karma

If there's any meaning in a name, this sweet little girl Karma that came to us last night has stolen our hearts and has brought us good karma,  of that I am sure.




and we love her longer name too.

What Goes Around Comes Around Karma !








Blowing in the wind!




Getting acquainted.




New daddy!







New yard.



New toy with squeeker!

the quiet life

i liked this -

It's the mornings I like best at home...
in the sunlight...I don't ever want to give this up again for an office.

from 30 to 90

In the last 24 hours, my surroundings went from this....







to this....





Such is the gypsy life I presently lead.

more fall

A quiet crisp sunny day...good coffee...a meeting and lunch...some important issues resolved...evening of looking at cute photos of Tibetan terrier puppies and solving more Sudoku. A very nice day!

truly fall

Back in the midwest for a long weekend and delighted to find fall colors all around.  In Florida, the calendar tells me it's fall but for me, fall means lots of changing color and cool crisp air.  It seems that I'll not be disappointed, as the prediction is more than crisp air for the weekend...a freeze appears to be  likely.

evening light

florida favorites...beaches, sunsets, water, soft breezes, sea grasses, birds, and the sweet light of evening

hideaway

my sister found this cute little beach hideaway for their anniversay...all fresh whites and blues...so i am here for the next 36 hours...first trip to the beach and it's cooling off to the 80s...planning to walk in the cool of the morning and evening

slowing down

as i muddle through work and my mom's health issues, many other meandering thoughts take up space and distract me ... such as what is the meaning of life in the last third of one's life or how is it that i spend so many waking hours doing sudoku because i don't have any interest in anything more demanding or when will i finally get back to yoga and walking ... at least i now have time to contemplate these things after being on autopilot for so many days ...

quote for someone special

this is a repeat for someone very special - you know who you are!

I must learn to love the fool in me--the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool. ~ Theodore I. Rubin, MD ~

blue

this new little blue bowl for cereal and small treats reminds of my grandma's blue willow 'breakfast' dishes and makes me think of other things blue that I love - my daughter's eyes, blueberries,  bluebirds, blue skies, my little blue glass earrings from France  ....

relaxing

a relaxing dinner to unwind after two weeks of hospital ...



starter


ahi tuna on grilled watermelon - yum


U10 scallops!





then my sister went home ... i miss her company ... and i have returned somewhat to the everyday ... mostly work that needs care and attention

home

she came home today ... after two weeks, no more hospital ... i am grateful to all who cared for her

yes!

'Subject: She said yes... I won't bore everyone with all of the details, but the essential part is that I proposed, surprised her with a ring, and she said yes! Most amazingly, when she woke up this morning, her answer was still yes. ... We are as happy as could be.'

euphoria

i've gone from despair to euphoria in less than a week .... mom just walked the entire hallway for the second day in a row and my daughter .... well, i will just say here that i am so happy for her and the choices she makes in her life

suspended

life continues to move forward even when we feel like time is suspended ...





admitting mom to the hospital yesterday, nurse asks - Have you had your pneumonia shot?

mom replies - No

surprised, I ask why not

It's a good way to go - she responds with her usual spunkiness (at 89)!

dining on the bay

Picked up my honey at the airport this evening ... so this was cause for celebration at a restaurant on Sarasota bay that has become a favorite for special occasions. After two and a half weeks apart, we felt this was indeed a special occasion. So as the sun eased itself from the sky, we eased back into being together, savoring the moments over fabulous food ...




One chose quickly from these amazing dishes (only later to change his mind) - the other read each item carefully, thinking about which flavors would suit this special evening -




With the day's heat still lingering, we were soothed by cool, iced drinks



Our choices turned out to be superb - one with duck two ways, shallot potatoes, and bock choy



The other - Norwegian salmon with mango barbeque, topped with ginger nectarine salsa, and accompanied by soba noodles and sauteed squash



Finished off by key lime pie (so florida) but this one was topped with key lime white chocolate mousse - soooo yummy



Welcome home to florida my love!

colors

One of the visual delights of being in Florida are the rich and varied colors of its plant life.

a birthday sunset

This sunset is for one of my favorite sisters - I have two sisters and they are both my favorites! Sending warmest wishes for a good year of new adventures and creative endeavours, with some serendipity thrown in for fun and happiness! Happy birthday today and every day.

morning coffee, florida style

Yes, I am in Florida until the end of the month.  Why after hot and humid DC would I come here?  Where it's even hotter and more humid - in fact, it's like winter up north - everyone stays inside and you'd think no one lives here.  Except maybe at the coffee shop -







Why is it that I feel at least 10 years older when I come here?  Maybe it has something to do with the average age of the population but that really shouldn't matter, should it?  Oh well, I'm here and there are beaches to walk, exotic plants and birds to delight my eyes, and lots of fresh stuff to cook, so I will enjoy this strange long finger of land while I'm here.

good-by to my dc pals

My dog (and cat) sitting week is finished - I've left - and I miss my dc pals! 

dc office for a day

While the petsitting continues and my friend has returned home to Minnesota, I was required to work today. My daughter sent me to just the right place - tryst - isn't that a great name for an office-for-the-day? Perfect, in a funky sort of way - kinda loud - which meant no distractions from others' conversation (though a challenge to hear on my cell phone even with earphones!).  They wait on you at Tryst and check in every so often if you need something more but - and this is the best part - you are welcome to stay plugged into their WIFI as long as you want - no time limits here and lots of plugs and electrical strips to go around.  And it's on the DC Circulator so only a little walking was required - giving my sore feet from three days of walking the city a rest.


all plugged in and logged on



iced coffee with milk to sustain me



my co-workers for the day



taking a yawn break



and calculating

dc weekend

In DC with a friend to dogsit while my daughter travels. My friend's new camera wasn't working so here's a bit of our weekend through the lens of my camera but through her eyes.

Uncharacteristically, our first day was cool enough to enjoy a patio lunch after our walk around the White House where we glimpsed Michelle's garden and GWU where we stopped for photos at the law school my daughter is attending.










Day two was hot but we managed to spend most of the day outside, walking the Mall to see the monuments and memorials before retreating inside for a leisurely lunch at one of my favorite restaurants here - Zatinya - and enjoying the luxury of A/C.












Day three and DC was in its more typical brutally hot and humid mode. In the morning we made our way acrosss the Potomac to Arlington (note the haze hanging over the city) to honor those who have served our country and wonder how anyone can withstand guard duty in the full sun on a day like this one. We spent the rest of the day in museums with the other thousands of tourists in city - all of us wondering why we were visiting DC in August, rather than May or September when the weather is more reasonable. But here we were, enjoying the outdoor art between museum stops.



















And a final look at the White House at night with those dedicated to their causes carrying on their vigils into the night.

long absence and long lashes

Back from my long absence here - needed a blogging break for various reasons that ran beyond our vacationing.  But I'm back now with more photos of my favorite little doggie - who came for another visit while her family vacationed.



Have you ever seen such long eyelashes?  I'm jealous!

on vacation

for the next week or so .....

the tragedy of life is not death; rather, it is what we allow to die within us
while we live ~ norman cousins ~

summertime?

I'm where it's either too hot or too cold - how can that be?  It's summertime, isn't it? 

celebrating the sun

We badly needed the rains, but the gloomy skies and downright cold weather kept me inside and in hiberation for the past week! I took a break from just about everything - including here if you've noticed - except for work that demanded to be done. When the sun finally reappeared - I felt like celebrating. We turned off the heat - can you believe we had to turn it on in June? - and I could wear sundresses again.



sun's out!



needing sun hats!



a new sundress!



sunny new bag (for daughter)!



pedestrian bridge against the sunny, blue sky!

morning visitor

We did get two days of steady rains (and very cloudy skies).  I'm ready for the sun again but it looks like not for another day or two.



But I did have this calm visitor this morning, letting me know that she was watching me while eating her breakfast.

finally, the rains come

It's hard to believe so early in the warm weather season that we are having a drought.  But today the rains came, though did they have to bring 50s in temperature too?  It feels like April outside, not June.  So it is when you live in Minnesota - the weather always changes and brings surprises.  We are hoping a few more rainy days will follow ....

an evening at big blue

An evening at the Guthrie with a dear friend, running into old acquaintances and capturing a bit of the illusion created by the building's carefully placed windows and mirrors to frame and reflect the river below. Big blue they call this contemporary building that echoes the milling history of this old river town.

a perfect day

Just returned from a DC weekend with my daughter. We walked, talked, ate well, shopped a little, caught the Sunday morning market, stopped here and there for coffee or tea, and did I say 'ate well'! That's an understatement. Sunday evening's meal was cooked by her very own private gourmet chef with fresh everything from the weekend markets, both near and far!

I stayed over on Monday to see a bit of the DC that visitors come for, starting my morning with a visit to the Women's museum - a wonderful treasure of women-only artists in a beautiful old Masonic temple. The museum likes to point out the irony of that.







Then a walk to my daughter's summer office at GW, thinking I'd stroll by the White House, but it was only to be seen from afar through my zoom lens. All of the closer sidewalks were blocked off. It seemed that someone must have been arriving or leaving.











We ended our visit with lunch on a shaded terrace - ordering small plates that we shared - and a fantastic cold tomato soup with lime-mint sorbet and cucumber. Perfect ending to a delightful visit.

graduation traditions

Like the graduation parade the day before, graduation at West Point is full of tradition. The long gray line, a reference to the cadet dress uniform and West Point's traditions, opened graduation with the cadets entering the stadium in two long lines from two sides.







The cadets were focused and precise as they marched in - turning their corners smartly and keeping their lines straight - just as they had in their military maneuvers the day before. White hats were the dress for graduation (well-worn after four years) to be tossed away at the end of the ceremony!













The day's speaker was Secretary of Defense Gates, who entered the podium through a long corridor of cadets.








Secretary Gates congratulated the cadets on their achievements. He reminded them to be aware of the strain their troops and their families will be experiencing with repeated deployments and separations. He also spoke of the qualities of good leadership and the importance of having moral, as well as physical, courage. Following his speech, he presented the honors students with their diplomas.








And while the rest of the class of 2009 received their diplomas, kids in the audience (who were under 54 inches) lined up in the end zone for the traditional hat toss.





When the last diploma was presented, the cadets waved their diplomas (long and rolled into a tube) to the crowd, took the oath of office, and tossed their hats in a final signal of the end of their years as a cadet.











Our cadet's nephews were well rewarded for their efforts in the hat toss. The cadets put a note or some money in the pocket of the hats for the kids who will get them. One of these hats had a bonus - a $20 and 9 cents - from the class of 2009!

graduation parade

The day before graduation, West Point honors its graduating class with a traditional military review. The entire cadre of cadets parade out of their barracks onto The Plain and perform traditional military maneuvers.




















Then the Firsties (as the graduating class is called) with the big black plumes on their hats move forward to the reviewing stands. There they remain to review their respective companies, as their companies march by and return to the barracks without them.














The joyous Firsties remain on the field where they break into smiles and hugs.