Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: fun stuff


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Foggy reflections

We are careening toward the end of the year, no stopping it, can’t even slow it down. People are crazily trying to get everything done in time, working toward their perfect holiday. Stores are open 24 hours and many folks are losing sleep. Cooking themselves into a stupor. Exhausted.

Me? Not so much. The few gifts I needed to send are sent. The cards were in the mail last week. I think I’m done.

Foggy horse barn

Foggy horse barn

I wonder if I’m missing something by avoiding the stores and malls. Avoiding the frenzy. I guess I could go shopping for nothing in particular just to experience the ‘holiday joy,’ listen to the music, look at decorations. People watch.

But I don’t think so.

I’m participating in a challenge with some of my runner women friends. We have committed to walking or running at least one mile every day, starting Thanksgiving Day and ending New Years Day. So far I haven’t broken the streak and I find I like being outside a bit every day.

Waiting for snow

Waiting for snow

We had a streak of foggy mornings recently. It’s been unseasonably warm here, with only one snowstorm now long since gone. It’s peaceful to walk in the fog.

So my gift to you this holiday season is a reminder to take a bit of time off from the craziness that is your life and take a little walk. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to actually go anywhere. Just get yourself outside and breath, a little bit every day, between now and the New Year.

And have a wonderful holiday with your families.

Gift for the birds

Gift for the birds


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Birthday girl recaps

Katie here! HEY! I know you all wonder how I spent my glorious birthday yesterday. It’s not every day a princess turns nine, right? Right!? So there should be celebrations! Parties! Extravagant gifts! Crowds of cheering fans! Piles of yummy treats!

See our library way over there behind the pond?

See our library way over there behind the pond?

Or at least an adventure.

I can always count on my mama to take me on an adventure and I was not disappointed. (The gifts and treats and parties were a bit lacking though I did appreciate all your adoring fan comments on mama’s blog yesterday!)

I'm the copilot!

I’m the copilot!

So anyway, Mama broke the car early in the morning and it had to go to the shop for repairs. That was OK because we got to do my adventuring in daddy’s truck! I used to be scared of the big truck but now I like it cause I get to see out the front window. And I get to smell the breeze coming in the vent. When I ride in the truck I have to wear my harness and get connected to the seat belt. But that’s OK, it’s worth it to be close to mama.

Our first adventure wasn’t much of an adventure. We just went to my park. But this time mama said I could choose where I wanted to go and I took mama on a different path and we ended up over at the library! I took her all the way around it and then back to the car. She said we hadn’t quite walked a whole mile; she’s doing some sort of silly challenge where she has to walk a mile every day, so we also walked all the way around a softball field. And over to the playground.

I'm the birthday girl!

I’m the birthday girl!

I figured that was all I was going to get but nooooo! Mama asked me where we should go next! Cause it was my BIRTHDAY! Happy happy day! I said….’remember that park we went to a couple of years ago in the winter mama? With the little creek?”

Just a muddy little creek this time of year mama!

Just a muddy little creek this time of year mama!

She said OK,let’s go there baby-girl! So we did! All these pictures, except the first one, are from the second park — it’s actually a nature trail and I think they do cross country skiing there in the winter when there’s snow.

Come ON mama!

Come ON mama!

When we got there we noticed a big storm knocked down a tree on the bridge across the creek. That didn’t bother me, we just walked around it. Mama was a bit worried about the safety of the bridge but it was just fine. She’s a worrier, my mama.

This is actually a cute bridge.

This is actually a cute bridge.

Then we got to a wooden bridge over a low wet spot. I ran right up it and across. I told mama it reminded me of my agility days, it was just another dogwalk to me! She said it was slippery and I should be careful but I told her not to be such a scardy pants. Geeze.

It's just a dogwalk mama!

It’s just a dogwalk mama!

I was very happy at this new park. There was so much good stuff to sniff! Nobody was out there but you could tell lots of people and dogs had been there earlier. Even though it was getting colder and mama was starting to tell me to ‘leave it let’s go!” I stopped to sniff a lot.

Good smells here mama!

Good smells here mama!

After all…it was my birthday.

We even got to run down this big hill! I thought that was a lot of fun and wanted to go back up and do it again but mama said no way was she climbing back up there. Mama is a wimp.

Hi there mama!

Hi there mama!

We walked another whole mile in the new park and I had a blast. I even sat on this stupid bench for mama to take a picture. She forgot the treats in the truck and I didn’t get anything the whole time we were in this park even though I posed about a hundred million times for her.

She said she’d make it up to me later.

I didn't protest, sitting on this bench gave me a chance to rest!

I didn’t protest, sitting on this bench gave me a chance to rest!

I’m still waiting.

But I’ll forgive her because we had such a lovely time together. Those worker men were at my house again yesterday, and they were still there when we got back from our adventures. But I didn’t bark at them or anything even though they were noisy. I just went inside and took a birthday nap. For a really long time. It’s important to get my rest you know.

Cause they’re going to be back today, and I expect my mama and I will be heading out in daddy’s truck for another adventure any moment.

I have the best parents ever!

Where are we going next mama?

Where are we going next mama?


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Happy Birthday Katie-girl

Today is Katie’s 9th birthday. Last year she spent it by herself because I was at work and her dad was in the South. This year she expects us to pick it up a little. Maybe some cake (not going to happen), party hats (nope), presents (probably not), a long walk in the park (sounds reasonable).

She’s already poking around trying to figure out if there’s going to be a surprise party. Silly girl.

This is a good park mama!

This is a good park mama!

Happy birthday baby-girl. You certainly changed our lives when you showed up nine years ago. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

OK,OK, I’m hurrying. Gotta get to that park!

Right sweetie?

Love you sweetie!

Let’s go mama!


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The best, fun, most extraordinary day

This is all for me!

This is all for me!


Katie here. I know, I know. You just heard from me at Thanksgiving, right? But I have to tell you about the wonderful day I had with my mama yesterday! And heck, she’s still sleeping, so I figure I get to blog as much as I want. She’ll never know.

So anyway, mama said some guys were coming to work on the house and it was going to be noisy and she figured I would just make it nosier and stress everyone out so she told my daddy that she was taking me to the park.

All day!

Of course my daddy was up early and whenever that happens I usually end up at the groomer or the kennel or the vet, so I was very nervous and tried to skulk away to hide in the bedroom where no one would think to look for me. But mama told me not to worry and put me in my car.

Going for a walk.

Going for a walk.

Well I was still worried so I remained very still and very quiet as she drove all over running errands. We did stop at my park but it was just for a moment and only to let me do my business because mama knows I always do all my business there right away. Then she put me back in the car without walking all the way around!

I was upset!

And I was right! We went to the groomer! How could you mama?! OK, it was just to get my nails clipped and I got to sit on mama’s lap and I got a treat, and my favorite girl was there to do it, so it wasn’t all that bad, but I told my mama off when we got back in the car anyway.

I love this time of year!

I love this time of year!

So to make it up to me mama took me to a park I’ve never been to before that is over on the groomer’s side of town. No one was there! We got to walk through the woods and play in the deep oak leaves.

Get the ball mama!

Get the ball mama!

And there was a fenced in space where some other doggie left three tennis balls. I got so excited when I saw those! Mama threw them for me and I ran and ran and ran and spun around in excitement. I never actually touched the tennis balls (they might have boy cooties) but I’d race out to where the ball landed and then spin in circles. It was so much fun, especially since that made my mama have to go get the ball to throw it for me again.

Run mama, run!

Run mama, run!

And do you know what we did next? We went back to my park! I couldn’t believe it when we got there and mama got me out of the car! A second park in the same day! Boy oh boy! I was sooooo happy I grinned almost the whole way around the park.

But about three quarters of the way around I sat down and smiled at my mama. It was time for a rest. So we did! Mama didn’t tell me to ‘lets go’ or anything. She said it was a big day and it was OK for me to rest. But then I saw a chipmunk and we were off again! I can always count on chipmunks to revive me!

Got any treats mama?

Got any treats mama?

When we finally got home late in the afternoon guess what? There weren’t any men working on my house and daddy said they are coming today instead.

Mama was not happy.

She says she doesn’t know how she can top yesterday and keep me busy all day again. I told her I was up for anything, especially if it involves walks and rides and parks and treats.

I could just run all day!

I could just run all day!

Yesterday was my favorite kind of day. Whatcha going to do with me today mama?

I'll pose once mama.

I’ll pose once mama.


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Walking in a winter wonderland

Extraordinary morning.

Extraordinary morning.

You think it’s easy to go for a walk every day? Sure. What’s a little daily walk to a retired person? Well that’s what I said too, and why I agreed to join my fellow Michigan Connectors in a challenge to walk (or run, but really? RUN?) at least one mile every day between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

I like to walk. I enjoy almost all of almost every walk I’ve ever been on. But it’s still hard. I wake up every day and think “Where am I going to walk today?” And I’ve figured out I need to get the walk done early in the day, before the rest of the world interferes and the day gets away from me.

A frosty walk.

A frosty walk.

My favorite walks are those when I have enough time to drive to one of our parks and walk through the woods. In fact I had a lovely almost two mile walk early in the morning just a few days ago. The images in this post are from that magical morning in a county park not far from where I live.

Blue skies above the marsh.

Blue skies above the marsh.

There’s lots to do at this park. A small playground complete with climbing wall for little kids. An eight mile bike path that winds through wetlands and deep woods. A water pad for summers. Even a chain link maze.

Holiday colors.

Holiday colors.

For the winter there’s a sledding hill and a toboggan run. And tucked way in the back is a nature area with a path through tall trees and marshland.

Hill waiting for snow.

Hill waiting for snow.

I saw no cars anywhere in the park when I arrived – I had the whole place to myself. The sun was glinting off frost tinged grass, brush and leaves.

It was magical.

From days past.

From days past.

Half way along the nature trail another trail branched off. It is called the ‘farm trail’ and at the base of it were a couple of antique farming implements. That morning the frost had touched the rusted metal and the result was beautiful. I spent a long time taking shots of bits and parts of frosty rust, totally ruining my split times.

As if time was important to a retired person.

Frosty.

Frosty.

A lesson to this retired person. No matter what the weather if you get outside and walk a mile you’re going to find something, maybe a lot of things, worth the walk. With or without the camera.

Puddle art.

Puddle art.

I know I’m lucky to have the time to take these walks. And I’m lucky to belong to a group of women who hold health and fitness high on their lists of important things. They challenge me to stick with it, even when I don’t want to.

Which is why I’m having a blast walking in a winter wonderland.

On top of the world.

On top of the world.


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Christmas arrives

My community band played our holiday concert last night, complete with Santa conducting one of our pieces. It seemed a bit early to me, playing Christmas music on the first of December, yet I know many radio stations have been playing Christmas music for weeks. And the crowd seemed to get into the spirit, clapping along with “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Sleigh Ride.”

Checking out the music prior to the concert

Checking out the music prior to the concert

We had only four weeks to get ready for this concert; just a month ago we were playing Halloween music in our first concert of the year. It always feels strange to be rehearsing holiday pieces early in November, long before any of us are bitten by the spirit of Christmas.

It reminds me, every year, of the late 70s when my mom owned a ceramic store. We started firing glazed Christmas trees in October. In order for people to have their trees for holiday tables we needed to get them done prior to Christmas. And given how many we put through the kilns we had to start weeks before anyone would typically think about decorating with trees and ornaments. I remember feeling that Christmas was over the weekend before the actual holiday because we were finished putting Christmas ceramics projects through the store. And I remember listening to people talk about their plans for Christmas and being perpetually surprised that it was still in the future.

The real deal.

The real deal.

That’s how I feel this year. Now that the concert is over I feel like I can relax. As if the holiday was done. No huge holiday event hovers over me. No frantic planing, shopping, cooking, cleaning, no real plans at all. And while that is a peaceful feeling, it isn’t all good. I notice Christmas trees lit in living room windows as I travel past houses at dusk, I see the Christmas lights up in yards, and I smile a bit wistfully.

So a little Christmas cheer is in order around here. I think I’ll put the big wreath up on the front of the house and plug it in. That’s about all the preparation I think I can deal with and it’s enough to make me smile when I pull into the driveway.

What is enough for you? Are you doing the full Christmas tree, house covered in lights, piles of gifts, huge holiday dinner? Or are you scaling back this year? For me, for this year, a quiet Christmas will be just the ticket now that the holiday concert is a wrap.

Music stand reflects light

Music stand reflects light


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Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Anything that flies from birds to airplanes

I enjoy wandering in the woods looking for birds to photograph and I love sitting in my backyard doing the same. I even like to hang out in my living room and catch them at my feeders, so you’d think a bird would be the perfect choice for Cee’s latest black and white photo challenge. On the other hand I love to fly, so a cool photo of a plane would work too, and I think I have a couple plane shots in my archives.

Still.

What I enjoy most about photo challenges is the hunt for something to represent each new challenge. If I can I like to head out with a specific idea or two, head out for a mini road trip to see what there is to see, to see if I can capture what I have in mind. Or something else equally compelling.

And I like to come up with something different. Interesting. Maybe even unexpected.

Imported Photos 03556 edited cropped black and white

For this challenge, I decided not to do a bird or a plane. Instead I chose our United States flag, flying above my local library in a blustery wind. It was flapping and folding back on itself. It was also raining so I only grabbed a couple shots. I liked this one when I saw it on the camera. I like it even better when I saw it in black and white.

Thank you Cee, for getting me out into the world on a wet, cold, blustery day. And for making me look at the world for potential black and white images.

It’s always a pleasure.