Moments D621: Purple Slivers

I spent most of the day on my own today running an errand and otherwise reading the day away.  A pretty chill day.

I dropped off my broken phone at a repair place first thing this morning, (yes, I had to drive that Big ol' Truck again!), I spent some time in the bed of the truck soaking up the sun, I finished off my book and then drove back to the repair place to pick up my fixed phone.

And when I arrived home, the sun was just lost behind the mountains already and the sky was my favourite colour.  And there, in that pretty purple sky was a pretty sliver of moon.

I paused and soaked it in.  I couldn't help but share this one out.  What a beautiful way to end the day.

Moments seeing your favourite colour as the backdrop to your favourite natural icon.

Moments pausing to take it all in and then sharing it all out.

Moments D596: Volcanic Sunsets

Funny.  I actually had another moment blog drafted.  And then I stepped outside to head out to a show with EQ.  We were running a touch late, but I couldn't help myself.  I stopped and stared at the beautiful sunset over the Ortega mountains.

Stunning.

The world stopped spinning for a moment.

And I snapped a couple of photos.

And within a couple of minutes, the moment was gone.  That magical angle of the sun hitting the ocean on the other side of the mountains, reflecting upon the perfectly positioned clouds.  Gone.  Five minutes, at most, of one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

A perfect reminder of how fleeting life can be.  Hold on tight to things that matter.  Focus on the things the things that matter.  Share your energy in places where it will be amplified and reflected back.  Because life is too short to be sad.

Moments running late, but pausing to experience the joy of natural beauty.

Moments where natural beauty reminds you to appreciate the things that matter most.

Moments D502: God's Thumbnail

Today was a hot hot day today and the air conditioning in the team room at the drop zone was dead.  The air within its walls were coated with the humid air.  Standing still wasn't still enough to avoid sweating buckets. It was a touch better when I sat outside in the dusty hot wind working on a design for an upcoming competition. (Which reminds me I wonder if my team for Tough Mudder wants to do t-shirts?  Hmmm.  Yes.  I think we must get some!)

As the afternoon came to a close, EQ and I decided to really escape the heat and head to a movie.  Planes was a fun movie and a perfect way to cool off.  Too early for dinner after the movie, we decided to ride into Temecula wine country to watch the sunset.

But the moment of the day that I really want to focus on was when we were riding home.   As we rode, the smells in the air shifted from sweet to earthy and the temperature cooled.   The sky shifted from hot red orange into the perfect purple-blue twilight colour (my favourite).  We rode into the velvety sky and the sliver of a moon and Saturn shone brightly against the twilight sky.  It filled my vision and senses for quite some time. As we continued on the road, I pointed out the beauty of the sky ahead of us.  EQ shared with me that this teeny sliver of a moon is known as "God's Thumbnail".  I hadn't heard it called that before and suddenly the moment was that much more beautiful for I had learned something new and could admire it from a new perspective.  We rode into the beauty for quite some time and I soaked in every moment of it.  The view was very similar to this, though the moon was higher in the sky for us.

Moments enjoying the smells and sights around you.

Moments seeing the beauty from a new perspective.

Moments D499: Sunsets and Synchronicity

Today was a pretty incredible day.  First, I met a lot of new people and was welcomed into a whole new world. And then EQ & I tried to escape the 105F temperature by hopping on his bike and heading over the mountains to the ocean.

We failed.

It was just as hot there!  After walking through a small farmer's market, we stopped for a horchata as I had  never had one before.  We paused for awhile to enjoy our horchata at a shaded table.  It was absolutely delightful and a great way to spend watching the sun get lower in the sky.

Around 4pm we made our way to the beach near Dana Point.  There I played in the waves for a bit and then EQ and I  lay on the beach with our backs to the sun.  There we chatted about life, love and what's to come. A beautiful moment in its own right.  But as the sun set and we began to hunger for some dinner, EQ reached out to a dear friend of his that lives in the area.  This is where it gets really good.

We headed our way to the area's well known (it's been in business since 1939!) cafe for dinner.  Harbor House Cafe.  Just as we arrived to the restaurant, EQ sent a text to his friend.  Within seconds he had a response:  "See you in 10 minutes."  Smiles all around.  Talk about great timing!  Not only having connected, but for his friend to have the time to meet up with us for dinner!

Within 5 minutes, one of his dearest friends walked in the door and sat with us and introductions were made.  Shortly into our conversation, we found out that EQ had been invited to a house warming party for his friend and his girlfriend`s new home this coming weekend.  This was news to EQ, even though the invitation had been sent over a month ago!  Done.  We were going.  No doubt about it!

Talk about synchronicity!  Had we not met up with his friend, we never would have known about the house warming party.  AMAZING!  A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

Twenty minutes later, the girlfriend joined us, dinner and more laughter ensued.  It was such a wonderful evening.  Watching the sunset with the man I love, then meeting one of his dearest friends (and his girlfriend) and knowing that all of this culminated in not missing out on an important milestone between friends (the house warming).  Incredible how things just fall into place sometimes!

Moments enjoying a sunset.

Moments meeting new friends and finding synchronicity!

Moments D496: Storm clouds rolling in

Today has been a fun day watching EQ in his element.   Meanwhile I spent most of the day soaking in the sun . 

But the moment I want to share with you today is when I was all alone watching the storm clouds roll in.  It was a beautiful quiet,  introspective moment.   As the pretty white fluffy clouds moved out, the dark rain heavy clouds moved in.   

It took about 30 minutes for the sky to darken completely.  And then she unleashed.   It poured!   

As others ran for cover, I made my way to a chair under an extended roof.  It didn't save me from the wind rain when it picked up,  but at least I could sit outside and enjoy the sound of the storm hitting us.  The eaves troughs were overflowing, the kids at the drop zone were out splashing and playing in the rain.   I was jealous!   Had I had dry clothes with me, I would have joined them in playing in the deluge. 

And when my love finally found me, we watched the end of the storm arm in arm.   As fast as it rolled in, the storm moved out and the skies cleared.   Perfect for one more jump of the day at sunset.  And what a beautiful sunset it was with the lightning filled storm clouds in the distance. 

Moments enjoying a storm rolling in and out.

Moments enjoying the sunsetting.

Moments D129: Breeze

Today’s unexpected smile and therefore moment to share was post a long week at work and play. I was laying on my love seat watching old episodes of shows I haven’t seen in months. The sun was setting behind the tennis courts across the street and a cool, sweet breeze was blowing through the open window.

That cool breeze brought a satisfied and content smile. I paused my shows and lay there soaking in the moment. The golden rays of the disappearing light and the cool breeze tickling my face.

Moments with a cool summer breeze.

Moments to pause.

Moments D79: Sunsets

Today was a bit of a crazy day for me. Busy at work, dealing with a bit of drama with friends, another friend having a terribly rough day and then closing out the day with a game of baseball.

Beyond it all. Beyond the excitement. Beyond the emotion. Beyond the thoughts and worries and calculations. Beyond the need to perform well and win. Beyond was the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen yet this summer.

Around 8:45pm or so, the sky filled with hues of deep pink, fire red and hot oranges. The buildings in the East skyline were ablaze in orange/red light. The colour was all enveloping. When changing over from the top to the bottom of the inning it was hard to pay attention to my team mates. I was in awe of the sky and colours enfolding me into their calm.

It’s a picture burned in my mind, as sadly, I didn’t have a camera with me.

So today’s moment to smile: Sunsets. They cost nothing to appreciate. They are moments that can bring peace within. AND they can be shared across distance with others, no matter where they are.

Stop and smile to the sunset.

#moments #sunset #peace #friends

Moments D67; Para-Sailing

Today was an incredible day at the cottage. Too much sun. Not enough swimming, lots of football and alcohol to go around….but the moment to be shared? The moment where at sunset we all watched a parasailer worked his (or her) way back and forth across the setting sun sky. It was such a magical moment. With the oranges behind the canopy of the sail. While I didn’t manage to get multiple good pictures of the moment, I did get one. Here it is:

Yes a beautiful moment to share.

Moments - D8 - Sunsets & Surprises

Today’s moment was brought out of a day of darkness and difficult moments.  It was a challenging day.  It was a day that I wouldn’t want to relive and I was happy when it was over.

But, even so, there was a special moment.  A moment where my worries and concerns were explained away and relief set in.

Things at work have been particularly challenging the past 5 months.  We’re under resourced due to a loss on the team.  Everyone is feeling the pressure to keep up.  Yesterday that came to a head with the lack of communication and assumptions.  My surprise:  An apology for the process and pains.  A commitment to me and my department to take care of us.  It was a sigh of relief.  It could have been much, much different.  I am very thankful.

And then, yesterday waiting for my girlfriend to pick me up for our post-Booty Camp comedy adventure I stopped and smiled at the sky.  It was 8:30pm.  The sky was a pretty pink with wispy clouds.  It was beautiful.  It was serene.  It was a moment to pause and reflect.

Both moments to remember and share.