Day 19 - Orange raincoat

A ferry crew member in an orange raincoat leans against a railing while operating the docking mechanism. I wait for him to finish, and then I drive off into the night.

A small stone for:

Day 18 - Morning Routine

Measuring out the coffee, adding the sweetener, pouring the hot water, stirring. Adding the cream. Looking out of the window at nothing in particular. All parts of a morning routine.

The day has started.

A small stone for:

Day 17 - Cloud Puddle

Is this what it would look like if a giant 

celestial baby jumped in a cloud puddle?

My small stone for:

Day 16 - Tiny wings

Tiny wings, flying to and from the feeder, always on guard. Picking a seed, looking around. Repeating. Suddenly, a sense of insecurity? Flying off with the next seed to enjoy it in the shelter of a nearby tree. Staying out of sight for a while. Coming back, repeating. Hungry all day.

A small stone for:

Day 15 - Blurry

I looked out of the window this morning, before I put in my contacts. The familiar view looked so different. Blurry, distorted, one shape gliding into the next. Unclear outlines, filled in, like with spray paint, no details. The gloomy sky added to the dimness. 

Of course, curiosity soon got the better of me, 

I had to see if everything was normal.

Isn't it wonderful that 

the camera can focus even when I can't?  :-)

A small stone for:

Day 14 - Travel dreams

Cheerful bright colors. City maps, country maps, far away continents, history. Planning where to go, what to do, how to get there, when to go, facts. Folklore, nightlife, wining and dining, museums, parks. Travel tips from experienced travelers, guides to foreign cultures, introductions to exotic languages, useful expressions. Promises of future travels, mementos of past journeys, treasured possessions. 

Page turners.

These are just a few of my travel guide books,
and I have been to all these places. Lucky me! :-)

A small stone for:

Day 13 - Mother-Of-Pearl Clouds

On this rare day, 

when I had dragged myself out of bed 

long before dawn,

I glanced up into the sky

and was left awestruck. 

Shimmering, iridescent patches.

Oil spills? 

Rainbow splashes? 

A color carnival?

Fireworks?

I have seen pictures of this phenomenon,

but never seen it myself.

Mother-of-pearl clouds.

A privilege to observe such a rare occurrence. 

What a way to start the day!

A small stone for:

(Nacreous clouds also known as Mother-Of-Pearl clouds, are rare cloud formations which are composed of ice crystals and form when temperatures are well below the ice frost point which is typically below -83C. The only place where these tempatures exist is in the stratosphere, some 20km (6 miles) above the surface. They are so bright after sunset and before dawn because at those heights they are still sunlit.)

Day 12 - Late Dinner

My late dinner,

lovingly made by my husband.

Colorful,

and full of flavors. 

Seafood, which I love, 

and vegetables.

Juicy, plump pieces

of onions, peppers and leeks,

stir fried,

in real butter.

Spices,

playing on my tongue.

A small stone for:

Day 11 - Gratitude

Today, while doing other chores, I suddenly realized it was time to clean out the lint traps of both my washer and dryer - again. Mundane, boring, but it had to be done. 

As I got on with it, 

I started to feel 

contentment, 

satisfaction 

and 

gratitude. 

I was grateful for  the luxury of having an indoor, automatic washing machine, and a tumble dryer. It's a luxury so many women in the world don't have, and I take them totally for granted. 

So I continued to clean my appliances with loving care. 

Grateful for having them serve me and my family so well. For doing a job that would otherwise take up a lot of time, time I can spend with my loved ones instead. 

Grateful for the ease with which my laundry is done. Sending a thought to those who have to do this job manually, by a river.  

Grateful that my hands are strong and able to wring out a cleaning cloth. Another thing I take for granted.

I finished off the job, and put on a new load of laundry. I made myself a coffee, feeling I deserved a break; one more luxury so many don't have, and went to the computer to write this down.

In doing so, feelings of satisfaction and contentment 

came and joined hands with gratitude.

Satisfaction for a task finished, 

contentment for a job well done, 

and gratitude for my life.

My small stone for:

Day 10 - In My Living room

In my livingroom:

The paintings my dad made
the Thai wall hanging
the Chinese print 

the Navajo poster and
wedding vase

the Brazilian pottery plates
the Egyptian Three of Life
the Australian Aboriginal paintings 

the photo of Sigve and I

All displayed parts of my life’s journey.

Egyptian Tree of Life

A contribution to: