way too cute

I caught kitty cat* in her favorite chair [note the sheen of millions of cat hairs on the cushion] on a sunny afternoon before she had a chance to turn her head from the hated camera flash. This is what a cat named Bean looks like living in the lap of luxury. See more critters, equally loved, at Misty's great meme, Camera Critters.
As George Carlin was known to say: "cats are so damn cute. Its a kitty cat! They need two names they're so cute. Oh look at that cute kitty cat!' " Can't you hear him??

misty Minnesota morning

Sunday morning last I drove between two different small lakes that were shrouded in fog. The sun was shining in my eyes but was blurred by different layers of fog and mist. Even a contrail was just a pencil mark in the sky.See more beautiful sky views from all over the planet @ Skywatch Friday.

Every now and again take a good look at something not made with hands: a mountain, a star, the turn of a stream. There will come to you wisdom and patience and solace and, above all, the assurance that you are not alone in the world. —Sidney Lovett

word-less Wednesday--more or less

Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!
The Queen to Alice in Wonderland

note to self: always buy nice shoes

Talk about red! This is a photo of my dad's brother Fred and his family Mickey, Rickie, Ronnie and Aunt Frances circa 1954. Check out her wonderful shoes! Uncle Fred, now pushing 90, has walked every day to and from his own business, and lived in the same red brick house since the 1950's.

[photo courtesy Idaho Signs]

Visit Mary the Teach to see more RED treasures at Ruby Tuesday.

Weekend Reflections: listen carefully

The only reflection that seems to be happening this time of year is in my head** so I was tempted to re-visit spring while I was up there (in my head). I took this photo at Como Lake in late spring last year when the wood ducks had returned, the ice had melted and buds were on the trees. Bliss of a rare kind can be found in reflections. Visit James' meme Weekend Reflections. for more.

**I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me. Anna Quindlen

the not so secret sky

'A photograph is a secret. The more it tells the less you know.'

[from the film The Brothers Bloom]

This week we are celebrating the sun and blue sky in Minnesota. See more beautiful skies at Skywatch Friday.

peace or something like that

'At the end of the day we are left alone, to the mercy of our hearts.'

I'm turning over a new leaf, or perhaps its a shovelful of snow. Does anyone besides me pay an exorbitant price for being too nice? When I scrutinize my nice behavior--oh, and scrutinize I do!--it usually unearths a deep need to be loved, or at least liked enough. So, I am aware that dishonest or self-serving motives do not a nice person make.

Along my journey I am continually searching for peace--of mind, and heart and pie. During this winter I've been on the lookout for signs that life sustains itself--whether I am nice or not. Thus these snapshots of the sun's various blue shadows on the snow and little critter footprints.

In an article I read recently by Geneen Roth I was struck by the following as it applies to mindful vs. emotional eating:

'...you'll discover: The you who is not your past, not your habits [yeah!], not your compulsions. When you get to know that person, anything becomes possible. . .'

Its all good. Please enlarge my photos and you'll see what I mean!

'Please won't you be my neighbor?'

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood when I trudged through the snow to see what I could see. On this tree was the only color I'd seen for blocks. The berry clusters reminded me of parachutes dropping bundles on some blockaded town. . . in the Twilight Zone.

This neighbor has this Swiss flag up all year but now it seems especially fitting for the Olympic extravaganza.

Poor guy can't seem to take his chunks of coal eyes off the door with the snappy red wreath leftover from the holidays. [And yes, I meant to fill up 90% of the photo with a blank wall!]

Visit Mary, our intrepid hostess, for more jewels for Ruby Tuesday.

the stuff of dreams

For Monochrome Weekend a sample of our beautiful frozen Minnesota landscape this morning.

from me to you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows.
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
And the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
Which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide.
And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart.

I carry your heart.
I carry it in my heart.
E. E. Cummings

[drawing 'Papa, I'm Eating Waffles' 1899, Carl Larsson]

To all my bloggy friends--and you know who you are--

Happy Valentine's Day!

from the land of sky blue waters

The sun came out today--a welcome sight after several days of snow--sending me directly on my merry way. Walking home I heard these guys flitting around above me and actually felt snow dropping on my head from their silliness. And the sky was really that blue!

See more blue skies at Skywatch Friday.

word-less Wednesday

salt and pepper

A close-up view of a neighbor's gate on my sidebar, all a-tangle. . .for the Monochrome Weekend compliments of Aileni.

yeah! its the Friday Funnies

In an ongoing effort to reduce my complaining about winter, I bring you an end-'o'-the-week chuckle.

Happy Friday all!

summer dreaming

Winter slogs along but, me, I'm dreaming of rides in the lush summer farmland...thus these two photos taken on the same ride northwest of the Twin Cities in a past summer. Today, reading an essay on van Gogh, I found Vincent's quote meaningful as I post these photos:

'Let's not forget that small emotions

are the great captains of our lives.'

See more sky views --from any season--at Skywatch Friday.

looking forward

About this time of year motorcyclists start to go a bit stir crazy until a few swap meets show up on the winter calendar to help them 'maintain' until the riding season starts. That is usually April in Minnesota, with any luck. Sunday I went with Dave to a [mostly] Harley swap meet in Anoka. Since we don't ride a Harley it seemed odd to be poking around the parts for sale, but. . .I did find some red--boxes full of various painted parts. And with a little deeper digging I found two old readers circa 1944 once used in the Minneapolis school system for sale at a booth best described as 'eclectic.'

More reds can be found at Ruby Tuesday. Happy February!