tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81917792149081824442024-03-05T00:19:36.605-08:00A Special YearA special thought and a special moment, every day. A special thing, every week. For a special year.Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-36420741552396372772011-10-21T23:00:00.000-07:002011-12-11T22:52:55.362-08:00Day 366 - Hike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I can't believe that today is already my birthday. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A year flew past since I started my blog</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. I learned a lot by doing this blog and enjoyed it tremendously. Of course, there were days, and even weeks, when I had to force myself to keep going. It was particularly challenging when I was sick, busy or traveling. For the entire year, I had my backpack and camera next to me pretty much every day and I constantly reminded myself to pay attention to what was happening around me and to see and capture the extraordinary moments in the ordinary daily life. This year long journey has not only taught me to truly appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our experiences on earth, it has also taught me something about patience and perseverance. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, it's time for me to sign off and move on. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A </span><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">big hug and thank you</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to everybody who has followed my journey and sent me encouragements along the way!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo of the day:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5z-myU-ht8AVwCJ3WvSunVAO5r2XFjSF2RR17tvNci8hoodPUbwHntT6KxBAXE7EANSSbPZJ29C9uGkLvMAdyXWsL2agtFh7-aJ6IBtj5gfrhhEJqC4DSI7QZN_vqPjjdqhO9RAfbXYl/s1600/_DSC6267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5z-myU-ht8AVwCJ3WvSunVAO5r2XFjSF2RR17tvNci8hoodPUbwHntT6KxBAXE7EANSSbPZJ29C9uGkLvMAdyXWsL2agtFh7-aJ6IBtj5gfrhhEJqC4DSI7QZN_vqPjjdqhO9RAfbXYl/s320/_DSC6267.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Taking a hike with a few people this morning. There was no better way to celebrate a birthday than sitting on some big rocks, drinking coffee, eating a surprise birthday treat and looking out at the beautiful Boulder valley opening up in front of you. That was one of the most memorable moments that my wonderful friends helped me create throughout the day. There will be challenges and uncertainties, but I feel so grateful today to be living in this community, this world and on this day. </td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-38045948517981833652011-10-20T21:45:00.000-07:002011-11-30T23:09:32.850-08:00Day 365 - Flower and Envelope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: This morning, w<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">hen I am walking under the brilliant sun on the trail, surrounded by rocky mountains and fall colors, I feel intensely happy. With my birthday coming up tomorrow, I have a feeling that I am entering <i>the</i> prime time of my life. Everything is so perfect at this moment that it seems fleeting and fragile. Somehow happiness always manages to bring out melancholy in me. Perhaps it's time to look outside of my own little world more often. The best way to maintain true inner peace and equilibrium of mind is to change the focus to the world at large. I have been exploring different paths for a few years now and the <i>right</i> path remains elusive to me. Lately I have the luck of being recommended by multiple people a book called "Half the Sky" by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. The book documents the plight of many women in the real world. It's a thoroughly researched and immensely touching and convincing book. It's one of those rare books that can move people into action, one that has the potential to shape and change the world. I don't know where it will lead me, but wherever it is, I will be there willingly.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo of the day:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEBPOldFW8ZOy2zLKLbPYN-d9od_p60Ec0SEJXW1LeZ8x_L3Bb5ymN4FSes9JoRfVfiO9EVO7Dgs2uuj30Wf9xp8Etakr7v_CODM4A22zwYIG2nzvDryqlQpXECfWalP11R3ZDtKY48rM/s1600/_DSC6250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEBPOldFW8ZOy2zLKLbPYN-d9od_p60Ec0SEJXW1LeZ8x_L3Bb5ymN4FSes9JoRfVfiO9EVO7Dgs2uuj30Wf9xp8Etakr7v_CODM4A22zwYIG2nzvDryqlQpXECfWalP11R3ZDtKY48rM/s320/_DSC6250.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A surprise gift from a friend. I have been told by many people that love and happiness are the essential ingredients of life and they are all you need. I don't know. I always feel like there's a third ingredient, a larger purpose of life. Without the third ingredient, I can't help feeling that something is amiss.</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-77987315386782509212011-10-19T22:21:00.000-07:002011-11-29T23:09:53.705-08:00Day 364 - Kids Theater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: Jasmine loves her Wednesday afternoon theater class. The kids act and improvise on the stage with the help of a professional. While Jasmine is busy in her class, Lila loves to dance around and around in a room annexed to the theater fitted with walls of mirrors. I like the special ambience of a theater, perhaps any theater. The elevated stage, dark interior, sparse and interesting lighting make it a challenging yet fascinating place to photograph. I can't help feeling that this place has a sense of gravity. And people and movements bring life to it. It's a simple place but I feel drawn to it in a mysterious way.<br />
<br />
Photo of the day:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbl9cSvoGnt_oYUwPzbc9MW06l8sPO1i5Bt3YJanh66TTb5erlbNi60fFXVZHRoBjxiSq_osS_amqfGS1qsXoxjDCcCTEpG8f0TPy_o-pEP3VTa_p5juP_85et4E7Ico1aHjwDLogLU-Y/s1600/_DSC6157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbl9cSvoGnt_oYUwPzbc9MW06l8sPO1i5Bt3YJanh66TTb5erlbNi60fFXVZHRoBjxiSq_osS_amqfGS1qsXoxjDCcCTEpG8f0TPy_o-pEP3VTa_p5juP_85et4E7Ico1aHjwDLogLU-Y/s320/_DSC6157.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Jasmine and her friends doing an improv while a boy watched on.</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-81141615124032223732011-10-18T23:44:00.000-07:002011-11-28T00:32:37.891-08:00Day 363 - Vincent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: I talked to a couple of friends today about my quickly approaching birthday and my apprehension of passing another significant mark in life. They all had some jewels of wisdom to share. I feel very lucky to know people who I can talk to just about anything and always walk away a little wiser and more ready for the joyous adventure we call life.<br />
<br />
Photo of the day:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi1xkWhNAfkPXBX6-IoKqYW4O5WovEp7U1atewQN0rp4GOv7GVpp86hylZTiHkmpnexiBur3200dLDHWBJ3U904hoiOkLKWxNtZAQIyggQk9fSI7gwQ-fiukHsHKK9yXAbv0teE9_Cu2t/s1600/_DSC6053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi1xkWhNAfkPXBX6-IoKqYW4O5WovEp7U1atewQN0rp4GOv7GVpp86hylZTiHkmpnexiBur3200dLDHWBJ3U904hoiOkLKWxNtZAQIyggQk9fSI7gwQ-fiukHsHKK9yXAbv0teE9_Cu2t/s320/_DSC6053.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A particularly cute dog of a friend. We took a walk this morning with her two dogs tagging along. At times I felt that <i>we</i> were the ones being walked by the dogs but they were really cute so I didn't mind:-)</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-45564360004338888872011-10-17T21:23:00.000-07:002011-11-27T17:09:19.503-08:00Day 362 - Knitter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09301523630777897" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jasmine
had been practicing piano duets for an upcoming multi-piano festival. Her teacher
made a CD with all her songs so she could practice with the music at home. One song was particularly
challenging for her and she had been struggling with it for days. Today
she finally got it through without making a single mistake. She was
ecstatic! It was certainly a good thing that she could finally play this
song as her audition was coming up soon. But a more important lesson she learned was
that with persistent effort she could improve and achieve
what might seem impossible just a moment ago. It was a lesson worth
learning at any age.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09301523630777897" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aA_FWLrPQjBRmhEvx8iI0DA0OylXRnylTNdRHr0CkH6O7ALChHyxCi-_vh55Ze5AMxRKadjX8Ltrs0w_OdTmGqm7R5xQ1GIaH4KIaMJp0EZ8X9n2Jf3FGNSKaZOQ4s5GMyStBr-e80hm/s1600/_DSC6075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aA_FWLrPQjBRmhEvx8iI0DA0OylXRnylTNdRHr0CkH6O7ALChHyxCi-_vh55Ze5AMxRKadjX8Ltrs0w_OdTmGqm7R5xQ1GIaH4KIaMJp0EZ8X9n2Jf3FGNSKaZOQ4s5GMyStBr-e80hm/s320/_DSC6075.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">I ran into a group of women outside of a cafe knitting and chatting
under the sun. Apparently they do this every week. What a wonderful
tradition to have! They all seemed to be pretty good at knitting - I
guess it is one of those things you get better at with a lot of practice
too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09301523630777897" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="goog_60561306"></span><span id="goog_60561307"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09301523630777897" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="goog_109287279"></span><span id="goog_109287280"></span> </span></span></div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-3694740640704033082011-10-16T03:55:00.000-07:002011-11-27T23:43:55.706-08:00Day 361 - Jasmine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.0766483771744666" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We had an easy day today - family hike, long naps, movies. It was good to have a day in the week to have no obligations no schedules and simply relax and enjoy some down time with the family.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.0766483771744666" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day: </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ6j7zTmZ7Td-IClF7kkCNVnbu1UZbiA7AysJveNB3_sW7RTooLipPLRtG4oqL0LVP0ZyNM_jF_9tcyeFpDZsekTJrj4kEn28_KL5vSs_wgePeCi4tGLZX9ztVOZQiANFOlGhZMM1mdWY/s1600/_DSC5799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ6j7zTmZ7Td-IClF7kkCNVnbu1UZbiA7AysJveNB3_sW7RTooLipPLRtG4oqL0LVP0ZyNM_jF_9tcyeFpDZsekTJrj4kEn28_KL5vSs_wgePeCi4tGLZX9ztVOZQiANFOlGhZMM1mdWY/s320/_DSC5799.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Jasmine was very happy during the hike. We saw a lot of beautiful fall colors along the way as the season was at the peak. Both girls collected colorful leaves to decorate their rooms.</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-55636407077973317622011-10-15T02:02:00.000-07:002011-11-29T23:05:57.728-08:00Day 360 - Pumpkin Patch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7703984606404116" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Boulder
has a vibrant restaurant scene. There are many good restaurants in town
drawing crowds all day long, all week long. However, it’s also very
competitive and we have seen many restaurants unfold, including ones
that we really liked. For example, Orchid Pavilion used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant in
town but it had been out of business for a while now. Its closure left a
hole in Boulder food scene as there were really no other Chinese restaurants with the perfect combination of good location, nice ambiance and tasty food.
Downtown’s Juanita’s used to serve affordable Mexican food with
one of the best margaritas in town. It was closed to make space for an
upscale restaurant. And today, I found out by surprise that Suki
Thai Noodle House was also closed. Suki Thai made healthy noodle bowls and was a great place to grab a quick lunch with kids. There are many
other closures that we know of and it is
always sad to say goodbye to some of our favorite ones. Luckily, the vast majority of
the restaurants we visit are still thriving and we hope it will remain the case for a while to come.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7703984606404116" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9M8RTYzZban20XERMHddRCLXC8257IxdDOD03W8mi4Yy4YfEBxyGhy9wiWxexSw57p1zAcwMz2EnFvGZJbf31oH90cGt0xSF8KxgGrQEq0zTTK6N0pXXQ3D3vqwFKpAW-mLm7p2IWVaZ/s1600/_DSC5657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9M8RTYzZban20XERMHddRCLXC8257IxdDOD03W8mi4Yy4YfEBxyGhy9wiWxexSw57p1zAcwMz2EnFvGZJbf31oH90cGt0xSF8KxgGrQEq0zTTK6N0pXXQ3D3vqwFKpAW-mLm7p2IWVaZ/s320/_DSC5657.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">I visited Cottonwood Pumpkin Patch with three girls today. Kids had fun picking pumpkins, navigating the mazes and petting the farm animals. I love going to a pumpkin farm in this season as it's filled with vibrant colors, quaint equipments and happy kids - all of which make it a fun place to linger and photograph for a couple of hours. It's a visual feast that, hopefully, will never go out of business and one that I will enjoy year after year.</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-48321411254498107762011-10-14T01:23:00.000-07:002011-11-23T01:44:42.837-08:00Day 359 - Snow Leopard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6888102608580631" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Having
photography as a hobby can be time consuming and sometimes distracting but above all it is a blessing. No matter where I am, what I do, I can
never be bored. Be it a familiar place or a foreign land, a fancy
restaurant or a dingy pub, a modern structure or an old barn - no matter where I am, there’s
always something interesting to observe and photograph. <i>Always.</i> When I was
in Chicago two weeks ago, I was overwhelmed by the sensation of being in
an extraordinary place and overjoyed by all the photo opportunities.
When I was in the zoo today with my girls, I found many special creatures
and special moments to record even though we were certainly no
strangers to the zoo. Even in the rare occasions when I don't have a camera handy, my eyes
and my mind are seeing and recording images all the time - the world is a special place and I am lucky to be a witness to the grandness of it all.</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6888102608580631" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6888102608580631" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPfKrgQHslWez6ov3c7rmF9rfr6ipPApu2eNafu_cVQUPMcWp14PzNWVq8UqRYJiAMU7Sef6NXr4ddK1dRBVxE0UiHChL52s5Jnk6Wmt372oyw59RVHwJK9gXuWQnQxHTczw88AYrWw2l/s1600/_DSC5435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPfKrgQHslWez6ov3c7rmF9rfr6ipPApu2eNafu_cVQUPMcWp14PzNWVq8UqRYJiAMU7Sef6NXr4ddK1dRBVxE0UiHChL52s5Jnk6Wmt372oyw59RVHwJK9gXuWQnQxHTczw88AYrWw2l/s320/_DSC5435.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Snow leopard - caged in and looking sad. What was he observing from inside his cage?</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-24374700121819063192011-10-13T00:12:00.000-07:002011-11-26T04:14:40.588-08:00Day 358 - Sisters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thought of the day: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I stayed up very late last night and the consequence of that was clear - I was shrouded in drowsiness and had a minor headache all morning. In addition, I missed a morning bike ride and a hike with a group of friends, both of which I regretted a great deal and regretted even more as the day marched on. Indeed, it's not smart to walk through life half awake when there are so many experiences to be had and so many expectations to meet, both of which require one to be present and alert. Arguably, self enforced sleep deprivation may not be as dangerous as drug or alcohol additions, but it does bring similar consequences and is definitely detrimental to one’s long term health. It's time for me to figure out a way to keep a better control of my schedule - however challenging it may be - and make it stick.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo of the day:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3KRZXQwvJadkxxNOOdatWSPWWoicjXim0NvZ2LXZ1QUJ5Yp7qu76061W8T9IwePzwKXrEUbgYps5fJr4s1GB_-hAlou5WZrDb6Byz-CUrrswEzewTsfEdJmd_sCLGz1bihR68pIbomIS/s1600/_DSC5407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3KRZXQwvJadkxxNOOdatWSPWWoicjXim0NvZ2LXZ1QUJ5Yp7qu76061W8T9IwePzwKXrEUbgYps5fJr4s1GB_-hAlou5WZrDb6Byz-CUrrswEzewTsfEdJmd_sCLGz1bihR68pIbomIS/s320/_DSC5407.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
Jasmine making a drawing as Lila watched on. I owed it to my girls, and myself, to maintain a healthy schedule.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-78507923022052932962011-10-12T23:55:00.000-07:002011-11-22T00:10:48.909-08:00Day 357 - All Done!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thought of the day: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I spent the evening talking with a new friend on a tatami over some divine Japanese food. It was a lovely evening. On the wall facing me hung a large framed photograph of white cherry blossoms. The Japanese waitress was unbelievably friendly and she was dressed in an oversized beige silk blouse with orange floral prints on it. The ambience of this place made me feel very comfortable and I was momentarily transported to Japan - a country that had held my fascination for quite a while now even though I hadn't had a chance to visit yet.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo of the day:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEqN2rYORCDIJtktxvv-lFjWXGCyZ_RJ5_NLDVlijtgM63m2z7kMU_OY3XrAhwM6HhRKRfPgmcHnhFuOWVFOof1MUVWqoUMrjdcS136VVL_MQoyUvXdktdOOwwzul7QfU-PO_8TXCGPBS/s1600/_DSC5359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEqN2rYORCDIJtktxvv-lFjWXGCyZ_RJ5_NLDVlijtgM63m2z7kMU_OY3XrAhwM6HhRKRfPgmcHnhFuOWVFOof1MUVWqoUMrjdcS136VVL_MQoyUvXdktdOOwwzul7QfU-PO_8TXCGPBS/s320/_DSC5359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">"All done!" Lila loved Dushanbe Teahouse's coconut rice pudding. We were there for lunch to say goodbye to our house guests - they would be sorely missed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-27211777785971496032011-10-11T22:12:00.000-07:002011-11-16T22:42:24.397-08:00Day 356 - Magician<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.04302591907415276" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I finally got around to organize the books I was reading this afternoon. It
made such an impressive pile that I decided not to get any more books until
I finished up the current pile. I was frequently irritated by the fact that
Jasmine read multiple books at the same time and scattered them all around the house. Now I know where she got her habit from. Time and again, when I observe puzzling behaviors of my kids, I can often find the clue by merely looking in the mirror.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.04302591907415276" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ONBtXdHP_YaIP-sScDaq6opOgun3Vs2T1jUM3KdWShjEDi3Fmm7ns4s8woeVt6zGeATqKSLmbV46Mho4tUdIGkhRzGEMw2e76fQ69Ey8_wq7s6oco6uEwRcVv9a9oXpvreyklqBQ6Mmb/s1600/_DSC5348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ONBtXdHP_YaIP-sScDaq6opOgun3Vs2T1jUM3KdWShjEDi3Fmm7ns4s8woeVt6zGeATqKSLmbV46Mho4tUdIGkhRzGEMw2e76fQ69Ey8_wq7s6oco6uEwRcVv9a9oXpvreyklqBQ6Mmb/s320/_DSC5348.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">A magician playing fascinating tricks in a local restaurant. It's easier to uncover the secrets behind his tricks in books than watching his moves carefully as he is really good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-91769685692284955142011-10-10T22:01:00.000-07:002011-11-15T22:29:18.568-08:00Day 355 - Bear!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.058732370126504896" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I biked with Lila to her climbing class this morning, we rode
past a prairie dog territory in the eastern plain of Boulder. Lila
was beyond excited when she spotted the little furry creatures standing on their mounds. There's something about kids and animals. Jasmine is
only interested in taking pictures of either people making silly
faces or the animals. We are born with an insatiable curiosity in
other living beings and we express our curiosity in different ways at
different ages. I look forward to going to the zoo with jasmine this
week and see what kind of images she would take with her camera there.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.058732370126504896" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8An69E-Vnnkm7VnmS4hR9BOd5VxDVMf_sHVmocqcgXH2JfIH6A0eel5NlqsFbB6kzk1b_U-QzMgXRV66WYYJgcEPefFBn_ICzlUcq1UTMNiehPoCoptvA-SbC-vpkegCFnQXTTr8_rYCd/s1600/_DSC5320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8An69E-Vnnkm7VnmS4hR9BOd5VxDVMf_sHVmocqcgXH2JfIH6A0eel5NlqsFbB6kzk1b_U-QzMgXRV66WYYJgcEPefFBn_ICzlUcq1UTMNiehPoCoptvA-SbC-vpkegCFnQXTTr8_rYCd/s320/_DSC5320.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Bear in our backyard! First the sighting of a mountain lion outside of Lila's preschool in the day, and now the sighting of a black bear cub in our backyard at dinner time. He plunged right back into the bush when I pointed the lens at him. He paid more visits to our backyard tonight. Apparently he was after the delicious apples in the apple tree. It was a cub so the mother was probably hiding in the bush nearby watching out for his safety. One of the threats, and rewards, of living close to open space is be the next door neighbor of wild animals of all kinds - coyotes, mountain lions and bears.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-18054484383321947752011-10-09T21:24:00.000-07:002011-11-15T21:38:48.658-08:00Day 354 - Lila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.058732370126504896" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our
house guests left today for a trip to Colorado Springs. We
were left with a house that was strangely quiet and two girls again demanding our full attention. It was good to have the guests around as they offered generous help with our household chores. Even better, the girls always had
company at home and they had probably played more games and puzzles in
the past few days than ever before. It would be good to have the guests
back in two days and have the blessing of their company for a few more
days!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.058732370126504896" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91KjMIQEDzEKzqR7n2NOQnFxjNWvCbndH7McrW9tCWJQP7HzC-KOALwtFih3J6ywNfeBpTnKq7uqHe3FrI7JGpRnwrcGvVrdiQABuaVauN2X-lCcgnF5akgWbIDSOv2FiTxQ_nUhgUZk0/s1600/_DSC5261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91KjMIQEDzEKzqR7n2NOQnFxjNWvCbndH7McrW9tCWJQP7HzC-KOALwtFih3J6ywNfeBpTnKq7uqHe3FrI7JGpRnwrcGvVrdiQABuaVauN2X-lCcgnF5akgWbIDSOv2FiTxQ_nUhgUZk0/s320/_DSC5261.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lila fooling around in her room before bed time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.058732370126504896" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-9582028508957455872011-10-08T21:47:00.000-07:002011-11-10T22:05:38.636-08:00Day 353 - Red Light<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.18639485586707083" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It
had been cold and raining today. It even snowed a little bit at some point. Of
course, with such a warm ground temperature, the snow melted as soon as it reached the ground. We mostly stayed inside the house, played games and enjoyed the last few days of company of our house guests. It was a relaxing day and the kids loved having so
many adults around to play with.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.18639485586707083" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day: </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cdFf2cNzz3zFHib8hWkVZBGIY0cLz6lwJ1J3VCH4P0Vu2ZQ_LiBSjC0PoZ7W5CFp47_u0S0vcvALgzg_joRcPrgF6wlKa7bGaDX46hAeV5FAOBzhNgAna1b3YpV5dIU5Eh_RDtNHiqW6/s1600/_DSC5143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cdFf2cNzz3zFHib8hWkVZBGIY0cLz6lwJ1J3VCH4P0Vu2ZQ_LiBSjC0PoZ7W5CFp47_u0S0vcvALgzg_joRcPrgF6wlKa7bGaDX46hAeV5FAOBzhNgAna1b3YpV5dIU5Eh_RDtNHiqW6/s320/_DSC5143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Dinner at Carelli's. The restaurant always has a nice ambiance. With its warm interior lighting and large fire places, it feels especially cozy and welcoming in a cold day like today.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-68848453155405068902011-10-07T22:41:00.000-07:002011-11-08T00:45:40.884-08:00Day 352 - Lila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8054902497513695" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was
Friday - our regular hiking day. Lila and I hiked for a good hour at Chautauqua
with David's mom and cousin. We were also joined by Lila's friend Izzy
and her mom. There were beautiful fall colors along the way and the
trail was almost completely covered by fall foliage. Lila collected a bunch of
leaves and branches along the way to make a collage at home. She walked and ran all
the way with her friend and in the last segment of the hike we were barely able to keep up with the two little girls! It's a day that will be remembered for many years hereafter, not in its full details, but as one of those days filled with luminous light and simple happiness.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8054902497513695" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe5f-N1EG-WijiIGfifiopCzrGPlF2IbKcDBa7Gq-fC9BK8sPDk5w6SHG87ik2IkFH5laa6SUbYITNPnSwnx3xg63ujED5e9AetvsbQQxuRcL_8NiozVxRvi_7HMjK-83JAjW8mVChOCT/s1600/_DSC5107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe5f-N1EG-WijiIGfifiopCzrGPlF2IbKcDBa7Gq-fC9BK8sPDk5w6SHG87ik2IkFH5laa6SUbYITNPnSwnx3xg63ujED5e9AetvsbQQxuRcL_8NiozVxRvi_7HMjK-83JAjW8mVChOCT/s320/_DSC5107.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lila on the trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-42514868782411326912011-10-06T23:48:00.000-07:002011-11-07T13:07:16.792-08:00Day 351 - Lila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8820940377515835" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last
night, I was shocked and saddened to learn that Steve Jobs just passed away.
His 2005 commencement speech at Stanford was widely shared on Internet and it was an interesting speech to watch. During the speech, he said: "Remembering that I'll be dead
soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make
the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external
expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these
things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly
important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know
to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are
already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." What an inspiring message! When I ran
on the trail this morning and was about to turn around and head home, I thought of his message. Yes, I had a lot of chores to do at home, but if I were to
die today, would they have really mattered that much to me? Wouldn't I be happier if I had spent
more time instead in the forest in this beautiful autumn day? The answer was definitely a yes. So,
instead of turning around, I kept on running and spent more time on
the trail than I would have normally had. It felt great when I eventually headed home. Thank you,
Steve Jobs, for your important message and for all the rest you have done for the humanity.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8820940377515835" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcjCkBUNpXDZf3N7Jmf8IgKC2fFlAm7UJnvlZ1xKGhshdxfUnpGP_NckIhyrJ5dBdlnIKgfB2CbHBE5LzrOBKhfIoiUT1p_StT5GcyBMhhvTi7vCvatVKbLaoiQFornQbhnXlG0Jw4LZ4/s1600/_DSC5015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcjCkBUNpXDZf3N7Jmf8IgKC2fFlAm7UJnvlZ1xKGhshdxfUnpGP_NckIhyrJ5dBdlnIKgfB2CbHBE5LzrOBKhfIoiUT1p_StT5GcyBMhhvTi7vCvatVKbLaoiQFornQbhnXlG0Jw4LZ4/s320/_DSC5015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Lila with a friend doing artwork in her preschool. She was wearing a
shirt she just tie-died in school. I hope she enjoyed her day as much
as I had enjoyed mine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-52151329137225460902011-10-05T22:18:00.000-07:002011-11-05T22:56:28.470-07:00Day 350 - Dinner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8820940377515835" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Today
I played a game called "24" with Jasmine. She loved it. It's a fun mental math game that really gets you to exercise the brain
for additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions. The game has
different levels and Jasmine is currently playing at the easiest level while I
play at the most difficult level. Jasmine enjoys getting through her challenges faster than me. We
make a rule for the winner to gradually move up on the levels and for the loser
to gradually move down. Since Jasmine is so into this game, it won't surprise me
if she will eventually pass me on the difficulty level. The question is
only when.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8820940377515835" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNpdO3Xiv2TFpCzVvIcMGbaMOiyP5ogXNKYITZlPmG6v9f6tDpmfpLwmOP6cmXoACgJnjJhQS86imCWwV8Fqeom7Cm2q5TMJwi6cwAuFgY0xvfzjJas_kw5U1re8C-63uZ76ZQYiFoVwv/s1600/_DSC4916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNpdO3Xiv2TFpCzVvIcMGbaMOiyP5ogXNKYITZlPmG6v9f6tDpmfpLwmOP6cmXoACgJnjJhQS86imCWwV8Fqeom7Cm2q5TMJwi6cwAuFgY0xvfzjJas_kw5U1re8C-63uZ76ZQYiFoVwv/s320/_DSC4916.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Dinner in my favorite restaurant called "home". As in the past
few Wednesdays, Jasmine stayed home with me to work on subjects
including math, science, music, Chinese. Playing games and taking
several "recesses" helped her stay focused and engaged. We spent a happy yet
productive day together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-16279639288244375142011-10-04T23:07:00.000-07:002011-11-05T23:01:07.617-07:00Day 349 - Jasmine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
Thought of the day: Today was <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.17798522059142063" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jasmine’s
birthday. We celebrated at the Med followed by birthday cake and presents at home. I couldn't believe that she was already nine and I got emotional when I realized that this would be her last birthday in the single digits! She is growing up soooo fast. Every day that we get to spend with her is precious and her birthday </span></span>just reminded me of that.<br />
<br />
Photo of the day:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK_hH7eLeQjsc2r6_goF_7SuK8oz2wPQ3GqTmpjQo8LThAkPIa5szR-Hs_HzCvR_Wf_IADOvB-_QleY8v3C0PSqvvVNiH3lbyuG2l2TppYcLiJZOijQ2tajbV1x4lM-lihn5fo48pWls4/s1600/_DSC4888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK_hH7eLeQjsc2r6_goF_7SuK8oz2wPQ3GqTmpjQo8LThAkPIa5szR-Hs_HzCvR_Wf_IADOvB-_QleY8v3C0PSqvvVNiH3lbyuG2l2TppYcLiJZOijQ2tajbV1x4lM-lihn5fo48pWls4/s320/_DSC4888.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Jasmine opening one of her birthday presents at home while Lila watched on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-77325198205966016152011-10-03T22:45:00.000-07:002011-10-21T22:52:51.861-07:00Day 348 - Pool Chairs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7148368242938198" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I went
back to my regular routine today. I was told that Lila had missed me a lot
when I was away. I could tell as she was almost giddy all day. She tired herself out so much during the day that she dropped into sleep almost
instantly tonight. For me, it was good to get away and immerse in an entirely
different environment once in a while. I felt that I had been
gone for a long time but actually it was only a short three days. Coming back home was like stepping into a different time and space. We slip in and out of
different universes all the time, within each we have a distinctive role
or roles to play. This goes on for an entire life time and in some religions this goes on for many life times. Are we authentically ourselves
in all the universes or are we most authentically ourselves in a specific
one? I wonder about that often and I don't think I will ever find a definite answer.</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7148368242938198" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7148368242938198" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrU0hDkAJkUEXHVFy2jIj_FCvyDpA4Iscq1AarKdTPlhSMj_iDLa9a0C30yIGsWYGlJDCSCMTkmS_A8jeuLsruERQXJO13QVczGxnmhk58n-P2R2IH2_oXRndlM78bjSGcwMLU_zgagyK/s1600/_DSC4781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrU0hDkAJkUEXHVFy2jIj_FCvyDpA4Iscq1AarKdTPlhSMj_iDLa9a0C30yIGsWYGlJDCSCMTkmS_A8jeuLsruERQXJO13QVczGxnmhk58n-P2R2IH2_oXRndlM78bjSGcwMLU_zgagyK/s320/_DSC4781.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Pool chairs and swim ring. Jasmine was taking an outdoor swim lesson while Lila played in the play pool. Now that I was back in my regular routine, it was hard to believe that I was in a very different place in the company of very different people doing very different things only yesterday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-44289235296479971152011-10-02T21:50:00.000-07:002011-10-21T22:00:09.043-07:00Day 347 - Train Station<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Almost
everybody who came to the reunion was in the hotel last night.
We gathered in the large yet cozy family room of the hotel and talked
for a long time, all the way into the wee hours of the morning, accompanied by beers, wine and a
flickering fireplace. I had not seen many of my classmates for more than twenty years and I was truly amazed by how little
everybody had changed. They talked in exactly the same way as before - same voices, same facial expressions, same hand gestures. When I closed my eyes, I couldn't sense the gap of twenty years at all. Of course, when I opened my eyes, I could see clearly that the wheel of time had left its marks. We had all matured, in a good way. Character and
personality traits that were obscure and not fully developed yet when we were young had been cultivated and nurtured over the years by
life's inevitable ups and downs and they were now hard to miss. I felt like I
got to know many of my classmates more now than ever before. It was a blessing to have
this opportunity to meet and reconnect with many of them. In the same way that history gave meaning to architecture, meeting my former classmates in Chicago gave the city a new meaning for me.</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I was very happy that I made this trip.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieepSExn5NGCJVucS642pU4YfH6CNtEJWzMrQvJGZhkhx_ol71GyV8AZsnVnvVralvE7k7SLkM6Izr4SFFXhduzQ0U0f51q1bZlyRUHYCgs6t5u7iii7LSv6dcGNnzhMJmQMQLBJ_U_qfF/s1600/_DSC4738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieepSExn5NGCJVucS642pU4YfH6CNtEJWzMrQvJGZhkhx_ol71GyV8AZsnVnvVralvE7k7SLkM6Izr4SFFXhduzQ0U0f51q1bZlyRUHYCgs6t5u7iii7LSv6dcGNnzhMJmQMQLBJ_U_qfF/s320/_DSC4738.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">In train station waiting for the train to Chicago Midway Airport.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-22921571318746704082011-10-01T21:18:00.000-07:002011-10-21T21:30:48.358-07:00Day 346 - FLower Girls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day:<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> <span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
afternoon, we took a boat tour to see the famed architecture along the
Chicago River. The tour was operated by the Chicago Architectural
Foundation whose mission was to educate the public on and help preserve
the historical Chicago architecture. The close-up view of the buildings
along the river was breathtaking. The narrator on the boat gave us the history behind many of the buildings. Architecture seemed to convey more meaning when it was associated with people. For example, when we got to know the intention of the architect or the vision of the
original owner, a building became more interesting. In
any case, through the narrations of our tour guide, the buildings and
the histories behind them came alive in front of our eyes. The tour
also offered a great many opportunities for us to take close-up pictures of bridges and architecture. It was too bad that I didn't have time to take a lake
cruise and see the Chicago skyline from distance. If I ever need a reason to
visit Chicago again, this would be a good one - and the other one would be the
Chicago Art Institute which I didn't have a chance to step into at all.</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.9399693728880946" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VUISgE3xWjEn1ZR7kBKJRjUOiHZR9nIKLsKFW7hJUghIoFXqgDrO5UJ-9W03tVdfJgQJ5zavtOssEidZlV8YakVCwRfbCNYL36xyTqPDRNUSSjK8YxfPYkf6IUdnEJIU5oXCNcIG-8O8/s1600/_DSC4341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VUISgE3xWjEn1ZR7kBKJRjUOiHZR9nIKLsKFW7hJUghIoFXqgDrO5UJ-9W03tVdfJgQJ5zavtOssEidZlV8YakVCwRfbCNYL36xyTqPDRNUSSjK8YxfPYkf6IUdnEJIU5oXCNcIG-8O8/s320/_DSC4341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">One famous place that I did get to visit was the Bean (a.k.a Cloud Gate) in the Millennium Park. A wedding party was there taking photos which gave me a chance to snap this photo of the flower girls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-47398023753396929462011-09-30T22:55:00.000-07:002011-11-08T09:40:12.035-08:00Day 345 - Chicago River<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
think I am in love with this city. The people,
interesting; The street scenes, entertaining; The architecture, fascinating;
The evening lights, dazzling. It’s a heaven for photographers of all kinds - portrait, architecture, street, night, and even wedding photographers can all find
something to point their lenses at. After getting used to a place as quiet
as Boulder, the vibrant night scenes of Chicago are particularly
striking to me. The neon sign of Chicago Theater, the live broadcast of 7
News that can be viewed from outside of the tall glass walls, the
watery reflections of skyscrapers on Chicago River, the magnificent
night view of the entire city from the top of Skydeck of Willis
(formerly known as Sears) Tower - all of these created an indelible
memory not only on my camera, but also in my mind. I think one of the
many benefits of living in a town like Boulder is that I can be completely in awe of a big city like Chicago whenever I have a chance
to visit. Boulder provides a solid home base for me to explore and
appreciate the magnificence of the rest of the world - it’s as indispensable as the
rice in a Chinese meal or the bread in a western fare. At this moment I’m enjoying Chicago,
thoroughly and without reservation, as I know that I will be happy when I get home too.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY0yLev_AIibOtruUx2ZvpJ-JnFq_f2u08-MaHf_ORm8UE-W1mYhOdPs27qK0ACyVZQ1LecRp79gVNzzIX3u-tQAg_UbV6ylRC0UyF7Iii28Dch6_-20AvcWLfUGZLUAZv2KmvfD5NzND/s1600/_DSC4196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY0yLev_AIibOtruUx2ZvpJ-JnFq_f2u08-MaHf_ORm8UE-W1mYhOdPs27qK0ACyVZQ1LecRp79gVNzzIX3u-tQAg_UbV6ylRC0UyF7Iii28Dch6_-20AvcWLfUGZLUAZv2KmvfD5NzND/s320/_DSC4196.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night reflections on Chicago River.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-20374956448933146402011-09-29T22:29:00.000-07:002011-10-20T22:41:23.898-07:00Day 344 - Homeless Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
flew into Chicago today for a 20-year class reunion. Even though I missed my family already, it was liberating to be able to do something
on my own once in a while. There was a great many things that I took for
granted before having a family - reading a book without interruptions,
wandering about in a strange place without any particular direction, falling into sleep without any thoughts for tomorrow - simple, yet
not insignificant, things that you noticed only after you didn't have them any more. When I had them back, at least for this short while, I
found that I still missed them after all these years. So, after all, I really haven't changed much, have I? Do people ever change over time? When the opportunities arise, do we fall
back into our old behaviors and habits as readily as snow flakes
drift effortlessly onto the ground? Are we the drops of water in an ocean that
evaporate, form a cloud, come down in a shower, flow into a river,
return to the sea after a long journey and end up being exactly the same drops of
water that we were many years ago and many continents away? I guess I shall find
out in the next few days - a reunion after 20 years of absence shall at least shed some lights to these questions.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8296405187380191" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmyawTmdpUDfeeRe8Qjv6u0P4UCbaf5yOyhZ-N2KhCEljRRx-cyDCB-C7aUV88E21z6SGrwTa7mm984aZr8VPb5-5aN0sTbkUx6vZU6PtvGVBHlTdDU86QHGnenblZZxc9P2GM3nZWte1/s1600/_DSC3829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmyawTmdpUDfeeRe8Qjv6u0P4UCbaf5yOyhZ-N2KhCEljRRx-cyDCB-C7aUV88E21z6SGrwTa7mm984aZr8VPb5-5aN0sTbkUx6vZU6PtvGVBHlTdDU86QHGnenblZZxc9P2GM3nZWte1/s320/_DSC3829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">A homeless man near Chicago's Magnificent Mile. On his left lies a bible and on his right sits a cardboard that says "God Is Good". Amid buzz of the city, he seems remarkably calm. He is one of the fascinating characters I ran into while wandering aimlessly in Chicago downtown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-8662358403374102542011-09-28T21:43:00.000-07:002011-10-20T22:44:20.586-07:00Day 343 - Play<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7996416567936339" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our chiropractor
is a pretty amazing person. She has not only a reservoir of knowledge of her field, but also of other related fields as well. She is well connected to the local homeopathic community and is often able to introduce families to a variety of practitioners ranged from doulas to massage therapists. She is a go-to person you can trust. Today I found out that she has a
good heart as well. There is a very unfortunate local family that lost their house in the Fourmile Canyon Fire last year and then suffered an even worse blow this summer - a drunk driver hit them, left the father dead and his toddler girl severely injured. Our chiropractor went to the memorial service of the father and was so moved by the desperate situation of the family that she and her colleagues decided to do something for them. They donated an entire day of their work for the benefit of the little girl. I am glad to be part of it and I am grateful to belong to a community that's so generous in heart.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7996416567936339" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9myNHY3j3J_6JsGyAL0XSXmIsoIK9r3FGXPeIHn2o2AYLCj2dnRxCmReqwTexsELv4O_mvyJl9ls9_ves02WEQeDE9738As6wgxmqLNMwTn0iTgWJUyYRAwFePUJ2kHWZv0rIhxt-tEhf/s1600/_DSC3736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9myNHY3j3J_6JsGyAL0XSXmIsoIK9r3FGXPeIHn2o2AYLCj2dnRxCmReqwTexsELv4O_mvyJl9ls9_ves02WEQeDE9738As6wgxmqLNMwTn0iTgWJUyYRAwFePUJ2kHWZv0rIhxt-tEhf/s320/_DSC3736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Izzy playing with blocks on the floor of a theater. The injured girl is even younger than her. I hope the little girl will be able to fully recover and enjoy a normal life soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191779214908182444.post-80774560490068190482011-09-27T21:10:00.000-07:002011-10-17T21:22:30.606-07:00Day 342 - Lila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thought of the day: <span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.3906429340552653" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
best time of my day was when I picked up Lila from preschool in the afternoon. Other kids had already left so we were the only ones
there. The ground of the preschool was small but it was nice and
peaceful so we hung out a bit outside. Lila showed me a
collection of painted rocks in the garden, climbed the trees and relished in the opportunity to run about freely. We watched the moving shadows casted by the late afternoon sun
while devouring delicious apples Lila collected from the trees. It was fun for Lila and relaxing for me. With two active kids, I have come to
enjoy and appreciate these slow and simple moments more ever day.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.3906429340552653" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo of the day:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU88XkL_WtvIZXHTQWlnbpjKvildQSInL-cFIJqGZtZQoK2Sq27m5AOsq2gmMPGl-gSDcThpW1T0F8jJLMInnO10oGFuKqyITq2jrWjT-OxhL86_dCh-ZI7d5uIsDOydoK0QlfPkHU6KCP/s1600/_DSC3664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU88XkL_WtvIZXHTQWlnbpjKvildQSInL-cFIJqGZtZQoK2Sq27m5AOsq2gmMPGl-gSDcThpW1T0F8jJLMInnO10oGFuKqyITq2jrWjT-OxhL86_dCh-ZI7d5uIsDOydoK0QlfPkHU6KCP/s320/_DSC3664.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lila basking in the afternoon sun.</td></tr>
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</div>Ninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012841089485547272noreply@blogger.com0