I RESOLVE TO . . .

Falling In Love . . .

"The thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people."

Annie Leibowitz

Believe Photographs . . .

"Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs."

Ansel Adams

A Secret . . .

"A photograph is a secret about a secret.  The more it tells you the less you know."

Diane Arbus

Good Photographs . . .

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."

Ansel Adams

The Negative . . .

"The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the prints its performance.  Each performance differs in subtle ways."

Ansel Adams

Ready To Start . . .

"And now, I feel at 85, I really feel that I'm just ready to start."

Gordon Parks

Something Beautiful . . .

"And I think that after nearly 85 years upon this planet that I have a right after working so hard at showing the desolation and the poverty, to show something beautiful for somebody as well."

Gordon Parks

Sharp Image . . .

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept."

Ansel Adams

Daily Exercise - Day 256

Big event tomorrow, yes crashing.  As I suspected no time for laps this week, so I'm not going to worry about it.  More time to devote to my resolutions, blogs and creative projects very soon!  Definitely 'laps' this weekend!  Until then . . . :)

Daily Exercise - Day 255

Yep, you guess it, another busy day!  Work in the office, and running around DC on some errands. I did do some walking, so I got my 30-minutes of exercise today - thankfully!  No laps, though :(  Maybe this weekend.  Until then . . .

A Photograph . . .

"You don't take a photograph, you make it."

Ansel Adams

Daily Exercise - Day 254

Work, work, work!  That's the theme for this week.  I have three large events in the next eight days, and I really want them all to be successful, so it's crash time.  Work outs and everything else are taking a back seat for a week, then things will calm down again.  Yes, you know what that means.  Few, if any work outs this week.  I'm not going to stress over it.  Will get back on schedule with my work outs soon enough - though I am going to try to work in some exercise here and there to reduce stress.  If not this week, definitely this weekend.  Until then . . .

Silence . . .

"In human intercourse the tragedy begins, not when there is misunderstanding about words, but when silence is not understood."

Henry David Thoreau

Daily Exercise - Day 253

Day Two of the Working Weekend! :)  I'm making the best of it, I did get outside this evening for 45-minutes of laps, which was wonderful.  Soon the pool will be closed for the season - but this Fall I'm definitely moving back to the gym, and indoor pool.  I don't want to give up my laps!  It's sometimes hard to motivate in the winter, whent the weather is really cold - but I'm really going to try to make a go of it (indoor laps) this Fall and Winter!  Until then . . . :)

Aim . .

"In the long run, men hit only what they aim at.  Therefore, they had better aim at something high."

Daily Exercise - Day 252

Alas, a working weekend!  But soon, at the end of September, things will even out again for a few months and I can begin moving forward with more of my creative projects.  As for today, I did make time to swim 30-minutes of laps.  Hope to do the same tomorrow!  Until then . . .

Disappointment . . .

"If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment."

Henry David Thoreau

Daily Exercise - Day 251

Yep, TGIF - have been so ready for the weekend!  Alas, no workout today, too much else going on.  But planning to do my laps - faithfully - this weekend.  It's suppose to be really nice outside.  I have so many work projects (and some 'chill time') in mind for the weekend, I may not be able to spend as much time outside as I'd like.  But there's always next weekend.  I already 'nixed' yardwork for this weekend.  Will have a lot to do next week - both laps and gardening!  Until then . . .

Enterprising . . .

"If a man walks in the woods for love of them for half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer.  But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen."

Daily Exercise - Day 250

Gorgeous Day!  Cool, sunny - fall is definitely here!  Alas no work out for me again tonight.  Long dy with a client, but got a lot done, so it was a good day.  Looking forward to some nice fall weather this weekend.  Will make the best of it in the pool and in the yard, lots of yard work to tend to.  Until then . . .  :)

Aspires . . .

"If a man constantly aspires is he not elevated?"

Henry David Thoreau

Daily Exercise - Day 249

Busy, busy day - got a lot done.  Alas, my energy level was such that I decided not to try to do laps tonight.  Swimming may have to wait until Friday or Saturday of this week.  That said, I've been pretty good all summer regarding my work-outs.  Have been showing up here, the pool, my garden, done lots of walking.  So, I'm definitely making good progress on my goal to work out everyday for at least 30-minutes.  Will hit the pool again Friday, Saturday, Sunday - and if the weather is nice, definitely do some gardening!  Until then . . .

A Pumpkin . . .

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

Henry David Thoreau

Resolutions - Day 248

Just 118 days until New Year's Day 2007!  Anyone out there still working on their resolutions - goals, dreams?  If you are, good for you!  If you're not - and you're procrastinating, stop!  Stop procrastinating, and put some time and thought into how to achieve your dream today!

I'm interested in hearing from like-minded folks who are working on their resolutions, dreams, goals - or those who would like to.  We can all use moral support, and it would be fun to share experiences.  So, drop me a line - tell me what you're up to.  If I can help, I will.  Remember:  One resolution, one day at a time for one year - Let's 'go for it' in 2006, and soon 2007!  ;) . . .

Daily Exercise - Day 248

What a grey day!  We got a lot more rain overnight last night, so that's good news.  My plants look a lot better, thankfully.  They're getting plenty of moisture finally.  I swam for thirty minutes around midnight last night.  I know, very late.  But that was when I felt like swimming, so the good news is that I did my laps.  I may go out a little earlier tonight.  The water is certainly getting cold!  Yes, fall is definitely here.  I looked on my calendar today, just 197 days until the first day of Spring!  :)

For now, I think I'll enjoy the fall, and try to get back to the gym more often so that I can continue with my laps.  At least for the near term I can continue to swim at home (until the 26th when I close my pool). Back at it for more laps later this evening, tomorrow and probably Friday.  Until then . . .

Went To The Woods . . .

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Throreau

Resolutions - Day 247

OBE!!  Some days are just like that.  You're totally overtaken by events.  That's how my weekend was, unfortunately.  The hurricane season is upon us - a small storm rolled up the coast on Friday - and left us without power in my neighborhood for a good chunk of the weekend.  Trust me, I tried to make the best of it.  I worked on projects that I could tackle without power.  I got some extra sleep (I'm not into reading in the dark with a flashlight, so I hit the sheets at 10 PM on Saturday night).  I Went to my gym for a shower (haven't been there for awhile, so I guess the power outage did some good, as I now have Sport & Health's new listing of classes, and I may hit some of the Yoga sessions soon).  So, all in all, when things don't go as you plan (as is so often the case), you sometimes have to punt - make the very best of it that you can.

There is always plan B, C, & D.  Likewise with your dreams, goals and resolutions.  There are always barriers, roadblocks, nuisances, problems, etc. - you get my drift - 'stuff' that gets in the way of what you are trying to achieve.  That's when flexibility and a sense of humor come in handy.  I'll admit, I didn't have much of a sense of humor this weekend.  When my neighbors invited me over for french toast this morning, I told them I wasn't in a great mood and didn't think french toast would help - but later did stop by to say 'hello' and thank them for all their offers of assistance.  Then I hit steamroom.  I felt much better after my shower.  And now, here I am.  I am behind schedule with a lot of my work and creative projects, but it's not the end of the world.  I'll get caught up.  Likewise when you're working toward your dreams, setbacks and obstacles will present themselves, but the can be overcome, and once you get beyond them, you may not remember 'what all the fuss was about.'

So, stick with it!  Don't let troubles get you down too much, they typically pass quickly.  And don't forget:  One resolution (dream) - one day at a time for one year.  Let's 'go for it' in 2006! :)

Daily Exercise - Day 247

No power again when I woke up this morning :(  So I placed calls to my utility company, and headed for McDonalds and my health club, so I could have coffee and a hot shower.  My wonderful neighbors, Bob and Susan called several times this weekend to invite me over for meals, and to offer assistance - that was a bright spot in the weekend. In that regard, I count my blessings that I have great, kind-hearted neighbors. 

While at the gym, I did spend some time in both the sauna and the steam room, which felt good.  If the water isn't too cold, I might go for a swim this evening - shoot for 30-minutes of laps.  As I mentioned yesterday, I'm looking for some classes to take at my gym, Sport & Health . . . Soon the weather will be changing, and I won't be able to rely on my outdoor pool and gardening.  Sooo - pool later this evening, while I can still enjoy it.  Until then . . . :)

In The Dark . . .

"I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep I wrote in the dark."

Henry David Throreau

Daily Exercise - Day 246

Alas, no electricity again early this morning - so I headed to my health club for a shower!  And it did feel great to sit in the steam room.  By the time I got home, thankfully, the power was on, so I did make a little progress on my work projects.  I also made some time to clean up the leaves and debris from the storm and mow my lawn.  Instead of swimming today, I put in a couple hours in the yard. Think I'll get back in the pool tomorrow, and maybe do some stretching and light Yoga - and maybe even head to my health club in September for Yoga classes (now that's a novel idea!).  Until then . . . :)

Wounds . . .

"Turn your wounds into wisdom."

Oprah Winfrey

Daily Exercise - Day 245

Boooo!  The storm apparently knocked out power to my subdivision overnight Friday - so I was left without power all day today.  Hopefully it will be back on tomorrow.  In the meantime, I tried to make the best of things, work on projects that didn't consume battery life on my computer.  I actually swam laps for around 4o-minutes and did some house cleaning and laundry.  The day wasn't a total loss - but it did put me behind on work projects and my TourPath narrative.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  If the power isn't on will have to head to my health club for a shower and some time in the steam room!  Until then . . .

Wonder . . .

"Wisdom begins in wonder."

Socrates

Resolutions - Day 244

Just 122 days until New Year's Day 2007, folks!!  So, are you working on your resolutions, your goals, your heartfelt dreams.  If so, wonderful!!  If not, why?  Procrastinating will get you nowhere, and nothing but regrets (another day passes that you're not channeling your attention toward something you truly love and care about).

If you have a dream that you can't let go of - yet can't seem to pursue - stop and think about why you're not moving forward. Fear, lack motivation, confusion about where to start, what to do first, how to do it?  You can pursue your dream.  But you need to be committed.  You need a plan.  And you need to take it one day at a time, one small step at a time.  So, think about it.  Make a committment today to move forward.  One resolution (one dream), one day at a time for one year.  Let's go for it in '2006'.  :)  Yes, you can do it!

Daily Exercise - Day 244

No sunshine today - rain, rain, rain!!  Just fine with me, it's been so dry of late, I'm happy I wasn't forced to do a raindance! Today was a wonderful 'veg' day.  The only outdoor activity for me today was cleaning the leaves out of the pool (numerous trips - the drought has brought on a very very early fall in the Mid-Atlantic Region, unfortunately).  The rest of the day I puttered - and took a nice long nap late in the afternoon. What a joy!  Naps are so wonderful.

For the third day, no pool time unfortately - I'm heading into withdrawl! :) I  Need to get work in some nice long work outs this weekend, and looking forward to it.  For tonight - I'll be plently satisfied with light Yoga and stretching.  By Monday/Tuesday at the latest, I'll be back in the pool, and weed whacking in my yard and garden bed (I'm ready!  Point me in the direction of my riding mower!)  Until then . . .

Wisdom . . .

"Wisdom outweighs any wealth."

Sophocles