Beautiful Bountiful Blessings ...

Make Time for Small Reflections
Scroll down for T-13, Haiku Friday, Sky Watch
Camera Critters, and Pet Pride

Beauty found this week
in my garden, changing skies
and the Blogosphere ...

1. Janie in Utah bestowed this lovely Happiness Award on my blog (in the good company of 9 other bloggers) last week writing the following ...

"Small Reflections Visit here for lovely mosaics and other interesting presentations of photos on a variety of subjects, a visual feast."

... and I want to say THANK YOU Janie! I appreciate her 'no strings' policy because I have trouble with 'rulez' these days, but I will share

13 things I love:
the companionship of family, fur-kids, & friends
my happily retired life ... health & energy
the unexpected coincidence (God's way of remaining anonymous)
opportunities to learn and to share with others
the healing effects of laughter (and tears) in the moment
sunrises & sunsets
music, books & stories to enjoy
authors & people who inspire others
collecting & sharing quotes
taking & publishing photographs
creating mosaics & collages
writing 'conversational' haiku
visitors to & comments on my blogs

I offer this Happy 101 award to any visitors who would like to share what they love on their blogs and pass it along to their bloggy friends. I would appreciate a 'link' back here so I can visit your blog (and your friend's blogs too) if you do decide to share.

Click for others participating in
Thursday Thirteen

2. These iris shoots popped up last October (one photo at left but more shared previously) after a brief rain followed by sunshine and now my yard looks like the photo on the right ... so I'm thinking I'll have irises in bloom sooner rather than later this year.

Click to embiggen for better viewing
Below you can see what they looked like last year ...

3. I already have Johnny Jump Ups spread by the birds each Spring, Nastursiums ready to bloom, and this lovely (but as yet unidentified) white bulb blossom (might it be Lily of the Valley as some suggested previously?) bursting forth in my very wet yard ... with new growth on my rose bushes and more iris shoots on the parkway near some purple 'volunteers' (also of an unknown variety).

Some folks suggested it might be Lily of the Valley and my neighbor thinks it could be Narcissus, but when I looked those flowers up in Google, I discovered they don't look like this ... so I'm still hoping someone might know what it is and let ME know too.

4. This Amaryllis bulb is showing signs of life too (on the left) and here's a view of what it looked like last Spring (on the right) ...

5. In between rainstorms we had some variable skies (always beautiful) with opprtunities to get outside for a while!

Looking out my front
window my view changes with
storms just passing through


In between rain storms
blue patches appeared for brief
moments ... happily

As for the fur-kids ...

Molly played and Ms Kitty
watched the world go by

Click for others participating in
Finding Beauty, Friday Fave Five,
Haiku Friday, Sky Watch,
Camera Critters & Pet Pride too
Feel free to snag & share the Valentine
at the top of my sidebar too ;-)

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Living on purpose requires us to find what we love fiercely, give it all we've got, and then pass it on, as if it were a torch, to those who follow." Dawna Markova

Morning Musings ... Celebrating Today

Make Time for Small Reflections
1000+ posts & comments

It's been a few months since I've 'mused' in the mornings here ... in fact, after checking just now I've discovered that the last time was Monday, March 9th and in that post I did little more than recap my blogging activities of the previous week.

When I started blogging in late October of 2007, my intentions differed from what my blogs have evolved into ... but that seems to be the way of my life. My current interests revolve around photography more than writing ... so most of my posts are 'visual' these days. Perhaps that will change in time, but for now that's what is. Although there are thousands of posts awaiting my attention in Google Reader, what little time I spend at the computer visiting in the virtual world is devoted mainly to other photo bloggers ... mainly because I have much to learn from others who have been taking pictures much longer than me. I miss the 'writers' I met early on and do what I can bit by bit to check in from time to time ... very much appreciate those of you who drop by occasionally & leave me comments. Rest assured I'll drop by your blogs eventually & leave comments there too.

With that acknowledged, I'm pleasantly surprised to announce the following and CELEBRATE here with those who pass this way.

I accepted Harriet's 1000 Comment Challenge during May!
As of yesterday I've exceeded the goal,
so I've snagged the trophy and am celebrating today
both this COMMENT milestone
and a posting one too
... just because.

I suspect the only reason I've reached this commenting goal is that looking at photographs takes less time than reading lengthy posts ... so that even though I spend less time at the computer, I can get to more blogs & leave feedback. Rather than using Google Reader, I've relied mainly on Mr. Linky at the various Photo Memes I've joined & semi-regular activities ... including but not limited to:

... at Small Reflections
Brenda Photo Challenge
Camera Critters
Collages & Photoshop Elements
Mellow Yellow Monday
Molly & Ms. Kitty
Photo Hunt
Ruby Tuesday
Scenic Sunday
Sky Watch
Today's Flowers

... at Sacred Ruminations
Camera Critters
Molly & Ms. Kitty
My World
Photo Hunt
Photoshop Elements & Original Collages
Purple Photo Passion
Shadow Shot Sunday
Sky Watch
Today's Flowers
Wordless Wednesday

... at Happily Retired Gal
Camera Critters
Macro Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday
Photo Hunt
PSE6

Ruby Tuesday
Scenic Sunday
Shadow Shot Sunday
Sky Watch
Today's Flowers
Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

This is my 552nd post here at Small Reflections ...
I addition I've published 379 at Sacred Ruminations ... 107 posts at Happily Retired Gal ... and 26 at Blog Rolls, Bling & Blurbs for a grand total of 1064 posts! Seems like I missed my 1000th post by a couple of months ... but celebrating late is better than not celebrating at all ... so that's what I'm doing right now ;--)

I'd like to acknowledge receipt of and offer the following Thank You button from Jackie's Magic. In addition, I offer a few I've created myself ... just because. Feel free to snag, enjoy, and pass them along to others ;--)

Two last things ...
1. If I figure an average of 10 comments per post ... that would mean at least 10,000 comments have been left on my blogs by visitors and that BOGGLES my mind! Thanks again to each of you.

2. With more than 2000 emails in my g-mail box currently, I suspect it may be impossible for me to respond as I'd like to. Please know I appreciate each & every comment visitors leave on my blogs and do my best to respond by visiting your blogs too.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thoughts for Today
"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks."
William Shakespeare

Witty Wednesday #6 - Cat Rescue

Make Time for Small Reflections
My 6th Witty Wednesday

Cat Rescue: Courtesy of Comedy Central's Jokes.com Newsletter ...

Larry, a local football star, is jogging down the street when he sees a building on fire. A lady is standing on a third story ledge holding her cat in her arms.

"Hey, lady", yells Larry, "Throw me the cat!"

"No," she cries, "It's too far!"

"I play football. I can catch him!"

The smoke is pouring from the windows. The woman kisses her cat goodbye and tosses it down to the street.

Larry keeps his eye on the cat as it comes hurtling down toward him. The feline bounces off an awning and he runs into the street to catch it. He jumps six feet into the air and makes a spectacular one-handed catch. The crowd that has gathered to watch the fire breaks into cheers.

Larry does a little dance, lifts the cat above his head, wiggles his knees back and forth, then spikes the cat into the pavement.

Click for ChrisB at Ms Cellania
where I've enjoyed Witty Wednesday for a while now
and another Witty Wednesday at Happily Retired Gal today.

I'd like to than Drgngirl at Creative Self Belief for this ...
and share it with my bloggy friends
& visitors who leave me comments because
reading them always makes me feel warm & fuzzy.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Humor is the instinct for taking pain playfully." Max Eastman

HF #113 - FaveFive - Mimosa from Mary

Make Time for Small Reflections
Scroll down for Fave Five & click for ...
HaikuFriday#112 & SkyWatch#28
HaikuSkyWatchFriday @ HappilyRetiredGal

Still 1000+
unread posts listed in my
'reader' ... for more than

one whole week because
I've been pursuing int'rests
away from my home.

I feel hesistant
to mark 'All as Read' and yet
catching up may be

hopeless at this point ...
Once again today I'll be
gone most of the day

and tomorrow I'm
signed up with my sister for
two cam'ra classes.

Thus Sunday may be
my first opportunity
to visit again.

Click for others participating
in Haiku Friday this week.

This is my 1st ...

... in addition to the 5 things listed in my Sidebar Gratitude List this month, here are Five Favorites from this past week:

1. After her two year absence while traveling the USA in an RV with her husband, I've enjoyed spending time catching up with my sister. Below is a collage of photos taken about a month ago as they arrived in the area & camped nearby briefly before heading home.

Click to embiggen for better viewing.

2. Experimenting with my month old Nikon D60 ... creating collages has been wonderfully fun ... and acquiring the new Tamron 28-300mm lens expands the possibilities immensely. I photographed dolphins Wednesday in the late afternoon and if I find the time to collage them, perhaps I'll share this weekend for Camera Critters.

3. Sharing a BBQ CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD & a Pizookie on Wednesday afternoon with my sister at ...

Grilled breast of chicken with a colorful confetti of tomatoes, corn, green onions, black beans, jicama, cilantro, mozzarella cheese, BBQ sauce and iceberg lettuce, tossed with our special BBQ ranch dressing and topped with crunchy, sweet onion strings.

BJ’S FAMOUS PIZOOKIE^®
You’re never too old to enjoy our freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish.

4. The gentle rain showers that started yesterday and continue today are delightful ... soaking into the dry ground rather than running off into the gutter. Hopefully they'll last through the weekend and into next week as predicted.

5. Playing with PSE6 this week was fun and here are a couple of collages I created with pictures I took with the new lens.

Click collages to embiggen for better viewing

Click for others participating in Friday's Fave Five



I'm delighted to receive the Mimosa Award
from Mary at Work of the Poet
who created it.

Mary, the teach, wrote the following on Tuesday:

"I chose a couple of days ago to color my blog background Pantone's new color for 2009 -- MIMOSA

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

Pantone announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.
“The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

So I decided to create a MIMOSA AWARD and give it to some very wonderful people who epitomize hope and reassurance every day in their blogs. According to Pantone "The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation." The following bloggers are all these things!

So for the second time I award:

Tammy of Queen-sized Funny Bone

storyteller of Small Reflections

Julie of Julie"s Jewels and Junque

Lois of Lowdown from Lois

Paz of Paz's New York Minute

theteach"

Thank you Mary! I am most grateful to be included in this group of awardees.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." John Muir