If She Just Wasn't So Darned Cute!*

The cuteness sucks me in, everytime. Overall, I think cat pics are only making up about 25% of my photos, so really, that's not bad ... considering how many I take.

Iris*

The iris in the garden. My friend Rene came to visit 2 years ago and brought a whole bunch of plants she had dug up out of her garden. The iris was one of them. Last year we only had one stalk with 2 flowers but there were what appeared to be several plants. This year, there are even more plants or foliage but still only one stalk with 2 flowers. The flowers lived for about a day or two and then were gone.

Space*

Before
















After

OMG ... the space! The plants went outside this past weekend. Shawn worked like a mad man in a frenzy. When the plants go outside for the summer, Shawn's office, my office at work and the entire house gain an unbelievable amount of living space. It's all cozy when they first come in at the end of October and we are getting the good oxygen from them. But by mid-January, when the dead of winter hits, we're pretty much over it and the plants are too. They want warmth, sun and humidity and we want the house back.

Now that the plants are outside there is space to do yoga in the living room, there is space for some good romp and stomp for Mr. and Lucy and there is space to just be.

Letting Go*

Yesterday's post, Twilight, was actually posted this morning. When I went to upload the photo and write the post, I couldn't connect to the internet from my laptop. The laptop houses all the photos, so to get the photo to the other Mac downstairs would have involved finding my flash drive, copying everything over, going downstairs, booting up, and finally doing the post.

Trying to fuss with a finicky, diva wireless network was even less appealing. So I made an executive decision. The post would wait until the morning when hopefully the diva network would decide it wanted to connect.

Making that decision forced me to let go of my desire and attachment of posting yesterday. After all in 118 posts I've only missed two on the actual day ... one because I got home too late and the other because I just plain forgot.

I think I do really well at practicing non-attachment. Everything is constantly changing, nothing can stay as it is and everything is impermanent, myself included. What good would it have done to be so attached to posting yesterday that I put myself through some mental torture to do so? No good.

This morning the diva network was working fine. I showed it.

Twilight*

The twilight of the tulips. Everything has it's cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. This was the last day the tulips were around. By Sunday afternoon all the petals had fallen to the ground. And we will await their rebirth next Spring.

Peeks Around 7*

Peeks Around 7 has an added bonus of some Spring Time Zen. This is the open wall that is next to the stairs leading to the basement. Because it's open it gives us another shelf. This is kind of a zen shelf in general. It has a ceramic yogi in lotus pose incense burner, the Tibetan Buddhism book and a book of poetry by Rumi, the collection of 5 minute meditation books and a candle. I added some Spring Time Zen with some azalea and something flowering from our garden.

Aahhhhh ... Friday Evening*

No need for words ...

Last Resort*

Yes, it's a last resort. It's late. But you just can't deny the cuteness. Especially since she is in focus and not shadow kitty. It's hard tell here but you can see the reflection of me taking her pic in her little eyes:)

Santosha*

Santosha is one of the Niyamas which is one of the 8 Limbs of Yoga from the Yoga Sutras. Essentially santosha means contentment. Being content, finding contentment where you are right now.

This photo is of a fabulous yogini in halasana or plow pose. I would LOVE to be able to get my feet down to the floor in this pose. I would love to get my feet to where they are 6 inches off the floor. But I can't, not right now. I used to be able to and somewhere along the line things changed and now I can't.

As frustrating as it might sound, I'm ok with that. I'm content with where I am now in halasana. It doesn't mean that I won't strive to find a new edge or that I will allow myself to become stale but rather that I accept who I am, today, right now. Because ultimatey, contentment is required for peace of mind. And I'd rather have that than my feet on the floor in plow pose.

Just a Few More*

Just when I thought it couldn't get any more spectacular. I've never seen tulips so wide open!

Peeks Around 6*

Peeks Around 6 is from Shawn's office. This is the top of his desk shelf with all kinds of stuff. From this angle you get the beautiful, blue crystal ball. I gave it to him one year for, most likely, his birthday, although it could have been an anniversary present. We're at the point where we remember the gift but may have lost track of the occasion. More Peeks Around Shawn's Office to come ...

Buddha's in Da House!*

My friend Summer opened a yoga studio this weekend, Soaring Spirit Yoga Studio. A few weeks ago I stopped by to pick up some flyers and she had found this kick ass buddha statue at, of all places, Marshalls! But it was the only one they had. I have been wanting a big buddha or kuan yin statue for a long time. When I say big, we're talking over 2 feet tall. So when she said she found it at Marshalls for a phenonmenal price, it planted the seed.

I checked a Marshalls near work. That place was a disaster. It seriously looked like a tornado had blown through that place. No buddha there. So I figured sometime I might check the Marshalls at the discount mall near where I live, the same one Summer found hers at. Yesterday I just happened to be over there so I thought what the hell. Maybe, just maybe, they put another one out. Well ... they had! I needed a day to think about it, do I really want to spend the money? Can I justify the expense? Is there space in our house/yard for it? I figured if I went back today and it was still there, then it was meant to be.

Well, it was there, I had justified it and figured we will find the space. Here he is, in our home, emanating peace and serenity.

Peeks Around 5*

I was in hubby's office today, checking on plants and things. The light was really good so it was a good chance to get some peeks around shots. Shawn's office could provide a year's worth of peeks around ... something different every day, I'm sure.

This first of the Peeks Around Shawn's Office is I don't know what. What the hell is that anyway? I believe it's a comic book villian and I know Shawn has told me before. But it's not so much who it is as what it is. What is it that thing?

Whiskas*

So I've had this photo of the Mr. for a few days and have wanted to post it. It's him enjoying a sun spot. Mr., and countless other cats, LOOOOOOVE the sun spot. But it was just another cute cat pic. Maybe it had some photographic merit in that there was some really nice contrast of the white cat in the sun spot and the rest of the room was fairly dark. But, still, another cat pic.

Until, his whiskers caught my eye and I cropped into to just that. Then played just a little. If that's not a cat basking in a sun spot I don't know what is.

Silly Kitty*

Bag on floor. Kitty must lay on it.

Peeks Around 4*

This is the picture wall leading to the upstairs. We've got framed photos of vacation landscapes, kitties, Shawn's band, our wedding and our engagement party. Pretty much everyday one of these photos catches my eye and even though I've seen it hundreds of times already, I stop for a second a look.

Just Can't Help Myself*

This garden is so amazing I can't help but post more pics.

Bad Kitty*

She looks all sweet and innocent ... well maybe sweet. There seems to be a devious look here even though she isn't doing anything. So I don't think we can say innocent.

Lucy was a bad kitty tonight. We had set out a half stick of butter on the kitchen table to soften a little. I turned around to find that bad kitty licking the butter and when I yelled at her to stop instead of stopping she licked harder and faster and tried to bite into the stick of butter like she was going to pick it up and carry it off to have a butter licking fest. Bad kitty ...

Red and Orange Explosion*

These tulips have just been amazing us for the last 4 days. I cut a few on Friday and brought them inside. Today they were absolutely glorious.

Remembering Little Nelli Kitty*

Little Nelli Kitty passed away two years ago today. It was one of the worst days of my life. I read something once about waves of emotion bringing you to your knees and I literally experienced dropping to my knees from grief that day.

Some people might think that doesn't make sense, she was only a cat. But that's where they are wrong. Yes, she was a little creature, a feline, but she was a creature full of pure light. She was the kitty in our household with the higher conciousness, she was evolved. There was definitely a difference between her and the other kitties.

Little Nelli was a chatty kitty and you really could feel like you were having a conversation with her. She would tap you with her paw if you weren't paying attention. She would follow me up to bed every night and sleep next to my left shoulder. And if she didn't have her toy(s) with her in the bedroom, she would get up, go get them and bring them up into the room. She was the kitty that made Shawn see that cats can be and are cool.

A friend of mine told me it's not about having to let go but having to learn to live without. And I've done that. I had to because there was nothing that could change the reality of her being gone. We set up an altar for her that has her ashes, her toys, her collar, a photo and some other things. She was a special little kitty and she will always be in our hearts and memories.

Peeks Around 3*

Peeks around 3 is the fridge and all the magnets. We didn't intend to collect fridge magnets, it kinda just happened. I had a few when I moved in. Then we got some word magnets. The we put up some pictures for the magnets to have a purpose. Then people started giving us magnets. Then we decided we might as well get magnets from places we visit or things we do. It's a very eclectic collection. Dragons, KISS, a magnet from each Cirque du Soleil show we've been to, magnets from Hawaii, the National Aquarium and Arizona, the gratitude board ...






















Guitars, muscle cars, agate, photo frames with pics of me and my girls ...























Dr. Suess, cat butts, cats in general, measuring conversions, bottle openers, all interspersed with some words ...























Wacky packs, business cards, venus de willendorf ...























Joe rockstar bender and ...
















and yoga Jane bender ... oh, and there's a glimpse of the cat bender to the side.

More Tulips*

The tulips were open and glorious this morning. Here's some with the garden Buddha in the background.

Tulips*

The garden is in full swing! Tulips are about to pop everywhere. The pansies, some of which survived the winter, are huge. There are plants and flowers sprouting and coming up all over the place, many of which we have forgotten about from last year.

Scenes of a Sushi Dinner*

It's become tradition to go out for Sushi for Shawn's birthday. This was the 6 year in a row. He does the actual sushi, I go for california rolls, edamame, dumplings and tempura.

Peeks Around 2*

Another peek around and oddly another shelf. This shelf is in the kitchen.

When I lived in Norfolk someone had built a shelf with a lot of little cubbies and different levels. It was great for spices, jars, plants, knick knacks, whatever. While I was there I painted the kitchen, white walls and cabinets and multiple, bright accent colors. So the trim around the door was orange, the trim around the floor was blue, etc... The shelf had all the colors. When I moved I really missed the colorful kitchen and especially the shelf.

One day I was telling Shawn about it and he built me a shelf and we painted it all the fun colors. The shelf can now follow me wherever I go.

The Phlox*

This is the phlox in the rockwall. It's just started to bloom over the last few days. More to come ...

Happy Bday to My Rock Star Hubby*

Happy Birthday Baby! This is the 10th birthday of yours that we have spent together. Nothing makes me happier than to honor and spoil you on your special day.