• gratitude,  lifestyles,  window,  writing/reading

    A bit of gratitude

    January 27, 2020
    Window light in my bedroom

    “Let’s work to enjoy every sunrise and every sunset to the maximum degree possible, soaking it all in, mindfully.” Beth Frates

    I believe each day is a chance for gratitude, not that I do that each morning. It’s progress I’m after. This morning started out with a red sky in the east but has been cold and overcast with a chance of snow. So that red sky offered a moment of gratitude. I am also grateful for this small little condo I have. It is a cozy one bedroom, one bath place of about 760 square feet. It’s just right for a slothful bachelor to keep “sorta” clean. I am grateful for the wicker rocker I’m sitting in that looks out from my bedroom bay window. This window faces south/southeast so with morning sun coming in I have a place for quiet time in the sun. Yes, feeling some gratitude this morning. Stay warm!

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  • architecture,  Black and White,  window

    Winter means…

    January 10, 2020
    The inviting morning light.

    “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet

    Winter means more time indoors. Winter time means longer shadows. Winter means more crockpots of hot soup. Winter means dressing warmer for the bus stop and morning walks. Winter means crawling between the sheets at night with cold feet. Winter means reading more books. There are more but…

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  • architecture,  Cityscapes/Urban,  lifestyles,  window

    An evening in Old Town

    November 23, 2019

     

    The lights of Old Town bring people together in one of the restaurants

    Took the bus to Old Town the other night and walked around with my camera. This is not all that sharp as I was hand holding it. You can see on the left side of the image how the lights are lit up in town. I will try and take a few images of the lights during this Christmas season. It was a bit on the cold side and thus the reason no one was sitting outside and I’ll blame that for the blurr, also.

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  • musings,  window

    My Mind Can Wander

    August 11, 2019

    A refreshing rain began falling yesterday morning just as I was leaving a local coffee shop. When I pulled up in my condo it was pouring, so I sat in my car to wait out the rain. I found it peaceful for the next 10 minutes. As I sat there my mind wandered back to the coffee shop I had just left and to one of the regular customers there. 

    He sits at the same table almost 6 days a week from 7:00-10:00 am, reading one of the larger national newspapers, from front to back, and sipping on a large iced tea. Of course he is known by both the baristas and the customers. The other regulars will keep the table reserved for him in case he’s late and he has conversations with other customers on a regular basis. My wandering mind was thinking about how differently we spend our time in the coffee shop, and I imagine that’s true outside the coffee shop. I prefer spending my coffee shop time visiting with a friend, reading an uplifting book, writing in my journal,  and fighting the battle to spend as little time on the internet as possible but I almost never read the newspaper. I would rather fill my mind with positive images and thoughts, which is an unreachable ideal. A smile came across my face and I laughed at myself because my idea of coffee shop time would bore him, and probably many others, into a glazed-over-stupor. As I thought about it more, he’d also be bored sitting in my car listening and watching the rain. Sheesh, can my mind wander and not just when it’s raining! 🙂

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  • shadows,  sunrises,  window

    Color and Vibrancy

    June 10, 2019

    The new vision, since the cataract surgery, is amazing. I now see 20/20 out of both eyes. I do need reading glasses but those are cheap and found almost everywhere. The color difference, the brightness and clarity of the simple everyday things have just been life changing. I became aware a couple years ago of how my condo seemed to not be as bright and airy to as in the past. Now I understand it’s because my sight was deteriorating due to the on coming cataracts. The light of morning sunshine has more color and vibrancy. Enjoy the coming week!

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  • architecture,  Black and White,  coffee shops,  Documentary/Street,  window

    Routes Served

    March 28, 2019

    “Other voices easily drown out our own before we can really hear it. And this applies whether you hear positive or negative reactions; both are dangerous to us. Positive feedback too soon will stop us moving forward or going deeper. It’ll stop us at the low-hanging fruit and the first, most obvious iterations, and our work won’t have a chance at getting honed.  And negative reactions or feedback can stop us just as quickly when that feedback often only means “this work isn’t for me” and has nothing to do with how authentic or good it might actually be.” David DuChemin

    Took the early bus this morning to campus and now at the Lory Student Center. I came early to have some time to write and a bit of quiet before the students begin dragging themselves in to classes. I will meet a good friend for coffee who teaches philosophy at 9:00. It seems to be a beautiful day, almost reaching 70 degrees before we have rain later this evening.

    I relate to David’s quote as I have for most of my life been one who wants the approval of others. Hopefully, I’ve moved beyond the need for approval of others to validate who I am, at anything. At one time acquiring the comments and likes determined the quality of my images. I’m aware there are times when I post an image too early, before it’s time, looking for approval of a poor image, or I just want to post an image. What I get from his quote is the need to listen more to the voice within in all areas of life. I’m a work in process, taking my own routes, as are my images.

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  • architecture,  lifestyles,  shadows,  window

    Windows on Campus

    November 20, 2018

    Windows at Lory Student Center
    Windows at Lory Student Center

    The heart catheterization procedure went well. The measurements of my right heart chamber was through my neck and the left chamber through my right wrist. Both places are sore and I have restricted movement of the arm, no more than 5 lbs for the next 5 days.  There is no blockage, the heart is pumping as it should so I’m okay for the valve replacement surgery. I leave tomorrow for Thanksgiving in Phoenix with my family. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday and food.

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  • architecture,  Black and White,  shadows,  window

    A Valve Job

    October 3, 2018

    Shadows in Old Town
    Shadows in Old Town

    “There is in all visible things… a hidden wholeness.”

    In 2013 we discovered I have a leaky aortic valve in my heart, known as Aortic Regurgitation. An EKG and treadmill test were done at that time and a status of moderate leakage was the diagnosis. I was told this is not uncommon but we need to watch it closely. This past May during my physical my family physician and I agreed it was time to have a cardiologist run some tests and get their evaluation. After several tests it has been determined the leakage has continued to deteriorate and the left chamber of my heart has begun to enlarge. I now have a better understanding for my lack of energy and motivation over the past 4-5 years. So, the cardiologists, surgeons and my family doctor consider me to be a good candidate for Aortic Valve Replacement surgery.

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