Thoughts on my Birthday

I’m 51 today.


Turning thirty and forty was no big deal for me. However, when I turned fifty last year, it dawned on me that more than half of my life was already over. How many years would I still have? Twenty? Thirty, if I’m lucky? And how was I planning to spend those years?

Those were the questions that occupied me for the first half of last year, and I only knew that I didn’t want to go back into an office job I didn’t enjoy, but do something where my heart was in it and that nourished my soul. I read books, I took my first e-course with Visionary Mom that helped me to name my dreams and formulate what I really wanted to do. Exactly around that time I started reading “Taking Flight” by Kelly Rae Roberts. She mentioned her blog in her book, and just out of curiosity I switched on my computer and visited her website.

Oh boy… She advertised her very first e-course, “Flying Lessons”. I read the outline and I knew that this was the course for me. This was exactly the answer to all my questions and my search. This was IT. I signed up the very first day – and it was the best thing I did for myself this last year and it has changed my life quite a bit.

I started my own blog without really knowing what I was doing. I “met” people in blogland who have become friends. I found enormous support and was amazed at what others were doing. I became serious about my photography, found so much inspiration that led me to try new perspectives, to take pictures of completely different motives than I did before. It was fun and incredibly encouraging. I made more art than before and I even showed it on my blog. It was a whirlwind.

Years ago I had stopped to make any New Year’s resolutions because I knew that I usually wouldn’t keep them. And honestly, who cares whether I loose ten pounds or not (actually I did over the past year! Without a resolution – but a lot of exercise). So no resolutions for 2011 either. But I have a few wishes for my birthday.

I want to be truly authentic. When I write or comment, it’s ME who spills out those words, my thinking and feeling. It’s not what I think others want to hear or read, but something that is ME no matter whether it is “popular” or not. It is okay to be different and to think differently. It is also okay if I can’t express myself perfectly. Everybody who comes to this site knows that I am not a native speaker, that some sentences will sound funny or weird. What the heck? It doesn’t matter. Being authentic means that I’ll be vulnerable. It needs a lot of courage, but I want to do this. Perhaps it’ll hurt sometimes, however, I can gain so much from that. It is perfectly okay to be imperfect.

There are other wishes – like doing more art, getting more serious about my photography, opening my Etsy store, read, write more and worry less, but being authentic is the most important one. Many bloggers had a certain word for the new year - my word for 2011 is

“authentic”.

Winter Desert Trip (4): White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument in New Mexico was one of the absolute highlights for me during our trip. I had often seen pictures of this desert and wanted to go there for a very long time. I had always thought that it is similar to the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, but when I actually saw this spectacular sandy area I realized that it is very different. The sand is very white and sometimes even resembles snow. It actually holds almost the same challenges for a photographer as snow does.

The sky was overcast when we arrived, but the closer we got to the sunset the clearer the air and light became. We stayed until after the sunset - it was windy and VERY cold, but those hours we spent there were worth every single minute. I would return in a heartbeat.

It almost looks like an oasis, but it's "just" the plants that can grow in the sand.

A dried seedpod of a soaptree yucca

Soaptree Yucca

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

"What inspires you?" was this week's question over at Inspiration Avenue.

Well, I didn't really have to think very long. Everybody who comes here knows how much I am inspired by photography - color, composition, light, focus.

And turn it into art.

I love it.

Winter Desert Trip (3): Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Our family is crazy about animals. We don't have any pets because of heavy allergies, but that doesn't mean that we don't love them. We enjoy wildlife, and it is an absolute highlight if we see wild animals during our trips. Therefore, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in the Tucson Mountains has always been a must for us - we visited every time we came to Tucson, and of course, last time was no exception.

"Museum" might not be the right term, it actually is a zoo that displays flora and fauna of this special desert. No need to create habitats for the animals, they're already there. I was surprised to learn that beavers live in the desert and more than delighted to see Mexican wolves. This kind of wolf is almost extinct in the United States, but during the past few years it has been re-introduced into this area and hopes are high that they will settle down and multiply.

So - take a look at some of the animals that call the Arizona Sonora Desert home.

Harris hawk

Ocelot

Bobcat

My absolute favorite: Cougar (mountain lion)

There was a lot of yawning going on.

Just look at her! She really made eye contact.

Prairie dog, praying

Another favorite of mine: Mexican wolf. Incredibly beautiful.

Second WOYWW of the Year

Hello WOYWWers, I hope that 2011 has been good to you so far, you're warm and hopefully the flu bug hasn't met too many of you.

It seems that my table always looks pretty much the same:

Yes, I DID clean up last week, both table and floor, but it doesn't take long until the table looks messy again. This time I got out the "love stuff" - I'm currently designing my Valentine's class. Valentine's Day is NOT my favorite holiday, but it's so popular here in the US that it would be pretty stupid not to offer a class on Valentine's cards. This time, however, I want to try to avoid red and pink as much as possible and work with colors that you don't find that often in combination with Valentine's. I have to admit that after what had happened last week I'm having a hard time getting into the "heart stuff". Sorry that I mention this again, I'm still not comprehending it and can't make any sense of it (will I ever?).

Short and sweet today, and if you want to know what I am rambling about you should visit our "Queen of snoop" Julia at Stamping Ground. Enjoy the journey!

Frosty Images

We had a very cold night, and when I stepped out onto our deck this morning, I saw that frost had painted beautiful images on our patio table.

Doesn't it look like angels' wings?

Winter Desert Trip (2): Saguaro National Park

After having left Palm Desert our next destination was Tucson, AZ and the Saguaro National Park - our third visit to this area. Those saguaros are kind of a landmark for deserts, but you actually only find them in the Sonoran Desert. They are very impressive plants and give home to a variety of birds and little critters.

The National Park has two parts - one in the Tucson Mountains to the west, and one in the Rincon Mountains to the east of Tucson. I never can decide which one I like better - the Rincon one has a beautiful scenic loop with gorgeous views whereas the Western part is rougher with dust roads. In the Tucson Mountains you also find the fabulous Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum which is such a jewel (that will be a separate post though).

We visited both parts, one in the afternoon and one in the morning of the following day. The light was difficult on both days and quite a challenge for taking photos. However, I hope you enjoy this peek into this special desert.

Mesquite trees protect and shelter young saguaros

A mesquite tree up close

I love to take pictures while lying flat on my belly or at least kneeling down to get a different perspective. However, that doesn't work in the Sonoran Desert - I only knelled down once, ouch!!! Stupid me! So I just held the camera down to the ground and shot away "blind" - not too bad, eh?

A dead saguaro

A barrel

Some prickly pears look like they have teeth

There are several kinds of cholla in the park. This one is a teddybear cholla.

This one houses a bird's nest.

Chollas in all kinds of colors...

A dying cholla...

... and the remains of one. 

And another cholla!

Now what is this? After we consulted the Track and Scat Guide we knew it wasn't coyote but javelinas. They are found all over the area.

This photo and the top one were taken in the Rincon Mountains part (the other ones all over the place). The overcast sky gave the mountains this purple color and it almost looks as if a thunderstorm was coming up. However, there was no storm, but I like the somber mood of this picture.