Beauty in the Ordinary

I love beautiful things, from delicately painted china to  to meteor showers. It makes sense then that I would love photography. Exquisite imagery, unique perspectives, glorious light and shadows, anything exotic or ancient, or lands reaching far past the horizon inspire me and make me go, "Ahhhh."

But what can I photograph? I'm a stay-at-home-mom, I live in a small town and live a simple and sweet life. Scenes of mountaintops resting in high mists, dynamic raging waterfalls, or faraway and dreamy places would be awesome, amazing. But I don't have access to any of that at the present time. Speaking of time, I don't have much of that either. 

Then I thought,  what about the beauty in the mundane things around us, looking at things from a different perspective, taking a microscope (or macro lens in this case) to the ordinary and finding what is extraordinary about it.

So, I did just that, and you know what? I discovered that I absolutely LOVE it!

There are different categories for this type of photography--minimalist, abstract, monochrome, still life, conceptual, black and white, just to name a few.

If you love photography or are interested in dabbling, why not try something like this? It's different, out of the norm, abstract, lots of fun, and best of all, right next to you!

Next, I will write a post about how to get started with minimalist photography, so stay tuned.

Here's a small sampling of some of the minimalist and abstract photos I've taken recently. Let me know what you think. 

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What is the ultimate dream killer?

If I had to pick the number one thing in my life that prevents me from doing the things that I actually want to do, but just somehow never have the time or energy for, what do you think it would be? Financial troubles, ill health, stress, an overloaded schedule, my family of 10 taking up all of my time and then some, lack of sleep?

While all of those reasons certainly play a part and make things more challenging, if I'm really honest with myself, the number one thing that keeps me from doing the things that I not only should be doing, but want to be doing, is....actually, wait, I'll tell you about it later...

JUST KIDDING. 

The number one thing, in my opinion, that robs us of so much of what life has to offer and is always hanging around right beneath our subconscious, ready to snatch away our dreams and joy without us even noticing, is the wicked witch of PROCRASTINATION.

Why procrastination? Because it is subtle. It is not an overt evil like drugs. It is not an obvious home wrecker like drinking. It is not over-the-top. It doesn't say "No," it says, "Later." 

Procrastination: killer of dreams

Of course, I'm not talking about wanting to watch TV shows or wanting to take a nap or checking social media to find out what your girlfriends had for dinner. That takes no effort. I'm talking about stuff you want to do, deep down, but you know it will take effort, so you just...keep waiting for the "perfect" time, and we all know that "perfect" time will never come, so all we end up doing is waiting!!!

If you had to choose the number one thing that you really want to do, a good thing, something that will benefit you and your life, but just can't seem to get around to doing, what would it be? Scheduling? Deep cleaning? Healthy eating? Studying? Budgeting? Helping the homeless? Remodeling? Painting those old drawers that have been sitting in the garage for who knows how long? 

For me, aside from most of the above, the thing that I really wish I could force myself to do is EXERCISE!

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And the excuses, I mean reasons, always sound so legitimate! I've had a long day, I'm too tired to wake up early, I don't have enough time, the kids need me, I have work to do, my head hurts. But by far the worst one that kills it for me every time is this: I want my soul to be in a place where I am ready to fully commit and the planets have all aligned to present me with the ideal circumstances and blah blah baloney! 

The thing is, what's worse than doing a little bit of something? Doing nothing at all! You might not have the strength to do a 5 minute plank, but can you do 1 minute, or even 30 seconds? Unless you're in a coma or hospital bed, I bet you can!

So, instead of waiting until I have the full amount of time or the full amount of energy to do this incredible workout, I've decided that I'm going to put in 10 minutes a day to start! And you know what? It's been great! I started last week and haven't missed a day yet!

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I don't have a routine, I just put in 2-5 minutes here and there until it adds up to 10 or more minutes. 

So far, these are the things I've done (not all on the same day!): 

• run up and down the stairs 10 times
• 100 jumping jacks
• 1 minute planks
• jog around the yard 5 times
• 10 knee lunges
• standing core twists, fast 1 minute (see below for details)
• 50 knee crunches, standing
• arm circles with light weights
• Tae Bo twist punches

I might develop a routine that I can complete in 10-15 minutes that's just right for me, but I get bored easily, so I would have to change it up every few days. But for now, I'm happy to just fit it in whenever I get the chance, as well as follow short and punchy workout routines. It helps that I have a few favorite workout moves that I can pull out from my sleeve so that I don't go blank. 

Speaking of short workout routines, there are actually quite a few that look pretty cool and I might try. I put together a list of 10 workouts under 10 minutes. There's quite a variety of styles here, because I like to try different things, as well as workout different parts of my body. 

• The Scientific 7-Minute Workout
• 10 Minute Workout for Busy Moms
• Maria Kang's 5 Minute Core Workout
• Victoria's Secret Model 10 Minute Fat-Blasting Workout
• 10 Minute Dancer Abs Workout
• Tae Bo 8 Minute Workout
• Kathy Smith 10 Minute Standing Abs Workout
• 5 Minute Glute and Thigh Blasting
• 10 Minute Cardio Dance Abs
• 9 Minute Core Strength Yoga

So, what's the conclusion?  It doesn't matter what it is you want to do, now is better than later. Something is better than nothing. 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes.

Oh, and if you need motivation, it might help you to know that Ryan Gosling agrees.

Do I know what I did this summer?

The summer has come, the summer has gone--well, except for the heat, which is something you would think I would be used to by now, having grown up in tropical Thailand, which boasts two seasons: 1) VERY HOT and 2) VERY WET AND HOT. Still, I'm not complaining--the nights out here in the desert are cool and the view of the starts up on our little hill is something I will never tire of! Wait, where was I? Oh yes, time, and what did I do with it?

A new school year is beginning. Before we know it, it will be time to put out the pumpkin and fall leaf decor and drink spice lattes. Where did the time go? What did we do? Why is everything such a blur? Did I really do nothing this summer?

Without thinking, my mind tells me these past few months have been but a flicker in time, with nothing to show for them but late nights and early mornings, meals, dishes, laundry and car rides all blending in and out of each other. But then my brain starts to wake up and I realize we've accomplished some incredible feats and created some incredible memories. I just need to take the time to appreciate it all!

Let's start with the ending of the school year. All 6 kids in school graduated from their respective grades with honors, something is that makes this mother's heart go pitty-pat! 

And speaking of graduating, I had my first high school grad! All decked out in shiny Texas colors and standing tall and handsome with that hesitant yet beautiful smile of his. Another proud mama moment! 

Somewhere in all of this we experienced the great Texas flood of 2015! 

Flooding in front of the kids' school

 The most incredible clouds which we later found out are called "mammatus clouds" 

fiery after the storm sunsets

and, of course, rainbows

(everything is better with bubbles!)

...and double rainbows!

After all the end of the school year celebrations had died down, all we wanted to do was relax and eat unhealthy amounts of shaved ice, but wait! Next came something which made us feel both excited and sick to the stomach all at once: We had to prepare to move!

So then came the cleaning, the painting, the packing, and then the cleaning all over again. We said good-bye to old friends with the bittersweet combination of tears and laughter. 

Before we left, we decided to become tourists in the coolest city of hipsters and free-spirited rednecks that we had lived in for the past 4 years. Hey, we couldn't leave without doing our part to "KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD." Plus, Austin and its surrounding areas is full of natural beauty--waterfalls, lakes, trails, rivers, flowers, farms and fields, and plenty of wildlife such as skunks, deer, armadillos, and of course, the majestic longhorns! 

The day to move finally came, and it was on July 4th, no less. We celebrated July 4th on the road, and got to see fireworks in over cities across 2 states. Other than that, it rained and rained and rained! We hardly stopped, except at this cute little inn where we were greeted by some darling swallow birds and their chicks in a nest right outside our room. 

Arizona's dusty beauty

After 2 days and nights, we finally arrived in our new home in Southern California.  Since arriving, the kids have all gotten set up in their new schools, signed up for various sports and extracurricular programs, made new friends, we've gone to the beach, visited with family, been to fairs and community events, and even gone to Hollywood just for the heck of it. 

We never tire of the beach!

As I sit here in our new home, the summer behind us and the new school year before us, I realize that by just taking one challenge at a time and tackling it, we've really come quite far. I'm proud of us. I bet if you looked back at the past months or even week of your life, you'd feel the same way. Be proud of the small steps that you've taken on your big journey. You deserve it. You've come a long way.