February 22, 2014 Photo (053/365): "Wood"
"Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove, That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, woods, or steepy mountain yields." - Christopher Marlowe
"Life grows lovely where you are." ~ Mathilde Blind
Wishes for the happy couple wafting into the February night. Congratulations Shannon & Michael!
February 21, 2014 Photo: "Indulgence"
"Every once and a while, a girl has to indulge herself." - Sarah Jessica Parker
Coffee by the fire, a morning at the salon, shopping and lunch with a friend...It's amazing how a fresh haircut, a manicure, a new lip gloss, and a little something sweet can recharge your spirit! Ah, just what I needed :)
February 20, 2014 Photo (051/365): "Thunder Snow"
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." - John Ruskin
Maybe, but what if we get all kinds in one day?
February 19, 2014 Photo: "On Deck!"
Here's to 40° in February! I'm longing for evenings on the deck: sipping cold drinks, listening to Jimmy Buffett, watching the sunset, waiting for the stars...Well, maybe it needs to be a little bit warmer.
February 18, 2014 Photo: "Le Moment"
Today, I was privy to a lot of interesting information, both professionally and socially. Our favorite local establishment closed five months ago, causing us to speculate what the next incarnation would be. Imagine my excitement this week when the sign was changed to Rendez-vous! Tonight, I met Max, the new Parisian owner, who, in addition to catering to the Lake Country pub scene, is introducing traditional French fare (crepes and galettes, charcuterie, wines, desserts, etc.). Max and I enjoyed our long chat, both having been deprived of authentic French conversation for far too long. My heart sang as the French phrases danced off my tongue and swelled as Max complemented my accent and fluency. Although my new role as Technology Coach is exciting and rewarding, I do still miss my past as a French teacher. I loved my content and I loved my students. These days, I enjoy working with my colleagues and I appreciate their invitations to help out in their classrooms, but it is a big transition. I recognize that my life is evolving and that I need to take Siddhartha's advice: "Don't live in the past, don't dream about the future, concentrate your spirit on the present moment." Nostalgia is bittersweet while anticipation can be both exciting and nerve wracking. If you spend too much time thinking about the past or the future, you miss out on the present. I have used this platform, my photos, and my writing to cherish the past while being open to the future; but above all, to practice truly being present in the fleeting moments that are too important to go unnoticed.
February 17, 2014 Photo (048/365): "Rose Hips in the Snow"
"Nature is relentless and unchangeable, and it is indifference as to whether its hidden reasons and reactions are understandable or not." - Galileo
Today the relentless winter of 2014 adds another 5-8 inches of snow to our landscape.
It is both beautiful and painful, like the fruit and the thorns of this rose bush.