Tuesday Morning

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

-John Lubbock

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-- Post From My iPhone

A Fun Day at the Winery

Yesterday I drove out to Temecula wine country to Maurice Car'rie Winery / Van Roekel Winery with two of my friends, and my fellow photographers, Ellen Seefeldt and Heather Van Roekel . Heather invited Ellen and I to hang art at her cousin, Sara's, new gift shop, "Sara Bella's," and Ellen and I were very happy to accept the offer.


Temecula's relatively close, but a long enough drive for some decent girl talk, chit chat, and catching up on the way there and back.

We got there a little early and had some time to check out the vendors who set up there on the weekends. Each of us bought a pair of super fabulous sunglasses that matched our alter egos perfectly - Ellen, the party princess, Heather, the Aqua Avenger, and my super fabulous mystical magical creature glasses. (I AM that person in my head, okay?)

The Party Princess

The Aqua Avenger

"To the beach! And beyond!!!"

Super fabulous mystical magical creature (Yes, I AM! LOL!)
After a brief, but really interesting, behind-the-scenes tour of the winery, and before the delicious smell of freshly made brie and baked bread could stop us dead in our tracks (super Y-U-M), we were off to hang our pictures.







We got it done, with no mishaps I'm happy to report, and then we made a last stop at the gift shop so Heather could say her goodbyes to her family, and Ellen and I could do some quick shopping.




As were were walking around we stopped in our tracks when we saw the "Heather's Mist" wine on display. Heather's Mist...get it? So, Ellen and I each bought a bottle so we could have Heather sign them. I won't be drinking mine - it's a wonderful souvenir of our day at the winery, and our "backstage pass" tour. As for the fate of Ellen's bottle... Well, let's not bet the farm on that one! (Winking at you, Ellen)

All in all, the day, the opportunity, and the company...a solid 10!





If you're out in the Temecula area, please stop by the Maurice Car'rie Winery / Van Roekel Winery, and Sara Bella's Gift Shop. There's lots to see, do, and enjoy and you'll be happy you did.

Sara Bella's Gift Shop
34567 Rancho Ca. Road
Temecula, CA, 92591
Mon - Wed:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Fri:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Scenes from San Francisco

If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair

All across the nation such a strange vibration
People in motion
There's a whole generation with a new explanation
People in motion people in motion

For those who come to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there

If you come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there

"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)",
Scott McKenzie

On Bucket Lists...

I'm sure by now everyone knows what a "Bucket List" is, but for those who do not, here it is in a nutshell:

A personal list of things you want to see, experience or accomplish before you kick the bucket - or, bluntly put, before you die.

I used to be a bit paranoid about bucket lists - I mean, is it mandatory that you die at the end? Or can you just live out the rest of your days peacefully content knowing that you did not waste your short time here in this wonderful earthly life?

I am now settled on this question, in part due to the wise words of Leonardo da Vinci:

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death. ~Leonardo da Vinci

I, for one, would hate to come to the close of this marvelous adventure we call "life," with the sad realization that my time here was not well spent. Thus, I have decided to make my own bucket list.

Since this should be less of a whim, such as the yearly commitment to our New Year's Resolutions, that is followed religiously for, oh, about 30 to 60 days, 90 if you're very self-structured, I think the bucket list should incorporate the three main areas of life:


People
Places
Things

PEOPLE: Are there people I want to meet or know better? Maybe I want someone as a friend, lover, mentor or spiritual guide. Do I need to "clean house" and remove some people from my personal orbit?

The People category includes myself. What have I not done that I need to? Have I learned enough? Cared enough? Helped enough? Quietly gotten to really know myself enough? Have I been kind enough? Have I taken care of my body enough so that I feel as healthy as I could? I'm sorry to say that I can answer no to all these questions.

PLACES: Okay, this is my absolute biggie - I have made it clear to some people in my life that the thought of becoming old or incapable of traveling at will, and having not seen enough of this beautiful world, makes me shudder with sadness. So, yes - this will be a major portion of my list. The world is a big place, and I need to get out there and see it!

THINGS: Do I surround myself with all the possessions that I feel would make me happy? Okay, I do confess that I like "stuff." I'm not selfless enough to say I don't, and it really doesn't bother me to want things. I don't ask for things from others, and I'm fully prepared to work as hard as I need to in order to get these treasures - and, let's face it - it just makes me HAPPY when I get something new. Nothing wrong with that!

And what about the intangible things? Is there something I'm doing, or not doing, that is causing me stress? Are there causes that I think are important that I should join or promote? Is there a hobby, sport, activity or craft that I need to participate in or learn? What events should I experience?

And, finally, is there a mandatory number of items in each category? Or the list in total? Is 10 too few? 100 too many? I don't have a clue here. Not having a clue is a good thing - it gives me the freedom to just make it as long as I want it to be.

So, there's the framework that I've come up with. I'm sure my bucket list will form and reform, with minor and major adjustments, but the important thing for me is that I start. After all, “The journey is the reward.” (Chinese Proverbs).

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