tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81797041607802666272023-11-16T05:31:20.846-05:00Lord, I Was Born a Ramblin' SamThe clutter of my brain, the wisdom of the ages;<br>
hopes, fears, dreams and an opinion or two - Me, for what I'm worth.akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-58005069978508199422008-12-24T13:53:00.004-05:002008-12-24T14:26:03.052-05:00The Best Part of Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEsFElaniCkMaunV8CmHPhAAU3e2riFrbpFqejr_StTbK1rHW-Hw2PsoIFK8US-geUHnNOljkrtsfsF2jdNiqo35ktv38ItRM6DfPtN4onwSfus305Z4r7NBi7lt2nrSbFQZkBLI5dD6z/s1600-h/Independence+%2706+(07)+(Medium).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283438749806514034" style="WIDTH: 460px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 625px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEsFElaniCkMaunV8CmHPhAAU3e2riFrbpFqejr_StTbK1rHW-Hw2PsoIFK8US-geUHnNOljkrtsfsF2jdNiqo35ktv38ItRM6DfPtN4onwSfus305Z4r7NBi7lt2nrSbFQZkBLI5dD6z/s400/Independence+%2706+(07)+(Medium).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">The shopping is done. The presents are wrapped. The cards – well, so what if they’re a little late. There is no tree this year, but the Nativity and the stockings and the votive village lend an understated glow to the room.<br /><br />And now comes the best part of Christmas – quiet moments of peace and reflection, time to ponder the blessings in life and to offer silent thanks for each and all of them. Thanks for friends near and far, for the gift of having someone to hold close, for sunrises and sunsets, for health, and for smiles from sometimes unexpected sources. For the beauty of the earth, for talents, and the support to try to improve upon them, for warmth – inside and out. For peace of heart. For promises kept. For light, and hope – and dreams.<br /><br />May your own Holidays bring you ample time and opportunity to appreciate all you have and those around you. May the silent night give you new hope and refresh your soul. May the warm glow of a fire bring warmth to your heart. And may the promise of this day and of the new year about to dawn bring you hope and opportunity, health and happiness – and a special peace that will linger long beyond the holidays.<br /><br />To all of you who take the time to stop and read these words from time-to-time, please know how grateful I am for the time you choose to spend here. I truly hope that your own holidays find you warm and happy, that you allow your inner child to emerge, and that each of you is blessed with a quiet moment or two to reflect and appreciate – and to hope and dream in childlike wonder.<br /><br />Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year. Thank you.<br /><br />Rob</span></div>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-58503877664044474692008-11-18T01:47:00.003-05:002008-11-18T01:55:24.688-05:00Giving Thanks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeat0URuvJs_G8c9NVqFJctm9UAvXS7gD8M4oOGkGaP-7Jbr5PKOvTARj0SLrV_82JHCmSHK2lKB5sgibRXIGDiWDAFfh8x66iW-DCyYyE6YaE9pK2cUB0EYYGnJuYI3aoFqBPbUBgnLu/s1600-h/Fall+Color+10+28+07+(58a)+(Medium).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269885852713785042" style="WIDTH: 647px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 467px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeat0URuvJs_G8c9NVqFJctm9UAvXS7gD8M4oOGkGaP-7Jbr5PKOvTARj0SLrV_82JHCmSHK2lKB5sgibRXIGDiWDAFfh8x66iW-DCyYyE6YaE9pK2cUB0EYYGnJuYI3aoFqBPbUBgnLu/s400/Fall+Color+10+28+07+(58a)+(Medium).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">The theme for this week’s <a href="http://communityphotochallenge.blogspot.com/2008/11/give-thanks-for.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Community Photo Challenge</span></a> is ‘Give Thanks for…’. Join us by entering an image that conveys the meaning of these words to you – and help us all to better understand the things that you are thankful for.<br /><br />If you know me or have read previous entries in this Journal, you already know that Thanksgiving is perhaps my most favorite holiday. While Christmas has deeper and more profound meaning, the overwhelming nature of its celebration and all the preparation can leave one reeling by the time the day itself approaches. But Thanksgiving still holds at least some of its original intent – and the spirit of simply taking the time to express appreciation and gratitude for all we have is in many ways the embodiment of the way I try to live each day.<br /><br />Some years are easier than others to be truly thankful, as challenges come and go. And these past few years have in many ways been more difficult than most. But in the end, one need not look very far to find things and events and people for which to be thankful – and this year is no different.<br /><br />I am thankful to wake each morning and face a day filled with new opportunities. I am grateful for the warmth of the sun and the beauty of nature that lives just outside my door. I am thankful for light in all its forms and the truth it reveals, even within the shadows. I am thankful for God and country and the beauty of the land. And at the end of each day, I am thankful for the stars, the peace they bring and the hope they offer.<br /><br />My life has been blessed by people, both new and long familiar. There are friends to whom I can always turn and a special one to hold. There is not a moment when my heart is not full - and, no matter the depth of the darkness at times, there is always a reason to smile if I look hard enough. I am grateful for the ability to see the beauty in all that surrounds me – and for those who help me to see.<br /><br />Whether there is more sunshine in your life or clouds this year, I wish for you the perspective to see the things which are good and right and decent and loving – and to let each and all of them guide you, give you hope and grant you peace. Thank YOU for reading!</span></div>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-30769311277038391312008-11-03T15:12:00.009-05:002008-11-03T15:59:42.631-05:00Autumn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip3w8Kwndbg26Wd_pkKCICZOEt21GEfiMKlydvxNvpZeKd35nfwkvLPz1DMS-l08AKuPvhecmaWIktENYjO5f8QM8YLLI5roBs3fpayti5W5ZENR_cdUtWAMOAHBJmBwqKKe3u91f4-77/s1600-h/Tinkers+Creek+State+Park+10+18+08+(203a)+(Large).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264531410353025810" style="WIDTH: 657px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 357px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip3w8Kwndbg26Wd_pkKCICZOEt21GEfiMKlydvxNvpZeKd35nfwkvLPz1DMS-l08AKuPvhecmaWIktENYjO5f8QM8YLLI5roBs3fpayti5W5ZENR_cdUtWAMOAHBJmBwqKKe3u91f4-77/s400/Tinkers+Creek+State+Park+10+18+08+(203a)+(Large).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">This week's </span><a href="http://communityphotochallenge.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Community Photo Challenge</span></b></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> topic is, appropriately, Autumn. This photo is just for fun, since I am honored to continue to serve as a judge, but I hope that it inspires you to find one of your favorite autumn scenes and post an entry.</span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Our fall has been gloriously warm and sunny for the most part, but lack of rain in late summer and early fall has subdued the color - and finding opportunities to capture the traditional beauty of the season has proven challenging. This photo was taken not long after sunrise (and those who know me know how rare a shot like that can be!) at a State Park not far from here. A flock of geese flew into the shot just to add some interest, and I was most appreciative of their timing.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">As the days shorten and temperatures fall, the colors of autumn serve as a reminder of the beauty of nature and the promise of the spring to come. Winter may sometimes be harsh in climates like ours, but life continues under the blanket of snow - and warmth comes more from the inside, which is not a bad thing at all. The change of season also causes us to alter our routines - and perhaps causes us to take stock of where we are and where we'd like to be in the journey of life. But wherever you are in your journey, I hope that you pause to reflect on the beauty of the here and now - and let the colors of autumn carry you through the more subtle shades of winter. Each season brings its own blessings, and those who take the time to see and appreciate them find light and warmth no matter the color of the sky or the numbers on the thermometer. I hope that you cherish each day - and always find the blessings within.</span>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-87695746752166972042008-10-22T08:22:00.012-04:002008-11-03T22:56:02.662-05:00Community Photo Challenge - Spooky<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLTfEpLZjLdWFuOeCWUi4Z8N0wJzRZUEqJnNwMQWIY-sI6CGRphY_inyCEBG7TX5BW5Xh_eQQqh8grF6mKwUWMSEbjnHyjJWL4doF73qDkdIrRh_CK_DOG5zb-l60qMNMeoTyb042DoxZ/s1600-h/Lakeview+Cemetery+04+15+05+(45)a+b+%26+w+(Medium).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259952852807958690" style="WIDTH: 600px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" height="532" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLTfEpLZjLdWFuOeCWUi4Z8N0wJzRZUEqJnNwMQWIY-sI6CGRphY_inyCEBG7TX5BW5Xh_eQQqh8grF6mKwUWMSEbjnHyjJWL4doF73qDkdIrRh_CK_DOG5zb-l60qMNMeoTyb042DoxZ/s400/Lakeview+Cemetery+04+15+05+(45)a+b+%26+w+(Medium).jpg" width="661" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Okay – My first try at this didn’t end so well, but we’ll try again. This is really more of a test than anything – and a chance to promote the </span><a href="http://communityphotochallenge.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>Community Photo Challenge</strong></span></a><span style="color:#3333ff;">. Their theme this week is ‘Spooky’ in honor of the season. While this image is more somber than spooky, as a judge I can’t participate in the voting round anyway, so I’ll use that as my excuse to bend the rules a bit.<br /><br />This image was captured in a large cemetery not far from here. Among its more famous residents are John D. Rockefeller, President Garfield and Elliot Ness – as well as Ray Chapman, immortalized in one of my previous entries. The cemetery treats itself more as an outdoor sculpture garden than a place of sorrow – and as such is typically filled with walkers, joggers and students from the nearby university studying or simply decompressing after a stressful day. It is a place that celebrates life while still showing respect for loss, and it’s that mixture of emotions as well as the serene beauty and wonderful play of light no matter the time or the season that draws me here often.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">This particular</span> monument has caused me to pause and reflect for the silent power of its message since the very first time I saw it, so I’ll share it with you and allow you your own opportunity to reflect if you wish.<br /><br />To participate in the Photo Challenge, simply click on the link above and post an entry. Topics vary widely and a new Challenge is offered bi-weekly. It’s a fun way to share your work and an opportunity to see the wide variety of approaches people take to a subject. Good luck to all entrants – and I’ll attempt to be back here with a more typical entry in the near future.</span></span></div>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-57399774372256380452008-06-20T13:57:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.878-04:00Thoughts from the Car<P><STRONG><FONT color=#3333ff></FONT></STRONG> </P>
<P><FONT size=4><FONT face=Verdana><FONT color=#3333ff>I don't take the time to write here often enough and when I do it seems that there are too many common themes. So if you've heard a version of this before, please forgive me and don't further waste your time.<BR/> <BR/>One of the things I used to treasure was 'alone' time in my car. It was my refuge from life and a chance to be alone with my thoughts. But in these days of wireless phones and bluetooth headsets and email alerts and text messages, the car has mostly just become an extension of the rest of life. Most times that's a good thing - because it allows me to continue to accomplish things and stay in touch. But sometimes its nice to have a break - and last night was one of those times. <BR/><BR/>I had my car in for service the other day, and took the phone charger out to put into the other car. I failed to put it back and found that I had a depleted battery and no charger - so suddenly it was like the 'good old days' - me and my thoughts and nothing else. I put on the radio but there wasn't a whole lot to keep me company, so on a whim I pressed 'play' on the CD to see what disc I had in the player.<BR/><BR/>Initially I was shocked to find that I still had a Christmas disc loaded - and at first I started to scramble for something else to listen to. But after a few moments I simply let it play - and the longer it did, the wider my smile became.<BR/><BR/>So here, just a day or two before the official start of summer, I turned up the music and lost myself in the spirit of a season and a state of mind that too often we reserve for only a limited part of the year. And by the time I reached my destination, my load seemed lighter and my outlook brighter than it had when I got in the car.<BR/><BR/>I think I'll keep that disc loaded and ready. I don't know when the next chance will be for me to lose myself in the spirit of Christmas and a general feeling of warmth and peace again, but for now my heart rests a little more easy - and the magic of that season lives within me - even without a blanket of snow and a 'silent' night. <BR/><BR/>I hope that the peace and calm and warmth of the Holidays visit you at unexpected times and in unexpected ways - and that your heart smiles as a result.</FONT><BR/></FONT></FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-51302949336753254642008-03-06T01:32:00.007-05:002008-11-03T22:26:36.083-05:00Photo Challenge - March into Spring<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8-909yuQPrdJKS5m95xMrfir4RS4lOPLSryF6JiLRkT7Mxla5H_HaxP2hj8aaUk1vbCkgOfSk0GmHwXNC02PbUyuFpvSzim5HcEpqr8B-dbExZcFJ9mKkUJsq6rNtuPycrvgnif_K2ta/s1600-h/Buzzard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264637625364129954" style="WIDTH: 600px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 399px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8-909yuQPrdJKS5m95xMrfir4RS4lOPLSryF6JiLRkT7Mxla5H_HaxP2hj8aaUk1vbCkgOfSk0GmHwXNC02PbUyuFpvSzim5HcEpqr8B-dbExZcFJ9mKkUJsq6rNtuPycrvgnif_K2ta/s400/Buzzard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">I'm honored to be acting as a judge for the </span><a href="http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/aol-community-photo-challenge/"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">AOL Community Photo Challenge</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"> again this week. Feel free to join the fun by entering in the category of your choice. Since I'm ineligible to participate, I thought I'd throw a small curve into my entry.</span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Some days you wake up not feeling particularly well, but when you look out the window and find this perched in your backyard, suddenly you think 'Gee, maybe I'm not feeling so bad after all....' and just hope it goes away soon! </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Actually, this does fit the 'March into Spring' category, since the tradition in these parts is that in early spring the buzzards come home to roost in a local park - not quite as romantic as swallows to Capistrano mind you, but still a reason to look forward to warmer days ahead.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">I wish you all warmth and sunshine - emanating from the inside, out.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><br /><div id="metrics" contenteditable="false" style="DISPLAY: none; FILTER: alpha(opacity=0)"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/aoljurlAdd" target="_blank" rel="tag">aoljurlAdd</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/aoljurlAdd_1" target="_blank" rel="tag">aoljurlAdd_1</a></div>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-17127254041493307622008-02-15T14:54:00.003-05:002008-11-03T22:31:46.111-05:00Photo Challenge - Winter Blues<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPLltrmvhFdNM0mZtyU3QGM7lApgmnNRB0TthKwpcAbtpD5e3k4Q6oSu2w81u8jF7LB4twyox-RvQNCU5nOW_noGl8WflCi46jOLaoQJvgeVEaKCt40yXxCaiNbgmej5EeseYGCbb6Vt2/s1600-h/RedMapleInn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264639633187773202" style="WIDTH: 600px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPLltrmvhFdNM0mZtyU3QGM7lApgmnNRB0TthKwpcAbtpD5e3k4Q6oSu2w81u8jF7LB4twyox-RvQNCU5nOW_noGl8WflCi46jOLaoQJvgeVEaKCt40yXxCaiNbgmej5EeseYGCbb6Vt2/s400/RedMapleInn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Since I don’t seem to have much to say lately, and since I’ve been privileged to act as a judge for the new AOL Community Photo Challenge these past few weeks, I thought I’d post a photo that relates to this week’s theme. The theme is ‘Winter Blues’ and I’ve always liked the way that this photo portrays the stark beauty of new fallen snow painted with shadows, while the blue of the sky offers a promise of hope for the warmth and life of the Spring to follow.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">As a judge I can’t compete in the Challenge, but perhaps this scene will inspire you to share your own work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To learn more about the Challenge, its simple rules and timelines, click here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:blue;"><a title="http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/aol-community-photo-challenge/" href="http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/aol-community-photo-challenge/"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>AOL Community Photo Challenge</em></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Good luck!</span></p><br /><p></p>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-24003335297085770482007-12-24T01:54:00.000-05:002008-10-09T09:12:28.878-04:00Silent Nights<P><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#3333ff></FONT></FONT></FONT> </P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#3333ff><IMG style="WIDTH: 453px; HEIGHT: 689px" height=465 src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwUbKgSzL6Ls8uo8YTUc8YKAj1F_ATdXnaL1ieSE1p5Yky42IlO7jZJx9zf2hltvQYiEB5sTRGkLOakQQ5qpzQyCHHljV-Bh21lX_iizkO8SIqWgHdo5BWclQYhC9zNtVJPmG2YjDibYI/s1600-r/pic%3Fid=6930Hs*E7nJ-3jvO65r5MfnrJnhq0yxgsbeXv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D%26size%3Dm" width=323/></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#3333ff>As the spirit and the hope and the peace of this season descend upon us and touch our hearts, my hope is that each of us takes the time to realize that life and love and family and those close to us and those we hardly know, whose lives we may touch for only an instant, are all important and special in their own way – and should never be taken for granted. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#3333ff size=4>This has been a year when those lessons have been brought close to my home and to my heart on too many occasions – and the best and only way I know to honor those I have lost is to try to live my own life in a way that will prove that those lessons were not taught in vain.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#3333ff size=4>I wish you warmth of heart, closeness of loved ones and kindness of and to strangers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I wish you silent nights and peace on earth, simple pleasures and the time to truly enjoy them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I wish you a glow that starts deep within, and reaches out to all with whom you come in contact – spreading light and hope to any and all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each of us makes a difference in the lives of some or many – and I pray that each of us will remember to live each day to its fullest and to never take this gift for granted.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#3333ff size=4>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and all you hold dear – and a bright, happy and healthy New Year.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-71067734490838971682007-11-21T12:53:00.004-05:002008-11-04T23:08:34.177-05:00Reasons to be Thankful<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajZ558dJpmAovQiE0Cd6DOQUmaVvwDD7dHWGnWypT52e4gxzb4pGm-aI6v7NtZWomR9oQI33k4Xmuzwg6iF9OQArei8WWegQedL4OuPNux8Jmbjq-41nc65bFSB7YYybeolttWNP0CHyA/s1600-h/Medina+Metroparks+10+30+07+(5a)+11+x+14+-+1+(Medium).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265019981509222578" style="WIDTH: 471px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 600px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajZ558dJpmAovQiE0Cd6DOQUmaVvwDD7dHWGnWypT52e4gxzb4pGm-aI6v7NtZWomR9oQI33k4Xmuzwg6iF9OQArei8WWegQedL4OuPNux8Jmbjq-41nc65bFSB7YYybeolttWNP0CHyA/s400/Medina+Metroparks+10+30+07+(5a)+11+x+14+-+1+(Medium).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Its been a long time since I’ve visited this space, but Thanksgiving has always been an important time of the year to me – and, even though circumstances are far different this year, there is still and always much for which to be thankful.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">There will be a large vacancy at the table this season – yet the absence of a physical presence does not also portend an absence of the spirit and the memory of all that has gone before.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">In things small and large, happy and poignant, there will be moments to remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In words said and in traditions continued, there will be memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And in fleeting moments, it will seem that all is as its always been – and that is just as it should be.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Whether this Holiday finds you exploring long-honored traditions or those in their infancy, whether family and friends are near at hand or simply close in your heart, whether the sun shines on your day or clouds prevail, my wish is that your heart knows peace, that you remember and celebrate the things for which you are thankful – and that you let those who are important to you and who you love know exactly how much you care.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">To my friends here old and new, to those who have visited frequently or just this once, I thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Your many words of kindness during a difficult time in my life have been and are very much appreciated and I am grateful to you all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And to those who brighten my life and my days – who listen and provide support and love to help me always see the sunshine on the horizon – thank you from my heart. </span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">May each day of the year give you reason to be thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>May each day of the year give you reason to smile.</span></p>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-5106088533438988902007-04-24T15:08:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.879-04:00Blue Skies<P> </P>
<P><IMG src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/blue_skies"/></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0000ff>A friend asked if I’d ever participated in any of the Journal-based photo challenges and I replied that I never thought my work was good enough to expose any more widely than I already have.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I took a look at the suggested sites again and found a topic I particularly liked in light of all the grey that’s descended in my life lately.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The topic was ‘Blue Skies’ and the ‘assignment’ was to post a picture dominated by cloudless expanses of blue.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can find links to others who have posted entries here: <SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><A href="http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/2007/04/23/your-monday-photo-shoot-blue-skies/7380" target=_blank><FONT color=#ff0000 size=3><EM>Your Monday Photo Shoot: Blue Skies</EM></FONT></A><FONT color=#ff0000 size=3><EM>.</EM></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I’ve always liked the subject of this photo because its always made me smile.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Another photographer also captured a less-than-flattering image of me in the process of taking this shot (lying flat on my back in a wet parking lot in order to get the perspective I wanted) <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>- and that helps keep me humble in case I ever need it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To any and all who read this, I wish you blue skies - regardless of the weather.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>My sincere thanks to all who took the time to read my last entry and for the wonderful, supportive comments you left.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I intended it to be a celebration of the life dad led and the inspiration he has been to me - and not a maudlin lament of loss. I truly hope that you found it as uplifting to read as I found it cathartic to write.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know without doubt that he has received the rest he sought and so richly deserved.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And that’s one of the reasons I chose this topic – because for him the skies will now always be blue.</FONT></P>
<P> </P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-76456785624980765732007-04-20T01:55:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.879-04:00A Tribute<P> </P>
<P><IMG src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/dad_christmas/"/></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As you may or may not have noticed, I’ve been away from J-Land for quite some time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not only have I not written in my own journal, but I have been remiss in reading those of others - and for that my own life has been all the less rich.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>When I began this journal, I wanted it to not just be a record of my existence but a record of the small blessings we encounter in life yet do not take the time to appreciate.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My feeling was that my life was not so remarkable that it needed recording, but that I had encountered frequent brushes with bits of wisdom and reminders of the beauty of the world that I wanted to keep and remember.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>My journal has always been written to help me hold those moments, but when others began to read I found that perhaps those experiences could help others find their own small blessings as well. If you have taken something from these pages that has caused you to smile or to better appreciate wildflowers along the roadside, then that is all the more reward to me – and those who have then shared their own experiences have helped to<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>enrich my life as well.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>This entry will differ from some of what I’ve written in the past.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is again primarily a reminder for me and it is a celebration of sorts, although different from what you have read here previously.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is personal and I apologize if it brings back memories for anyone who, for whatever reason,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>wishes to keep them suppressed. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Last Friday, as I held his hand, my father very quietly slipped away from me and into the arms of God.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I’ve introduced my dad here before – the struggles with which he’s dealt with such grace and dignity, and all the things he’s taught me about inner strength and faith.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And while I’ve cried enough tears in the last few days to fill a small pond, in the end I only celebrate the life he led and his release from the burdens and indignities that life has heaped upon his frail shoulders these past three-plus years. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=4><FONT face=Verdana>There have been times in life when my faith has faltered.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But all I have seen and felt in these past several days has again strengthened my belief that there is more to this life than we know or control.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>When I visited his hospital room last Thursday, I could hear dad talking from all the way down the hall.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I turned the corner, I found him sitting in the chair beside his bed, oxygen mask in place, telling a long and detailed story to no one in particular.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I took a seat across from him and listened carefully to understand what he was so insistently conveying and slowly the realization came that he was providing a litany – in exacting detail – of how he spent a typical day.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Carefully he explained how he used the pitcher of thickened milk to make his oatmeal, how he took small bites and swallowed carefully as the doctors had directed, how he was so careful to maintain his balance during those brief periods when he rose from the wheelchair and relied upon the walker.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When he finally paused, I touched his hand and he looked toward me for the first time – so intent had been his presentation that he had not noticed my presence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I asked if he knew who I was and he replied ‘my one and only son’ – and then proceeded to explain all the routines I followed during my visits with him – the grocery shopping, pill sorting and jar opening that had become a part of our ritual.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As he talked, the mask bounced about his face and I touched his hand again, quietly reminding him that it would stay in place and allow him to breathe easier if he didn’t talk so much.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But he looked at me and said with a hint of a smile in his weary eyes ‘but you know that’s what I do’ – and he was right, for dad was never at a loss for words and no visit could ever be long enough.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Finally, he stopped and looked at me, and in a very serious voice asked me a question that was obviously troubling him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>‘When they ask my name, what do I tell them?’<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Flustered, I asked him to repeat the question and he was more forceful in his reply.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>‘When who asks your name?’ I asked.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>‘The judge,’ he replied.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Confused, I asked him if he knew his name, and he replied clearly and deliberately.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not understanding, but knowing it was important to him, I could only tell him ‘Then that’s the name you tell him’.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After that, he fell into silence and the rest of the evening was peaceful.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>In the morning, the nurses called and told me he was having a great deal of difficulty breathing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was receiving 100% oxygen by mask and if his condition worsened the only available next step would be to place him on a ventilator – in violation of the terms of his Living Will.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I knew his wishes clearly and we had discussed them many times, but my decision was complicated by the fact that he had pneumonia and the antibiotics had just started to work - and I didn’t know if a day or two of help might pull him through.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I called his doctor and gathered more information, but then sought a place of silence and asked for guidance for perhaps the most important decision of my life.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>And in a moment, the answer was clear.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Already yesterday, dad knew.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His faith was strong and sometimes literal – and the story I had heard the previous day was practice for when he stood at the Gate and needed to state his case that he had done all he could to help himself during this prolonged test of his faith.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And when the Judge asked his name, he wanted to make sure that he got it exactly right.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I let his DNR instructions stand and went to the hospital – knowing in my heart that when I left that day I would be a 52 year-old orphan.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>We sat together most of the day and I held his hand - without acknowledgement, but squeezing tight regardless. For all his struggles in life, his passing was the kindest possible.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He left so quietly and peacefully that I never really knew exactly when – and for that I will be eternally grateful.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>So many times following his stroke he would ask me why he had been chosen for this particular burden.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was not asked in the context of ‘why me?’ – for it was obvious that he was really struggling with understanding what God was asking of him and what he was expected to do.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And now in the quiet days after the uplifting visitation and service, I begin to understand that perhaps at least some of that task was to teach me grace and humor and faith in the face of adversity, to dig deep and keep going no matter the odds, to treasure life and all it holds despite the darkness of the clouds.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Much of what you have read in these pages has stemmed from the appreciation of life that I have gained from his example – and I will only hope to make all of his struggles worthwhile by holding those lessons in my heart and remembering them always.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>At his service, the following words were read.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although written thousands of years before and applicable also to countless who have passed before him, they ring true to the life he led and the man he was:</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=4><FONT face=Verdana><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”</I><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>II Timothy 4, 6-7.</FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As for me, my life remains blessed by friends and by people I love – and now also by a brand new angel who will now always rest upon my shoulder.</FONT></P>
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<P> </P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-30969771928506719472007-01-18T14:11:00.000-05:002008-10-09T09:12:28.879-04:00A Day to Remember<P><U><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=2></FONT></SPAN></U> </P>
<P><U><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=2><IMG style="WIDTH: 479px; HEIGHT: 571px" height=488 src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/Deer_small" width=479/></FONT></SPAN></U></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I’ve always believed that life tends to balance itself out – sometimes over days, sometimes over a lifetime.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I never correct anyone who falsely blames me for something I didn’t do unless its particularly egregious, because I know that there will also be times when I’ll get credit for something I had little or no control over. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes its best just to smile and move on and let the natural order of things take care of itself.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Yesterday, nature created its own balance – and in record time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tuesday was cold and blustery, leaving 8 inches of wet snow in the driveway by the time it was over.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But yesterday more than balanced the scales – bright sunshine and clear blue skies framed the new-fallen snow, and there are few combinations in nature’s vista that can match that spectacle.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I had already decided to venture forth, camera in hand, to see what wonders I could record.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But before I even had the chance to leave the house, nature served up a bounty of visual riches just outside the window.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>It began asa blur of movement caught my eye, drawing me to three deer foraging in the woods only a few feet from the house.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I watched as they nuzzled the foliage, gently brushing the snow away from the evergreens in search of a morsel to nibble upon – and leaving a white powdery moustache upon their fur in the process.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Methodically they moved through the woods, oblivious to the cars passing on the road just down the hill, the morning sun casting painterly shadows - dappling their coats and the snowy ground around them with random shades of light and dark.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As they slowly moved down into the valley and away from the house, a woodpecker began noisily pounding away on the suet feeder and the chickadees and nuthatches began swarming the seed feeder nearby.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I parked with my lens close to the window glass and waited to see what nature had in store for me.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Only moments later, I smiled widely – and knew the day was destined to be memorable.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For there, framed perfectly in my lens, was a brilliant red cardinal – an eternal symbol that on the greyest days of winter there is always the promise of the color of summer to come.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He lingered for but a moment, but time enough for me to capture his image.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Knowing that the best part of any show I could hope for from this vantage point had already come in the opening act, I packed the camera and headed out for the rest of the day – knowing, no matter what I might find, that nature had already more than repaid any debt from yesterday’s snow with a brilliant day to treasure and remember.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=2><IMG style="WIDTH: 423px; HEIGHT: 576px" height=454 src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/Cardinal_small" width=423/></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-26111470612824505572006-12-25T02:50:00.000-05:002008-10-09T09:12:28.880-04:00Hope is Born Again<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4><IMG style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 543px" height=763 src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/Glowing_church_small/" width=426/></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I wasn’t going to make a Christmas entry this year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’ve been remiss in my Journal entries as it is and in many ways its been tough to capture the holiday spirit, so I’d decided to let things go and try to start fresh again in January.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>This past year has been difficult on many levels, and while I enjoyed shopping for special ones in my life, most other aspects of holiday planning were much more chore than delight for the first time in almost as long as I can remember.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So I went to dad’s tonight with more a sense of obligation than anticipation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The early part of the evening did nothing to dispel my mood – he was difficult and frustrating and I was reminded once again that my role is now so much more that of parent to him than child.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And when we arrived at church for the candlelight service, it seemed the remainder of the evening would only hold more of the same.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But then the carols started and I found my voice, joining in the celebration of the season and allowing myself to be reminded once more of what Christmas is truly about.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And a sense of hope – one missing for too long now – began to creep back in, a warm feeling that was instantly familiar and welcome once more.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Now please do not think that I do not know that my life is blessed – more than many if not most, and far more than I deserve.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are people in my life who love me, and without whose strength and support I would find it close to impossible to face some days – and for that I am and will be eternally grateful.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yet there have still been days of self-doubt and darkness, of questioning and of concern for what the future may hold that also take their toll sometimes.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Christmas is always a difficult time of year for me anyway – because it was my mother’s favorite holiday and because therefore most memories have a bittersweet tinge to them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But tonight the opposite was true.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As the lights dimmed and the candles were lit in the quiet sanctuary, as Silent Night began softly and wafted through the congregation as if borne on the tip of each flickering light, gaining strength from each new flame, the darkness began to slip away.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My voice wavered and the tears began to flow - and hope grew anew.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Late tonight, I walked in the quiet of the moonlight – and my heart was very full.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was a spring to my step and light in my soul – gifts beyond measure that helped me once again to savor each word shared with those important in my life, to treasure each small gift of kindness and to cherish each star in the sky.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I know that there will be more dark days – they are an inevitable part of life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But for tonight, hope is born again – as far away as in a distant manger, but also as close as the beating of my heart.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And what better way to start another Christmas day?</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>To those in my life who give reason and purpose to my days – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To friends and acquaintances – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To anyone who may happen upon these words – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No matter how you celebrate, may your holiday season bring hope to your own lives – and may each new candle lit bring fresh light to your soul.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Merry Christmas!</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-44415960196124523222006-11-23T01:46:00.000-05:002008-10-09T09:12:28.880-04:00Simple Thanks<P> </P>
<P><IMG style="WIDTH: 514px; HEIGHT: 726px" height=819 src="http://members.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/images/Brandywine_small/" width=543/></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Its been almost two months since I’ve written here – and I have no idea whether anyone will read these words.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I have always written in this Journal what my heart directs me to say. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Whether it is read or not is secondary, but I do hope that at least a few will see.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>When I began this Journal, I had no expectations or plans for it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was a way to record events in my life that I wished to remember – special places, people and events that touched my life and that I wanted to retain.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But in ways that still amaze and impress me, others found me and read my words – some anonymously but, to my amazement and gratitude, several who took the time to leave a kind word or a note of encouragement.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>And that’s the subject of this entry – in keeping with the day and in prelude to my favorite time of the year:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Simple Thanks.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>There are those who have read and commented here who live in places where today is but another Thursday in a long line of Thursdays, but it matters not whether you celebrate Thanksgiving today or not.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Because Thanksgiving, like most holidays, is really just a codified time to allow us to stop and reflect, to remember the things and the blessings and the people in our lives who have touched us in a positive way – regardless of whether it was within the hour or decades ago.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Soto those of you I truly know – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For those of you who have shared a thought or expressed a kindness – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For those who may read but leave no footprints behind – thank you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You have all made this experience far richer for me than I could have dreamed, and for each and every one of you I am grateful.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>And whether this is a holiday of note or just another Thursday to you, my wish is the same:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>may you share and appreciate time with those you hold dear, may you remember those who have gone before, may your smiles be many and may happiness fill your heart.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Thank you.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-22916503026548398442006-09-29T01:53:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.880-04:00Keeping the Glow Alive - Part 2<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=20#imgAnch27"><IMG class=pic height=525 alt=Christmas200562asmaller.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Christmas200562asmaller.jpg" width=411></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff>(The picture above is not meant to impress.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, it’s a retread from a journal entry I made in early January.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Its meant to invoke a feeling that I referenced in that entry – a feeling I experienced today.)</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I had a particularly vexing day today.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A home project I have been working on all week – one that I thought was finally complete when I went to bed last night – managed to find a way to take up my entire day today as well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Gone were the plans I had carefully laid, cast unceremoniously aside by the whims of the project that would not die.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As each additional step in the laborious process consumed twice and three times the amount of time I thought it should and the sun literally set on the rest of my plans, I finally reached the absolute final step.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>There’s something about vacuuming that I loathe. Cleaning bathrooms, laundry, dusting - even windows – I don’t mind as much as dragging the old Kirby around the floors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Its not particularly difficult or time-consuming, but its my least favorite of household chores – and somehow it seemed fitting that the final step happened to be the thorough vacuuming of the Great Room carpet.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>My mood was foul and each pass of the sweeper seemed a mockery of my skills and planning abilities.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And then, as I stooped to lift the ember-resistant rug before the hearth, I saw it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was peeking out from the corner of the bottom of the fireplace screen – a place I’ve seen dozens of times in the last months.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But today was the day it chose to make its appearance – and I had to shut off the vacuum and simply smile.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Last January, as I waxed wistfully in this journal over the end of the Christmas season, I pondered whether we pack the spirit of that season away with the decorations – only bringing it back out for a limited time each year. I hoped that we would find ways in our hearts, once the normal rhythms of everyday life had returned, to keep the peace and the love of the season alive. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I closed the entry by noting that pine needles have a way of turning up at unexpected times no matter how thorough our efforts to remove every one of them – and hoped that at unexpected times during the year we would find a pine needle, and let it take us back to the special peace of the season.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Verdana>And that’s what I found today.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At a time when I was feeling charitable toward few and anger at unspecified gremlins for wasting my day, a tiny, light green and brittle pine needle took me back to the tree and the light and the magic – and my day improved dramatically from there.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>When YOU need it most – I wish you a pine needle of your own.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-84647033230460936822006-09-15T03:28:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.880-04:00Dance of the squirrels<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=#imgAnch1"><IMG class=pic height=640 alt=Danceofthesquirrels091406003acsmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Danceofthesquirrels091406003acsmall.jpg" width=512></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I was running late this morning, trying to get out the door to dive into the day’s requirements.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I walked into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee to go, popped it into the microwave to get it good and piping hot and then turned around – and instantly smiled widely.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The deck wraps around the corner of the kitchen and a flurry of activity caught my eye through the sliding glass doors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Four young squirrels, filled with the carefree exuberance of youth, were scurrying madly up and down the White Oak that sits inches from the deck rail – and using it as a launching pad to hop to the deck and then back again.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They chased each other up and down and around the tree, sometimes moving so fast that they literally ran over the top of each other in their eagerness to reach some imaginary and endlessly changing goal.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>At about this time, the microwave sounded the end of its cycle – and I was faced with a decision:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>grab the coffee and run to the car to stay on schedule or let the pace of life wait a bit while I retrieved the camera and tried to record the frenetic activity of those new to this life and eager to explore all it has to offer.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In a heartbeat, I set the coffee down and ran for the camera.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>For the next 15 or so minutes, I sat on the deck and quietly enjoyed the tireless play of these athletic creatures - capturing what images I could in the split seconds that they were anything less than a light brown blur.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Of hundreds of missed shots, a few – amazingly – caught a moment in time to illustrate the glorious spectacle they played out for me, and two of those images are shared with you here.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>When they finally scampered up the tree for good, I set the camera aside, grabbed the coffee cup and hurried out the door.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Would I encounter a more harried pace and additional traffic for my dalliance with nature?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If I had the choice to make again, would I do anything differently?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not on your life.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Life constantly presents us with choices – some large, but most small and seemingly insignificant.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And at the end of the day, the choices we make in each of these instances makes the difference between living our lives and having a life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes we simply must budget our time according to the schedules of others and the rhythms of the day, but oftentimes we are not really quite as busy as we tell ourselves we are.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In those moments, when you are faced with a choice to adhere to the timetable or to stop and watch the squirrels I hope that you stop and let some carefree joy delight your eye and fill your soul – for your day and your life will be just a little bit brighter if you do.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Verdana size=4>On an unrelated, but very pleasant note: Greg Kiser, a professional photographer in North Carolina has chosen to do a spotlight article on your humble correspondent in his Journal </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.com/radar446/PhotoTrek/"><FONT face=Verdana color=#ff0000 size=4><STRONG>Photo Trek</STRONG></FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4> Take a few moments to visit if you can – and check out the truly wonderful photographs that Greg posts there and on his web site.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sincere thanks to Greg for his encouraging words and his generosity of spirit – THANK YOU!</FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P> </P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-81156460389371641232006-08-31T14:22:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.880-04:00Nature's Circus Comes to Town<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=#imgAnch1"><IMG class=pic height=375 alt=DSC_0121asmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/DSC_0121asmall.jpg" width=564></A></P>
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<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=2>(The image above is but one small aspect of the story to follow, but try if you will to let your mind fill the rest of the picture.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And if it does, I dare you not to smile!)</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As I lay in half slumber this morning, not yet fully awake yet no longer asleep, I became aware of an angry droning sound originating just outside the bedroom window.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As my mind slowly focused, it appeared that a swarm of hornets had somehow settled upon the front porch – and my curiosity was such that it was enough to draw me from the warm bed toward the cool air of early morning flowing through the window.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I slowly crept forward and crouched low before the bow window so as not to disturb whatever was making such a racket.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Upon first glance, there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There were three tiny, immature brown birds with the general shape and beak configuration of nuthatches sitting in the burning bush just outside the window and a pair of titmice nearby – yet the noise continued unabated.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But as I watched, those three tiny birds began to busily hop from branch to ground to porch to brick arch and back again – mouths wide open as they moved in rapid and apparently random fashion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And from this trio of less-than-fist-sized wonders all of that noise was originating. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I watched in fascination as they fluttered and bounced from perch to perch, uttering their most unpleasant cries continually.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What their mission was I can only imagine, but it seemed that their cacophonous ruckus had woken more than just me. For as I looked, it appeared that all of nature had suddenly descended upon my vista:</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>A chipmunk jumped upon the woodpile and began loudly proclaiming himself its king as he perched upon hind legs and began the continuous clucking sound that requires such force that it shakes his entire small frame with each outburst.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the woods to the right, I could see two squirrels chasing each other noisily and effortlessly as they zipped from branch to branch and tree to tree.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Further in the distance, the red-tailed hawk’s piercing cry echoed over the treetops.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>There were silent visitors as well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As the eye became more keen and the clutter of life dropped away and allowed the eye to truly see, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the lazy path of the bumblebee came into sharp focus.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To its left, a butterfly gracefully fluttered from marigold to marigold – resting and preening for a moment and gathering the morning sun upon her wide-spread wings before moving further into the yard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A flash of bright green zipped by and then materialized as a hummingbird, hovering as if frozen in time by the feeder – and then gone again in an instant.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And below the feeder, the tiny toad who lives in the impatiens bed crept back to the safety of his home.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4>And then, in what seemed the blink of an eye, there was silence - and all the activity, all the commotion, all the glorious clatter was gone.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was no movement save for the lazy dance of the leaves in a gentle breeze, no sound but the low rumble of cars from the road behind the house, and an occasional solitary cry from a distant chickadee.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The show had packed its tent and moved on – but it would be back, in endlessly changing configurations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And what a show it had been.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-29040511112853597612006-08-11T02:34:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.881-04:00Sailing<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=#imgAnch5"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Niagara2small.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Niagara2small.jpg" width=500></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Lucida Sans" size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=3>(The photo above is from a recent Tall Ships festival.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are more images from that event and some other miscellaneous sailing images in the album in the right column).</FONT> </FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0000ff>For someone who doesn’t swim well and who has never owned a boat or known someone well who has, its interesting that - as I look back on life - <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>some of the memories that stand out the strongest are all linked to being out on the water.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Moonlight shimmering in a silver path over gentle seas to the exact spot on the ship’s rail where I stand. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Awakening in my blanket on a cool teak deck to see a billowing white sail catching the breeze directly above my head – the ship’s cat nestled snugly at my feet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Quiet moments in contemplation as pungent salt air fills my lungs and cleanses my soul.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Watching from the balcony as green forest along the banks slowly transforms into the breathtaking dunes of the high desert.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Hoisting the sails at sunset as the ethereal sound of bagpipes signal both departure and hope for the new dawn. </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>Each memory – some now more than 20 years past – deeply engrained to the point where I can taste the remnants of a tang upon my lips if I close my eyes long and tight enough.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Sometimes when life seeks to overwhelm, those are my favorite memories to evoke – for rarely have I felt as free and easy as when the sea breeze is in my face. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As I write this, I am there once again, hoping for that same healing strength to descend once more.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>We all need that special place to which to escape now and then.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I sincerely hope that yours is as pleasant as mine.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-71068048167249985362006-07-30T01:58:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.881-04:00Words to live by<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=#imgAnch1"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Swansmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Swansmall.jpg" width=500></A></P>
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<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. - Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)</FONT></DIV>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-10317123224959613212006-07-10T14:55:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.881-04:00Personal Fireworks<P> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff>As any of you who have stopped here before are aware, I usually try to build my entries around one of my photos or to take one to match the topic. In this particular instance, however,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was unable to capture the image.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No combination of shutter speed, aperture and sensor sensitivity could duplicate what the eye so readily sees, so I will simply try to paint the picture in words – in hopes that your mind’s eye will see the beauty and feel the awe, as imagination creates what the camera cannot.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>My last entry touched on the topic of celebrations and included pictures of fireworks from the Fourth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those photos were actually taken during a local community celebration the weekend before, so that on the night of the Holiday I was home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As the sky darkened at the end of the day, the air became alive with the sound of celebratory explosions from surrounding towns and I wandered onto the deck to absorb the joyous cacophony.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>At first, my attention was drawn above the treeline, as the sky lit randomly from the distant explosions – much as lightning will illuminate the clouds from great distance. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But as my eyes adjusted, my vision shifted to the valley below – and a sight that is my recurring favorite memory of summer since moving here, and which will always conjure awe and joy in my soul no matter how many times I am blessed to witness it. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0000ff>The air was still and warm as the night became alive before me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For in the trees and all around me – some near enough to touch, some far away – glowed hundreds, seemingly thousands, of fireflies.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their tiny lanterns beamed for an instant, always replaced by the glow of another in a new location – and my mind linked the tiny lights before me with the explosions reporting in the air to create a July Fourth spectacle for my eyes and ears alone.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Minutes passed and the thunderous echoes slowed and died as grand finales faded, yet the light show before and around me continued in mute silence – to my mind becoming all the more beautiful and poignant.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes the sheer spectacle of an event is so overwhelming that the combination of sight and sound and feel crowds out the ability to think – and when the sounds slowly dissolved into the silence of a summer night, the light itself and the quiet wonder of nature it represented was permitted its opportunity to permeate and become fixed to the soul.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mesmerized, I not only saw, but felt each pulse of light – and the celebration moved from the external to deep within.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I neither know nor care the duration of my experience, but I know that my heart was at peace when I returned inside – a personal gift beyond price.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Whether it originates in a smile from a stranger, the laughter of a child, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the comforting hand of a friend – or the simple glow of a firefly – I hope that same peace fills your heart, soon and often.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-67811865735404026362006-07-01T00:31:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.881-04:00Celebrations<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?start=#imgAnch1"><IMG class=pic height=375 alt=Fireworks0624066small.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Fireworks0624066small.jpg" width=564></A></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=2>(More fireworks pics in the album in the right column)</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>It seems the Spring and early Summer carry the majority of the year’s celebrations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Beginning with Easter and following almost every two weeks like clockwork, there seems always a reason to celebrate:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day and now Independence Day – with Flag Day thrown in for good measure.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While some of the dates are fixed in history, perhaps it’s the changing of the seasons and the return to ‘outdoor times’ for much of the nation that provides the timing of some of the major ‘non-official’ holidays.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But regardless of the reason, an opportunity to gather with friends and those we love is still a gift to be cherished and enjoyed to the fullest.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But between these scheduled occasions, we should always be on the lookout for smaller, more personal reasons to celebrate – and to take the time to give them the recognition they deserve as well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A new job, a passed exam, good news from the doctor all deserve to be recognized – if not perhaps with a gathering and a feast, then at least with a toast and a smile or a moment taken to write or call.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>And then there are the celebrations of a more personal nature – the kind that can pass us by completely if we do not take the time to see and feel and appreciate.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The laughter of children in the park, an unexpected call from an old friend, a beautiful blue sky, a glimpse of a newborn fawn taking its first tentative steps, a remembered moment that touches the heart.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When we are busy, these moments can pass us by in an instant – and we, caught up in the latest crisis or drama or scheduled activity, can continue blissfully and hurriedly on our way, none the wiser.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But life is made up of countless such moments – so many more than those celebrations rigidly fixed on the calendar.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And the more of them we allow to pass us by, the poorer our lives become – small bit by small bit.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>So gather together in these coming days.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Have picnics and share fireworks and squeeze your loved ones tightly to you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But before - and after – take a moment to slow down every once in awhile.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Don’t just run from the house to the car to the store and back, but smell the freshly mown grass,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>hear the individual sounds of chirping birds, delight in the exuberance of youth where you encounter it, look up at the sky.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These are celebrations we all can find – no matter location or circumstance – and each small celebration will ultimately shape who we are and the face we present to the world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How many times will you celebrate today?</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-54883030854643179582006-06-19T01:26:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.882-04:00Lessons and Blessings<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/?"></A></P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=449 alt=Dad84thBD08130501asmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Dad84thBD08130501asmall.jpg" width=452></A></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>In my very first entry in this Journal I wrote something to the effect that I have been blessed in many ways – including some that many might not consider blessings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At the time, I left it at that and alluded to a possible future entry to explain.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Perhaps Father’s Day lends itself to such an occasion.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The gentleman appearing at the top of this entry is my dad.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He will be 85 this year and I think you can see the life and light in his eyes from this photo taken on his birthday last year.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>What isn’t evident from the picture or his demeanor was that the picture was taken at a nursing home and it was his first full day there, following hospital rehab for injuries from a fall at his home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was his third time in the nursing facility for rehab since his stroke almost three years ago.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Dad was always an impatient man.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He moved quickly and expected everyone else to keep up with him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He had the energy of 6 younger men it seemed – mowing his own lawn or shoveling his own snow – and that of two or three neighbors for good measure – golfing at least twice a week and driving anywhere and everywhere.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And then his stroke took away the use of most of his left leg and hand, slurred his speech and affected his ability to swallow – and now all of the things that came so easily and quickly take painfully long periods of time to accomplish, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and then imperfectly.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>To watch this proud man become dependent on others for the basics in life has been painful, and to watch him grow weaker over time yet still fight to live in his own home (with assistance) has torn at my heart on so many levels and in a thousand different ways.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I watch him grow weary of life, and - sometimes - I grow weary for him and with him.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But this message is about blessings – and that is what I consider my dad and every moment we have left to share.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each day, this strong, quiet man teaches me lessons about life and patience.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He fights not to give in to his limitations, yet demonstrates a sense of grace in handling them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The frustration shows sometimes, but he rarely complains – and each night he says his prayers and asks more for help to others in need than anything for himself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know there are quiet times when he wishes this burden will be taken from him, but his grip is still strong and purposeful, there is still a look of steel on his face when he needs to dig deep to do something most of us would take for granted – and there is still that light in his eyes.</FONT></P>
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<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Our parents continue to teach us long after we’ve grown.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The lessons themselves and the method of instruction may change, but we should always be wise enough to stop and listen – for we still and will always have much to learn, and the teachers, and the blessings of what they teach, will not always be physically with us.</FONT></SPAN></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-44345238730620102112006-06-09T13:58:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.882-04:00Life from life<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Budsmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Budsmall.jpg" width=500></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Last fall I wrote here of the loss of a different kind of friend – the tree outside my bedroom window that always helped me greet each new day.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She is now split and stacked and protected from the elements under the deck, seasoning so that she can warm me one final time this coming season.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>In her place last fall, I planted a new tree – small and spindly by comparison to be sure, but a reminder of she who once stood so proudly and a reminder that life goes on despite loss.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I rushed against the changing seasons to prepare the site, chose her carefully and planted her straight and tall in the sloping ground.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I fed her roots to help them unfurl and grasp her new home firmly, provided a stake to which she was lovingly secured to fortify her against the January winds and driving snow – and then watched anxiously during days of bitter cold and howling wind in hopes I’d done enough to help her start her new life safely.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As the days grew longer and the temperatures more mild, I checked every day for signs of life – gauging what I’d been told of her growth patterns against those of other trees in the yard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And then one day, in the soft glimmer of a cool morning sun, I saw an unmistakable bud and – the closer I looked – more and more of them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the unseasonably warm Spring, the buds grew quickly – filling every branch with burgeoning life that grew larger and stronger with each day.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Blossomsmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Blossomsmall.jpg" width=500></A></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>One morning, the air was filled with a rich, sweet fragrance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fuchsia blossoms that had delicately sprung forth overnight quivered in the breeze - and a bumble bee already busied himself, drawing sweet nectar from the tiny trumpets even as they began to open.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Birds chirped in approval nearby – perhaps planning a few years down the road when these same branches would be strong and sheltering enough to protect the births and first tentative flights of their great-grandchildren.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Leavessmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Leavessmall.jpg" width=500></A></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Now the blossoms are gone – replaced by shining, healthy leaves that reach eagerly toward the sky, seeking the nourishment of the sun and capturing the gentle rain for her roots to drink.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I visit her almost daily, both to ensure that she is appropriately nourished and to proudly watch her grow.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>On the roadway behind the house and down the hill, the hustle and bustle of life and commerce continues - unabated and uninterested by this quiet microcosm of all that is good and right and full of light and new life – and all too soon it comes time to go back inside and deal with the issues of the day.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But each morning from now on, the space once occupied by my beloved friend will not seem quite so empty anymore, for she who now stands in her place will draw strength from the same soil and carry on her legacy - and the world will seem a little brighter place as a result.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-56655631680559100352006-06-05T02:15:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.882-04:00Lighter than air<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=DSC_0100asmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/DSC_0100asmall.jpg" width=500></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>My last few entries have been a bit on the heavy side (some might say ‘preachy’, although you’re all too kind to say so), so I thought I’d lighten things up a bit with this entry and simply share a few photos from a hot air balloon festival I attended the weekend before last.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some additional pics from the event are located in the album posted in the right column.</FONT></P>
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<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>As your week begins, I hope your spirits soar in gentle breezes, that clouds are few and that sunshine brightens your days……</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=DSC_0089asmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/DSC_0089asmall.jpg" width=500></A></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=375 alt=DSC_0293asmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/DSC_0293asmall.jpg" width=564></A></SPAN></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179704160780266627.post-45023922149093968162006-05-26T15:19:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:12:28.882-04:00A time to reflect<P> </P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"></A></P>
<P><A href="http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/?"><IMG class=pic height=752 alt=Reflectionssmall.jpg src="http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/akasamdodsworth/Journal/Reflectionssmall.jpg" width=500></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>Memorial Day approaches – a holiday left relatively unsullied by commercialism and which still holds much of its original intent.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And amidst the picnics and family gatherings and working in the garden I hope you’ll take a moment to remember those who have served and who still serve this great country – and no matter your politics, offer your thanks in your own way for the freedoms they secured and help to preserve for us all.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>But also at this time of reflection, I like to take the time to look at life and upon the journey so far.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>I love the picture above.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Its far from one of my best and I hope one day to capture that image the way I see it in my mind’s eye, but it speaks to me in many ways and – if you’ll permit – I’ll share a few of those with you.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The view is at the entrance to a National Park, less than 10 minutes from home. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It doesn’t take one’s breath away or make one feel infinitesimally small in the scheme of the universe like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, but it is filled with nature and life and small pleasures at every turn and I love to visit and walk and learn and ponder. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And my favorite time of day to visit is when the light is right to cast this reflection.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>To me, reflections are a metaphor for life – a yin and a yang, what is and what might be, the real and the imagined.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes the reflection is almost an exact mirror image of the reality, and virtually indistinguishable from it – re-affirming where we are and where we want to be.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Other times the reflection is slightly off-focus – a hazy dream that helps us to see and feel and imagine in a new and different way.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes the reflection is blurred almost to the point of being unrecognizable, perhaps reminding us of where we’ve lost our way and when a course correction may be in order.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And most disconcerting is when we confuse the reflection for the reality – and find that we are traveling a path that is upside down and backwards from what we intended.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>None of the above viewpoints is really better or worse than the others.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some make us feel good while others make us question – but all can make us think.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And when we think, we learn – and when we learn, we grow.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000ff size=4>The next time you see a reflection – be it a graceful arch duplicated in shimmering water or a mirror’s honest view of the face you present to the world – take a look at what that reflection tells you about yourself and your life, where you are and where you wish to be – and then, perhaps, dare to plan the course ahead.</FONT></P>akaSamDodsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08544707209851808504noreply@blogger.com11