Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The First Day of 2014 - Mindful Writing Challenge


spot of color in a whitened world

I finished a book on New Year's Eve
The Sweetness of Life by Francoise Heritier
encouraging me to
focus on the simple but inspiring
moments in life

Today:

blustery winds with drifting mounds of snow, pungent kitchen smells 
(pork and sauerkraut slow-cooking for good luck in 2014), long phone chat with a granddaughter (discussing books - I smile with pleasure as we speak), warm vanilla scent of burning candles (to off-set the sauerkraut), a new novel waiting for me on the Kindle, strong black coffee and a flaky blackberry scone tempting me on the chair-side table, fireplace flickering warmth, feelings of contentment and wellbeing, no place to be and nothing much to do

the first day of 2014

I'm join with others around the world during the month of January
observing carefully to write Small Stones for the 
Won't you please join us, too?

(My Book Review Page is up to date for 2013.)

Happy New Year from Waldo!

15 comments:

  1. Thank you for these lovely photos. I especially loved the splash of red in the first. Happy New Year!

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  2. Sounds like a lovely start to the year, so cosy!

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  3. you're the 2nd person who mentioned pork and sauerkraut today as new year's good luck food. :) sounds good, even if i never heard of it being jan. 1st tradition. :) may your year be full of good things, barb.

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  4. Such lovely photos. Just gorgeous. Makes me wish for winter, almost. I got a new Kindle so no I might see if this book is available digitally...if not, maybe paper would be nice to hold in my hand. Thank you for you nice comment.

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  5. I so love what you see through your camera lens, Barb. These are lovely.
    Simple yet inspiring.......sounds like a good plan.

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  6. I have missed your writing, and am sure your time away will have refreshed, renewed, and today's words are thoughtful and inspiring. Greetings from Jean

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  7. Beautiful photos. Had to laugh about the vanilla candles striving to offset the smell of sauerkraut!

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  8. A happy and healthy new year to you and your family!

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  9. Aw phooey, I missed my sauerkraut this year. What was I thinking?
    Love that your granddaughter has inherited your love for books.

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  10. Have decided to try this January challenge http://micromoment.blogspot.ca/ Thanks for the inspiration

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  11. Barb, I love that your participating in the mindfulness challenge. Even though I probably won't join you in blogging, may I join you in spirit? Every day trying to be more mindful, more in the present moment. Wrote my last blog incorporating that spirit of mindfulness, down to the translucent red of the crab apple jelly.

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  12. I, too, will join you in spirit and by reading your mindful moments every day. I decided not to accept the challenge this year, but am already questioning that decision. Maybe, just maybe, after my walk in the City in a few minutes, I will come back and start posting. I did have a great moment for yesterday.

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  13. Lovely photos and words. Thank you for the peacefullness and simplicity. Andrea

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  14. That's a lot of snow. Top pictures. Happy New Year.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  15. I have never heard of the pork and saurkraut tradition but I love it. I am glad you are doing this challenge again; you write so beautifully and your focus for this year is a perfect one.

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Your comments are always one good thing for me!