of Hope
Let’s start anew! After 3 years and 10 months of being on this blog, and while suffering from COVID-itis (also known as having extra time and trying to make good use of it), I’ve decided… WHAT THE HECK, let’s go back to the beginning. Something I’ve realized is that our stories get old. They become […]
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It’s official. The world revolves. Or is it evolves? For the last four and one-half months, I can literally use my fingers to count the number of times I’ve left the house to do something fun, interesting, or worthwhile. It wasn’t until the past month or so that the situation started to affect my mental […]
Read MoreIt is DAY ONE here at Out of the Ashes, a brand new collaboration in it’s infancy stage, and we welcome you to come and follow us along. Life is full of “new beginnings,” and many of our contributors have been there—oftentimes more than once. With our combined talent, creativity, knowledge and experience we hope […] […]
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Image by Patou Ricard from Pixabay I’ve been hemming and hawing for weeks (or months), the pendulum swaying back and forth; from feeling as though it’s my responsibility (as a human being) to talk (or keep talking) about current events—to the polar opposite—thinking that it’s the last thing I should even consider. It’s been harder […]
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Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Japanese proverb My new laptop is working great, but the screen is VERY small. My little old eyes (that need cheater glasses) were not too thrilled with the size. So… I decided to get creative, and I’m using an old television as a […]
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I started working on this image during my “time out” yesterday. I feel wonderful today, and very well rested. The beach scene is not quite where I wanted it to be, but it will have to do. For now. Striving for perfection is exhausting, so it’s “good enough.” I’ve come to the conclusion that—even with […]
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Is anyone else asking this question lately? The featured image here is pretty significant, as it struck me in several ways. First, I took the photograph several years ago and—until yesterday—never even knew that the Santa Monica Pier is literally the end of the famous (or maybe not so famous) Route 66. The historic route […]
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And more thoughts! This morning I woke up tired of thinking. That doesn’t happen very often. In the short time I’ve been awake, I felt droopy, slightly discouraged, and have been questioning some of my own ideas. And then I stumbled on this image and thought that maybe I just need to change the way […]
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The shy and the extroverted have this in common—that they both fancy they are the center of attention. Robert Breault I think that quote is excellent. In Developmental Psychology we learned about the imaginary audience in adolescence, which is the belief that others are acutely aware of and attentive to one’s appearance and behavior. This […]
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Let the fire inside you burn. I’m having a fun time with this new series. The possibilities are endless, and I think of new things every day. I’ve recycled some older pieces for today’s Everything Red. The red abstract is from many moons ago, and the shadowy aesthete is my youngest son—posing in a photo I […]
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Sometimes a dramatic rescue is a simple act of showing up. This piece is all about Gil. I think of him when I see red, especially if it’s an emergency vehicle. He’s the kind of person that just shows up. I’m extremely grateful for his friendship, ear, wisdom, and his extraordinary ability to point people […]
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The authentic self is the soul made visible…
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An old story and some thoughts about “trust.”
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I’ve had some cool insights and exciting ideas while thinking about the Alphabet Game, and I must say that the letter “P” has been one of the most enlightening thus far. BUT… I have to back up and talk about the “M” word first… Memories. I realize now that some things really ARE worth forgetting—mainly […]
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This Alphabet Game is great because it prompts me to explore words. Words link to other words and—as I follow the trail—ideas literally spell themselves out. I thought it would be fun to share my journey through the letter “J” today. While exploring Joy—the first “J” word that came to mind—I found that one of […]
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Happiness. What a great word. I perused the web to see what people had to say about the “Keys to Happiness.” It was an interesting experiment, because everyone had different opinions. People have their own ideas about what makes them happy, or what happiness even means. That being said, I decided it would be fun […]
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D is for Dreams Everyone knows what dreams are, but I wanted to find a more personal way to describe them. Not the dreams we have when we’re asleep; the dreams we dream when we’re awake. I poked around google and found exactly what I was searching for: A synonym for dream is HOPE.
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“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” Guillaume Apollinaire I’m on the letter “C” today and this quote is perfect. I’m starting with a word that I’m not necessarily a fan of, but I won’t make a habit of that. Contradiction: a combination of statements, ideas, […]
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This morning I drove into Pasadena. It wasn’t a major excursion, but it was in the opposite direction of where I normally travel and everything was unfamiliar. I wish I had taken my camera. It’s the perfect place for street photography, but it was just TOO hot! I wanted to get in—and get out. I […]
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The path is twisted, But there’s a cross, in the light, Guiding my footsteps. And an update for the road— My summer break is coming to an end. School starts Monday, and my bag is already packed. It’s been an interesting season, and I’m glad I took the time to refresh and recharge.
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I think the definition of artist is a bit enigmatic. I’ve never called myself an artist. I’ve said things like “this is some art I created,” or “I love to create art,” but that’s as far as it goes. I think the first explanation that pops into my head is the fact that I don’t […]
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Chaotic workday— a scuffle with friends, Five o’clock traffic— the stress never ends, Pressure to do well— fearing failure, too, Stuck in a pattern— afraid of what’s new, Plan for retirement— look forward to rest, Where children once played— is now empty nest, Dating disasters— a marriage from hell, Lack of investments— there’s nothing to […]
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Boardwalk Reflections…
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The Journey Continues… It’s been awhile since I’ve updated my journal. On the one hand, it means that nothing exciting (or newsworthy) has been going on. On the other hand—and more importantly—the old idiom rings true: No news is good news. Today marks 1,229 days of sobriety… so that’s good news!
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RDP Thursday: Nurture verb: care for and encourage the growth or development of. noun: the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something. My featured image is kind of random! I did so many assignments in the past semester that the rebel in me has been fighting to break […]
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I finally got around to deleting my calendar that was counting down the days to my 3 year sober anniversary. It’s about time, since the date flew by almost three months ago!
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