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I like this colorful little zinnia.
Cheerful and happy in its terra-cotta pot.
Pretty.
It’s the perfect photo to commemorate my 200th post.
On a blog that I thought I’d do for a few months.
For fun.
But instead of moving on I decided to keep posting here.
Creating a quiet little spot where thoughts & friendships can grow.
Gracefully.
Rather like a colorful little zinnia.
Cheerful and happy in its terra-cotta pot.
Thriving.
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Feeling:
exhausted. i’ve really been putting my all into my blog lately. writing. commenting on other blogs. updating my template/pages. it takes focus & commitment to keep a blog going– and there are weeks when i wonder if it’s worth it.
Hearing:
the hum of my old computer, which i still use on occasion, that sits next to my current quiet computer.
Tasting:
dark chocolate “balanced with crunchy hazelnuts and dried currants.”
Seeing:
outside: a gray day. inside: a gray wall behind the computer that needs some decoration.
Smelling:
sandalwood spice, a “blend of orange blossoms, sandalwood, and kashmir vanilla,” from the candle in the next room over.
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{This wonderful idea is from abby try again. If you wish, you may play along in the comments below or on your own blog.}
“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.
~ Proust
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I’ve never seen a season appear on cue quite as perfectly as Autumn did on Saturday. In the morning during Summer’s last hours the weather was warm + humid around here. I remarked to Z-D that our lawn looked so green that it seemed like Spring. As the morning progressed, I wondered if I should have worn shorts instead of capris. It was that warm.
And then, Summer exited stage left. Enter Fall.
By mid afternoon the wind was gusting and the air had a chill to it. The sky was blue + leaves were blowing all over creation. Pulling into the Kroger parking lot we watched as the wind knocked a Mr. Coffee coffee maker off the bottom of a shopping cart as a woman pushed her shopping cart to her car. It was that windy.
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For me, Autumn is the beginning of the year. I find myself relaxed, joyful and mellow during this time of year. I let go of striving and enjoy the results of what I’ve worked on throughout the winter – spring – summer. I review what has succeeded, appreciate what I did, enjoy where I am & prepare for what is to come.
Grounded in the colorful reality that Fall is known for, I’m comfortable thinking about possibility now. Much more so than in January. There’s something about this time of year that helps me get it together and be happy for the chance to embrace change.
Autumn sustains me. Does it do the same thing for you?
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I took these photos mid-morning Sunday when most of the sky was so blue that the moon was visible. We rarely have super clear days like that around here.
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Occasionally some wispy clouds floated through the sky across the moon reminding me that this photo-op was going to be a short one.
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I couldn’t help but think about Neil Armstrong as I snapped these photos. Imagine walking on something so far away from & different from the Earth? He never considered himself to be a hero. He thought he was just part of a team that made amazing things happen.
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So with a nod to the past & a hope for the future, I’ll wink at the moon when I see it… in honor of Neil Armstrong.
[The National Memorial Service for Neil Armstrong is today. Details here.]
THE SPECTACLED BEAN 