Merry Christmas

From the bottom of my heart I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Festive Time Of Year

On the eve of Christmas, I have few gifts left to wrap. In other cultures it isn't about the gift but it is about the presentation. The spirit of this festive time of year reminds me to concentrate on the final details.

Remnants

Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping. Paper, tape, boxes, fillers, scissors. They are all scattered about. Covering everything in sight. Remnants from the present, past, and future.

Choosing The Right Item

So many products out there to choose from. Frustration sets in because I'm particular about selecting the right gift for each person. Choosing the right item is always an ordeal, but worth the smile on the recipient's face when they unwrap their gift. Priceless.

The Front Of The Line

Another day in the shopping zoo. Patiently waiting in traffic, patiently waiting to find parking, patiently waiting to buy a gift. Truly happy when I reached the front of the line.

Navigating The Crowds

The holiday season is upon us and that is when I dislike to go out shopping. I'm not one for enjoying crowds although they do offer opportunities for "people watching". I prefer the one-on-one interaction. But I do find that I adapt well and I try to concentrate on patience and tolerance. That is my mantra as I'm navigating the crowds.

End Of Day

Since moving to the East Coast five years ago my natural biorhythm has not adjusted. I seem to stay up way past the end of day.

The Casual Observer

When with a group of people, I sometimes sit quietly in the back and just watch, listen, and learn. It is at these times that I am just the casual observer.

Family

This time of the year is where I think about my family and how much I enjoy their company. I'm looking forward to our next time together.

Up Close

I enjoy getting up close and studying the small details of life. I find beauty in small things as much as beauty in the large.

Thinking Outside The Box

Spending the day solving problems and creating sources for new problems. Thinking is always on and it sometimes gets stuck in a rut. Sometimes to break the cycle I need to walk away. Distract the mind so that it can think outside the box. That is how complex problems are easily solved.

Life's A Pattern

There are many routines I follow in my day-to-day activities. Although I love the spontaneous and exploring new aspects of life, there is an unthinking calmness to falling back on sameness. For me, I find my comfort where life's a pattern.

Let The Music Play

Nothing fills my soul with laughter more than music. Tonight we rocked, we danced, and we enjoyed each other. When the day is spent and there is nothing left, I say let the music play.

Get Up And Dance

Days like today make me feel mopey. It is windy, chilly, and dreary. Sometimes one's heart also feels chilly and dreary. So tonight I venture out. My solution for taking the chill out of my heart is to get up and dance.

Light The Darkness

I find this time of year depressing because it gets dark early and by the time I get home it is dark. Can't enjoy the plants in the yard. Metaphorically and literally I just need a lamp to light the darkness.

Conglom

Tired, weathered, feeling pain. I find beauty and something to smile about. The strength of a conglomerate of minerals fused together in time.

Just Another Day

The day was busy but in its own way uneventful. I went through the motions. Neither exhuberant nor depressed, just balanced along the way. The wind has picked up. It's just another day in paradise.

Monday Meetings

Many doors were opened today and new faces were introduced. You all know how it is. The typical Monday meetings.

Arrival

This day was the final culmination of months of hard work to reach an important goal of mine. The journey was long but perserverance paid off as I made progress along the path of milestones. Today I finally flew over the last obstacle keeping me from my destination. I finally arrived.

Walls

There are times when I am consumed with activities requiring so much concentration that I build walls around myself to keep others out. When I tire of the self imposed prison I bust out and welcome all those I meet with open arms.

Camaraderie

A side of me enjoys the solitude but the other side of me craves being with others. I balance my life by satisfying both sides. Tonight was a night for camaraderie, listening, participating, and learning from others.

Words

Some days are full of words. They come out of pages in magazines, mouths of friends, neighbors crying, moving across the TV screen, or even writings on the wall. Filtering what is noise, what are lies, what is useful, what is joyous, or what makes one cry. That is true art.

Sunny Disposition

Today my world flows like the light from the sun. I notice how my attitude parallels the weather. Sunny day, sunny disposition.

Flotsam

Do you ever have one of those days where everything keeps hitting you and you aren't sure when it will end? It is like trying to cross a stream and there are twigs, branches, and logs in your way. But even when the path is chaotic, I somehow still make it to the other side and then I just look back and stare at all that flotsam that was left in my wake.

Little Drops Of Rain

After a week of sunny, low humidity, crisp, cool days, we finally had a front move in from out of the South bringing dark clouds and some rain. It is a comparative reminder that my moods can also shift as the weather. Our range of expressions and emotions are what makes us human. They are what makes me feel alive. As I open my arms and embrace the rain, the "little drops of rain, whisper of the pain" (just like the line from a distant song).

Postcard From Paradise

Today was such a beautiful day. Feeling the crispness in the air, the warmth of a bright sun, and the wonderful breeze triggers so many past memories of wonderful times. Each memory is like a postcard from paradise.

Reflections

This is the time of year when I reflect on the past. I smile at the fun times, the accomplishments, and I also admit the mistakes I've made. Hopefully, I can learn from the error of my ways and alter my future path to avoid repeating them.

Thanksgiving

This is a special day for me. One that I reflect on all that I am thankful for. I am so thankful for the wonderful parents that I had. The wondeful family that I have been a part of all of my life. I am thankful for the magic of life and creation. I am thankful for all that I have encountered on life's path and I'm excited about all that is up ahead to be explored, savored, and admired.

My father was very special to me and he passed away on Thanksgiving day, years ago, although it only seems like last year. I was holding his hand on his last breath and he was surrounded by his four sons and their wives. I believe it was part of his plan and somehow fitting, for Thanksgiving was a day he also treasured. He wrote a very moving poem about Thanksgiving that I keep in my heart.

En El Dia De Dar Gracias

La Gran Riqueza Que Tengo
No es el producto del trabajo;
Me divertí trabajando,
Tal Riqueza, Dios Nos Trajo.

En Hijos Inigualábles
Que El Orgullo, Me Enardéze,
Cariño, De Cuatro Hombres,
Creo Son - Fuera De Serie

De Inteligencia, Se Igualan:
Dario, como Alvaro
Asi Jorge como Oscar
Cada Uno En Su Labor.

Por Eso El Dia De Hoy,
Reparto Igual Mi Cariño,
Y Gracias A Dios Le Doy:
Pues Muy Contento Asi Vivo.

Y Por Salud, Siempre Implóra
Su Padre – Dario Quiroga.

Blooms

My mother's favorite flowers were roses. Just like my mother was, the Rose is a classic, timeless beauty.

For me, however, well ... I'm partial to orchids. Something about an orchid just captivates me. Maybe it is their symmetry or their exotic alien appearance that touches a side of me that longs to be different, exotic, and unreal. My yearning for the satisfaction of being appreciated.

Illumination

Nature needs light just as my inner spirit needs light. Without it I am void. Capturing the light is my elusive goal. It not only nourishes me but, once captured, my reward is in sharing that illumination with others. Hopefully that is why you are here. Isn't that why we are all here? ....to live in the light.

A Beginning

Just as all life has a beginning, so does my path. Now begins the journey to travel through my eyes, through my mind, and through the open window into my soul.

May you find peace and joy on this trip.