flowers, Scenic Sunday,
Mellow Yellow, and Macro Monday

Thought for Today

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Weekend Miscellany after my trip and my July Gratitude List transferred from Small Reflections

Scroll down for Weekend Reflections,
Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday
and more …

It was lovely to find roses of many colors
blooming in my yard when I returned from Taos …
Today I’m sharing the PINK ones because it’s Saturday!

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participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers,
and Mosaic Monday

Reflective Scenic Shadow Shot Photo taken at
Henningsen Gardens in Taos, New Mexico

(straight out of the camera above, watercolor filter below)

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participating in Weekend Reflections, Scenic Sunday,
and Shadow Shot Sunday

“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. Serena Williams won her semi-final match against Kvitova and will play for her 4th Wimbledon and 13th Grand Slam title on Saturday.

2. both men’s semi-final matches at Wimbledon were competitive and fun to watch … especially the one with Nadal and Murray.

3. Serena Williams has played beautifully throughout the entire tournament (setting a new record for ‘aces’ served, dropping only 3 games in 7 matches) … winning the Ladies Championship match at Wimbledon … surpassing the Grand Slam totals of Billie Jean King.

4. the Rafa Nadal-Tomas Berdych final match at Wimbledon was competitive for the three sets it took for Rafa to win the Championship for the 2nd time, though I confess I was hoping for a 4 or 5 setter.

5. this year’s 4th of July weekend was less chaotic & disruptive than the norm here at the beach in So Cal … (probably because the weather was cooler driving loud party-goers indoors earlier than usual) and the fireworks (provided by Disneyland this year) were quite spectacular!

6. the sun came out … FINALLY this afternoon around 4:30.

7. for Lee who keeps my hair ‘care-free’ … although this time he cut it quite a bit shorter than ever before & I’m not quite sure I like how it looks at the moment.

8. to be writing regularly again in my journal, even though I’m not blogging much these days.

9. my season tickets for the Laguna Playhouse arrived in the mail this afternoon … finally.

10. an email coupon from Mimi’s Cafe for $5 off my delicious Blackened Salmon lunch today … and another to use at dinnertime in the next couple of months.

11. for a long (2 hour) catch up call from my sister (currently just outside of Glacier National Park) last night.

12. that today is Retired Ladies Lunch because it’s always fun

to reconnect with friends 😉

13. for late afternoon sunshine after another overcast day.

14. the folks at Allen Tires take such good care of my Explorer … checking & rotating the tires at no cost … letting me know when work needs to be done.

15. for trustworthy mechanics at Gustafson Brothers who keep my car running safely and well.

16. for last night’s fascinating skies and this morning’s beautiful double rainbow 😉

17. for beautiful sunny mornings and warm weather at the beach … finally!

18. life with Molly — especially the joy-filled way she delights in simple things each moment … reminding ME to do likewise.

19. for good friends who help me remain calm in the face of challenges, reminding me to breathe & relax.

20. I got everything packed for my trip to the 2010 Writer’s Retreat in Taos, New Mexico … though it took longer than anticipated and I was watering the yard until rather late this evening.

21. I made it safely from Southern California to Flagstaff, AZ and found a room for $69/night … more reasonable than the $130/night I paid in 2007.

22. for a good night’s sleep in Flagstaff (from 9pm until 6am) with no train whistles disturbing my rest every 15-20 minutes all night long (as happened at the more expensive lodgings in 2007) … and a safe drive from Flagstaff to Santa Fe, New Mexico today where I’ve secured lodging at the lovely old El Rey Inn for two nights so I can do some sight-seeing with my Nikon D60 in hand this evening & tomorrow … (snapping photos to share when time permits) … before driving up to Taos on Saturday morning 😉

23. to be in Taos at the Mabel Dodge House connecting with other writer-participants and beginning our journey together this evening.

24. for the delicious Southwestern meals prepared & presented with love, art, and attention to detail in addition to the Dance of Shiva shaking up & altering the patterns in my brain … opening me up to new possibilities.

25. for cool gentle rain showers moving through the area and LOUD cracks of thunder now and again.

26. to be writing in this awesome place … surrounded by energy & support.

27. for fellowship with my house-mates … sharing & responding to our writing … asking & answering questions leading to new insights & directions for my writing.

28. I talked with Jen today … (following up on conversations with Luna & Jill last night) … leaving with a ‘theme’ for my project … running into Luna at the gardens & taking in her suggestion for a book title … wandering with my camera taking photos … eventually settling down near Kara to write before eventually heading back to MDL for lunch … then on to Jen’s afternoon session on ‘structure’ … just what I needed.

29. I’m HERE now … on retreat … learning, writing, connecting with others, listening and sharing … growing, accepting, grounding, receiving, sensing, giving, protecting, opening with the Dance of Shiva … practicing a bit of gentle Yoga … savoring delicious Santa Fe meals … wandering the MDL grounds & Henningsen Gardens, snapping photographs … taking everything in with gratitude … exhaling to breath in when I find myself holding my breath too long.

30. for the authentic emotional validation received in K’s response as she listened to me share a bit of writing from this morning … suggesting the path ahead may be precisely correct in this moment. What a delightful & surprising gift as I prepare to head toward home …

31. to stay in Santa Fe at the El Rey Inn again last night where I slept long & soundly … enjoying delicious warm home-made flour tortillas with breakfast this morning … meeting & chatting with ‘Midge’ (an early-riser like myself who was traveling with ‘late-rising’ friends) … before walking Canyon Road to see & photographic public art … finding & purchasing lovely ‘basket photos’ as gifts … then shopping at Keshi for ‘fetishes’ to give friends back home … and finally driving to Placitas to stay with K & her husband overnight … getting a guided tour of their lovely home … wandering later alone to take pictures … walking K’s labyrinth with her & having R take photos of us, then taking pictures of them together … sharing a delicious meal on the patio and tasty ice cream later in the living room over pleasant conversation as we watched & listened to the storm before turning in for the night! I feel blessed and oh so grateful 😉

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 – July, 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 ;–)

FaveFive … Miscellaneous Memes

Scroll down for
Sky Watch, Midweek Blues,
Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers,
Weekend Reflections, Window Views, Just for Joy,
Camera Critters, Pet Pride, Mosaic and Macro Monday

Click for others participating in Friday’s Fave Five

1. I’ve enjoyed watching the skies change from ‘drizzily grey’ in the morning to pretty blues with wispy clouds drifting by in the afternoon … and capturing views with my camera to share here today and at Sacred Ruminations yesterday.

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others participating in Sky Watch and Midweek Blues

2. My struggling Endless Summer Hydrangea remains small but is finally producing some lovely pink blossoms … and I’ve enjoyed creating and experimenting with filters on this mosaic … the first is straight out of the camera, in the middle is Paint Daubs (with the mosaic flipped horizontally) and at the bottom I used the Watercolor filter.

3. After enjoying and sharing photos of African Lily blossoms from around my neighborhood a couple of week ago, I was delighted to discover two buds on my own potted African Lily … and photographed them over the three day period they lasted.

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participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers,
Mosaic Monday, and Macro Monday

4. With tendonitis in my elbow, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to toss a toy for Molly to fetch … but this past week my elbow felt better and we played several days. I love trying to capture her catching the toy in the air and returning it joyfully (with her ears flying) … just for the JOY of it!

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sharing Camera Critters, Pet Pride and Just for the JOY of it!

5. I enjoyed a tasty breakfast at Mimi’s Cafe on a drizzily Wednesday morning this week and took these photos for Window Views & Weekend Reflections.

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participating in Weekend Reflections and Window Views

Thought for Today

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

Pink Blossoms-Shadows-Blue Skies with Variable Clouds-May Gratitude List from Small Reflections

Scroll down for Shadow Shots,
Sky Watch, Midweek Blues, Yard Art,
Weekend Reflections & my May Gratitude List

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others participating in Pink Saturday,
Today’s Flowers, and Macro Monday

Straight out of the camera above & Poster Edges below

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others sharing Shadow Shots on Sunday

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others participating in Sky Watch and Midweek Blues

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for others sharing Yard Art

Straight out of the camera

Palette Knife Filter

Watercolor Filter

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for others sharing Weekend 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. I’m glad to have transferred my April Gratitude List to Happily Retired Gal at WordPress this morning along with my post with miscellaneous weekend memes so I can begin my May list this afternoon.2. to have Internet access (with help this morning from Time Warner Cable Tech Support) after my D-Link router failed yesterday leaving me w/o access when I returned home from the ‘Eagles’ matinee performance at the Blue Moon Theatre and dinner at Knott’s Berry Farm.

3. for pleasant ‘gardening’ weather over the last couple of days … making the time pulling weeds, cleaning up my yard, and tilling the soil for new planting all the more enjoyable.

4. my $30 refund check from Staples (for recycling old printer cartridges) arrived in a timely manner to help defray the cost of a new wireless router … the Home Valet Plus from Cisco, an easy to use system.

5. one Gladiola shoot survived ‘doggie play’ and is beginning to produce lovely pink blossoms from the bottom up. I’ll share photos soon.

6. I remembered to celebrate (belatedly) my 500th post at Sacred Ruminations and plan to celebrate my 250th post at Happily Retired Gal tomorrow when I share my Fave Five on Friday (and possibly a few weekend memes) there.

7. for the folks at SimpleTruths.com and the resources they make available … like this brief inspirational video Dreams are Whispers from the Soul …

8. to hear from my sister (after more than a week w/o contact) and catch up on travel adventures in the Southwest …

9. for those who send me occasional emails that remind me of what I know, but tend to forget in the busy day-to-day activities of my life.

10. for the monthly opportunity to connect & catch up with retired friends over lunch today …

11. that I decided to cut myself some slack and skip this session at the local Adult School because it’s given me time to do other things with my mornings.

12. the small market a few blocks from home carries ‘half & half’ so that I can walk to replenish my supply when I run low rather than drive to the supermarket.

13. for the $20 I saved at Petco today (using my card along with coupons) when I stocked up on treats & chews for Molly.

14. to be able to help a friend with email issues by setting up a ‘gmail’ account for her that imports her verizon.net email and replies as if she was actually using the Verizon account without having to put up with its ‘quirks’ … pretty nifty.

15. to have finally found time to create and publish ‘a catch up post’ here at Small Reflections and to share lovely pink gladiola blossoms at Happily Retired Gal (after about a week of non-computer related activities kept me away from this virtual world). I appreciate continued your visits & supportive comments … thanks so much!

16. for delightful phone connections with friends & family during this weekend and a fun visit to a local nursery with a friend during which I picked up a variety of colorful bedding plants for my yard.

17. I saved almost $43 on my grocery shopping bill today using coupons!

18. to have fresh produce and food in the fridge this morning with numerous ‘options’ from which to choose for breakfast 😉

19. to get half of the new bedding plants in the ground this afternoon when the drizzles cleared.

20. for a lovely afternoon at the Laguna Playhouse followed by an early dinner at the Beachcomber on the beach in Crystal Cove … an absolutely delightful outing!

21. the remaining bedding plants are in the ground and everything seems to be surviving just fine.

22. that the French Open begins tomorrow so there will be TENNIS to watch for two weeks 😉

23. I won those free tickets to the three Pacific Chorale concerts … the 3rd concert is tonight: Rachmaninov Vespers.

24. for my DVR capturing matches so I’ve had TENNIS to watch today.

25. it rained in Paris so I could catch up on yesterday’s matches before the DVR dumped them to record new matches.

26. for a new perm … I love wash & wear ‘care-free- hair!

27. we’ve had warmer sunnier weather here in So Cal at the beach this week.

28. I learned about Google Docs in an Adult School class this morning.

29. the gal at Time Warner Cable ‘tech support’ got the Tennis Channel to work again fairly quickly this morning so I can record matches to watch later on today.

30. my neighbor picked up milk for me & BowWow Beanie toys for Molly at the market today … saving me a trip.

31. for an hour-long ‘catch up’ phone call from my sister who’s currently on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon after spending a week at Lake Powell without cell service.

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:
2010 Lists –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 ;–)

Pinks, PuppyPlay, Shadows, WindowReflections

This LOVELY pink rose
didn’t last for long because
Aloha ‘gallumphed’ …

Click images to embiggen for better viewing …

It’s not easy to
catch crisp views of Aloha
… always on the move!

Her exuberance
often takes a toll on the
blossoms in my yard

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others participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers,
Shadow Shots, Camera Critters, Pet Pride, and Macro Monday

Walking recently
these window views caught my eye
with palm reflections

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others participating in Window Views and Weekend Reflections

If YOU loved PacMac the way I did, you’ll enjoy Google’s home page  … celebrating the game’s 30th anniversary! You can actually PLAY the game there … Enjoy 😉

Thought for Today

“Inside all of us is a Wild Thing.” Maurice Sendak

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Playful Potpourri …

Scroll down for Thursday Thirteen, Haiku Friday Sky Watch,
Camera Critters, Midweek Blues, Window Views
and Weekend Reflections

Mary the teach at Work of the Poet
has asked bloggers to share Yard Art on Thursdays …
Lots of people who live near the beach
in Southern California ‘decorate’ their yards
(often in unique ways) so I’ll have a steady supply!

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and for others participating in Yard Art

Thirteen photographs
of a sparrow hanging out
in local palm trees

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others participating in Thursday Thirteen,
Haiku Friday, Sky Watch,
and Camera Critters

Window Reflections
near Long Beach Marina with
beautiful blue skies

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others participating in Window Views, Weekend Reflections,
and Midweek Blues

Thought for Today

“”Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
Albert Einstein

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Colorful Weekend Miscellany

Raindrops and Sunshine on Roses …
Pretty in Pink

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others participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, and Shadow Shots

Click to embiggen for better viewing and for
others participating in Weekend Reflections and Window Views

Thought for Today

“The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything — or nothing.” Lady Nancy Astor

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PinkSaturday-Today’sFlowers-WeekendReflections and March Gratitude List from Small Reflections

Scroll down for Weekend Reflections

Springtime blossoms from
my garden … pink and yellow
just for Easter time!

Straight out of the camera above
Poster Edges below

Reflected blossoms
white and yellow irises
gracing my parkway

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others participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers
and Weekend Reflections

“The story of Easter is the story of God’s
wonderful window of divine surprise.”
Carl Knudsen

Easter is the demonstration of God
that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.”
Charles M. Crowe

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 the damage from the ‘twister’ that touched down nearby in my neighborhood over the weekend was minimal.

2. I managed to make the phone call to call Anthem Blue Cross Senior Services and still get to class this morning just before the class started so I didn’t miss anything.

3. for a hair cut & perm after a pleasant lunch with my sister at BJs … I do love ‘minimal effort’ hair!

4. Tracy filled in for Nami (who was ill) at this morning’s Digital Media class and we learned a couple of nifty new techniques that I’m looking forward to playing with as time permits.

5. that although I received a ‘denial’ letter from United Healthcare on 3-3-10 (regarding Plan D Prescription coverage for failure to supply required information), TODAY’s mail contains an ACCEPTANCE letter & payment coupon book … so I guess I’m covered finally! Third time’s the charm 😉
In addition, a refurbished keyboard for my Dell Inspiron 1720 arrived in today’s mail … THAT was QUICK! It’s installed and I have no more sticky keys … HOORAY!

6. for a day at home to catch up on tasks I’ve neglected for too long …

7. that I picked up the iris bud knocked off the stalk by Aloha & Molly playing on my front lawn and put it in a tiny vase on my kitchen window ledge because it opened today … beautifully.

8. my computer continues to work without crashing as I catch up on blog visits over the weekend and this afternoon.

9. for a fun afternoon with my sister … even though the winds were gusty & cold we bundled up and walked out on the pier, enjoyed a late ‘birthday’ lunch of ‘fish tacos’ and ‘Hula’ pie(with Margaritas) at Duke’s

then walked the Tuesday Street Faire on Main Street … stopping to enjoy the live music entertainment before heading home.

10. for coming up with a plan ‘b’ …
Since I didn’t have time to devote to the ‘inspiration video’ I wanted to create (see #7 in Sunday’s post at Sacred Ruminations), I’ve gathered photos of Molly (regular & resized versions) to bring for part two of the Friday Movie Maker class so perhaps I’ll be able create something to share on one of my blogs after all.

11. Although the ‘scheduled auto post’ for my Yard Art #2 didn’t work, I’ve manually published it this evening belatedly at Happily Retired Gal. I’ve got my ‘wireless router’ working again and had Time Warner Cable ‘tech support’ reconfigure my ‘cable modem’ … so when Vinnie from Dell Tech Support calls tomorrow at 1pm (after my Movie Maker class from 8:30-11:30am) perhaps he’ll be able to deal with the WLAN crash issues. Keep your fingers crossed for me. It’s been another BUSY week, so I’ll be catching up on blog visits over the weekend again.

12. Dell Tech Support is finally researching the problem I’m having with my ‘too dim to read’ monitor display when running on battery power.

13. Costco had one Sony Vaio left last night (on sale for $100 off) so I’ve got a new notebook to play with. It’s a 64 bit computer running Windows 7 … came with minimal software but should run the programs I own & use. If not, I have 90 days to return it.

14. all but two of the clocks in my home changed themselves for Daylight Savings Time overnight while I slept … so I didn’t have to change them myself and I knew the correct time without realizing it 😉

15. I spent the day productively … and am tired so I should sleep well on my freshly laundered sheets tonight.

16. the magnitude 4.4 earthquake centered about 30 miles north of me in Pico Rivera at 4:04am didn’t cause much damage … and served as a ‘readiness’ event to check our ‘earthquake preparedness’ here in Southern California.

17. the piece of metal I thought was a filling … isn’t. After visiting the dentist yesterday afternoon & getting the good news, I dropped by Duke’s (at the urging of a friend) … let a manager know what had happened and (after he consulted the head chef) learned that the mysterious piece of metal comes from a ‘fastener’ on their ice cream containers. As a thank you, they’re mailing me a ‘gift certificate’ … an unexpected but delightful turn of events. Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

18. for friends who invited me to join them today at the Laguna Playhouse for a delicious lunch and entertaining play by the Second City: ‘Can You Be More Pacific?’ (lampooning Laguna Beach and Orange County, California) … making for a pleasant afternoon.

19. my sister and I enjoyed a delicious ‘sushi’ lunch at Matsu around 1:45 today … slipping in just before they close at 2pm because I waited for Dell Tech Support’s scheduled 11am call longer than I should have. Click for the latest update

20. I was able to move plants from my parkway to make room for the Veteran’s Honor Rose birthday gift from my neighbor and hopefully my gardener will remember to plant it for me on Wednesday since I’ll probably still be in my Windows 7 class when they do their twice monthly yard maintenance.

21. I was able to spend significant time todday catching up with blog posts that had collected in my reader. I’m especially thankful for everyone who makes the entire post available in their feeds because it makes catching up so much quicker and easier.

22. … and I’m dancing for joy!!! My Dell Inspiron 1720 has been unplugged for more than an hour… I have an hour and 54 minutes left on battery power and the screen is bright enough for me to read easily!!!!! What a wonderful surprise THIS is after all the hassles I’ve been through previously. I’ll explain the final modification Tihman from Dell Tech Support had me make this afternoon in a blog post soon so that others with this ‘dim monitor issue’ can try to fix THEIR laptops too.

23. the Health Reform Act finally passed and was signed into law! Methinks it’s long overdue. If you have doubts or concerns, I offer this link to a recent NY Times opinion piece by Paul Krugman on Health Reform Myths for your consideration.

24. for Dalton at the Bella Terra Staples store in HB who helped me set up my new Canon ‘all-in-one’ wireless MX870 printer. Perhaps I’ll finally get my very belated Christmas cards printed & sent out soon 😉

25. I spent a pleasant day with my sister (starting with a tasty breakfast shared at Mimi’s Cafe) and my 18-55mm lens is back (finally) … working just fine!

26. for beautiful Spring weather here in Southern California at the beach. I suspect we’ll have lots of ‘inlanders’ visiting today and tomorrow.

27. for time to do some catch up blog visits (after being away from home most of last week) as I took minibreaks from writing personal notes in my belated Christmas, NewYear’s & Easter cards.

28. to catch up with my ‘writing buddy’ from Taos in a phone call this morning before continuing to write notes in the cards & catch up on blog visits.

29. what I thought to be ‘one last purple iris’ isn’t … another has opened and there are two more purple buds as an added surprise.

30. the Canon printer did a great job printing envelopes (after I managed to create a new address database in the newer Dell) and most of my belated Christmas, NewYear’s & Easter greetings are in the mail. I’m still digging around for a few addresses since I can’t seem to find the backup from the old address database (from the Inspiron 9100 that died recently) on my external drives.

31. for a lovely sunrise this morning!

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:
2010 Lists – 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 ;–)

Friday’s FAVE Five and More …

1. Although it finally cooled off yesterday, we’ve had amazingly warm weather the past few days here in Southern California at the beach and I’ve been able to take advantage of it … walking with my camera in hand several days.

Click to embiggen for better viewing
and if you missed them, I shared some
‘kewl’ pelican shots at Small Reflections
(see #5 of 13 things on my list)

2. While celebrating my sister’s birthday recently (sharing a delicious frozen dessert with nuts), I bit down on something hard. Thinking it was a piece of shell, I retrieved it from my mouth only to discover it was metal and looked suspiciously like a filling. Fortunately it wasn’t (a visit to my dentist confirmed that it did indeed LOOK like a filling but I didn’t have one missing) so I don’t have to have any work done on my teeth. At the urging of a friend whose husband used to manage a restaurant, I returned to share the incident with the manager. Upon checking with the head chef, we learned their ice cream containers have metal fasteners … and the piece in question was part of that. As a thank you for bringing the problem to their attention, they’re mailing me a gift certificate … adding an unexpected bonus to the experience.

3. Last Friday I drove by Costco for gasoline and went inside with my sister who wanted to buy some bananas. I stopped to look at laptops and ended up buying this …

a Sony Vaio (running Windows 7) … appearing here alongside the Dell Inspiron 1720 (running Vista) that I’ve had nothing but trouble with since I bought it in July of 2008. I’m working with Dell Tech Support to resolve continuing issues since it’s covered for 4 years by an extended warranty … and I’m delighted that it’s no longer crashing regularly, but when disconnected from the power supply, the screen still becomes so dim as to be unreadable … making it essentially non-functional away from my desk unless I carry the power supply with me and find an outlet wherever I go. I’ve suggested a larger more powerful battery … and there’s been talk of a new monitor. Hopefully I’ll find out more today when Sanjay calls me around 11am. In the meantime, I’ve got a new ‘toy’ to keep me connected and it’s pretty kewl. The software I own and use regularly with Vista (Microsoft Office and Photoshop Elements) seem to run just fine so far even though it’s a 64-bit machine running Windows 7.

4. The local Adult School is offering classes in Windows 7 and I’ve signed up … changing from the class I’d intended to take to this one figuring I could use a bit of help making this transition. In addition, I enjoyed a delightful afternoon with friends yesterday visiting over lunch in Laguna before seeing The Second City in Can You be more Pacific at the Laguna Playhouse. Before heading home, we purchased advance tickets for a May performance of Hershey Felder in ‘Beethoven As I Knew Him’ … we hear it’s quite entertaining.

5. Once I finish with Sanjay from Dell Tech Support this morning, I’m spending this afternoon with my sister once again. We’re trying to maximize the time we have left before she and her husband hit the road again on April 15th. I want to share one more view from this week containing reflections of the sky and the beach in the windows of this Lifeguard Tower on the pier … pretty nifty, eh? Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Click for others participating in Friday’s FAVE Five, Looking at the Sky, Weekend Reflections, and Camera Critters

Thought for Today

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” Anne Frank

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

Weekend Multi-tasking …

Scroll down for
Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, & Color Carnival
and a brief personal update

one photograph for
Window Views, Reflections and
Sunday Shadow Shots

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and others participating in
Weekend Reflections, Shadow Shot Sunday and Window Views

Brief Update about my Computer Issues

I’m pleased to report (to those following my ‘computer challenges’ lately) that after spending several hours on the phone with Dell Tech Support yesterday afternoon, things seem to be working better already. There have been NO BLUE SCREEN CRASHES today and the promised replacement keyboard arrived in today’s mail. THAT was FAST!!!

I’ve removed the old ‘sticky’ one and installed the ‘refurbished’ keyboard. All the keys seem to work normally, though the ‘feel’ is a bit different. I suspect I’ll get used to it quickly and I’m quite relieved to not have to go back and FIX words any longer.

I don’t know the name
of these bushes with dainty
pink blossoms … if YOU

have an idea what
they might be please let me know
below in comments

colorful blooms from
South Coast Plaza Mall near the
door to Z’Tejas

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

Thought for Today

“You have the opportunity to be a powerful influence on the lives of other people, no matter your position in life.” V.J. Smith

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Tasty Pinkberry Reflections …

A new yogurt treat
pomegranate is my fave
flavor … delicious!

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and Weekend Reflections

Thought for Today

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” Erma Bombeck

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Weekend Multi-tasking …

Sky Watch is in the next post

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

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Corner Bakery
Reflection as I left the
Retired Gals lunch

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More reflections and
shadows at the bakery …
Retired Gals Lunch

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Thought for Today

“Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracker or a holding pattern over Philadelphia.” Judith Viorst, Redbook

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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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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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(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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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

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(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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