art

peace to you.  

cake

some children (of all ages) like to eat the flowers.  

if that's you, here's hoping you get this sweet joy.

be sure to ask for what you want, or the cake-cutter will never know.

white river

joy to you today.

monday colors - reds

 a professional baseball game is a cultural experience.

 to someone who doesn't follow baseball, it is still fun and interesting.

 the players seem friendly and willing to engage with their fans.

 at this game, the national anthem was played by a group of schoolchildren.  

sitting far away from the field has its benefits.  notice the lovely ohio river in the background.  closer to the field, you cannot see it.  

in case it is a double header or goes into overtime, i recommend bringing a book.  after all, a little culture goes a long way.  

joy to you!

remembering

 we never forget our loved ones who have died.

 may you find peace this memorial day.

not-too-casual-friday - fear

our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  it is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most.  

- nelson mandela, 1994 inaugural speech


thanks to theresa at inspiration cooperative for connecting bloggers on this topic.  for more reading about fear, take a visit.

courage to you, together with joy.

tree

never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful,

for beauty is god's handwriting.

-emerson

water

going running?  know where the water fountains are.

joy to you.

alms park

Remember summer and the parks?  

Time to get outside.

Joy to you!

hike

 the path looked inviting, with sunny steps downhill.  at the bottom, it was wide and comfortable.

 the plants were interesting.

 then nature closed in, and i was wiping away spider webs and stepping over what i hoped was not poison ivy.  

 the view at the end was lovely. 

here's to new adventures and no itching. 

joy to you!

drops

happy new week!  here's a splash of sunlit refreshment to get you started.

joy to you and yours.

not yet, but almost

it's waiting.  the children are waiting.  

soon, soon, soon the pools will open for the summer.  

joy to you.

light

finding light where i go.

joy to you.

track meet moon

 no moon here, just runners and parents and lights.

 after rain delays and lots of waiting around and a little running, it's time to go.  

ah!  the moon.

our lights mimic, but do not compete.  what is it about the moon?

les mis

 have you ever seen "les mis"?

the music is powerful, and the story, dramatic.  in the newer version, the stage is not a rotating circle.  instead, they used video for moving backgrounds - very effectively!  for instance, during a scene in the paris underground, the tunnels darken and change as the characters walk.  the effect is spooky and realistic.  

one parenting note - this version is raunchier than the old one, so i would not bring children under 12 or so.  

all the next day, the music ran in my head.

beautiful theater.

monday colors

 mid-may and the pool is filled with water.  not open yet, but filled to warm in the sun.  

sign of summer.

joy to you.

casual friday - writing prompt

as a teacher, i give my students writing prompts.  
katie, at bramasole events, had this really funny and interesting one.  

if your parents bought you from a store, which one would it be?

why that one?  now we adopted our children, so this gave me pause for a minute, but in the spirit of fun here's my answer(s):

my parents got me from:

1.  a chocolate shop - all dark, the best quality.  sweet and healthy.

2.  a toy store - lots of energy and joy.

3.  an art supply store - because i help others create beauty. 

your turn-  was it a bookstore?  a fancy department store?

joy and laughter to you.

that day?

was it "that day" today?  sweet and full of love?

art and sun

through a window.

joy to you.

treats

farmers' market strawberries taste like they have powdered sugar on them.  drippy and red all-through.  

sweet beauty.  

what's fresh where you are?

joy to you!

flying pig

it was dark and the moon was bright at 5:30 a.m., as runners walked to the starting line.

the sun rose over the ohio river just after the 6:30 a.m. gun began the race.

there were 12,000+ half-marathoners, and 4,000-ish marathon runners.

both groups ran up a big hill into eden park, and

past the overlook.

the spectators were the best!  this lovely man played his drum.  i know there is a story here, but could not stop to get it.

several nursing homes had people outside cheering - a delight.  

 the "blues brothers" had a water stop.  cute, huh?  

now - recovering, and back to school today.  
joy to you.

a big beauty

26.2 miles for the first time in 10 years.

slow and steady may not win, but it finishes.  

many thanks to bob roncker's running spot for marathon training.  we started in january, 
running in the dark and cold.  months later, it's 77 degrees and here we are.

my son's poster.  i think this swine represents "hitting the wall" or running out of energy.  we had only trained to 22 miles, so everything over that was a surprise.  and much hotter than our training runs.

i am 47, with no great athletic genes, just pure pig-headedness.  so if you are feeling old, or not very strong, or somewhat out of shape, take heart.  you also might be able to do more than you think.

joy to you.