Changes

Ok all!  Here it is the answer to where is this:  the Ballard Hiram Chittendem (sp?) Locks in Seattle! Yes the artwork is on the South side of the locks...what are the locks?  The locks are where the boats get lowered and raised to sea level as they are leaving and entering the Ship canal that leads to Lake Union and Lake Washington.  A great place to visit if you come to Seattle.  There is a small fish ladder there and a nice museum about the history of the locks and other maritime stuff!  Plus it's fun to watch the boats come and go.....

Today I feel changes coming.  The weather here in Seattle has been so strange.  Storms blowing in and out with sunshine peaking through.  Quite unlike the usual sprinkly grey rain we get with no sunshine for days at a time.  I even had the opportunity to see a rainbow in between all the excitement.  I hurried and brought out my camera.   Took some pictures.  Still need to unload them.  I've been totally distracted today with a neat project I started for a graduation present...and can't finish because my All-in-on Epson scanner, copier, printer just died on me..it just won't turn on...no matter how many times I press the button...it really bums me out.  So today I'm thinking about changing my journal.  Birthdays and Bills are too limiting.    I think I may go a whole different direction....   maybe a Guess where I am today!  journal..... where you can try to guess where I took the picture or just make something up for fun!  Try it with this one!  

Monday Monday

Well, it's Monday morning!  Monday is a day to talk about the bills...how are you doing with them?  Over the years in our neighborhood we had some troubles with mail theft so we had to replace our regular mailboxes with this standup unit.  It's much safer and has more room.  It also has a spot for parcels.  The before picture is what it has looked like for over 19 years.  Around Christmas last year we had our mailbox stolen and a neighbor and I arranged to get this unit installed.  We can now mail our bills safely from this unit since the outgoing spot is also locked!   That should save a lot of time.   You can check with your local postal office to find out what they recommend for your area.  It took a couple of months to get organized but only 1 and 1/2 week from the order of the mailbox to installation and being good to go. 

That's my tip on Bills for today!  If you have one to share I'd love to hear it.

 

Birthday Haiku

In order to stay more focused I am going to write about Birthdays if the day is Wednesday through Saturday and about Bills if the Day is  Sunday through Tuesday..because I don't think I can handle two journals yet.  (Kudos to all of you who can do that....)

Do I really need a photo to write a Haiku ....of course, don't we all?
Rule I go by:  17 syllables in 1 minute

Birthday Cake Photo

Cake bursting strawberries
Wavy whipped cream, cool
Birthday, pink, decadent

We all have a favorite cake or birthday treat....if you happen to read this and would like a Haiku for you...just post a birthday photo on your journal and ask me to visit in the comments section of this entry!...I'll see what I can do for you!



     

Monday's photo shoot - Sports

Our family has been involved in soccer for years...our daughter has played since she was 5 and now she is playing in college.  Go #14!.... just watch out for those headers..they make me cringe!   Assignment: Your Monday Photo Shoot: Sports!

The sun is out, spring is here, and for the Monday Photo Shoot, I thought we'd do something that gets us all out of doors:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show yourself (and/or family in friends) enjoying yourself playing sports, or watching them. Yes, all that fresh air willl be good us all. Remember your Claritin

http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/4084

Mother's day photos

Here are a few pics of my mom, sisters and daughter.  I need to take more of these kinds of pictures.  As for the special comment about my mother...She is brave, talented, survived having seven children and I love her very much!
Mother's Day Haiku:

Mothers sharing moments
Happy smiles, shimmering eyes
Daughters always

Thanks, John for the idea....

http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/4060

 

Pink, Pink and more Pink

Decided to make comments about both bills and birthdays today, change my background color and mention a few new links....

About Births:  Sunsets are the birth of a new night.  Sunrises are the birth of a new day.  I have so many pictures of both!  Maybe that's why I like them so much. Hope you enjoy these....

I changed the background of my journal today to Pink.   One reason is to remind me to condition for the Breast Cancer 3Day Walk.  To learn more here is a link to my page: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=61814&lis=1&kntae61814=7955CDE57BD54805A288EC5D45F3B702&supId=62099510

 Another reason for the change on the background is to act as a reminder of 'being in the pink'...an old saying meaning feeling good!  The Little things should make us feel good!  Remember Those Birthdays and Pay Those Bills....RTB and PTB. 

 Paying the bills is like kind of like going swimming in a lake....the water is usually cold at first touch but once you get in it's a breeze.  Same with bills, it's hard to get started but once you do it goes fast and what a relief when it's done.  Somehow I am always doing the bills in the morning right before work..that way I can mail them on my way into work.  

A good routine is to check my two calendars:  Birthdays?  no,  Bills? yes    I put aside 30 minutes and take care of it.  At night when I get the mail I add the new bills to the calendar.  I've already added the May birthdays to the calendar...Yay!...One coming up soon on the 12th.

I've added some links of other journals to mine, finally!  I had a hard time deciding there are a lot of good ones out there. Thanks to Purple Snapdragon and Random Musings I did it.  I liked these..they are warm, sensitive, positive and make me happy when I read them...see them at the left of my journal.   Two especially have nice photos on their journals Jersey Girl and Eyes of the Beholder.  When you have time check them out. 

I also added one that hasn't been updated for awhile but it got me thinking about poetry.  I've written some over time.  This one has a great idea for Haiku's inspired by photos.  I may try adding a Haiku from time to time on mine and inviting others to add theirs...her rules are simple...take 1 minute and use only 17 syllables....

Here is one for the sunrise picture:

Burnt Orange rising
Fog blankets, valley sleeps
Bright, tendrils, birth of day

How about you?

 

Birthday tribute to the little ones

A little tribute to the babies of nature.  Saw this little family of Canadian geese during our visit to our boat at the marina in Ballard, Washington, near the locks.  There are 13 little fuzzies.   When I figure out how to show the little movie I took of them on this journal I'll add that......they are even cuter in motion.  13 little birthdays that happened not long ago!  We do have some real problems with the geese after they grow up around here...they like to leave little reminders of themselves all over the place..it can get pretty bad.  However,  it is a balance as all things are in life.  The good with the bad...right now the enjoying the presence of these little ones is priceless.  (Oh and thanks to TheClarkTeam for the tip on getting the words under the pictures...Laura!)