Travels with a Donkey

"I have not often enjoyed a place more deeply. I moved in an atmosphere of pleasure, and felt light and quiet and content. But perhaps it was not the place alone that so disposed my spirit. Perhaps some one was thinking of me in another country; or perhaps some thought of my own had come and gone unnoticed, and yet done me good. For some thoughts, which sure would be the most beautiful, vanish before we can rightly scan their features; as though a god, travelling by our green highways, should but ope the door, give one smiling look into the house, and go again for ever. Was it Apollo, or Mercury, or Love with folded wings? Who shall say? But we go the lighter about our business, and feel peace and pleasure in our hearts."


Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson from the chapter THE LAST DAY.

Travels with a Donkey

“The road lay under chestnuts, and though I saw a hamlet or two below me in the vale, and many lone houses of the chestnut farmers, it was a very solitary march all afternoon; and the evening began early underneath the trees. But I heard the voice of a woman singing some sad, old, endless ballad not far off. It seemed to be about love and a bel amoureux, her handsome sweetheart; and I wished I could have taken up the strain and answered her, as I went on upon my invisible woodland way, weaving, like Pippa in the poem, my own thoughts with hers. What could I have told her? Little enough; and yet all the heart requires. How the world gives and takes away, and brings sweethearts near only to separate them again into distant and strange lands; but to love is the great amulet which makes the world a garden; and ‘hope, which comes to all,’ outwears the accidents of life, and reaches with tremulous hand beyond the grave and death. Easy to say: yea, but also, by God’s mercy, both easy and grateful to believe!”


Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson from the chapter IN THE VALLEY OF THE MIMENTE

Travels with a Donkey

Frontispiece by Walter Crane

London: Chatto & Windus, 1907 - Photo from the interwebs

“The greater part of poetry is about the stars; and very justly, for they are themselves the most classical of poets. These same far-away worlds, sprinkled like tapers or shaken together like a diamond dust upon the sky, had looked not otherwise to Roland or Cavalier, when, in the words of the latter, they had ‘no other tent but the sky, and no other bed than my mother earth.’”

Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson from the chapter IN THE VALLEY OF THE MIMENTE

My latest winter time read and above is one of many enjoyable words strung together to make one ponder life, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Olympus TG-3 Macro Shots

When I am out and about, either in my own back yard or the world abroad, I am always drawn to the macro-sphere and the textures of life that surround us. So it makes total sense to take our new traveling camera out for a test drive in the up-close and personal world. 

What do you think?

High Five Friday for New Traveling Cameras

High five Friday for sunny days to test out our new traveling camera.  As far as point & shoot cameras go, the Olympus TG-3 is, so far so good. Plus it is waterproof up to 50 feet.  Snorkeling fun here I come!

Afternoon Walk

It was a lovely day for a lunch time walk around campus, there are plenty of trails where the city seems so far away and one can enjoy the sunshine and quiet. I hope your day too is filled with peace, smiles, and joy.

Flash Back

Flash back to the days when instant photos were a novel concept and all you had to do was wait a few minutes for the photo to develop. What a concept, what an innovative way to create memories, and still today you can recreate a bit of that flash back.

Invisible Light

There is an invisible light that shines in the soul, something that shines through all the adornments we wear, the words we say, and the outer shield we carry. Can you see its glow? What light is shining through your soul into your life?

Shining Daylight on the Less is More

Hello daylight! It is that time of year again, and as my thoughts turn from winter and lean into the hope of the coming spring I am reminded that less is more. Less is more! Less stuff is more time to love. I have been saying this phrase long before it was on everyone’s lips; in fact I just might have coined the darn thing. It finally became a full mantra of mine sometime in 2002, when I took a long look around at the stuff in our home, and garage I then realized that we were choking from all the stuff that surrounded us. Stuff is not love!

You would think that since we moved just a year ago, that the stuff factor in our lives was all under control. We moved from a 1,400 square foot home with a one car garage that had a small shop area up front, to an 800 square foot two bedroom condo with a one car garage parking space and an 8 foot by 6 foot storage area. So why would I be thinking that we had too much stuff? We certainly slimmed down when we moved and we were successful at only bringing the appropriate amount of furniture for the new smaller home. Well I am here to tell you that in just one year of not being diligent and on the less is more patrol, that the stuff has taken hold. It’s almost like we own a rabbit farm.

So another good long look around our home sent me searching for a little assistance and low and behold, seek and you shall find.

...

Check out Be More with Less and her article on ‘The Greatest Secret to Productivity’

“What these productivity hacks forget to mention is that by becoming über-productive, you compromise your health and relationships, are in constant demand, and still never get it all done. Most productivity experts try to teach you how to get things done, but what they are really delivering are techniques to get things done faster so you have time to do more things. Insert vicious cycle here.”

Also check out Becoming Minimalist and their article on  'The 10 Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life’

My favorites:

“4. Your Negative Thoughts – Most negative emotions are completely useless. Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

10. Your Multi-Tasking - Research indicates that multi-tasking increases stress and lowers productivity. while single-tasking is becoming a lost art, learn it. Handle one task at a time. Do it well. And when it is complete, move to the next.”

...

Hello daylight and sun shining in on a clean tidy house and room in our lives for more adventures!

...

One of the things I miss about Fairbanks

Bonfires on a cold winters night (or afternoon as it does get dark early in these parts) with people that warm your heart and make you laugh!

By the glow of the fire may you know you are loved!

To My Dad

Happy birthday to my dearest Dad! This will always be your day!

Miss you!
Love, your Daughter!

Eagle Eyes

The Eagles are back to their early morning and mid-evening vigils in our neighborhood.  Keep your small pets close at hand.  It is nice to see a bit of Alaska wildlife while in the middle of the big city.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Happy Birthday to US!

Happy birthday to you & me!  There are many more good times ahead and I can't wait!  Long live BFFs!

One of the Things I DO NOT Miss about Fairbanks

Photo from the Alaska Climate Research Center 1/26/15 8:50 am

The nasty cold temperatures.  Stay indoors where is it warm and safe.

Think happy thoughts of March!

One of the things I miss about Fairbanks

One of the things I miss about Fairbanks is going to Fox to get spring water! Icy cold spring refreshing water!

One of the things I miss about Fairbanks

One of the things I miss about Fairbanks is LuLu's Bagels!  

We toast to you LuLu! Keep up the good and tasty work!
Get out and enjoy some local baked goods in your neighborhood.

March Sunlight in January

Hooray for what feels like March sunlight in January.  Living in Anchor-town does have its advantages.  We hope that you are enjoying your day and that there is some sunlight in your life!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

Today is my Grandpa’s birthday, he would have been 92. We miss him so awfully much, and each time I drive by the blue post box a bit of me winces because I do not have a postcard for him to place in the outgoing mail. In the photo above are most of the postcards that I have mailed my Grandpa since his dear wife, my beloved Grandma, passed away in October of 2009. The bottom center right are from 2009 (you can’t see all of them in this photo), the left line is 2010, second to the left is 2011 (notice there are three months missing; January, February, and March), the center line is 2012, next one over is 2013 and the last row on the right is 2014. Grandpa passed away in November of 2014.

The time difference between here and Iowa sometimes made phone calls difficult to make so I would take a part of my work day and write Grandpa a little note. Sometimes they were filled with family news from the northland and sometimes they were just gibberish from a Granddaughter to her treasured Grandpa. But either way they were my way of letting him know that he was loved and always on my mind and in my heart. I hope that they helped to keep the loneliness away, if only for a little while.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

***

Thank you dear Auntie Marcia and Cousin Emily (as they came my way at two separate occasions) for ensuring these postcards made it back to Alaska as they carry a lot of memories and love for me.

Share the love and live your life with joy in your heart!  Always!

By the Firelight

What do you see by the light of the fire on a cold winter’s night? Do you see the newspaper boy out delivering the morning edition? Or do you see a figure that could be Cosette who has gone out to collect the water?

Here’s to seeing something that makes you smile in the dance of the flames on a cold winter’s night.

Happy Thursday my friends!

Winter Ducks

Silly ducks don't you know you're suppose to fly away south for the winter?

Nothing enlightening today just silly ducks. 

Enjoy your day and share the love!