Showing posts with label reflection. Show all posts
Despite no longer being beholden to daily posting, I couldn't seem to break the habit today. There was sunlight, a rare winter occurrence. Even though it was a balmy 25 degrees outside, I bundled up and spent as much quality time with my camera as possible...until my fingers went numb. Then I stopped at Starbucks and had a hot chocolate.
Even though the scenery is mostly dreary and colorless, I made it my mission to somehow draw out visual interest with the textures, light and shadows. I'm relatively pleased with my little mission, although there were quite a few duds in the camera roll.
let there be light \01.01\
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Labels:
ice,
lamp,
outdoors,
reflection,
sun,
winter
Even though the scenery is mostly dreary and colorless, I made it my mission to somehow draw out visual interest with the textures, light and shadows. I'm relatively pleased with my little mission, although there were quite a few duds in the camera roll.
Did you know that only at the equator will roses grow with straight stems? And Ecuador has found a way to make bank on that: American men and a Hallmark holiday. That's right, apparently one third of the United States' Valentine's roses are exported from Ecuador. The things you learn when reading Lonely Planet.
The book also informed me that quinoa has long been a diet staple in the country, particularly the northern highlands. Looks like I won't have trouble find something to eat on the menus there. Although, I'm still a little bit on the fence about braised goat and guinea pig.
Thanks to the sixty degree heatwave moving through the Midwest, today was a perfect opportunity to go have a little photo safari. I didn't wander far from home; in fact, all of the places that I passed, I've been to thousands of times before.
What's interesting is that if I keep my eyes open, I still manage to find something that I didn't notice or didn't exist before. My natural tendency to always be observing and processing seems to help me ferret out new, interesting or unique photo subjects and perspectives.
And despite the warmth, the environment is still dark and dreary - things that don't particularly match my desired aesthetic. Yet if I put in a little more effort and look a bit closer, there always seems to be one redeeming shot.
With my tendency to use micro-level life situations as metaphors for life at large, I started thinking about how even in the dark moments of life there are points of light and inspiration to grab ahold of. You just have to let yourself keep seeking, avoiding the urge to feel like the negative aspects are all-encompassing.
a winter reflection \12.02\
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Labels:
brick,
light,
reflection,
vines,
window
The book also informed me that quinoa has long been a diet staple in the country, particularly the northern highlands. Looks like I won't have trouble find something to eat on the menus there. Although, I'm still a little bit on the fence about braised goat and guinea pig.
Thanks to the sixty degree heatwave moving through the Midwest, today was a perfect opportunity to go have a little photo safari. I didn't wander far from home; in fact, all of the places that I passed, I've been to thousands of times before.
What's interesting is that if I keep my eyes open, I still manage to find something that I didn't notice or didn't exist before. My natural tendency to always be observing and processing seems to help me ferret out new, interesting or unique photo subjects and perspectives.
And despite the warmth, the environment is still dark and dreary - things that don't particularly match my desired aesthetic. Yet if I put in a little more effort and look a bit closer, there always seems to be one redeeming shot.
With my tendency to use micro-level life situations as metaphors for life at large, I started thinking about how even in the dark moments of life there are points of light and inspiration to grab ahold of. You just have to let yourself keep seeking, avoiding the urge to feel like the negative aspects are all-encompassing.
I've been disgracefully neglectful in reading my typical cache of followed blogs. So, on this night that I set aside for couch laying and World Series watching, I thought I'd throw in some blog reading. Some entries were more skim-worthy, others were full-reads, but one was fodder for further perusal. And it just so happens that I reserve this little space of my own for such acts.
Here's what got me:
"For several years beforehand, I thought about writing but never wrote. During much of that time I dreamed of doing something significant, but didn't have a vision for its form or structure.
If you have a project you're just now beginning, I hope you'll see it through. If the project is in progress and you haven't achieved the traction you wanted (and you're still motivated to do it), I hope you won't give up. If you keep working at it over time, I hope you'll be able to fill your own stadium with people who engage with it…" (Chris Guillebeau @ AONC)
I've always written for myself. Even though my dad has believed for many years that I will eventually write a book, I've never thought that I had anything of value to say to other people. This blog wasn't even intended for writing. Yet, it somehow became a forum of putting my thoughts into the public realm (well, semi-public - most people who read this probably already know me). As I compose my 300th post, these musings still don't have a purpose or direction other than fulfilling a goal that I set for myself.
The rigorous pace of every day writing will probably wane in 2013, but I'd like to think that I will keep at this. There's something to be said for forcing your mind to generate and contemplate. Maybe it will never lead to anything more than this, a few handfuls of people and a personal challenge. But there's hope in the word 'maybe'. If I don't write and share then the odds of developing my own vision and giving it structure...well, they're slim none.
So, here's to number 300, then 65 more, and many after that.
change and reflection \10.25\
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Labels:
leaves,
reflection,
tree,
water
Here's what got me:
"For several years beforehand, I thought about writing but never wrote. During much of that time I dreamed of doing something significant, but didn't have a vision for its form or structure.
If you have a project you're just now beginning, I hope you'll see it through. If the project is in progress and you haven't achieved the traction you wanted (and you're still motivated to do it), I hope you won't give up. If you keep working at it over time, I hope you'll be able to fill your own stadium with people who engage with it…" (Chris Guillebeau @ AONC)
I've always written for myself. Even though my dad has believed for many years that I will eventually write a book, I've never thought that I had anything of value to say to other people. This blog wasn't even intended for writing. Yet, it somehow became a forum of putting my thoughts into the public realm (well, semi-public - most people who read this probably already know me). As I compose my 300th post, these musings still don't have a purpose or direction other than fulfilling a goal that I set for myself.
The rigorous pace of every day writing will probably wane in 2013, but I'd like to think that I will keep at this. There's something to be said for forcing your mind to generate and contemplate. Maybe it will never lead to anything more than this, a few handfuls of people and a personal challenge. But there's hope in the word 'maybe'. If I don't write and share then the odds of developing my own vision and giving it structure...well, they're slim none.
So, here's to number 300, then 65 more, and many after that.
The days are getting shorter and I'm feeling short on rest. So when it's still dark at 6:15am, and my alarm is beckoning me to wake up and work out, I can't summon the motivation. Approximately four snooze pushes later, I finally open my eyes and consider throwing back the covers.
By that point in time, I have to start the shower routine. With hair that reaches past mid-back, it's a guaranteed time suck when you consider washing, conditioning and drying it. It's a good thing I can skip the makeup routine and generally it doesn't matter what I wear to work. I'm sure I could try showering at night, but I always feel too sleepy and cozy to embark on that journey by the time I think about it.
I partially blame that effect on the darkness seeping in so much earlier. It's still light when I leave the office, but not for long. So with daytime coming later, nighttime coming earlier, and a new faster pace of life...my physical activity time log for the week currently equals zero.
It would be helpful if I could ask myself how I managed to fit it into my life before. But, oh yeah, I didn't really. There were occasional coed rec sports leagues and two week bursts of running. Then there was the one time I tried to do a workout via my cable's on-demand videos. The downstairs neighbor was less than enthused.
There's no end to the articles and studies informing me about the effects of working out on my physical and mental wellness. And it's not that I don't believe them or don't want to do it, I just haven't figured out how to slot it into my new life schedule.
I'm only slightly kidding when I tell you that I keep thinking to myself, "If I can't even figure out how to fit in a 30 minutes a day to work out, how will I ever have kids or a pet...or even a relationship?"
trump lily, lucky penny \10.03\
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Labels:
flower,
pond,
reflection,
water
By that point in time, I have to start the shower routine. With hair that reaches past mid-back, it's a guaranteed time suck when you consider washing, conditioning and drying it. It's a good thing I can skip the makeup routine and generally it doesn't matter what I wear to work. I'm sure I could try showering at night, but I always feel too sleepy and cozy to embark on that journey by the time I think about it.
I partially blame that effect on the darkness seeping in so much earlier. It's still light when I leave the office, but not for long. So with daytime coming later, nighttime coming earlier, and a new faster pace of life...my physical activity time log for the week currently equals zero.
It would be helpful if I could ask myself how I managed to fit it into my life before. But, oh yeah, I didn't really. There were occasional coed rec sports leagues and two week bursts of running. Then there was the one time I tried to do a workout via my cable's on-demand videos. The downstairs neighbor was less than enthused.
There's no end to the articles and studies informing me about the effects of working out on my physical and mental wellness. And it's not that I don't believe them or don't want to do it, I just haven't figured out how to slot it into my new life schedule.
I'm only slightly kidding when I tell you that I keep thinking to myself, "If I can't even figure out how to fit in a 30 minutes a day to work out, how will I ever have kids or a pet...or even a relationship?"