Laura Benedict's Blog, page 6

Surprises. Are They Good Things?

 

I LOVE SURPRISES!

Okay, I do love surprises, but I very much dislike unpleasant surprises. Or sometimes unexpected surprises (is that an oxymoron?). Husband tells me I like surprises under very specific conditions, those conditions being that I need to know the basic parameters of the surprise before I’m “actually” surprised. I know. That sounds like a nightmare. Surprises with boundaries aren’t actually surprises at all, I fear. Ah, well.

I LOVE MOST SURPRISES!

Better?

This has been a very...

Fractures and Faux Berries

I did it! I put up my first Christmas decoration today. Two, even. I’d been bummed out about not getting everything out, and then remembered…baby steps. A little Christmas is a good start. This coming weekend is packed, but my goal is to put up lots of non-tree decor to liven things up.

Decoration number 2 is a door mat. But I always like to start with a wreath.

Now, I didn’t want to be alarmist, but if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll have seen that my son, Cleveland, was in an...

Mentor

Human Beings by Yamaguchi Gen, 1953

 

Giving back is an important concept. My dad worked in the elevator business for most of his life, and one of the things that always stood out for me was the generous way he mentored younger, less-experienced workers. It takes time to be a mentor. Sometimes it takes time you don’t think you have, but you do it anyway. Sometimes people ignore your advice, and that’s okay. Everyone learns differently. But I think it’s always good to let someone who’s behind...

December Meadow, Tuesday Photos

The temperate fall weather is on its way out. The dogs are restless so we go up to the meadow to stretch our legs and see what we can find. Despite the apparent brown-ness of everything, there’s a surprising array of colors, and endless, endless textures.

 

So many textures.

 

A quiet riot.

 

Bonus points if you spy the Amish buggy.

 

Not fluffy, but still remarkable.

 

Esau romp. Not bad for a 13 year-old dog.

 

In the meadow looking down at the house.

 

Waning.

The post December Meadow, Tu...

Moonday, Monday

Did you have a grand view of the Supermoon last night? I mistakenly thought it was on Saturday night, and even posted a pic on Facebook. That boooby-trapped my sister out in California, who also posted a pic. We opined that the moon didn’t look particularly super. It wouldn’t be the first time I made my sister’s life harder! So I dutifully went out tonight to find…clouds. The best way to observe a Supermoon (see link above) is when it’s first rising, so you have the perspective of the horizon...

Charity is a Practice

This past Tuesday was Giving Tuesday on the heels of Cyber Monday. How funny that we have an annual day now to remind people to be charitable. Like yoga, charity is a practice, an approach to life. With charity, we celebrate the divine in all of us.

Charity grows where it’s planted.

 

The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete. People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody. —...

Saturday Serendipity, 2 December 2017

Serendipity makes a life worth living.

 

So much grisly news this week–from behavior unbecoming by, well, lots of folks, to an overflow of politics. You can get that other places. : )

 

Bits and Bobs

Over fifty percent of Icelanders believe in elves, which I think is wonderful.

I feel a bit silly going gaga over the adorable in-loveness of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The latest news is about their body language–so sweet.

The world’s longest lasting rainbow. Just wow.

Sphinxes in Californi...

December Thoughts

I was looking at December posts from the past, and came across this one. It’s all still so true–especially the warm weather. (Though we were invited to a very lovely, smallish wedding this year!) As winter approaches, do you find yourself hibernating?

Our family made gingerbread style houses for years. Now we have naughty cats and a pig in a Labrador suit.

 

It’s that time of year. Well, it’s that time of year, too. But what I mean is that it’s the disappearing time of year.

This December has...

Drama…Alpaca?

Scruffy-Headed Drama Alpaca just doesn’t have the same ring as Drama Llama. At least I think this is an alpaca.

 

This was me most of this week. Except the only time I was out in the sunshine was to fill the bird feeders. I apparently picked up the upper respiratory version of whatever plague was floating around our house at Thanksgiving (which was so much fun for those of us who weren’t sick). I always feel dramatic when I’m sick! But no worries. I’m definitely on the mend.

I also woke Wedne...

California Creatures, Sea and Otherwise

 

From the archive: Creatures from our trip to San Diego a while back. The best part of our whole visit was when we were feeding fish to the sea lions, and a gull swooped down and swiped a fish right out of Husband’s hand.

 

Chillin’ by the pool

Thoughtful

Jellyfish

Tortoise beauty

Harumph

Who knows–but how cool are these?

Another Jellyfish

Tentacled Jellyfish-like thing

Alternate view of tentacled Jellyfish-like thing

Sea Flower (I made this up)

“I’m too sexy for my shirt”

The post Californi...