From Pooh Corner to poetry

With courage and coffee

Thru Art for art's sake

She inspirited me

From Upstart Crow to unity

With trust and tea parties

Thru Truth for my sake

She inscribed her love

From Camp Nelson to crazy

With freedom and fantasy

Thru Faith for our sake

She inspires me still

(|_|*MY MUM*|_|)

Life is fragile. Devastating reminders were found near & far this week. As my hunny expressed on his blog, a shooting struck close to home. Bringing a gun to a fist fight is not as unusual as we'd like; it being used to resolve the fight should be though. Rhodester & I are not gun owners but have experience with them thus, while not proponents, do understand. When faced with such a tragedy, fingers are pointed as statistics of gun-ownership & broken families are tallied. Those end results (e.g. gun-wielding or divorce) aren't the actual problem, it's the attitudes (e.g. taking gun-toting or marriage lightly) that lead to them.

Lives aren't lost to attitude but can be diminished. Whether life itself is devalued or its enrichment, the result is fewer people living their happily ever after. We live in a world where defending your family upon being attacked at your home & guilty of nothing more than being strong enough to kick butt in the process means you're risking your life. In centuries past, that was a far more widespread & understood reality; everyone knew they were living in such a world. We take for granted a safety & fairness in line with the civilization & maturity we're struggling to build.

We're unprepared. We're no more likely to recognize the impending devastation created by one person's rash decision than as part & parcel of nature's grand design. Human frailty is an aspect of the overall design. As with anything, balance must be had; without the capacity for extreme depths, there are no heights to achieve. Our ecosystem clearly has its own checks & balances to perform. Trying to live amongst its goings-on proves lethal time & again. While no easier to explain than human action, nature's potentially more forgivable due to the utter lack of intent.

Without intention, unwielded wind runs amok & the resulting devastation must run its course. Before human action can be taken, nature's violent act takes an unbearable toll. Just as the young man Rhodester was getting to know wouldn't have guessed a gun was coming into the mix & couldn't outrun bullets, residents of Myanmar were suddenly & brutally trapped. Maintaining that greater balance, death lurks wherever there's life. The temptation is to give in to its inevitability & be content with survival. We readily understand that each new day is a gift but are we unwrapping them?

Life is fierce. For all the ferocity we may face, nothing's so ferocious as a life worth living. Wherever death may call - though we have no direct defense - nothing better diminishes the blow than a full life, regardless of length. Our individual happily ever afters start with no longer putting things off. It only takes a moment to start working towards a goal, implementing the plan you have for your future or rediscovering a missing piece of the puzzle that is your happiness. Give yourself a moment to start building the life you want, here & now, building up to more & more moments as you go.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Unbeing dead isn't being alive.” ~ E. E. Cummings

Living in the moment implies varying goals with various approaches to varied people. Although the underlying desire is to make the most of every moment, that means something different to each of us & something else again from moment to moment. The most common approach is trying to fit as much as possible into any given time at hand. Being a multi-tasker by nature, I've run that race & can get awfully excited at the prospect of accomplishing multiple things at once.

Racing against the clock is neither fun nor helpful, unless you're actually racing. When our focus becomes time itself, we're stealing focus from the task or discovery begging for our attention. In order to smell the roses, we must notice them first. It's not so much about taking the time to stop & smell - that's certainly nice, however, & I highly recommend it when the mood strikes - as the simple fact we enrich our world each time we look around. Case in point, my cat just interrupted me.

Interruptions are ours to make of them what we will. Mid-accomplishment, it's natural to get frustrated if interrupted & easy to expend energy trying to keep the distraction from being distracting. Not only do we end up with excess negative energy that way but we can spend more time avoiding something than if we just took a moment to appreciate it. Between paragraphs, Shadow & I played which resulted in us both being happier with maybe a minute of writing lost before letting my foot be her plaything upon continuing.

Breaking up the monotony helps our brains stay alive & aware. Setbacks like losing our train of thought are aggravating but there are new thoughts & different perspectives awaiting our discovery. Instead of tracking how we're spending our moments, taking the time to enjoy them will lead to accomplishing what we want rather than trying to tackle too much. Time spent appreciating the found joys in life is never wasted & seeking found moments doesn't require putting everything else on hold.

Pursuing our goals becomes more enjoyable & sustainable when we are also spending time pursuing ourselves. Those pursuits are not exclusive but have an ebb & flow as they feed into each other. We'll each have a different balance to strike but will universally benefit from allowing ourselves to enjoy the unexpected moments amidst the scheduled ones.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side.”
~ The Talmud ~

Exactly a week ago, my youngest brother turned 24. As Joel nears that quarter-century mark, I'm struck by how much my brothers & I have in common despite how very different we each are. This all too familiar dichotomy may seem a given yet all three of our mum's children are articulate, artistic & geeky. That's quite a trifecta; the articulation & artistry we each got in different forms from Momma. I like to imagine I imparted the geeky nerdiness my brothers share with me.

Joel shares his art form with his & Jordan's dad whereas Jordan is a traditional (though not traditional ) artist like mum. I've always honored, amidst my aim to live poetically, the complementary roll of art appreciator. What has proven consistent for all three of us is the use of computers in whatever form of artistry we pursue. HDR Rendering, as shown below, is one of the ways Joel combines his two passions; the other being computer science, in which he has a degree.

Our mum's birthday inspired a poem, Jordan's birthday inspired a post & then another so I knew I'd commemorate Joel's birthday on my blog too. He, convincingly no less, expressed appreciation for the more timely if brief well wishes offered in the previous Found Friday post. Last Saturday was not only Joel's birthday but Momma's 33rd Anniversary as well thus this post is meant as a gift to her also. Upon going into labor during an anniversary lunch with her husband, Momma tried to give Joel his own day but, generous from the start, he clearly didn't mind sharing & was born six minutes til midnight.

beauty found in all
whether captured or enhanced
then offered anew

---

nature always sought
by foot or via the lens
explored and exposed

---

his kindness of heart
touches those surrounding him
informs all he does

---

laughter ever near
his wicked sense of humor
readily brought out

---

once a kissing bug
always a loving spirit
now he's a hugger

---

born as if a gift
anniversary surprise
still giving each day

---

---

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created.  It is a major force in explaining man to man.”
~ Edward Steichen ~

PS: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOMMA & DAVID!!

mountain adventures;
hiking, camping, barbeque,
through moments of love

---

your thirty-three years
provided a family
brothers I'd not have

We all take things for granted. Whether you're now reassuring yourself you do try to make your appreciation known or mentally launching a list of relationships & blessings, STOP! The jump from considering what's being taken for granted to wondering whether we're showing our appreciation is born of the desire to turn intention into action. Ironically, when contemplating what we may be taking for granted, we typically get side-tracked by the very things we're NOT. We inevitably end up thinking of everything we would never want to take for granted then find ourselves wanting to ensure our appreciation is known. What we are or aren't expressing is important but it's not what fundamentally affects how we live our lives.

What we do take for granted can't be readily called to mind. Between suppositions handed down to us & assumptions we make ourselves, the 'facts' that need to be in question are precisely the things we presume true. From passing curiosities we've never explored to the greater 'truths' we live by, anything we take on as our own should be vetted. Whatever's worth keeping will hold up to scrutiny. Just as we can be our own beta tester, we must also be our own fact checker. How much of what we believe has [seemingly] always been believed? What was true in another context or 'right' in a different society may not be the universal truth it seems. Look behind the cultural trappings to find any kernels of truth that carried it through the years. As excerpted from Paulo Coelho's blog:

Why question what we believe? Ideas that are truly our own are more defensible & ours to make or break. It also becomes a question of what we can discover along the way. The journey we take to compile our belief system should be an adventure. It'll seem unnecessarily risky, or even scary, at times but the alternative is living lives dictated by others' experiences. Depending on your comfort zone & how much you're willing to push its boundaries, vary the size of presumption you challenge at any given time. Never doubt that it's just as important to question beverage beliefs as it is to ponder divine dogma. After all, drink right & we'll be around long enough (not to mention feel well enough) to live right.

Convinced you'll never increase your water intake because you just don't like the taste of it? Explore your options; flavor additives, herbal tea or even popsicles. How about addressing two health improvements with one solution? 100% juice bypasses the additives so it's better for you but all the unadulterated juice means it's also strong enough to withstand being diluted thus you can add in juice & drink your water too.

The truth of the matter is that you can only [happily] live in a manner that's right for you. Accepting that truth is THE reason to question all others. How can we live according to our own compass, be it moral or otherwise, if we're busy following the dictates of those who went before us. Of course we should learn from any & all experience we can, striving to not have to make all the mistakes ourselves, but we must also personalize the conclusions. What previously accepted truism have you challenged? Are there any forgone conclusions you've always been curious about? If we can ask the questions we've never thought of or been too afraid to consider, we'll discover lasting truths. What truths should we be taking on?!

See this in its original context @ +PositiveCurfew » The quality of an idea

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
~ Buddha ~

PS: Happy May Day!

Following the signs found this week led me to an unrelated pair of graphics generators that both encourage unique delivery of a personal message. I found myself pondering more than what to say with these fun discoveries. A previous Found Friday pointed out that visuals speak to us too so what am I saying visually? This seems a particularly pertinent consideration online. No matter what we have to offer, & content is certainly king, first impressions are lasting thus design is clearly queen. My blog currently has a very dark theme which may have kept some passers-by from stopping to read a post or ten. I thank you for staying; did you ignore, like or not pay any attention to the theme?

Found via OMYWORD! [GO see hers, I so agree..]

Made by Andrea Micheloni [Each letter is a NEW pic w/every page refresh!]

Given my choice of a theme I particularly like, any conclusions you drew from it about me are likely accurate. How accurate is another issue.. The importance of design is being discussed at ProBlogger & the consensus seems to be that it needs to be true to the content it holds without getting in the way. In an [over] effort to maintain that balance, I see many people online & in person keeping their flava at bay. I'm always looking for both flair & words that speak to me but I'm also aware of the disconnect that can occur. A pit stop my hunny & I once took during a motorcycle ride left me leaning against our bike in black leather (boots & all) near the entrance of a restaurant. I found the wide berth the older patrons were giving me ironic considering how much they'd likely appreciate the Dean Martin CD I was listening to.

There's no denying my headphones are just as likely to contain punk which gives credence to the presumptions but leaves their fears unfounded. If we were to look for similarities in others rather than get sidetracked by differences, we'd not only appreciate each other more but could more readily appreciate the differences. In context, those differences prove our uniqueness instead of our separateness. One advantage of connecting online is that context is provided & the content we share can be discovered on its own merits. Are people more willing to interact with a black blog than the black-clad person behind it? Over the years, I've taken to punctuating the black with my favorite colors & vice versa; yes, the same colors found on the blog. Does that make me consistent or unimaginative?!

I made this!

Make your own with the Parody Motivator Generator

We are looking & that's where connection begins. How actively, open-mindedly or interactively we approach the digital & physical worlds influences the shape of our own realm. As explored last Friday, we all adopt additions to our worlds at differing paces. Living in the information age, we have more to choose from but can also make more informed choices. I'm hoping that not only increases the size of each realm but its diversity too. Engaging in sights & clicking on sites that intrigue, surprise or challenge us always leads to worthwhile content along the way. The impact of a first impression can't be bypassed but a little curiosity mixed with a willingness to explore can give second impressions a second chance.

In the end, what's not visible - at least not immediately - may prove just as important:

visible at last
this post did indeed exist
  tho' slow to appear

---

illness interfered
sleep has had its healing way
life has since resumed

---

one thing matters now
more important than all else
the birthday of Joel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRO!!!

“Design is in everything we make, but it's also between those things. It's a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy.” ~ Erik Adigard

Happy Earth Day, my fellow Earthlings! Not to leave out aliens living here on Earth, nor to presume the internet doesn't reach outer space, it's simply probable that visitors to Earth are nicer to our planet than we home-grown inhabitants.  We do tend to be more considerate in other people's homes than our own (much to the chagrin of significant others, fur kids &/or living expense sharers). As for those not living on this mostly blue marble, they're not in a position to do as much damage to the planet itself though they're hopefully not contributing to our already littered yard!?

Thanx to Gizmodo via Andrew Dobrow

As this is not Space Day, back down to Earth; in all her blue & green glory with a bit of white & brown. While it's in question how much an issue global warming is, with the white parts encroaching on the blue & green parts turning brown, it certainly seems a case of better safe than sorry. Simply put, the home we all share is deserving of a little [more] care. In our individual homes, many clean up when they know they're going to have company (not me, mind you but I digress). So, if we rightly consider our dear planet a home we're all sharing, perhaps that consideration of others' homes can combine with concern for our visitors' impressions.

Fully exploring this estate called Earth is sadly not something many get to do which may well be why we don't typically view it more inclusively. For those of us in the Americas, surely Australasia is our backyard & vice versa. Rainforests are absolutely everyone's gardens. Asia creates an intriguing East Wing while the Caribbean provides an amazing spa & Europe makes for a brilliant parlour, if only Africa were a safer conservatory of late. Inasmuch as human conflict may be difficult to nip in the bud, the care we take of this planet which in turn cares for us starts far more simply.

Hugged a tree lately? Ever? Only when drunk? Whatever the case, anything we can do to promote the well-being of [possibly] less sentient living things than we & decrease the piles of debris we've left lying about our universal home; the better. Perhaps the hope of inspiring some spring cleaning is why Earth Day is in Spring north of the equator. Whether or not we are in the habit of sprucing up our individual homes (my own spring cleaning is more internalized), the world may not be suffering from lack of neglect so much as hurting for a little consideration. Bill Petro wisely reminds us why we should care..

There are various hues of green living & I'm not endeavoring to advocate any particular shade or pigment. Anytime we recycle, conserve or keep from stepping on a fledgling plant; it's a win. I would absolutely love ideas, especially if you know of convenient ways to recycle when you have no vehicle with which to reach the far too few & far-flung centers. Tis ironic indeed that the greener you live can make it harder to live greener. Along those lines, we apartment dwellers can do little to create new greenery but, for those who have their own bit of earth, Arbor Day is just a few days away. Japan's upcoming Greenery Day is a time to commune with nature and be appreciative of its abundance. As appreciation is where all consideration begins, I'd say that's really the goal; you?

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” ~ Marshall McLuhan

Adaptation takes time. There are early adopters who try everything, hangers-on who let others do the testing & those of us always on the lookout for our next endeavor. Being poised to pounce is not about moving from one thing to another as early adopters tend to do nor is the intent to take on everything found worthy as the hangers-on often fear. The reason we're always ready for something new is, while we fully embrace what we know so far, we also understand there's more to every story. Lookouts are looking for pieces of the puzzle as the big picture emerges while keeping key elements in place. If our state of being is to always question then our faith is in the whole being greater than its parts. By-standers, on the other hand, aren't adapting but are in between; just as their moniker implies, they're standing still. Fortunately, if you find yourself standing by - hesitating to ask too many questions, try new things or upset the status quo - all it takes is a singular effort to break free.

Twitter makes my point. I'd been ready & waiting to tweet long before my own computer gave me the ability. In turn, it took a full decade from first wanting a computer to finally being able to get one & I'm now on my 7th. What tempers how anxious a lookout is for what's been seen on the horizon is patience; we know what we want & are willing to wait for it. By sorting an exact need then biding my time til I find or can afford it, the seeming quick adoption that results usually comes across as impulsive. For that reason, it can be difficult to tell the early adopters from the lookouts & the difference can admittedly be slight. Aside from intent - s/he who tries the most toys wins - the real difference is recognition. Not only the ability to recognize needs & how they can be met but waiting for what meets them as much as not hesitating when it's found.

As mentioned in the video, René wisely asked how much of my time Twitter's taking. Therein lies the rest of the story.. The discernment used to track down whatever new nifty nicely finds its way into your niche also needs to not take over. An n to the nth power rule? This is exactly where many a hanger-on may get stuck, even coming precariously close to  joining the by-standers. Either feeling overwhelmed or the fear of soon being overwhelmed can slow adaptation. As important as it is to not let anything take precedence since balance really is all it's cracked up to be, not acting on new ideas will send things out of balance over time too. Most of us have been to a circus so have a visual memory confirming that balance is not a static thing. To watch for what might aid your own balancing act, the only real mistake that can be made is to stand idly by.

Had I stood still this week - or sat still - or not clicked those links of interest found on Twitter, I wouldn't know BlogHer had partnered with GlobalGiving. (Proving just how effective blogging can be, while they're at it.) I wouldn't have discovered the ultimate coffeemaker. I certainly wouldn't have guessed, although I'm not surprised, Firefox usage is literally written in the stars. Thus, I wouldn't be changing the world one page view at a time via my Firefox browser as predicted long before I existed in the hope of one day having a wall of coffee. I might instead be bogged down by my own blog, wondering if I had any reach through it &.. No, nevermind, I'd still be using Firefox. However, were I to spend my time wondering, much less worrying, what I should be doing with it; I wouldn't be doing whatever I could &, in the process, sorting how anything new works into the puzzle.

With all there is to discover, if we remember to apply our adventurous spirit - whether robust or waning - within as well as without, we'll not only find better puzzle pieces but enlarge the picture they're forming. No differently than you should explore an external discovery, try out one of your ideas just to see where it leads. Trust one of your abilities or pursue an interest; be your own beta tester. Finding outlets like blogging & tools like Twitter may help us zero in on choices just waiting to be made. Using the approach that's right for you, a willingness to try new things with the understanding that discovering something's not for you is just as valuable & trusting your instincts as well as your doubts, take on the next new thing. As we find our individual journeys, our paths are bound to cross. We can barter our discoveries at those crossroads.

(|_|*cheers*|_)

“Keep on the lookout for novel ideas that others have used successfully. Your idea has to be original only in its adaptation to the problem you're working on.” ~ Thomas Edison

As I prepare to write this week's "Found Fridays" & face the disappointment that I haven't written a post since last week's Friday Finds, I find myself reassured. My previous blog proved inconsistent due to the loss of our internet connection; readers followed me to this blog anyway. This blog had had its own inconsistencies due to the loss of my computer; those readers & more kept coming back anyway. I got behind on replies to your comments; there were new comments anyway. With this blog as my priority, e-mail - though always read - is seldom answered; friends & family visit me here anyway. As my blog & I keep becoming; may you keep coming anyway.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~ Anais Nin

Paulo Coelho found me on Twitter & I'm already better off for the connection. I was thrilled to discover his Twitter updates include 'Quotes of the Day' which have inspired me to follow suit so my first tweeted quote was this morning. I discovered Paulo offers inspiration across the internet in multiple ways. Upon 'friending' him on MySpace, I received this e-card as a comment on MYspace. Blessed & humbled by its artistry, I found its message struck a chord as well:

Speaking of artistry as expression, with more personalized quoting, a perusal of my sidebar reveals The Quote Garden as my favorite quote repository. Reasons abound but Quotable Tattoo would be reason enough. Although I love all these tattooed quotes, especially given their contexts, this is a favorite, given my context. In that photo, you may have noticed Sarah has another quote across her collarbone. Because I've been collecting quotations my whole life (feel free to ask my mum ), I've always wanted one as a tattoo but, because I've been collecting quotations my whole life, I've never been able to choose one. Now that I've seen where I'd like to put it though, the decision process has begun.

Mixing yet more personalization with artistry, I found a fantastic display of individual takes on one "Silly Cat" at Worth1000. Pictures can be worth 1,000 words & those on this site are; there are also well over 1,000 pictures offering up what could be a googolplex worth of words so it's a site to bookmark & revisit from time to time. To get started, be sure to explore the "View Related Contests" drop/pop-down menu. Amidst the finding of artful connections this past week, I plum forgot - yeah, that's it - to vote on the "Bracket Blogs" contest I found myself competing in a week ago. I'm sure you forgot too which is why I LOST. Alas, my hunny lost also & it wasn't til we saw that we both lost by two votes that we reconsidered our decision to abstain - there being two of us (math's a special skill).

once my customer
smile always at the ready
kindness unending

---

friendship as action
ultimate encouragement
unworthy but blessed

---

fulfillment restored
expression now invited
follow-thru as thanx

---

communication
consistently possible
disconnect ended

---

so much yet to do
far more behind than I knew
slowly catching up

---

connectivity
a far-reaching existence
extension of self

---

acting on my terms
pain dictating no more
interaction mine

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“Much more happiness is to be found in the world than gloomy eyes discover.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

PS: One final find is the opportunity to donate to nothing. The site is misnamed "Donate For Nothing" which is probably meant to be ironic since donating costs something. Or does it? There are still a few days to take advantage of the e-cards mentioned a week ago. They each provide meals without costing the sender a cent.. Another e-card, available through The Rainforest Site, will help save an ancient ecosystem if its recipient views it by 30 April. I'm admittedly tempted to donate a few cents to nothing - watch for my name - but am always thrilled to donate for nothing.