xoxo, me

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Colorado, United States

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Tech Free Freedom!

Have you ever left home and forgotten your phone?  And by the time you realized it it wasn't worth it to go all the way back home to get it?  And you kinda' felt naked?

That happened to me yesterday.  The Birthday Boy and I were stepping out for just a short time ~ a drink at one of our favorite Cherry Creek North haunts (when I strike it big I still say we're moving to Cherry Creek North!) and picking up what we want to make for Birthday dinner at the super duper fancy dancy King Soopers in Glendale.  You know - the huge one that has everything including a nicely-stocked liquor store.  That's unusual in Colorado so the one-stop shopping is a real treat.

So on our way there I realized I had no phone.  Oh nos!  How will anyone know I've checked in at Hillstone?  I can't post a photo of the birthday duck and my chardonnay and Charlie's vodka tonic on Facebook!  No one will be able to comment on what a great time I must be having!  I can't check my email!  (You will notice I wasn't concerned about missing any phone calls...)

Once I recovered from my mini panic attack and sat back and relaxed I realized this was kind of nice.  Look at me, actually giving my full attention to my husband (and we had some pretty interesting things to talk about!).  We chatted up our sweet bartender, Jordie, who much to our surprise (because we don't see her often) remembered exactly what we drink (right down to the Frank Family chardonnay I drink there and nowhere else).  She even bought our drinks in honor of Charlie's birthday.

No one knew when I checked into King Soopers or what we bought for our Birthday dinner (ribeye for him and wild tuna for me).  It was a totally unconnected, technology free afternoon.

So am I saying I'll leave my phone home more often?  

Are you crazy?  No way!

It being Easter Sunday and all you know I had to do it (and I just realized this has ended up being yet again another bird-related post)...

Mornin' PEEPS!
(ala Lensbaby 2.0)



Saturday, March 30, 2013

Birthdays and Aging and History

It's my sweetie's 54th birthday today.  The 22nd one I've spent with him.  So that thing I said about time being fleeting.  Hell yes it is.  Wow.

He was actually 31 when I met him; but as we were learning about each other and he discovered I was 36 he lied and said he was 36, too.  He turned 32 a month later and I think I began to suspect something was amiss then.  By that time it didn't matter.  I was too far gone.

When I met him he was younger than both my sons are now in 2013.  That is how fricking fast time goes.  (They are 36 and 33 now.)  And yet ~ I don't feel much older than when we met.  Of course, looking in the mirror reality smacks me upside the head on that one. 

Thinking about aging always brings to mind a line from "Meet Joe Black." Anthony Hopkins (as William Parrish) toasts the crowd assembled for his birthday saying, "And I'm going to break precedence and tell you my one candle wish:  that you would have a life, as lucky as mine where you can wake up one morning and say, 'I don't want anything more.' 65 years, don't they go by in a blink?"

And to that I say ~ hell yes they do.  

So Charlie and I are going to take a big bite out of life today.  Or at least go to lunch.  After work.  And maybe start planning that 20th Wedding Anniversary vacation ~ because that happens this year, too.  Wouldn't that be loverly...

I caught these geese gliding by the kitchen window early this AM as I prepared breakfast for Cry Baby Ranch (aka A-choo).  Her nickname is another story for another day.  

So, Mornin' Peeps!



Friday, March 29, 2013

And While We Are Talking Birds...

Every time I watch this - and it is often - it blows my freaking mind.  Man, I want to see one IRL someday...

Thank you, Sophie and Liberty.  


Murmuration.

Birds.

I don't know when my fascination with birds began.  it was probably about 10 years ago when I started carrying my little point and shoot camera with me on my morning walks.  Then I discovered Flickr and bought a better camera.  And a couple of lenses. And then it was all over.

Carrying a camera made me much more aware of my surroundings and I joked that I just shot what was in front of me.  Often that meant birds.  

Then I started to put the camera down and just watch them.  Their grace as they glided thru the sky so effortlessly brought me such peace.  I closed my eyes and thru the quiet all I could hear was the rhythmic whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of their wings.  Those were the best images.  The ones no one but me could see inside my mind.

I love birds so much I named the latest incarnation of my photography "little bird pix."  They are never far from my thoughts...

The other night I took Simba out for her tinkle time and heard the whoosh and the calls in the distance.  I looked off to the horizon and gliding toward me were the pelicans of summer.  A lot of them.  I ran inside and even though we were already in our jammies (at our house that can be any time after 5:00 pm) and pulled the mister out on the deck to watch them pass overhead.  

Yay.  The pelicans are back.

In the Whee small hours of the morning today when everything was quiet and it was just my Whee Ones and me, I heard something delightful.  The sun wouldn't make its appearance for another hour, but in the darkness I heard the little finches waking up and singing their morning songs.  Summer's comin'.

And with that ~ mornin' peeps!


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Why I'm Here

My cell phone has made me a lazy photographer.

Facebook has made me a lazy writer.

A recent visit to a Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit inspired me to create this blog.  I'm not selling anything; not promoting anything.  This is my little space for me to just be me.  Relax a little already. 

Because at 58 and approaching age 60, Georgia got me thinking about how best to spend the rest of my time.  Holy moly time goes fast.  

I find I am beginning to instinctively take a few more chances.  I'm saying yes a little more often. I am worrying less about what others think of me and conversely listening to my own inner drummer more.  I want to travel more; there is so much out there I've yet to see...

I'm also giving myself permission to be selective as to how I spend my time and my energy ~ to surround myself with happy, positive and fun experiences and people.  I'm a little more outspoken and suffer fools less often.  Because I think I've earned the right to say no, too.  

So, come along on the ride if you want.  This is where I'll be starting my day ~ and maybe even ending my day ~ or checking in at noon.  It's my blog I can do whatever the hell I want.  ;-)  

And it is where I'll be greeting you each morning.  On that note ~~

Mornin' peeps!