Contortion

I have monthly massages from this amazing woman, Lorraine.  It's "therapeutic massage" which means that I leave hurting.  Mostly because I don't remember to do the stretches she tells me to do.  She has no sympathy for me when I forget;  rather she tells me to breathe through the pain.  Yup.  And I pay for this.

Samson is naturally nimble.  I love how he sits.  

From 2011-02-13

From 2011-02-13

From 2011-02-13

Yeah, he is cute. And nimble. Happy Hump Day.

Who are you?

And I don't mean the Who song.  

I use a tracker on my blog.  It tells me who has visiting, from where and how long each visitor has stayed.  So to the person in Palm Bay Florida, what really is on my blog that would have you spend 2 to 3 hours a day surfing it?

If you don't tell me who you are, I will be forced to take this blog private that would 1) piss me off and 2) make me sad.  I have had this blog since 2004 and I don't want to have to do that.

So either tell me who you are or stop visiting.  Thanks.

Another Wednesday

Real life is incredibly busy right now! After an enthralling Olympics, we had a fabulous play date with Kenya, have been to see the butterflies at Meijer Gardens, Pampered Chef party that is providing many of the utensils needed East of the Equator, more training for Paul, Deirdre and @thedogsamon, dessert with friends and an entire Saturday with fellow photography enthusiasts!  

On the plus side, it's finally March. I don't know about you but this has been a less than desirable winter.  No big storms to enjoy, too many gray and lugubrious days and dirty snow that isn't going away.  We still have the potential for snow - we have had snow in Michigan as late as May - but most of the winter is the rear view mirror.  

Enjoy the rest of the week and we will catch up again on Sunday!  

Wednesday Wisdom on Thursday

Where to find inspiration? This is a great surprise to readers but I love photography. (shocking, I know) Winter makes it a tad bit difficult to take outdoor pictures - the ground, the sky and in this picture, the water, are all varying shades of gray. Not much color.

As one of my New Year's resolutions, I committed to a fun project 365 - taking a picture everyday and posting it (www.dhonnerphotos.com). When I leave in the morning and it's dark and come home at night and it's dark ....well, it's hard to be inspired.

My friend Jewels takes some great pictures on her blog. She found some great things outdoors and gave me some ideas. My other friend Lisa (with her swanky new Nikon camera) also takes some great pictures and posts them here and here. They both have advantages in children who make great models or objects that make create pictures. I think that I have exhausted my portfolio of Mr. Handsome. He has even started running when he sees my camera.

So I will be seeking new inspiration in the house. Flowers at Flowerland and Sam's, here I come!

Wednesday Wisdom

Hooray for down time. This time off in between Christmas and New Year's reminds me of how valuable, how delightful and how energizing a good vacation can be. We have had the perfect mix of fun - Meijer Gardens, family, friends, and a little travel; and quiet - fires in the fireplace, delicious dinners and lots of reading.

Monday and Tuesday, we took a quick trip to Detroit to see family. The highlight of our trip was seeing our cousin Mary and her wonderful kids. They have a delightful French bulldog, Franco who is a bundle of energy. We hung out, caught up and had a great meal at Steak and Shake. Her children are all budding photographers too.

We are also finalizing New Year's Eve plans. Looks like it might include a tenderloin deluxe, some shrimp and a good hockey game. Nothing too crazy, we stay off the roads. It promises to be wet - probably snow and no reason to fight with the amateurs.

If all things go right and go well, closing will be 01-11-10. Here's hoping.

Wednesday Wisdom

From my Pocket Power Book of Leadership.

Anticipate chaos and be prepared to work through it.

Wednesday Wisdom

So what is wisdom anyway? Everything we know, everything we don't and all needed to share. Make sure to share. Everything.

Wednesday Wisdom

What if you spent one day just listening? Not talking, just listening. Unless of course, your job requires speaking. Try it. It's transforming. My favorite part of this exercise is listening to Mr. Handsome. He has quite a bit to share.

Wednesday Wisdom

Change what you can, accept what you can't. Abbreviated Serenity Prayer. I love brevity.

Wednesday Wisdom

Don't eat lunch alone. Find friends to share the time, even a little bit. Sharing food, breaking bread, being with others, can nourish our souls.

Wednesday Wisdom

When purchasing major appliances, buy the warranty.

Wednesday Wisdom

Have too much discretionary income? Endless hours in the day you don't know how to spend? Well, I have the answer- one of these two things. 1) Buy a boat 2) Buy a camera. Both are guaranteed to eat up time, money and resources. The only different is the boat will attract friends. The camera will cause family, friends and perfect strangers to flee at the site of you. Your call.

Wednesday Wisdom

What is better than sleeping on clean sheets? So if you haven't recently, change yours. And wash them. :)

Wednesday Wisdom

Don't skimp on toilet paper. In the end, it isn't worth it. (Commence witty comments below, please).