Photo stories

  • Aging well,  Inspirational quotes,  Photo stories

    Summer sunsets

    “Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful, but because they are fleeting.” ~Richard Paul Evans One of my favorite summer rituals is watching the sun set on Lake Michigan. To fully appreciate a sunset, you have to pause on the beach to admire the fiery color show — and stay long enough to see the sun disappear below the horizon. Sunsets inspire all of us to be fully present, to savor the moment. As other beachcombers gather to watch and applaud the spectacle, there’s a brief but lovely sense of community. Sometimes I’m moved to tears. As today’s quote reminds us, summertime passes quickly.…

  • Photo stories,  Ray Bradbury

    Summer magic, new sneakers

    “He felt sorry for boys who lived in California, where they wore tennis shoes all year and never knew what it was to get winter off your feet, peel off the iron leather shoes all full of snow and rain and run barefoot for a day and then lace on the first new tennis shoes of the season, which was better than barefoot. The magic was always in the new pair of shoes.” ~Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine I love lazy summer days and the casual vibe we enjoy — a long-awaited treat here in the Midwest. And what says “summer” more than a pair of white sneakers? I can’t start the season…

  • Fun stuff,  Originality,  Photo stories

    Getting silly

    “Do a loony-goony dance ‘Cross the kitchen floor, Put something silly in the world That ain’t been there before.” ~ Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic I love people who don’t take themselves too seriously. My father was the King of Silly, a man who taught me to appreciate the quirky and the ridiculous. He admired the inventor of the whoopee cushion as well as the writings of Dale Carnegie and the Greek philosophers. These days, when little else in the world makes sense — which happens too often lately — getting silly is my only recourse. Uncontrollable laughter is the best medicine. This might explain why I think the ginormous yellow dinosaur at…

  • approval seeking,  Garden tour,  Personal growth,  Photo stories

    You be you

    “Forget popularity; focus on sincerity. Do what you do, not for applause, but because it is what is right for you. Practice respecting yourself and becoming a reliable part of your own support system.” ~Angel Chernoff, Marc and Angel Hack Life The word “popularity” still sends me back down Memory Lane to junior high school. And today’s quote from Marc and Angel got me thinking about the difference between sincerity and popularity. When we focus on being popular, we value the number of friends we have rather than the quality of their character, or their compatibility. Likewise, when we try to stay “on trend” with our creative projects, we risk lowering the quality…