JUST STOPPING IN

 It feels like forever since I have done a blogpost or had a chance to stop by and say hi to any of you. Still pretty stressed in the middle of this 60 day resignation time from my work, and work has still been pretty crazy, so I hardly feel as if I have a spare moment. For those of you who know me, I usually am able to DESTRESS by going to my cabin for a weekend out in the woods, but have not even been there since march. Just too busy. Anyway, finally, last weekend, I got a 3 day weekend away. I was so lucky to be able to get there a day before company came, and have to say... it was amazing to sit out on my porch in the late afternoon light and just listen to the crickets, and the spring peepers down on the river. Sat for the longest time, just absorbing the peace and quiet and the Spring Weather. Later, as it got darker, lit my candle and wrote a little in my journal. A big reminder that we really do need to take this down time routinely, and not let it pass us by. 
Anyway, hope all of you are having a wonderful spring, and I promise to be back on a more routine basis really soon.
Am now down to 4 more weeks of working before a nice long vacation, and then a less taxing job!  CAN'T WAIT!!!!

I NEED SOME HELP

Ok out there in blogland! I know lots of you do these, and I looked up google directions, but.... seems as if I couldn't quite get this done, and half of my dyptych disappeared. Is this as hard as it seems, or am I having a dumb blond day????
Does anyone have any suggestions on a link that makes this simple on Photoshop Elements??
I really wanted to do this because of the amazing beauty of this great feather. The colors and design.... well someone pretty amazing must have created this.  Meanwhile, I just can't seem to put this together.   ANY THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR EASY INSTRUCTIONS.

THE OLD AMONGST THE NEW

Sorry I have not been around too much this past week, but have still been struggling a bit with the last weeks of my job, before I have some time off, and then change to a job with much fewer hours weekly.  Think I have shortimers syndrome, and don't seem to have too much time or energy after finishing my 12 hour work days! Can hardly wait to be finished with this, but still have 6 weeks to go... well that is 2 weeks less than it was.  A few days ago, I worked in Dallas, and decided to go downtown after work and take a look at a church that I had been admiring from the freeway.  I love how this old and lovely church stands against this more modern, and glass building.  Especially love the reflections of the church against the glass building, but was really not able to photograph the reflections well because of all of the big trees around the church.  Looked like a piece of the past right in the present.
     Hope that all of you are having a great weekend. It is the first weekend here when it really has the look of spring, although we still had a cold snap this past week where we nearly reached freezing. Hard to believe in May, in Texas that this is possible.  Hope to be back soon on a more regular basis, and plan to spend alot more time with my photography in the near future. 

A SPRING DAY IN TEXAS

 Out today for a nice walk at the Dallas Nature Center and the weather is so gorgeous.  Had a nice time with my hubby and my puppies too. Boy did they ever appreciate getting out. REally hard to take them out walking much during the work week, but they do love going, and now that we are home, are pooped out on the sofa.

 Was looking at the weed/ flower and it came to my mind that we as people are "beautiful " for such a short time in our lives, then we really have to  depend on the "good seeds " that we have sewn to carry on for us.  One of the things that i so love about nature is that it always seems as if there is a lesson to see if we are looking.
     Hope that all of you are having a great spring day!

 

I DID IT!!!

Just last week I did a post talking about the possibility of taking another step towards retirement, and I so appreciated all of the responses I got! It really did help to confirm and validate the thoughts that I was having......
               SO
I did turn in my resignation in the medical group I work in!!!
And it felt sooooo good that I know it was the right decision.  I also accepted a new job which will be fewer days a week, and I will have total control over the days that I am working. This in itself will be a major change for me, and will give me the option of having a longer gap when I am not working.... 6 days off between days I am working sounds just awesome.
    So just 60 days ( well it is 57 now) until I will be finished with the job that I have, then a much better schedule.
    I was out yesterday walking on a nature trail that I enjoy, and saw all of these little creatures so busy, and thought how they just take one tiny step,  or flight at a time , and yet they get so much accomplished. That is my goal right now... one small step at a time!!!!
Again, thanks so much for the support and encouragement!!! Hope all of you are having an awesome spring weekend

FINALLY ! SPRING IS REALLY HERE!!

Joining in today with Tuesday Muse and am so  enjoying the lovely 'spring" textures that Nancy is so graciously giving to us for our spring shots.
Have had several opportunities to be out and just enjoying the lovely newness of this season, which is one of my favorite times of the year. So amazing to see everything suddenly turning from the browns of winter, to lovely  greens and pastels.
   Thank you so much to Nancy for hosting this lovely meme and also for the amazing textures.

PEERING IN TO THE FUTURE??? CAN WE??

Recently I was over in downtown Dallas  photographing ( what else) some scenes that were interesting to me around the downtown area. As I looked at some of these photos this morning, I was reminded about how in my own life, I often try to see in to the future and make plans about my vision of what is to come. But as I looked at this photo, I was reminded that we really are not able to see very well at all about what is to come. We can imagine it, like in this reflection, but we really have no idea what is to come in our own lives.
     I have been thinking alot about this as I am getting closer and closer to trying to plan my retirement.  I am still working 4 days a week, and the job I have has become increasingly taxing to me, as the scheduling in the clinic I work in has become more and more full every day... this added to many reponsibilities with medical records that involve almost all of my home time on the days that i work, and even many hours on my days off.
    Just this past week, a new job opportunity has come my way... one which will involve fewer work days, and also less money... ( why do they have to throw that in..LOL), but also much much more flexibility in my own input in to my schedule ( which I currently have no control over). Am I ready for this... Can I tell what exactly this will mean for my future? No, but I also have to put TRUST in to the equation..   Trust that I will be fine, and this will be a positive move for me, in order to keep BALANCE in my own life. Something that i am struggling with right now in my current position.

Have others of you experience this struggle as you got ready to move forward with partial retirement! How did you handle your thinking on this?  Was it scary moving forward, or did it just feel RIGHT TO YOU??  Trying to move forward with total TRUST as this is coming up very soon ( almost immediately) in my life. Exciting, but also change.... makes me wonder if I will think "WHO MOVE MY CHEESE"?? as in the book, when this happens.  Would love any of your feedback on this.