Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Monday, August 31, 2009

Socal Soak up the Sunday

Malibu, CA
After grabbing smoothies to fight the sun-drunkenness dehydration (I still had a "hangover" by 5...)
T's Overlook

And just in case anyone wonders if we can see smoke from the fires burning here...
(these were taken from the 405 at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon)

Today's whiteboard quote:
"If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others."
~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Friday, August 28, 2009

Charis Cross CA - Road Trippin Back Down

I'm back!
Finally!


So I'll start at the end of the trip, because that totally makes sense for the telling. Er, not so much? That's okay, it's my blog and I do what I want :)

Knowing that we had a full day of travel ahead of us, we started off with a very healthy breakfast.
This little chocolaterie is amazing, but you're not allowed to take pictures inside. Weird, huh? Yes, I thought so too.

We got on the road soon afterward, kissing adorable Los Gatos goodbye (figuratively, of course, and more to come about the awesomeness of that town in a future post). Starting out, the road was lined by gorgeous and ancient trees.
After awhile, the landscape flattened and became decidedly less green and more brown and yellow (not to mention more and more and more warm)
T drove along and I did this:(a project I started working on before he was born for a little one who's now a few months old. Expedient, that's my middle name...) Also, notice that bright, glaring light on my hands? It was the sun, but of course. The car's thermometer was reading 100 degrees, plus or minus five...And it was getting hotter.
12:47pm: the air conditioner stops working.
We still have four hours to go.
Trees and shade are nowhere to be seen.
I start peeling off layers, as does T.
We're down to the smallest amount of clothing possible (while in public), and still becoming delirious from the heat.
How in the world did people cross the CA mountains before air conditioning? Whew!
If you know me at all, you know that when I am deprived of sleep, I turn into a bear. My gorgeous boy does not share this trait. However, he turns into a bear when he's too hot.
(remind me never to go on a tropical vacation with him)
(see that scowl in the background?...)
(just kidding. I'd go anywhere with him. Duuuhhh. That's what slurpees are for. Yes, I know they probably have high fructose corn syrup. Desperate times call for desperate measures.)
(clearly my attempts at lightening the mood via silly pictures were unsuccessful)
-----------------
--(it's really hot)---
-----------------
---(we're grumpy)---
-----------------------------
Finally, that was it! The decision was made. We could see the water from our spot on the highway....
Screw it. We're goin to the beach.
So, we pulled off the highway, followed some "beach access" signs, and paid a gazillion dollars for sunblock here:
And after I'd smeared the greasy and undoubtedly pore-clogging mixture into my face, we decided to trash the beach idea, loaded up on refrigerated water and got back on the highway. So we did.
...hours passed....
And once the highway started getting clogged rush-hour style (and the temperature did NOT go down), we decided to beat the heat and traffic, and hang out for awhile.

We were passing through Santa Barbara about then, so we drove into downtown and caught dinner at the Natural Cafe (amazing, by the way).
(very healthy on my end - veggie chili dog, and T's very unhealthy salad...)
Our buddy James stopped by and we chatted, T made another friend,
and then we made our way over to the Metro 4 to see this movie:...how was it?...
Two words:
Holy. Crap.
I'll do a review post soon, don't you worry.
(if you can't wait, see it. Immediately.)

After we emerged from the theater bleary eyed and reminding ourselves that there is not actually a gigantic alien spaceship hovering above Johannesburg (ok maybe it was just me, I'm pretty sure that T was significantly more balanced), we got back on the road.

Once would think that traffic had gone.

Not so much.
But we stuck it out and were rewarded with some spectacular sunset views:And a couple of hours later, we pulled into maison a la Redondo Beach.
Home sweet home.
It's good to be back.

Oh, and by the way, the big road trip starts a month from last night.

Fitting, I say.

Today's quote:
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
~ Mary Oliver

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Motown Philly Back Again...

Last night T and I had dinner with my mentor. Then we walked back to the hotel along Santra Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos, talked to his family on speakerphone, and admired the year-round lights Los Gatos hangs in their trees (LOVE it).

Then we had wine and chocolate and youtubed all the great R&Band pop hits from 1988-1999, and relived our tween years. Good times.

Today's quote:
"Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands."
~Cathy Better

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Proposal

At my doctoral seminar today, as I was yesterday, and the day before, and as I will be tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after....sigh.

I'm not complaining! The air is smog-free and the sky is blue and the trees are green and the breezes are cool. Our hotel is top-notch (for another post, pics will be included - we've found ourselves on an awesome engagement-moon) and I'm learning...alot. Not just in classes. Grist for the mill, as they say. Another story, for another blog post.

However, nothing is allowed to be bad this week. Cause I'm still walking on air from the big question Terry asked me last week. If you want the play-by-play, I've published an excerpt from my personal writing, pics included, here.

Enjoy :)

Today's quote:
A mind that is characterized by unrest will not be tranquil even in the presence of great calm.
~Dalai Lama

Thursday, August 20, 2009

A Kiss On the Hand Might Be Quite Continental...

...but as of last night, this girl will be wearing more than kisses on her hand...

Bookend #1

Today I'm not going to post more about the cross-country move, like I said I would yesterday, because...I don't feel like it. And I'm kinda tired and me and GIMP are on a temporary break right now (we had words) so I can't make the little cool image of a cartoon T and myself rolling down the highway that will accompany all of the C C-C posts. Don't worry, it'll come and it'll be grade-A-amazingness.

Because my life revolves around awesonomical things such as weekends and vacations (and countdowns of any sort. What can I say, I'm easy to entertain. Better than the opposite, if you ask me), I'll consider today as this....

It isn't:
- a day where I arrived at work 3 hours late because I was feeling so under the weather this morning that I literally could not drag myself around the townhouse and get ready. (very uncharisteristic of me. No bueno...)
- my last day of work before I'll be gone for the week, which means that this place is a madhouse.
- too hot to wear a sweater and too cold to wear only short sleeves (and too high to get over, too low to get under, you're stuck in the middle....oops, sorry, MJ tangent, those happen sometimes), which leaves me in short sleeves, a scarf, and goosebumps everywhere (because I'm not built for cold weather, duh).
- the kickoff of a wannabe vacation-that's-not-a-vacation-at-all-because-of-the-all-day-studying-and-lecturing-parts week.

...and it is:
- the first bookend to this semester's Ph.D. seminar, which are always some form or another of good times
- the day before a fun road trip (yay)
- a Frithursday, which makes everything all better
- the beginning of a week of me not having to be stuck in traffic for a minimum of 2 hours a day (yessss!)
- the beginning of a vacation-that's-not-really-a-vacation-but-close-enough-cause-I-get-to-be-in-a-hotel-and-see-new-places-and-jump-on-the-bed week.

I'll go with it being a good day, no? Yes? Yes.

Today's whiteboard quote:
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
~Leonard Cohen

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Charis Cross-Country: Prologue

So here comes the awesomeness...........

...wait for it...

I'm moving.
The move will include a cross-country drive with stops in Arizona, Texas, Florida, and one or both of the Carolinas.

Vlogging will occur.

So will strange pictures and/or stories from our adventuring along the highway...

(vicarious example: yesterday B watched a guy in a convertible battle a bee for 5 minutes, while trying unsuccessfully to drive, smoke a cigarette, and not get stung. Priceless.)

More tomorrow....

Today's whiteboard quote:
"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer."
~William S. Burroughs

Classes and Studies and Mountains, Ohm My!

This Friday, T and I will pack up the car and start driving north.

I'm heading to one of my biannual Ph.D. seminars up in Los Gatos, here.
(T will be using the time to study for his LSAT, coming up next month.)

The place is run by nuns and it's halfway up a steep mountain (yeah...I let T drive for that part. I don't do mountains if I can help it, and his growing up in PA was more mountain-driving-friendly than my upbringing in rural farmland Virginia...) We constantly see deer, mountain lions are around, and there are tons of birds and other such tiny awesome creatures that you never see in the city. Not that I'm hating on squirrels, but you know.

I'm excited! I'll get to see my classmates who I only run into at these things (there's a reason they call mine the "Global program", that's right, we've got folks from nearly every continent coming in), and there will be fresh clean air, dangerous hiking trails (I'm serious. There are warning signs that are moderately disconcerting posted at each entrance), and new-agey/slash/conventional psychological coursework and discussion. Right up my alley.

I may or may not be blogging, depending on two things:
1) how strong my wireless signal is in the main room where we'll be meeting
2) whether I'm interested or not in what's going on. Sometimes it's super duper boring, not gonna lie. Once they start talking about research paradigms I start snoring. Or playing minesweeper. Or writing in my journal. Or blogging. So it could happen.

This is almost my last seminar - you're not required to go in your last year (at least not to both seminars. Hmm, I'm not sure whether it's one or none. I think I should find that out). I'm starting year 4 this go-round and the program is 5 years long.

Not bad, considering you get a master's and a Ph.D. along the way.

The fact that the school's unconventional teaching styles make it not as well respected as others isn't as great, but that doesn't matter much for me. I'm already doing what I'll be doing after graduation (not to mention the fact that I have more credentials than 90% of other life coaches that you'll find out there...) Boy oh boy was it a shock when I discovered nearly a year ago that, when it came to my area (working with people, not so much research and academia), that I already knew all I ever would from this school. The last few years are all dissertation-based, really. The fact that I actually had that much in m'noggin was scary, and awesome to figure out. That's why A Luminous Life is up and running already...

Anywhoo.

So I'm apologizing in advance for my (possible) absence. I'll miss you!

Today's whiteboard quote:
"Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless."
~Mary Kay Ash





Monday, August 17, 2009

Weekend in Pictures

(Above: video chatting with the PA folks on Sunday evening)

Friday night karaoke
(no explanation needed for this, obviously)
(M and I at our booth at the Gas Lite in Santa Monica)
(A half hour later he MAY have sang Dancing in the Dark and I MAY have been onstage with him, Courtney Cox style)
(so ashamed....)

Saturday
(with friends a la maison RB on Saturday night)

Sunday
(he gets to eat a muffin, drink a coffee and read an interesting book (Blink, if you're curious). I get to read the DSM-IV desk reference and drink...hot...water. So much fun.)

Today's whiteboard quote:
"In order to be a realist you must believe in miracles."
~David Bon Gurion

ps: This is a 4-day work week for me. I'll tell you why tomorrow.
pps: I'll finally let go of my soon-to-be awesomeness that I've been talking about for awhile, this week. Wednesday, I think...

Friday, August 14, 2009

Happy Friday to All, and To All a Good Morning

....or good afternoon, to all of my east coasties.

Last night I did end up skipping the pier concert. And the night at home with ordered in pizza included (with M, man how I've missed those bread sticks! Being part Italian, T is a pizza snob but if you ask me, there is a time and place for Pizza Hut) and catching up on my quiet tasks (writing, crocheting, etc.) was just what the doctor ordered.

Of course then T came home in a wee hour and I had to hear about all the goings-on, so I'm still sleep deprived today.

Can't win 'em all!

Tonight is set for karaoke and revelry of all types.

Happy Friday!

Today's whiteboard quote:
"You are the product of your own brainstorm."
~Rosemary Konner Steinbaum

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Back To...

This section is devoted to disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. This division of the Classification according to age at presentation is for convenience only and is not absolute. Although disorders in this section are usually first evident in childhood and adolescence, some individuals diagnosed....
Does this sound interesting to you?

Yeah, me neither.

It's from the DSM-IV Desk Reference, a thick little gray spiraled book that will put me right to sleep before I even turn a page....and what is my required reading for a fall course. Argh.

So school starts again next week! And I'm excited, if for no other reason than that I get that much closer to being finished (who knew that this 5 year-long PhD program would have encompassed so much time! You know what I mean?), and because of course my brain doesn't quite know what to do with itself when it's not learning something. An entire lifetime of school will do that to you.

So, year 4 is set to begin! On next Friday, to be exact. But from now til then, I'll read up for my courses, and try to stifle my yawns.

Who am I kidding - I never stifle yawns.

Not even last night when I was out at some bar in Santa Monica after an aborted Edison trip, and I was acutely aware yet again that I'm an old person who can't have a cognizant conversation after 9:45pm. Even with coffee and In & Out Burger. Wait, maybe the In & Out is what put me to sleep....Hmm...it's a theory...

Happy Friday eve!

Today's whiteboard quote:
"Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves."
~Rudyard Kipling

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Naked Dream

So I had a naked dream last night.

No, not the kind that you're thinking.

One of those where you're not happy about being naked. I had these a lot in high school and college, where I'd be at work or in the dining hall and be aware that I was in only my birthday suit, and realize that everyone else knew too. So what would I do? Just pretend that it wasn't happening. My naked dream logic is that if I act like it's not a big deal and I'm not worried about it, everyone else will too. Strange, I know. But it always works. With dream-people, that is. They're pretty gullible, those neural creations of mine..

Half the time I realize that I'm in a dream when I have weirdo ones. Of course, when I don't realize it, they're still super vivid and realistic and when I wake up I am shocked that it was, in fact, a dream. Over the years I've gotten better at my dream-behavior once I realize that I'm asleep.

Just about a year ago I had a dream where I worked in a hospital (I did work in the cardiology department of VCU several years back, so it wasn't much of a stretch) and crazy dreamish things were happening, and when I finally realized that my surroundings were totally fiction, I looked at my imaginary dream friend, sitting across the table and asked her with a smirk, "So, how does it feel to be a dream person?" Her eyes widened in surprise as she started to think about the question. I suppose she hadn't gotten the memo.

More recently, I had an apocalyptic dream with T in it where there was some crazy violent political takeover happening (WW2 style), and we were being herded off to some type of holding place, and I looked at T eventually, realization dawning upon me, and said something along the lines of this not being our life, and this totally having to be a dream. So we just hung out until I woke up.

Anticlimactic, I know. Like many things. We won't go into the crazier dreams, where I start karmic life/death sequences that will go on for all of eternity or I fly swinging through treetops, or when I work in a top-secret government underground laboratory and get shot in the neck and have to hold my head on. We also won't talk about the ones where I exorcise houses in a time loop and dissolve demons with my bare hands, but they happen. Oh yes, they do.

But, as usual, I've digressed.

Last night's dream had me in the shower, trying in peace to shave my armpits while the room went from a bathroom to a living room with a steady stream of people filing in, to, on the other side, a Chipotle restaurant (I think). Either way the shower curtains were in segments rather than one complete sheet so everyone could see in, and people working in the Chipotle assembly line were whispering about it. One of the characters from Weeds (which T and I watched before bed) was looking through from the other side, as if I were bothering her with my minding-my-own-business-showeringness. Not a very nice person in my dream, that girl...(it was Quinn, in case you're wondering...)

As I often do in these dream situations, I pretended like I didn't notice my lack of shower privacy, and went on to pick up the razor after the first aborted attempt at shaving, noticing that it now had like 9 blades rather than the usual 2 or 3. Strange, yep. But I acted as if it were normal, as I mentally tried to figure out how not to cut off my arm accidentally (and no dream nicks are reported at this time).

So there you go.

What in the world could this mean?

Oh, probably something about revealing myself and my life to the world in my blogs and in various other places online (which T and I have differing opinions on - he's more of a private person, but as you can see, I am not), and about my worries about A Luminous Life's success (which I'm sure is normal among new business owners), not to mention about the strangeness that will be involved in the awesome exciting new thing that I'm still holding out on blogging about (not gonna share it yet, waiting for the perfect time cause it's a big deal), and that's probably about it.

I don't know what the razor means....but I came out unbloodied so I'm still thinking that I'm all good with that one...

How did the dream end?
My alarm went off.
And no, I didn't cut myself shaving in the shower this morning. And we have doors, not curtains on our shower so I'm good there too.
(as far as I know the closest Chipotle is at least 3 miles away as well, which is a relief...)

Happy hump day!

Today's whiteboard quote:
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~Anais Nin
(I really love that one. I think it'll end up on my wall.)

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Awesome at Blogging, Horrible at Vlogging

...but I'm working on it!

Last summer, I decided to start vlogging. To vlog is to make video blogs, and I thought I'd give it a whirl. It was fun and I liked it, and intended to keep going, but I got a little sidetracked....and the last vlog I made was last autumn. Before Thanksgiving.

Oops.

The problem was that I started to blog about then! And so my topics got kinda used up in the typing...besides, blogging took about 1/3 the time of vlogging (what with the recording, editing, uploading, tagging, and posting business), not to mention that I felt more connected with people that way.

But the truth is, I've missed it this whole time. And heck, I've had a couple of vlogs floating around in my head now for almost 11 months, still unrecorded! So, I'm'a try to get back on the vlogging horse.

About a month and a half ago, I sat down to record a vlog. I did the whole bit, made sure the camera wasn't at an angle that you could see up my nose or anything, hit 'record,' talked about what I was gonna talk about, etc., then hit "stop", saved it, opened up my video editor....

And there was no sound.

None.

So then there was another problem. And I've looked into it and made calls and searched troubleshooting issues and it appears that my laptop's mic is just dead, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

So there's that.

But, there's also an easy solution! Which is why I'm ordering an external mic today. And why, once it arrives, I'll be making videos again and posting them here every now and then, in leu of text blogs.

So get ready.

The end.

Today's whiteboard quote:
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."
~Benjamin Disraeili

ps: I have exciting news. I'm sitting on it right now, getting more and more happy about the whole thing until I'll explode and you'll see the new bits of excitement that exploded me all over the place on my blog. Sounds appetizing, huh? Well that's cause it is. C out.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Toasted (one side only)


Note to self:

When you go to the beach on an early Sunday morning to beat the crowds and unhealthy UV rayage that abounds around midday, it would behoove you to remember that you are of a constitution in which you tan when you look at a picture of the sun.

Therefore, if you assume that, since there is a significant amount of cloud cover over the shoreline, it will be fine to forego your ordinary SPF 70 application ritual,
...it may be a good idea to NOT lie on your stomach for the entire two hour span talking to your boyfriend (wearing only a hoodie over your bathing suit).


When you do this, you will pay the consequences of realizing in the car, during the drive home, that only the back side of your legs are now 3.7 shades darker than the rest of your body.

You look as if you've stood in front of the fireplace too long honey.

Just a little singed.



Today's whiteboard quote:
"Dreams do not vanish, so long as people do not abandon them." ~Phantom F. Harlock

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Loosen Up My Buttons Baby...

I have exciting news.
After much arduous labor and lower backaches from hours of staring at my computer screen, arguing with GIMP (I won in the end), the buttons are ready! (yay!)

Please take them! Put them on your blog! I would adore you if you did! (I already adore lots of you, so you don't have far to go...)

Without further ado, here are my bundles of buttony joy:

My A Luminous Life (life coaching) button!



...and my Luminous Blog button!




Thanks very much, in advance! If you post one, please comment and let me know so I can thank you with lots of virtual smooches!

Oh, and by the way, happy Friday!


Today's whiteboard quote:
"The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything."
~Sri Ramana Maharshi

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Bamboozled!

Let me introduce you to a couple of friends of mine.

Crystal,

and David.

These two I have known for years and years, and we all used to go out to Market Street together. Once in a while they forced me to watch a terrible reality show (or 24, which wasn't all that appetizing either when they were both glued to the set shushing my every word as I had no clue what was going on and asked questions), so I painted my toenails instead.

Crystal, sorry for letting Babbs smell my used polish-remover cottonballs.
She seemed like she really wanted to. And I didn't know that bulldogs could make faces like that.
It was totally worth it.

Crystal's awesomeness comes from the fact that once, in a 2:30am packed downtown Orlando parking garage, as a reaction to a huge SUV of roided-up guys giving her a hard time about letting them into the car line, Crystal gunned it and introduced their big pompous SUV bumper to her smaller-but-badass Eclipse one. And I quote: "Hope you have insurance, *****!" How can you not love her.
David's awesomeness comes from his crazy poker skills. He put himself through his master's degree by playing online. Yes, it's amazing. And he's going to Vegas soon and I get part of anything he wins over $25K (come on green! sure I know that's not poker, but it's all the same to me). Or so he says. If he comes home with 30 grand in his pocket, I doubt I'll see any of it. Besides I think I owe him the price of a small boat because of all the months I lived with him rent-free after grad school (it's, um, in the mail?...) so it all evens out in the end.

Anyway, now that I live across the country, I have a relationship with this couple that consists of mostly snarky (but good-natured) facebook comments and the occasional text message.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday they took our relationship to a whole new level.

Have you ever heard of a site called www.prankdial.com?

Apparently they have.

And that explains yesterday's post. (as I found out in a phone call from Crystal a few hours after hitting the "Publish" button, in a conversation where I MAY have almost peed my pants from insane laughter...)
Guys, touché.

It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but don't you worry.
I will have my revenge....




Today's whiteboard quote:
"It is not what you say you believe that is important, but what you model, encourage, reward and let happen."
~Patricia Fripp

A Price On His Head....

I'm putting a hit out.

Anyone who wants to take care of this certain individual for me, I will pay you one gazillion trillion infinity thousand dollars.

Let me explain.

Yesterday, at about five minutes til closin' time, as I was packing up my laptop and shutting down my other computer, my cell phone rang. Ordinarily I don't answer if I don't recognize the number (if it's important, they'll leave a message), but for some strange reason, I chose to pick up. Since it was the Orlando area code, I thought that perhaps it was someone I knew who'd changed their number or something.
Big mistake.
So I answer, and here's the conversation that ensued between me (C) and the annoying crazy caller individual (J, as in jackass....)

C: Hello?
J: Good evening, this is whoeverhewas from whateverrandomandshadycompanyhewascallinginbehalfof.
note: this was about 7:00pm, eastern time (which is where he would have assumed I was, judging by my area code. How rude!)
C: Hi, how are you?
J: I'm well, thank you. I'm calling from a company that specializes in technical support for all types of computer and electronic equipment. Are you in any need of any technical support?
C: No, actually, I think I'm fine, but thanks anyway.
J: Are you sure? Because we've been awarded in areas of blahblahblahbullcacablahblahblah....
C: Um, actually nope, I just don't have any technical issues that I need help with. But.Thanks.
J: Alright, so I will go ahead and charge your phone with $15-
C: -no. What? Why?
J: For the technical support.
C: But you called me! I didn't use your service-
J: Madam, I understand you are very frustrate. But there's nothing I can do.
note: Strike one, this charging b.s. in the first place. Strike two, calling me madam. Oh no. And strike three, using bad grammar. Yes, he did say frustrate. Don't get me started. In case you're wondering, he also had quite a strong accent, which I'm just putting in there to complete the picture. I won't say which accent, there's no sense in that. But it did make the whole thing a lot more frustrating because I could only mostly understand him.
C: Okay fine, I'll just stop payment on the charge when it comes through. Thanks. click. (well, not really since I just closed my phone but you get the idea.)

"There's nothing I can do" ?!?!
What?
I'm sorry, I was assuming that since HE was the one who called my number off of who-knows-WHAT list and told me I was getting charged for some ridiculous made-up service, I figured that there would be "something he could do."

AAAAAARRRGGHHDIRTYROTTENSONOFABISCUITEATERAAAAUUUUURRGGGHH!

So I called up my good buddies at Verizon and told them about it, and if some random charge does show up, there's a note in my file and we'll cancel that bad boy right on out.

Insane!

And ridiculous. Come on, if you're gonna scam me, at least be smart about it.

The end.

Today's whiteboard quote:
"Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world in the eye."
~Hellen Keller

ps: Oh, and by the way, the number was 407-767-2977. Any of my Orlando buddies,
don't answer this call. Any of my other buddies, lurkers or no, if you want to avenge me and all of the other folks these people have called, or if you want to just blow off some steam after a hard day, call those folks and let the bad words fly. Or if you want to report them to the CIA or FBI or X-files, be my guest.

Actually, if this dude, and his co-workers (if he has any) spends all day doing that, and making people feel like I did, and cheating folks, then I don't need to lift a finger. I'm sure getting hate sent at you via mind bullets all day (anyone who gets the mind bullet reference gets 50 points, btw) will rack up enough bad energy to do much worse than anything I could think up. Karma, J. Karma.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Difference

Whenever I travel to T's hometown of Hazleton, PA, as I did a couple of weeks ago, there are several things that remind me Dorothy-style that "we're not in L.A. anymore."

Here are some examples of what you'll find in abundance there...

Adorable welcoming signs in the flower beds....

Light softly spilling in through sheer and lacy curtains...

Sweet cutlery....

Lace doilies (really!)
Picture frames, lined up in tidy rows (and yes that is little T in the background).... I won't mention that you don't find many couples celebrating anything near their 25th anniversary here....oh wait, I just did...

Mirrors galore...


Tiny dogs that only look innocent. Note the roving eye. (if I had a nickel for every time I softly said "ooooh Rudy, if you were my dog...")

Familial collegiate pride:

And my favorite, flowers and greenery galore! Oh how I miss that dappled sunlight!

Today's whiteboard quote:
"I am learning to write and speak of my true feelings for myself, that's how I can let go sooner and love fuller. It's a mixture of speaking up and speaking in, reaching out and reaching in."
~Sabrina Ward Harrison