takin' it 2 the shop

i'm writing from our church computer this morn. after tryin' a few other things last night and no success whatsoever on the computer, i've decided to take it to the Geek Squad this morn as soon as i'm finished here. can't even download anything from internet explorer. a couple people have told me there's a glitch in internet explorer. i'm praying that's all that's wrong with my computer. anyway, i'll be back when it's fixed....can't even remove stuff from my blog as suggested. it's all screwed up!!!....cya soon i hope.

computer problems

so i'm havin' sum computer problems. even with blogging. can't even post photos right now. sometimes I can't get into others' blogs or mine occasionally. my internet explorer is definitely knot working right. i did a restore, but that didn't help either. so first thing monday..if knot sooner..i'm dropping off my computer to get it fixed. maybe it's a virus. my McAfee hasn't been workin' right either. so if you don't see me soon, i'm in the shop....in the meantime, my granddaughter is being stubborn and has knot been born yet. will get an update in about an hour on her status when her mom sees the doc...i'll be back asap here and to your blogs. hope this is a minor repair with this thing.

another spring day..

...the clouds have rolled in again this evening. rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week. it is unusual to get so much rain so soon, but it is a good thing. our desert can always use the moisture. i'm not quite out of sweatshirts yet because this spring has been cool. usually we are cookin' with 90+ degree heat, but not this year. i'm enjoying it much to my surprise. we'll see if the sun will set in the sky soon for good. only Nature will let us know.

...in the meantime, got some things done @ church today. feel good about that and it didn't take all day either. i'm off tomorrow and IF the weather is good (knot raining), a friend and I will head up to Chimayo as planned for more photo taking. she too takes photographs & has a wonderful eye. just saw her photographs last week of her trip with hubby to Macchu Picchu (sp?) in South America. anyway, this will be our first adventure together for photos. should be loads of fun. pray for sunshine for us...

Dancing from the Heart

so, i rode my bike to Bandelier Nat'l Park today. it was for the ride. just the ride today...

camera in tow for shadow shots, flowers, a bird or two....etc.....

but lo & behold, i walked into an Native American Dance....Dancing from the Heart.....

i walked into the midst of the first dance...then got the complete second dance. it was beautiful. moved me to tears...that connection of Oneness with all Life....

the little one dance in rhythm to the beat of the drums....this was a wonderful surprise and treat for me today. i haven't been to a Native American Dance since i was 13 yrs old back in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee....it was more than just a ride today....it was well worth the journey!

i think therefore i am

Happy Memorial Day!

free flyin' cage

it's sunday mornin'. another cloudy day and i sit contemplating the road trip to Bandelier. do i wait one more day or go for it today? i've decided to knot do the Wildflower Hike this morn. just want to chill and vegge in the quiet solitude. will take that trail myself this week sumtime.

now do i really want to ride in the rain-if it does rain. i know i need some fresh air today but could also work on the yard to do that. i'll finish my brew and decide after that. maybe a short ride around town. who knows. only time will tell....

in the meantime, these photos were at the zoo also. there was a free flying cage there with these beautiful birds in it. i really just stumbled on it as people were coming out cuz it was back in a hole in a wall so to speak. awesome feeling being amongst these birds...and no wires to steer around to get their photos. hmmm, maybe i should go back to the zoo today. definite chillin' out weather today...lol

shadow shot

ok, I'm postin' this as my first Shadow Shot. will have to find the place to let everyone know, but hey i finally got one.......anyways, it's been a lazy day. it was rainin' this morn and i was lovin' it. i was back in Washington State for a little while enjoyin' the spring rain & refreshin' air. i took Jimmy for his grooming today. oh i was tickled pink. didn't know i could get so excited about his haircut, but i did. brought him home this afternoon and he's all perty now & smellin' good. he was excited to be home because when i pulled in the parkin' lot, he yelped a little with pure joy. Boo missed him today too. she kept whining. i missed him too....so while waitin' 4 him, i went & got some photos printed and enlarged one of them (a fall foliage from a few months ago). loved the enlargement. first time i went for an 8x10. the details were held greatly. so now i'm going to find somewhere i can enlarge it to a 11x16 or bigger. if i haven't told you, my summer project is to enlarge my photos, frame them and make more note kards for the Arts & Crafts show @ church this fall. will need to get sum business kards made too. this is for pure JOY and see if i can sell them. see what people think. the note kards are sellin' @ church. i even donated the remainder i had to the church and will continue to do so. they don't cost much & i'll consider it part of my tithe, especially since i don't have that goin' right now anyways. i'm also goin' to add quotes to sum of my future note kards to see how that works. got the idea from another photographer via my friend Maggie. (long story). anyway, i look forward to the summer fun.

also on the summer fun list are bike road trips. i'm considering one right now to go within a couple weeks. ran into an acquaintenace last night who headed out to the Bike Rally in Red River today. he's doing it in one day-there & back. says it's only a 3-3 1/2 hr ride. so off i'll go SOON. have been wanting to get back up to that place since over 15yrs ago and wanted to ride up there. i was figurin' it to be a much longer ride. so i'm anxious. excited! i'll take my camera. it's a rustic town but sits in the midst of forest green. i'll keep you posted.

in the meantime, i'll ride to Bandelier monday (weather permitting). tomorrow i'm supposed to go on a hike but it's suppose to rain. plus it starts @ 9a.m. and i was just thinkin' it'd be awfully nice to sleep in for once on a sunday. so i'll sleep on it and see what happens when i rise in the morn. i can take that trail later this week. this is the Wildflower Hike. want to go. want to sleep in if i can. my sleep pattern is crazy nowadays. can't sleep or up at an ungodly hour. so i'll see what my sleeps does for me tonite....for now, i'm going 2 chill sum more. will post more zoo photos tomorrow. have a good one!

my photo art

this is for this week's Color Carnival. i took this @ the zoo too. stained glass i think & only a partial of it. wanted to capture all the colors. so i'm callin' this my photo art for the day.

whole new team

so last night, i went to my first baseball game of the year-our Albuquerque Isotopes. up until this year we were the MiLB team for the Florida Marlins. This year we went back to being the team for the LA Dodgers. We were the Dodgers team for years on end when we first were the Albuquerque Dukes. then they went away and we had no baseball for 5 yrs or more......so anyway, it's nice to be the Dodgers team again. I'll be a Dodgers fan too along with my Bosox. just couldn't ever get into the Marlins even when they won the World Series while we were with them. .....so anyway, had a great time with my friends. it was the usual 3 of us=Vicky, Louise & me plus Vicky's granddaughter last night. it was nice to hangout at the ball park and not be in a discussion of church affairs. these friends don't go to my church. knew both of them long before i attended my church. it was like a really total day off work for once. very relaxing. the game was close but we lost by 1 run. the team is totally new along with a new manager as well. didn't recognize anybody on the roster. so now it's time to learn all the new guys. guess it'll make life interesting for awhile anyways. so anyways, a great night out. rain was in the forecast but it didnt' show. However, it's showing itself today. it's in the forecast for the next 3 days which means i may get rained out on my Wildflower Hike on sunday-boo! but the weather here is unpredictable and half the time doesn't show up as forecasted. so keep your fingers crossed for me for sunday. even more so that it doesn't rain on Monday cuz i'm off on a road trip with my bike again....so i'm off for my day & to wear my new sweatshirt i bought last night. new team. new shirt....lol. have a great one!

Blessings!

may you find Peace, Love & Understanding today as the day unfolds knowing you are Divine, you are God in individualized expressions. know you are Love regardless you feel otherwise at times..and you are Loved beyond measure!

more zoo..

remind me knot to move the leashes...lol

so like i'm cleaning right. i move the dog leashes to clean the counter. not a good answer. i was intending to walk them today, but once i touched those leashes, it was all over. they wood knot leave me alone until i walked them. couldn't get them to settle down until we were out the door and a few blocks down the street....we had a good time. all is still good....definitely Jimmy gets his haircut this saturday. his hair has started to come out it balls all over the place. it'll drive me knuts if i don't get him groomed. i missed the last appointment but come hell or high water, he's going in this saturday. i originally planned a rode trip on my bike, but this has priority. plus rain is in the forecast. so maybe monday the bike ride.

in the meantime, this turtle was one of my favs at the zoo yesterday. he seems so small compared to his hugeness while lookin @ him on the grass. i just think he's beautiful! so i wanted to post him by himself. more zoo photos to come....

sum birds & a rodent

so i woke this morn with a cramp in my left calf. it's been awhile, but i had forgotten extreme heat and cold will cause them for me. still stretchin it out.........anyway, here is the largest rodent known on earth. don't remember the name and even before i looked at the sign, i thought boy what a huge rat. next time i'll take notes so i can name my photos.......the next 3 photos are a few of the birds i captured. flamingos of course, a baby duck, and another bird which i didn't catch the name........today is another beautiful day but i need to clean house. again i've let it go too long. but i will get it done today-yippee! then it's off to work. need to go in early so i can check supply status before i head over to Home Depot. but sum how i plan on takin' it easy throughout my day. read a little in the book i've been working on for a couple weeks. a little burned out on reading after class. will take a break after this book for sure. it's The Call by Oriah Moutain Dreamer. another good book of hers and good recommendation by Rev Julie. half way through & will try & finish it by this weekend. anyways, all is Good. Life is Good. It is all Good!

4 Color Carnival...

an example of just how colorful sum of the zoo was:-)...

Zoo Crazy!

...just 3 for now, photos that is. i went to the zoo and took 200+ photos. i had a blast! first day of PLAY it what seems like 4ever. i got all kinds of shots. plenty for Martha's Color Carnival. a couple for Shadow Shots. loads of just shooting and shooting and shooting photos. it was hotter than hell today, but i loved being there. i rode my bike down, so i was in my jeans and shirts. thank goodness i had a bandana with me cuz i drenched it in water. couldn't find a hat to buy initially, only to find them on the way out. today's visit to the zoo was a spontaneous combustion moment. i was having breakfast with a friend when i decided i'd head down there. camera in tow already for i was going searching for particular photos to shoot, the zoo popped up in my head instead. so off i went after breakfast and a couple quick stops at my church & the VA. the place was almost busy, but i guess school is out or close to it. but it thinned out later cuz when i went to back to the parking lot 3hrs later, it was empty. so anyway, these 3 photos are my favorite animals. on the eagle i was able to blur out the fence. the mexican wolf is never close enough to get a better photo, but i like what i captured. the polar bear i put the camera lens in between the fencing to capture it. there was another bear there that i saw stand on its hind legs & throw something huge-that was totally awesome. i captured sum fun shots like this bear with other animals. i'll post them a few at a time in the days to come. some of the animals i don't know their names, but had fun anyways. it was a great day @ the zoo. just what i needed after working so hard last week. this was the beginning of my summer. it was well worth the trip. more adventures coming soon. camera will be in tow....p.s. funny thing while i was shooting today i saw that my battery was gettin' low. it lasted just long enough for the shots and to load them on my computer. whew! i hate when it dies out while i'm shooting....lol

better shot of flute!

just a better photo shot of the flute....
(looked at the last photo and decided i needed to redo it)

3 gifts..

it's been a wonderful Sunday. tired, but great. i've worked my butt off all week to get a project done at church and i finished it yesterday-Yippee! so to celebrate i bought this "flute" at church today. found it when they came in and asked the bookstore manager to hold it for me until today. it plays like a Native American flute and i just Love it! (pictured). but that was not the only gifts received today. first while cleaning out the rooms this week (project), i found Adobe Photoshop 5.0 on disk. i knew who's it was immediately and called to let him know i found it. well today, he gave it right back to me as a gift. Wow! i had photoshop 2.0, but there was not much too it so i deleted it. had yet to get around to purchasing any other Adobe Photoshop. so once rested, I'll load this and see what i have....finally but not least. Sandy, Jesse's & I mutual friend, found a ring of Jesse's in his stuff yesterday in her garage. she gave it to me...and it fits! so i'm wearing it on my wedding ring finger and there it will stay. it's gold with a tidbit of carved art on it, but i love it! what a blessed day today along with beautiful weather. i'd take a ride on my bike, but i'm exhausted from the week and knot sleeping much the past 2 nights. so off i go for a nap. have a blessed day or evening!

I got 2 talk 2 my son!

Alas, he's back in Hawaii for a couple weeks away from Iraq. alas I get to communicate with him daily for a little while. it's been 3 months since i heard from him, finally tonight i got to talk to him on the phone for a few moments. he just got in & his wife Earma called me. we chatted briefly. i was headed home from church after a 12hr day there and i know they needed to be together for now. i'll call again tomorrow and every day after until he has to return to Iraq. he sounds good. he told me the Air Force Base here will not transfer his calls to my phone which is a bunch of BULL@#$% on the air force's part. but that's govt for you. anyway, at least for now i can talk to him. I'm happy about that. will appreciate that for now..... anyway, more soon. i'm goin' 2 crash for the night. another long day tomorrow, but shorter for sure. almost done with a projecd there-the only reason for the long day today. it's all good. I'm Happy. my son is "home"!!!

cleaned out!

today I cleaned out my computer of all my pics. downloaded them ALL on cds for future printing. now I'll start fresh with new photos starting next week....right now I'm working on a project at church and hope to complete it by this weekend. once it's done, I'm headed out for sum photos. first stop, the zoo. haven't been down there with this camera since I bought it 3 yrs ago. second stop witll be a Wildflower Hike over Memorial Day weekend. I'm definitely ready for sum adventures. class is over tomorrow night. Summer time is here!-Yippee! ....now, i'll be really busy for a few days, so you may not see me here during that time. if not, take care and i'll be back asap! Hugz!

me armoire

....so it's been a nice Mother's Day today. a beautiful service with one of our favorite singers..if not THE favorite singer...of our church. she sings absolutely beautifully with a jazzy R & B sound. I just LOVE hearing her sing and what great special songs she chose for Mother's Day.

anyway, yesterday i was off to pick up my armoire from Jesse's house. Sandy sat waiting as she opened the house for more selling. she sure did get rid of ALOT of stuff from his place. not much left and since he was a major pack rat, she's done a great job. anyway, there my armoire sat....I drove Sandy's truck up to pick it up. it was a truck she bought for Jesse to get around in & it is a standard shift & she doesn't know how to drive a stick. so I had a blast driving it up there & back. felt like Jesse was right there with me riding along....so anyways, for once there were no men around to help us load the armoire. Sandy not having much upper arm strength, she did manage to help me get it loaded....and boy was it a challenge to get thru very low roofs and tightly squeezed doors. i kept asking how in the hell did Jess get it in there in the first place. well, we pushed & pulled & dragged and laid it down finally on its side once out of the bedroom, then dragged & pulled & pushed sum more. we scratched it a tidbit but nothin' noticable. fortunately once i backed the truck up we didn't have to lift it much to get it on. then it fit perfectly in the truck even able to close the gate and knot have to tie it down. PERFECT!!! before leaving I had to snag a few more shirts of his, a small bag and a book on history he had. frankly if i had use or the place to take everything, i think i would have. anything to keep reminding me of him. not that I need reminders but I'm sure you understand. as Sandy & I sat for lunch I shared with her that Jesse was my soulmate if I ever had one. we both swore I knew him before and so it is. she shared a few more stories of him. I'm just knot going to ever forget him and my Spirit told me It would never let me forget. right now I still have the truck. will return it to Sandy tomorrow. IF Sandy still has it come this fall, I told her I'd find a way to buying it from her. I love trucks and this one was "Jesse's". all the more special. If I had the dough right now, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. it needs a little work, has lots of miles on it, but otherwise ideal for use with my job at the church. so we'll see what happens to it in time. the gifts of Jesse seem endless, but he is all worth it.

in the meantime, on the way to his house, I stopped and took the above photo. it's a church just down the road from him. NM has sum of the quaintest churches around. this was one of them. hopefully in another week or so, I'll be headed to Chimayo finally. it's another great little place with a uniquely special church. haven't been there in years, so it'll be great to revisit....I also just made a list from an AOL listing of places to visit that's near me, here and TX. one place here in southern NM I will go sum time this summer. it was recommended over the place in the 4 corners area. so off i'll go in July or August. if I'm lucky, the end of June. so I have lots of trips to take on my bike. I look forward to the journeys & adventure this summer. so much to do. seemingly, so little time. anyway, I'll get there slowly but surely. if I did it all at once, I'd be sittin round twiddlin' my thumbs....

Happy Mother's Day!

......here's wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day! for me, I had a great 2 1/2 hrs chat with my daughter-in-law yesterday. plus my daughter (niece) sent me a wonderful phone text on friday and beautiful flowers via facebook yesterday.....enJOY!

Dare...

DARE SEE YOURSELF AS LOVELY AND IMPORTANT.

YOU ARE! YOU ARE!

Installing Love

this is a great video! i did everything i could to get it to show up here, but the embedding code would not copy correctly. so here's a link to it. take a moment to view it. it's short and sweet. p.s. sometimes you must read a little fast....hugz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SEBCVnc3C4

burden lifted

it is late saturday night. it's been a wonderful day despite the rain. actually i felt the rain lift my spirit for once as though it was refreshing my soul. my day began with a hike with our church group. we went on the other side of Sandia mountains finishing just as it began to rain. wasn't sure i ws going to make it, but i perservered despite not completely "healthy" yet. but seemingly the hike seemed to help my cold today. maybe i sweated the last of it out-or almost. anyway after the hike i came home & napped. could have slept all afternoon, but my stomach was hungry....

so off i went to a new restaurant for me. i finally noticed this restaurant earlier in the week while riding my bike next to the mountain. i thought what a wonderful way to be beside the mountain and away from the city. i wanted steak too but had no idea what kind of restaurant this was. O but alas, it was rustic, very rustic. it had bbq and steak, both smelling good throughout the restaurant. i sat by the window enjoying the rain and very gloomy clouds. dinner was absolutely delicious! as recommended i went for the beef kabobs with a fully loaded baked potatoe. it was all to die for and well worth the extra money. i'll definitely go back again. my mouth is still watering just thinking about it.

anyway after dinner, i contemplated going to see my gay brother sing with his Gay Men's Chorus perform tonight. i have yet to do so and usually bail on him. well i decided to go after all. i had the ticket already. it was a great performance. while watching them perform, i FELT a burden lifted from my soul. not sure what the burden was, but i feel so much lighter now. i can only guess it was my guilt and/or judgment of being in the gay life myself. something i felt for a very long time for various reasons probably mostly of not having my family's support all those years. initially i didn't care what they thought of me being gay, but there came a time i recognized i did care...then psychosis...then confusion...now clear with my sexuality=bisexuality. there's so much more to all the guilt and judgment but it'd take all night to explain. i no longer feel guilty. i no longer judge myself for it. i sat there tonight and enjoyed all the chorus and all the men in it. i haven't mingled much in the gay life for a few years now so i could get clear with myself. so it was a pleasure to be among the community for a brief time tonight. there are a few attitudes i still struggle with in the community, but i will sort them out. mostly i don't think about them, and just let it be. so the evening was a success for me on many levels and i didn't know it would be. i've had enough worries other than my sexuality to be cocncerned about, so i've paid little attention to it. i'd rather be know for me, not my sexuality anyways. i haven't been into parading it ever anyways. i've just been mostly a quiet soul living my life and enjoying ALL people regardless. but tonight was a gift which will help me move onward, forward to wherever i am going. i have changed much since psychosis. i only live for today and the moment of Now anyways. only time will tell where i'll be tomorrow. i long for the mountains and so much more. i know my Spirit will guide me to wherever i'm suppose to Be....it's been a great day today. i'll put it in my treasure box to reflect on another day....

too funny..

so, i had a couple laughs today with Madison and Marsha. first of all Madison is just too cute & too funny. she's bossy @ 2 1/2 years old. she's saying a few more words but still mostly pointing and trying to say a word or two while telling us what to do. the last few times i've visited her she's been bossy with me too telling me to swing her, play with her or pick up a ball. today it was picking up the ball. initially she was having her Gramma (Marsha) swing her but then she dropped her ball. Gramma was told not to pick it up, I was the one that HAD to pick it up. if she's bossing us now, God wait til she's really talkin'...lol. anyway we both do as she says for the most part with much laughter and love. so i figure Madison is preparing me for my granddaughter due this month. i'm gettin' plenty of training in now so i know what to expect once Erica (my grandbaby) arrives. of course Erica may have a completely different personality and a different way of doing things, but i'll at least have sum experience around my belt. so it was much joy in a very short hour with Madison today.

the second laughter o the day was giving Marsha her birthday present. her birthday is next week but the idea of her present came just a few days ago. one of Marsha's "concern" has been at times that while she hangs out with me that everyone will think her & i are a couple and therefore she won't attract men. she has nothing against gays, she just wants to attract men. so funny thing, sure enough a gay couple at church the other day indicated to me that they thought her & i were a couple...lol. so i cleared that up when one of them said well Marsha needs one of those shirts that says I'M NOT GAY BUT MY GIRLFRIEND IS...I laughed and thought it was a great idea. so i went & got one of those shirts today just for Marsha. thought sure she was going to throw it back at me, but she didn't, she laughed hysterically, which was the point of me buying it. so this tickled me pink that she appreciated it so much. the whole scenario is just hilarious with me. so i told Marsha she has to wear it anytime her and i are go out. this is not the first time people at church have thought i was an item with one of my friends. we are a gay friendly church and i'm physically affectionate with my friends at times publicly. such small gestures are so interpreted wrongly. now i just laugh it off and let the rumors fly. goodness aint life queer...