tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79190058601653114422024-03-20T02:38:39.529-07:00SKaySpeak
© copyright SkayArt No part of this blog may be used without written permission.Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-5191932388100026792018-11-13T18:41:00.001-07:002018-11-13T18:41:37.703-07:00A Story About JesusI'm going to tell you a story about Jesus you've probably never read in your bible.<br />
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It seems that one day, he was walking along The Devil's Highway. That's an area between Nogales, Mexico and Tucson, Arizona, where those sons of Satan, 'Coyotes', often abandon people who have paid them good money to guide them to El Norte. Many of those people, who are told their destination is 'just over that next hill', wind up dying of thirst, because there is nothing over that next hill except more hills and more desert, for miles and miles and miles!<br />
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Anyway, as Jesus was walking, he saw a couple sitting in the scant shade of a scrub mesquite. He could easily tell they were not ok, and it was obvious that the woman was well into her pregnancy, but when he approached them, he asked, 'Do you have papers?' When they said 'No.', Jesus performed a miracle. He got out his cell phone and actually got a signal! He promptly called the border patrol and told them, 'I'm detaining two illegals. I'll hold them till you can pick them up for deportation."<br />
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Just kidding. That's not really what happened. This is what happened.<br />
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When Jesus reached the couple, he promptly gave them each a bottle of water from his back-pack. After they'd drunk their fill of life-giving water, he told them, Come. Follow me. I will lead you to safety.<br />
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Before long, they reached a small adobe hut. Inside, were a table, a couple of chairs and a big, comfy bed! Jesus invited them to sit down and said, 'Rest here....I'll be right back.' Very soon, he returned with a basin and a big pitcher of water. He knelt before the couple and tenderly and carefully washed their tired, aching, blistered feet.<br />
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Then, he fed them some beans and tortillas and told them to get a good night's sleep. He said, 'I have to go back out there. There are so many lost and troubled souls out on that Devil's Highway and they, too, need my help. But, tomorrow, I'll be back and I will take you to some of my good friends who will help you to build your new life.<br />
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Jesus kept his word to them. <br />
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Before long, the couple, José and María, had a son. With gratitude, they named him Jesús , to honor the man who saved them and brought them to sanctuary.<br />
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OK....I know. You won't find this story in your Bible, either. But, if one of these stories were true, you know which one it would be, don't you?<br />
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-74453643885882234112018-09-16T08:15:00.000-07:002018-09-16T08:15:12.972-07:00MY PATIO: THE CHIMENEATo begin with, it must be said: As a general rule, I don't like new things. I like old things...found things....repurposed things. They are things which can tell a story to anyone who is still long enough to listen.<br />
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The story about my patio must begin with the chimenea. And it is one of the few things I bought 'new.' It is the heart and soul of this, for me, sacred, special haven.<br />
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It was a holiday, as I recall and my husband and I decided we wanted to take a day trip. We wandered, probably on back roads and wound up in Nogales, Arizona. There, we saw a business, open, with a huge yard chock full of every kind of Mexican pottery imaginable! At the time, I had been painting on regular clay pots but what I saw there put an end to 'regular clay pot painting! We wound up spending a crazy amount of money on a crazy amount of merchandise....including this chimenea The owner was so pleased. He told us that he had almost not opened that day, expecting little or no business but he had a goal he was trying to reach and our purchases put him over his goal. It was a good day for us all! How did all that stuff get to our house? I don't remember but it was so much, it had to have been delivered.<br />
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This is some of the stuff I used to paint on...including pots of all kinds and small chimeneas purchased that day!<br />
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How many untold hours have been spent with so many special people, talking and laughing or just sitting in sweet, companionable silence, watching the flames dance and listening to the crackling of burning wood ....and smelling that sweetest perfume of all, cedar and pinon pine as the smoke curls up and around us.....warming our hands....and our feet....and our hearts.....with its' sacred fire. I say it is sacred because the wood gives up its very last shred of life, to keep us warm. That is a gift!<br />
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Eventually, with minimal help from my husband because I WANT TO DO IT BY MYSELF!!!!.....I built a stand for it, from a neighbor's discarded flagstone. Thank you, Cecil. May he RIP. Now, there's a 'hearth' .....a place to prop your feet up to get them all toasty on a cold evening.<br />
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This was many years ago. I am...and look...much older now!</div>
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And, I did, finally throw those shorts away. </div>
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I placed in it, stones I had found in my wanderings through the desert creeks and canyons and flatlands....each with its own, special memory. It is not exactly level. I do not care. And, I purposely left sufficient spaces to provide lizards easy access in and out of this good dwelling place for them.<br />
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One time, a 2 year old child was visiting and I had given him the hose to play at watering the plants in my pots. He watered everything. And when, his mom and I got distracted, he filled the chimenea to overflowing! I didn't think to take out all the wet sand and ash.....so it could properly dry....and so it began deteriorating more quickly than it might have. A crack appeared....from what, I don't know...perhaps a fire that was too hot made from mesquite wood? Still, after 20 plus years, it stands there.....waiting.....till it can again warm my heart and the hearts of all who sit by its glow.<br />
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Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-86372373919755928492018-09-10T09:26:00.000-07:002018-09-10T09:26:52.302-07:00WHAT'S IN MY PIE?I've been thinking, this morning, about those pie charts. If I made one for my life, what would it look like? How would it be divided?<br />
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After some semi-serious thought, I decided on four sections: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Practical<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Physical<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Spiritual<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Magical<br />
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The first is for those things that are necessary in our daily lives....things like bothering to get dressed, washing dishes, grocery shopping, dusting, vaccuming, laundry, paying bills.....feeding the dadgum cats and cleaning up the dadgum cat hair! Stuff like that. Stuff that goes on a 'To-Do List.'<br />
This will be the smallest piece of the pie chart.<br />
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The second is the oft ignored basic needs for physical health and energy. At least, I oft ignore them. Or, I used to. Not so much these days. These days, I have become so aware of my physical limitations and I am really ticked off about it! There are things I want to do, now that I am out of that horrible, long depression since my NEW DAY began, three weeks ago tonight. I've always done pretty well in the healthy eating department but I did very badly when it came to any kind of regular physical exertion or exercise. Use it or lose it. I didn't. I did. I want it back....as much as is possible. It has become necessary to pay closer attention to my physical needs...starting with oxygen! I'm already doing breathing exercises and they are helping. I need to add some strength building exercises next and actually DO THEM!!!!! So,this will be the next biggest piece of the pie chart.<br />
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The third and the fourth are quite similar and one blends into the other so beautifully, that maybe I should just consider them as one huge portion.<br />
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I have been spending a great deal of my time just sitting on my patio BEING. And SEEING. And HEARING. I am acutely aware that this has become one of the most important parts of my day! It is so healing and restful and relaxing and restoring. These days, I have some very specific music playing almost all day long...and for sure, all night long. This music is......words fail....it is just magic! <br />
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Writing my blog is feeding my spirit and my soul because to write it, I have to ask myself a question...and then I have to listen for the answer. The asking is a prayer. The waiting for an answer is meditation. The answer, when it comes, is magical....and turns into a 'spell'.....a 'spelling'....a gathering of words which appear in my journal and then, here, in my blog.<br />
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Painting, of course, has been, for years, the most Spiritual practice I had. And Magic happens, sometimes, at that easel...when I am most fortunate. <br />
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I am becoming aware that many of these things, from each list, can be transferred to another category....another piece of the pie. Washing dishes can be a meditation and if you allow yourself to notice how the light plays with colors in the soap bubbles, it can be magical, too. I am aware of how 'neatness and order' in my surroundings has a great affect on my energy level. I am aware that walking down the hall, to go get dressed, if done with a little dancin' thrown in, for good measure, can be part of the physical. I am aware that deliberately taking a moment to do some gentle stretches can sometimes make little shivers of delightful relaxation course through my entire body. That is surely magical! Isn't it?<br />
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A wise woman once pointed out how difficult a thing balance is to achieve. It requires enormous concentration and precise application of energy. That just makes me tired to even think about.<br />
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I know that my pie chart won't be balanced into four equal parts. Oh, NO!!! At least three-quarters will be taken up by Spiritual and Magical. A small sliver will be dedicated to the Practical. What is left over will be labeled Physical.<br />
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I'll try this pie....and see if I like it. If I don't, I can always change the ingredients, can't I?<br />
<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-78972879892429354062018-09-06T07:30:00.000-07:002018-09-06T07:30:06.268-07:00JUST SIT<div style="text-align: center;">
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JUST SIT!</div>
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Don't jump up 'n' down-fixin' 'n' fussin' with stuff.<br />
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JUST SIT!! </div>
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Don't go to writin' down stuff-not a thought, ner a poem....fer sure, not a to do list!<br />
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JUST SIT!!<br />
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Don't be thinkin' on what you wanna do....or oughta do...or yore<br />
gonna do later.<br />
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JUST SIT!!!</div>
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Just sit.....and let your eyes see what is right and beautiful...just as it is.<br />
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Just sit.....and hear what is sweet and soothing to your soul.<br />
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JUST SIT.</div>
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AND BREATHE.</div>
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AND BE!!!!</div>
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Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-56849160826384376152018-09-04T07:42:00.000-07:002018-09-04T07:42:09.273-07:00WALK IN BEAUTYSo many things, I am being aware of having written about in this blog-years ago!<br />
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So many things, I am being aware of having known...that I seem to have forgotten...at least, temporarily.<br />
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Long before I began painting, I wrote these words in a notebook.<br />
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"I AM. THEREFORE I CREATE BEAUTY."</div>
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Since childhood, I've prettified my surroundings...<br />
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...................arranged colorful pebbles in pleasing patterns as I played by a mountain stream.........<br />
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...................redecorated discarded Christmas trees using things I found wandering....bird's feathers, bits of string or paper....and yes, little rocks, which I would balance, carefully,on the branches............<br />
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Years ago, as a young mother, I determined that in our home, there would be beauty everywhere I looked! I am a minimalist. I don't like 'stuff' for the sake of having 'stuff.' And I abhor, what I call 'uglies.'<br />
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I had a rule. For me to have something in our house, it had to meet, at least one of these criterion.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1. It must be eminently useful<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2. It must be of great sentimental value<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3. It must be beautiful.<br />
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It was the greatest joy to have something which was all three! Maybe this pot isn't beautiful to some. But it is to me. And, it gets used more than any other pan I've ever owned. And, it was my mother's.<br />
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I could not be bothered to clean the spills before taking the photo!</div>
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I have followed those rules always, the very best I possibly could.<br />
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We forget, though, we humans, that we are here to see and appreciate beauty....to feel beauty.....and to create beauty!<br />
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The Navajo People have a prayer............<br />
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Walking in Beauty: Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony<br />
In beauty I walk<br />
With beauty before me I walk<br />
With beauty behind me I walk<br />
With beauty above me I walk<br />
With beauty around me I walk<br />
It has become beauty again<br />
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Hózhóogo naasháa doo?Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo?Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo?Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo?T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo?Hózhó náhásdlíí’?Hózhó náhásdlíí’?Hózhó náhásdlíí’?Hózhó náhásdlíí’<br />
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Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me<br />
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.<br />
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.<br />
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.<br />
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.<br />
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.<br />
In beauty all day long may I walk.<br />
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.<br />
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.<br />
With dew about my feet, may I walk.<br />
With beauty before me may I walk.<br />
With beauty behind me may I walk.<br />
With beauty below me may I walk.<br />
With beauty above me may I walk.<br />
With beauty all around me may I walk.<br />
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.<br />
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.<br />
My words will be beautiful…<br />
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Linguistic Note: The word “Hozho” in Dine’ (roughly translated) Concept of Balance and Beauty. Consideration of the nature of the universe, the world, and man, and the nature of time and space, creation, growth, motion, order, control, and the life cycle includes all these other Navajo concepts expressed in terms quite impossible to translate into English. Some Navajos might prefer the term: “Nizhoni” meaning ‘just beauty.”<br />
Written by Robert S. Drake, for Tom Holm, PhD, University of Arizona American Indian Graduate Studies Program, Native American Religions and Spirituality.<br />
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I AM. THEREFORE, I CREATE BEAUTY.</div>
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Beginning, once again, to create beauty, is a most joyful part of this New Day Journey I am on.<br />
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I pray that I may not forget that truth, again.Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-69773204798566126072018-09-03T07:26:00.002-07:002018-09-03T07:26:50.691-07:00ALL MY SENSESAt 8, I go to bed....not exhausted...just pleasantly tired after a fulfilling day.<br />
As I lie there, listening to my sleep music, I become so relaxed that I can scarcely determine where my body ends and the bed supporting me begins.<br />
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I do not, however, fall asleep. After an hour, I get up, thinking I will read for a bit. But, I notice it is raining again. so instead, I go sit in the dark, on my patio. At first, the rain is soft and gentle and there is a deliciously cool breeze refreshing my bare skin. The scent of rain on the desert is a heady perfume. The sound of the rain drops on the tin roof is rhythmic and melodious. There is a monsoon light show happening in the sky. Thunder begins crashing and rolling over the mountains and down into the desert floor. The storm draws nearer.<br />
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All of my senses are wide awake. I decide I want to add one more sense to the mix......taste........so I go pour myself a glass of wine. As I sit back down, I quickly realize that it is almost uncomfortably cool with the strengthening wind.<br />
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Recently, a dear friend went to Africa. She brought me a Masai Shuka. To me, it looks like Scotch plaid. And, apparently, there is a school of thought that the origin of the pattern came from contact with Scotch missionaries.<br />
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https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-cloth/<br />
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Back I went, into the house, for the shuka.<br />
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Comfortably wrapped in the African-Scotch plaid....I felt completely immersed and submerged in sensual delights of every kind!<br />
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I have a new friend. . She's, obviously, lived in the neighborhood for a long time, but I just noticed her last week when I began spending more time on my patio. I was sitting in exactly the right position to have the right perspective to finally see her face looking right at me! She and I have become good friends. I call her, Stella. She looks rather fierce, to me.....not scary fierce...but strong and protective fierce.....a warrior woman if I ever saw one!<br />
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One of our cats was curled up in the chair next to me. The other was nestled in the old quilts on the glider. Stella and I keep company as the storm grows stronger.<br />
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I am aware of a profound sense of wonder and one-ness. I am IN this universe. This universe is IN me. I sit in profound peace and beauty-filled bliss!<br />
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The rain stops. The lightning lessens. The thunder rolls away. The storm passes.<br />
I go back to bed.<br />
To sleep.<br />
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As I write these words, this morning, dawn has broken....cloud remnants hanging over the mountains are turning pink and gold with the rising sun. I am aware that monsoon season is nearly over and soon, we will go for weeks or even months with little or no rain. <br />
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Two weeks ago, tonight, is when I went to the Emergency Room and wound up in the hospital. I began my own new season....these new days of my beautiful new life!<br />
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A NEW DAY HAS BEGUN.<br />
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I AM GRATEFUL.<br />
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I have just written that last sentence in my notebook when I notice a bird swooping into my vision. It lands, directly in front of me! It is the Kestrel I've been hearing screeching nearby but have not seen in a very long time. Welcome back, my friend.<br />
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-63975781201103856212018-09-02T07:18:00.000-07:002018-09-02T07:18:07.838-07:00DEPRESSIONIt sucks.<br />
It sucks your energy.<br />
It sucks the very life out of you!<br />
And it is tricky and insidious. It can masquerade as something else...something like, 'I'm just tired.'<br />
Just constantly, completely , utterly, deeply, profoundly, bone-marrow deep tired!!!!!!!!!!<br />
I could hardly talk to anyone without weeping....especially if they asked me, 'How are you?' I truly felt like I was going crazy, at times.<br />
I really did not recognize how sick I was....neither with the COPD nor the depression I was experiencing.<br />
When I finally did, it was a life-changing moment.<br />
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The last year has been a rough one with numerous medical problems my husband was having, culminating in a cancer diagnosis.<br />
He's doing well..radiation is completed and he's back to work. He still has another immunotherapy treatment left and then the PET scans to see if it is gone.<br />
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There has been an enormous stress on us both. The illnesses. The bills. The lack of income. The worry. And of course, other life didn't stop becuase of all that. There were some other rough family issues which came up....some really rough ones. And, an ongoing project which kept my patio....my sanctuary....my haven....in complete and utter disarray for months.<br />
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Everywhere I looked, it seemed. everything was a mess and I had NO energy to clean up any of those messes! I got to where I just couldn't care anymore about how everything looked. It just hurt to care. It made me more tired to care. I painted in the morning. Thankfully, I still took great joy in that. The only thing I did in the afternoon was cook some supper and wash some dishes....and sometimes, I didn't even do that. I was too tired!<br />
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I didn't care what I looked like, either. I am embarrassed to admit how long I might go without a shower or washing my hair....or shaving my old legs! Taking a bath, which I used to love, would mean I'd have to spend more time cleaning the bathtub. The very idea was exhausting...so I took showers...if and when I even bothered.<br />
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Beloved plants withered and nearly died from lack of attention....because I was just too tired...and it was too hot...and too humid...and too completely miserable outdoors....for me to force myself to go make the effort.<br />
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So, I sat in the house and grew more and more tired. And smoked. And smoked.<br />
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I've made no secret of the fact that I'm not happy with the state of our country since the last Presidential election. I knew, full well, I was depressed over that. Lots of us have lived in a state of heightened anxiety since then, wondering what on earth will happen next in this new world we were suddently thrust into!<br />
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Still, even though I recognized I was having some depression, I had no idea how deep it went. I was given a great gift, all because of my husband's cancer diagnosis...which helped me keep going, for a time. I am collaborating with a wonderful new friend in getting numerous paintings placed in Diamond Children's Hospital, here in Tucson.<br />
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But, that obviously wasn't enough.<br />
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Everything came crashing down on me, on Sunday, August 19th, when I suddenly could not catch my breath, at all! Somehow, I was able to calm myself and breathe a little better....but when it happened again, the next evening, I knew I couldn't put off getting help. That's when we went to the E.R. and I subsequently found myself as a guest in their 'resort.'<br />
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It was while lying there, in enforced stillness, that I suddenly recognized the magnitude of what I was dealing with. Not long ago, I had painted this picture....which, I believe is quite telling.<br />
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And many, many months ago, I painted this one. Again, I think it is quite telling.<br />
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I don't remember, before this happened, when was the last time I woke up feeling rested. Sleep was difficult to achieve and even when I did, I was waking myself numerous times each night, coughing. That would be followed by another round of trying to quiet my spinning mind so I could get back to sleep...even for a little while. I tried all kinds of mind tricks. Some of them worked-somewhat. Some, not at all.<br />
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I know now I was simply not getting enough oxygen in my body for it to operate properly. I know there are biological processes which happen when oxygen moves through your lungs and into your blood stream....important ones. Not getting sufficient oxygen was a big cause of my fatigue...and part, I'm convinced..... of the reason for my depression. Of course, anxiety interferes with your breathing, too. So, I was getting assaulted from two angles!<br />
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Lots of folks don't breathe right. Lots of folks don't sleep well. I would ask you to examine your breathing habits and see if you might be able to improve those habits and maybe get some better sleep.<br />
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There is a very simple breathing exercise which I am doing faithfully because it just makes such a huge difference, so quickly! I highly recommend it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqIPW474azk" target="_blank">watch here</a> If that link doesn't work, copy and paste this into your browser.<br />
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqIPW474azk<br />
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The most immediate relief of my depression came from getting sufficient OXYGEN!!!!! It is amazing, life-sustaining stuff! I highly recommend it! ;)<br />
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Then, as I began to feel less tired, I began to have more interest in my own life. I began to be more aware of my own needs. I began to be more aware of the importance of self care! I have written about that, a little, in a previous post. I intend to re-read that one, myself, often.<br />
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I am already more physically active, although I have to pace myself and that just aggravates me, mightally, at times! I am dying to feel like mowing the yard! Even if I have to do it five minutes at a time.<br />
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I'm restoring my patio and my yard, little by little and while I'm doing that, I'm restoring my soul.<br />
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And.....I'm, once again, taking long, leisurely baths...'cause they feel so good....and I think I can manage to clean that tub!<br />
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-34008985040533267652018-09-01T08:19:00.000-07:002018-09-01T08:19:26.122-07:00MORNING GLORYThis morning's soundtrack really should be:<br />
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"Oh, what a beautfiul mornin'....oh, what a beautiful day............." <br />
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We had a cloudburst last night which left the air cool and fresh and sweet. I am getting occasional whiffs of my Arabian Jasmine growing in the front yard. <br />
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Hummingbirds, mockingbirds, doves, gold finches, house finches, woodpeckers and a multitude of sparrows are paying visits to the fountain and singing the sun up!<br />
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The passing clouds are making pretty pictures in the sky.<br />
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The fountain is splashing a melody.<br />
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It's Saturday. The only traffic noise I can hear is the faint whistle of a distant train.<br />
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My coffee tastes especially good, this morning.<br />
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Daisy Cat is keeping me company.<br />
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I didn't sleep the night through. In fact, I was wide awake again, in the middle of the night. I didn't pay close enough attention to the music video I chose before I went to bed. It only lasted 4 hours....so, when it stopped, I woke up.<br />
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I got into a cooking frenzy, yesterday afternoon, and made myself so tired that I left a horrible mess in the kitchen. So, once again, in the middle of the night, I was up doing dishes. It was good to wake up to a clean kitchen.<br />
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I got a surprisingly good sounding little speaker for my tablet and I think, last night, I got the 'right' volume level figured out...not too loud....not too soft...but juuuuuust right. So, if I use a 24/7 video tonight instead of that 4 hour one, I might be more successful sleeping through the night.<br />
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The smoking thing: I am very aware, especially after yesterday, that allowing myself to get too tired is a sure fire way to set off a chain-smoking episode! Also, frustration and excitement are strong triggers. I am feeling less and less triggers as I work on these blog entries and I am still making new connections to healthier responses to my triggers. There are so many!<br />
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Today is September...a new month....a new season.....a time when, if I make myself healthy enough, I can spend many pleasant hours nurturing my poor, neglected yard without the possibility of heat stroke! And while doing that, I will be nurturing my own neglected soul.<br />
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So....the song continues............<br />
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"I've got a wonderful feelin'....everything's goin' my way!"<br />
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And I AM GRATEFUL!<br />
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Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-54535234652187550142018-08-30T15:28:00.001-07:002018-08-30T17:03:27.500-07:00BALLAD POUR ADELINEMany years ago, my brother who loved music as much as I do, brought me a CD of the most beautiful piano music I'd ever heard in my life! The artist was Richard Clayderman.<br />
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It's a wonder I didn't wear that cd out listening to it over and over for these many years.<br />
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One time, I was going to go with my husband on one of his truck trips. He'd be going through the home of my heart....Colorado Springs, Colorado...and I was so excited to see that beautiful place again where my brother and I were lucky enough to spend a lot of our childhood years. We had the truck all packed...including some cd's I wanted to listen to as we traveled. One of them, of course, was Clayderman.<br />
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Just before we were about to hit the road, I got a call from the hospital. My brother was in the ER, in very, very bad shape. My brother was a brittle diabetic from the age of 10. And this time, he'd gone into coma and hadn't been found for way too long and things were looking pretty scary!<br />
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So....off we went, in the big semi-to the hospital. By the time we got there, he was coming around and things were looking up. We...he and our family had been through such scares, too many times to count. But this time, it really got to me and I was just certain I should not go on the planned trip with hubby. I fussed and fumed. My brother fussed and fumed back. Finally, the doctor turned to my husband and said , 'Take her away! He's gonna be fine if she doesn't drive him nuts!' Seriously, I don't remember exactlly what she said, but that sounded pretty good, didn't it? Anyway....whatever was said, it worked and we left.<br />
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I don't have any recollection of anything on that trip until we got to the beautiful part of Colorado which was getting us closer and closer to 'home.'<br />
I remember stealing a branch of lilacs from a roadside bush. They don't grow in this part of Arizona and I miss them, terribly. I know I was feeling very emotional and I was also feeling relieved because I'd checked on my brother and knew he was going to be ok.<br />
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Looking around at all the beauty of those Rocky Mountains...and feeling that Rocky Mountain High....I put that CD in the player and turned it on. When that first crescendo happened...you'll know when you hear it....I burst into uncontrollable tears!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCCan3TFPoc" target="_blank">listen to it here</a><br />
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I will never forget ALL the FEELS I was FEELING in that moment! It's a beautiful memory.<br />
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I have always loved piano music.<br />
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Today, it occurred to me that I might, at times, want to listen to some relaxing music, but not necessarily something to put me into some kind of deep sleep or altered state or zen zone....or whatever......<br />
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So....I went to my stash of cds which was in a bag in my closet ready to be taken to a charity shop. There's a reason for that...but it's dull and boring and in no way pertinent to this here story....and besides, I'm keepin' 'em!...so I will leave you to either ignore this...or make up some kind of story of your own. ;)<br />
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The bag was lying on the closet floor.....and half-way out of it was...........................<br />
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My brother died many years ago. Not long after he died, I wrote this poem for him But, he visits me often. He did today.<br />
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A POEM FOR MY BROTHER<br />
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High up in Cochise’s mountains<br />
he leans against a fallen tree<br />
long legs outstretched toward the fire<br />
he lights a cigarette and sips<br />
his vodka and Mountain Dew.<br />
Pine-perfumed smoke<br />
floats softly upward<br />
through pine-perfumed branches<br />
into the star-studded sky.<br />
He inhales.<br />
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Occasional sparks<br />
fly onto his boots<br />
a cougar snarls too close by<br />
a blur of tawny fur<br />
a glimpse of agate eyes and then<br />
it’s gone<br />
into the night.<br />
He exhales.<br />
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He smokes his smoke<br />
and drinks his drink<br />
knowing<br />
that nothing here will harm him<br />
not the cougar<br />
not the fire<br />
not the cigarettes or the booze<br />
not the dark of the night<br />
and certainly not the mountain<br />
He dreams on.<br />
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-38605364812161457362018-08-29T18:22:00.000-07:002018-08-29T18:22:35.447-07:00THAT CHILD<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is me, at age 2...painted from one of those old-fashioned, hand-tinted photos.</div>
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If that child was hungry......I would give her nourishment.</div>
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If that child was thirsty.......I would give her a drink of water.</div>
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If that child was tired.........I would stop her activity.</div>
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If that child was sleepy.....I would put her to bed.</div>
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If that child was bored......I would entertain her.</div>
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If that child was anxious...I would soothe her.</div>
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If that child was afraid.......I would reassure her.</div>
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If that child was angry.......I would find out why.</div>
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If that child had physical pain.......I would give her the appropriate medicine at the appropriate time.</div>
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If that child had aching feet, from spending all day in worn out lip-flops, with no support.......I would put some good shoes on her feet.</div>
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If that child needed some time out in nature.......I would take her outdoors....to see beautiful things.</div>
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If that child needed to dance.......I would play her some music.</div>
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If that child was discouraged......I would encourage her.</div>
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If that child was feeling uncared for.......I would show her how much she is loved.</div>
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If that child was struggling to do something difficult......I would look for ways to help her suceed.</div>
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If that child did well........I would reward her.</div>
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That child is still me.</div>
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Why won't I do those things for myself?</div>
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The child that was you is still you.</div>
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Why won't you do those things for that child?</div>
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-53462730455765122072018-07-24T09:01:00.000-07:002018-07-24T09:03:24.722-07:00LET'S PARTY!!!!!!Something wonderful happened to me and all because my husband had to undergo treatment for cancer!<br />
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I'm sure that sounds really weird, but let me 'splain.<br />
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First, he's doing very well. In fact, he's finished his radiation treatments and only has a few immuno-therapy infusions left to do. And, slowly, he is beginning to regain his strength and is feeling better.<br />
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We spent a great deal of time, of course, in medical facilities. I noticed lots of really cool art hanging on the walls and decided to donate some of my paintings.<br />
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I'm not sure exactly how it came to be that I thought to make some special donations to the kids' hospital but somehow, I got connected with a woman who has become a wonderful, new friend.<br />
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She told me there were few pictures, posters or paintings in the kids' hospital and I determined to change that!!!!<br />
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I've lost count of how many paintings I've donated but it's a lot and I hope there will be lots and lots more. That is my intent! After all, I have had a storage shed full of paintings, for years, serving no good purpose to anyone!<br />
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OH! I JUST REMEMBERED!!!!<br />
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I was going through some old paintings and found this one.<br />
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THE HAPPY TREE</div>
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When I first painted it, years ago, I had no clue where it had come from! It is so unlike anything I usually do. I liked it but I just didn't know what to do with it! As soon as I saw it, I thought, 'Kids would like that, I think.' And that's when I asked Rashida , who is my husbands appointed Social Worker (and an absolute doll who is also a wonderful, new friend!) if she could help me. She put me in touch with B.J. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history!<br />
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Something has changed, drastically, in my way of approaching a painting...especially a new one. I am not very concerned with what other artists might think. I am not very concerned with how 'good' or 'bad' the painting might be. I am not much concerned with whether my friends will like it, or not. My only concern is, 'Will it make the kids smile?' If the answer is 'Yes', I am happy.<br />
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LET'S PARTY!!!</div>
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MAKE A WISH</div>
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SWING</div>
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VICTORIOUS!</div>
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THE THREE AMIGOS</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I have a new love for painting and a new reason to get up in the morning and I am so very, very, VERY grateful!!!!!!</span></div>
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-55346106946917184212018-06-28T15:06:00.004-07:002018-06-28T15:06:54.563-07:00PERFECT STRANGERSIf things hadn't happened to put us in that exact place at that exact time, there would be no story. <br />
But, we were. And there is. And it is a wondrous story.<br />
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My husband and I were walking toward the hospital entrance for his radiation therapy and doctor's appointment, which had been moved up by about 15 minutes in an earlier phone call. Even then, we might not have been there at just that time, except that we were also called, this morning, and asked to come in for a blood draw at another location, entirely, which also shifted our expected schedule.<br />
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Because we were all where we were at that precise moment, we found ourselves walking, almost abreast, with a woman who caught my attention because she was wearing a top in my most favorite color. Thirty seconds difference would have made a difference in what happened next.<br />
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I said to her, "I love your top! It's my favorite color"<br />
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She gave me a little smile and said, "Thanks."<br />
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Then, I noticed her big, beautiful eyes....her big, beautiful, sad,eyes, welling up with tears.<br />
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Now, in that setting, you can see lots of people with tear-filled, sad eyes. Sometimes, you share understanding smiles...or a little hug. Sometimes, the kindest thing is to just avoid eye contact so that person can maintain whatever self control they need, in the moment.<br />
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In less time than it takes to write these words, I ran all those thoughts through my mind, wondering how I should respond to her. A force, more powerful than me, moved me into action. I asked, "Are you OK?"<br />
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She did what we often do at such times. She lied. She said, "Yes. I'm ok." But the tears, now falling down her cheeks exposed the truth.<br />
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I said, "No. I don't think you are OK, at all."<br />
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I took one step toward her and she all but collapsed into my hug and began crying on my shoulder, in earnest. She told me, haltingly, that two years ago, today, her 26 year old son had unexpectedly died of a brain aneurysm.<br />
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She told me she thought coming to work, as usual, might make the day easier but that now, she wasn't sure.<br />
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I invited her to sit down with me on a nearby bench and just talk about it...and about him, her son, Nico, and anything else she wanted to talk about. Or, we could just sit there while she cried.<br />
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My smart husband, seeing what was going on, had already continued on toward his appointment so Annette...that's her name, Annette....and I sat down and shared a most incredible and powerful and blessed experience.<br />
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It probably lasted no more than 10-15 minutes but....the memory of those moments will stay with me for the rest of my life and I would bet my last dime Annette would say the same thing.<br />
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Annette chose to trust a <i>P<b>erfect Stranger</b></i> with her bleeding heart and soul, hurting over her beloved son, Nico.<br />
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I chose to walk with a <i><b>Perfect Stranger</b></i>, for a few steps, on her painful journey, doing what I could to share her awful burden.<br />
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And if she'd been even two steps ahead of or behind us, on that sidewalk, none of this would have happened!<br />
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As is often said, 'Timing is everything!'Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-76058719813662099382018-06-27T15:36:00.000-07:002018-06-27T17:01:17.509-07:00It's been a long, long time!I haven't written a blog post in??????????????<br />
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Why? Because I, more or less blog on Facebook. I might change that. Some new people have entered my life who are not on Facebook 'cause they actually have other things to do. Like save folks' lives. So, I might occasionally post a new blog in order to share it with them.<br />
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Today, I was at the hospital where my husband is getting radiation treatments. This time, I thought to take my camera so I could have some fun while waiting for him. There are areas of the grounds which are breathtakingly beautiful! And since he has only 4 more days of treatment left, I wanted to take advantage of my time there and try to capture some of that beauty.<br />
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I'll try to make some more posts about some other things about this experience when I find one of those round tuits. ; But, this post is all about the photos....so...here we go!<br />
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This is a trunk of a Crepe Myrtle. Or is it an ostrich?</div>
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All the purple you see is Crepe Myrtle. All the orange is Mexican Bird of Paradise. </div>
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Wouldn't you just love to roll around in all that purple????</div>
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The yellow is Golden Lantana.</div>
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There are many huge, old, Mesquite trees providing shade from that scorching sun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX9Htr8xWyGzi6FU4hGjCD4whWeRirS-XUKc_1mTn71uCdkW73_r0Mpe7WhsvgtpumwnpnBQQOM_UfBNpeIxGO54MO42-wmEMZdx3U6YVJNCPZDCrRRA9GYg-w-YOoojBIfkpFr5CZlDV/s1600/DSCN8849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX9Htr8xWyGzi6FU4hGjCD4whWeRirS-XUKc_1mTn71uCdkW73_r0Mpe7WhsvgtpumwnpnBQQOM_UfBNpeIxGO54MO42-wmEMZdx3U6YVJNCPZDCrRRA9GYg-w-YOoojBIfkpFr5CZlDV/s400/DSCN8849.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tell me this isn't a cowboy on a buckin' bronc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBO44Tbw9Nc6phyphenhyphenhIQDOKe3Yj2MrMY_y9K0xOkPxV4B1wQLG-COzYIwXT-9-sYd-vKbuXlxDMkDNOYr_jp6Jib_YrzrA-U9MY-Tnpv9H6OBk_osLXJ-f8Kuul2qqnaZmTNkDhcoeWLUgKQ/s1600/DSCN8850+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBO44Tbw9Nc6phyphenhyphenhIQDOKe3Yj2MrMY_y9K0xOkPxV4B1wQLG-COzYIwXT-9-sYd-vKbuXlxDMkDNOYr_jp6Jib_YrzrA-U9MY-Tnpv9H6OBk_osLXJ-f8Kuul2qqnaZmTNkDhcoeWLUgKQ/s400/DSCN8850+%25282%2529.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>
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This is a male Vermillion Flycatcher.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjqgZ6deZyUCSmyxjPXXBzJS_1Hakopbhm6xRun_2zwxlgoCIomgBU8VfznWxEZDiFSj2yJjDoRZVp7UCsyokGXPImX1wFVUjc6sAqDzinMvGjpino9KkccKlYfxMEzWQzzIeZhuIUt72/s1600/DSCN8864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="1600" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjqgZ6deZyUCSmyxjPXXBzJS_1Hakopbhm6xRun_2zwxlgoCIomgBU8VfznWxEZDiFSj2yJjDoRZVp7UCsyokGXPImX1wFVUjc6sAqDzinMvGjpino9KkccKlYfxMEzWQzzIeZhuIUt72/s400/DSCN8864.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this is the hospital where miracles happen!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlblLPVxKnKwSbVC7snYirfxQUd0QYBeapXzMITgHsH-gaAgsLkhfxf3eacqzTMX-LaiYuhzo6yCJtsV47gCAixiXbIkSKm0ZsxY9ZGgvslAxgoKZMF-Gw1Afcg7_4JyLYfMzqqV_VJ88/s1600/DSCN8845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlblLPVxKnKwSbVC7snYirfxQUd0QYBeapXzMITgHsH-gaAgsLkhfxf3eacqzTMX-LaiYuhzo6yCJtsV47gCAixiXbIkSKm0ZsxY9ZGgvslAxgoKZMF-Gw1Afcg7_4JyLYfMzqqV_VJ88/s400/DSCN8845.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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For which we are most grateful!!!</div>
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-32162007847516537572014-03-05T18:22:00.001-07:002014-03-05T18:22:26.151-07:00Aisle 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s the
first Wednesday of the month, which means it is old folk’s discount day at my
grocery store. I always, simultaneously dread-and
look forward to-this monthly ‘outing.’
Some time back, I made the decision to try to make grocery shopping an
adventure instead of an aggravation. I
go there, expecting to have something really fun and/or interesting to happen
and I’m seldom disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today was no
different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First, I saw
an elderly woman (about my age) doing that hard job of corralling shopping
carts in the parking lot and returning them to the store’s entrance area. My immediate reaction was to feel abject
sympathy for her and a huge swelling of gratitude that I am not forced into
such labor in order to survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And then, it
occurred to me that perhaps she thinks it is great training for the marathon
she is going to run or the mountain she intends to climb. We never really know what the true story
might be so it’s probably better not to jump to uninformed conclusions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next fun
thing that happened-and this is a common occurrence-is that I saw a girl child who
is so doggone cute it is probably illegal!
Sharing that opinion with her mom and dad, in the girl child’s hearing,
was a joyful thing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And then……………….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I carefully
park my buggy to the side of aisle 7 while I search the shelves for the pickles
I want. Across the aisle, a lady stands,
with her back to me searching for something on her own shopping list. She has left her cart smack-dab in the middle
of the aisle….as I usually do. Someone
comes along and asks, politely, to be allowed to move her cart. She immediately begins the same apologies we
all offer at such times….to the person asking and also to me. I tell her not to worry that I do it all the
time. “We all do.”, I say. “We’re all alike….sisters from the same
Mother.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, I know
what we usually say is ‘sisters from different mothers.’ But, I was prompted, I’m sure of it, by ‘Mother”, to say exactly those words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The moment I
said it, I knew, beyond any doubt, that my new-found café-au-lait skinned
sister ‘got’ it. Totally and completely.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We both
turned into nothing more than two huge grins….and hugged. It just seemed like the thing to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And we
talked. And we talked. And we talked some more. We talked about things deep and things frivolous
as only two newly discovered sister/friends can do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eventually,
I stuck out my hand and said, “Hi! My
name is Sharon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She said, “Git
outta here!!!!!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, her
name is Sharon. There’s not a whole huge
lot of us with that name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know that
we have to stay in touch, so I give her my SKayArt business card. She gasps.
“You are an artist? So am I!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She paints
with watercolors, is afraid of oils and wants to learn to paint with
acrylics. I paint with acrylics. I'm terrified of watercolors and not too friendly with oils.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She’s
70. I will be in December.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am thinking
there’s a lot of synchronicity going on here.
I’m wondering if I’ve maybe found the painting buddy I’ve been longing
for. But, there’s one final issue that I
wonder about.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am a smoker. Yes, I know.
People who smoke are the scum of the earth and responsible for a plethora
of things which ail the entire Universe.
Nevertheless, I smoke and don’t plan on giving it up anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I gather my
courage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I have one
last question for you. And this one is big. Do you smoke?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Guess what
she said…..just guess!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I can’t wait
to get together with her to paint. And
if it never happens, those MANY minutes we spent together, connecting in LOVE, sometimes
jumping up and down, laughing and hugging like long lost friends….well….now
that is a memory worth having!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
shenanigans, in aisle 7 touched more than a few of our fellow shoppers. I would like to think we were pretty much
sprinkling happily-ever-after fairy dust on them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Again, I say............</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBt5jnroH5HGTb28iypseT8m8Ioky0iOlMvVU5PekvCi1JY0YNIAPziAnICUUMQQMo0LxHR7UtedkUYXK5nJpZYyJOnyR59mMKsrS6S1ILbflVYEFdzGr8wQI94PLslYzn-NPyv0a8BeY/s1600/blessed+be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBt5jnroH5HGTb28iypseT8m8Ioky0iOlMvVU5PekvCi1JY0YNIAPziAnICUUMQQMo0LxHR7UtedkUYXK5nJpZYyJOnyR59mMKsrS6S1ILbflVYEFdzGr8wQI94PLslYzn-NPyv0a8BeY/s1600/blessed+be.jpg" height="400" width="281" /></a></div>
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Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-85283996493936314552013-09-15T11:14:00.000-07:002013-09-15T11:14:07.370-07:00The Trip That Almost Wasn't-Days Two and ThreeIt was hard to leave Sedona but there was still lots of gorgeous scenery as we made our way toward Payson, Arizona.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4O1pCSydzRMLZeNEXDInYtsOAdDDkWtS7OOycXYcF-4454IVepzGIwQ-OO6WYmP2mxaD-CWHK0TqbUZox1YaseGC9YSxi-WrDBjZKDRisbN8mJNJ-PZdVBJxn4M486H_dKOoOIghiT62/s1600/sept+trip+242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4O1pCSydzRMLZeNEXDInYtsOAdDDkWtS7OOycXYcF-4454IVepzGIwQ-OO6WYmP2mxaD-CWHK0TqbUZox1YaseGC9YSxi-WrDBjZKDRisbN8mJNJ-PZdVBJxn4M486H_dKOoOIghiT62/s400/sept+trip+242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And, as you can plainly see, the rain was beginning again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkHdPLcRJtW9q5ExzZapctCxp3q7i3EKSnx2txGR5PyykWiIFS60ZMMa0QpD2DV3PfSFMu5-JyrPczq3dLhwYuhIW2WIjU93klTcuiDGwXWQ8C4quadQu6d7wETgmCIMpehVg8-5KWtQB/s1600/sept+trip+243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkHdPLcRJtW9q5ExzZapctCxp3q7i3EKSnx2txGR5PyykWiIFS60ZMMa0QpD2DV3PfSFMu5-JyrPczq3dLhwYuhIW2WIjU93klTcuiDGwXWQ8C4quadQu6d7wETgmCIMpehVg8-5KWtQB/s400/sept+trip+243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, I should have cropped out our Arizona sunburnt and cracking dashboard of our old car. But I didn't. It is what it is.</div>
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And yes, I should have cropped out the reflection of my pack of smokes. That, too, is what it is. What I want you to see is that we are heading into even more stormy weather. Of course.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ejaDe44tklm_TzjKH3taWr3PSr2nZlGSIkCLYdmuC_eTxHfV2yWpDZqEQnEw5PzYqrL8JmN9wutSb67c8M7bg9sBIrvimIjAlgOoo7rRhnr-vDnrfeCzB0mhgV0G_Hmh9vokmeoher00/s1600/sept+trip+259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ejaDe44tklm_TzjKH3taWr3PSr2nZlGSIkCLYdmuC_eTxHfV2yWpDZqEQnEw5PzYqrL8JmN9wutSb67c8M7bg9sBIrvimIjAlgOoo7rRhnr-vDnrfeCzB0mhgV0G_Hmh9vokmeoher00/s400/sept+trip+259.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The higher we went, the worse it got....or the better...depending on your viewpoint. This day, my viewpoint was more inclined toward fear than joy because it was a busier highway</div>
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It rained and it rained and it rained some more...often really, REALLY hard. It was some white-knuckle time, for sure. </div>
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But, then, the rain stopped and out of the corner of my eye, I was able to see a pull out at this spot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRir-GQfcSn7_WNcyVDdQFVJpR_JeKZKObzM0mrUZvKVu1TOOdTS-Fra_0xoaqJA8HirI7V_IjjHokW8i4ZvjDP2-cM9HrhHSophvKPVG7ZK46YJgnoaHpu9HR7JjMOwpWF6novHVXU8V/s1600/sept+trip+260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRir-GQfcSn7_WNcyVDdQFVJpR_JeKZKObzM0mrUZvKVu1TOOdTS-Fra_0xoaqJA8HirI7V_IjjHokW8i4ZvjDP2-cM9HrhHSophvKPVG7ZK46YJgnoaHpu9HR7JjMOwpWF6novHVXU8V/s400/sept+trip+260.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We pulled out. We stopped. And look what we found!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRBWroEigjjLc3gKd0MACJ-RqOPqmheKuiw4mPjCVdH7G7-f8AZs_iXqrfWfSYo00zP_nv-vYXhfxC9xkk0XY5Rpg9g8zizWVGZeQq0LgTtg67MR208b35AfPG516z9nCr3WOXQAsIqXd/s1600/sept+trip+262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRBWroEigjjLc3gKd0MACJ-RqOPqmheKuiw4mPjCVdH7G7-f8AZs_iXqrfWfSYo00zP_nv-vYXhfxC9xkk0XY5Rpg9g8zizWVGZeQq0LgTtg67MR208b35AfPG516z9nCr3WOXQAsIqXd/s400/sept+trip+262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vO9mw9fAGUjZus-3cjqoZGiwQ-imA3y5I5BF5k2jvvsSFbQpTvfbhMAbnv0SnUq0dkxrj20rdH9svoq8IY1ZleJMTyza-rfL5BK1QWnYaU3dHAHVD696ndx17SR77_0TMFgP5I0Hyife/s1600/sept+trip+263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vO9mw9fAGUjZus-3cjqoZGiwQ-imA3y5I5BF5k2jvvsSFbQpTvfbhMAbnv0SnUq0dkxrj20rdH9svoq8IY1ZleJMTyza-rfL5BK1QWnYaU3dHAHVD696ndx17SR77_0TMFgP5I0Hyife/s400/sept+trip+263.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsqqQy82X8zvXJ-_3DDvlhBh1-4v558uua34vk6ls9Xl7ePG2oBhZLWhG9N0naMYYLGKQ2iLBT4Q7vO2CPTZayfjMInZO2_XYe6Gkq5hhfkQkf_E__M13f7CR9e3azR22Xg6-r39A1oKG/s1600/sept+trip+265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsqqQy82X8zvXJ-_3DDvlhBh1-4v558uua34vk6ls9Xl7ePG2oBhZLWhG9N0naMYYLGKQ2iLBT4Q7vO2CPTZayfjMInZO2_XYe6Gkq5hhfkQkf_E__M13f7CR9e3azR22Xg6-r39A1oKG/s400/sept+trip+265.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ep-Ted-7f6tPfY_kqMGfdV33dahSNjoGQdCG3gUI61r1_foj7EBfXWk70FriMdLZZZOzmv6m3el545IHCeoN9aQmsul8yIMWGF3wK691XR1_EXJAOWBk3-mQnumY3TXpxVE_UKZihbZo/s1600/sept+trip+268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ep-Ted-7f6tPfY_kqMGfdV33dahSNjoGQdCG3gUI61r1_foj7EBfXWk70FriMdLZZZOzmv6m3el545IHCeoN9aQmsul8yIMWGF3wK691XR1_EXJAOWBk3-mQnumY3TXpxVE_UKZihbZo/s400/sept+trip+268.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I totally, completely, absolutely loved our trip...rain and all...and here's the heart-rock to prove it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWFQwroY9q_F7Bpwpjsmu_6OAsowkvgQn2_NeQHwc55-EoCJrazaqpGYYNJx1jd6TC453E0irbGKQrnYcy9asvN5QMTLfN8tgkJOBoAQMSTlsTw_rhMqLeHTg85z5lQLwNyvlVrHpGh3V/s1600/sept+trip+269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWFQwroY9q_F7Bpwpjsmu_6OAsowkvgQn2_NeQHwc55-EoCJrazaqpGYYNJx1jd6TC453E0irbGKQrnYcy9asvN5QMTLfN8tgkJOBoAQMSTlsTw_rhMqLeHTg85z5lQLwNyvlVrHpGh3V/s400/sept+trip+269.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUBswtgcBMNB_UtOg5HonGUkeyLJljc7wGEvVQqn4kN_KuIvvzjg8VsdatLWdjiIH7R5udL9uOmuYSK4OPAwW1dFzWSIrzw1L32xH_nyR1tzRp8bblldHK9NidNWo1MgYDdNBqoKZM_8a/s1600/sept+trip+270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-7817992180025921872013-09-14T09:18:00.000-07:002013-09-14T09:18:10.818-07:00SEDONA!!!What can you say about Sedona, Arizona?<br />
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Words fail. <br />
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So do photographs.<br />
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Nevertheless, I will share some of both with you but I will let the pictures do most of the 'talking.'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tEe87ju1sMb7kdwgx9lYQOpsDh2EGbuJOSI_bQyerzqY0fc2JuiePEqHcWnSGgwRQyijDtzzp8kk8VXlsDuKSVhIbf-wwovATP7PZztql7F1DLzPUyMqb4BEdufusjxqJlD6SfmqA496/s1600/s1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tEe87ju1sMb7kdwgx9lYQOpsDh2EGbuJOSI_bQyerzqY0fc2JuiePEqHcWnSGgwRQyijDtzzp8kk8VXlsDuKSVhIbf-wwovATP7PZztql7F1DLzPUyMqb4BEdufusjxqJlD6SfmqA496/s400/s1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see, as we approached Sedona, it was a bit rainy and gloomy. But, just as Hubby promised...the weather cleared when it mattered!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_zptgSZos08u6seND4EVlrq6W9G1LNJE2_s_BNmg1ZoDuC3nsWX8gRXplQ-h-9IGluWJM2C5BQzyi3hjrijGwT9VQLKuO4DXA-9huFlHmM64riyD4Hllle9nTqFbZOP46ZfYGVUOA-hj/s1600/s2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_zptgSZos08u6seND4EVlrq6W9G1LNJE2_s_BNmg1ZoDuC3nsWX8gRXplQ-h-9IGluWJM2C5BQzyi3hjrijGwT9VQLKuO4DXA-9huFlHmM64riyD4Hllle9nTqFbZOP46ZfYGVUOA-hj/s400/s2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVJS5W97FI8qOt1TMddU4VechWBgmWsvdPo5t_qZkolcoS0_L4zkq8XhcoOlmkR8nLFgV5CkPiTKdkZQBsmAyP2ypU3XNtdfUolitlUO_x8SBSGcfNHNlTBVCLr3MJYTJRK7Jm-NRubZm/s1600/s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVJS5W97FI8qOt1TMddU4VechWBgmWsvdPo5t_qZkolcoS0_L4zkq8XhcoOlmkR8nLFgV5CkPiTKdkZQBsmAyP2ypU3XNtdfUolitlUO_x8SBSGcfNHNlTBVCLr3MJYTJRK7Jm-NRubZm/s400/s3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I like this photo so much I'm showing you the original and the cropped versions.</div>
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Smart Hubby got this next shot!</div>
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There is more to our little adventure, but I will share that with you tomorrow.</div>
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I am grateful!</div>
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P.S. No...this isn't all the pictures I took but I am trying to keep your visits to my blog short and sweet for you instead of long and boring. LOL</div>
<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-69388803889910406902013-09-14T08:13:00.001-07:002013-09-14T08:26:36.053-07:00The Trip That Almost Wasn't-Part ThreeYes. We are still on the first day of our trip.<br />
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We are just leaving Yarnell and are amazed by all the lush green hillsides and pastures.<br />
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But,of course, there are clouds in the distance.</div>
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Many clouds.</div>
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I think that's a completely different place than just outside Yarnell, but I have so many photos of distant rain clouds that it doesn't much matter. At any given time, the road ahead of us looks pretty much like that!</div>
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However. Hubby has assured me that wherever we go, whatever we do, when we need for the rain to stop, it will. He's certain of that. And guess what? He was right!</div>
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When we wanted to get out and take pictures of the beautiful scenes we could...with nary a raindrop fallin' on our heads!</div>
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The road twisted and turned as we made our way toward Prescott.</div>
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We reached the edge of town, in the beautiful pine forest, just about time to stop for the evening. I spotted a darling little motel with a beautiful water feature in their garden. I was tired and thought I'd take a picture of the little garden the next morning before we left. As I was getting out of the car, I dropped my camera and broke it.</div>
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I cannot write here the things I said out loud, loudly, and certainly not the things I thought.</div>
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Sigh.</div>
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Day Two</h3>
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After a not so great night's rest at that darling little motel (There must have been an elephant family in the room above us.), we headed out for some breakfast and waited for Best Buy to open so I could get a new camera. NOT. IN. THE. BUDGET!!!</div>
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I took a photo, with my brand new camera, from the parking lot of Best Buy. You betcha! Raining buckets! And in the process of learning my new photo program, I apparently deleted the photo 'cause it's nowhere to be found on my computer!</div>
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Sigh again.</div>
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Onward.</div>
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Elk on top of a building in Prescott, Arizona</div>
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We like him!</div>
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We loved Prescott. It's such a picturesque old town filled with Victorian houses and a lovely town square and courthouse. We hope to go back.</div>
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As Hubby predicted, the sun came out just in time to enjoy this .</div>
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But soon we were back to this view from our car.</div>
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Yep. It's raining again.</div>
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We are climbing another mountain range on our way to:</div>
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Jerome, Arizona</div>
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Jerome is an old mining town which has become a complete tourist trap, of sorts. But it's still charming and delightful. I wrote about it on another blog after a very special trip with my Grandson, several years ago.</div>
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You can read about it here:</div>
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<a href="http://skayspeak.blogspot.com/2009/11/jerome-arizona.html">http://skayspeak.blogspot.com/2009/11/jerome-arizona.html</a></div>
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This is the main street through Jerome. Narrow-just a tad!</div>
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Uh-Oh! </div>
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A local law enforcement person was having a word with the driver of this semi. I am reasonably certain it will cost him a pretty penny to have mistakenly or stupidly taken this NOT truck route!</div>
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It doesn't take long to drive through Jerome and down the hill toward another adventure. On the way, we saw this.</div>
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Rock formations began to get quite colorful as we came down the mountain. </div>
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There's a reason for that.</div>
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Next stop:</div>
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SEDONA!!!!</div>
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Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-11393643394507091452013-09-12T09:42:00.001-07:002013-09-12T09:42:28.727-07:00The Trip That Almost Wasn't-Day One, St. Joseph's Shrine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2B8HLATJOMjVesX8tFLq_91lVJ2VPSvwIJZYK36cr-R7d4B-_6fcsr3MX6ra132N3ScymdFTAHWvg7Il6Py2Ej80kML0uTsNmivv9oSMpPgxJygV2nRuxtTvuZJ8r5XZY4-xPBdfKojK/s1600/img_1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2B8HLATJOMjVesX8tFLq_91lVJ2VPSvwIJZYK36cr-R7d4B-_6fcsr3MX6ra132N3ScymdFTAHWvg7Il6Py2Ej80kML0uTsNmivv9oSMpPgxJygV2nRuxtTvuZJ8r5XZY4-xPBdfKojK/s400/img_1013.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the first thing we saw when we arrived at The Shrine of St. Joseph in Yarnell, Arizona.</div>
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If you know me at all, you know I am not a religious person. But this place touches my heart in the sweetest way and I was very concerned about it during the time of the wildfire.</div>
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To read about the shrine, go to:</div>
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<a href="http://www.stjoseph-shrine.org/">http://www.stjoseph-shrine.org/</a></div>
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These steps...and many more which are as steep but lots rougher...are the reason my calf muscles have been screaming at me for several days now. But it was worth it.</div>
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You can see just how close the fire came. That bush is dead looking because of the fire which came right up to the statuary. </div>
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So close....all those trees are dead from the fire....</div>
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Looking down on one of the buildings at the shrine which was destroyed. Just beyond this point is a little canyon chock full of houses. I counted only three burned buildings. They were fortunate not to have the entire area lost.</div>
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I zoomed way in to get this photo of the little Yarnell church nestled in amongst all the green after all the rain we've had in Arizona. </div>
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I am so grateful this little town was saved. </div>
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I am so grateful to all the firefighters who worked so hard to protect it.</div>
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I am so grateful to The Granite Mountain Hotshots who died so that this little town, the people in it, their homes, their businesses and this special small place could survive.</div>
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May they rest in eternal peace!</div>
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-857915621439532782013-09-12T08:31:00.003-07:002013-09-12T08:31:49.833-07:00The Trip That Almost Wasn't-Part One<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For months,
we had been looking forward to a vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We haven’t had a real one in years and it was way past time for some R
& R!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">September
weather in Arizona is always spectacular especially in the higher elevations
where it is getting cooler. We were sick of the summer heat down here in
Tucson.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had heard
of a place in the mountains where there were comfy little cabins situated right
on a lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan was to roll out of
bed in the morning and walk out the door and do some plein aire painting…all
day…for several days. My husband’s plan was to roll out of bed in the morning
and walk out the door and fish….all day…for several days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was the
plan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Life is
what happens while you are making other plans.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know
who first said that but it’s absolutely true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
‘spectacular’ Arizona turned spectacular, all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was spectacularly rainy…all day…all night
and all over the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We checked the
long term forecasts daily…it never improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where we had planned to go, the temperatures were looking decidedly
cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cold and wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at all!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We decided
we probably should just stay home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
then, we decided we should just go anyway but maybe someplace with temperatures
at least a tad warmer than our lakeside destination. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought I
was simply dying to spend my days in one spot painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband thought he wanted to fish and fish
and fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The UNIVERSE stepped in, took
over and gave us exactly what we needed instead of what we thought we wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am
grateful!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We laughed
as we left Tucson because this is what the weather looked like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had already taken a gazillion photos with
my little Canon camera before we got 10 miles away from our house.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t my
mountains look beautiful all dressed in their white gossamer gowns?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were
determined to make the best of things and headed in a northward direction which
took us through parts of the Phoenix area which looked like this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I about went
into panic mode wondering if we’d be killed in a massive interstate pile up
before we even got a good start on our vacation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But we made
it through a rain like Phoenix hasn’t probably seen in decades, thanks to my
husband’s great driving skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A long
time, cross country truck driver has some awesome skills for such conditions!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I realize that those of you who live where it actually rains are thinking I'm a tad nuts getting so excited about such rain. Remember, I am a desert rat who lives in a place which gets very little rain every year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Absolutely
every direction we looked, there were menacing clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely nothing looked inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also, all
those clouds created a special sort of beauty that we are not used to seeing
around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was cool-blessedly,
deliciously cool!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will not
give a mile-by-mile account of the trip, I promise, but I ask you to accept
that every mile of it was something different and somehow, the exact right
thing for two people who were weary of the same old-same old.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before we
left the house, I had felt a desire to head toward the Yarnell area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the place where those 19 Hot Shot
firefighters died last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
a little place there, The Shrine of St. Joseph, and I wanted to see if it had
escaped the ravages of the fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
also, there was something else drawing me that way…toward Yarnell and on to
Prescott….where those heroes were from.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to
back track a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a McDonald’s
breakfast, we had to go back home to get something important which had been
forgotten…MY DOGGONE CAMERA!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
clouds were so pretty I wanted to take their picture but when I reached for my
camera, it wasn’t there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a quick
look inside the house…no camera….I found it in the car, right where I’d put it
but not where I’d ‘thought’ I’d put it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I only
mention this because it turned out the timing was truly everything on this
trip…especially this first day….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
I knew, when I laid eyes on this roadside attraction, that all would be well...no, wonderful....on our trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywKIoD5uLxbG13wJZ4qsUITkqNHNoPbpVyHjPbgwj34AsZM0bMYGuzH7pEbI6Yh7lRbh9V_8MYsviAEwAqdgVYVDLJwKWqRbaNBsx_CO-YWQaRBdzlULYgZ7HYjXfDfikjFsNJP7Sumh_/s1600/blog5frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywKIoD5uLxbG13wJZ4qsUITkqNHNoPbpVyHjPbgwj34AsZM0bMYGuzH7pEbI6Yh7lRbh9V_8MYsviAEwAqdgVYVDLJwKWqRbaNBsx_CO-YWQaRBdzlULYgZ7HYjXfDfikjFsNJP7Sumh_/s400/blog5frog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
If you know me and my history, you KNOW what this frog meant to me!<br />
<br />
It was truly a good thing to have that special 'froggie' blessing 'cause this is what we were driving into.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7IROb2yzFit4dxCI5oo-iNnAoWRhVrWiQsLV6CorXxEwJvXNOEPqdAtxL_NBmiITEYeIi8z6Mu8jOwfu9zwiP17TYSmQAYKXhwQ3PCV76Bq6jdMei7xKW7RKnZf_XZ3-p4V-Va4WGF-3/s1600/blog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7IROb2yzFit4dxCI5oo-iNnAoWRhVrWiQsLV6CorXxEwJvXNOEPqdAtxL_NBmiITEYeIi8z6Mu8jOwfu9zwiP17TYSmQAYKXhwQ3PCV76Bq6jdMei7xKW7RKnZf_XZ3-p4V-Va4WGF-3/s400/blog7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLQ9l1jsxuEVNQecTQl6m8yUVW9KxNl9ECeBu8wNOQJQDS_ntQ0ZYqu6TqOViam6tPSd9K4FK2ImUx2ioYgfT3jramy9WuiLpgqWoxIYKKFgzgsRtV0C-K__7rFiKVY5K16vZDpOtSo2O/s1600/blog8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLQ9l1jsxuEVNQecTQl6m8yUVW9KxNl9ECeBu8wNOQJQDS_ntQ0ZYqu6TqOViam6tPSd9K4FK2ImUx2ioYgfT3jramy9WuiLpgqWoxIYKKFgzgsRtV0C-K__7rFiKVY5K16vZDpOtSo2O/s400/blog8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think this is what they call 'visibility zero.'</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2SQjTJhq64mm9__FetgVehh1XSspb7_P72yQNm4MVAfvAYvEq0q-yi8NVFqVv79nlf5GhhUKafTKGKLVUDAdOWLtpL9BPe9FZKbXxhd49HX5p9tQljoAQFG1CZyv806QEYYr45tjPBMJ/s1600/blog9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2SQjTJhq64mm9__FetgVehh1XSspb7_P72yQNm4MVAfvAYvEq0q-yi8NVFqVv79nlf5GhhUKafTKGKLVUDAdOWLtpL9BPe9FZKbXxhd49HX5p9tQljoAQFG1CZyv806QEYYr45tjPBMJ/s640/blog9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2SQjTJhq64mm9__FetgVehh1XSspb7_P72yQNm4MVAfvAYvEq0q-yi8NVFqVv79nlf5GhhUKafTKGKLVUDAdOWLtpL9BPe9FZKbXxhd49HX5p9tQljoAQFG1CZyv806QEYYr45tjPBMJ/s1600/blog9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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I should have been terrified. But I wasn't. I felt as if I were being embraced by that big, soft cloud and I almost felt like I could have jumped right off that ledge and fallen into Heaven's own big, white, down comforter! Of course, the reality is that I would have had a fall of many hundreds of feet because just beyond those grasses and wild flowers, it is STRAIGHT down! </div>
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We had to literally creep around all the hairpin curves on that long, winding road over that mountain top but as I said, timing is everything and when we got off the mountain, down in the valley, we were in the clear and very near Yarnell.</div>
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And we saw this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51JLYvwNHWFg6lTzTIz7UoZcbEh0Or389NFYNHg8QCejYX3UHI3TPIfXCQ4Cm7MYsd_XzeqG5J15PrL4toAoBB37FO6BsvnQLlOgYLQaWLibtMUNz_8ISQG5Rtl_xOyPdy30Ye_QEFJbq/s1600/blog10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51JLYvwNHWFg6lTzTIz7UoZcbEh0Or389NFYNHg8QCejYX3UHI3TPIfXCQ4Cm7MYsd_XzeqG5J15PrL4toAoBB37FO6BsvnQLlOgYLQaWLibtMUNz_8ISQG5Rtl_xOyPdy30Ye_QEFJbq/s400/blog10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I yelled
‘Stop’ to my dear hubby who immediately found a safe place to pull off the
highway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We learned
that a Hot Shot crew from Tennessee were being shown the area where The
Nineteen had perished.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77IecbXVfHqBwpiFZV5EDJ1tNdXaaUfsV4_Dz85qHf_rFsyMvtqWPkcD-96oI5BmAER8TDdFzgQvZKWlCJTIMDLXlBDzTUI9oKKMFrips3x1PnC3_i7WWfSiWSiG3jUdISmlH3FGd4qcn/s1600/blog11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77IecbXVfHqBwpiFZV5EDJ1tNdXaaUfsV4_Dz85qHf_rFsyMvtqWPkcD-96oI5BmAER8TDdFzgQvZKWlCJTIMDLXlBDzTUI9oKKMFrips3x1PnC3_i7WWfSiWSiG3jUdISmlH3FGd4qcn/s400/blog11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that
‘no, it would not be inappropriate for me to give the Prescott Fire House my
painting ‘Going Home’ and yes, they would find a place for it, no doubt.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtU1Pgro-UpWIz8vRUFA_PGbULwV4ZjOOHAJp3S88HOMx-2D-nuvOCEGNi8tZ5Jww-F5nZMLXOgPVaQ7hyphenhyphenhb46vfMD9oxn6ZMf_1oEKijLZVJT1XbJVStyBKrtgazHURdiYhbBJIk50DA/s1600/blog12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtU1Pgro-UpWIz8vRUFA_PGbULwV4ZjOOHAJp3S88HOMx-2D-nuvOCEGNi8tZ5Jww-F5nZMLXOgPVaQ7hyphenhyphenhb46vfMD9oxn6ZMf_1oEKijLZVJT1XbJVStyBKrtgazHURdiYhbBJIk50DA/s400/blog12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I asked the
Prescott fireman if I could hug him. We hugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could have
come right back home after that and been perfectly satisfied.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so very
grateful for that experience given us by a loving Universe. The Frog. The Heavenly Mountaintop Cloud. The Firefighters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
And we have just begun.</h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be
continued tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-75378989000710886862013-05-28T07:46:00.000-07:002013-05-28T07:47:16.537-07:00On Talent<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few times
lately, I’ve been told how talented I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is meant-and I’ve taken it-as a compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It does,
however, indicate that it is because of some innate ‘talent’ that I can paint a
decent painting-sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s what
bothers me about that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you can’t
paint a decent painting, does that mean you don’t have a talent for
painting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think many
people truly believe that their first bad attempts mean they don’t. So they
give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You should
have seen my first paintings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On second
thought, no, you really shouldn’t have!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I like what
Stephen King has to say about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">“Talent is
cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the
successful one is a lot of hard work.”</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t
really think I’m all that gifted with a talent for painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that if I were, after all the years
of painting I would be really top-notch-and I am not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am merely adequate and sometimes not even
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, all things come
together and I create a pretty darn good painting, but that happens only
rarely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I do
think is that I’ve been determined…perhaps even stubborn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been dedicated to learning all that I
can learn about it before my time is up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve been committed to my desire!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My whole
reason for writing this is to encourage anyone who has a desire to paint… or
sculpt…or sing...or bake….or write….or raise chickens…to give themselves the
opportunity to push through the bad beginnings, the mistakes and the failures.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t assume
that you have no talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are robbing yourself-and maybe the
world-if you do that!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However,
also don’t assume that if you do have ‘talent’, it is enough to make you good
at what you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no substitute
for the hours of practice and hard work necessary to achieve a degree of
expertise….or even adequacy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="bqquotelink1"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana;">“</span></span></span><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/calvincool414555.html" title="view quote"><span class="bqquotelink1"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana;">Nothing in this world can take the
place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful
people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent.</span></span></span></a><span class="bqquotelink1"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana;">”</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /><span style="color: red;">
</span></span><span class="bodybold1"><span lang="EN" style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Calvin Coolidge</span></strong></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">If you have
a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out
like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke. (</span></span><a href="http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=3568" title="More Art Quotes by Brendan Francis Behan"><span style="color: #000044; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">Brendan</span> <span style="color: red;">Francis Behan</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">We're all
filled with naturally recurring patterns that make us unique – they're called
talents. And our charge is to bloody well use them. (</span></span><a href="http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=4910" title="More Art Quotes by Marcus Buckingham"><span style="color: #000044; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">Marcus Buckingham</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">Don't be
vain because you happen to have talent. You are not responsible for that; it
was not of your doing. What you do with your talent is what matters. (</span></span><a href="http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=356" title="More Art Quotes by Pablo Casals"><span style="color: #000044; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">Pablo Casals</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Now.....go</span> </span><span style="color: black;"> paint… or sculpt…or sing...or bake….or write….or raise chickens…or take photos....or make balloon animals....or quilts.....or a garden...Go wherever 'desire' leads you!</span></span></span></div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-73507895484754372142013-05-19T09:13:00.000-07:002013-05-19T09:13:49.123-07:00ONE LITTLE CORNER
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I live most
of my life, quite happily, in one small corner of the world ….just a few square
feet of space right in front of my easel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It works for
me!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I found
another little corner this morning which also worked for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the photos, sent to me by my traveling
hubby wasn't terribly interesting but something drew me to the tiny right hand, upper
corner of the larger picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cropped
it and knew I’d found the inspiration for today’s ‘before breakfast’ painting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, when you
are looking through your reference photos, don’t forget to peek into the
corners, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that you
can take bits and pieces of a picture for your use. You don’t have to use the
whole thing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the
big picture including the rear view mirror on his big rig. Lots of his photos have that particular feature. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpdKStEpPEb2dTRobn_Vkksy5wlwotqii8WkA05u-Up1KzoIscBmZT28vodk3PT6v5MtKt-lv0k3iQUcV4iD-bREYMxea5O_bcsU4R60h-cyiS_CWyaxDCNB-4yYmGRL1fr7ACVIMSFWt/s1600/cloud+shadows+original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpdKStEpPEb2dTRobn_Vkksy5wlwotqii8WkA05u-Up1KzoIscBmZT28vodk3PT6v5MtKt-lv0k3iQUcV4iD-bREYMxea5O_bcsU4R60h-cyiS_CWyaxDCNB-4yYmGRL1fr7ACVIMSFWt/s400/cloud+shadows+original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the
little bit I cropped out from waaaay up in the right hand corner.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKMoUPwhfl7b_iPXRx7w27cGzrkzlVRa8c63lz8kXTWR5lK3DGEhCXJVU5Vg8SluOwQLIXa7-wTDw3A_PG_6hnBHyLql1ICmCeK8Ru_D1K-hCg6JO7Q5DAb5JpZ4v0vvg6O6cJNQr7ZCM/s1600/cloud+shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKMoUPwhfl7b_iPXRx7w27cGzrkzlVRa8c63lz8kXTWR5lK3DGEhCXJVU5Vg8SluOwQLIXa7-wTDw3A_PG_6hnBHyLql1ICmCeK8Ru_D1K-hCg6JO7Q5DAb5JpZ4v0vvg6O6cJNQr7ZCM/s400/cloud+shadow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the
resulting painting with some artistic license taken.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW_VypOu2V42aukws6c3BGjvTLnXVNwJqq5o8m1rpiMtzHKGxPV7kQqu5dea7i4CoE7lLLzHJLudR4BvrcqdT56WUZgItaihTW8AEjrj7BnA5yGrnwilnyFQsXia7lfmi1rQeAD0DIOal/s1600/cloud+shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW_VypOu2V42aukws6c3BGjvTLnXVNwJqq5o8m1rpiMtzHKGxPV7kQqu5dea7i4CoE7lLLzHJLudR4BvrcqdT56WUZgItaihTW8AEjrj7BnA5yGrnwilnyFQsXia7lfmi1rQeAD0DIOal/s400/cloud+shadows.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It is, after all, my world and I can create it however I see fit.</span></div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-11254274080150446502013-04-28T10:11:00.000-07:002013-04-28T10:13:22.103-07:00INSPIRATION<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">"The advice I like to give young artists,
or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration.
Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If
you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in
the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas
come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you.
If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there
a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something
will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that
you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely
unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea
before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case."
-Chuck Close<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I read this quote the other day and I do
believe Mr. Close hit the nail squarely on the head<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I guess if you have no need or desire to learn
to be a better painter, you can wait for inspiration to hit but if you want to
be a good painter you paint!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You paint
when you’re excited about a new idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You paint when you haven’t a clue what you want to paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You paint when you are feeling full of piss
and vinegar and you paint when you feel like crap!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">A couple of days ago, I woke up after a really
lousy night’s sleep and the very thought of standing at the easel with a
paintbrush in my hand was, in a word, unappealing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I looked through all my photos…and my
facebook friends’ photos, too…. in a vain search for ‘inspiration.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It never showed up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">So, like I do every other morning, I opened my
paint box, put a new canvas on my easel and picked up a brush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the leftover paint on my palette, I began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It wasn’t complicated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I put paint on the brush and put that paint on
the canvas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I smeared it around
some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, I picked up another leftover
color and repeated the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the result.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_O4fxZgGvK6fRXn0bjOL7lMkV_IekqAX1scAPRFytBsPo8mgRed1SxxiD7t51FQXRDZiEc5l4TZFA5RJg0GW3J2lRY5Ti8JVUg8hVdwU5qPmg6gF-EPEu4QhFoYrDC43FP4Yj5PSS3C/s1600/cactus+canyon+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_O4fxZgGvK6fRXn0bjOL7lMkV_IekqAX1scAPRFytBsPo8mgRed1SxxiD7t51FQXRDZiEc5l4TZFA5RJg0GW3J2lRY5Ti8JVUg8hVdwU5qPmg6gF-EPEu4QhFoYrDC43FP4Yj5PSS3C/s400/cactus+canyon+final.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p>CACTUS CANYON</o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p>16 x 20</o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It is one of my favorite paintings I’ve done
lately….begun with no inspiration and no real desire to even paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I have learned to trust the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned that I will make a good
painting or a bad one but in either case, I will have learned something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have grown in skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">And that is inspiring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My paintings are available at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SKayArt">http://www.etsy.com/shop/SKayArt</a></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-37946724559801409642013-04-17T16:53:00.000-07:002013-04-17T16:53:15.626-07:00STACKING UPMy studio is getting filled up with paintings...LOTS of paintings! Most are actually finished. Many still need work and are just waiting for me to either get in the mood to go back to them or to attain a certain skill that I didn't have when I began them.<br />
<br />
I have GOT to do something with them or we'll have to build on a storage room to hold them all.<br />
<br />
So, I opened an Etsy shop, which you can find here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SKayArt?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/shop/SKayArt?ref=search_shop_redirect</a><br />
<br />
You'll find desert landscapes, mountain landscapes and prarie landscapes.<br />
You'll find still lifes and florals.<br />
You'll find rivers and ponds and seascapes.<br />
You'll find paintings of country homes and city streets.<br />
<br />
If you don't find them now, they'll be there eventually. Like I said, I have LOTS of paintings stacked up and waiting to be photographed and put on-line.<br />
<br />
I think my paintings are priced very reasonably and I hope lots of them can find a new home.<br />
<br />
Here's one that you won't find there. It's my favorite place to eat my favorite fast food in Tucson, Arizona. If you've never had a Mexican Hot Dog, you have no idea what you are missing...and these, made by Noe, are the best!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf7QhStIDpUMNUlWCjOFHiFMcCTYLpEESvwsY_6bmITAVwALcOwzSIl-xSZAZfLA5JRHYtjIgdXIaT3iW5ufqQma816cFvY-NQ3uZFxCBM67qMpFUUjHCYsvavZBF_VAF75w-C9_pvSx_/s1600/mexican+hot+dogs+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf7QhStIDpUMNUlWCjOFHiFMcCTYLpEESvwsY_6bmITAVwALcOwzSIl-xSZAZfLA5JRHYtjIgdXIaT3iW5ufqQma816cFvY-NQ3uZFxCBM67qMpFUUjHCYsvavZBF_VAF75w-C9_pvSx_/s400/mexican+hot+dogs+final.jpg" title="" width="305" /></a></div>
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</div>
I gave this to Noe in appreciation for the many delectible hot dogs I've enjoyed at his fine establishment. <br />
<br />
If you're in Tucson, you can find him on the NW corner of 6th Ave. and 22nd St....right across from Santa Cruz Cathedral.<br />
<br />
If you check out my Etsy shop...and you like what you see...please share the link with your friends. I'd appreciate it so very much. So would my hubby, as he has NO desire to build another room just to house this ever-growing stack of paintings!Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-58775241143699810592013-03-31T07:19:00.001-07:002013-03-31T07:24:38.755-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">March 24,
2013<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>approximately<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 a.m.<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></span></o:p></u></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Something disturbs me and I begin to wake up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder why because I don’t really have to
use the bathroom all that badly and that’s what usually wakes me in the middle
of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I roll around a bit,
trying to get comfortable and go back to sleep but finally, I decide to just
get up and get the bathroom visit over with.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My sleep is very important to me and not always an easy
thing to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the things I do
faithfully, so that my sleep is undisturbed is to shut my bedroom door to keep
the cats out of my room.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I sit up and open my eyes, I notice two odd
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is that my bedroom door is
open a few inches and the other is that there is bright light coming in through
that opening.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I get up, open the door and find the following:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My over- the- road truck driving husband’s bedroom light is
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is away, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bathroom light is on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large hall closet door is open and the
light is on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things in my husband’s
bedroom have been disturbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things in
the living room have been disturbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to traverse the very short, but interminably long,
distance to reach the phone because it is apparent that someone was…and might
still be…in my<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am completely and utterly helpless to
defend myself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I get to the phone, I can see that the back door is
ajar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I press 911 and nothing happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Horrendous fear turns to abject terror
because I think my phone lines have been cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I try again and thankfully, the call goes through.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">While on the phone with the dispatcher, I discover that my
purse is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it, in addition to the
debit and credit cards and some cash were my cell phone and every key to every
lock in my house and for our two vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The dispatcher and I wait the twenty minutes or so for the
police to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed an eternity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The young cops-obviously quite bored- check everything
inside and outside the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take
a very few notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about 2:30 and I am alone and I am
scared.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I want you to re-read the above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want you to imagine yourself in that
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want you to do everything
you can possibly do to make sure you are NEVER in a similar situation and if
you allow yourself to try to really feel what I was feeling you might be more
inclined to take some action.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">At a decent hour I begin making calls to set wheels in
motion to achieve some sense of peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every lock has to be re-keyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until that is done, my ‘visitors’ have free access into my house.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">That is the beginning of a week chock full of calls and
appointments and more activity in and around my house than I usually have in
six months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of it is fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of it is very stressful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of it is extremely expensive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some things I did which were almost a hand written
invitation for burglars to come into my house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am telling this long story in hopes that you will learn from me what
NOT to do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The previous night, I did NOT, as I usually do, check to see
if my back door was locked except to look and see the position of the locking
apparatus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, as there was no
‘breaking’, only ‘entering’, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did NOT have the door fully closed so of
course, it was not truly locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
been told, however, that people who know how can easily open that type of
lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So maybe I did lock it but I know
I did not test it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I left my purse sitting on my dining area table.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The dining area window was uncovered giving anyone a clear
view of my purse and many other things inside my house.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My cell phone was in my purse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My keys were in my purse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are my strong suggestions to you and I do hope you will
pass them along to others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have learned that a burglary call is very low
priority to the police.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technically,
that’s what my incident was called instead of a ‘home invasion.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am NOT suggesting you lie to the police but
a much faster response time might happen if you report that someone is or might
be still in or at your residence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if
you’re not 100% positive your ‘visitors’ are gone, leave that as a
possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell them you’re certain
they are gone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never trust your eyes to determine whether or
not a door is closed and locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Test it
with your hand!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always take your cell phone with you when you go
to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always take your purse with you when you go to
bed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always take your keys with you when you go to
bed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do NOT leave spare keys or your primary set
hanging on hooks, lying on hall tables or inside drawers any place in your
house EXCEPT YOUR BEDROOM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then,
choose carefully where and how you hide them and believe me, they need to be
difficult to find, NOT out in plain sight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make sure all exterior doors have deadbolt
locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>lock them</u></b> and make sure you have locked them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Put some kind of good lock on your bedroom door
to buy you some time to get to your cell phone or your taser or your gun or out
your bedroom window in case someone makes it into your house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize that probably won’t be a choice if
you have small kids in the house but otherwise…and especially if you are alone
a lot…it is a really good idea!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had a security door on our front door but not our back
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has been rectified. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no exterior door to my house which
does not now have a deadbolt lock!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have been told by people who should know, that most opportunistic thieves won’t
even bother with a house which has security doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, that stickers which say you have home
security are also a good deterrant-whether or not you actually do have a
security system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also have obtained
an alarmed security system service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice
blinds have been installed on that bare window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>‘Nice’ blinds are not a requirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just cover the window…with a sheet…with anything!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">And I now have a weapon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I chose a Taser for several reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I never intend to be helpless to protect myself again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write down and keep in a safe place your credit and debit
card numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them cannot be
cancelled at 3 a.m. because you will have to talk to a human to cancel them and
sometimes, with some banks, those humans are not available 24/7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somebody could do a lot of shopping on your
card before business hours on a week day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I found a locksmith who will, on occasion, re-key a vehicle
but if you can’t find one and have to go to a dealer be warned that you will
experience sticker shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was quoted
$225 to re-key my car!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locksmith who
had already done all my doors <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i>
charged me $125 for both vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have layers of protection around our house and around me
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am wondering if I will ever
be able to sleep peacefully again in spite of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am hyper-sensitive and hyper-vigilant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure some of that will fade with
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I never again am complacent
about my safety and I hope I do not become a fear-based human being. I do not
want to live in fear. I refuse to live in fear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s not being fear-based to wear a seat belt in my
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a common sense method of
self-protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how I am trying
to see all these things we’ve done…not as a fearful, knee-jerk reaction to one event
but as a logical, proactive means of ensuring my safety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am filled with gratitude that my unwelcome visitors were
only after things and did me no physical harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Things might have been very different.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do hope you will take this little story to heart and take
similar actions to protect yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, I do hope you share it with many, many others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">A word to the wise….hopefully, will be sufficient.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919005860165311442.post-52673046629925607742012-01-28T17:08:00.000-07:002012-01-28T17:08:18.734-07:00FRIED GREEN CHILES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nope....this is not about painting fried green chiles, it's about cooking them! No doubt, I'll get back to painting next time, but for now, let's head to the kitchen!</div>
<br />
Because they can be fairly expensive, I usually buy the biggest can of green chiles I can find and then wrap them in Saran in portions sizes and then store in a freezer bag. One of my 'portions' is used for chopping off chunks of chile when I want some to chop for a recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm7dZ9ebrtAoVsiDmO2b2y7PxhlhjE9btg_eg-rPH3uNnzh24Mum-7xjHbHI4j1DOY45IPLnODAUmylud4Z8WOgldLJAfwyxnvvsfKSst8QDZIYJaz2sWaciKYc05J3PqdDkfjmBCE2mi/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm7dZ9ebrtAoVsiDmO2b2y7PxhlhjE9btg_eg-rPH3uNnzh24Mum-7xjHbHI4j1DOY45IPLnODAUmylud4Z8WOgldLJAfwyxnvvsfKSst8QDZIYJaz2sWaciKYc05J3PqdDkfjmBCE2mi/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
To make the fried green chiles:<br />
<br />
Drain the chiles and dry them on a paper towel. Prepare a mixture of about half flour and half corn meal to which you've added salt, cumin & cayenne pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
Open the chiles...don't worry if they tend to come apart on you...it happens...and place the cheese. You can use whatever cheese you like. I used this today to show you the amount of cheese needed. For these 4 chiles, I only used 1 slice of cheese. If you use too much, you will have an oooey-goooey mess in your skillet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwZAwQFFTfpl4MAPJWmb38-thd_pgR3JxkEZ2WFIK6jABFaCfzzPUz-piOfQzqq-iZxZTuwG9ynbdNorTBEGSITdYabPkRNpWJJdau0WMt2thSKqc_qcdaiRRWqpe8vun2cQip1P8qXQo/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwZAwQFFTfpl4MAPJWmb38-thd_pgR3JxkEZ2WFIK6jABFaCfzzPUz-piOfQzqq-iZxZTuwG9ynbdNorTBEGSITdYabPkRNpWJJdau0WMt2thSKqc_qcdaiRRWqpe8vun2cQip1P8qXQo/s400/2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Fry in a medium hot skillet until they look like this...or maybe even a tad browner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R5O87ZMQhIclIgPdXM4TesRw5XiDv9LY7rY2-4x58DLYPt9w9RnSGCb07isBtnu3IQUQSv8N8tr0lo6CS3qVf6O3NWeawQ2qHjAfrsQmf5yXE58hwJuEhWCmZF1y_mADSOv1yzJchkUu/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R5O87ZMQhIclIgPdXM4TesRw5XiDv9LY7rY2-4x58DLYPt9w9RnSGCb07isBtnu3IQUQSv8N8tr0lo6CS3qVf6O3NWeawQ2qHjAfrsQmf5yXE58hwJuEhWCmZF1y_mADSOv1yzJchkUu/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Serve with any Mexican food dish, grilled meat, a pot of beans, eggs...or by themselves.</div>
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<br />Sharon Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090039934805352441noreply@blogger.com0