There is a story here, but for now I’ll have to settle for a photo.
Making the Days Count one day at a time; one step, sometimes small, sometimes big, but always forward.
Tuesday, 5:25 PM
W-squared – sunrise
Last Friday’s sunrise. I was fortunate to see it. I was placed in exactly the right place at the right time, by chance. That’s how life happens. I was on my way into Chicago and I pulled over to the side of the road to take the photo. I missed last Wednesday’s wordless post, but I haven’t missed making the days count since and I won’t stop.
I was asleep this morning when the sun rose, but it rose anyway, and tonight the sun will set and maybe I’ll see it, maybe I won’t. But it will come up and in between those sunrises and sunsets, I’ll be making the days count. Making the Days Count, one day at a time.
What are you doing in between the sun rise and sunset?
W-squared – Clouds
School is back in session. Tomorrow is day 4 with students and day 7 overall. It’s better with kids. Trust me.
I snapped these photos Friday as my wife and I were out for dinner. A line of thunderstorms formed north and south of us as the sun set, but they went north and south and it did not rain on us. Good thing.
School is a lot more fun with kids, so is teaching. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, clouds form when you aren’t looking, they are just there.
What has made you stop and notice, lately?
W^2 Home of the Brave
A nest of paper wasps has made a home at the corner of the garage under the eaves up north at the lake. The wasps aren’t bothering any humans so the humans will leave them be, so they can do their job in the environment.
Making the Days Count, one day at a time, letting nature do its job.
What have you observed in the natural world lately?
W^2 – Driving Miss Fern
Ivy loves to ride in the car, Fern is beginning to figuring it out.
Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one car ride, too.
When was the last time you took a dog for a car ride?
less words for a Wednesday
Happy Wednesday! It’s the final Wednesday in July and the back garden is in full bloom. Late July and early August are the most colorful months of B’s garden.
It’s been a summer full of hard work, reflection, and good amount of rejuvenation and restoration.
This morning as I began my day, as I skimmed through e-mails, I was inspired several blog posts for Wordless Wednesday. I decided to post a picture for word less Wednesday, but I can’t do it without words, so I’ll do it with LESS words. Perhaps next week will be a true wordless Wednesday.
Last summer, B found pictured coneflower and brought it home for our garden and planted it. Monday morning, I was surveying the garden and discovered them. I love the brilliance of coneflowers and how they bring bright color to the garden in mid-summer.
I’ve been working on a new post for several days, but I am wordless at the moment, so I’ll press publish and jump in to the day because today is going to be a great day, I know it and I can feel it. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one photograph, one memory of summer to hold on to in winter.
What stands out to you in a garden?
curiosity
We can learn a lot from our dogs. I’ve learned a lot from Ivy, our Brittany Spaniel. Fern, our Brittany puppy is a work in progress. She’s made a lot of progress since we brought her home seven weeks ago, but we have a lot progress to make.
A couple of mornings ago, Fern and I were out for a walk. I needed to move and so did she. Walking a dog is an exercise in curiosity, walking a puppy is a course in curiosity and patience.
Fern is learning and so am I. As we walked, Fern was discovering a new world, even though we had walked part of the same route a day earlier. Fern discovered objects I didn’t see – pine cones, sticks, and sadly, trash – paper and plastic.
Fern saw insects and birds – I could see them, but she noticed them and followed them with her head and would pull on the leash give chase to them. Continue reading curiosity
Three things for the FIRST day of summer
It’s Saturday morning, the first day of summer, and for the moment it’s not raining – though rain is in the forecast. Three things to celebrate.
Saturday morning used to be my ‘go to’ writing time, but for the past year I have been letting it slip by filled with other tasks. I have been occupied with other things and Word Press stopped its Weekly Photo Challenge. I went back in time to check out my last WP Photo Challenge posted exactly a year ago tomorrow. All-time Favorites… a photo challenge.
Motivation
It’s the first day of summer according to meteorologists. Meteorologists, or weathermen, consider summer to be June, July, and August. Of course, some of us believe summer won’t officially start until the solstice, or in my case until school is out. And there are the folks who hold fast to the idea that summer begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day. But however, you define it, it’s summer.
The school year is a little longer this year. We had five days added to our calendar; two days for snow, two days for extreme cold, and another day was added to school calendar for Good Friday – somehow the Good Friday was overlooked when the calendar was adopted last year. Nevertheless, school is out next Friday for me and next Thursday for my eighth graders.
Every year about his time I look back to where I was in August when the school year began and reflect on the successes and failures of the school year. It’s where the blog began and this post marks the first post of my tenth year at MakingtheDaysCount.org.
As I look back at the year of 2019-19 and the 2009-10 – the two years have much in common. I used that first summer of blogging to practice writing and process the previous year. It was an exciting to write and I began to read and explore other blogs. I hope to reignite that writing passion this summer.
In with the new….
But, not out with the old. Nine years ago, we had adopted a puppy. That puppy is now a dog and she is the best dog ever. Ivy has woven herself in to the fabric of our family.
Two weeks ago, we added Fern.
Where do I start?
Really, where do I start?
March has been brutal, in like a lion, out like a lamb. It’s an old saying to describe the March’s weather and while it’s true in the upper Midwest that’s not the reference I am making.
It’s been a while since I started a post, even longer since I finished and published one. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to write, it’s that I’ve been distracted and not sure what to say and write.
I’ve been thinking about what ‘making the days count’ really means the past few months going back to this this past summer. I’ve been a in writing drought of sorts. Four posts in six months.
A friend of mine recently shared with me that he thought I was ‘one of the most positive people’ he knew. The compliment buoyed my spirits at a time when I needed a boost.
It’s spring break and I am, or rather, we are in the Florida Keys for a week of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. I know I am need of all three.
Four weeks ago, tomorrow morning, I opened my Five Minute Journal and was greeted by,
“Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” Ann Brashares.
It was the day I knew, we all knew, was ahead of us. Continue reading Where do I start?
a first Sunday and two sunsets
It’s been a while since I’ve penned regular posts. I’ve gotten out of the habit writing weekly or writing at all.
As the new calendar year began, I made note of some things I wanted to change. I suppose I could have selected another place on the calendar, but the timing coincides with my return to work (tomorrow) after five weeks off due to my second knee replacement. I now have matching scars.
The past half year has been busy…..
In June, I had my right knee replaced at the beginning of summer break and I planned my left knee replacement to coincide with winter break knowing I would be missing the last three weeks of ’18 in recovery. Ironically, two of my other school colleagues were experiencing similar journeys with their knee or a spouse’s knee.
In November, our son graduated from marine boot camp and we traveled to southern California to be with him. Our son left home for boot camp in August and I replaced blogging with letter writing. In all, I wrote seventeen letters. I haven’t written a letter since late October, but it is on my list. Our son is still training but he has his phone and computer and it’s easier for him to communicate electronically – he texted me several times yesterday and it was nice to hear from him. But I’ll resume the old-fashioned way with an envelope and a real stamp. We had a day to unwind after his graduation and I snapped the photo below of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. It was a peaceful end to an exciting couple of days. The day after our son’s graduation from boot camp was my birthday and it also happened to be the USMC birthday.
After our son’s graduation, he was home for a week before he returned to finish his training.
Continue reading a first Sunday and two sunsets
