Something New day 1337. Celebration of the third Full Moon of the year on March 05, 2015 - after days of snow and ice to see the sky again is a gift. The Moon peaks into fullness as we herald new beginnings.
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24 hours can really make a difference. Started ice/snow storm yesterday afternoon through the night. Today was another snow day in Dallas - 5 inches of ice and snow in the morning. Made a small snowman! Then the Texas sun came out and much was melted by 4! Ice is in the way as temperatures drop tonight.
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The Cake Bar - a new place at Trinity Grove. Since this is a week of indulgences why not have more cake. The smell of sugar fills the room and cakes of all sizes and types line the shelves.
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Today is a national Chocolate Cake day! a great excuse to enjoy this forbidden treat. Purchased two huge slices to test- one from Celebrity Café, traditional devils food chocolate cake with white icing and another from the Breadwinners, with 4 layers of different flavored chocolate cake and a whipped cream icing.
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How we balance our bodies in standing postures is something I had not really considered until today when I went to the Dallas County Courthouse to respond to a Jury summons. The hundreds of people who were there amazed me as we all stood around waiting to go through the selection process which took several hours.
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Took my first hike in Cedar Ridge Preserve with Julie on a glorious Sunday afternoon under the blue skies of Texas. All of my senses were awakened during the 1.2 mile hike.
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Attended my first organ concert at the Dallas Symphony Hall played by Cameron Carpenter. For years I have looked at the amazing organ as a backdrop for the symphony and never heard it played. The repertoire was J.S. Bach as well as Carpenter's own compositions and improvisations. There are 4,535 pipes in the organ dispersed over 6 divisions!
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Exploring art making with the DMA's Monet's Waterlilies which was recreated with 6,000 bottles of OPI Nail Polish. Who would have thought of this? The work is a combination of computer technology to map the image by Monet, new materials, the bottles of nail polish, and manual labor as 3 men had to hand place the bottles into the grid. Old and new in art making—the designers were on site for 2 days and will then donate the nail polish to women's shelters.
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Today is national dark chocolate day what fun it was to celebrate. And indulge. Lunch with Julie and Ken at Neuhaus cafe where they make Belgian chocolates and sampled dark chocolate marshmallow and dark chocolate caramel truffles.
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A quiet day of reflections on art and books. A number of books have arrived this week, one of my great indulgences in life—and they have inspired me to read and reflect on this cold day. Reflections is the personal story of the development of Margaret's impressionist art collection with her husband, their life together, and the gifts of art to the museum. The story of a collector and her passion for art that was collected and a part of her life for over 60 years. It took over five years to write, and the final book is a wonderful statement of her life and loves.
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Started the New Year with a quiet fireside dinner with my dear friend Margaret who is 102 years old. The evening was filled with wonderful conversations about our families, our love of art and the times we have shared over the past 14 years. During our time together I was able to tell her how important she has been to me as a source of inspiration and as a friend.
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Playing with pick up sticks! As a child I love playing pick up sticks and have not done it for years. It is a game of skill, concentration, and dexterity using 20 or more colored sticks to be released on the table then lifted one stick at a time out of the pile without moving another one. The best part of the game is that you can play it with friends or alone. Staying in the moment is critical to playing successfully. Attention to overlapping sticks and their tangled relationships and the changes that happen are like life itself. There is much to be learned from the simple pleasures play.
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A focus for this month is on living intentionally and to take action. Today my intention is to celebrate and thank friends and family as part of the New Year. It started with lunch at a new restaurant, Eureka and eating hamburgers while sharing stories of the holiday and plans for the year to come. Then calls to family and friends in distant places to thank them for their support and love. Friendships are cherished gifts that need to be nurtured.
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Starting the year with lists of things to do! Too many ideas but a fun way to refocus attention on possibilities and adventures. Made my first Word Cloud with a selection of the writings on the Do Something New Practice.
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New flavors of tea are a joy especially when shared with friends. The smells, the history of tea, the ingredients and the time spent with friends sharing helps me to slow down and meditate on moments of pleasure and gentle conversation. Today it was a new Lemon Myrtle Herb Infusion from David's Teas. Lemon's flavor comes from Citronella, a molecular compound that gives lemons their fresh citrus taste and the Lemon Myrtle tea by David contains about 20 times more citral than a lemon. In busy times the sipping of tea is an excellent way to engage the senses and reflect on the momemnt.
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Marching forward with my Something New Blog with Mandy—learning the skills—I hope to keep this up and share with others. Learning new technologies and developing the independence to do it on my own is a goal for 2015!
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Another quiet day of recovery and visits from friends the celebration of the day with the new Ben & Jerry's coffee ice cream in Bennington blue bowls from Karen and fun ice cream spoons. Bennington pottery is made in Vermont with some of America's finest clays with a secret recipe using three different clay bodies including stoneware, porcelain and terracotta.
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Quiet times and solitude are part of recovery. A gift of David’s Teas, including Buddha’s Delight results in a tea party with my four new Christmas ducks, the last piece of the Christmas Stollen placed upon a Bavarian china plate from my grandmother. Taking time to make new memories by savoring each morsel and sip of hot tea while listening to Christmas carols. The array of colorful tea canisters and favorite blue teapot and cups are from loved ones who know well my love of tea and need for quiet times as I heal.
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FaceTime with my granddaughter Frances Rose as she opens presents.
Christmas in Dallas—this is my first Christmas ever without being with my son David. It is also the first Christmas for Frances Rose and she is 9 months old—dressed in a Santa suit and joyfully opening presents with her parents in Charleston S.C.. FaceTime is a gift and we shared many times together with the wonders of this technology.
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Youth and wisdom meet in Dallas. Sweet Frances Rose arrived in Dallas to meet Margaret McDermott, who is 101 years older than she is. A reminder of the passage of time, accumulation of wisdom and joy in living each day for both of them. We often do not pay enough attention to the these moments when friends meet and new connections are made. Both Franny and Margaret will share a special place in each others heart for years to come.
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