Month: September 2020
WordlessWednesday 9/23/2020
Lens-Artists Challenge #115-Inspiration 9/23/2020
I am so lucky, so blessed, to be inspired, energized, and moved to gratitude by so little.
Oh it’s not that I don’t love witnessing grandeur. The Redwood Forests, Grand Canyon, the Mighty Mississippi, and a sunrise in Fiji, all moved me to tears.
And it’s not that I always remember to look for inspiration in the really small or mundane things.
But when I need inspiration, It shows up for me in amazing ways….
Like the sunset last night…first time I’d seen the smoke-hidden city and the Olympics in 10 days. Inspired me to keep holding on…
And these lovely, end of season flowers have been such a joy. I can only have flowers in my house in one location, the bathroom. My otherwise, well-behaved cats insist on dumping vases, just for fun, and the bathroom is off limits to them, because they also climb shower curtains!
My junior high school boyfriend, and his son, paid me a visit a few weeks ago from clear across the U.S. We’ve stayed in touch all these years, which inspires me to value shared history, and to refuse any limiting definition of “friendship” .
Spotting this lovely on my car inspired me to consider deeply, the hand-painted beauty of Nature!
This, in my yard…
And these at the local Farmer’s Market yesterday, inspired me to eat healthy, even though otherwise disgusting treats are extra tempting during this Covid Lockdown time!
Speaking of produce…this guy moved me to a huge Belly Laugh! At first I saw a large- nosed cyclops with a tail. But then I realized the tail was an arm…still on a big-nosed cyclops.
During our 8 or 9 days of Smoke-from-Hell, due to West and Northwest Coast fires, I had to be doubly sequestered…behind drawn shades, closed curtains, air purifiers blasting 24/7, and no daylight. So seeing the return of our usual beautiful blue skies was more than inspiring. It gave me the determination to hang on.
This morning in my unused office-group therapy room, I spotted this plant. At first, I thought “tears”…but then realized it could mean “abundance” (of water).
This one, you may have to think about for a minute, but seeing the two things side by side inspired me to remember…everything is relative, and I can choose different perspectives on things as time passes. (Forgive my rare derogatory, political comment, but seriously, have you ever seen a more condescending smile???)
Seeing that last one, I am moved, energized and inspired to encourage everyone I cross paths with to VOTE!!!
https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2020/09/19/lens-artists-challenge-115-inspiration/Du
CFFC; All about Buildings-Colorful Buildings
This is called The Flower House, located in West Seattle on Alki Beach.
Truly an amazing, colorful building!
More RANTING!!
No idea if I did this right. Hate the forced WordPress changes! Photo color all washed out.
Cee, let me know if I successfully connected to your challenge.
Sigh. (If only this were the Biggest issue right now…)
Frustrating Friday
I am a bad blogger.
I don’t actually know what it means to have 568 “followers”…the whole concept of anyone following what I write is crazy to me.
But in case any of you have wondered why I disappeared, other than the fact that on top of the pandemic’s effects, I have been in an even harder Lockdown due to the fact that right outside my doors and windows, is AIR that I cannot, should not breathe!!
You would think that would give me even more blogging time, right? I was on such a “fight the pandemic” roll, posting all these wonderful “Spirit Lifters”. That was good for me because I was searching every day for positive reminders of the good in life. And I hoped it was also good for anyone who happened to be reading my Blog.
But then WordPress broke my Blog.
I have no idea where my photos have gone. I stumbled across them accidentally for my 9/11 post but now they are nowhere to be found. And even for that post, I couldn’t do a Featured Photo.
And don’t tell me to get “help”. I have tried that 5 or 6 times now.
WordPress “Happy Folks” (or whatever they’re called) don’t speak Elder-English.
I feel like that person who finally learned to drive a car, but with an automatic transition, and then finds themselves in a stick shift vehicle with no instructions…
Right now as I type there are 7 repeated “commands” on my page here: what the “f” does “start writing or type / to choose a block” even mean?? How would I write as opposed to typing??? What the hell is a “block”? How or why would I choose one?
Huh???
Please don’t feel compelled to send me a bunch of solutions. I’m not asking for help.
I’m just fussing for now.
I will ask when I am ready….but you will have to be over 70 years old to volunteer answers, and you will need to be in (or have retired from) a profession that does not involve computers at all.
If you have had your blog broken also, and fit the above qualifications, we might speak the same language and I might actually trust your answers.
Sorry there are no photos to make this post more interesting…
There. Rant complete.
Comments appreciated!
19 Years ago today…again
The Northwest is on fire today, as is California. So more than ever I want to acknowledge our Fire Fighters!
This is the letter I sent to my local Fire Chief today!
You all are my Heroes, although today, I think a better word might be “Warriors”.
Ever since the morning of September 12th, 2001, I have felt absolutely compelled and inspired to somehow recognize and thank you all for your chosen noble profession, and to express deep sympathy and empathy for the loss of your fallen brothers and sisters on that horrific day back in 2001.
It was a pitiful acknowledgment 19 years ago, but all I could think of to do was to bake you some of my Gramma’s chocolate chip cookies. So, I did, and took them to all my closest stations. And the next year, I was joined by neighbors, and the next, by Mom’s who wanted to teach their children the importance of our local heroes, our fire fighters and EMT’s, and then the next year and the next, etc.
Over the years, we got up 39 Moms and their kids, 53 dozen cookies, handmade thank you cards and notes, even a mixed CD with 9/11 Hero Music, all delivered 12 or 13 Fire Houses. Eventually we reached most Bellevue houses and some neighboring ones too.
No surprise, we were greeted with gracious tours for the kids at each house. (I have to insert here, that by about 2009, we had several young single women participating with us, no doubt because the word had gone out there must be some kind of Super-Hunk requirement to work for the Bellevue Fire Department! 😉)
Anyway, this year I can’t bake cookies but more than ever, I want to honor this 9/11 anniversary, and to say thank you so much for what you do. For months and months, tirelessly helping us all during this horrible pandemic, and now, these relentless fires, and their life-changing smoke.
I know today, your hearts and thoughts must be with your brothers and sisters who are fighting so hard right now, all over our beautiful Northwest. I know I’m not alone in this but mine are with you too.
Love and gratitude to you all,
Kathie
Thank a First Responder today
