• Black and White,  coffee life,  coffee shops,  quotes,  sunrises

    the true miracle…

    Morning sunshine at Mugs and a dirty lens

    “… the very fact that anything exists is supernatural—literally beyond the rules of the natural world… the true miracle is existence itself.”

    A cold Sunday morning. The numbers on my car dashboard said it was 14 degrees at about 6:47 am. I’m back home after getting my chai latte fix and my beautiful barista fix. This day is starting out good. Now to clean my lens.

    I do not consider myself a philosopher. However, I do have a tendency to lean towards asking a philosophical question once in a while. For example, there have been those moments in my life when I am overwhelmed with the of beauty and existence of the world around me, all of it, and questions arise. Why am I here? Why are we all here? How can that bird sing like that? Why can’t I see the wind and not just the effects of the wind? Why do I breathe without even knowing why or thinking about it? Maybe that philosopher within me is what enjoys finding and asking the questions but not necessarily wanting an answer. Or, maybe the deepest and more important question is to ask myself to look for all the miracles around me, notice them, stand in awe of them, find gratitude in them. They do exist! Anyway, it is a miracle that we are all here, that we exist! If you got something from my confusing ramblings, great. If not then forget what you just read and have a wonderful Sunday!

  • coffee shops,  consumer,  fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  writing/reading

    Lifestyle Changes

    The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, is quoted as saying “change is the only constant in life.” I believe he’s right. Some lifestyle changes we make on our own while some changes are forced upon us. Lifestyle changes can happen when we change jobs, move to another community, decide to marry, retire, live a non-consumer lifestyle, get rid of the TV, new eating habits and more. Yet, there are some changes that come upon us unexpectedly and unwanted, such as divorce, death of spouse, parent, child, natural disasters, health issues, war and more. Each time we face one of these changes we are given the opportunity to make choices on how we respond. How we respond to them is the bigger question. 

    I’m at a place where I’m facing lifestyle changes due to health issues. The reality of my mortality is very real today. Since the present is where I must live, I’m given the opportunity to face these lifestyle changes and make choices that can be rewarding. My hope is to live life with a new and positive attitude, no matter what. Pretty sure I’m preaching to the choir but I needed to write it and maybe it is a thought provoking post.

  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  sunsets

    A paragraph at a time…

    “The acceptance of oneself is the essence of the whole moral problem and the epitome of a whole outlook on life. That I feed the hungry, that I forgive an insult, that I love my enemy in the name of Christ — all these are undoubtedly great virtues. What I do unto the least of my brethren, that I do unto Christ. But what if I should discover that the least among them all, the poorest of all the beggars, the most impudent of all the offenders, the very enemy himself — that these are within me, and that I myself stand in need of the alms of my own kindness — that I myself am the enemy who must be loved — what then? As a rule, the Christian’s attitude is then reversed; there is no longer any question of love or long-suffering; we say to the brother within us “Raca,” and condemn and rage against ourselves. We hide it from the world; we refuse to admit ever having met this least among the lowly in ourselves.”

    C.G. Jung

    Philosophy has had my interest for the past 25 years but reading some of it can be daunting for me. Yet I have this desire to know myself at a deep level, to gain some enlightenment of the struggles all humans face and more. I have read small bits and pieces of Carl Gustav Jung and know he has impacted many authors I read. I am currently reading my first of his books, The Undiscovered Self. With my thinker this may be a paragraph at a time. Wish me luck.😂

    It was three years ago today that I had my open heart surgery where they replaced my aortic valve. Emotional. Grateful.

  • Fujifilm X-T3,  landscape,  mountains,  natural areas,  quotes

    What else have I not seen?

    “I don’t have a philosophy. I have a camera. I look into the camera and take pictures. My photographs are the tiniest part of what I see that could be photographed. They are fragments of endless possibilities.”

    Saul Leiter

    Fort Collins Natural Areas have become the place for me to go. I started going primarily because the coffee shops were not allowing dining in due to state mandates. So in March of 2020 I began making coffee at home and going to Pineridge Natural Area to journal, read, connect with nature and get in a walk. My first explorations of Pineridge were made in 2014 but then lost touch with it until March. Then in June of 2020 I discovered Reservoir Ridge which is only about 4 miles away. When I look at my archives there are twice as many images at Reservoir Ridge than Pineridge while only exploring it in half the time. I seem to be drawn to it in a more photographic way.

    For the past 5 months I’m out to Reservoir Ridge at least once a week. Yet, this past week was the first time I saw this old water pump, I mean really saw it. It sits along an irrigation ditch and a row of trees so I’ve seen it many times, but never really saw it. As soon as I saw the pump this past week something in my mind kicked in, I really saw it and envisioned the above image. I walked out there to it and accepted the gift. So, I wonder what else I’ve not seen out there. I’ll keep you posted.

  • People/Portraits

    Friendship

     

    Eric
    Eric

    This past Saturday I met with a good friend whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while. While on my drive home from our meeting, I thought back over the day and the value of our friendship. It’s a good friendship. Our friendship is relatively new, because a little over three years ago events in our lives allowed our paths to cross. Those events give us a common ground. He is half my age but his maturity is well beyond his age (or maybe mine is will behind mine.) Anyway, he is studying philosophy with goals towards a doctorate (Yes.) We have had some great discussions about life, what we think and feel, and of course women while drinking a ton of coffee during those times. I consider him and our friendship one of those special gifts in life.

    So, here’s a quick snapshot of Eric at the restaurant table. Now isn’t this a philosophical looking face. 🙂