Wednesday Wonders at Wimbledon ...

Make Time for Small Reflections

Scroll down for Yard Art on Thursdays

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and for others participating in
Thursday Thirteen and Just for the JOY of it

What amazing happenings at Wimbledon
in the first 4 days & I've been watching
Just for the JOY of it!

1. The Queen in is attendance this morning for the first time in 33 years. She had lunch with Roger Federer & his wife Mirka, Tim Henman, Venus Williams, Virginia Wade and others before arriving at Center Court.

2. According to the website, the menu consisted of:

Salmon Millefeuille with Wye Valley Asparagus, Orange and Honey Marinated Chicken on Fruity Couscous with Roasted Vegetables, Kentish Strawberries and Blackberries with Cornish Clotted Cream and Mint Syrup, English Cheese Plate and Orange Chutney, Coffee and Chocolates, all washed down with the odd sip of Meursault, Josepj Drouhin 2006 and Barolo Giovanni Corino 2004

3. She's watching Andy Murray and Jarkko Nieminen on Center Court as I type this post with Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Rafa Nadal of Spain to play later today.

4. She'll miss the Serena Williams match to be played on Court Two which surprised many of the commentators at ESPN this morning.

5. Roger Federer struggled seriously in his first round match ... dropping the first two sets to the Serbian Alejandro Falla and everyone was caught up in a huge upset in the making for hours, but he came good eventually ... winning the last three sets to stay alive in the tournament.

6. In another surprise, Roger played his second match on Court One against a 'qualifier' rather than Center Court and dropped the first set again, but righted things quicker and won in four sets ...

7. The AMAZING event of the day was the continuation of the John Isner (USA) - Nicolas Mahut (France) match ... suspended Monday night for darkness at 2 sets all and resumed about 2pm on Tuesday for the 5th set that broke just about every tennis record ever!

8. The match isn't over yet because play was suspended a second time for darkness last night shortly after 9pm at an astonishing 59 games all and will resume shortly as I type this post.

9. They've played 118 games in the 5th set alone ... breaking the longest single set record of 48 games (25-23) and the 3-set record of 113 games.

10. Thus far, they've served 193 aces between them with BOTH men breaking the previous record of 78 aces in a match.

11. They've been on court for more than 10 hours over two days already ... breaking the previous Wimbledon match record of 5 hours 28 minutes and all time 'major tournament' record of 6 hours 33 minutes at the French Open with play of almost 7 hours in the 5th set alone.

12. It's hard to imagine how both players must feel physically and I'm eager to see the resumption of their match shortly.

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others participating in Yard Art

13. It seems appropriate to end with this Internet image from Wikipedia of Fred Perry on the grounds of the All England Club ... just for the JOY of it!

I'll be watching TENNIS again today as
the Marathon Match continues!

I took the following images
of ESPN's coverage on my Sony television
with my Nikon D60






ADDENDUM ... John Isner wins!




Click any image to embiggen for better viewing

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Mario Andretti

Ruby Tuesday Reflections

Make Time for Small Reflections

Click for Purple Photo Passion & Today's Flowers

Camera Critters is in the next post.

Ruby Reds from my neighborhood ...
Note the flower reflections in this Ruby car
and RED Amaryllis too!

Click to embiggen for better viewing

for others participating in Ruby Tuesday.

Small Reflections, Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only." Samuel Butler, Erewhon

HF #103 - Reflecting as I catch up & share awards

Make Time for Small Reflections
Haiku Sky Watch Friday is at Happily Retired Gal

The rose bush is currently blooming in my yard.

Click to embiggen for better viewing

Friday morning brings

thoughts of Haiku to my mind ...

Year end reflections

remind me of two

awards I've received but not

yet acknowledged so

I begin this morn

writing about about Clara and

Akelamalu.

On December 27th Clara of Coming Back to Life wrote:

"Patricia at Subjective Soup has given me an award! Thank you, Patricia. I'm honored that you believe my blog meets the criteria.


Here are the rules for the Proximidade Award:
"This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY--nearness in space, time, and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who will choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
I'm passing this award on to these wonderful bloggers."

1. Ciara of Diary of a Thick Chick
2. Leigh of Eternal Flux
3. Tammy of Crazy Mom 4 Boys
4. Mikki of Here's What Let's Do
5. Ida of Losing Myself
6. Storyteller of Small Reflections
7. Christie O. of Baby Tea Leaves
8. Danelle of Alberts Family

Then ...on December 29th Akelamalu of Everything and Nothing wrote this in Friends:

"Riverpoet (Poetic License) gave me the above award just before Christmas, she said:

Akelamalu over at Everything and Nothing for her continued comments even when I don't make it over to her place on a regular basis

Well I have to tell Riverpoet it's entirely my pleasure!

This is the thinking behind this particular award:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So, in the spirit in which it was given I hereby pass it on to the following, in no particular order, fellow bloggers who show the spirit of friendship as detailed above.

Marmie (Twaddle Everyday Rubbish)

Linda (Are We There Yet)

Cloudia (Comfort Spiral)

Flowerpot (Flowerpot Days)

Storyteller (Small Reflections)

Ron (Vent)

CG (The Compulsive Worrier)

Ciara (Ramblings & Whatnot)

If you don't already visit them do yourself a favour and drop in, you won't be sorry."

As you can see ... they've EACH selected this blog as one of their recipients and I wish to say THANK YOU to Clara & Akelamalu for sharing these lovely awards with me and I always appreciate the 'linky-luv' too!

Everyone who knows

me will no doubt recall I

do not follow rulez

very well at all ...

thus I offer both of these

awards to all who

visit and leave me

a comment and possibly

even more as they

check out earlier

posts I've shared previously

that might have been missed.

Click for others participating in Haiku Friday

Here are a few from the past week:

• Thursday Haiku - Blog 365
• Something NEW and my 2008 Review (Meme)
• A New Year's Gift for ALL my Bloggy Friends
• Heads or Tails #30 - Watch
• A Pajama Quiz and an Award to Share
• Unconscious Mutterings #37
• Camera Critters #36 - Mother Rescing her Child

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today

"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." Oprah Winfrey

Thursday's Thoughts - Some things to consider ...

Make Time for Small Reflections

NaBloPoMo-Day20

If you've not yet read Wednesday's 'humble requests' ...
I hope you'll find time to do so and give them a bit of thought.
I appreciate those of you who have added your support & testimony in comments. It's reassuring to know that Cracker-
jacks & I are not the only ones thinking along these lines.

After receiving email from Ivanhoe indicating that she can't leave comments in the 'embedded' format, I checked Site Meter to see whether visits to my blogs have dropped off commensurate with the recent decline in comments. Noting that the visitation rates have remained stable, I'm wondering if others have had similar problems leaving comments ... so I've changed back to 'pop ups' experimentally. Ivanhoe (and perhaps others) should be able to leave comments again.

If you need a chuckle, I shared a few on Tuesday in Live Simply, Laugh Often ...

Finally ... I found this at Lunar Musings and published it at Blog Rolls, Bling, & Blurbs on November 14th. It touches my heart & conscience and wanted to pass it along here ... just because.
I wish I could be so eloquent and clear in sharing my own beliefs. I hope you'll take time to watch & listen ... and perhaps even share on your blog too. Methinks it’s important to encourage ourselves and others to think about this issue and all its implications calmly, rationally … from a loving place, without fear ... remembering the simplicity & blessings of 'the golden rule.' Thanks …
Hugs and blessings,




Thoughts for Today
"You are a human being. You have rights inherent in that reality. You have dignity and worth that exists prior to law."
Lyn Beth Neylon

"The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to "create" rights. Rather, they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government from infringing rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting."
Justice William J. Brennan, 1982

"Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself." Robert Ingersoll

Thursday's Thoughts & A Couple of Chuckles

NaBloPoMo-Day13

Make Time for Small Reflections
Click for Fun Monday, Ruby Tuesday, & Heads or Tails
My 401st post & bloggy awards
Unconscious Mutterings

While many of you are experiencing 'autumn' and some even 'snow' ... here in Southern California we have 3 days of gusty winds (20-60mph) and temperatures in the 90s ahead, followed by several days in the mid-80s as winds decrease in speed. Of course fire danger is high once again. I'm really ready for some cooler temperatures and rainy days, but I guess it will be a while before we experience those changes.

Today is the Great Southern California Shakeout. At 10am there will be a simulated 7.8 earthquake centered in the Palm Springs area on the San Andreas Fault ... affecting all of Southern California. A seismic event of this magnitude is expected to result in 18,000 deaths and $200 billion in damages. Apparently we have a 46% chance of experiencing such an earthquake in the next 30 years. I remember 'practice events' from my days as a teacher. They often took several hours to complete. With today's warmer WINDY weather, I'm relieved I'm no longer teaching.

I'm a native of California and have lived through many earthquakes, some more frightening than others. They're a 'fact of life' here ... much like tornados in the Midwest & hurricanes in the Gulf states. If you're interested & have time you can click for a 'clickable map' of Historic Earthquakes in Southern California. Here's a fascinating chronological listing of earthquakes from 1900-1999 with links to each event, and this link takes you directly to Northridge earthquake data from 1994 ... another memorable one that caused significant damage to the greater LA area. The last BIG earthquake here occurred in 1971 ... centered in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.

I'm off to my 5th PSE6 class this morning so I won't be visiting blogs until later this afternoon when I return. I started a conversation about 'financial' matters at Sacred Ruminations yesterday and continued it today ... so you'll find more thoughts & information there than here. I'm skipping T-13 because I have no time to create something worth sharing, but hopefully I'll have time to put something together for next week.

Today I'm choosing ...

how about you?

The Bottom Line

A cowboy rides his horse up to a saloon.

All the patrons gawked as the cowboy kissed his horse on the butt before coming in and asking for a drink.

The bartender serves him and asks, "Mind if I ask why'd ya kiss your horse on the butt?"

The cowboy says, "It's 'cause I got chapped lips."

The bartender asks, "Does manure help them heal?"

Cowboy replies, "No, but it keeps me from licking them."

Totally Bats

Two bats are going for their midnight feed.

After an hour or so, one bat gets tired of looking and goes home with no blood.

The other bat comes home with blood dripping from its mouth. The first bat says enviously, "Where did you get all that blood from?"

The second bat replies, "Follow me. I`ll show you."

After awhile the second bat leads them to a cave. He says, "You see that wall over there?"

The hungry bat excitedly says, "Yes!"

Other bat says, "I didn't."

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing." William James

Haiku Friday #75

Make Time for Small Reflections
My 12th SkyWatch/74th Haiku Friday
is at Sacred Ruminations already.

Late again today
with my Haiku Friday post
at Small Reflections.

Powerlessness sweeps
over me too often these
days. When faced with 'news'

of devastation ...
hurricanes, accidents, and
financial chaos

... things over which I
have no 'actual' control.
Breathing deeply helps ...

Mindfully I write
in my journal ... releasing
anxiety and

irrational fear
only to encounter more
'news' ... reminding me

my only power
lies in taking charge of how
I respond to these

disturbing events.
Prayerfully I choose
'love' as the answer

letting go of fear
as A Course in Miracles
teaches us to do.

Click for Sky Watch #12 and Haiku Friday #74 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
"Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

An brief update and (belated) Fun Monday #22

Make Time for Small Reflections

It's about 11:30am in Southern California and I'm finally turning my attention to Fun Monday. Today's hostess is Rayne at Crunchy Bits. She writes:

"Almost everyone I know keeps things that others would consider junk ... twist ties, used wrapping paper, etc. What things do you hang on to and why? Or, if you are one of those super organized and practical people and don't hang on to things like that, do you have a collection that you would like to share with us?"

She also invites anyone to participate ... even those who have never played previously. I apologize for missing last week entirely and being 'late to the party' today. I'm hoping I'll get this published soon and do some blog visiting soon. I have already published at Sacred Ruminations earlier and 'responded' to comments on posts here at Small Reflections. It's evident I'm not the only one experiencing challenges with 'customer support' ... for listening to the gals on The View talk about their own frustrations with such things a little while ago reminded me this issue is wide-spread.

The first thing that comes to mind is Hula Girl's Fun Monday prompt (my 11th) in which we shared 'collections of this sort' ... ah there's the phone again!

Okay ... now it's 12:30pm. I've finished catching up with a friend (traveling currently with her husband in their RV) and I'm thinking about things I tend to hang on to ...
1. I've got TONS of Tupperware and baking dishes in my kitchen cupboards that I seldom (if ever) use any longer.
2. I own 4 sets of dishes ... but almost never entertain these days.
3. I save aluminum cans to recycle ... and the pull tabs separately (for a class at the school where I used to teach).
4. I've got FILES full of 'stuph' in the real world (and on my computers).
5. I save old cards and letters from friends and family ... though infrequently look at them.
6. My closets contain clothes, shoes & purses I seldom use now that I'm happily retired.
7. I've got shows saved on my DVR I'll likely never watch.
8. I've got DUST BUNNIES everywhere thanks to Molly's incessant shedding.
9. Books surround me ... everywhere you look throughout my house.

Rather than take time to photograph any of these things, I'm going to stop here and publish this before it gets any later.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And now that's it's out there ... I find myself thinking about serendipity. This morning's Daily OM for Pisces seems related to today's Fun Monday topic and my continuing 'clutter' issues.

"... One good way to free yourself from burdensome situations today is by spending time purging the unnecessary from your life. Perhaps you feel tied to activities you no longer enjoy, or your budget could use a clearing and organizing session to better serve your long-term goals. Clearing away these old situations will make you feel lighthearted and free to attract what you truly want. By clearing out stagnant situations that no longer contribute positively to our lives, we create an opening for better circumstances to enter. ... If you make an effort to clear away the old in all aspects of your life today, you will be making room for new and exciting circumstances to enter. "

Pretty fascinating, eh? I love it when the Universe presents information like this ... and just maybe I'll be able to focus my energies & make continued progress with my efforts to 'simplify' my surroundings.

Addendum after reading Rayne's Fun Monday post:
Okay ... so I clearly missed the mark on this one ... and I apologize once again, but I do have a rather extensive collection of long-playing phonograph records and 'sheet music' that belonged to my mother. Perhaps THAT's what I could have started with ... if I hadn't been 'distracted' by other things today.

Click for others participating in Fun Monday today.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today

"Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I." Anne Gibbons

T-13 #35 - Random Thoughts on Blogging ...

Make Room for Small Reflections

13 Random Thoughts on blogging
... as I sit on my patio with my laptop this morning

1. I'm a lucky woman to have the leisure time to do this 'blogging' thing as I choose ... on my own terms. I realize that if I didn't leave such lengthy comments, I could visit more blogs and stay more current ... but methinks it wouldn't be as satisfying for me.

2. I'm relieved that my Google Reader no longer has 1000+ unread messages when I log in. Currently it averages 200-250 most days, only occasionally reaching more than 300. I've learned to conserve time & energy and keep 'in touch' by reading multiple posts and commenting on several all at once ... and I'm most appreciative of those who make their entire posts available in 'readers' rather than simply a title and/or teaser. I recognize that most believe this wouldn't help their 'stats,' but (for my part), I'm much more likely to click onto a blog when I have something to contribute than simply to see what might be there ... especially when time is crunched.

3. Writing responses to everyone here on my blog takes time, thought, and energy ... and perhaps go unseen for the most part since I never really know who sees (and actually checks) Blogger's box to receive follow up comments in email.

4. I apologize to my readers (who actually read my responses here) for falling behind on them (especially those who commented on Fun Monday of July 21st addressing Irish Coffeehouse's questions on 'the pursuit of dreams' ... I've resisted taking the 'easier route' of leaving a single response to all ... am working on those a bit at a time & will publish them soon), however I'm doing my best to stay current and fully intend to respond eventually for my own reasons, whether or not anyone else sees them.

5. If I didn't opt to check the little box myself when I leave comments on the blogs of others (and/or use co.mments.com to follow conversations) my email box wouldn't have 500+ unread messages in it each day to go through, however I'm not yet ready to give up the practice.

6. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my new laptop that allows me to sit on my patio like this ... musing while enjoying the cool morning temperatures and the lovely view. I'm grateful for the handy outside electrical outlet nearby that permits me to plug in when the screen dims to conserve battery life. Actually, that's the only annoying thing about my new Dell 1720 Inspiron and I'm hoping they'll come up with a 'fix' sometime soon. I did learn recently that pressing the up arrow while holding the Fn key down brightens the screen when it dims ... but as the battery runs down, that becomes less effective.

7. As I indicated in yesterday's posts here at Small Reflections and the one I left at Sacred Ruminations ... I'm surprised by all I've accomplished since becoming a blogger about 9 months ago. Today's post is #296 on this blog (502 overall) ... more than one a day (since I started 283 days ago) ... although these posts are spread over 3 blogs. I'm looking forward to celebrating my Blogoversary in 83 days (366 days after I started due to Leap Year).

8. I've enjoyed the Weekly Activities like T-13, Wordless Wednesday (though mine are sometimes not so wordless), HoTs, Fun Monday, Unconscious Mutterings, Camera Critters, Smiley Saturday, Haiku Fridays, One Single Impression, Slice of Life, Pensieve's poetic challenges, and others (see links in sidebar) for the people I've met and the way they've STRETCHED me to try new things & tackle topics I might not have thought of.

9. The various 'memes' ... Blogthings & Quizzes ... photo related activities ... spontaneous poetic posts ... gratitude & 'really good things' pieces ... and challenges from Mimi Lennox provided opportunity for personal exploration and sharing, and I'm grateful for them all.

10. Striving for balance (in real life & this virtual world) remains an on-going challenge ... as does maintaining some focus as I clarify & redefine why I blog. I value my relationships in both worlds ... and remain open to whatever comes next for me as I consider various options. I'm grateful for the 'hiatus' from my Photoshop Elements classes ... surprised at how busy this week has been even without them ... am tackling tasks one at a time ... re-prioritizing as needed each day ... doing the best I can ... telling myself it's enough.

11. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy knowing others enjoy what I share? Readership wasn't really on my mind when I started and doesn't take up much of my thinking even today. I'd never looked at a blog before Kara showed me hers and explained how to set one up on Blogger. My purpose was (and remains) getting comfortable with sharing what I write with others rather than simply writing for myself. Although I have Sitemeter installed on the first two blogs, I almost never look at it and I have no clue how to check Feedburner stats. I am, however, always surprised & delighted to discover people have dropped by and left me comments. I enjoy reading & responding to them ... and endeavor to see what 'they see' when I look at my blogs.

12. Visiting the blogs of others enriches my 'virtual life' ... expands my view of what's possible in this 'online world' ... introduces me to new ways of seeing & being and a host of resources available on the Internet. I enjoy the wide variety of blogs and the many perspectives represented among bloggers I've encountered. Narrowing down the number of blogs I look at in Google Reader remains an on-going challenge, though as I mentioned above ... I'm learning how to manage my time a bit better as I strive to remain current.

13. Hmmm ... I started writing this about 2 hours ago (about 7:15 this morning) after sleeping in later than usual (most likely catching up from being overly tired) ... because I could. I apologize for publishing much later than usual, but it's been pleasant interacting with Molly and passersby and it's good to feel 'relaxed' rather than rushed today. I look forward to seeing what others have shared as I make my rounds ... and I wish you all a delightful day.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

For easy access, I’ve listed more T-13 links along with the Thursday Thirteen Blogroll at My Blog Rolls.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today

"Smile, breathe, and go slowly." Thich Nhat Hanh
thursday thirteen

Haiku Friday #55 - Mental Musings of the Morning and 40PC - On Wheels (generating memories)

I'm trying out a slogan today ...

Make Room for Small ReflectionsI appreciate
everyone's suggestions for

slogans ... Decisions

occasionally elude
me so assistance
is always welcome.
~ ~ ~
I'm enjoying my
new computer with Vista,
but mysterious

glitches have occurred
creating confusion and
disruptions ... so please

bear with me as I
sort things out. I promise I'll
visit when I can.

Last night Dell Support
Technician assisted ... we
opened in 'Safe Mode' ...

ran a program there
to 'repair' whatever's wrong
so hopefully now

everything will work.
Keeping fingers crossed, makes it
challenging to type ;--)

~ ~ ~

Friday's 40-0r-less Photo Challenge returns ... On Wheels! Robin writes:

"Come on...what are your thoughts when you see a herd of bicycles on the beach? You've got 40 words (or less, hence the title) to describe the scene, suggest a caption, wax poetic, or tell a VERY short story based on the photo above. Write your post anytime between now and Friday, then be sure to come back then to link your response. "

Familiar sight
living at the beach as I
do ... this brings back so

many memories
but foremost is the
time I rode from home

to San Diego
on my bike with my sister
& her family.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Okay ... that's 36 words but I'm sure you have questions so I'll add the following ... just because. You're welcome to ignore the rest of the story if you choose, but the name of this blog IS Small Reflections ... and this is one of mine.

Slice of Life Sunday
(on Friday)

I was in my mid-50s and in the habit of riding my bike daily for exercise along the beach (sometimes with my sister, but often alone). I don't recall how it came up, but one day someone suggested a bike ride to San Diego ... and it 'caught on' ... so without any real preparation or training, we set out early one Friday summer morning in a group of six (my sister, her husband, their 2 young boys, my friend Mark & me).

We stopped for breakfast in Laguna ... (resting our tired rear ends briefly) ... then headed south again. I've driven this route many times, but until this ride I had no idea how many HILLS there are along the coast between here and Sandy Eggo. By the time we reached Camp Pendleton, I felt like I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion and realized I needed salt ... so we stopped in the next town for p-nuts and Gatorade (to re-balance electrolytes).

Soon we were on our way again, but we decided to stop in Oceanside and spend the night ... called my brother & his wife who lived in the area. They met us for dinner and we enjoyed our visit ... swam in the hotel pool and sat in the jacuzzi to soothe our aching muscles. The next morning we started out bright & early even though our muscles were screaming, but soon we adjusted our rhythm and made excellent progress ... enjoying the spectacular views along the way. However, in Del Mar ... my young nephew lost control of his bike and collided with me ... splattering me all over the asphalt.

Fortunately we had a first-aid kit with us and shortly ...(with bandaged knees and elbows)... I got back on my 18-speed bike only to discover it was damaged and couldn't be ridden. Mark walked with me into the business area of town (carrying my bike) while my sister & family stayed behind. Fortunately we found a bicycle shop and within an hour or so my bike was good to go ... eventually (after a couple of hours) we were on our way again, though my knees hurt with every stroke. We did finally arrive in San Diego ... found a hotel with a pool & jacuzzi ... soaked for a while before and after dinner then slept. On Sunday we went to Sea World and had a great time, but instead of riding our bikes back home ... after a brief discussion, we opted for Amtrak ;--)

Click for Slice of Life Sunday participants and posts.

Although I started this post MUCH earlier, it's now 9:22am. I apologize for the delay, but hope you find today's post worth the wait. Thanks for visiting ... and remember

Small Reflections Smile Back!

~ ~ ~
HF #54 has been up at Sacred Ruminations for a while now.

For others participating in Haiku Friday this week, go to A Mommy Story or Playgroups are no Place for Children. Click to see my previous Haikus here at Small Reflections and at Sacred Ruminations, or click the Haiku Friday link in the About Me section of my sidebar for a Directory of all my Haiku Friday posts.

Click for others participating in 40PC this week.

Thought for Today
"For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work." Doug Larson

Fun Monday #13 Something's fishy ...

Olive is this week's host for Fun Monday. She writes ...
"The next assignment is: I would like to hear about your *whopper* of a fishing story. Yes, you heard it correctly whether it is fictional or non fictional I want to hear a fishing story from you. An example would be if you catch a minnow and tell it that you caught a swordfish (exaggeration is the operative word here). Did you hear me say show your photo(s)? Of course you did – be creative."

A bit of background info to set the stage:
Exaggeration has never been my strong suit ... and in truth, I've not THOUGHT about fishing in DECADES (sorry that none of the photos from way back when are readily available to scan to share this morning), but it's something I did often while married to a die-hard fresh-water Bass fisherman for 21 years. We would set out from home in the wee hours of the morning (around 2-3am) to arrive at one of the San Diego County lakes ... ready to be on the water at sunrise.

In the beginning we'd rent a metal boat, but within a year or so we purchased a 10-foot 'flat-bottomed car-topper jon boat' at Sears. It hung suspended above our cars in the garage mid-week ...(seriously folks, sometimes truth is strange than fiction)... and added a rack to the top of the VW Bus. Soon we were driving Friday evenings to the lake and sleeping in the 'bus' ... frequently staying the whole weekend so we could fish TWO days instead of one.

Eventually we purchased a Dodge Van and a 17' Bass Boat with an 85HP Evinrude (that doubled as a ski-boat and looked a bit like this except it was orange & white with orange seats) ... bought some land at Canyon Lake (once known as Railroad Canyon Reservoir) so he could fish and I could water-ski on the same weekend trip.

Let's see ... what 'fish story' shall I share here?

The most memorable might be the day at Lake Henshaw where we found a 'honey-hole' ... catching our limit in less than 10 minutes early in the day. The bass hit our lines the minute the lure found the water ... giving us each a good 'fight' to land and add them to the stringer before casting again & repeating the process. My 'ex' used a 'sounding device' known as a Lokator to 'map' the bottom of many of the San Diego County lakes, but we never found this particular spot again because someone snagged his maps that day on the dock ... putting a damper on his day.

Another time on Bass Lake south of Yosemite National Park (when the bass weren't biting) we used some live worms to fish for Crappie ... caught our limit and headed back to camp to share with his parents (who were camping with us in their motor home). Unfortunately, he neglected to put the stringer inside the boat before 'hitting it' ... so by the time we arrived to share our catch, the only thing remaining on the stringer were a few fish mouths.

It's strange that I can't seem to recall fishing stories with happy endings today, though I do recall that fresh water bass taste delicious ... but more often than not (being the sportsman he was) the fish were 'photographed & released' because he subscribed to the theory that one day he'd catch 'the BIG ONE' he'd keep and frame.

Our scariest experience happened on one of the lakes in the June Lake Loop north of Yosemite. We fished our way to the far end of the lake on a cold & windy day without noticing how quickly the clouds were gathering overhead ... so that when the skies opened and the rain fell we had a LONG TRIP back across the very choppy water in our little John boat powered by a 5HP engine that didn't go very fast in the best of conditions). It took us more than a half hour to make our way back across the lake (into the wind gusting against us) to the launch area. We were both drenched, but relieved to be on land again ... and paid more attention to weather conditions ever after.

Images found at Photobucket
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Thought for Today
"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses it has it coming." John Steinbeck

Heads or Tails #13 - Yippee!!!

Hosted by Skittles at Head or Tails

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The theme/prompt this week is ...
TAILS - Share a Summertime memory

I intended to write about my 18 day trip last summer to Taos, New Mexico for HoTs this week. However, as some of you know ... I've been taking classes on Photoshop Elements 6 for about 7 weeks. Computer memory issues had been plaguing me for some time ... and working with Photoshop requires LOTS of memory ... so I ordered a new laptop June 12th ... shared the saga of delays as they unfolded during the time between then and now.

When my new Dell Inspiron 1720 finally arrived Monday morning around 11:05, naturally I dropped everything to 'play' with it.
As a result ... the day totally got away from me and (at the moment) I'm more focused on the memories I'm creating THIS summer than the ones I intended to write about. So ... I'm adding this link to memories of that Taos trip I posted previously and cutting my Taos memories short here. I promise to write about them another time!

The collage at the top is one I created last Thursday in my PSE6 class with a few photos from last summer using more techniques & tools I've learned about this summer. Notice I've used ONE photo (with the opacity changed to about 50%) for the background and I've experimented by putting different kinds of frames & effects around each of the other photos. This isn't actually finished, but it's fun to share 'as is' to illustrate some of what I've learned recently (since I've not done so for a while now). I plan to remove the 'electrical wires' from the photo at the top right and add a few more details like the bird in flight eventually.

Here's a photo of the screen of my new laptop with 2 of my blogs open side by side. I'm feeling a bit 'scattered' this evening because

it's already after 9pm, and I'd like to publish this and add the link at Heads or Tails before I turn off the computer & head upstairs. If you're interested, I did post a quickie note at Sacred Ruminations earlier with photos of my old and new laptops.
I'm used to XP PRO, so Vista will take a bit of 'getting used to' ... but I've been able to figure out many things already. The new Dell MUCH faster that the old one and has 4 Gigs of RAM ... so I should be able to open Google Reader no matter how many messages are unread and waiting for me. Hopefully I'll get myself 'caught up' with blog visits quickly and stay more current than I've been able to do lately.

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Next week's theme/prompt is:
HEADS - Anything starting with the letter O

Note to Fun Monday participants: Thanks to everyone who dropped by mine on Monday. I'll be doing by best to catch up over the next few days as time permits.

Thought for Today
"Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume." Jean de Boufflers