What’s your freedom? Last Friday was Independence Day, Canada Day was the Tuesday before & this coming Monday is Bastille Day. That’s a hell of a lot of freedom being celebrated this month. Whether mindful of existing freedoms or aware of any lack thereof, July offers food for thought. It was also this month that a certain crash occurred in Roswell, New Mexico. That same year, 1947, my grandparents married; the two events may or not be related. Both were pivotal moments of freedom though. Roswell exemplifies our freedom, not to mention need, to question government as well as what possibilities the universe holds. Equally existential for me is the marriage of Don & Peg Dorey, made possible by Grandma’s freedom to remarry.

“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed;
it must be achieved.”
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt ~

Free to choose again, to be, to explore, to question, to celebrate; freedoms come in all sizes. The Fourth of July is the day the US (then Continental) Congress adopted The Declaration of Independence, wherein we “declare[d] the United Colonies free and independent States, absolved from allegiance to or dependence on the Crown or Parliament of Great Britain…” Canada Day, on the other hand, didn’t declare separation from Britain but celebrated the creation of the Dominion (the holiday’s original name) of Canada, making them self-governing. Then there’s Bastille Day which marked the beginning of the French Revolution & the end of absolute monarchy with the storming of a prison — a powerful symbol of liberty.

“Order without liberty and liberty without order
are equally destructive.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt ~

Be it by separation, self-empowerment or force, independence can be established a myriad of ways. Throughout high school, I often asserted mine by running away. I was never gone long for, willing as I was to put my mum through Hell, I wasn’t willing to subject her to the lower circles. Continuing the theme, I moved out at 17. A year later, once my ward had graduated, I moved back due to illness & debt but with new rules, the most important of which was my own entrance. My family was down a Ping-Pong table & up a fiercely independent teen who’d just lost her independence. Or had I? One day, I found a Post-It Momma had put on my desk which was not uncommon but this one had a message I never forgot.

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

True independence is a state of mind not of being. There could not have been a more powerful or timely epiphany yet my mum maintained she learned it by watching me. After years of trying to prove my independence, confusing it with self-reliance, it wasn’t until it seemed out of reach — as true with so much — that I started claiming it. Forced to abandon preconceived notions, my freedoms were being established in unexpected & more significant ways. I was communicating, rebuilding relationships, giving back, taking the support I needed, living my own life while considerate of others. Although not the freedom I’d ever envisioned, I was becoming truer to myself everyday. That truth needed to take root within before it could be expressed without.

“We must be free not because we claim freedom,
but because we practice it.”
~ William Faulkner ~

Forays into freedom are certainly part of the process yet freedoms are too easily bartered the more there is at stake. There are so many we, as a society, have yet to establish, making those we try to protect that much more precious. For all the freedoms we are given, lose, have yet to gain or give away, none matter as much as what we establish for ourselves. Thankfully, there will always be those marvelous troublemakers that will take the creation of liberty to the next level & help ensure others share in the experience. Even those who affect the greater good had to effect their own change first. So it is with all of us. As Gandhi said, we must be the change we wish to see in the world. We need to claim the freedoms that feed our souls.

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.”
~ Moshe Dayan ~

Find your freedom. If there’s any reason you’re not free to be yourself, you’re not free. If you’re independently wealthy but not independent in thought, you’re not free. If you’re maintaining control without finding contentment, you’re not free. When your life is not your own but your actions are, you’re free. When the world is not your oyster but you’ve found a pearl, you’re free. While the big picture is indeed important, the panes it’s made of are crucial. Look at the individual pieces of your life puzzle &, à la Sesame Street, watch for what doesn’t belong. What small freedom could or have you established for yourself that would or did make a huge difference? I recently admitted I wasn’t willing ready to work, freeing myself to keep getting better well. When life’s difficult but there’s hope, we’re free.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
~ Oscar Wilde ~

Ever have one of those lives? We all have blessings others don’t & curses that differ from each other but also have more in common than meets the eye. A nice example is my fairly newfound friend Charee; I’ve never been business-minded & she has better health than I but we feel a kinship, strongly relating despite our differences. One of the many things we do have in common is an appreciation for Fiona Apple who wisely asserts two states of being in her song, “Extraordinary Machine.”

“I’m good at being uncomfortable so I can’t stop changing all the time.” Always exploring, never settling, my life’s indeed a journey yet that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the various stages. As with any travel plans, delays occur. I could get caught up in the lack of progress being made or simply enjoy the detours. Part of the mystique that is Charee is her openness to life’s oddities despite a more regimented routine. Our choices direct our travel but we’re also simply along for the ride. There are those who can’t reconcile the ever-present yin & yang of all we are & do.

“He’s no good at being uncomfortable so he can’t stop staying exactly the same.” Thus, they shield themselves. The most common shielding comes in the form of preoccupation — be it with goals, busyness, problem finding & solving — the blinders stay firmly in place. If you come across someone that’s not struggling in some way, chances are they’re not delving deep enough to stir up trouble. Then there’s the rest of us.. Our war zones vary & our battles require differing armament but we’re together in the trenches.

Willing to question, provoke & change; we uncover new possibilities, recover old truths & discover ourselves. The key to navigating the inevitable upheaval is not to get discouraged for resolution’s also inevitable. We don’t need to protect ourselves from chaos so much as learn not to take it on as our own. We can take responsibility without shouldering blame by focusing on the wherefores not the “where’d I go wrongs?” Already opting to post weekly til my blog’s on WordPress, I skipped a week. Worse yet, I didn’t use that time as intended.

My health had its say in that pseudo-decision, as did the need/desire to catch up on replying to comments before generating more. Alas, I only finished answering comments on the post I’d been answering the week before but they are loverly & worthy of replacing posting a week ago. Recognizing that I’m currently anemic & suffering — as my mum aptly called it — an energy crisis, I choose to continue on as I’m able; no more, no less. Despite my love of comments & replying to them, the brain fog I’ve endured for the last two weeks existed.

That’s right, it existed, it simply did. That’s all there is to it; I accept it, learn from it (I’m eliminating what processed foods I can.) & move on. Living surprisingly decently right at the poverty line still clarifies the vicious cycle poverty is. The impact on health alone is no small one; not owning a bed or being able to afford decent food keeps stamina at a minimum for anyone. Although I hate to cry “poor me,” such realities create a downward trend with my already ailing health. Since we’ve all had struggles & distractions, let’s dialog, setting our struggles aside & making our distractions worthwhile. Comments? Comments, anyone? I will answer.. eventually..

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Transformation contains both change and stability, plurality and unity, movement and constancy. It has the nature of life, namely, to connect organically the polar opposites, the stumbling blocks of logic, and to unite them in an all embracing rhythm.”
~ Lama Govinda ~

No matter how elusive luck is, we never stop seeking it &
can’t help hoping for it — nor should we. That watchfulness keeps us aware of opportunities & the hope gives us the courage to take chances. By believing in a bit of luck, we stay open to things beyond the sum of our experiences. Whether luck is something we carry within or encounter, it’s what we make of it. This was Friday the 13th & the mythos alone of such a date gives it a unique energy. What did you make of it?

Just as we create our own luck, we shape our experiences. Dates of personal significance also have an energy that can be tapped into, if not more so. Anything that goes awry on a birthday seems worse than it would any other day but the trade off is that the small goodnesses translate as greatnesses. Perhaps that’s why RhodesTer & I don’t make plans for our celebratory days. We keep the goals simple & let the appropriate druthers dictate the day, or days, or weeks if it’s June.

A two week distraction from me my own goals & intentions culminating on an infamously dated Friday spent almost entirely on Stickam has left me just as horribly wonderfully behind as I feared expected. The time spent offline for our anniversary led to a better balance of off/online time aka being offline for more than sleep. Once I’m not catering to a birthday boy’s whims, that may actually lead to a bit of homemaking which is no doubt what he wished when blowing out the candle.

My blog comments mean the world to me thus not replying these last two weeks was disappointing, even difficult. I’m humbled that comments were still made & I hope more will be yet as I’ll be replying over the weekend. As of publishing my first ever link love post, I promptly quit focusing on myself (i.e. this blog), leaving all the marvelous reciprocal haiku hanging. Lo, the love’s seemed a little lackluster of late (Did I forget the alliteration alert?) but your patience is about to pay off.

Too much of a good thing doesn’t necessarily constitute a bad thing. Although a bout of bad luck helped create the near neglect of my blog, it was amidst an abundance of good luck. Every yin must have its yang so perhaps it’s simply the perfect balance of luck that’s elusive. Just as we took time to celebrate recently, find your own significant ways of celebrating fatherhood this weekend — while I’m pouring myself back into Drinking Deeply — then continue the flow with a comment or two.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work
the more I have of it.”
~ Stephen Leacock ~

Energy is our most valuable resource. Our physical & mental stores of it ebb, flow & feed off each other. That’s why the attitudes we choose make such a difference; like an adrenalin rush, a determined mindset will compensate for waning physical strength. In turn, feeling refreshed will help us carry on when our minds become clouded. Since neither option is sustainable, refueling must include food for thought & thought of food. From the quick jump-starts that come in the form of a healthy snack — which does include coffee, I’ll have you know — to full-blown overhauls, we must regularly indulge in those things which feed our souls while remembering to feed ourselves along the way.

That which excites the mind propels us but the momentum isn’t self-sustaining. We need to physically support that momentum to avoid running on fumes or overheating which is why rest is as important as fuel. Rather than take breaks only as needed, stay open to positive interruptions & schedule in downtime. Our lives are picture windows but made of individually framed panes. We need to step away from the pane that has our focus to bring other panes back into view. It’s from that vantage point that balance becomes possible, enabling us to use energy more efficiently. Energy is also our most renewable resource & the key to building our reserves is learning how often we each need to recharge.

Those marvelous Men with Pens addressed this need, hopefully inspiring bloggers to ask themselves if they’re just maintaining momentum or posting with motivation. I’ve always opted to post at least weeklyish & having my own computer allowed me to start posting twice a week. Better scheduled programming is brewing but, like the Pen Men, I need to focus on other panes in my window of life just now. My Anniversary prompted a couple days offline as will Rhodester’s birthday (Monday, people, Monday..) & it’s time to finish up our migration to WordPress. I’ll also be setting aside some Tivo time as my addiction to reading James’ & Harry’s Escaping Reality has reawakened my need for fiction.

Only by recognizing our own needs can we serve others’ & find the energy for either. Thus, my coffee breaks will still be spent lurking & tweeting if not plurking. I’ll no doubt need to call on those of you with WordPress experience & then on the rest of you for a break from the madness. Offline friends are few & far between for me as the connections & reconnections I have with people I’ve physically met are made possible via my internet connection too so there’s little distinction. Seeing each of you as a friend — with those who haven’t commented or tweeted my direction simply being the ones I haven’t met yet — is why I can appreciate a meme now & again. So, blame Bob or thank him:

4 jobs I’ve had

• fashion show coordinator
• optometrist’s assistant
• retail manager
• stage manager

4 movies I can watch over & over

• The Abyss
• Alien Quadrilogy
• The Fifth Element
• A Knight’s Tale

4 places I’ve lived

• Ashland, OR
• Hollywood, CA
• Huntington Beach, CA
• Palm Springs, CA

4 [current] TV shows I love

• Criminal Minds
• House
• NCIS
• NUMB3RS

4 places I’ve been on vacation

• Paris w/weekends in Edinburgh & London
• San Diego, CA (RhodesTer also once lived there)
• Seattle, WA w/a hop to Victoria, BC
• Walt Disney World (have yet to take Rhodester)

4 of my favorite dishes

• Bagel & Lox w/capers
• Hangtown Fry
• Spinach Quiche
• Spring Salad (Walnuts, Gorgonzola & Cranberries)

4 websites I [could] visit daily

• Astronomy Picture of the Day
• Cognitive Daily
• The Quote Garden
• Six Sentences

4 places I’d rather be now

• a beach w/a bonfire
• Porterville Convalescent Hospital
• San Francisco, CA
• Scotland (Hi Christopher!)

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread
beyond all boundaries.”
~ Sister Corita Kent ~

Lookin’ for a little link love?! You may not have thought so but who can resist alliteration? Not I! Nor can I resist some well-placed love. The link lovin’ has been widespread lately, from Carolyn’s ingenious ‘Once Upon a Bloggy Night’ link meme through Harry’s excellent response to Bob’s thoughtful consideration of how best to do link posts. From the standpoint that there can never be enough love, I’m continuing the trend. This here first link post o’ mine will contain the blogs I read consistently via my personalized link aggregator; to wit, Twitter.

Failing to find the link from one “Found Fridays” post to the next? With a splash more alliteration & while speaking of linkage, I’m also taking this chance to reconsider my series of “Friday Finds.” The series/category was established to share each week’s found moments, either within or online. Although I am sharing my finds from week to week, there’s no consistency to the type of post it creates. I’d love feedback from those of you who’ve read more than one as I will be changing things up & will also be making Drink Deeply more interactive over time.

Take a tour of bloggers I follow on Twitter via the text links & discover the Twitterers behind the blogs via the avatars..

failing and vikings
Brett meets challenges bravely
6 Weeks at a time

tweets, family, peeps
Carolyn Bahm‘s a dot com
reader, writer, friend

Brian and his quotes
Copyblogger gives good guest
advice worth reading

fictional finesse
expressing How Not To Write
Jamie keeps it real

Gail highlights our best
to Inspire Me Today™
with more to explore

Naomi’s got game
telling insanity off
IttyBiz or not

positive ripples
Life’s Little Inspirations
Wendi’s finding them

Jim, René, Jerry
Live.Work.Dream. to love.laugh.teach.
all on seven legs

randomly helpful
Elle’s observations and finds
reveal Lolo’s Way

pens wielded, blogs saved
front-man James trades barbs and wit
half the Men with Pens

balanced by Harry
both wise and fantasy-filled
he lends mirth, reason

MindTweaks sought then shared
curious and questioning
Tori explores self

Omyword! she’s fun
honest and hilarious
Lisa’s journeying

quotes, queries, insights
Paulo Coelho’s blogging
ready to connect

Darren’s instructive
ProBlogger experience
humanly offered

Remarkablogger!
Michael considers details
reaching past the page

tho’ poignant at times
he couldn’t be funnier
that RhodesTer o’ mine

Dave’ll Rock Your Day
no holds barred nor punches pulled
just self-improvement

swordplay, grammar, drinks
straight-shootin’ Tei saves the day
with Rogue Ink to spare

interests galore
Scott’s Spiritual Tramping
brought his own angels

SwanShadow reflects
commentary, comic art
wry sense of humor

writers are dreaming
via Bob’s Writing Journey
dreamers are writing

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
great people sharing
I’m found in and by these sites
ideas opened

Ever have one of those weeks? Not a bad one, mind you, but not what you’d anticipated. I’m not one for planning; instead, I prioritize & reprioritize. Amidst goals that must be set, life comes along its merry way. I don’t want to miss anything life may throw my way & I’m determined to heed opportunities as they arise. Thus, I go about my days steadily working toward my goals but with the caveat that I’m not going to achieve them any faster by letting the rest of my life slip by unappreciated.

Accomplishment for its own sake will prove empty & incomplete without an infusion of life’s nuances. To ensure you’re not so preoccupied by the goal you miss out on the journey, rethink your current to-do list. Be ready to set it aside to keep your life improving not just progressing. Someone may need to talk, your cat may need to play, you may need to play or you might not be working as efficiently as you could. Allow yourself to be interrupted as it not only keeps your brain active but helps maintain a fresh perspective. In turn, allow yourself to say no – no to a tweet, phone call or chat that can wait – no to things unless they’re timely or productive in themselves.

Deadlines remain the priority; a more fluid approach to productivity simply allows us to meet them differently. We find what works for each of us through trial & error. If we’re not failing, we’re not trying new things. The tried & true may get the job done but there’s little room for learning, much less exploring, in the process. It’s about learning to work smarter rather than harder because working efficiently doesn’t have to mean working doggedly. Reevaluate how you’re working. Stress, in particular, is proof current methods aren’t working well. Although not stressful per se, my return to being online full-time was proving difficult. Due to not being able to prioritize online endeavors for so long, they’d become fragmented. With so much to catch up on & much more to accomplish, I’ve been dutifully plugging away since my return last month.

Duty doesn’t mean a damn without honor. For all my efforts, I knew full well I wasn’t going to make real progress til I started honoring how I needed to function not merely that I needed to function. Thus, despite my commitment to post here at least twice a week, I finally found myself reorganizing my digital life instead. Simply put, by setting aside my priorities this week, I’ve had the time to streamline how I go about them & won’t be struggling to maintain them hereafter. Don’t stop at knowing what to do & how to do it, keep changing things up til you discover how best to do it. If you find yourself frustrated or a task seems harder than it should, take a break from it to see what’s going on behind the scenes. Never be afraid to look behind the curtain; if you’re not already the wizard, it’s time to take over.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.”
~ Josh Billings ~

Coffee is a beautiful thing! Although not loved by everyone, it is loved — by everyone who counts blogs. I kid, I kid because I love! It’s really caffeine that is a widely shared addiction &, just as it’s enjoyed in various forms, coffee comes in almost enough varieties to please every palette. There are those who judiciously avoid caffeine & some of them have managed to keep coffee in their lives though this is typically why someone would — gasp — not drink coffee. The widespread appeal is undeniable, however, complete with cultural misinterpretation [or so I hope ].

Tea is also wondrous. One of the most essential elements of coffee’s goodness is its warmth, second only to its smell. Since a nice spot of tea provides that as well as the ever so crucial aroma, they’re both therapy in a mug. This is why I’m simply a proponent of grabbing a hot beverage when it’s time to take a moment for yourself. Opting to drink something hot is a win-win as it’s scrumptious if you’re cold but helps you adapt to the heat if you’re hot. I hugely respect, oft even share, the need for an ice-cold drink too; the cold coffee & tea options are, in fact, quite wonderful so what counts is that you do find moments.

Take numerous moments throughout your day & every chance you get. Whatever you’re doing, whatever your deadlines, the process can only be enhanced by a breather. You don’t have to be still with your beverage for it to be therapeutic but you’ll be better off for every pause you let it create. Try out your options while you’re at it. Not only can you add variety to otherwise mundane tasks but you’ll discover different drinks for your differing needs. I tend to drink coffee when I need a pick-me-up (though it’s ironically more psychological than physical), tea when I’m not feeling well, hot to relax, cold to wake & — aaahhh — a cappuccino to spoil myself.

Found in a gorgeous e-mail sent me by Lorraine (& again by Karen ).

Given my nickname, this love affair with coffee is no surprise but there’s more to it. From the fellowship my family’s always shared over coffee to the friendship found in sharing it, I believe in the ritual of it. Tea comes with its own rich history. The simplest of tea ceremonies are powerful in action & intention. It’s the intention behind an action that gives it meaning which is why meeting over a drink offers the most return for the least effort. Other drinks will work, of course, yet it’s the savoring that’s key. I also encourage you to share the contents of a bottle, pitcher or blender as appropriate but the sipping required of something hot adds a centering effect.

Furthermore, here are Five Fantastic Reasons to Drink Coffee (Out of a Million):

1. Protects against diabetes [type 2, in particular].
2. Protects against liver disease [especially alcoholic cirrhosis].
3. Caffeine in coffee can rev up the body and keep the mind alert.
4. Coffee has powerful antioxidants [like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins].
5. Protects against gallstones [as well as kidney stones].

What researches have also discovered is that drinking coffee is a positive addition to the lifestyle for those at-risk or already ill. Anywhere from two to six cups a day have proven beneficial. The reason? Antioxidants plus other chemical elements in the complex profile of coffee. Risk factors are reduced and scientists believe that the body’s metabolism of sugar is balanced by the compounds found in coffee. [It also contributes to fiber intake, aids in fighting asthma, protects the brain & reduces pain.]

Taking the time to have coffee or tea with someone creates a connection to them that is equally possible online. Sitting down to a hot beverage together can indeed happen here & is far more flexible than in person. Although the mechanics involved change, the intention need not. Through each other’s sites (or tweets), we can still meet. As declared in my sidebar, I consider coffee tangible friendship.. Science fiction guru, Robert A. Heinlein, created the term waterbrother to denote the bond formed when sharing water as it was considered precious in context. With open hearts & mugs pulled up to monitors, we create our a new context of precious water improved by steeping & shared asynchronously but still shared. I started this with coffee & am about to brew tea; join me?!

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Coffee is real good when you drink it, it gives you time to think. It’s a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.”
~ Gertrude Stein ~

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

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

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

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

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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

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.

Get ready to hit pause 46 seconds in!
Thanx to Darren of ProBlogger for the video.

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 ~

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).

Putting my skills to work, what better to count than my blessings. The previous “Found Fridays” were found reveling in the ultimate tool, with which to enhance those blessings, finding its way to me. Rhodester doesn’t seem to mind this digital affair as the other computer is now true to him. Captivated as I am with the whole affair, it’s time for another set of haiku. The following lines are dedicated to Mark for his generosity, my hunny for his patience & the little electronic guy himself:

once my customer

smile always at the ready

kindness unending

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friendship as action
ultimate encouragement
unworthy but blessed

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fulfillment restored
expression now invited
follow-thru as thanx

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communication
consistently possible
disconnect ended

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

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connectivity
a far-reaching existence
extension of self

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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.

Furniture may still lie elusively around the bend but a laptop did indeed find its way to me. The kind friend who felt I, & ultimately this blog, worth investing in upgraded the memory & network card of a used laptop that found its way to him then promptly sent it here! So overwhelmed by this was I that the UPS notification of its shipment only added to the surreality of it all, particularly given its expected delivery date: 1 April. Until it actually arrived that Tuesday evening, I couldn’t help pondering the possibility of that e-mail being an electronic version of ordering a newspaper with customized headlines. Fortunately, I didn’t prove a fish & finally find myself with my very own laptop again!!

© Futura-Sciences

We’re now in the process of making our computers functional for each of us as we compute quite differently, both online & off. Once each computer is personalized accordingly, Rhodester & I can both get caught up online. Due to him recently working nearly 23 hours a day, he found himself two weeks behind on his blog reading. Try as I might to feel sorry for him, I ended up pointing out I’d been running that far behind on all things electronic for months now & was, therefore, months behind on blog reading. Sympathy aside, we’ll be equally busy with files to save, transfer & readjust so won’t be able to accommodate all our online activity yet though he’ll be readily resuming while I’m still personalizing my new companionuter. [I also do the taxes. ]

Now that I’m posting more regularly, or at least starting to, answering comments in a more timely manner is the thing I’m most excited about. I never know if my replies to your replies to my posts are ever seen by whomever I may be replying to so I remind myself that I’m writing to future readers of the posts as much as directly to each commenter. Of course, I am relating directly to the commenter but, besides being bad form, it would be terribly time-consuming to e-mail each reply; no matter how tempting. “Subscribing to an entry” would send you my reply, despite any delay, but you may not want to do that or – perhaps more likely – may not always remember to check the wee box. There’s also a comment feed &, if you find yourself commenting, it’s rather like subscribing to yourself!? No?!

While currently working to make my blog more worthy, it was none-the-less found on two other [than Rhodester.net, that is] sites this past week. Darren, of ProBlogger fame, offered up some of March’s best titled posts as offered up to him via Twitter in turn & I’m number 15. (My hunny’s #79 ) Although I had some inkling, having tweeted the entry myself, that quick brush with fame was coming; the second one took me pleasantly by surprise. MCF, with his infamous Nexus, has applied bracket science to blogs & I’m currently competing for the #2 bracket:

Not that you’re expected to participate & I have the utmost appreciation for Kristine’s Willow Crossing, which I’ve been pitted against, but VOTE! check her out & feel free to pick ME one of us. If you can’t decide between us, do take note of the 7th bracket as that one’s no contest. Interestingly, were Rhodester & I to miraculously make it to the final bracket, we’d be up against each other. So what’s new? No, wait. Oh, yes, got distracted there for a moment. The irony is, just as in every other aspect of our lives, we’re compatible not comparable. Alas, we’re getting our virtual butts kicked so it doesn’t look like we’ll be facing any such eventuality.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“If you’re able to be yourself, then you have no competition. All you have to do is get closer and closer to that essence.” ~ Barbara Cook

PS: On a less personal note, but still personally important, are ways we can all make a world of difference with the tiniest effort. Case in point, there’s a link to The Hunger Site™ on my sidebar that provides the most return for the least effort that I’m aware of. On the site, there are six charities – all for causes close to my heart – that receive a donation when you simply click the nice big, no-strings-attached button under each of their tabs. Not only is that something you can do daily (my daily six clicks take no time at all) but, through 14 April, funding for one nutritious meal will be given for every “Fund a Meal–FREE!” e-card viewed. Should you be an animal lover too, there are also “Feed a Rescued Animal–FREE!” e-cards.

I’m grabbing hold of imminent possibilities.. By way of God’s grace & friendship as action not simply sentiment, it seems I may actually have a laptop soon! Not only will this resolve the current sharing of a computer with my hunny, which has proven to be all but impossible, it solves the vast discrepancy between my mental abilities & physical ones. Just last night, I’d intended to write this very post yet could not sit at the desk. With that coveted laptop, I can once again be online as my health allows & stay online through whatever my obstinate body throws at me.

A steady connection to the world, renewed & new – not to mention needed – friendships as well as the potential for income makes for anticipation enough but we all know the real excitement is the attention I’ll finally be able to give this blog. Aside from not being limited to posting weeklyish, I can venture instead into the wonderful world of weekly posts; allowing for recurring themes & creating posts throughout the week. Intermingled with those deeper thoughts that emerge a few times a month, I can also share the moments found along the way; both within & online..

As I look forward to offering further “Found Fridays,” I even envision them being written in time for Friday rather than on Friday. Having a consistent means of being online along with the ability to take full advantage of it according to my own schedule seems too good to be true no matter how far down this tunnel I travel. Rather than being the light at the end though, which was rudely turned off for a time, the impending laptop is a lamp to light my way. Were I to imagine what’s obscured in the actual light’s new-found brightness, I picture bookshelves as they’ve become my holy grail.

A more accurate description of what lays just beyond the bend is summed up in one simple word: furniture. No, I’m not prioritizing creature comforts over basic necessities for, after three years without furniture, I can attest some comforts are necessities. Granted, I’ve also proven they’re not by damnably surviving so long with none. We did get a table & two chairs upon our recent move so this is no pity-fest; it’s a reality-check. The reality that has caught up with me, undoing a lot of yoga in the process, is that no bed or decent seating & chronic pain do not mix.

It’s in this context that our access to a hotel suite now & again takes on a whole new, ahem, light. [The future's so bright, I've gotta wear ] Our forced mini-vacation this past Sunday left me wanting to express the experience. That need for expression met with one of my fun online finds & the rest, as they say, is history; well, maybe not but it is below:

seemingly simple
missed comfort and convenience
found in a sofa

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to sit, to stretch out
wonderful enough but add
pillows all about

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amazing feeling
softness I had forgotten
lying on a bed

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so encompassing
body pillow put to shame
surrounded by down

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sitting up in bed
more than a luxury now
a rare treat it is

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as I’m lying here
so soon again to lie there
painfully aware

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not that time’s finite
nor how short a time it’s been
but that this must end

It’s fair to say those aren’t true haiku but I’ll surely be sharing more of these simplistic 5-7-5 verses on Fridays to come though I’m not yet sure how often. What I will continue to share every Friday are those found items from the web (or within) that made me smile or prompted interaction. Along those lines, I’ll wrap up this introduction to a new weekly event with one of my favorite LOLCats that purrfectly sums up our mini-vaca. =^@.@^=

Created by Real Rocky