My Favorite Photos - October 2022

During October, my favorite photos centered around birds, flowers, spending time with my younger daughter at college, and spending time with my sister doing genealogical "field trips." 

In early October, I saw a white-throated sparrow. I like the little yellow spot on its forehead.

 

The cardinals are now coming back to the feeders. During the fall and winter, they spend more time near our home and at the feeders. They remind me of my parents who were equally overjoyed when a cardinal - or a pair - would show up at their home. 

A new type of bird showed up at our farm - a red-breasted nuthatch. Normally, we see the white-breasted nuthatches. So, this is a pleasant surprise. 

The flowers have been blooming well into October which is unusual. This one surprised me when I looked closer at it after downloading it to my laptop: the center of the flower is heart-shaped! 

On warm days during October, the sparrows love playing in the birdbath.

By the middle of the month, the bird feeders were getting lots of "customers." It's always a bit bittersweet when the goldfinches' vibrant yellow feathers change to a tannish-gray color.

 

After spending a weekend at home, I brought Olivia back to college. She is on the video/tech team and enjoys it. She took me around the auditorium. This is one of the catwalks. I found out that she is tethered when she moves across the wooden pieces to her right. What isn't quite visible in the photo is that there is a gap between each piece. She needs to re-tether herself as she moves along them to adjust the lights. 

This is another catwalk that has a lot of stage lights. Below are the first six rows of the auditorium. 

As we stood on the catwalk, this was the view down. She also works at the soundboard which is the table in the middle section. 

On the third weekend, my sister and I went to a cemetery in Minneapolis where our grandparents on our mom's side are buried. We cleaned the graves and got the grass back from them. We didn't have a lot of water. So, after the next rain, the gravestones should be a lot brighter. 

 

At the same cemetery, we visited our great-grandparents on my maternal father's side. I had never been to this marker or the graves before, so this was something new. We saw that there were three additional gravestones - two belonging to their unmarried adult children and one belonging to a married adult child. Again we cleaned off each of the gravestones which was a big task. I don't think anyone in the family had been there in decades to do that. 

While we were in the area, we stopped by the church where our parents got married in 1964. At that time, all of the portraits were in black and white. Needless to say, the church was beautiful with its stained-glass windows. We were even lucky enough to be able to see a quinceanera. The young lady looked beautiful in her pink gown with the bouquets of pink flowers lining the aisle.

Around that neighborhood, which was considered a "Tier 2" area during the riots after George Floyd's death, there are a lot of murals. This one caught my eye.

This one did too...for a more humorous reason.

Our last stop of the day was at the home where my grandma and grandpa (on my mom's side) and my mom lived starting in 1942. Our grandpa died in 1951, my mom got married and moved out to her first home with our dad in 1964, and our grandma died in 1982. So, the home was in the family for 40 years. 

We were simply going to take some photos outside of the home. After we did that and were in the car, we noticed a woman peering out behind the door. I went back and introduced myself, and told her the purpose of taking photos. 

To make a long story short, she invited us in and we were able to see the home 40 years after we last saw it! A highlight was seeing the beautiful stained glass window still at the landing on the staircase. It was such a gift that the current homeowner gave us by letting us see the home. What was so touching was the care they are taking to preserve and restore the home. All the original woodwork - since 1904 - is there. 

Our last stop of the day was seeing a duplex that my grandparents and mom lived in from 1938-1942. My mom would have been 8-12 years old at the time. I'm not sure if they lived on the first or second floor. 

Interestingly, we have passed by this home hundreds (probably thousands) of times. It wasn't until my sister and I started doing genealogical research that we were able to get the addresses of some of the homes where our ancestors lived. 

After that, I became pretty sick and have been dealing on and off with laryngitis, fever, a respiratory infection, persistent cough, and sinus issues. Lots of children at the school where I work are sick now - over 5% with the flu alone (which they need to report to the Minnesota Department of Health). So, there are no more photos from the third week of October through the end of the month. 

Deliberate Acts of Kindness - Book Notes

Recently I read Deliberate Acts of Kindness by Meredith Gould. 

The author examined how service is a spiritual practice. Below are some points from the book that I found interesting: 

Eight Degrees of Tzedakah

1. To give grudgingly, reluctantly, or wit hregret;

2. To give less than one should, but with grace;

3. To give what one should, but only after being asked;

4. To give before one is asked;

5. To give without knowing who will receive it, although the recipient knows the identity of the giver;

6. To give without making known one's identity;

7. To give so that neither giver nor receiver knows the identity of the others;

8. To help another to become self-supporting, by means of a gift, a loan, or by finding employment for the one in need.

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead," wrote James in an epistle to members of the early church.

Buddhists...practice generosity, morality, renunciation, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and evenmindedness.

List what you think are totally perfect ways for you to serve, letting reason and logic dictate your choices. 

Ask yourself: "What sort of person would I like to become?"

"Fill yourselves first and then only will you be able to give to others." St. Augustine

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

- LEVEL 1 - Physiological Needs - air, water, food, clothing, shelter, sleep

- LEVEL 2 - Safety and Security Needs - order, stability, certainty, routine, familiarity, protection from fear and disease, physical safety, economic security, freedom from threat

- LEVEL 3 - Social Needs - love, acceptance, belonging, affection

- LEVEL 4 - Esteem Needs - respect and recognition from others, self-respect, a sense of prestige

- LEVEL 5 - Self-Actualization Needs - peak experiences, fulfilling a sense of self and calling, opportunities for learning and creating at higher levels

Grant us ears to hear,
Eyes to see,
Wills to obey,
Hearts to love; 
Then declare what you will, 
Reveal what you will, 
Command what you will,
Demand what you will. 
- Christina Rossetti

While it may seem only logical to serve the homeless if you've been homeless, counsel battered women if you've been one, or to do hospice work if you've watched a loved one die without dignity, you may not be emotionally ready to serve in these ways.

As you behold evidence of tragedy, waste, abuse, and simple ignorance in people's lives get into the habit of asking yourself: What would make a difference? How could I make a difference? 

Combine service work for others with R&R for yourself by looking into volunteer gigs at museums, theaters, concert halls, nature preserves, or community playgrounds. 

"The way you begin to change the world is through service." Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Gig is Right for You If...

- You not only respect but like people in charge - their values, dedication, and human decency.

- You feel immediately at home with other volunteers, sensing they're exactly the kind of folk with whom you want to spend time. 

- You experience a sense of satisfaction despite whatever frustrations and disappointments quickly - or gradually - emerge. 

The Gig is Wrong for You If...

- You feel entirely too overwhelmed by the enormity of what needs to be done. 

- You can't help but notice that everyone is a heck of a lot nicer to those being served than they are to anyone on the volunteer staff. 

- You not only start dreading the prospect of showing up, but you unconsciously - or consciously - act out by arriving late or calling in sick or too busy.

"Charity begins at home." - Terence

Agree to serve on a trial basis. Establish a mutually acceptable period of time to check out the setting, staff, and other volunteers. Committing to at least one month and preferably three will give you - and them - an opportunity to experience the match. 

Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
in all the places you can, 
all the times you can, 
to all the people you can, 
as long as you can.
- John Wesley

Start a prayer journal when you begin a new type or place of service. Note what you're being called upon to do and record any thoughts, feelings, and attitudes that emerge as a result. 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love, 
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy. 
O divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek 
To be consoled, as to console, 
To be understood, as to understand, 
To be loved, as to love, 
For it is in giving that we receive; 
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 
- St. Francis of Assisi

"Compassion is the only source of energy that is useful and safe." Thich Nhat Hanh 

Model loving self-care by canceling your appearance and staying home when you have a splitting headache, drippy nose, moist cough, or fever. One of your gifts to the world should not be your germs. Showing up sick is not heroic, it's inconsiderate. 

If you can't seem to arrive on time, something else - like resistance - is going on. Maybe you're in the wrong environment entirely. 

You were led to the perfect place to doing as well as being, and now you're deep into wondering: "Is it still God's grace if I hate it?" What happened? This divinely inspired service gig is not the slightest bit illuminating, it's more heart-hardening than opening, and for sure you are not having fun. Unfortunately, you're also beginning to love watching lots of incredibly stupid TV because it takes your mind off the nonsense that goes on in the name of serving others. You're feeling lousy physically, never fully able to share the dull headache...Welcome to the shadow side of service. 

Every six months, take the time to reassess what you are doing and where.

Boundaries are the limitations you set on what you perceive as insensitive behavior coming from others. The more firm the boundary, the greater your protection.

Establish a healthy separation between private and public worlds by creating a ritual to mark your entrance into and departure from service situations. 

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." Gandhi

Do not underestimate the stress of being around a lot of noise from people, equipment, traffic, and natural disasters. The best antidote to noise is silence. Make sure you eliminate or at least significantly reduce all aural stimulation as soon as you can. Listen to soothing music on your way home. Once home, turn the phone, television, and other noise off. You need a period of silent "down time" to calm body, soul, and spirit after a tough day of giving. 

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget - Book Notes

 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget by the Writers of Wise Bread did, indeed, have a lot of ideas for saving money. However, many I am already doing or they did not relate to my life. 

There were a handful of ideas, though, that I thought were interesting and relevant to events coming up in my life, or that I didn't know including:

- Leftover coffee can be made into frozen coffee cubes. When you do frozen coffee drinks, you can use these frozen cubes so it doesn't dilute the strength of the beverage.

- Take photos of your travel documents and send them to yourself via email. If anything unfortunate happens to the actual documents, you will save a lot of time, hassle, and money by having that information readily available.

- Stretch and strengthen your hamstrings. With more sitting, the hamstrings don't get the stretching or exercise they need. If you suffer from lower back pain, knee problems, hip aches, ankle soreness - all of these can be tied to weak and/or tight hamstrings. 

- For parties (like a graduation party) - do a dessert party or serve ice cream with a variety of toppings. Limit liquids - serve lemonade or a limited number of soft drinks rather than lots of combinations. 

- Accessorize events with flowers from club or warehouse stores. They are cheaper there.

The Zero Point Agreement - Book Notes

The Zero Point Agreement - How to Be Who You Already Are by Julie Tallard Johnson is a book I discovered on Goodreads. 

A person I know read it and it looked intriguing. There is a lot of good information in it and I'm glad she posted that she was reading it. Below are the parts of the book I found relevant to me and/or that I wanted to remember.

- We can't follow someone else's hero path. We must pave our own paths through life. We can of course borrow from those who we discern have gone successfully before us, like Christ or Buddha, or poet and pacifist William Stafford, or author and environmentalist Aldo Leopold, who each paved their own way.

- Creativity, inspiration, and all that goes into living a meaningful life come, too, from our ability to distance ourselves from all that limits the expression of our free will.

- When someone or something outside ourselves directs our choices and experiences, we are not living life from our side and we are held captive by this limitation. When limited by our perceived choices for a prolonged stint of time, we become uninspired.

- An enduring lack of inspiration can lead to giving up, addiction, depression, hopelessness, and helplessness. We then get held back, too, by blaming others for our lack of happiness or success.

- People often create their life works from what they want but do not have - like how Jane Austen wrote of romantic love but lacked it in her life. Many poets write about what they long for. 

- Let go of the "right and wrong," the dogma, or someone else's way and walk your own life. Write your own story. Paint in your own way. 

Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing

There is a field

I will meet you there.

- Rumi, 13th century Persian poet

- When we experience ourselves as separate from natural phenomena, from each other, and from ourselves, we tend to "cover up" with the false self. The false self is made up of our pain stories and outdated myths and underlying assumptions, agreements, and beliefs that are linked to our past. 

- An undisciplined mind, an inability to stay focused, makes you vulnerable to internal and external distractions. These distractions can ultimately lead you away from your creative and spiritual intentions. 

- Everyone knows their calling - it boils down to listening to the call and following it, rather than getting lost in all the distractions.

- Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Your beliefs become your thoughts,

your thoughts become your words,

your words become your actions,

your actions become your habits,

your habits become your values,

your values become your destiny.

- Mahatma Gandhi

- In Buddhist practices, we hold ourselves accountable for how we respond to our circumstances.

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother 

to endow it with the most useful gift, 

that gift would be curiosity.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

- To see the new story that may be offering itself up to you (or that is calling to you), you have to release old stories about how things are supposed to be or look. 

There is no passion to be found playing small - 

in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

- Nelson Mandela

- We settle for the comfort in the routine, for what feels familiar, for what we know. Sometimes we settle for what someone else wants for us. Every time we want to create something new, leave behind some old way of being, or challenge ourselves to try something different - resistance arises and we find ourselves on this slippery slope of settling. 

- If you are not moving toward your dream, you are settling. So if you claim that nothing out of the ordinary calls to you - you are probably settling. 

- Most of us have settled. Maybe not entirely, but in part we have given our time and resources to something or someone that is less than what we want or, more importantly, what we are capable of. We lie to ourselves and say that "this is enough" or "I need to give this more time." 

- We settle for less in ourselves and then in others and miss the fulfillment of a vision.

- Dare to give ourselves more time to be creative or dare ourselves to do something larger like change vocations. 

What you are comes to you.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

- The happiest among us are those of us who take risks and are loyal to our spiritual (ethical) and creative commitments no matter the results.

 Depression is based on our interpretations of our life situations, our circumstances, 

our self-conceptions. We get depressed for not being the person we want to be. 

We get depressed when we think we have not been able to 

achieve the things that we want to achieve in life. 

- Traleg Kyabgon

- Depression is not about you. It affects everyone around you, including your larger community. Self-absorption is not a cure and will result in an even greater sense of isolation.

- Life is constantly in motion and changing, and when we hold on to an old story that is no longer even possible, depression can take root.

- A person who is depressed and angry....they are leaving a large part of their life unlived. Their antidote is simple (but not easy): they need to activate their creative life - take that class, bring out the guitar, write that book, or hold more conversations and take more trips. They need to commit to the active creative life and do so in the open. 

- Antidotes to depression: spend time outside in a natural environment. Watch Off the Map.

- A troublemaker can be a person, situation, or event that presents us with some difficulty. When a troublemaker shows up in your life, you have the opportunity to let it pull you away from your creative intentions or use it in your creative and spiritual pursuits. 

- Let go of the opinions of others. Typically the threats made by a bully include ruining others' opinions of you, whether explicitly or implicitly. So when you can let go of others' opinions as being meaningful to you, a better fate awaits you. 

Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. 

What a man thinks of himself, that is what determines, or rather, indicates his fate. 

- Henry David Thoreau

- The illusion is that "when I get this I will be happy." The focusing illusion includes putting our happiness on outward objects and circumstances and typically looks into the future. There is a lack of creativity involved because we are putting our energy in an illusionary state of when.  This illusion forgoes living life from your side because the focus of your happiness is on something outside of yourself.

Most people believe that they would be happier if they were richer, 

but survey evidence on the subject of well-being is largely inconsistent with that belief. 

- Daniel Kahneman

- If we work hard all day and then give nothing to our spiritual or creative life, or to our relationships for that matter, everyone suffers. 

- Clutter is often a manifestation of this agreement to put our creative life on hold. As the piles of paper, waste, and stuff accumulate, it gives us more and more things we have to get to before we can get to our creative lives. Then, the door closes and it is too late.

Good artists copy; great artists steal.

- Pablo Picasso

- You can't live the creative life without borrowing from the dead, or from the living. You must steal shamelessly from those who came before you and those around you now. Then you must make it your own. In making the materials you own you get what you want - a personal and direct experience that is both creative and spiritual.

- A large part of my life's work is to leave behind a truly rich compost pile for those who will live off my life. Whatever we leave behind makes up our compost. Our books, our art, our ideas, our children, our teachings, our attitude, our beliefs, our legacies all go into our life's compost. 

- Stealing is different from just copying or plagiarizing others. When you copy, you haven't put yourself into it.

- If we only duplicate what inspires us, nothing truly creative will come of it. Steal what inspires you, then do something inspirational with this association. Make it your own somehow. 

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. 

- Albert Einstein 

- Read Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. 

- Spiritual activism is the creative act of showing up in intimate and open conversations with everything around you.

- Treating every conversation and interaction as if it were our last invites us to invest more in what we say, and in what we don't say, to each other. 

- Have some kind of daily practice (journaling, walking) that reinforces your creative and spiritual life. Don't waste this precious lifetime by putting things off or ignoring the daily call to be active in your spiritual and creative life. Remember, none of us know the day or hour of our death. So let's not be frivolous with the remarkable opportunity of this day. 

Poet/Poetry Study - Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar, an American poet, novelist, and short story writer in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, was born on June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War.

Source

According to Wikipedia, "Dunbar began writing stories and verse when he was a child. He published his first poems at the age of 16 in a Dayton newspaper, and served as president of his high school's literary society. 

"Dunbar's popularity increased rapidly after his work was praised by William Dean Howells, a leading editor associated with Harper's Weekly. Dunbar became one of the first African-American writers to establish an international reputation. In addition to his poems, short stories, and novels, he also wrote the lyrics for the musical comedy In Dahomey (1903), the first all-African-American musical produced on Broadway in New York. The musical later toured in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Dunbar suffered from tuberculosis, which in the early-1900s had no cure. He died in Dayton, Ohio, on February 9, 1906, at the age of 33. Wikipedia states that "Much of Dunbar's more popular work in his lifetime was written in the 'Negro dialect' associated with the antebellum South, though he also used the Midwestern regional dialect of James Whitcomb Riley. Dunbar also wrote in conventional English in other poetry and novels."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Debt

This is the debt I pay

Just for one riotous day,

Years of regret and grief,

Sorrow without relief.

Pay it I will to the end —

Until the grave, my friend,

Gives me a true release —

Gives me the clasp of peace.

Slight was the thing I bought,

Small was the debt I thought,

Poor was the loan at best —

God! but the interest!

Olivia thought:

- It sounded like it started out like he was taking out a debt to pay for something like going on the bus or trolly.

- The second section talks about death and paying it back when you are dead...or it can't bother you once you are dead. 

- The debt was not important. 

- He thought it was small, but it wasn't. 

- You have the interest on the debt. 

- [After reading a short essay about how the debt this poem may not relate to money, Olivia said:] I like how the author of the essay said that debt may not be focused on a monetary debt, but as a like an action or word that has been said. 

- It makes more sense that way. Certain parts of it...other parts sound money or finance-focused. 

- The stuff in the grave - it can't follow you. It's done. Once you are done, that's it. 

- I liked this poem.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Old Front Gate

W'en daih's chillun in de house,

Dey keep on a-gittin' tall;

But de folks don' seem to see

Dat dey's growin' up at all,

'Twell dey fin' out some fine day

Dat de gals has 'menced to grow,

W'en dey notice as dey pass

Dat de front gate's saggin' low.

W'en de hinges creak an' cry,

An' de bahs go slantin' down,

You kin reckon dat hit's time

Fu' to cas' yo' eye erroun',

'Cause daih ain't no 'sputin' dis,

Hit's de trues' sign to show

Dat daih's cou'tin goin' on

W'en de ol' front gate sags low.

Oh, you grumble an' complain,

An' you prop dat gate up right;

But you notice right nex' day

Dat hit's in de same ol' plight.

So you fin' dat hit's a rule,

An' daih ain' no use to blow,

W'en de gals is growin' up,

Dat de front gate will sag low.

Den you t'ink o' yo' young days,

W'en you cou'ted Sally Jane,

An' you so't o' feel ashamed

Fu' to grumble an' complain,

'Cause yo' ricerlection says,

An' you know hits wo'ds is so,

Dat huh pappy had a time

Wid his front gate saggin' low.

So you jes' looks on an' smiles

At 'em leanin' on de gate,

Tryin' to t'ink whut he kin say

Fu' to keep him daih so late,

But you lets dat gate erlone,

Fu' yo' 'sperunce goes to show,

'Twell de gals is ma'ied off,

It gwine keep on saggin' low.

Olivia thought:

- The old front gate is clearly sagging and needs repairs. 

- I heard the word "pappy" which refers to the dad.

- There are sisters are of the age to get married and should be married by now. 

- This poem was confusing and long. The slang and we're guessing what these words mean make this poem definitely on the difficult side.

- Some of the words you can figure out. 

- I think he definitely captures how some African Americans would have talked. 

- I think it would have been a nice poem if I could understand it a little better. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask that grins and lies

 It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,

 This debt we pay to human guile;

 With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,

 And mouth with myriad subtleties.

 Why should the world be overwise,

  In counting all our tears and sighs?

  Nay, let them only see us, while

  We wear the mask.

   We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

    To thee from tortured souls arise.

    We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,

    We wear the mask!

Olivia thought:

- So it is about wearing a mask when you are out in public. At the beginning it sounds like it is an actual, physical mask. Towards the end, it sounds more like a figurative one. People don't know that you are wearing. 

- One would wear the mask to hide - to hide pain and misery. 

- They want to keep the mask on because there's no reason for others to know what's going on in your life. 

- I liked it. I think the death one is better. I think people can associate themselves with one of the characters who is behind the mask.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dawn

An angel, robed in spotless white,

Bent down and kissed the sleeping Night.

Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone.

Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.

Olivia thought:

- Talking about the sunrise and how it pink. 

- People thought the angel was the sun or the bringer of the dawn; and then he would disappear and not leave a trace.

- It's the transition from night to day. 

- I like this one. It is cute. 

- This is a new perspective on looking at this transition from night to day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Invitation to Love

Come when the nights are bright with stars

Or come when the moon is mellow;

Come when the sun his golden bars

Drops on the hay-field yellow.

Come in the twilight soft and gray,

Come in the night or come in the day,

Come, O love, whene’er you may,

And you are welcome, welcome.

You are sweet, O Love, dear Love,

You are soft as the nesting dove.

Come to my heart and bring it to rest

As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.

Come when my heart is full of grief

Or when my heart is merry;

Come with the falling of the leaf

Or with the redd’ning cherry.

Come when the year’s first blossom blows,

Come when the summer gleams and glows,

Come with the winter’s drifting snows,

And you are welcome, welcome.

Olivia thought:

- This person is inviting love into their life because - I guess - they haven't felt it. They want to let love knows that it is welcome in their life. 

- I like the beginning part with the sky - come when the nights are bright with that - that first section.

- Talks about the seasons, grief, how love is soft, and bringing it home. 

- The part with the sky and the seasons, I could picture that in my mind. 

- I liked Dawn better than this one.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ships that Pass in the Night

Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing;

I look far out into the pregnant night,

Where I can hear a solemn booming gun

And catch the gleaming of a random light,

That tells me that the ship I seek is passing, passing.

My tearful eyes my soul's deep hurt are glassing;

For I would hail and check that ship of ships.

I stretch my hands imploring, cry aloud,

My voice falls dead a foot from mine own lips,

And but its ghost doth reach that vessel, passing, passing.

O Earth, O Sky, O Ocean, both surpassing,

O heart of mine, O soul that dreads the dark!

Is there no hope for me? Is there no way

That I may sight and check that speeding bark

Which out of sight and sound is passing, passing?

Olivia thought:

- First thought was the song "Ships in the Night." 

- This gives me a melancholy feeling. Everything seems alright, but there's an air of urgency and concern with the solemn booming gun. It sounds like there may be other ships fighting. 

- "Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing" - I can imagine the dark clouds coming together. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3-2-1 November 2021

I've been enjoying the 3-2-1 swap on Swap-Bot that I started participating in earlier this year. It's always good to take some time to reflect on what makes me happy, what I'm looking forward to, and things that I'd rather forget. Below are my answers for the swap.

3 things that made me happy in November

Seeing how happy Olivia was for her senior photos. She had her make up done first.

Then she had her curled and styled. This took the longest time since her hair is almost to her waist.

She wore a dress that we purchased in China when we adopted her. The Chinese headdress is one that she chose specifically for her senior photos.

Another set of photos was taken in her Tang Soo Do outfit. 

Gathering as a family for Thanksgiving. We had 14 people at our home for the holiday. It was nice to gather again in person after spending it with just our immediate family (of 4) in 2020.

Seeing the planets and moon so clearly on many nights throughout the month. During November, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, and the moon are all were visible in the southern sky. I've never seen that many planets and the moon so close to one another. 

This is Venus to the left and the moon nestled in the tree branches.

This is Jupiter (upper left), the moon (middle), and Venus (lower right above the barn). It's not a clear photo because I didn't have my tripod. 

2 things that I'm looking forward to in December

Seeing Sophia perform in the Festival of Christmas. We saw Sophia perform in the Festival of Christmas earlier today. She's in the handbell choir this year as she was last year. During her first year - freshman year - she played the harp. 

These are photos from her first year when she played the harp: 

These are some photos from this year's Festival of Christmas. The first three are from the pre-concert handbell choir in the lobby. 

 

This is Benson Hall before the performance. I used a wide-angle lens so I could get the entire stage and the front section of the hall.

The chamber orchestra is in front, then the wind symphony, and then handbells. The choirs went on stage after doing a processional.

The conclusion of the Festival of Christmas with all the student musicians/performers on the stage and the conductors in the front. 

Finishing the quilts that my mom started, but never had a chance to finish before she died. This is one of the quilts that I was working on during December. All the quilt tops are now sewn. It's a matter of assembling the tops, battings, and backings; sewing them together; and then tying them so that the batting stays in place.

1 thing from November that I'd rather forget

Having problems with allergies. I'm not going to share a picture of what severe allergies look like. Suffice it to say, my eyes get really red, and my eyelids and under my eyes get super puffy. I have to do eye drops multiple times per day and then coat the skin around my eyes with Vaseline. 

I'm hoping that the colder weather stops whatever allergens are causing this reaction. It's not only me...many other people in our area - including pets - are experiencing the same thing.