I saw this while walking.
My first thought was Snow White and her wicked step-mother, Evil Queen.
Here is picture from afar, then I walked closer.
There’s a story here. Who put this mirror there?
Ponder that on the weekend…
I was walking in a Chicago neighborhood, looking at the homes, listening to the birds.
When right in front of me was an apple tree, handing over the sidewalk.
Of course, I wanted to take one. I mean it was right there in front of me, but…
I thought of that scene in The Wizard of Oz, when the trees come alive, see clip from YouTube.
So, I merely admired the apple tree and walked on.
Such a FUN walk!
Walking can be boring, but not this particular morning. A friend sent me this photo.
Heading to work, it looked like the birds were also having the early morning workday huddle!
Discussion – How to tackle customer food donations that day! There has to be a BETTER way, they nod!
Happy Fall!
Today is Mother’s Day. My daughters had asked me earlier in the week, “What do you want to do for Mother’s Day!”
I chuckled… They were thinking breakfast, coffee, etc. I had another idea. For years, I’ve been talking to my daughters about Dragon Boat Racing. I was on a team in Seattle and also rowed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Teams are all over the world! It’s a lot of fun. Anyone can join. Yes, the teams want to win, but they also like to have fun. It’s similar to Ultimate Frisbee, the more the merrier. So, I told them I’d love for them to come to a new beginner practice.
Good news, they were on board. We’ve never been in a canoe together, so this should be a fun outing.
Oh, in the photo, you see that coyote on the dock?! He was added there to stop the birds from pooping. I’m told he does a very good job.
Have fun, make it a great day! Happy Mother’s Day!
Last year, I was on the hunt for good quality socks. Lately, all I see in the American stores are fuzzy socks. I’m not sure why the socks have become ultra plush, like the blankets they make now. They feel soft, but no weight, no wool, or quality to them.
Recently, I was in Germany in a department store. I happened to walk through the sports department. I saw these FALKE (German since 1895) socks, merino wool blend. I immediately liked the feel of them. They felt like normal old fashioned socks. They even had an added cushion at the ball of the foot. They were a bit pricey, but worth it. They wash well, I’ve already washed them. I don’t put them in the dryer.
Good marketing – Style (TK2) and size on the bottom of the foot. Brilliant!
They only had one pair of women’s socks in my size, so the top photo with blue socks is men’s size. I decided to give them a go. You see they fit perfectly. The women’s socks were girly in color.
I can wear these FALKE socks for walking and hiking. An added bonus, they tell you what foot to put the sock on Left/Right. One day, I didn’t pay attention. I put the socks on the wrong feet. My daughters were traveling with me. I said, “Why do these socks feel so strange?”
One of my daughters looked down and said, “Mama, you have them on the wrong feet. Follow directions!”We all laughed. A new concept, having to think when you put your socks on.
A major win with FALKE!
If you have an IPhone, you probably have the feature where Apple shares a daily “memory” from your photos. Sometimes the photos are endearing, other times, I think, “WHAT, why haven’t I deleted that!”
Today, the memory was of New Year’s Eve. I’ve moved on from 2023, so why did Apple choose THAT memory. At the same time, I felt I needed to be respectful, as it was the Virgin Mary or my Guardian Angel who might have wanted me to have this nice memory.
On New Year’s Eve, I was visiting a friend. We needed exercise, went walking. At a long stop light, I happened to look up and I saw this gold dome with the Virgin Mary. Of course, I had to walk over.
I thought I would have a view of the golden dome in front of the church. Instead, I saw this Manger scene on the top of the building. This church had no grassy area, so they got creative.
I walked to the side of the building, again, I could not get a clear look of the Virgin Mary on the dome. Even on the back side, NOPE. Interesting design for this building. The Virgin Mary looks down into the church.
So, I’ll admit, I am smiling. Signs from Heaven come when we least expect them. Like today.
I have a 94 year old friend who is not doing well. I take this as a sign, a reminder, check in with her.
Have a wonderful day! I’m off to make that phone call! 💕
Life is interesting. Yesterday, I knew I needed to go walking, but I was going back and forth on “when.” You know how that is. One side of our mind says, “DO IT NOW,” but the other side says, “It’s cold outside, wait until later when it has warmed up.” The good old excuses.
I decided to get it done. Near the park where I walk there is a Catholic Church. When I go walking, I always stop and visit Jesus, say a quick prayer, and continue walking.
When I got to Jesus, I was amazed to look up and see the sun shinning perfectly on his face and his right arm/hand as if he was going to bless my head. Might sound silly, but as I was raised a Catholic, that was the first thing that popped in my mind.
I did apologize to Jesus for not going to Sunday mass. I just don’t enjoy it. I go to church when I want to. I like to go during the week, just pop in, sit for a few minutes in the quite dark church with many candles lit and feel at peace for a few minutes. OR as I mentioned, make a point of walking by church and stopping by when I go walking. That offers comfort too. No matter what struggles, we know we are not alone.
In the end, I would say most of us feel we are spiritual, we do believe in prayer or God or “something,” and we pray “our way.” That’s the best. My mother always liked the Buddhist teachings. We can pray anywhere.
There are so many things we need to pray about right now. Wars in Ukraine/Russia, now Israel, natural disasters, the migrant situation, inflation, illnesses, family/friends passing away, the list goes on.
So, I say, “Thank you, Jesus, for making me smile.” The sun shinning on you, was special indeed.
Glad I took that walk when I did!
So, is this going to happen? An MMA fight between Twitter and Facebook.
At first, I thought it was someone making a joke or trying to fuel the flame between the two. However, it does seem that Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are in talks to take their competitiveness to the ring. It’s a good reason/goal to get in shape.
If this fight happens, wherever it happens, it would bring billions in revenue. So, greed would win over humanity?
Isn’t there enough violence in the world without adding a spectacle like this?
Would you watch it?
Let’s face it, winter can challenge our exercise routine. Below zero temps outside force us to stay inside. Some people can walk in place to a video, for me that is B-O-R-I-N-G. I just can’t do it. I’d go insane.
I introduce you to the perfect sock I found for TOUGH days. Yes, when I saw this sock, I thought – it is the answer. Wearing a mean scary bear on my feet would motivate me to weather the storm, right?!
One of my daughters was on board, she loved it. The other one said, “But he looks so scary.”
To which I replied, “That’s the point! Sometimes we need to push ourselves. Take control, “tough it out,” motivate ourselves in a funny way to brave the cold weather. These bear socks do that – LOL.”
Have you ever worn the Darn Tough brand of sock? Made in Vermont, U.S.A. They are the Mercedes of socks. Yes, smooth, light, slick and high end. Oh, and colorful. As soon as I put them on I could tell the difference from my less expensive socks. I was ready to climb the mountain.
However, something was wrong, seriously wrong. They were so narrow. Yes, so tight fitting. I double checked the package. It’s the right size. Why so narrow. I imagined how the Chinese women felt years ago when they bound their feet. So, I need to call the company and sort this out.
Some good news. If you look at the packaging, it says, “Guaranteed for Life!” That means there is hope for an exchange. Maybe a Men’s Medium? By the way, my feet are normal size, nothing unusual.
Their website is amusing. Funny that they need to say they don’t guarantee one sock lost in the laundry, a sock being burned or animal destruction. I’m sure there are other disclaimers. They do show some of the returned socks. Definitely worn – with love – not sure about that, but worn, for sure.
We have great weather for walking, but snow is headed our way. No more time to write. I’ve got to call the company, get a new pair of socks – PRONTO!
Listen to David Goggins on Spotify, he gets you motivated!
Happy Exercising!
Anyone thinking of Rudyard Kipling’s, “Jungle Book” right now?
Kudos for creativity and humor.
We have ALL accumulated “things” that need to be given away, thrown away or repurposed.
I admit… sometimes I enjoy walking, but there are days when “trying” to get 10K steps in is a “real chore.”
Imagine seeing this TIGER on my walk.
Suddenly, I perked up!
I had decided to walk in a different neighborhood. So glad I did.
That tiger gave me the extra energy I needed to get my steps in. I just couldn’t stop smiling, such a clever idea.
I also thought of a child coming home from College and seeing their favorite stuffed animal in a tree, not sure how well that would go over. Of course, maybe it was a child who put the tiger in the tree. So many scenarios.
Walking CAN BE interesting, right!
What have you found on YOUR walks?
Brilliant Viewpoint 