HF#73 ... continual changes and another AWARD

this time from Hootin' Anni who sez she loves my poetry & Haiku.

Make Time for Small Reflections
My 11th SkyWatch/72nd Haiku Friday is at Sacred Ruminations.
Happy 1st Anniversary to the Haiku Friday meme!

Friday already?
Where did the week go? When will
I catch up? It seems

every time I cross
something off my 'to do' list ...
3-5 new things

rise to the surface
and require me to pay
attention to them.

I did add the new
Blogger 'Followers Widget'
to my sidebar and

discovered how to
import blogs to 'follow' from
Google Reader so

they 'show up' in my
Dashboard. One day ... I hope I'll
catch up on the rest

of new changes to
Blogger, but for now I shall
simply 'invite' you

to 'follow' as well
if you so desire ... just click
my sidebar widget.

Next, I want to thank
Hootin' Anni for this new
beautiful award!

After receiving this award from Kristine Kate at Life and Love ... Hootin' Anni bestowed it upon me and 8 other blogging friends yesterday. She wrote: "I love storyteller's style ... her poetry and haiku." Translating the gift from Portuguese to English, it means: "This blog invests and believe the proximity' (meaning that blogging makes us 'close' -- being close through proxy) ... a LOVELY sentiment! I feel honored to receive this award ... especially from a talented & creative friend like Hootin' Anni ... and now it's MY turn to share with the following friends I've met in this virtual world known as the Blogosphere. I look forward to seeing who they share the award with next.

His Girl Friday at Wellied on Life
Joyce at Mom's Musings
Karen at Journey to Authenticity
Mama Zen at the Zen of Motherhood
Mother of Invention at Spilling Out!
Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith
Sandy at Momisodes
Tammy at A Little Girl Talk and Mom Knows Everything
Tina at Tina's Odds and Ends

Just to be clear, after finding 'followers' listed in my 'Dashboard' (as indicated in my Haiku above) ... I've added the new 'Follow' widget from Blogger in my sidebar (under my profile) and I've imported some of my daily reads from Google Reader into this new feature to see how that works. I don't fully understand any of it, but I'm willing to give it a go ... just because. If you'd like to 'follow' any (or all) of my blogs, just click on the link to the right (Don't ya love serendipity? I couldn't have planned the placement better if I'd tried ... seriously) above the 'avatars' and add yours. This could be fun ;--)

Click for Sky Watch #11 and Haiku Friday #72 at Sacred Ruminations

For others participating in Haiku Friday this week go to A Mommy Story.

(To see my previous Haikus, click on the Haiku Friday label below this post or in the sidebar under About Me where you'll find a 'directory' of my Haikus on both blogs).

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship." Dorothy Parker

Playful Participation from a Recovering People Pleaser and another Christmasy Greeting

Alliteration -- always an artfully agreeable
and/or annoying activity

Lucy has pronounced my letter to be "P" ... so this playful post is prominently published in purple to let you all know:

1. I'm a proud member of the Red Hat Society! Even prior to participating, I had plenty of purple clothes because I love the color purple. I mentioned this once previously here, providing some specifics.

2. Pencils (primarily mechanical ones) are my favorite writing implement on paper, but pens and my Palm LifeDrive please me as well.

3. I've pages and pages and pages of poetry pieces and journal entries privately pondering plenty of poignant and playful topics.

4. Once the family photographer, I gave up picture snapping for a period of years until I received a present of a digital camera and plague people once again capturing un-posed pictures playfully, some of which I've published previously on this blog.

5. I use the pen name (nom de plume) "storyteller" when publishing and/or commenting because I'm a private person, but have presented a few pieces hither and yon, published (unexpectedly) with my real name legible when enlarged.

6. I possess two pets ... Molly (a playful Lab pup) & Ms. Kitty (a perversely feral black cat) ... providing plenty of photo opportunities.

7. I love pears & plums, but (pardon me please) not persimmons.

8. I'd like a pony but have no place to keep one. I've been told by people who know me that I'm an optimist who would plow through a pile of poop to find one however.

9. I play with paradox and perplexing polarities, but no longer feel the pressing need to please people perpetually.

10. I've published prolifically here (and at Sacred Ruminations) & periodically point to poignant and/or playful pieces by others presented in this virtual playground of premiere parties blogging.

I'm not going to "tag" anyone. This is purely for pleasure, but if you'd like to play along, I'd be pleased to provide a letter (as Lucy did for me) if you'll promise to publish a love-link prominently back to this place. Others who have played previously can be found in these posts:
-The Dream and Lucy both had the letter "A"
-Barbara did the letter "W"
-Tess did the letter "E"
-Sunrise Sister did "S" (no surprise there)

On a Completely Different Topic
(but a Christmasy Theme)

I found this in a "comment" from Boneman at Rooted and felt the need to pass it along in case someone needs a GROAN or a chuckle so ... here it is:
" Kind of want to tell everybody
Goldfish bowl (wee fish)
a baby lamb (ewe)
a girl horse (mare)
some herons (egrets)
and a moose (not Bullwinkle, even though I'm a big fan.)
So, repeat that two more times and end with an ear hopping along the ground and you have:

Wee Fish Ewe A Mare Egrets Moose
Wee Fish Ewe A Mare Egrets Moose
Wee Fish Ewe A Mare Egrets Moose

and a hoppy new ear!"

Links of Interest You Might Enjoy

For today, Molly and I decided to share some Holiday links and other items of interest on a variety of topics encountered recently in the Blogosphere. Enjoy (or not) as time permits:

1. Read this "real-life" story about a unique holiday gift: I Know This Much is True

2. Try this latest Blogthing ... Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

3. Laugh at this bit of dry wit in a cartoon about Rudolph and name-calling.

4. Discover an amazing bit of the universe and night sky at Quasar9.

5. For other "newbies" like myself, here's the introduction to Smiler's Blogging 101 class followed by the 1st session explaining acronyms and 2nd session on making text links with Blogger and HTML code.

FeedBurner Links, Photos, and Christmas Stuph

My Head is Pounding,
but I've got a FeedBurner Link
and a picture by my name
so ...

After beginning early this morning with good intentions, I find it's well into the afternoon before I've return to write and publish this. Once again, Kara saved the day by helping me clean up the mess I made and finish the installation. Thanks my friend! :)

I've jumped on the RSS FeedBurner band-wagon. After finding links like this on other blogs useful to me as I've wandered the Blogosphere, I decided to experiment here. I'm not sure exactly how all this works, but since I've used a "reader" for a while now (thanks to Annie), if linking up like this makes it easier for others to keep track of things, I'm willing to give it a go. So ... you'll notice the RSS "Subscribe" logo in my Sidebar. Hopefully this makes it simpler if you use a "reader" and wish to subscribe. If you encounter problems, please let me know so I can make modifications as necessary.

While I had Kara on the phone, I asked her to help me add a picture to my profile (something I've been trying to do for a couple of weeks now without success because I couldn't figure out WHERE to add it) but she directed me to the Bloggers Dashboard. Yes, it was there all along in the upper right hand corner ... clear as day! EDIT PROFILE (duh). I've searched every menu in Settings and Layout multiple times on numerous occasions, but it never occurred to me to check the Dashboard. Sigh! I don't think I've looked at that page since late October when I created my blogs. Doesn't the holiday wreath Mary made for me look festive? I'm happy to add that I've already passed this information on to another blogger seeking help a little while ago, and share it here for anyone else struggling with this challenge.

I'm pleased to report that I've been keeping things under control finally with Google Reader by choosing the "Mark all as read" option every time I add a new blog ... something I could have done all along, but for some reason couldn't make myself do until "rambling" about this dilemma recently at Sacred Ruminations and deciding to take action. MSN is another matter.

And finally (as promised previously) here are the "now you see them, now you don't ... oh there they are again" holiday decorations in my neighbor's yard. It seems these little Christmas Critters scurry to take cover when the rains come, but return to their places when the sun comes out again. Only in Southern California, right?

Last Call!

Christmas Carol lyrics will be posted tomorrow morning, so if you haven't done so already, be sure to email your Christmas Carol Quiz answers to me before you turn off your computer tonight. Remember, it's not necessary to have all ten. Send what you've figured out and celebrate the fun! My e-address is: smallreflections@gmail.com

Sharing New Discoveries -- Links to Interesting Pieces of Artwork

These links lead to a Blog just discovered today filled with interesting original drawings and thought I'd share. Enjoy ...

My favorite so far: the zoo

Close second -- a series of 3 whimsical drawings:
moleskine book 3, page 13
moleskine book 3, page 12
moleskine book 3, page 11

Animal series:
moleskine book 3, page 5
moleskine book 3, page 4

And one more that caught my attention today:
moleskine book 2, pages 101 and 102

I hope you enjoy them as well :)

On Mindfulness, Transforming Anger, Practicing Peace, and Making a Difference

This morning, I found a post entitled "Mindfulness and Transforming Anger" at The Dream Life. It started me thinking about what matters and what doesn't. While listening to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh (two of my favorite people) discuss this topic -- I found the video clip both timely and perfect. I decided immediately to mention the post here, and to add a sidebar link at Sacred Ruminations so I (and others) can return easily to be reminded as needed in the future.

While I was at You Tube I discovered the following related links. I believe each to be well worth the time required to watch and listen whenever time permits. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks on Living in the Present Moment, Mindful Walking, and Peace in Every Step. The first two are a few minutes long. The last video link is more than an hour in length, but resonates so truly with my personal experience and beliefs that I opted to include it for anyone who cares to listen.

My "ex" was drafted in his mid-twenties and spent 13 months in Vietnam ... returning alive, but forever changed. In turn, my own life was altered. He was a social worker and I an educator. We did what we could with what we had to effect change in positive ways, yet we each spent many years frustrated and angry at the recognition that the main thing to be learned from history is that we don't learn from history. In the early 70s, I recall attending a meeting of a group called "Beyond War" based on an Einstein quote to the effect that war is obsolete. A story was shared there (leaving me with a vivid & long-lasting image) in which people were sitting together in a room filled with barrels of gasoline. Each person held a book of matches, but no one was foolish enough to strike one because doing so would destroy themselves along with everyone else. The older I get (and, of course, I'm a dinosaur) the more I realize that carrying anger & frustration doesn't help solve much of anything.

(Hmmmm ... that reminds me of a pink t-shirt I used to wear often that said something like "Never try to teach a pig to sing" on the front and "It wastes your time and annoys the pig" on the back) ... but I digress and my mind wanders easily these days. Forgive an old broad, please? :-)

While listening this morning to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh, I recalled that a couple of days ago I left a comment elsewhere on a different (but similar) topic and I share an excerpt here because it captures the essence of how I'm changing (with more effort than I care to admit) and articulates my current belief about how to make a difference which could lead to resolution of the difficult issues of our time. I quote myself here ...

"If we could just accept that we're not "alone" but rather "all one" we'd each do what's necessary to resolve the world's problems recognizing "we're all in this together" ... especially since we've seen earth from space and know how "precarious" life can be ... and we've learned that butterflies in Zimbabwe affect weather on California's coast. I have this image in my mind of a giant jigsaw puzzle and each of us is a piece. When we get lost (or fail to show up and get connected) gaps exist that no one else can fill."

One thing I know for sure from personal experience ... change begins with each of us as we gain awareness of what's within ... learn to own, honor, and live as congruently with our convictions as possible ... find ways to understand ourselves and others ... practice compassion & kindness while we pay attention to the results of our thoughts, words, and deeds as reflected in our relationships with others.

There are many paths, tools & habits to assist and/or guide our journey. A COURSE IN MIRACLES states "when the student is ready, the teacher appears" (and vice versa). It also assures us that all it takes is "a little willingness" to be open to the possibility for change. Don Miguel Ruiz offers a simple (if not easy) path through THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. Hundreds of others point to ways to begin ... and practice ... each moment ... to awaken to and embrace truth as we understand it in each moment.

I'm reminded of Thailand Gal's Blog Blast for Peace ... and perhaps this is my version? I offer it here for your consideration and comments.

Sign outside Moon River Gifts on the Enchanted Circle Drive near Taos, New Mexico

This is the way I'd like to run a business!
(If you have trouble reading it,
clicking on the picture makes it larger)

Continuous Problem Solving and/or Keeping up with Comments

Multiple challenges encountered & solved through trial and error by me on Small Reflections and Sacred Ruminations (because I'm a determined sort who doesn't give up easily) along with occasional feedback from fellow bloggers who graciously share their knowledge of how things work, led me to discover today a nifty feature available in setting up Blogger sites (albeit belatedly).

When creating this blog, I left things pretty much "as is" initially ... grateful that the set up procedures seemed "user friendly" and intuitively straight-forward. I've made modifications along the way when I noticed something on someone else's Blog and tried to figure out how it might work on mine. Some of you may have noticed color and font experimentations among other things over these first three weeks checking in ... or not.

Anyway ... I've learned there's a box I can check (in Settings I believe) that causes all comments left on MY Blogs to come to the email address associated with these sites. How handy is that? Now MY comments to "other's comments" won't be so haphazard. Until now, I responded to comments others left here only when I noticed the number of comments increase under posts as I was "scanning" the "look" of things after making changes to the sidebar (not a very precise way to approach things), but for a while now I've consciously tried to release my "perfectionistic" tendencies and simply let things be.

In case anyone else wonders about this, at the bottom of the "Comments" section of the "Settings" page in "Layouts" at the very bottom (one must scroll down to see it) something that says: "Comment Notification Address" with a box to insert your email address.

Now that I've entered my email address in this section on both blogs, however, I'll be notified when a new comment is posted and can respond more consistently (as I've noticed many of you doing all along and wondered how you managed.) Who knew? Certainly not me.

More Discoveries in Blogland and the "Real World" too -- or It's All About Balance

These may all be "old hat" to YOU, but I feel like a kid in a candy store and find myself wishing I'd found all this sooner.

Who knew? Certain not me ... but I'm learning about Widgets & iGoogle where I've created a personalized home page containing handy resources like Weather Forecasts ... Dictionary, Thesaurus, Spell-check & Wickipedia links ... Photo Links of all types ... Quotes ... even Games (like Bejeweled) and so much more, all right here on my computer screen at my fingertips ... instead of the blank page I've looked at all these years. Let's hear it for OPTIONS!

How fun to observe the "beach scene" I selected for a "theme" at the top of the page change as the day progresses. It was dark with I started in the wee hours of the morning, then the sun rose, and colors gradually shifted through the variations of a regular sunny day, followed by a gorgeous sunset and finally became evening again. It's all pretty cool!

In case you're wondering where "the dinosaur" has been, I've been living life out in the world with the TV & my computer turned off most of the time ... mindfully paying attention to each moment ... discovering peace is a choice at every turn, no matter what happens ... grateful for my "happily retired" lifestyle and the expansive time I now experience regularly (instead of rushing hither and yon trying to do too much ... focused on everyone else's needs rather than my own as I did for all those years in the work force) ... continuing to practice The Four Agreements as presented by Don Miguel Ruiz ... eating healthily ... looking for the upside in all things ... walking Molly at the beach ... getting together with friends ... gardening ... reading ... writing in my journals for myself ... trying to figure out what to do next ... and being here seems perfect for now.

Yesterday when I took Molly out to play in the front yard where she can run freely ... chasing & retrieving her favorite toy endlessly burning off energy, I smelled gas in the air ... knocked on my neighbor's door to get her input & help with tracking down the source (thinking I needed to alert the Gas Company right away) and afterwards we chatted a while ... discussing a variety of topics (including but not limited to)
--her concerns about why the mainstream media doesn't cover positive stories & how frustrated she feels at times to realize a few corporations have so much power to control the flow of information, exerting such influence in our society & the world at large
--my recent experiences on the computer, specifically Thailand Girl's Blog Blast for Peace and some of the other topics I've written about previously on this site and at Sacred Ruminations
--our shared concerns about the war in Iraq and other pressing issues
--discussions she has with her grown children and their kids about world affairs and personal choices

When she mentioned her daughter-in-law was interested in learning about Blogs, I encouraged her to tell Y to stop by ... and I invited B inside to show her what IS available "free" right here on the Web. She expressed amazement ... wondering aloud (as I often do) who pays for all this free "stuph".

The teacher in me is happy to share in this way ... spread the word ... bring others to this richly diverse community of individuals willing to share so freely ... who will, in turn, talk with others out in the world at large ... about issues that matter ... enriching us all.

With that in mind, this evening I offer the following links for your consideration:
The People who Matter Most
PhD - Short Course in Leadership

Did you know about:
--the Random Acts of Kindness website with inspirational stories and action ideas for communities and classrooms?
--the Giraffe Heroes blog encouraging people to overcome apathy and fear ... to stick their necks out and do something about the problems of our times?

And, if you need a chuckle, check out:
Train Ticket story
Two Duck Hunters from Wisconsin (mentioned in yesterday's post)

It's been a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
I hope YOURS was enjoyable too.
Have a wonderful weekend!

If I'd only known then ...

I've spent many hours (over the past couple of days) trying to clean up and reorganize my Mozilla Bookmarks into a useful format ... a task that might not have been necessary if I'd understood how they work in the first place. Sigh! Such is the story of my life. I jump into new experiences whole-heartedly with a little bit of knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm coupled with self-confidence to figure things out ... often creating messes to be cleaned up later.

I'm trying to become more mindful ... to simplify my life & let go of stuph ... but here I am accumulating Virtual Connections in my usual disorganized way ... then figuring out how to make sense of it all ... after the fact.

About two weeks ago when Kara encouraged me to explore the Blogosphere (with the intention of beginning a Blog of my own & let myself be known ... finally), I started with links (she emailed me) to sites she liked. When I discovered Blogs I wanted to revisit, I clicked Bookmark this Page. I explored links on those sites ... creating more Bookmarks along the way with the intention of revisiting them at my leisure.

In no time at all, the list grew to an unmanageable size ... and I could find nothing. So, when I created Small Reflections, I started a Link List of my own in the right column ... sorted alphabetically. Soon that grew to an unmanageable number so I separated them into categories ... and that helped initially, but I realized I was in trouble and needed to figure out how to manage my Bookmarks some other way when that list grew to a ridiculous size.

I culled the Link Lists at Small Reflections to a few I check regularly and kept the links to my Writers Retreat friends in a separate box, but didn't choose to lose track of other sites I'd found interesting ... so my Bookmarked list remained a chaotic mess (much like my desk often is for I'm an "out of sight, out of mind person" ... when something gets filed, it's forgotten entirely). Eventually I noticed Bookmarks could be Organized in a separate window ...(Duh!)... by creating categories in folders that could be alphabetically arranged. How could I have missed this?

So ... that's what I set out to do several days ago. I created a folder called Blogs to Check Out and another called Favorites. Later I added folders to sort more specifially (Journals, Spiritual Sites, Blogging Resources, Interesting Visuals, etc.) and began to "sort" by category. I made significant progress, but what I didn't realize until this morning is that I can create a new folder at the same time I Bookmark a site rather than after the fact by Organizing them later.

Again ... it's hard to fathom how I missed this feature on Mozilla ... but I did. Perhaps in my eager explorations, my focus landed on content rather than organization. Maybe I needed to create a mess and clean it up? It's possible, in my rush to make up for lost time, I just didn't stop to think at all? And, of course, I've been sick the past few days and my mind doesn't work right when my health is less than good. Enough excuses!

Whatever the cause ... I'm relieved to have figured out how things work ... finally. Now when I find a new site of interest, I know enough to file it where I can find it again easily ... creating new folders as needed on the spot. I'm still cleaning up the mess I made initially in Mozilla, but there's an end in sight and I've learned a valuable lesson ... again!

I'm slowing down ... mindfully attending to each moment ... trusting the process.

Progress and Setbacks

This weekend I managed to add the three pictures (taken by me this summer in Taos) to the top of column at the right. I'm not sure why I wasn't successful previously (because I don't thing I did anything different this time) but perhaps it was some small step I skipped. I'm just glad today it all works the way I intended. In addition, I managed to fix the "What Color is Your Aura" information (originally unreadable) just above the list of Quotes near the bottom of the right column ...(the only think I couldn't do was "center" the picture)... and I added another link entitled "What Color is Your Goddess" just after the list of Quotes. The links will let you take brief quizzes to determine your answers to these questions. Wandering this virtual world leads to interesting discoveries. :)

Surprised by the interest generated by my "Visual Scribblings" post, I've decided to make learning more about Picasa a priority (and/or get Flickr to work on my laptop and learn about it). Unfortunately, the lingering smoke in the air here in Southern California has taken it's toll on my throat & sinuses. Although I've been drinking lots of water, taking extra Vitamin C, and generally being good to myself (eating healthily, getting more rest, etc.) ... I suspect I'm coming down with a cold because I'm running a fever and my throat is raw. My mind doesn't work well when I'm sick, so this new learning may take longer than I'd like. I've learned the hard way NOT to push myself in such circumstances.

“Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.”
~Chuang Tzu

I'm grateful I can give myself time to recover instead of rushing off to work. Retired life definitely is good! ;)

Public Television and Inspiration

I don't recall why I turned on the television this morning at 8:04, but it came up on Channel 6 (which is PBS in my area of Southern California), and I found myself listening to Wayne Dyer speak on the topic of INSPIRATION as I checked email. When the phone rang around 9am, I hit "record" on the DVR so I wouldn't miss any of it because I felt captivated. Afterwards, Molly and I took a walk together and I watered the front yard, but with the technology available today ... I can pick up this program where I left off even though it's still recording as I type. I've written more about this program on Sacred Ruminations, but sharing the following information here seemed right today, given yesterday's post.

He introduced an amazing Rwandan woman who survived the genocide there by spending 91 days in a tiny bathroom silently hiding with seven other women ... fearing discovery and death. Immaculee Ilibagiza shares her inspirational story (written with Steve Erwin) in an amazing book entitled Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. I'm looking forward to reading it soon and perhaps you will too.

Happy News

By chance, I happened today upon a Website that focuses attention on Happy News. What a pleasant bit of serendipity! I mention it here in case you've not discovered it yet and might find it of interest.

Because I believe what we focus on expands in our lives, long ago I gave up my regular subscriptions to newspapers & magazines and stopped watching TV news because I no longer chose to be bombarded with negative information. Initially, I worried I'd encounter problems by not knowing of world events ... but essential information came to me through friends, family, & unexpected sources ... quickly putting that concern to rest.

I believe my life is better for this decision, yet I'm delighted to find this place where I can easily click on categories as I choose to find articles about International, National, Heroes, Health, Opinion & Editorials, Science & Technology, Environment, Arts & Entertainment, Sports, Business/Money & Happy Living ... read optimistic "contest" essays ... and even submit Happy News when or if I wish. The site even has links to "unhappy news sources" ... but I doubt I'll use them. I've Bookmarked it for easy access and think I'll add it to my Link List on so others might find it easily.

Virtual Explorations

Exploring & meeting new people while enjoying the comforts of home. What an idea! Seldom tempted to jump on ANY bandwagon before, I've found this virtual world of Bloggers surprisingly seductive and potentially addictive ... (at least until I've had my fill and/or my friends return from the road) ... enticing me away from the keyboard with real-world activities again. I admit I've been a bit of a "hermit" lately except for this new interest.

Until now, the only thing that could capture & hold my attention for any length of "free time" was a book. I've always been able to lose myself in a captivating story. As a child, I visited the library often and eventually discovered used book stores. I counted school "breaks" one of the unexpected blessings of being a teacher, and have spent many a summers day lost in a good read ... traveling to distant lands ... meeting unique people doing extraordinary things.

Television and films have never held as much fascination for me that words on the page. My imagination creates such vivid images while reading that I'm often disappointed when a favorite read becomes fixed on film.

This feels different, yet somehow familiar. I'm reminded how decades ago when my then hubby bought an Atari computer with video game cartridges. He loved playing those games and encouraged me to join the fun. For about three months I did play a few ... PacMan & Frogger come to mind ... and I admit, I found these experiences interesting for a brief time.

My major take-away was the thought of how nice it would be to have a "Reset Button" in life ... so that when I recognized an error, I could simply start over and get it right. That is how I mastered the few games I played back then ... eventually maxing them out so that they were no longer challenging. Once I'd done so, I lost interest and never played them again ... except for a couple of times there was a PacMan machine in the waiting area of a restaurant and someone handed me a quarter. Am I dating myself? I suspect so. Such is life!

I wonder if Blogging will hold my attention just as briefly before I move on to other things? Perhaps the WORDS on the screen will keep me returning? And, of course, this opportunity to share my own words feels wonderful. I've long been a writer, but not an author. It's a clear distinction in my mind ... though I sometimes wonder if I might have spent my life as an author if someone had suggested I might do so when I was younger.

I've long written in the margins of books as I read them ... as if carrying on conversations with authors. I felt embarrassed about this habit of mine at first, until I met Marianne Williamson after a lecture and asked her to sign my copy of one of her books. After I handed it to her, my friend M told her to look inside ...(much to my chagrin)... yet when she did, I was amazed to learn that seeing my notes in the margins gave HER goosebumps because that's what she'd hoped people might do as they read her words. Who knew? Certainly not me.

Reflections

Success At last!

I've tried to upload this photo ...(taken by me on the grounds of the Henningston Gardens in Taos, NM)... for days without success until now. This lovely pond is located within walking distance of the Mable Dodge Luhan House where I attended a Writers Retreat this past summer. I wrote there a couple of days and was visited periodically by a friendly Chocolate Lab puppy who interrupted my muse occasionally by inviting me to toss his ball & play fetch. I wanted to use this snapshot more prominently on my Small Reflections site as a recurring image, and perhaps I'll figure out how to do that eventually. For the moment, I'm happy to post it here.

I thought this weekend was time to "fall back" on the clocks, and perhaps it is. I'm not quite sure why I awoke so early this morning ...(at 1:45 instead of my usual 4am or so)... but as I made coffee and booted the computer, I wondered how the automatic clocks like the ones in the Cable Box, DVR, PALM, my computer, etc. handle the time change. Seems like it's supposed to occur at 2am ... but nothing reset to 1am when 2am rolled around today. I guess I was mistaken because it's a little after 4am and nothing has changed on the Computer or DVR clocks. I've never been awake to watch this change happen before and I'm not sure it matters ... but since I am awake and thinking about it ... I found my fingers typing those thoughts here. I'm assuming the time doesn't change today after all.

One of the interesting aspects of starting my two Blogs online this past week is that (for the first time ever) ... I've discovered I'm able to "compose" (as in create original text) at the keyboard. Until now, I've ALWAYS written first drafts by hand and typed the text into the computer to print out ... so this is new for me. Although as I share that thought, I realize the one exception to this is "email" for I've composed those messages at the keyboard forever it seems. So ... perhaps it's not so strange to be able to create in this way for posting after all. Actually, I've had lots of practice, but didn't realize it until now. It’s all pretty cool.

Although everything now seems more obvious & easier for me, initially I was confused by the "Preview" ... "Publish" ... and "Save" functions of this editor and my "perfectionist" self ...(who I've been diligently trying to set free and/or ignore for some time now)... caused me to do some fairly stupid things on previous posts. Fortunately I've given up "worries" about such things and am simply grateful to be learning better ways to do this all the time. It's all coming together for me and I'm pleased with my progress.

Molly has decided it's time to eat and won't leave me alone any longer, so I'll post this and get on with my morning activities. I suspect Ms. Kitty is scratching at the windows of the French doors out from ... waiting impatiently for her breakfast as well.