Small Stone - Smile

I need to smile more

even when I'm low

worry on my mind

heart heavy

especially when

frustration looms

sadness gathers

anger brews

even a fake smile

lowers blood pressure

heightens immunity

slows the heart rate

Are you smiling back at this lady? I hope so! 

I went early this morning to walk through the entries in Breckenridge's International Snow Sculpture Championships. This is the Wisconsin entry which won 3rd place. Not only was I smiling at the lady, I was also smiling because there were no crowds. The weekend brought record visitors to town to view the sculptures. On a Monday, I could photograph them at leisure with nobody closeby.

Smile because it makes you feel good! 

(Also, a smile is contagious. It makes others feel good, too.)

Thank you for visiting.

Peace and Love Abide with You

March was hectic with record snowfall and company.

We had family visiting over their spring breaks from school.

The push/pull of the seasons continues.

April is sometimes mild and sometimes chilly.

Snow continues to fall, but melt is underway.

The dirt road where I normally walk is a muddy mess.

Winter still dominates at high altitude.

It often grips the landscape through May.

I got a new "smart" sports watch this week.

I didn't want one that I could use as a phone or camera.

I did want one that has great battery life and has navigation tools for hiking/biking.

I also wanted a wrist heart rate monitor.

Unfortunately, the Garmin Instinct is smarter than I am, so it took me hours to set it up.

Today, the watch and I went on the Rec Path to walk 5 miles.

I walked - the watch told me many things (some of which I didn't need to know).

It was a sunny, blue-sky day with temps 10-15 degrees above freezing.

As usual, I smiled most of the way.

even Kachina and the Eagle were smiling

Did you know that just the act of smiling is very beneficial to your health?

(Smiling and Health)

I always start the day by looking at myself in the mirror and smiling.

I smile at random people, and they return the favor.

A smile is like a yawn - the brain automatically responds to a smile with a smile.

When I pass people, I bless them by thinking, "May peace and love abide with you."

I do this for animals, too.

the Blue River is free from ice and snow at some places

Today, beside people smiles, I received a smile from a large Malamute dog.

(Perhaps he sensed my blessing...)

I've been doing a lot of reading about new brain research.

I'm watching podcasts on brain/heart/gut connections.

I hope to share some of the things I'm learning in future posts.

I'd encourage you to smile more often.

See if your attitude doesn't change.

I bet you'll feel more positive about your life.

I think it will help you find One Good Thing.

May Peace and Love abide with you.

One Good Thing

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The Purity of White

At last we got some snow.

Of course, we can always use more!

The forest behind our house looks pristine dressed in white.

 On touring skis, sounds are muted as I break trail:

branches click in the wind

skis sing through new powder

poles scratch into the surface

breath huffs and puffs into icy air

heart beats a regular rhythm

fox tracks form a necklace on the trail

Animal tracks etch the snow.

I read the marks and stay watchful.

Squirrel, rabbit, fox, coyote, porcupine, deer, and moose wander in search of food.

My tracks crisscross theirs to add another chapter to the story.

The hues of winter change with light and shadow.

I pass a tiny cabin in a meadow.

I'm alone with my thoughts and the purity of white.

mother and daughter trees

The beauty of winter is my One Good Thing today.

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I appreciate your e-mails of good wishes from my former post.

Your kindness makes me smile.

Go with the Flow

I've always loved the ebb and flow of water

It acts as a mirror to our souls.

The sound and movement of rapids energize.

Eddies invite rest and contemplation.

Water takes the path of least resistance; it shows the way.

Water is one of the 4 elements: fire, water air, earth.

It is the element of emotion and the unconscious.

It soothes and frightens in equal measure.

Water is a vital nutrient.

The body depends on it for survival.

It is a life-force in Nature.

I like photographing water in its many guises.

Light and shadow play on its surface.

Underneath is an eternal and unknowable power.

Most of these photos were taken near my home in CO where I walk to find water.

The ocean photo was taken in Solano Beach, CA, 

where I spend part of the spring listening to and watching the surf.

The mystery and magic of water are my good things today.

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A Week of Randomness

We're still in the midst of remodeling.

Patience is a much-needed commodity.

I removed everything from my entry wall for the painters.

My husband suggests I replace the antique photos of relatives

with some of my own photography.

Mmmm - we'll see.

I admire the perseverance of the Bristlecone Pine.

Though gnarled and bent, it yields and endures.

(However, lately, I'm less like the tree and more like the cones - bristly!)

Early in the week, I hiked a path of gold.

Thank goodness for the time I spend outdoors.

It renews my spirit.

Snow clouds approached yesterday as I took my walk.

This morning Angelica, my garden angel, wore a white shawl and muff.

I met a black bear on the trail this week.

I wrote about the encounter at Live and Learn.

I'm glad to say both the bear and I survived.

Thank you to my blog friend, Nancy,

who hosts

Random Five

It's What I Make of It

I woke in darkness and thought,

"Today I'm 69."

I knew the alarm hadn't awakened me, so I dozed awhile longer.

When I finally opened my eyes again, the power was off.

I looked outside and realized why:

A foot of wet snow had fallen overnight.

I overslept - something I never do. 

Of course, this particular morning I had an early appointment. 

The fox watched silently as I rushed out the door to drive into town. 

Perhaps it came to say "Happy Birthday, Barb."

The mountain was nearly obscured by low hanging clouds.

Droplets of moisture and snow bombs fell onto my head as I entered the building.

Guess who I visited on the morning of my 69th birthday -

Yep, I had a 2 hour appointment to prep for a crown.

My long-time dentist is also the mayor of Breckenridge.

I asked him where the balloons, the cake, and the friends were hiding -

he said I'd have to settle for some novacaine and drilling instead.

Now, I'm in Denver where a loud thunderstorm just passed through.

Bob is preparing me a crab feast for my birthday dinner.

Snow, pain-free dentistry, and my husband cooking dinner - 

this may be my best birthday ever!

Surely, it's a birthday I won't forget!

On Monday, I leave on a Girlfriends' Vacation to AZ.

Today, for me, find one good thing  and pass it on.

Hope

I thought about writing a post on Monday, but after the bombing in Boston, I hesitated. I had friends in Boston for the Marathon. I needed to hear that they were safe. When word came that they were all OK, I felt relieved but also exhausted by random violence that forever changed so many lives.

It's been a snowy week in Denver, days and days of clouds and cold. Spring bulbs and blossoms that emerged too early were stunned by the below-freezing temperatures. Finally, today, the sun shines. Snow melts. Grass seems shades greener than yesterday.

Once again, I search for One Good Thing:

the warmth of the sun on my back, a robin ruffling its feathers, icicles dripping from the eaves, the smile of my Grandson.

I give thanks.

Life goes on.

Grandparent Time - Small Stone

Our Grandson, Sam, is 5 months old.

He stayed with us for a day last week.

We made faces and danced and sang.

We fed and burped and diapered.

Smiles were our reward.

we knew nothing of caring for babies
barely grown ourselves when twins were born
muddling through exhausting days and nights
longing for a private moment or at least a nap
miraculously we're given this second chance
at baby love

small stone - mindful writing
Grand Social

Split Personality - Mindful Writing Challenge

Thanks to all of you who inquired by E-mail about my health.

I continue to have skin problems which my DRs now expect is allergy-related. 

I am on a course of treatment that involves removing any possible allergens from my body.

Because of my loss of appetite and now a restricted diet, I'm losing weight rapidly.

For some, this might be welcome, I know.

For me, I shouldn't lose much more weight, or I'll become too frail. 

I haven't really felt "sick," just miserable from the itching/burning.

I found I was unable to be mindful about much but my misery,

which I didn't really want to share!

Today, I'm feeling much better, so I'll  post,

hoping I can visit other Mindful Writers soon.

two pretty scarves, one a bold graphic pattern

the other a shy, pale field of wildflowers

what fun to decide each day which person I'll be

Mindful Writing Challenge

Lighting the Candles - Mindful Writing Challenge

 Needing cozy, I light all the candles in the early afternoon. Though still daylight, their glow makes me content. The hearth beckons with leaping flames. Snow sifts downward, white onto white. 

In my cocoon of warmth, I wait.

small stone - Mindful Writing Challenge

Can You Change Your Mood?

I've been feeling a bit prickly the last couple days. Do you know the mental heaviness I'm talking about - when something isn't quite right, and you're just generally out of sorts?

Sometimes, I need to change my mood. I really believe that when I experience these subtle downswings, there are ways to switch to a more positive frame of mind. Often, just getting outside for some fresh air is enough. Other times, I need to practice a technique my friend, Mary, taught me.

I take a walk, allowing random thoughts to come into my mind. If the thought is bothersome, stressful, angry, sad, or generally a bummer, I open an imaginary trapdoor in the back of my head. I move the thought I want to eliminate to that door and let it topple onto the ground and roll away from me. I keep moving forward, cleaning out negative thoughts and sad feelings until I begin to feel my mood stabilizing.

Now this is important: Problems still exist - I'll have to deal with them (hopefully productively) at another time. But, mentally, I feel a relief - a more positive attitude where I can feel appreciation, joy, and calm.

My focus turns outward instead of inward.

I feel more connected.

Small things give me pleasure.

The present moment seems enough.

What helps you feel better?

Exercise? Food? Music? Hobby? Shopping? Meditation? Prayer?

How do you change your mood?

PS I'm learning a new blog application (Blogsy) for iPad in preparation for my trip. I'm going to publish this post from that platform. It's giving my old brain a bit of stress - but hopefully building some new circuits, too. Now, my plan is to go outdoors and practice this technique to relieve my frustration!