WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 2.22.12

Railroad Museum ~ Sacramento ~ 2.8.12

Is this referring to my

OLW {One Little Word}??

:: FOCUS ::

ummm. time will tell.

participating in Wordless Wednesday HERE & also HERE!

ON THE HOMEFRONT...

Big Bear cabin ~ 12.27.11

When I was looking in my "pre-planned blog posts" folder {you have one of those don't you?} I found this photo w/a quote.

My good friend, Mandy @ IN MANDYLAND & I  were talking about her blogging schedule... she writes multiple articles a week {here's her latest WANDERING THE WEB post} that bounces you at a "rabbit's pace" reading her material... She's a prolific writer, single mom of a preschooler & kindergartner, works 40+ hours a week between her position involving semi-professional clothes & one she's allowed to work in casual clothes {I'm thinking jammies or sweats}. She's also spends time in her garden... canning everything {plus more - she found a surplus of tomatoes in SEPTEMBER & canned enough marinara to feed an army}... oh, & she just started another blog, SIX KITCHENS, to document six families & their supper club recipes.

Oops... a bit of a bird walk... anyway, Mandy told me about putting items in a blog folder that you can use when you don't have time to write, have writer's block OR just need some inspiration. Reflecting on my teaching experience, I'm thinking of this as my SUBSTITUTE PLANS. HA! you thought I'd actually show what's in my "pre-planned blog posts" folder... not a chance!


Anyway, this folder includes photos, quotes, & anything that provides inspiration. Today is one of those days I needed some inspiration.


This FLU BUG {now} BRONCHITIS {my mom thinks I have walking pneumonia - which is actually a term meaning you aren't sick enough to be put in the hospital, but you aren't well either} has put me out of commission --- for my paid position. This is only the second day of work I've missed, BUT, February has a lot of holidays & I took two non-duty days SOOO... I'm feeling out of touch with my work-work {paid position} & don't feel perky enough to figure out what I want to do while I beat this bug. Blog hopping, checking out PINTEREST & watching HGTV aren't appealing right now...


Remember my OLW {One Little Word}... I chose the word FOCUS. So, today, I decided to FOCUS on some ideas that make me smile...

:: NATURE ::

:: PLAYING WITH MY CAMERA ::

:: BIG BEAR LAKE ::

:: SETTING UP PHOTO SHOOTS ::

So, the first photo is an example of something from my "pre-planned blog posts" folder {with a FOCUS on NATURE & BIG BEAR LAKE} & the following are examples of "out takes" {blurry photos I'm contemplating deleting} that FOCUS on PLAYING WITH MY CAMERA & SETTING UP PHOTO SHOOTS.

BARBIE! when are you coming by to pick these up?? 

I want them moved out of my garage....

These don't belong to BARBIE!... check out the size of these baskets!!

that's an American penny {for comparison purposes}

So - if the owner of these items will let me know if she wants them back... I'd appreciate it...


ACTUALLY, it's FUN to take pictures of the items I have around the house {or in the garage, in this case}.


And, THANKS MANDY for the blogging tip!

SLEEP-LESS, BUT FOCUSED!

SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS LABYRINTH ~ Avila Beach

"The way to get things done is not to mind

who gets the credit of doing them."

~ Benjamin Jowett, theologian, tutor, great MASTER of an Oxford College

I have the great fortune of working with colleagues who make me look way better than I really am! 


My right-hand partner {KA, I'm talking about YOU} understands when to "step-in" and take over a project ~ she has a keen sense in knowing when I'm at "the end of my rope" with "too many irons in the fire."


We are at the beginning of a period that is "labor & detail intensive" ~ so we've been meeting more frequently so we can "fine tune" our eight-week work plan! I'd say we're gaining our momentum, and we complement each other's work styles.  


And, while I'm talking about work, there's another gal that's a WHIZ with numbers. Without asking, she created a spread sheet of budget figures that will play a key role in a mid-February meeting ~ about a subject that's TABOO in relationships {love can't conquer all}, friends {even the true blue}, and colleagues! M-O-N-E-Y... Thanks, KB, for thinking ahead!


As for "sleep-less" ~ I've been having the most bizarre dreams {some are even in black & white} ~ the kind of dreams that make you wake up & have trouble falling back to sleep. They are full of details ~ which I attribute to my FOCUS on completing tasks at work! 


So, I just finished a warm mug of Ovaltine & a handful of animal crackers & now I'll pull my warm jammies out of the dryer & climb into our cozy bed & drift into a peace-ful & rest-ful night {with NO DREAMS}.

Nighty-night!

FOCUS = my ONE LITTLE WORD.

Read about it HERE!

WOLF MOON...

Tonight's the FULL MOON...

I have a meeting until 7pm, but will be checking out the moon, as soon as I leave the meeting.

Did you know the FULL MOON in the month of January

is called a WOLF MOON?

It was believed that medieval Europeans & Native

 Americans named the January moon for the howling

 from hungry wolves. As you can imagine, there

 are fewer food sources mid-winter and animals have

 difficulty finding something to eat.

Other names for this month's FULL MOON include

OLD MOON & ICE MOON. 

info: National Geographic

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/full-moon-article/

TONIGHT I'm going to

"FOCUS"


{OLW for 2012}

on the beauty of the FULL MOON...

& Look

for the 

EXTRAORDINARY...

FOCUS {OLW}...

Ventana Grill 12.13.11

Several of my blogger friends {I use that term loosely, because I have yet to meet them in person}, select a word for the year... for a better understanding of this project, click HERE!

On the same blog {ALI EDWARDS @ AE BLOG}, Ali Edwards, digital scrapbooker extraordinaire, has compiled a list of words from bloggers participating in ONE LITTLE WORD {OLW} 2012.

Kat Sloma, shares her love of photography @ KAT EYE STUDIO... and explains HER THOUGHTS on selecting words to provide a direction for inspiration & creativity. If you aren't familiar with her online photography courses, check out FIND YOUR EYE... she also coordinates EXPLORING WITH A CAMERA, a bi-weekly project for expanding your photography skills. 

I spent some time editing & deleting photos over the New Year's Weekend... and almost trashed this photo. But, something about it captured my attention. So, it survived the year-end DUMP.

Today, I ran across the quote by Mark Twain, "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of FOCUS" & I knew the word, FOCUS could be my OLW for 2012.

I don't really know what this pursuit will mean... but several thoughts come to mind:

:: FOCUS ::

on being in the moment

{I'm constantly planning --- mentally & physically writing down lists of things to do --- gotta cut this down --- that's how I BROKE A BONE last January}

on creative interests

{participate in a photography class, create handmade books}

on building a physically healthy body

{eat less, walk more, relax daily --- stop hunching my shoulders at the computer}

on doing what makes me thrive

{blogging; traveling w/JPE; spending time w/family & friends}

Perhaps more thoughts will reveal themselves as 2012 unrolls...

Do you have a word you'll

:: FOCUS ::

{sorry, couldn't resist sharing my word with you, once more}

on?