Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Week #25

If you would like to view skies from all over the world click here:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/.   Thanks to the skywatch. 

Quote 531 Suze Orman's Grandfather

Quote by Suze Orman's grandfather, "Suze they can take your house, they can take your job, they can take your money, they can even take your mind, but they can never take your heart.  So you have to grow up valuing your heart and who you are."

12/26/2012 Outdoor Wednesday #207

If you would like to participate or view Outdoor Wednesday posts click here:   http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/.   Thank you Susan for being our hostess for the year 2012.  We all really appreciate your dedication to blogging. 

Found this flower, carried it with me while walking down at the beach and then these two boulders showed up and then I took the picture.   I am grateful for the stories and pictures that just come to me.   What a gift from the universe.

My friend Maria is having a hernia operation today.    Denver, my brother, is in the hospital for tests because he has lung cancer.   So my thoughts and prayers are being sent their way.    John, my husband, was in the hospital for pancreatitis, his second attack this year.   Thank God he was home for the holidays.   We seem to always be reminded how each moment counts and how we have no control.

2012 is ending.   May you and yours be blessed with love, kindness, good health in the New Year.   

The Day Before Christmas 2012

 My mother-in-law, Catherine, said,  "I don't want to do Christmas this year."    And she didn't.   On December 24, 2001 she passed away.   We celebrated Christmas Eve with the grandchildren and our children anyway.   And so, that year we all learned, life goes on.   And so it is.

Quote 530 Seth Godin

"You are capable of making a difference, of being bold, and of changing more than you are willing to admit. You are capable of making art."

...Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception

Quote 529 Jane Yolen

"Take a step, breath in the world, give it out again in story, poem, song, art."
...Jane Yolan

12/12/2012 Outdoor Wednesday #205

If you would like to participate or view Outdoor Wednesday posts click here:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/2012/12/1212-outdoor-wednesday-205.html.  
Thank you Susan for being our hostess.

Thinking Outside the Box - Crack in Sidewalk 2012

Abstract 201211

Quote 528 Rumi

"Do not seek any rules or method of worship.   Say whatever your pained heart chooses."
...Rumi

Skywatch Friday 12/07/12 - Season 6, Episode 22

If you would like to view skies from all over the world click here:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/.   Thanks to the skywatch team!

Quote 527 Ezra Bayda

"Spiritual practice includes learning how to open heartedly receive the shocks of life---the things you don't like, the people who criticize you, the job that goes wrong, the partner that leaves, the health that fails you---whatever shakes you up."
...Ezra Bayda

Quote 526 Mahatma Gandhi

"The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."
...Mahatma Gandhi

Thinking Outside the Box

Quote 525 Stevie Wonder

"You can't base your life on other people's expectations."
...Stevie  Wonder

Quote 524 Nathanial Hawthorne

"I can not endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.  So I spend most of all the daylight hours in the open  air."                                                                            Nathanial Hawthorne

Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Episode 20

If you would like to view skies from all over the world click here:  http://skyley.blogspot.com/.  Thanks to the skywatch team.

Railroad crossing, early morning, foggy-November, 2012.

Quote 523 Albert Schweitzer

. “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
...Albert Schweitzer

Sally Read reading "Catherine" from her collection The Day Hospital (Bloodaxe Books)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOjSCDe_M8Q&feature=relmfu

Happy Thanksgiving From Our House to Your House

Quote 522 Ray Stannard Baker

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace,
the celebration of work and the simple life...
a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry
of the turn of the seasons,
the beauty of seedtime and harvest,
the ripe product of the year -- and the deep,
deep connection of all these things with God."
...Ray Stannard Baker

Quote 521 Author Unknown

"This is my wish for you; Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life."

...Author Unknown

11/21 Outdoor Wednesday #202

If you would like to participate or view Outdoor Wednesday posts click here:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/.   Thank you Susan for being the hostess.

Found:   Last morning glory blossom in our yard this year.  Recently, we yanked all the vines off the picket fence after a couple nights of frost.   Seeds fell to the ground and others I patiently picked up and placed in a white envelope to plant these tiny black seeds next spring.   My husband, John, likes these morning glory flowers best. 

Found:   Orange flower on the beach.    I decided to take it on my journey and found these boulders and thought mmmm, perhaps this is the perfect background.  I am thankful for its beauty and its imperfections.


Happy Thanksgiving from our house to your house.

Quote 520 Whoopi Goldberg

When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else, and it'll become like a wildfire."
...Whoopi Goldberg

Thinking Outside the Box - Only legs on a mannequin

Haiku 1119

Haiku 1119
Unseen stones
Unspoken voices
A bird flew to another bough
to sing its song.


Written by Joyce Meyer 11/19/12

Quote 519 George Djilaynga

"When I woke up I was changed
The land had recognised me again."
...George Djilaynga, Neil Murray,
Warumpi Band
Lake Tides Newsletter
Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, Volume 37, No. 4 Fall/Winter 2012
www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes

For More Information:   http://www.howlspace.com.au/en2/warumpiband/warumpiband.htm
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Burrarrawanga

Quote 518 Bob Moawad

"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on or blame. The gift is yours-it is an amazing journey-and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day that your life really begins."

...Bob Moawad

Pink Saturday - November 17, 2012

If you would like to participate or view blogs who have posted PINK things click here:  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/.   Thank you Beverly for being the hostess.

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to your house.   

Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Week 19

If you would like to participate or view skies from all over the world click here:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/.   Thanks to the skywatch team.

Sunset reflecting in puddle at Eden's Plaza, Wilmette, IL - November, 2012.

Quote 517 Osho

‎"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that their whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are."
...Osho

Quote 516 Orhan Pamuk

“The beauty and mystery of this world only emerges through affection, attention, interest and compassion . . . open your eyes wide and actually see this world by attending to its colors, details and irony.”

...Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red

11/14 Outdoor Wednesday - #201

If you would like to participate or view Outdoor Wednesday posts click here:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/.   Thank you Susan for being our hostess.

Found this on a cement pole in Freeport while walking to the debate square.

Lincoln/Douglas Debate

Abraham Lincoln

Senator Stephen Douglas

Debate Square

The road to civil war

Lincoln's Hat

Discovered that the Lincoln/Douglas debates happened in Freeport, Illinois-August 27, 1858.   

Quote 515 Virginia Woolf

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.”

...Virginia Woolf

Quote 514 Anthony Robbins

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."
...Anthony Robbins

Thinking Outside The Box - Abstract 1111

Whoops....I was getting out of car, flash went off and this is what the camera saw.   Lines and curves were interesting so I decided to share my boo, boo.   Life is always teaching me, go with the flow.

Quote 513 Ernest Hemingway

"Never mistake motion for action."
...Ernest Hemingway

Quote 512 Melody Beattie

"Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable."
...Melody Beattie

Quote 511 Mahatma Gandhi

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator."
...Mahatma Gandhi

Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Episode 18

If you would like to see skies from all over the world click here:  http://skyley.blogspot.com/.   Thanks to the skywatch team.

Lake Michigan, Sunset with Street Lamp

Quote 510 Reba McEntire

"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone."
...Reba McEntire

11/07 Outdoor Wednesday #200

If you would like to see Outdoor Wednesday images from all over the world click here:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/.   Thank you Susan for being the hostess.

Lake Michigan Stormy Weather

Lake Michigan Stormy Weather B

Lake Michigan Stormy Weather C

Ravines, Fall-2012

When I finished taking photographs of Lake Michigan during a storm, I walked to the car and saw this road scene.    Now how could I pass this shot up?    It was taken almost kiddy corner from the lake.   Look how calm the trees look.   Weird eh?

Hope you stop by to see what I post for Outdoor Wednesday next week.    Meanwhile, take care. 

Quote 509 Julia Cameron

"Art may seem to involve broad strokes, grand schemes, great plans. But it is the attention to detail that stays with us; the singular image is what haunts us and becomes art.”
...Julia Cameron

Thinking Outside The Box

Abstract 1031

I took the "L" destination downtown Chicago.   I had my teeth cleaned and did a little shopping afterward.   My stomach started growling so I stopped to have a bite in the courtyard at the Pittsfield Building.   What should I see but this vase of flowers and lighting and lines and more lines.  

This photo I posted last year taken at the Pittsfield Building. 

Thank you Dr. Martin Zander for cleaning my teeth.   Jeepers maybe I should get my teeth cleaned more often.  rofl.

Quote 508 Dale Carnegie

"It's the way we react to circumstances that determine our feelings."
...Dale Carnegie

PINK SATURDAY - November 3, 2012

If you would like to view PINK things from all over the world click here:  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/.   Thank you Beverly for being our hostess.

This week the theme is Autumn foilage and flowers.  I decided to post a photograph of what Lake Michigan looked like during Hurricane Sandy.   Strange how something can be so beautiful in one place and cause such destruction in another place on the same continent.   Notice the strange lighting and pretty high surf.

Quote 507 Malcolm Forbes

"When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse.  And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better."
...Malcolm Forbes

Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Episode 17

If you would like to view skies from all over the world click here:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/.  Thanks to the skywatch team.

Hurricane Sandy, Lake Michigan, Illinois - 2012.  Straight out of the camera except for cropping.

Quote 506 Sir Casper Purdon Clarke

"There is a state of unrest all over the world in art as in all other things.   It is the same in literature, as in music, in painting, and in sculpture.   And I dislike unrest."
...SIR CASPER PURDON CLARKE,
Director, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1908

10/31 Outdoor Wednesday #199

If you would like to participate or view sites that have posted an Outdoor Theme click here:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/.   Thank you Susan for being the hostess.

These photographs were taken at Fresh Fields in Skokie, Illinois.  Notice how many pumpkins, which are stacked on layers and layers of hay stacks, are for sale just before the big day HALLOWEEN.  And, I have never seen so many acorn squash in my entire life.  I'm dreaming of brown sugar and lots of butter and one of those acorn squash in the oven baking until tender and nice and sweet to eat.  The welcome sign made out of different size pumpkins made me smile.  Abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables inside the store teases me to try this store again. 

I am grateful for such abundance of food to eat.   So many choices of fish, canned goods, and fresh baked bread.   

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people who are suffering from hurricane Sandy.

Thinking Outside The Box - Branches

Leaf and branches.

Quote 505 Denise Levertov

"Let me walk through the fields of paper

touching with my wand

dry stems and stunted

butterflies...."

~Denise Levertov

Pink Saturday - Cancer Awareness Week

If you would like to participate or view blogs who have posted PINK things click here:  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/.   Thank you Beverly for being the hostess.

My husband, John, and I were invited to the Bender's house for dinner and then a pontoon cruise around their lake afterward.  This is what the four of us saw. Layers, and layers of pink everywhere. This is straight out of the camera except for cropping. Can you believe it?


Thanks for stopping. I hope you will visit again next week. Meanwhile, take care.   

Pray for a cure for cancer.   Pray for someone you know who is dealing with cancer now.    Pray for those who you have lost to cancer.