Day 47 - Portrait

Thought of the day:  I had many happy surprises today.  On the way out this morning, I was greeted by the view of a very unusual, painting-like cloud floating high above Broadway.  Surely it's not just a random formation of water droplets or ice crystals as they say, someone must have just painted that on the blue sky with bold brush strokes.  Later in the morning, I had the pleasure of photographing some sweet little kids. And then, unexpectedly,  I received a can of nice tea from a friend and a book with beautiful rhymes from another.  As if that was not enough, I got another surprise in the afternoon.  Jasmine's piano teacher asked her students, if they wish, to give a donation to EFAA in lieu of a holiday gift for her.  And she will match the donation 100%.  What a thoughtful and noble thing for her to do! EFAA has seen its caseload skyrocketing this year and it doesn't have enough to meet all the needs in the community.  Her gift will, for sure, make a difference in someone else's holiday.  All these happy surprises put me on a pretty good mood for the rest of the day, which should not come as a surprise at all.

Photo of the day:

Portrait of a little girl.

Day 46 - Holiday Tea

Thought of the day:  This morning I read a touching story about a couple displaced by the Fourmile Canyon Fire donating Christmas gifts to three needy boys.  When people are in need themselves, they tend to be more acutely aware of the real sufferings of others.  Their own difficult situations make them more aware and compassionate and thus kindle their generous giving spirit which, I believe, lies in the heart of every human being.  On the other side, when you are rich and live comfortably for too long, you may loose touch with reality and the real people.  Your fire of generosity may become dormant.  I wonder if that explains why, statistically speaking, the poorer you are, the more generous you tend to be.  Coloradans earn more than national average, but they give less;  Boulderites earn even more than state average, but they give even less.  I wonder what it will take for the spirit of generosity to be rekindled in people.  Maybe the Fourmile Fire was one such extraordinary event and the statistics for 2010 will be different from the past?  Maybe more people will realize that giving is not only a blessing for those who receive, it's even a greater blessing for those who give, as it can open up your mind and heart, put your own life into perspective, and give you real peace and happiness.

Photo of the day:

Hotel Boulderado's Storytime Tea, a benefit for the Parenting Place.  'Tis the season...a season of sweets, a season of celebration and a season of giving.

Day 45 - Bird of Prey

Thought of the day:  This morning we watched a falcon working on its prey in the backyard of Trident Cafe.  It was a pretty unusual scene in a city and you could tell that from the attention it commanded from the patrons of the cafe.  Could it be a Peregrine Falcon?  It used to be an endangered species due to the use of pesticides including DDT.  As Peregrine Falcon sits high up on the food chain, it got accumulated, large doses of pesticide exposures which affected its reproduction.  Luckily, its population recovered after the worldwide ban of DDT.  It took a Silence Spring and the ensuing environmental movement for that to happen.  That makes me wonder, what will it take for us to realize that we're becoming an endangered species ourselves, by what we are doing to ourselves and to the environment?  That also gives me hope: if we can be motivated enough to save a bird and actually pull it off, perhaps we can be motivated enough to save ourselves and pull it off, too.  Only the future will tell.

Photo of the day:

A falcon working on its prey in the backyard of Trident Cafe.

Day 44 - Wild Hair

Thought of the day: Today was a perfect winter day to take a stroll with a friend on the 29th Street Mall.  Albeit a little windy, it was perfectly sunny and warm.  The colorful holiday decorations and the Christmas tree outside of Macy's added a festive air to the open air mall.  Shopping didn't even cross our minds.  There's nothing like watching your kids running around wild and happy to make you forget about all your worries, todo lists and, if you try hard enough, your lack of sleep.

Photo of the day:

Izzy's hair ran wild in the wind.

Week 6 - Community Cycles

Community Cycles is a local not-for-profit that promotes cycling as a sustainable means of transportation and recreation.  One thing they do is to give out refurbished bikes to low income families every December.  It's definitely a good cause to support.  This week I made a donation to help a couple of kids get their bikes.  It makes me happy just to imagine the excitement of these kids getting on their bikes this month, possibly the very first ones they can call their own.

Day 43 - Reading Books

Thought of the day:  The rewards of parenthood often show up when you're not expecting them.  When I was showing and singing to Lila some songs in a lullaby book, she suddenly decided to sing along with me.  We have "read" the book many times before in that manner but usually she would just sit and listen quietly.  Tonight I discovered that she could sing most of the songs in tune.  What a surprise!  That reminded me of Jasmine when she was a toddler: one day when I was reading One More Bunny to her for the sextillionth time, she decided to break her silence and finish every sentence in the book for me.  These are the moments when you realize that your kids take everything in like a sponge, no matter they're showing it or not, and whatever you do for them have a meaning.  These are the emotional moments that all parents live for.

Photo of the day:

Lila flipping through a book.

Day 42 - Church Reflection

Thought of the day:  Today I was photographing buildings and patterns in Boulder downtown.  I found that the most interesting buildings to photograph were almost all church buildings.  I haven't noticed this before but it's hardly surprising: churches are built to be awe inspiring and they often have distinctive roof lines and intricate window designs which make them really interesting to photograph, especially on a clear and sun filled day like today.

Photo of the day:

Reflection of another church on a church window in Boulder Downtown.