Washington Street

Renewal: In order to upgrade a building,
the crew has to construct some protective
scaffolding. This is a photo of the work
being done on an old building in Mission Hills, an historic neighborhood of San Diego.
After the work is done, this will be torn down.
I, personally, find the wood structure
beautiful. I enjoy walking through it as I stroll
down Washington Street. The wood has a
fresh, natural aroma. The blonde color is very calming, and the long pathway feels cozy and safe. Behind the wall, an extensive construction project is in process. It is hidden.
I like scaffolding, and will miss it when they tear it down in honor of the new buidling behind it. However, it must be done.
I am also going through a process of renewal, and search for my own form of scaffolding as I go through the journey. I seek out people who are kind. I seek out moments of joy. I tend to linger outdoors, feeling the cool air on my arms. I don't rush through my days as I once did. I wait. I pause. I appreciate. I enjoy.
In your life, what serves as scaffolding? What supports you while you work on renewal?

Every New Beginning

 Every New Year:
How fitting that we celebrate each new year in the dark of night.
Unable to see ahead of us, we still rejoice at the end of one section of time, as we enter the next section.
The chill of the dark, the strangeness of the unknown, and the thrill of the bursts of light, giving us hope.
Please take this moment to thank the year that just passed, congratulate yourself for moving forward, and take a deep breath of gratitude. Exhale.
Write down what you are eager to experience in the coming year, then "Make it so."

Pioneers and Explorers

Dr. Sally Ride was invited to sit on a panel of scientists at the San Diego Air and Space Museum several years ago, and I was lucky enough to be able to snap this photo, now a collector's item.
I get sad each time I look at this photo, for it is difficult for me to accept the fact that
Dr. Sally Ride is gone, taken from this world at a young age.
She was the first woman in space. Thirty years after Ralph
Cramden, on TV's landmark but sexist show the Honeymooners,  told his wife
Alice that he was going to shoot her "to moon!"
Ride went there, not at the end of her husband's fist,
but by virtue of her studies in science and physics and SDSU.
Thank you, Ms. Ride, for having been a pioneer. Thank you, for having been an explorer into outer space, where very few men or women have been. And, most importantly, thank you for
having devoted your life to the education of young children. You were truly a pioneer AND an explorer. Writing prompt: When, in your own life, were you a pioneer?
When did you set out to do something that nobody else around you had dared to do?
Where did it take you and where did you go?
What did you learn? How have you shared that knowledge with others?

Life's Circles

By the end of the day, how many of life's circles have I passed through? My circle encompasses my boyfriend, my aunt and cousins, my extended family and friends, my coworkers. Today I stopped by the dry cleaners and had a pleasant conversation with the young lady who works there. How many people are in her circle? Do I know them? Have you smiled at them during your busy day? Remember that everybody else has their own circle to go home to, to answer to, to argue with, or laugh with. Who is in your circle?

Most Beautiful Place

During the traffic jams and incessant television ads of the season, I like to draw back, pause and find a moment of calm at one my favorite places. This is one of them.
Rocky Mountain National Park, in the fall.
It is quiet, a rustle of the breeze crunches the
dried grass. All I hear is my breath. I can smell
the snow blowing down from the mountains. I am alone: no cars, no hikers. Nothing. It is true peace, if just for moment.
Where is your calm place? Please close your eyes
for moment and travel there in your imagination.
Feel the air on your face. Smell the aroma.
Who is there with you? How does it feel? Write
about it, and enjoy, for a few moments.

MAYA ANGELOU'S BEST POEM EVER

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she never wants
to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her
dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ......
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black
lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who
lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone
else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a
recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a feeling of control over her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its
over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't
take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...


Know that you are truly loved by the friend who sent this...
and that she wishes the best for you always...
.............................................wisdom: true!
.................writing prompt: What do you have?

Thankful Exercise

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, stop, take a breath, and raise your hands in joyfulness and thanksgiving. You are exactly where you need to be right now. Write about it.