Guest Photographer

Photo credits: Sweet Man

#1 - Doing a walking meditation outside a public library. It took me 25 minutes to circle the building, which can be excruciating at times and beautiful at others. The library was in a suburban city center with an amphitheater with multicolored lights that I had plenty of time to enjoy at my slow pace.

#2 - Because of an exercise goal that I am pursueing (in relation to a monumetal birthday) I had a beautiful ski tonight. I would not have gone otherwise. The park near me has "poor" ski conditions and I knew it would probably be icy anywhere. But I went to one where they make snow and it was quiet and still and lovely and I was so glad to be outside.

#3 -I have also been working on writing more letters this year and recently I sent one to a friend who didn't know I was dating anyone. She emailed me today to say -

"Dear Tammy,
What I want to say after reading your letter, there is only one thing:

The tortoise beat the hare. You are the tortoise. You are going to win."

It's not the first time I've been compared to a tortoise (or turtle) in a complimentary way :).

Interesting fact I just looked up - Tortoises are land dwelling and turtles live in the water at least some time.

#4 - I recently finished Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution. If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fail. This is a book about what it takes to get back up. By Brene Brown. It was so helpful, hearing her vulnerabilities and struggles. I read one about her and her husband to the sweet man a week ago when we were having some challenges and it was reassuring to hear she was going through similar things with a man she's spent 25 years with, made me (us?) feel less alone.

"...in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act of resistance. Choosing to live and love with our whole hearts is an act of defiance. You're going to confuse, piss off, and terrify lots of people - including yourself (254)."

#5 - I love both these photos and since I've been remiss at taking nature ones recently, hopefully the sweet man won't mind. And the best part is that they were taken in the city, the sunrise on his drive to work. The snow on a walk on a cold winter day. It's nice to hang around with a guy that turns toward all seasons, turns toward everyday life.