What would make my day smoother?

I awoke this morning in a great mood after a good night's sleep and pleasant dreams. However as the day went on I was feeling more drained from my job. The amount of work will take longer than the time I can clock in for the week. I cannot work overtime, so I guess I need to only put in the hours that for the week and anything extra will have to wait.

While that will be great, I also think that I need to do something to get myself in a better mood to handle the stresses related to my job. What can I do to start my morning off on a better foot? I have not had the time to organize my to do list for the following day. Perhaps I need to get into work a little earlier to help me get a few things organized before the barrage of other to do's pop up.

Something to think about while I work on my homework.

Tossing out the old and unused

Wouldn't it be great and wonderful to part with all that is old and unused?

I struggle with tossing out things, clothes in particular, just in case I will need them. How many times have I decided to purge and then 2 months later wish I had kept that one item? Too many to count.

For what ever reason I am in the mood to declutter my life. Surprisingly I have made the big decision to not by holiday cards and pull together the odds and ends I have from the past few years to mail out to family and friends.

The same holds true for my birthday cards - next year will be the year to use up the stash of photo notecards I have tucked into nooks and free space. A few months ago I wanted to consolidate my stash of stationery and photo cards only to realize I had a lot more than I realized. Some had never been sent out. As much as I would love to purchase more cards and photo gifts, I decided to use up what I have and start a list of my absolutely favorite photos for use in future projects!

Cool!

Now, time for my homework....

Where did the month go?

It is hard to believe that October is gone. Plus I haven't written anything in almost 2 months. What have I been doing? Perhaps the warm sunny weather of October lulled me into a great feeling of being off the computer and out and about.

On the bright side, I did find a comfortable feeling - enjoying a lazy Sunday doing the things I wanted to do without feeling I was being pulled into anything. I miss those days- reading the Sunday paper, a little bit of laundry, a nice talk with my mom on the phone with us chatting about the little things in life and not about the troubles, aches or pains.

Ahh, so relaxing...

Writing

it is a slow painful process to get back into the swing of things. Ugh!

Quote of the Day

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

Unknown

Hobbies and Happy moments

It is amazing how one phone call, with some good news on the other end, can really make me happy. I called on the off chance that I might get into a class that starts tomorrow. The class has been postponed two weeks which would give me time to mail in my check (the site is old school) and get into the class. To my happy surprise, there still is availability. So after hanging up I filled out the form, wrote the check and mailed it off before the postal carrier arrived today. So EXCITING!!!

Of course I have absolutely no idea if the area is safe, but I will not let that little detail deter me from my class. Having a hobby one loves is so important in life.

The class: Studio Portrait Lighting

5 weeks of learning and using equipment. I just have to show up with my camera and manual. Flash and light meter will be provided. I am excited about this class as I would like to start taking portraits on the side. Or it will help me learn how to light flowers and other table top items that I have in mind as a gift idea.

Happy Hobbying to all!

Photo

I thought it was time for a photo. This was taken at the end of July along the northern coastline of California.

Life is a bowl of cherry pits!

I am just so angry, annoyed, upset, lost and confused and there really is nothing I can do to help out other than lend an attentive ear for listening and signing over my paycheck. Of course I am beating myself up for not taking the time in the beginning of July to look into other options as now is time is running out because of some crazy doctor! Some one I love will have to struggle back at work next week and there is nothing I can do. She has worked so hard, played by the rules and has paid her dues at least twice, but now she is on the verge of loosing her health insurance if she cannot stay at her job. Life just sucks!

I guess crying and moaning will not help the situation, but what else am I supposed to do? She lives by herself, is in debt and needs to keep the job that will slowly squeeze her out. I guess I know I should be saving every penny I can because the proverbial rainy day looks to be a huge downpour.

:(

Work...

Somewhere along the way, a shift occurred. It used to be fun and I enjoyed what I did, but now it is just work and that makes me sad. On the bright side, I start a new job tomorrow. On the flip side, I am nervous and somewhat dreading going into the new place tomorrow. Is that bad? Perhaps. Or, it could just be the new job jitters. Will I do a good job? Will the people like me? Will I like the job and other tasks that I need to do? Ugh!

On top of all that, I have work that I need to do today to prep for my first day as the new kid on the block. I really should have put my foot down and did the work this morning instead of waiting until after 3pm on a Sunday to start the work.

"Crack" time for me to get to work.

Nervous

Tomorrow I have an interview.

Yikes!

It will be fairly informal - meeting a few people and learning about the job. I am still nervous.

Plus I am a bit sad that I may have a job soon. I do have to work for a living, but I was hoping this sabbatical would last a little bit longer as I hardly was into relaxation mode much less tourist mode.

Oh well. I guess I will have to squeeze in my fun on the weekends, just like (most) everyone else.

Chocolate Wisdom

Whomever came up with the idea of putting little uplifting thoughts on the inside of a Dove Chocolate wrapper was a genius!

Today's little wisdom:

There's no excuse not to dream.

Photo of the Day

On Thursday of this past week I went to a local photographers' club meeting. It is time to meet others with the same passion as I have. Of course now comes the difficult part of deciding which photos I will submit. No one likes to hear criticism, but when it is constructive it can help a person grow, and isn't that we all want to do in life - grow?

Hope - it is a powerful idea

As I wander through life, feeling as if I have absolutely no direction whatsoever, I need to remember the one little word - hope. Hope is powerful if we truly embrace it. Sometimes if life you just have to learn to enjoy the ride, even if you think you are 'off course' in where you were planning on going.

Still a little rough in my mind, but that is ok. Someday it will be clearer than the day before and before I know it I will be more gracious of the journey.

Where are you going?

That has been on my mind a lot today.

I wish I had an answer. :(

10 Secrets to Success

1. How you think is everything: Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. Take action: Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. Never stop learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.

5. Be persistent and work hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

6. Learn to analyze details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7. Focus your time and money: Don't let other people or things distract you.

8. don't be afraid to innovate; be different: Following the heard is a sure way to mediocrity.

9. Deal and communicate with people effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility: Otherwise, Nos. 1-9 won't matter.

Time Quote

"We're addicted to having no time because we don't know what to do with it once we get some."

Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

In honor of Harry Potter's Birthday on July 31st, I decided to make a cake. (for those of you that really know me, there was another reason for baking the cake ;) but I just couldn't pass up the Harry Potter mania).

Hopefully the photo and the recipe will intrigue you to try this fabulous cake. It is so good, so chocolatey, that it may be my new favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Triple Chocolate Bliss Cake
from Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 2 hr min
Makes: 18 servings, one slice each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1-1/2 cups raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Beat all ingredients except whipped topping, chocolate and raspberries in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula and gently remove cake. Cool cake completely on wire rack. Place on serving plate.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping. Microwave remaining whipped topping and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each min. Drizzle over cake. Immediately drop reserved whipped topping, by scant teaspoonfuls, around top of cake; create star shape by drawing wooden toothpick through middle several times. Spoon raspberries into center of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Note: I did not bother with the reserved whipped topping or the raspberries. Plus if you forget to pull out the Cool Whip to thaw, no worries as you need to microwave it until it is liquid anyway.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 340 Total fat 20g Saturated fat 8g Cholesterol 55mg Sodium 360mg Carbohydrate 39g Dietary fiber 2g Protein 5g Vitamin A 4%DV Vitamin C 4%DV Calcium 8%DV Iron 15%DV

Get moving

Today is a day that it is a bit slow for me to get the things done that I want to get done. Perhaps it is because I do not have to get them done today. Or perhaps it is because I am I am a little tired today.

Yesterday we went sailing. I choose to leave the camera at home, but of course I wish I had it once the heavy, dense fog cleared up. Unfortunately I am a little sore and a bit sun and wind burned. Ugh!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Warm, Happy Heart

Yesterday was a great day! The past few weeks, even over a month, have been a little crazy for me personally and I finally was able to stop, take a deep breath, and enjoy the future. Sometimes I forget the craziness of my life and do not allow myself the freedom to feel frazzled. Life has been crazy, yet at times I tell myself that it is normal. Perhaps that is what helps me keep getting up everyday without feeling like a mad woman!

Going for a walk after a great lunch (Trader Joe's Sourdough bread, 4 Cheese topping was wonderful!) I was able to feel a big warmth from the inside - a happy heart! It is hard to put into words, but it was such a great feeling. If I could only bottle that feeling to help me out when I do hit the lows of life. However, I probably could not have felt that wonderful without trudging through the lows either.

I hope everyone has a happy Wednesday.

Data Management

Our computer has blue screened twice today, so I thought it best to back up our data. To my surprise the super big (at the time I purchased it) 160 GB external hard drive now has 3.7 GB of free space. Yikes! I shoot a ton of photos and that space will not be enough when I get back from my next trip to hold all the great photos I hope to capture.

So I turn to the trusty google search and find data management for photos from Matt Greer Photography. I am putting the link here so I do not loose it.

http://mgreerphoto.blogspot.com/2006/12/image-file-management.html

Photo of the Day

Moss Beach, CA

The low tide was not the greatest, but we still saw a lot of cool things in the tide pools. I just love the feel of this photo.

Enjoy!

Wednesday evening - 2 is the magic number!

Yes, I have finally hit the number 2. Two more days left at my job! Hip Hip Hooray!

In other number news, 5 days until I get on a plane and head to another state. Crazy!

Today was a bit of a weird day - way too much to do considering it was my third to last day in the office. Unfortunately my hard work was bumped by me so I get to repeat something tomorrow. Pain in the neck, if you ask me. At least I don't have to spend the time figuring out what I have written up.

Oh well!

4 is the magic Number....

It is amazing how something so big can become just ho hum when something bigger happens.

For me, the big countdown is the last few days at my current job. Long story short, the job was not the best fit for me. It may make for an amazing chick lit this summer as I have nothing else lined up right now. The crazy thing is, the timing couldn't be better. Family healthy issues popped up on Sunday, so now my mind is consumed with that. What a shame as I worked really hard at my job to not have the 'floating on air' feeling of leaving the place behind!

The crazy thing today, on Monday, I was the last one at my place to leave, yet I am the one with less than a week left to work. I either need to learn to focus more at work, work faster, or care less.

6 is the Magical Number

Life on the other side of a huge decision is always a good thing. Of course I like to over think any decision, but I am coming to peace about this great decision.

So much fun, so much potential!

Happy June Everyone!

Happiness

"Being fulfilled is not something you can delegate. You must take charge of your own happiness and emotional well-being."

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Daily Calendar

Happy Holiday Weekend!!!

Yes, I have been WAY too busy with work and looking forward to my long weekend away from the place. So much has happened at work that I have not kept this blog up.

On the lighter side, I do hope to find more time for my photography. Taking beautiful photos makes me happy, so it is something I should pursue more. Now I just need to find some more time to do it in.

Happy weekend to everyone! I know life can get us spinning, but I do hope to slow down and reconnect with those that are important to me.

Here is a nice photo - wide angle lens bliss for me!

Monday - thanks for a great start to my week

Unfortunately this post will be brief (I need to get to work), but I just had to get this out there and off my chest so I can focus on my work. Long story short - my coworker asked me if I was proud that he worked 4hrs on Saturday. 'would you like me to be proud?' I asked as I had to idea where this was going and I was not in the mood for idle chit chat this Monday morning. Someone else asked if working on Saturdays was the new standard. My coworker's response, "No, because '2lively' would go postal on us."

What am I supposed to say to that?!?

Yes, I have been working a lot at my job and perhaps I have not been the happiest person there, but still. Perhaps I should lighten up the amount of work I get done so I can sit around and socialize with my coworkers. Ugh! I guess I am loosing the game of politics in the office. Plus to say something after we already discussed the news of 1 person shot and killed (all that had filtered out to the media on Monday Morning) in Virginia.

Not sure I feel better, but at least it is off my chest.

Here's to hoping that Tuesday is a much better day!

Photo of the Day

Now there is a nice photo that does not look pixelated!

I have been thinking about all my flower photos and hope to pull out my favorites and start posting them here. I would be interested to see what others think of my favorite flower photos.

Inspiration

We all love a little inspiration, and i just found this new blog that might help elevate my photography a little bit. If not, I will at least be learning something new every day.

It is called: Daily Tips To Improve Your Photography and it is right on blogspot.
http://dailyphototips.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Photo of the Day

Ugh! I guess Kodak gallery is not the place to go to post photos. What a huge disappointment as I was trying them out - new photo cards, small albums and stickers. Yes, I love paper!

Oh well. Now I know!

Sunday

I should be working, but I find that if I do not get an early start then the procrastinator in me kicks in and it is slow to get to work. I thought I would snoop around the web (surprise, surprise) and look for some other interesting websites. I just stumbled across another website I am interested in and wanted to update my links.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

My heart hurts...

life has been extremely busy and the relaxing day I was supposed to have today turned into a day full of little annoying things that have built up into a large heart ache. Perhaps I have been listening too much to "The Last Kiss" soundtrack, but I really do like it and thought it would help me unwind before crashing in the bed tonight.

Last night was not a good night for sleeping. Tomorrow I have a ton of work to do but we will see if I will be able to sit down and get to work or if I will be distracted. ugh!

I hope everyone else is doing well today, tomorrow, this weekend!

Sweet dreams everyone. Perhaps I will post a photo tomorrow as I have been slacking recently.

Photo of the Day

Yesterday was a great day to get out and drive around. We headed east to Sacramento to see something new.

Here is my photo of the week.

Enjoy!

What Will Matter by: Michael Josephson

- Founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

This month is flying by....

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be the 15th of the month. Where has the time gone?

I have been working an insane amount of hours at my job, so last week was just a blur. Between my job and a class to broaden my mind on a Saturday morning, I was just about at the end of my rope on Sunday. Luckily I had some time during work yesterday to get out into the beautiful sunshine and run a few errands in town after lunch. Yes, I do have a day job. However I have seen many others 'run into town' whether it be on lunch break or not so I realized it was up to me to take back some of my time and not live like a crazy person. It was so nice working 9-6 yesterday with some outdoor time.

I do hope today is another relaxing (if that ever is a word that can be associated with work) day.

On other creative news, I am beginning to day dream about my portfolio. It is time to start picking my favorites and putting them in one location. I might even use some of the photos posted here to jump start my favorites club. Perhaps I will start posting my favs here and see what the world thinks.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Photo of the Day

I thought perhaps people suffering through a crazy end of the winter would like to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Soon tulips will be blooming and spring will pop up everywhere. Granted, I have the luxury of seeing spring earlier than most, but I thought I would share this happy photo with everyone!

Enjoy!

secrets

I have a secret - someone close to me does not know I do this. However I may have been caught.

Ugh!

Another tidbit that I really need to think about

As I have mentioned in the past, I really like reading through blogs and catching up on the lives of people I do not even know. Perhaps I should start blogging about cool, random things in my own life so I can be wrapped up in the here and now of my life rather than the latest news of others. Anyway....

I was reading through a blog and stumbled across something that struck a chord with me. This tidbit came from http://opensourcephoto.blogspot.com/


"He told me a story about how someone could go about defeating a lion. He said all you need is a chair and a whip...because when you hold the chair up and point it towards the lion the lion can't focus on what's attacking it because it sees the four legs of the chair and it gets paralyzed. The lion can't focus and can then be defeated.

Many of you have heard my " Get FREE" talk and you know that the first thing we must do in order to be successful in anything is to FOCUS our attention, our energy, and our emotions and not become distracted and paralyzed by all the possible opportunities.

What are you going to focus on today? ...and what are you going to give to give up in order to do that?"

I find myself thinking about all the options, to the point where I will obsess over them and not make a decision. This is something I know I should fix, or do something about, but my inability to make a decision leaves me paralyzed.

Perhaps while I slumber tonight, something will come to me - either an idea or will power to try and make things different.

Another view

Well, another shot from that wonderful warm day in San Francisco at Pier 39. Of course I used some photoshop actions to beautify this photo. I really do want to learn how to use photoshop and get the best photographs I can from my images. Perhaps it is time to sit down and go back through a few lessons I received to help me become familiar with the program. However, the moment that I learn CS2, the newest version will be out of beta testing and people will be using that software. Ah, the addiction of a hobby and trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.

Purchasing a new lens has been a back and forth exercise for me so it will take me awhile before I upgrade on photoshop.

Enjoy!

Music, Music, and more Music

I am currently ripping a bunch of CDs into iTunes. Why I didn't do it while I was unemployed? I have absolutely no idea. Crazy! I was digging around looking for a few Beck CDs that I have to make a few copies for a friend at work but I cannot find them. I have found a large stack of music that has not been imported into iTunes. I guess having an older iPod - the mini to be precise, has not forced me into getting all the music into iTunes.

Tonight before turning in I should back up all the music and the photos so if the computer decides to bite the dust, have a hiccup, or cannibalize itself, I will not loose all of my time!

So, what is your favorite band or favorite CD?

Photo of the Day

While I had other things on my "must photograph" list today, this is one of those moments that I knew that I had to take this photograph. I just love it! This crab sculpture is at the entrance to the famous Pier 39. Today, there was a You Tube convention milling around at this location while others were there to take in the warm, beautiful day at the Pier. Plus, who would have thought about having Tulipmania in February as other places in the US are under a deep freeze or digging out from the snow and ice that blasted through the Midwest and East.

I really do hope that I was not captured on any videos for You Tube as I had a messy run in with cajun shrimp bucket at Bubba Gump's this afternoon. It first started with a little drip on my purple shirt. I was hoping it would come out. However, after a struggle to peel the shrimp, I was splattered with cajun shrimp drippings all over my shirt. I would have laughed harder if the spicy dripping didn't land in my eye. Some day I will look back at the mess and laugh, but having to walk around with a messy shirt was not my idea of a great day out.

We did make it north to Point Bonita Lighthouse. The fog was threatening to blow in before we had a chance to cross the bridge, so we will have to go back to cross the bridge.

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love the fact that I am so past the point of wanting to go out for a fancy dinner on Valentine's Day! I can still hear the vivid description a former coworker gave about her horrible dinner at a really expensive place in town. Long story short, the food was so-so, the service was pushy, as in pushing you out the door so they could seat the next set of lovebirds, and it was so noisy! I can also hear another friend telling me about how stressful her evening was because she left work late, stuck in traffic, barely had time to shower, to get to the restaurant, to eat food that she really didn't want to eat because it was so important to her boyfriend!

However, some people really like the idea of going out for dinner to a nice restaurant on Valentine's day. If that is your thing, I do hope you had a wonderful day/evening/ meal/ flowers/ candy/ etc.

I am all about chocolate, so I threw out the idea of Chocolate Week at work. So next week it will be chocolate treats every day. I cannot wait! I might even look up some chocolate trivia for each day just to keep us enjoying that chocolate high!

Happy Day to Everyone!

We all could use a little advice...

A good friend of mine has been a great resource for me. She is always willing to listen and ask great questions to help you process whatever is on your mind or troubling you. I thought it was time to give her website a SHOUT OUT as it is a great site for some fun information.

Sometimes you need just some general life lessons as we navigate this great journey.

So go check out:

http://www.kristingraham.com/index.htm

and drop her an email if there is some Life Basic 101 topic that you are interested in hearing about, or something you have to share.

Self Confidence

Nothing quite like hearing "From the moment I met X, I knew I liked him. That isn't to say that we didn't like you." Obviously it has taken some time for people to get to know me and warm up to me. The crazy thing is I feel as if my job is on the line every week and the more mistakes I make the closer I move to being let go. So I try to do even more work than I can do, bring work home while X tells me to "Go home. the work will still be here tomorrow." Sure, X, you have not had the pressure of getting as much done or you know how to not let it affect you.

What it really comes down to - I am a people pleaser. I wish I could just do things for myself that make me happy (without being cruel to others) and not get so caught up in how will people like me? Do they like me? Do I fit in?

It is just a job that I am learning about, gaining experience and self confidence. Yet I get so worried about how I am doing compared to others. Will the boss like me? I get a sinking feeling every time I hear the "Can I speak with you?" Why is that? Fear of failure? Who knows?

I just wish my A game was better.

One quick photo - as I need to get my mind in a peaceful place

January 2007 photo of Stinson beach and the cool cloud reflection.

Work - it can be a killer on your personal life

I am currently struggling finding a nice balance between work, home, and fun. And as everyone in the rat race knows - there isn't a balance since most people spend over 40+hours a week at work. Add to that total the commuting time and getting ready for work (guys have it so easy) and that is a large chunk of the day. Then running around on the weekends with everyone else in a major city trying to get your errands done as well as head some where cool to catch something fun is always a race.

Currently I have a mountain of work to do before crashing, yet I had to cook dinner and clean up before I could get started on work. I do better if I have more sleep, but I also need to clean up tonight as I didn't do it on the weekend.

For me, every week is something crazy happening in my life. Today - server crash at work. How am I supposed to get the information I need to chat with my clients if the server is down. Plus the temporary fix is even slower than the slow server we have.

I stress out about my job because I fear I will loose it, yet several people are telling me that it is ok if I do not get it all done. The work will be there tomorrow. "If you get all the work done, the boss will just give you more work to do." Uh, isn't that the point (to some degree)?

CRACK - back to work with me.

Photo of the Day

The colors and the grain really draw me in to this photograph. Enjoy!

The Plan

Some time last week I decided it was time to get serious about one of my dreams - being a photographer. If this is something I really want to do, then I need to write up a business plan. I figured this would be the best first step in moving toward a photography business and a way for me to prepare as an entrepreneur.

In the next few weeks I hope to come up with a rough outline for my photography business. Plus it gives me a great excuse to surf the web looking for other fabulous photography sites while I gather information. I also need to come up with a company name as the most obvious one is already taken by a couple in Texas.

Fun photo for the day

Sunrise from the balcony a few months ago! Now that the sun is rising before I leave for work, I do hope to get a few more great shots! Enjoy!

New Beginnings

Beginning... lots of ideas come to mind with the word beginnings. The past two months I have had a lot of new things happening into my life and I find myself daydreaming about another new beginning.

Motivation and Inspiration

Today was one of those days that I woke up thinking about my future and what few things I would like to accomplish with the year. No, not a new year's resolution, but just thinking proactive about the year and my dreams. My mom always said, "if you are going to dream, dream BIG!"

Of course with today being a big day to celebrate and all, I found my mailbox full of great inspiration in the form of funny birthday cards and great little article clips. I thought this would be a great place to post those motivational pieces as they might help motivate someone else or will serve as a place for me to go back and refresh my memory.

“Growth is exciting; growth is dynamic and alarming. Growth of the soul, growth of the mind.” – Vita Sackville-West

“A lot of people will try to talk you out of pursuing your dream. The world has too many people who are happy to discuss why something might not work, and too few who will cheer you on and say, ‘I’m there for you.’ The more time you spend navel-gazing, the longer you give those negative gravitational forces to keep you in their tether…. If there is something out there that you want to do…don’t focus on the obstacles. Don’t ask for permission. Just dive in.”
- John Wood

“Behind all this, some great happiness is hiding.” Yehuda Amichai

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

What a crazy day! I guess I should have known that recovering from some weird stomach bug for the past week, I would be a mad woman trying to get some things done around the house.

I woke up early to head to the story and do the grocery shopping. Since starting the new job, grocery shopping is not my duty (which I really like). However I decided to cook a few meals today so that we can eat this week with my not having to stand at the stove after a long day (and commute) of work. After putting away the groceries I started in on the Tortilla Soup, Curried Peas and Rice and a Frittata for my breakfast for the week. I also grilled up a large chicken breast for a Pasta, Red Pepper and Chicken dinner. I ended up freezing the soup since I figured we would have that later in the week. After doing all of that in the kitchen (for hours) I had to tackle some piles of papers that need to be sorted. Ugh! I also dusted and vacuumed the den/second bedroom. Now I think I shall get in the shower.

I am a bit bummed as I did not take a single photo for the International Shoot All Day competition sponsored by Popular Photography. The idea is to shoot a photo every 5 minutes for the entire day. This exercise should help expand your photography skills as every shoot will not be the perfect light/ perfect location/ perfect setup. I did not even take a shot. Bummer. I guess I will have to go on my own photo safari around the city soon to brush up on my hobby!

Happy Sunday! May this next week be a great week for everyone!

101 things in 1001 days

I stumbled across this idea recently while surfing a lot of blogs. The idea is great - list 101 things you would like to do in 1001 days. A quick Google search will bring up lots of pages and ideas of things to add to a list like this. People have posted their lists, then blogged about when they actually accomplished the task.

While I have not even started a list, I thought I might use the blog as a place to help me brainstorm ideas. Perhaps #1 on the list should be writing the list.

So, what would be on your list?

Where as the month gone?

Time is just zipping on by and every time I think things might settle down and get into a routine, things get crazy and give no signs of slowing down. However, my body decided it needed to slow down and fight a bug that has been going around at work. While fighting this bug off and on the past couple of days, I decided that I just needed to sit down and relax. The new job will be there when I get back. Plus I have been working crazy hours and will work crazy hours next week, so why worry about it now?

I wanted to give a shout out to a new blog I found. Joe Photo has been blogging for awhile and just opened up his blog to others to check out. He is a very giving and inspiring person (from the little that I have read on his blog).

Go check it out! http://www.cupofjoephoto.com/

I found this quote on his blog today and thought I would post it here. Every now and again I have to step back and look at the bigger picture.

"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections"

Happy New Year - 2007!

What a crazy few weeks I have had! I started a new job three weeks ago and have had a crazy ride during the new job. Today before jumping in the shower I realized t hat 2007 will be a big year for me. I believe 2007 will be a tough year for me. I hope to take some time and focus some time on myself; put myself first. That itself will be a tough act to follow as I am such a giving person and rarely put myself and feelings first.

This new job will be a tough part of the year for me too. I have some conflicted feelings about the new job, but I am sure some of the feelings I am having would be related to any job I do. So, I just need to take a deep breath and do the best I can do every day.

Happy New Year to everyone! May 2007 be a wonderful year for each and everyone!