• haiku,  Humor,  journal,  journaling,  musings,  writing/reading

    Morning Musings

    blue pen, blue ink
    words fill pages of journal
    morning musings

    mws

    Welp! Yesterday was Friday the 14th with a touch of Friday the 13th in it. Let me explain. The coffee shop I wanted to go to was not open when I arrived at 7:00 am so I went down the street to one that was open. When I arrived at the second coffee shop I noticed I’d forgotten my Fitbit/watch. No problem. When I got home I noticed I’d left my phone at the coffee shop. No problem. Later in the afternoon I stopped to look at one of the new e-bikes, that’s in my price range. Bending down to look at the belt drive I bumped my head on their rack. Hurt like hell! I cursed profusely! Began bleeding so I went to the ER to have it looked at and because I’m new to this blood thinner stuff. Now we have a problem. I had to have staples put in my noggin and a tetanus shot. Will have the staples removed in 5 days. I then stopped and got a DQ blizzard on the way home for any pain I may have. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I then stayed on my porch the rest of the day and kept all sharp objects at a distance. I took a shower this morning, gently washed my hair and then gently combed my hair. Will need to watch that for the next few days. Put on a crockpot of vegetable soup and will enjoy that later today. Hope you enjoy your day!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  Humor,  latte art

    Wiser and Handsomer

    Made a visit to the Bean Cycle coffee shop this morning. I am not sure the last time I was there but it has been a long time. I patronize a couple other coffee shops that have a more appealing ambiance and are less expensive. However, I felt at home when I walked in and was greeted by a barista I did not know. Always good to meet a new face. She did a good job with my mocha.

    Today I add another number to my accumulations of birthdays, which means I probably am getting wiser and handsomer. 😂 On a serious note, I awoke after a good night’s sleep, had quiet time then the visit to the coffee shop. I will have Thai lunch with my youngest daughter (maybe both of them) later today. Hope you have a great day!

  • clouds,  Humor,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  Photography,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area

    I’ve read where we should never place the subject in the middle of an image because placing the subjects off-center yields a stronger, more natural-looking composition and allows us to make creative use of negative space. Well I do did will break that composition rule technique. I’ve also read that we should not should on ourselves, so I suppose I should stop that.

    The top image is predawn light over Dixon Reservoir taken at 5:49 am and the second image was taken seven minutes later at 5:56 am about 40 feet from the first one. Again, showing us how nature continuously creates. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  • Art,  latte art,  poetry,  writing/reading

    The Gift of a Smile

    Made a trip to the coffee shop this morning for
    a much needed dose of medicine in my recovery

    I was greeted with the beautiful smiles
    of Logan and Nate, over two weeks without them

    Nate brings me this cortado with his special touch,
    a cute pigs face made of frothy milk, now I smile

    Soft music lets the din of people’s conversations to dominate
    comforting me with voices and smiles from people I do not know

    I watch as a woman, pregnant with child, sits at a nearby table,
    reading her book with a cup of coffee, its steam rising in the sunlight

    I journal from my favorite chair where the sun warms me,
    these sacred moments somehow bring comfort and serenity

    So this morning I accepted the gift of a smile from my baristas
    holding their smile within me and offering the gift of my own smile

    Yes, the gift of a smile…

    mws

    PS: Sorry for the poor depth of field in the image.

  • clouds,  Humor,  quotes,  sunrises

    Wearing socks tonight…

    Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.
    Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

    The red sky as I left my condo this morning reminds me of the above ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners. Clouds have moved in, temperatures are dropping and snow expected to start about 9:00 pm. May see 3-8 inches and probably wearing socks tonight to bed.

  • Camera Equipment,  fountain pens,  Humor,  journal,  quotes,  writing/reading

    Take off the cap…

    Generally speaking, I’m not one to advocate photographic rules, but I do think it helps to take off the lens cap.

    Catherine Jo Morgan

    The above image says a lot about my life/lifestyle. I use both a camera and a journal to record what I see and what I experience around me. I have carried both for many years on a daily basis. I enjoy the feel of both when they are in my hands. Both are an art form and require some skill in using them. We only get better when we practice them regularly. I thought the above quote was comical and is true for both the camera and the fountain pen. 😂

  • Holidays,  Humor

    Celebrate!

    When I was younger we would always have homemade ice cream on July 4th. So, I decided it would be good to have a DQ Blizzard. Dang, they were closed. I immediately took tail spin into anxiety. In a moment of clarity I drove to Coldstones and bought the Founders Favorite. After a few minutes the anxiety receded, I got my ice cream fix, sanity returned and no one got hurt. Whew!

    Heard someone say they wish we’d change this day from independence day to interdependence day. Seems we need more of that in the world. Menu today calls for jalapeño cheddar sausages and potatoe salad. Have a great day!