GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.17 {2016}

4.16.16 ~ SHOWER for BABY BEE

BABY SHOWERS are thoughtful, social, & emotional!

SLE's shower was NO exception! While working with my mom, daughter, niece, sister & sister-in-law, it was ALL about thoughtful details. The mother-to-be didn't want a "themed" event, but agreed on greens & yellows. Once the event was in full swing, it was ALL about the social aspect of visiting, eating, playing games, and presents. I hadn't anticipated that I would be so emotional the week following the party!!

SLE told me on the way to LAX (to catch her flight to Washington DC), she "didn't want the party to end!" YEA!!! it was a G.R.E.A.T. success! 

I wish we had taken more pictures of family... urrgh!

Friday, JPE & I met friends for dinner at the Olde Port Inn, Avila Beach. Great conversation, tasty food (although, expensive) & a beautiful evening...

a RANDOM picture of our walk on the pier. We never take for granted that we live in a beautiful community!

Several days before the shower, I scheduled some time to teach Katie to use a sewing machine. She's at that age where she's expanding her creative interests!

Some of the handmade gifts... Katie sewed five burp pads (bottom left)... Nana/Gigi made the baby quilt... Auntie Allie knit the mint green hat & purple headband! the monkey first appeared on this blog a few weeks ago. Auntie Janene (top picture) did all the table decorations for the party! & I know Baby Bee will be getting a handmade gift from Auntie Stacy... Welcome to the FUN club, Katie!!

posting with Tamar at Random-osity

Flying to Washington DC tomorrow!

catch me here, or on Instagram!!

A MOOD CHANGER - PDX...

Concourse C - Portland, OREGON Airport

While waiting for our flight on Jet Blue (headed to Long Beach, CA), we had a bit of time to check out the public art displays. Colorful barber-pole columns were topped with sculptures that were designed by Larry Kirkland, an artist with an environmental design and fine arts background. 

The symbols represent landmarks & icons from the Portland area, with bronze plaques telling the story of each column's art piece. 

Time passed quickly as we admired the art... we sat underneath this sculpture as we ate our "comfort meal" of oatmeal & a cup of coffee. While public art stimulates our "senses" of sight, touch, and hearing it also changes our moods. Think about the feeling you have when you FINALLY get through security, find a place to sit and take that deep breath knowing you didn't miss your flight! Most airports are a bee-hive of busy-ness, but the Portland Airport (affectionately known as PDX) exudes a "sense" of calm-ness... I attribute this to the public displays of art. 

The current research about MINDFULNESS comes to mind! Being "in the moment" decreases our negative emotions and stress. Watching the sculpture twist through the air, trying to interpret the designer's ideas, and listening to the sound of the movement requires a person to STOP! and use their senses. When this happens, your breathing slows, and your stress levels drop. Next time you become stressed, STOP! listen to the sounds around you, or look at the fine details of the space around you, feel your heart slow as your breathing begins to match a slower pace. This is MINDFULNESS! and art can create opportunities to experience this mood changer. 

Curious?? Check out Greater Good, The Science of a Meaningful Life... it's good for your body! mind! & emotions!

posting with OUR WORLD TUESDAY

more of Portland tomorrow!!

ON THIS DAY.... JANUARY 28th!

Being an "overachiever" and NOW a "procrastinator" I tend to avoid posting pictures on my blog if they aren't new or what I consider "blog-worthy"... I've been spending a chunk of time each day editing my photo library. It's gotten unmanage-able (over 42,500 photos)... and many of them need to be trashed. Of course, that prevents me from wanting to add more photos until I take care of this problem.

So... to SIMPLIFY life... I dug back into my archives for some notable happenings on this day... specifically, 2013 and 2011... Here's what I found. Also, I borrowed photos I hadn't posted to illustrate this post.

January 28, 2013

We took visitors to see the ELEPHANT SEALS on 1/28/13. An easy drive... it's always exciting being outside in the brisk, winter breezes along the coast of California. AND, who wouldn't like seeing the elephant seals... 

Actually, I enjoy seeing the expressions on people's faces while they watch the nuances of ELEPHANT SEAL life. This photo happens to be from February 2014, but I love the look on Matthew's face.

January 28, 2011

Then there was this LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE IN 2011. 

I had broken a bone in my left foot. I had written about the emotions that I was feeling as the result of being on crutches. Little did I know that I would use crutches until mid-July. AND, then have physical therapy for several months to regain my balance. 

JPE & I had already booked flights to see SLE & MB in Washington DC. So, off we went... You can see "da boot" that was "oh so glamorous!" We are laughing at MB, who was taking our picture! He's taken some of the best pictures --- and he's blind. Of course, we had all sorts of comments to help him snap this photo. 

Well... hope you enjoyed "On THIS DAY" (in 2013 & 2011)... perhaps I'll have to make this a regular feature here!

See you soon! 

THE POWER... IN READING!

quote by Lynn Payne, American artist

Retirement has allowed me to become "friends" with my local library again! When my girls were young we visited the library every Wednesday for Story Hour, and brought home a stack of books to read. Both my daughters love to read... although they fell in LOVE at different times in their lives.

Now, as a primary school teacher, Allison's classroom library is the "envy" of her colleagues. Need books to support a lesson on APPLES? she'll loan you Johnny Appleseed, Apples and Pumpkins or How Do Apples Grow? from her stack of primary books. She shares the MAGIC of books with her 5 year olds every day!

via amazon

When Stephanie wasn't at the dance studio, she had her nose in a book... my fondest memory is the summer we drove to Colorado to visit family. She was reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor... she went to that MAGICAL place where you aren't aware of your surroundings... tears rolled down her face as she was turning the final pages of her book. She was silent for an hour, processing what she had read, glancing back through the book to re-read passages that captured her emotions.

via amazon

When we returned home, she checked out Let the Circle Be Unbroken and Song of the Trees... also authored by Mildred Taylor... I believe this was her introduction to African American literature.

With a book in hand... you can experience different periods of history, explore new countries, learn about other cultures... the POWER of READING is MAGICAL. 

How has reading changed your life?

COLORFUL EMOTIONS...

quote by William P. Young
(An American author, best known for his Christian novel, The Shack)

Do you associate your emotions with a COLOR?

Does a GRAY, cloudy sky mean a "depressing" day is on the horizon?

How about a BLUE Monday?

going back to work can make you feel sad, or BLUE?

or consider this - 

what about people who work on the weekends?

do they have BLUE Saturdays?

How about GREEN with envy?

I generally think of GREEN as being associated with

money or nature,

but not an emotion.

On the other hand, I DO associate PINK with happiness!

How about YOU?

(for those who are curious...
today is GRAY with a light rain & I'm HAPPY) 

THE EMBROIDERED SLEEVE...

"A Must-Read!! 5 out of 5 stars"

Oh my! I don't know how I learned about this book, but I'm recommending it to all my bibliophiles/book lovers!

Two women... different centuries... their lives forever woven together by a single item... an embroidered silk sleeve.

What do you remember about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882? I don't know that I ever learned about this, or if I did, the history lesson has escaped my memory. How about the Geary Act of 1892? Did you know about the ethnic cleansing of Chinese immigrants? I'm embarrassed that I don't remember learning any of this.

The title of the book, The Girl Who Wrote in Silk, caught my attention. The story takes place on Orcas Island, near Seattle, Washington and opens with Inara Erickson returning to the island to visit their family's summer home. Although the summer home has a tragedy attached to it, Inara feels a connection to the home she can't shake. A recent MBA graduate, she's getting ready to begin a new career, but her discovery of the embroidered silk sleeve and her love of the island peacefulness takes her life in a new direction.

In chapter 4, Mei Lien enters the story and the year is 1886. Her elderly grandmother, father and Mei Lien were dragged from their small family store in Seattle and taken aboard the Prince of the Pacific, which is bound for China. Although Mei Lien was a legal U.S. citizen, her family members had immigrated and ALL Chinese residents were being driven out of Seattle.

This story follows the lives of Inara (current day) and Mei Lien (1890's) as their lives unfold on Orcas Island. Their relationships with their fathers - connections with nature - struggles with their personal identity are key themes in this book.

The book includes a discussion guide, a conversation with the author, Kelli Estes, and peaked my interest in reading more about Chinese embroidery, the tragic purging of the Chinese people from Seattle. 

It was amazing to learn this was Kelli Estes' first published book, and that she had graduated from Arizona State with a degree in business management. 

Let me know what you think about this book by leaving a comment on this post. I'll keep checking back!

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V41

You've probably noticed (or maybe you haven't) that I had taken

a BREAK from blogging. It's NOT terribly unusual for bloggers to step away from posting... it can be exhausting, plus it takes TIME to create posts. When two of my favorite Swedish bloggers, Benita from Chez Larsson, & TinaJo who posted At Home, disappeared, I was disappointed initially... only to learn they had continued to post on Instagram. Gardening, her rascals (two sons) and a new dog are keeping TinaJo busy, but occasional posts can be seen @tinajo73. And Benita's beautiful, simple living style can be found @BenitaLarsson. 

During my blog break, JPE & I traveled, visited family and spruced-up our patio. As you may have read, I've retired from a career in education. Since May 20th (my official retirement date), I've created a bridal bouquet (seen HERE) for my youngest daughter's wedding, read 11 books, purchased enough craft supplies to start a business (kidding, sort of), and slept (or puttered around, A LOT).

Since February, I've visited blogs, but have not felt like writing.

A couple of days ago, I realized I've missed blogging!!!!

So, here I am... hopefully posting on a regular basis, and journaling this new chapter of my life, RETIREMENT.

The best way to get back into blogging is to participate in a photo challenge.

Tamar @ Randomosity continues to host her Monday challenge, GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. So, I'm BACK!!!

We're (JPE, my mom & I) headed to Washington DC, to visit SLE & MB. Hoping to take a short trip to some of the Civil War sites and see the FALL COLORS. 

Due to the California drought, we've replaced most of our flowers with beautiful succulents... don't you LOVE the fuzz growing on this vibrant green plant. 

I mentioned my obsession with craft supplies. Well, I've also added several new books to my library... Valerie McKeehan authored The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering. It's amazing how lettering skills return with a bit of practice... 

So, come back again, SOON!

WHAT IF I....

view from my kitchen window this morning

I'm OVER-THINKING...  OVER-REACTING...

OVER-PLANNING...  OVER-PROJECTING...

OVER-VISUALIZING...  OVER-LOOKING...

OVER-EVERYTHING...

I'm feeling like an OVER-ALL mess!

BUT, looking out the window this morning, I'm reminded that

I'm not OVER-WINTER!

Looks like Spring has arrived on my patio.

I'm hoping we haven't bypassed the
"cold snap" & "rain"
that generally passes our way in
January-February-March.

Weather reports mention we "could" get some rain Saturday. 

Perhaps I'll do a rain dance today?

it will wash the dark mood away.

ON EVERY CORNER!

BLUE MOSQUE

located two blocks from our Istanbul hotel

Visiting MOSQUES & learning about Islam was a key factor in taking this Rick Steve's Tour!

Our tour guide, Mert, (raised by his parents in the Muslim & Jewish faith) has been sharing the similarities & differences between the religions of the world! It's been truly enlightening... 
Mert completed his graduate degree (Bible Studies) in Dublin, Ireland, so we couldn't have asked for a more knowledgeable tour guide...

HAGIA SOPHIA

(the name means "divine wisdom")

faces the Blue Mosque

 Muslims pray five times a day. Speakers located on the minarets (tall, slender columns) announce the call to prayer... with the exact times of prayer changing every day, depending on the position of the sun. 

a mosque can be an elaborate design or something very simple. 
Simply stated, a mosque is a place of worship!!

Mosque of Suleyman
overlooks the city & dominates the skyline during the day & night...

the beauty of the mosque(s) takes your breath away!
& the 'call to prayer' is a constant reminder that 98% of Turkish people are Muslims.

Also, to confirm a statement from SLE, there APPEARS to be a mosque in every neighborhood.

HARVEST-TIME...

Do you ever really "see" a painting

that grabs your HEART?

I had arrived for a meeting 20 minutes early, so I sat in the lobby and began checking emails. Listening to the sounds of the receptionists answering phones, talking with clients, my eyes glazed over... when I focused my attention again, I was looking at this painting. 

I've seen this painting many times, but really had not stopped to appreciate the significance of its placement in this location.

This agency serves our lowest income residents... and many of the families have small children. I realized what a significant impact this painting could have on these families & children. The paint COLORS grab your attention! what a positive view of farmworkers collecting produce... the produce we are fortunate to purchase in our local Farmer's Markets!

I LOVE living in an area that supports the agricultural industry!

{painting in the lobby at CAP-SLO (Community Action Partnerships-San Luis Obispo); cropped in PicMonkey}

IT'S HER BIRTHDAY....

Our daughters

(Allison w the birthday girl, Stephanie, on the right)

have been tent camping since they were infants. 

and because...

TODAY is STEPHANIE'S BIRTHDAY!

I'm feeling a little melancholy, so I'm posting some of my "favorite photos" from her YPN* birthdays!

Most summers, SLE (Stephanie) celebrated her BIRTHDAYS during family vacations at YPN* (Yosemite National Park).

our camping trips were times to connect with family (Acosta's & Enyart's), as well as best friends (Skids & KVC). Click HERE for photos KVC took of Stephanie's birthday.

such wonderful memories!

Nana & Papa bought the three girls "Annie" tshirts for this trip. The girl cousins spent a lot of time performing Annie songs on "The STUMP"

each summer, our goal was to get the campsite with

"The STUMP"... lots of activity happened on

"The STUMP"!

(l-r: Keena & cousins Allie, Steph, Andrew, Reid & Jodi)

rafting, sunning, & dipping in the chilly Merced River was always on the agenda.

so, although Stephanie is all grown-up, and

lives on the other coast (Arlington, VA),

I still remember these days as if they happened last year!

"1-4-3" SLE

we LOVE you &

send BIRTHDAY WISHES on your special day!

JPE & OMO

A BLUE SIGHTING...

this morning! I was enjoying the view from my chaise lounge... 

sipping coffee... & thinking about my blog post...

WHEN... I had a visitor!

JPE had seen several when he was hiking in Big Sur...

this one scampered from underneath the edge of the patio slider!

so, I GOOGLED "Blue Tail Lizards California"

I didn't like reading this...

as we often have Lola {or other dogs} visiting! 

As JPE reminded me,

this is the FIRST one we've seen on our patio.

HOPEFULLY, it will be our LAST!

I'll definitely be on the lookout for more!

Today is...

TASHA'S Bday

{they're at the cabin in Big Bear Lake!}

Later this evening,
we're headed to the top of the hill to watch

the Pismo Beach Pier Fireworks

BE SAFE! 

HaPpY 4Th oF JuLY!!!

STAYING HOME...

resting, reading, relaxing, reclining... recuperating

from a 'little surgery"

my male nurse (JPE) is amazing!

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 6.22.14

Lydia spent her first week of summer with us.

It takes a day or two for her to leave the "fast-paced" daily routine of being home.

We got the "only available" campsite in North Beach-Pismo Beach campground... 

it's our "go-to-campground" 8 minutes from our house...

it's a treasured place for many reasons!

LYDIA has the freedom to ride her bike around the campground... unaccompanied!

Another benefit of camping... fresh air, walks on the beach & mindless relaxation!

... also, you can get a "dose of nature"

... Lola & Allie have wide open spaces...

... and you have more opportunities to nap!

posting with Ashley at Rambling & Photos!

 

 

next week's words:

PINK, WHEELS, FRIEND(S), EMOTION & SWEET

SONG-OGRAPHY + SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 4.20.14

taken 4.19.14

finally.... I managed to pull my camera out. I guess I needed Spring Break to get me over the "BITTER SADNESS"

Posting with Kathy @ You'll Shoot Your Eye Out.

You're probably wondering why I posted a picture of the cat? it's the neighbor's cat... {I spied their cat napping in the patio yesterday!} and we're sad they are moving next week. It's a young couple with a 3-year-old, and another one on the way! they needed space for their growing family to run, ride bikes and roll in the grass! so, once again, we'll be hearing THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE!!!

Oh my! My FIT-BIT is screaming at me! that number is a far cry from 10,000 steps a day!! I hadn't worn it for 10 days... so I had to charge it and the recorded number that emerged was 36 steps {which was the number of steps I walked during the night from the bed to the bathroom}. I do have an excuse... I can't wear my "tennies" {foot is healing from some minor surgery}? my new magazines arrived? and, ummm, Lydia was visiting?! I know, poor excuses, huh? I'm so NEGLECTFUL...

The "hummers" {hummingbirds are prolific} are enjoying the blooming honeysuckle! JPE's sister sent this assortment of herbs to plant... he's officially resigned from one of his jobs, so in addition to teaching his college courses, he'll have more time to garden & cook {hence, the retirement GIFT of "starters"}. Both are definitely SIGNS OF SPRING.

I DON'T wear dresses! in fact, I had to buy a dress for Steph & Mazen's wedding last November! but, JPE is officiating a wedding in mid-May so, I found this lovely, inexpensive dress {from Macy's}... just arrived in the mail on Friday!

BUT, my last PURCHASE(S) have been paperbacks! I finished the bottom three; am currently reading the one on the top {which is the sequel to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philip Sendker}; & still to read, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks & The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch.

Afternoon light casting a SHADOW across the bedroom wall. Allie gave me the adorable laser-cut alphabet last Christmas. She found it at bookhou.com...

I put a few Spring/Easter decorations out at the beginning of March. When Stephanie moved to Washington DC, I believe she left this glasswear behind? I added some shredded paper, a German paper egg & added three additional eggs to this display. Who knew one of the SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY items to photograph would be FOUR THINGS???

Speaking of SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY... I haven't participated in quite a few weeks. So, I'm behind the camera again! There are some adorable SPRING-LIKE photos being posted at Ashley's blog, Rambling & Photos. Stop by and say HI!

You'll never guess what I did??? I just "hunted" for the words for April 13th. Oh my goodness! Well, I'm still posting --- but, the actual words for this week are: TRICK, SELECTIVE COLOR, CLOSE-UP, MIRROR or EASTER & BRIGHT COLORS. Just pretend my pictures fit this week's words.

Tomorrow, I'm driving with JPE to Palo Alto... while he's teaching, I'll help Allie with her kinders!! Looking forward to dinner with she & Brian...  BUT, I've already written my post for Monday, so, be sure and come back tomorrow.