TheMAN is a HUGE fan of succulents.
So, this little garden full of them, was a real treat for him. I could almost see the wheels turning when he laid eyes on it.
Archives for January 2016
All Buttoned-Up
The feeling of accomplishment you get when you finally have something all “buttoned-up” is empowering.
At least, that is what I hear.
Lately, it seems like I have enumerable unfinished tasks to attend to. It sometimes feels overwhelming — especially when I am faced with the unfinished business several times a day.
Take my inversion table, for example. Although I love the feeling of release it provides, I haven’t used it in some time now. I decided that I wanted to sell it, given it takes up a good deal of my family room and I now have a yoga sling to provide me with the same relief. After toying with the idea for months, I finally go the equipment moved to the garage. I took pictures of it, and even posted to FB. I got a nibble, but when my follow up went nowhere, I got discouraged. It all stopped there.
Now, the inversion table takes up room in my garage (instead of my living room) — reminding me that I need to get serious about selling it and post some place where I can stir up more interest.
Juxtaposed
As is usually the case, the return to work set alongside the fabulously freezing trip to Yosemite was striking. The juxtaposition of the two was not as extreme as the juxtaposition of me doing Bakasana (Crow Pose) on the edge of Half Dome and certainly not as fun playing around with the app that allowed me to “pull off such an impossible task”. It was enough to make me want to go back…soon.
Michael Frye, one of my favorite landscape photographers/bloggers recently provided a nice update on the forecasted conditions of the famed Horsetail Falls. Minutes after reading his post, I was on the Yosemite website looking for lodging over the timeframe where the falls will be lit up (fire-like) by the setting sun. This magic happens once a year and is quite spectacular. Years back, theMAN, YaYa and I tried to photograph the wonderful event — but the low rainfall that winter made the event not as captivating as it could have been. Since El Niño has been showering us with rain, there is a good chance that we will have a nice flow of water falling for the setting sun to light up.
The only other factor would be if I can drive up there safely, as theMAN is not as keen on making this trip as I am.
My Little Word (2016)
Those of you who don’t follow me on both of my blogs, probably have no idea of the physical struggles I continue to go through. Though nothing compared to the vicodin-popping, daily icing year of 3 cortisone injections (2013), my daily yoga practice is an essential part of my life. Even with that, I am forced to dish out the $ for bodywork (massage and chiropractic adjustments) on a regular basis. Thankfully, the regularity of my visit requirements has significantly decreased.
This past week, I saw my chiropractor. Dr. P (or “Brant”) is not only skilled and passionate about his work, he is one of the coolest guys you’ll meet. While he was putting my spine and pelvis back in alignment with each other (they have a tendency to go in different directions lately), he asked me if I had a word of the year. I paused — before responding.
If you can remember a few years back, I used to do a my-little-word thing EVERY year. My-little-word phased out about the time my regular blogging phased out. Subsequently, my year-in-review also went away. It’s tough to review without a year of posts to look back and see where you have been.
Yet, I hesitated in choosing a word for 2016. In past years, I have chosen words like “focus”, “health”, “balance” and “patience” and found the year that followed was particularly challenged in respect to my chosen word. Hence, I am not sure I want to commit to year of having my chosen word challenged so-to-speak.
The thing is, simply the question “Do you have a word for 2016?” has prompted words to surface for me. I’ve changed the question to “IF you were to choose a word for 2016, what would that word be?” IF seems safer — though I sure it’s all the same.
Do any of you choose words for the coming year? What has been your experience/observation in doing so?
Mr & Mrs BOP
My photography skills have been slow to develop. When I 1st took on the Daily Photo Project (2010), I got really creative in my picture taking. Back then, I remember having a number of photos to choose from for my daily posts. These days, I’m lucky to have one worth posting. 
Therefore, with photos that I am not all that excited about, there isn’t much in the way of creative writing happening either.
But I am not giving up. I hope that you won’t either.
This Bird of Paradise is blooming in front of the house next door. They are miniature BOPs, I am told. They are pretty big and colorful either way.
Now, I don’t know these neighbors too well; they are pretty keep-to-themself people. But I know the neighbors, in all of the houses all the way to the corner, on the other side of me. They told me that they will be putting their house on the market soon. The Missus has lived here for 40 years and doesn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to do things that we don’t want to do. I hope Mr & Mrs BOP will find happiness in their new home too.