We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizonal thinking.  We move along the surface of things, but there are times when we must stop.  We sit still.  We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory.  We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper. - James Carroll

   Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. - Ovid (43 BC -17 AD)

    (pats heart and points to you)

   The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely - Carl Jung

  32 years ago, I arrived here on the Central Coast of California.  I arrived on the evening of July 3rd, and woke up on July fourth in an apartment that over looked the Pacific Ocean.  My man, aka The King as we jokingly call him now, turned on the radio and Jimmy Hendrix's version of the Star Spangle Banner was playing. Welcoming me to my future.  That night, as I sat on the roof of our apartment watching the fireworks show over the ocean, with several people I had just met that day, I knew it was the beginning of my own independence.  Someone thought they'd be funny and removed the ladder we had used to get up on the roof, so we had to work together to get off.  We became better neighbors on my first day in town.

   I have left this place only once since then, and returned a year later, as my heart heard the call of the ocean and the love of my life was here waiting.  I look on this day of independence as my own personal Independence Day along with my nation.  Each day that I've been here has been an opportunity to know myself better, to learn from my experiences, and to invest in my relationships with my family, my neighbors, and my community. 

   Now, I have this amazing virtual community that has opened my eyes to who we are as people even more. A community that has accepted my writing, and photography with open minds and kind feedback.  Thank you Xanga community for being part of my independence and for letting me share a bit of how I see things.  May you have a wonderful day no matter where you may be.   

   Featured Grownups is talking about Independence.  Check it out.

  Have you ever seen a sundog?  Here's your opportunity right here, right now.  The sky's canvas lights up color that dances over clouds.  Beautiful. Depending on the air movement, it can be there one minute, then gone the next.  Opportunity can be that way. 

      Opportunity to see, experience, learn, explore, offer a hand to another, try something for the first time, decline something for the last time, and more and more comes up, then moves on.  The good thing about opportunity is that it can be around just about every turn, every corner in our lives. 

  Here's a few quotes to ponder about opportunity:

   Opportunity is often difficult to recognize. We usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards. - Unknown

   In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity - Albert Einstein

   We are told that talent creates it's own opportunities. But sometimes it seems that intense desire creates not only it's own opportunities, but its own talents. - Eric Hoffer  

  Make it a great day!

   "What's that?"

   "You better get the kids inside.  There's a swarm coming down the street."

   "You're kidding right?"

   "No joke!  There's a swarm.  Do you see that dark area in the sky above that fence down the block?"

   "Oh! I see it now!  Bees?  I'll get the kids inside."

   This was a conversation I had with a neighbor about three years ago when a swarm of bees played in our "hood."  They went from yard to yard, over fences, moving like a strange dance.  I had never seen anything like it before.  I wasn't scared.  I was amazed, interested, excited, but not scared.  I got the kids inside, then watched as they continued down our street.  As they came into my yard, they moved as a group energy and the sound was like a engine with a race to run.  I'll never forget it.  The Weekly Photo Challenge suggested by Polleekin is

Superstition

     When I googled superstitions about bees, I found more than I wanted to read.  This one was interesting from  The Telling of Bees:

   ." There is a strange story told in My School and Schoolmasters which goes as follows:

A friend and I lay on a mossy bank on a hot day. Overcome by the heat my friend fell asleep. As I watching drowsily, I saw a bee issue from the mouth of my sleeping friend, jump down to the ground and crossed along withered grass stubs over a brook cascading over stones, and enter through an interstice into an old ruined building. Alarmed by what I saw, I hastily shook my comrade, who awakened a second or two after the bee, hurrying back had reentered her mouth. My friend, the sleeper, protested at my waking her saying that she had dreamt that she had walked through a fine country and had come to the banks of a noble river, and just where the clear water went thundering down a precipice, there was a bridge all silver which she crossed and entered, a noble palace on the other side. she was about to help herself to gold and jewels when I woke her and robbed her of this fate."

   "Bees will not thrive if you quarrel about them."  I have never had a quarrel about bees.  We welcome them into our yard to do what they do so well.   "Bees have often been regarded as wise and even holy."  I have personally never met a stupid bee.  They always hit the target and keep on moving unless defending themselves and they usually hit that target too. I must say, I would regard the bees with reverence as their work greatly effects one of our food groups.  I try to create a bee friendly environment and in doing so, my berries and tomatoes benefit greatly.  If you want to see more Superstitions, click this link.  It's all the buzz today.  Make it a good one!

   I have read many posts and pulses about the temperature.  I have offered many ocean breezes to folks all over the country.  Now I will give you the cooling visual. 

   Now isn't this great?  Ah!  The breeze is lovely out here on the pier.  You can sip a cool beverage of your choice, throw in your fishing line, and sit back to enjoy the view.  Join me for a cooling moment! 

   Don't you feel better now? Nothing like a day on the pier to chill out and relax.  Breathe deep!  Come back anytime you need more.

     There was once a wise woman traveling in the mountains who found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked if she might give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime, but a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman who had given it to him. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I'm giving it back in the hope that you can give me something much more precious. I want you to give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone. "— Author Unknown  

   "Mom!"

   "I'm in the kitchen."  It's summer.  Where else would I be.  As soon as one meal is over and done and things picked up, it's time for a snack or lunch or another snack.

   "Mom.  Hoops has my bouncy ball and won't give it to me."

   "Did he take it from you Miss A?"

   "No! I lost it, and he found it ,and now he's playing with it and I want it now!"

   "Wow Miss A.  Slow down a minute.  Did you know you wanted to play with it before you saw him with it?" This question threw her off for a moment, but she came back ready to rumble.

   "Mom!  Listen.  It's mine and he never asked."

   "Did he know it was your personal bouncy ball?"

   "He does now, cause I just told him."

   "Did he take it from your room."

   "I don't know where he found it.  Aren't you listening to me?  HE HAS MY BALL!"

   Now if you don't have children, you need to understand that when you have more than one child this sort of thing goes on a lot.  Now you might just make some notes so you don't freak out when it happens every ten minutes when the children hit different developmental ages of patience, kindness, use of ones words, or all of the above. 

  Someday's it takes several deep breaths in order for me to not ruin a learning opportunity for the kids.  You see there is some foggy grey lines in the parenting manual about how to handle this type of situation.  Did Hoops know it was her bouncy ball?  She thinks so, because Miss A "remembers everything that's hers."  Well guess what?  Hoops doesn't keep a list of her stuff especially when he has just discovered it in the bushes in the backyard. 

  "Miss A. Have you considered letting him play with it.  Maybe you could thank him for finding it, then tell him you'd really like it back when he's done."

  "But I want it and he has it.  Mom he has a collection of bouncy balls.  Why does he have to play with mine?"  I give. Good question. 

  "Honey that's a good question.  I would appreciate it if you could let me help you understand. Let's go find Hoops."

   I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  On these sometimes daily, moment by moment occurrences I find myself at times flailing to keep my calm, while I sort out human conditions.  I know we visit "common courtesy" often. Other times I just have to explain that there are things we are flexible about in this world.  We learn to be understanding and giving and kind to our family and others.  We learn to look beyond our needs and see the joy that came to another for finding the treasure of fun in a bouncy ball that did not belong to them and was lost and then found.

   I remember when Katrina hit and I asked the kids to look through all their stuffed animals.  You know the ones that they keep on their beds and they don't play with very much, but they love them and don't want to part with them.  Grandma's sent many over the years as they are long distance Grandma's.  They looked brand new.

   "Those kids have nothing to hug right now, I explained to my kids.  How would you feel if you had no dolls to hug or cats to pet or bears to toss around.?"

   "I'd feel sad, but Mom if I sold them I could make some money and you want me to just give them away."

   "I want you to share your joy.  I want you to imagine that you woke up this morning after being taken from your house because of a really bad storm and all your things were gone.  What do you want to do for those children knowing that?"

   They cleaned out their rooms and had a huge box full when they were finished.  I was surprised at some of their picks.  They gave some of their favorites and never said another thing about me making them do it. I had left the choice up to them.

   Hoops did bring it up about a week ago. He was telling the neighbor kid about how he knew that somewhere there was a kid like him that had a favorite toy that he loved. 

   "I bet he could feel the love I gave it and he felt better."

   Okay! Someone needs to add that to the manual.

    Let's get out there and be good humans.  Have a great day!

   It looks so easy.  A round disk, that when given the right toss in the right direction, it should land in the hand of your partner in play.  Anyone who has learned how to play frisbee might be chuckling or shaking your head, as you know it's not as easy as it looks.  There is a technique to successful frisbee throwing that takes a bit of time and patience. Oh yes, I do know that there are "natural" frisbee throwers out there.  They are the fortunate ones who are born with the frisbee gene.  The rest of us must learn. 

   Now years ago, I wouldn't play frisbee.  I'd tried it once or twice and had rolled it with a rather awkward throwing form, so that it never quite fris'd as it bee'd.  It ker-boonkled!  (more head nods and chuckles here)  Anyway...as a young woman, I got over that initial embarrassment from my first experiences in clutzdom and found out that you had to do it, to get better at it.  It also paid to have someone who was patient with me, but the harassers also gave me a reason to get better at it. 

   Now, as a mother of three experienced frisbee throwers with skills according to age, they have kept me on top of my games in technique.  It's really all in the body aches the next day, that reminds me I'm not the flexible frisbee player that I use to be.  I also, when in the heat of a game of "toss, run, jump, and dive for it", have found that I set no boundaries for my body, so I get what I get when I get it. Can anyone spell "OooooH, me back!"   

   My dear husband, aka The King, has a way of getting in the game, but knowing his boundaries so he can walk the next day.  We had gone down on the beach to toss the frisbee and The King was up above us at street level and we called to him to join us.  Teen Dude had me all over the place with my "toss, run, jump and dive for it" game.  We were very impressive to the passing families that got quite a few laughes as I did the "jump and or dive for it" part.  I think I could hear them exchange comments like, "Oooo, that's going to hurt in the morning".  Anyway, The King told us he wasn't going to be able to do the sand game as it was too hard on his body.  I kept up the games until I was winded enough to stop myself and go up to street level to get water. 

   When I returned, The King was not on street level anymore, so I peered down the steps to the beach and saw him standing on a hard surface, aka the last step with Teen Dude throwing the frisbee and getting it right to his hands just about (did I say precisely?), every time! 

   "Oh, I get it," I yelled down to him.  "No boundaries, no rules, mom runs hard."

   Teen Dude looked up and smiled while The King looked up and nodded with a knowing smile.

   Frisbee lessons!  Not for the faint at thinking!  (rubs back as she clicks submit) 

   I'm not the only one. The tourists will flock to our little beach communities. They will want a slice of the heaven we call home.  They'll take it in and hold the memories that are passed from one campfire story, or beach day adventure to the next.  I live where people want to go to find the cure.  They return year after year for a refresher course in: "Ah!  This is the life!"

     The big blue Pacific is a mental, visual, and physical cure for the blues.  All visitors choose how they want their personal cure. They have choices mind you.  Play by it, get in it, or walk over it.  Some are daring and jump in for the full cure.  Our ocean is still free to the public, so pack a lunch and come on over.

   Even the few kite fails, are surrounded with blue sky and a ocean beyond to wash away the sorrow.  Seriously, I think you'd almost have to aim for this tree to hit it.  It's not like beach is covered in palms.  

       For three years, I've had the privilege to find a bit of the cure at the Castle. The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle is the site for the Central Coast Wine Classic dinner.  We raise money for 13 non profit organizations each year.  I'm one of the fortunate ones on site all day as we set up and build a kitchen and bistro for the dinner.  I take time to stare into this pool of blue throughout the day.  Poor me.  Thank goodness for the cure.

   One last thing I want to mention here.  If you feel the stress, like water is getting too high, don't sink too low.  I suggest the cure might just be out in the blue around you.  Get out in it and make contact with your inner peace, your laughing child, or your zest for life.  Stare off into the blue and find the cure.  Breathe deep the possibilities of your life. 

   This Weekly Photo Challenge:  Summer Time Blues, was suggested by StixandStonz.  Click the link for more "Blues".

  In honor of SaintVi's birthday.  Oh..and not just any birthday.  She joined the club of us 50 year old's here on Xanga.  I heard about her party and decided that something tropical was in order.  I went out to the yard to get some inspiration.  I was standing there and it hit me. It was right there in front of me. An empty fence with our chalk box sitting next to it.   I got right to work with the sounds of the ocean filling my imagination.  Ta Da!  I figured no one else would give you a fence, but then that's the 50 year old talking in me.  

   May this year be full of wonderful new adventures.  AARP membership discounts. (had to add that one) Of course the savings could very well contribute to new adventures.  Happy Birthday!  Enjoy. Breathe deep the possibilities.