• architecture,  Art,  Art/Design,  quotes,  shadows,  window

    Morning shadows

    Early morning shadows last week in my living room

    “Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” Parker Palmer

    Good morning. We have overcast skies and a strong wind blowing from the north, gusting to 31 mph. So, it’s a hold on to your hat kind of day. My Gortex jacket sure didn’t keep the cold wind out on my walk to the coffee shop. But, then that makes me walk faster, the coffee or tea really hit the spot and my barista’s  smile seem warmer. Have a great day, my friends! 

  • architecture,  Black and White,  Documentary/Street,  lifestyles,  window

    A Common Scene

    Student life at Lory Student Center

    It was snowing when I took this image at the Legacy Lounge in the Lory Student Center last week. You couldn’t see the mountains but today we have have clear skies and it is now 54 degrees. That’s warm to most of us this time of the year. But, that will change tonight as a front moves in and we get another 1-2 inches tonight and tomorrow. This student had his laptop open but he was looking at his smartphone. A common scene nowadays. 

  • gratitude,  lifestyles,  window,  writing/reading

    A bit of gratitude

    Window light in my bedroom

    “Let’s work to enjoy every sunrise and every sunset to the maximum degree possible, soaking it all in, mindfully.” Beth Frates

    I believe each day is a chance for gratitude, not that I do that each morning. It’s progress I’m after. This morning started out with a red sky in the east but has been cold and overcast with a chance of snow. So that red sky offered a moment of gratitude. I am also grateful for this small little condo I have. It is a cozy one bedroom, one bath place of about 760 square feet. It’s just right for a slothful bachelor to keep “sorta” clean. I am grateful for the wicker rocker I’m sitting in that looks out from my bedroom bay window. This window faces south/southeast so with morning sun coming in I have a place for quiet time in the sun. Yes, feeling some gratitude this morning. Stay warm!

  • architecture,  Black and White,  window

    Winter means…

    The inviting morning light.

    “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet

    Winter means more time indoors. Winter time means longer shadows. Winter means more crockpots of hot soup. Winter means dressing warmer for the bus stop and morning walks. Winter means crawling between the sheets at night with cold feet. Winter means reading more books. There are more but…

  • architecture,  Cityscapes/Urban,  lifestyles,  window

    An evening in Old Town

     

    The lights of Old Town bring people together in one of the restaurants

    Took the bus to Old Town the other night and walked around with my camera. This is not all that sharp as I was hand holding it. You can see on the left side of the image how the lights are lit up in town. I will try and take a few images of the lights during this Christmas season. It was a bit on the cold side and thus the reason no one was sitting outside and I’ll blame that for the blurr, also.

  • musings,  window

    My Mind Can Wander

    A refreshing rain began falling yesterday morning just as I was leaving a local coffee shop. When I pulled up in my condo it was pouring, so I sat in my car to wait out the rain. I found it peaceful for the next 10 minutes. As I sat there my mind wandered back to the coffee shop I had just left and to one of the regular customers there. 

    He sits at the same table almost 6 days a week from 7:00-10:00 am, reading one of the larger national newspapers, from front to back, and sipping on a large iced tea. Of course he is known by both the baristas and the customers. The other regulars will keep the table reserved for him in case he’s late and he has conversations with other customers on a regular basis. My wandering mind was thinking about how differently we spend our time in the coffee shop, and I imagine that’s true outside the coffee shop. I prefer spending my coffee shop time visiting with a friend, reading an uplifting book, writing in my journal,  and fighting the battle to spend as little time on the internet as possible but I almost never read the newspaper. I would rather fill my mind with positive images and thoughts, which is an unreachable ideal. A smile came across my face and I laughed at myself because my idea of coffee shop time would bore him, and probably many others, into a glazed-over-stupor. As I thought about it more, he’d also be bored sitting in my car listening and watching the rain. Sheesh, can my mind wander and not just when it’s raining! 🙂

  • shadows,  sunrises,  window

    Color and Vibrancy

    The new vision, since the cataract surgery, is amazing. I now see 20/20 out of both eyes. I do need reading glasses but those are cheap and found almost everywhere. The color difference, the brightness and clarity of the simple everyday things have just been life changing. I became aware a couple years ago of how my condo seemed to not be as bright and airy to as in the past. Now I understand it’s because my sight was deteriorating due to the on coming cataracts. The light of morning sunshine has more color and vibrancy. Enjoy the coming week!