Photo quote de jour

Underneath the landscape of broken tree limbs, the first crocuses bloomed. We chainsawed a small opening for them and I couldn't help but marvel at the tiny jewels of beauty midst the chaos. James, a third generation arborist stopped by today to give an estimate. He is tall and grounded as a redwood, with the energy of modern day Emerson or Thoreau. His estimate for clearing, trimming and removing was $3,000 higher was than another, but I trust he'll do a better job.

It's the first day of spring, a joyful time, when new life burst forth no matter what. The hours of light and dark are equal today. It's a time of balance, a time when I like to focus on how I can bring more balance and harmony into my life. Yesterday, I did some yard work. Yes, it was a drop in the bucket, but instead of lamenting the mind-numbing amount of work ahead, I chose to complete one small patch. To maintain my equilibrium, I forced myself to go for a walk, do some shopping and read. In years past, I would have worked until I dropped, and then berated myself for not doing enough. We make choices hundreds of times a day. We can choose impulsively, wisely, foolishly or differently.

Reading has kept me sane this and every other week. I'm enjoying the thought provoking The Art of Choosing by Sheena Inyengar. Click below and listen to her intriguing video about the book.


The most delightful book I've read recently about the craft of writing is Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing. it's small enough to fit in your pocket, with pages as thick as books for toddlers. It's loaded with clever illustrations and best of all, it can be read in about ten minutes. But, it's so good, you'll want to read it again.

Here's a sample page.

To get my mind off a panoply of problems what could be better escaping to Paris? With my travel budget tight, I settled for the scrumptious Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. I have a weakness for blogs about Paris, and she has one too yummy to miss.http://www.elizabethbard.blogspot.com


The world could be collapsing around me, and I'd still make time for magazine reading like..

The article that lodged itself in my brain and wouldn't let go was about one about the food in French schools featured in Time magazine. The civilized French have government subsidized lunches. These aren't the usual pizza and pasta crap, but healthy five course lunches including an hors d'oeuvre, main course, salad, dessert and even a cheese course! There are no vending machines for snacks or pop and no problem with obesity. The French learn at an early age to take time to savor their meals and develop a healthy relationship with food.  Food for thought. Bon appetit and happy spring!