The Little Things

by Dotti

What makes you happy?  It’s the little things that make me happy, like Gerbera daisies and the color red.  

Recently I came across a “class” that resonated with me, made my heart sing, sounded like just what I needed to launch my photography into summer. I’d like to tell you about it.

Some, maybe all, of you may have heard of Karen Walrond. I’ve been following Karen’s blog and her work for several years. An original Shutter Sister, Karen soon went her own way with her own message. She’s a wonderful photographer, an excellent writer, a very insightful person and has an impressive professional resume.

A couple of weeks ago she launched her 21-day #shutterhappy project and I decided to jump in. It's something you can enroll in at any time so if you're interested, give it a try. The premise is that gratitude helps us attain and maintain happiness. The objective is to cultivate a habit (hence the 21 days) of looking every day for things that make us happy and taking a photo of at least one of those things. We’ve talked about this very thing here at FOL on more than one occasion and I believe it to be true so let’s chat about it today.

Here’s the cool thing: I’m barely half way through the project but all day long, I find myself looking at things and smiling because I realize how grateful I am for them. Most of them are simple things. For instance  -

A simple breakfast on the back porch -

The first swallowtail this season on one of our butterfly bushes -

The flowers on my back porch –

A coneflower ready to bloom into all its fullness and beauty –

The happy orange of a tiger lily - 

The blue of a hydrangea –

Some of these are my direct response to Karen’s prompts, some are just things that made me pause in my day and pick up my camera. Being more observant of things around me, particularly the little things that I’m grateful for has put a smile on my lips, my "center" seems calmer, I find that I’m happier.

Now I’m not naïve enough to think that it will always be easy. When  life gets tough, this practice will be harder but I believe even practicing a wee bit of gratitude at these times will help us weather these storms as they come.

Whatever it is that makes you happy, take the time to say thanks and smile at yourself and your gratitude. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Gratitude.

Citrus Season

by Kelly

While I'm the first one to admit that I am not a huge fan of the weather this time of year, there is actually something I do love about winter....citrus fruit!



Citrus fruits are typically available year-round, but they are at their peak this time of year.  Native to Australia and Southeast Asia, citrus trees are cultivated in warm, sunny climates with fertile soil and adequate rainfall.  However, they require some time at a cooler temperature for the fruit to develop its color.  Hence their harvest in the cooler months of the year.

Right now there is an abundance of brightly colored citrus fruit in my local grocery store, so I thought it might be fun to geek out and learn more about some of my favorites.

Blood Orange

The blood orange is primarily cultivated in the Southern Mediterranean and gets its name from the deep maroon/crimson color of its flesh... I mean just look at that color!  Most likely a natural mutation of the orange, this distinctive color is due to the presence of anthocyanin, an antioxidant that is rather uncommon in citrus fruits.  The sweet flesh of blood oranges is ideal in salads or desserts, and the juice is delicious on its own or in a variety of cocktails (hello!).

Cara Cara Orange

The Cara Cara orange is a hybrid between two different types of navel oranges and has a peach colored flesh (courtesy of the phytochemical, lycopene) and sweet, complex, almost berry-like flavor.  Prized for the delightful fragrance of their blossoms, Cara Cara trees can grown in the moderately-warm regions of the US (zones 8-11). Whether eaten as a snack or squeezed for their juice, Cara Cara oranges are delicious and refreshing.

Mandarin Orange

Mandarin oranges, and the related clementines, are known for their sweet flavor and loose, easy-to-peel skin.  They originated from China and are now widely cultivated in California under the Wonderful® Halos™ brand.  Between their portability and delectable little segments, we eat these by the dozens at our house.

Navel Orange

Navel oranges are the original 'sweet' orange which developed from a hybrid between the pomelo and the mandarin orange.  Also easy to peel, navel oranges are grown to be eaten fresh or squeezed for their juice.  

Ruby Red Grapefruit

Originating in Asia, the grapefruit is a hybrid between the pomelo and the sweet orange.  The name is derived from the grape-like clusters of fruit on the tree.  The Ruby Red variety was developed after an accidental discovery of a the red grapefruit growing on a pink grapefruit tree.  Now grown almost exclusively in South Texas, the juicy, sweet flesh is perfect for eating fresh or being squeezed into juice.

Besides their delicious flavor however, citrus fruits are extremely beneficial for good health.  Citrus fruits are a valuable source of vitamin C which is important for the immune system and helps to reduce inflammation.  Citrus fruits are also a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber - both of which help to lower cholesterol and aid in digestion.  In addition, citrus fruits are also high in a wide variety of vitamins and minerals as well as a great source of antioxidants.

Personally, I love citrus fruit for all of the health reasons I mentioned above.  But I think what I love most about citrus is the vibrant color and snappy freshness of the fruit at a time when this kind of flavor and color are in short supply. Definitely something to be grateful for this time of year.

What about you?  Any of your favorites make my list?  

Until next time,

Kelly

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A Gift To Myself

by Leigh

From the title of my post you might think I'm being a bit selfish...talking about getting myself a gift for Christmas.  You're probably saying to yourself, now....come on Leigh....everyone knows that Christmas is about giving to others and here you are talking about yourself.    

But hold on....just go with me on this.  Every year beginning with Thanksgiving we become bombarded by stuff....television ads for Black Friday showing the latest deal on the biggest TV you can buy....the bigger the better.....more...More....MORE!  Then there's the IT toy that every kid wants and no parent can find.  The calendar becomes filled up with holiday parties every weekend.

Ugh...it's just all too much!

I've decided that instead of stressing out about the holidays, I would rather give myself the gift of time.  And in giving myself the gift of time I give my loved ones the gift of experience rather than material things. I don't want to stand in line for the latest and greatest craze that all the kids just have to have when instead I could be snuggled up with my kids watching Christmas movies.  The one thing we all have to give is ourselves.  We can give our time and attention...our love and affection.  We can start by having real conversations about real things and the best conversations happen when we get outdoors.  No electronic distractions....just us together with nature.

I am giving myself permission to not feel guilty about avoiding the Christmas Craze this year.  My list is starting to look a little different than most years as a result of this.  Instead of feeling overwhelmed this holiday season I'm looking forward to making more memories with my family and friends.  I can't wait to make my grandfather's homemade fudge with my sister and our kids.  We will tell stories about this annual tradition. And when my dad sits down with my grandfather's copper bottom pot and begins to beat the fudge I will be taken back to my childhood as my dad holds the spoon up to see if it's the right consistency...I will watch my daughter jump at the chance to put her finger through the fudge just to be sure it tastes right like my sister and I did so many years ago. This year at the top of my wish list is the gift of togetherness.  

“The only people who truly know your story, 

are the ones who help you write it.” – Unknown

Peace in the Middle of the Mess

by Kelly

The pie has been eaten, the cranberry sauce has been thrown out, and we are completely sick of turkey sandwiches.  Yep…Thanksgiving is over and we are now ‘officially’ into the holiday season.  Except that in my neck of the woods, autumn has been late to arrive and we are just now into the peak season of color.  Sunday’s walk around the neighborhood was an eclectic mix of fallen leaves and pumpkins and Christmas lights and inflatable snowman globes. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I had every intention of getting all of my Christmas decorations put up inside over the break.  However, those plans did not take into consideration the swift, unexpected chest cold that I was hit with.  Nor did they take into account an afternoon Gilmore Girls revival marathon.

Just like with the seasons, everything about my life right now feels like an overlapping, mixed up, mess of things.

But surprisingly, I’m not stressed out.

I should be stressed…I keep asking myself “Why aren’t you more stressed about this?”  But really, I’m just not that concerned about it.

The thing is, I don’t want to live like a stressed out maniac anymore.  I don’t want to suck the joy out of my life and everyone else’s by trying to make sure things are perfect.  It’s just that simple. I don’t want a life that depends on things being neat and tidy.  Because newsflash! – that’s never going to happen.  If I am waiting to be happy until all of the loose end of my life are tied up…if I need all the messy bits of life to cleaned up before I can experience joy and peace…well, I’m going to sorely disappointed.

Because that’s just not what my life looks like.

My life is messy and and complicated and uncertain and beautiful.  And I am totally OK with it.

I think if anything, that is the greatest gift of the practice of gratitude…to accept and embrace this life with all of its imperfections.  And I can’t think of a better, more open-hearted way to enter into the holiday season. 

So I’m not going stress about my dining room table.  I know that here in the next few days I’ll get the dishes put away and the storage boxes back down into the basement.  The Christmas decorations will go up and all will be well.  But I am going to happy – I am choosing to be happy – in the middle of the mess.

Until next time.

Kelly

Happy Thanksgiving!

by Linda

No matter where you are or what you're doing, I wish you a blessed day!

I hope your day is filled with friends and family, love and happiness! And food! (or not!)

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From all of us at FOL to all of you:

We are so grateful for you! Thank you for stopping by this blog and reading! We are so often inspired by your comments! Thank you for taking a moment to leave us one!

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“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

— William Arthur Ward

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Autumn Moments

by Leigh

As I walked around my backyard with my camera anticipating this post,  I noticed moments that I wanted to capture.  It was a walk of intention....a time to be here in the now and open my senses to everything around me.  It was a particularly blustery day, but for a moment the winds calmed down enough for the wheat colored plumes of the Dwarf Hamelin Grass and the blurry pinks and purples of the Muhly Grass to compose themselves perfectly.  

The afternoon light gave me a brief moment of warmth that was soon cut by the chill of the breeze. That stream of light illuminated the edges of the Nandina leaflets for just a moment until the sun continued to set. 

A tattered orange leaf landed briefly in the vine covered whitewashed lattice fence.  It stopped just long enough for me to see it and capture it before moving along to it's next destination.

A fallen leaf effortlessly floats in the little bit of remaining water in the birdbath. I am thankful to notice these fleeting moments of an Autumn season that goes by too quickly.  These moments keep me grounded to the amazing world around me.  Feeling grounded is important not just physically but psychologically.  When we find a connection to the earth, we connect to something much, much larger than ourselves and for that I am truly grateful.

Focus on You

by Terri

So much beauty in the Flicker gallery that it is almost impossible to choose one to feature! But beyond beauty, this photo tells a story. To me it represents the holding on of fall to the very last second before winter sets in, something I’m sure many of us are feeling right now. This image is by Sandra (zinnia2012) from Lausanne, Switzerland. You can see more of her beautiful work on her Photostream here.  Thanks so much, Sandra, for sharing your art with us here at FOL!