It's RAINING in Southern California ... again ;-)

Make Time for Small Reflections
Scroll down for One Single Impression: Chaos
ALMOST

Sunrise yesterday
followed by some shots taken
in the afternoon






Click images to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in (Almost) Wordless Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday, and Watery Wednesday

More rain predicted
for today and tomorrow ...
drizzling right now

Evacuating
burned areas from October
danger of mudslides

Waterspouts became
tornados yesterday and
caused damage around

coastal towns nearby
creating CHAOS so this
is my OSI ...


Click to embiggen and for others participating in One Single Impression
Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Walking through puddles is my favorite metaphor for life."
Jessi Lane Adams

(Almost)WW & OSI Week 24: Stairways

Make Time for Small Reflections

AlmostThe prompt for Week 24 is Stairways

Arriving at my
destination in Taos
I encountered three

unique stairways I
stopped to photograph and now
I share each today ...

along with this odd
photograph I recently
found at Flickzzz that

grabbed my attention
at the time ... then entered my
mind again today.

imaginative ...
Stepping out in faith is how
we achieve our dreams!

Click for others participating in WW and OSI this week.
See my other almost wordless One Single Impression post for today
featuring 'memories of Molly's adventures on stairs' ...

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own." Steven Kloves

One Single Impression - Week: 23: Folly

Make Time for Small Reflections
The prompt for Week 23 is Folly

Wikipedia
taught me something new today ...
In architecture,
buildings constructed
strictly for decoration
rather than 'shelter'
are referred to as
'folly' (in the sense of fun
or light-heartedness ...
not as ill-advised).
They exist all over the
English countryside
and across the world.
Who suspected this? Not I ...
yet I am intrigued.
Images found at Wikipedia
Click to read more about this subject.
Click for others participating in OSI this week.
Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
Steven Wright

OSI Week 22: Faces and UM #16

Make Time for Small Reflections
Scroll down for my Unconscious Mutterings
Camera Critters is in Saturday's post, below this one.
I'm still working on catching up
on Weeks 18, 19, and 20 ... seriously.
The prompt for Week 22 is Faces
Has anyone seen
this musical production
starring large women?

Apparently it's
dubbed 'size XXL Chorus
Line' ... Imagine that!
My 2nd Week 22 OSI post is at Sacred Ruminations.
One Single Impression Week 21: one's here and the other here.
Click for others participating in OSI this week.
~ ~ ~

I'm participating for the 16th time today.
How about you?

What comes to YOUR mind?
If you'd like to play here, copy and paste the clues in comments along with your responses ... or post on your blog and let me know so I can visit ;--)


Here are MY responses: I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Memory :: Sigh ... mine doesn't seem to be as good as it once was. (Thank goodness for my PDA's audible reminders and a bit of help from friends too!)
   
2. Original :: Unique or new (as in ideas)
   
3. Exclusively :: Inclusively would be my preference
   
4. Listings :: Best Sellers
   
5. Bucket :: Pail (as in Jack and Jill went up the hill ...)
   
6. Knight :: Chess piece
   
7. Dusty :: Sigh ... what my house is right now
8. Choice :: Selection
   
9. Sunlight :: ... makes me happy ;--)
   
10. Change of plans :: Spontaneous
    

Your turn: I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Memory ::
2. Original ::
3. Exclusively ::
4. Listings ::
5. Bucket ::
6. Knight ::
7. Dusty ::
8. Choice ::
9. Sunlight ::
10. Change of plans ::

Click for others 'muttering' this week.

I've shared this previously, but would like to pass this award on again to all who've visited & commented here at Small Reflections during the month of July ... and encourage you to pass this award on to others to 'share the love' as well. I received it some time ago from Chuck at Foster Me Up, but it was created by Memoirs of a Mommy in honor of the donor who saved her son Noah's life with a heart transplant. Her hopes are that we can create more awareness of the importance of organ donation by passing this award on to others.

The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." Thomas Jefferson

OSI - Week 21 : Rest ... CC#17 and UM#15

Make Room for Small Reflections
The prompt for Week 21 is Rest
Returning from two

weeks at Camp Ilene, Molly
RESTed sev'ral dayz ...

and I lounged on my
patio reflecting on
the Taos Retreat

I've also shared a second OSI Week:21 post at Sacred Ruminations
This is my 17thMisty Dawn started the meme and explains the rules here:

Introductory Information
Click for others participating in
One Single Impression and/or Camera Critters this week.

Camera Critters #15 is in yesterday's post.

~ ~ ~

I'm participating for the 15th time today.
How about you?

What comes to YOUR mind?
If you'd like to play here, copy and paste the clues in comments along with your responses ... or post on your blog and let me know so I can visit ;--)

Here are MY responses: I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Flicker :: candles ... (though I also thought of the folks who share their photos with Flickr)
   
2. Styling :: hair is something I wouldn't like to do for a living, though I'm glad others enjoy the profession
   
3. Episode :: segment in a serial program on television
   
4. Sexier :: attractive or appealing
   
5. Studious :: what I was most of my life (and perhaps still am?)
   
6. Mushroom :: Shitake (my favorite kind)
   
7. 8 minutes :: Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life by Victor Davich
   
8. Bald :: what Molly's tennis balls are within minutes of leaving them with her after we've played fetch (and minutes after that, they're in pieces)
   
9. Immunity :: from disease and/or prosecution
   
10. Sectioned :: partitioned (as with hard drives and/or 'chapters' in books)
    

Your turn: I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Flicker ::
2. Styling ::
3. Episode ::
4. Sexier ::
5. Studious ::
6. Mushroom ::
7. 8 minutes ::
8. Bald ::
9. Immunity ::
10. Sectioned ::

Click for others muttering this week.
Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"The real problem with leisure time is how to keep others from using yours." Arthur Lacey

HF#43, OSI Week 13, 40PC - Later than usual because I'm multi-tasking today with Reflections, Perspectives & Priorities -- Tennis Anyone?

Recently Karen
mentioned she looked forward to
my 'tennis' updates

yet I have not shared
anything specific on
this year's French Open!

Rain delays slowed the
progress of participant's
matches early on

and my schedule
interfered with viewing much
on the DVR.

More than 18 hours
over the last few days wait
there for me to see

and I'm hoping to
multi-task ... watching as I
write & publish here.

~ ~ ~

American men
doing better than last year
in the 1st two rounds.

Blake, Rogers, and Fish
Ginepri and Odesnik ...
alive on Day 5!

Sam Querry lost to
Roger. Young & Spadea
'out' in the 1st round.

Andy Roddick pulled
out because of injury ...
didn't play at all.

~ ~ ~

Roger and Rafa
played at the same time but on
two different courts

yesterday it seems
and both have advanced to the
3rd round easily.

Sharapova has
struggled in early matches
but pulled through in three

sets. In last night's match
(one I'm watching now) she took
the 1st set 6-2,

but as it grew dark
play was halted at 2-3
... Mattek in the lead.

Ginepri battled
back to defeat Andreev ...
taking it in 4!

Leyton Hewitt took
Mardy Fish out in 3 sets
and Kuznetsova

won in her match with
Vana King ... Williams sisters
each won two matches.

I don't know much more
at this moment ... but perhaps
later on I will.

If you're following
the French Open please don't tell
me what I don't know

yet because I like
to find out myself without
knowing the results.

~ ~ ~

Week 13 - The prompt is Reflection

Thirteen weeks of prompts ...
I've responded with 18
Haiku images

6 Small Reflections
12 Sacred Ruminations ...
this will make 19

~ ~ ~

Visiting others
making new 'virtual' friends ...
blessings every one!

~ ~ ~

Taking 'stock' of my
progress in this morning's 'ku
leads me to conclude

I'm delighted with
challenges like OSI ...
S T R E T C H I N G perspectives

opening our minds,
hearts and imaginations
Sandy and Andrée

I appreciate
all you each contribute to
this community!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Of this week's challenge, Robin writes:

"So maybe I should've opted for the shorter title, "An ant's eye view", but since I've been away from the ol' blog, I'm trying to set titling records. I think I won.

This week's Friday's 40-or-less Photo Challenge is wide open for interpretation. All you've gotta do is come up with no more than 40 words to describe a response to the photo prompt."

Robin continues:

"Originally taken for "Project Looking Through", this picture never got posted, but I LOVED it! It would've been fun(ny) for someone to photograph ME lying on my back underneath the goal trying to line it up "just so".

Does it make you think of a neighborhood pick-up game? Playing a game of H.O.R.S.E.? Nothin' but net?? Or, perhaps your thoughts are more abstract--perspectives, triangles and circles, games people play.... You can be as literal or as figurative as you'd like; fun, creativity and an easy post are your goals (hehe, I did NOT mean to pun!).

Poem (my favorite, no matter the form...no pressure or anything!)? Caption? Shortshortshort story? Click the badge above for all the details, write a post over the next few days, then come back here on Friday to link your response."

And finally ... here's MY (rather distracted) 36 word (51 syllable) response:

Bird or ant's eye view?
Other issues vie for my
attention today ...

Tennis anyone?
French Open not basketball ...
nets and fuzzy balls

plus great 'shot' angles
on the red clay courts keep my
focus on the ground!

~ ~ ~

Seriously, I'll try to do better next time, Robin ... but I've got 3 days of recorded unwatched matches on my DVR (and it's recording more matches right now) and am trying to watch as I type this morning so it won't erase them to add more, but I did want to 'play' ... so just call me crazy.

~ ~ ~

Click for my other OSI Week 13 Reflection (and HF #44)
at Sacred Ruminations and for

others participating in OSI this week)

(Click for others participating in Pensieve's 40PC this week)

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thoughts for Today
"Success is only another form of failure if we forget what our priorities should be." Harry Lloyd

(Almost) WW/OSI - Week 11: Warm

ALMOST

(This makes #26 for me)

Week 11 - The prompt is Warm

What is warmer than
a young puppy looking for
a place to snuggle?

Who could resist these
canine visitors ... not me!
Each one tugs my heart ;--)

(Photo source - Puppy a Day widget)

Click for others participating this week:
One Single Impression
Wordless Wednesday

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And here's one more for good measure ...

Is there something wrong
with this 'hunters' photo? Look
closely and you'll see ;--)

More than 'warm' it seems
this fox may be smarter than
'scent hounds' and hunters

or perhaps someone
decided to 'play' with the
'pix' digitally?

(Photo from Flickzzz)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Click for my other (almost) WW/OSI Week 11 post
at Sacred Ruminations

Thought for Today
"I am often surprised by the cleverness, and now and again by the stupidity of my dog; and I have similar experiences with mankind." Arthur Schopenhauer

200th Post - Almost Wordless OSI: Flowering

(I'm grateful to Mary who created this special award
for me to give to my friends in this
'virtual' world)

I've shared this award once previously ...(in Friday Haiku near the end of February if memory serves)... and I choose to offer it again today to all who pass this way in honor of my 200th post here at Small Reflections. I've certainly come a long way in a relatively brief time ... and I'm blessed by the friends I've come to know in the Blogosphere. Thank you all for your supportive encouragement and assistance along the way!

It started out almost wordlessly ... before I got wordy ;--)

* * * * * * * * * *

Week 9's prompt for One Single Impression is 'Flowering' ... and I decided to consider my personal growth and blossoming as a blogger during my 1st 6 months in this 'virtual world' since this is my 200th post.

My friend Sandy gave
me these flowers several months
back to celebrate

blogging connections.
Today for my OSI
at Small Reflections ...

I'm delighted to
share in celebration of
my 200th post!

* * * * * * *

My other WW/OSI Week 9 post
at Sacred Ruminations: 'Flowering'

Others participating this week:
Wordless Wednesday
One Single Impression - Week 9

* * * * * *

In the last week or so, I've 'revisited' some of my 'earliest' posts on this blog and at Sacred Ruminations ... and as I've done so, I've created additional 'links' in the About Me section of my sidebar in an attempt to make finding particular types of posts a bit simpler for myself and others. Most are self-explanatory ... but I'm taking a few minutes here to add a bit of clarity ... just because.

101 Things About Me began as a challenge from Anglophile Football Fanatic and grew into a 'succinct' history of my life to date rather than a 'random' list.

2007 Blog Review was my 1st 'official thank you' to my 'real & vitual friends' ... and explains how I began blogging and 'evolved' during my 1st three months in the Blogosphere.

Top 7 in '07 - Small is Beautiful Review was my response to an invitation from Rachelle (Magpie Girl) who asked members of Small is Beautiful to search our Archives for "jewels" to share with others, highlighting favorite bits of writing for 2007. Her intention is to share link-love on Saturdays indefinitely so that we can all get better acquainted.

100th Post Milestone Missed? is a reflective piece on my other blog, Sacred Ruminations, in which I consider things I'm proud of myself for ... and things for which I forgive myself.

How I Became a Blogger contains the initial information I shared in the 'About Me' section of my sidebar after I decided to update that area a few months back to provide a more 'relevant' look at who I am and what I'm doing in the Blogosphere ... while 'sorting things out' for myself.

I do respond to all comments specifically on each of my blogs in as timely a manner as possible, and I encourage each of you to take time to check the box to receive 'follow up' comments in email so my responses get delivered to your email box because I know how 'futile' it is to try to revisit old posts and comment areas. Most of us have no time for such returns ... finding it challenging to visit on any kind of regular schedule the first time around. I do visit your blogs when you leave a 'link' with your comment ... in as timely a manner as possible.

I wish Blogger made email addresses available with comment ... but for the most part it doesn't. It took me a long time to learn to 'check details' before writing & sending an email response ... only to have Blogger 'bounce' it back to me. Occasionally however, an email address IS available ... and that reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask in this public forum because no one I've asked yet seems to know why some 'Blogger based' blog comments have something like 'Blogger @ NoReply dot com for an 'address' ...(as mine does even though my email address IS available on my Blogger profile page)... and others show the person's actual email address. Do YOU know ... and, if so, could you please explain how I can change that for myself?

As for my remaining sidebar links ... some (like T-13, Haiku Friday and Wordless Wednesday) take you to a 'Contents Archive Page' with sequential 'links' to specific posts by subject matter and/or titles. Others bring up posts containing a specific 'label' ... such as 'blogthings' or 'poetry' ... and some to specific posts ... as with Message in a Bottle and Photobucket Memes 1 and 2.

In closing, I'd like to express my gratitude for and delight in all the connections I've made during these first six months ... and I look forward to continued interaction in this 'virtual' world. I'm learning all the time and sincerely appreciate all your feedback and assistance always.

I wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

Thought for Today
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin