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December seems to be going out like a lion... hence my photo for today's post. It has been quite a year... and I am still healing and resting from it. My photo of the lion statue above, reminds me to have courage... to stand up for myself... to go forth and conquer. As one site put it:

"LION brings us courage to make the right choices. The Lion symbolizes the astrological sign of Leo, which rules the heart. Courage comes from the heart and from one's deep sense of personal authority, which creates the power to act in a way that accords with one's spirit. One who acts truly from the heart is capable of leadership, achievement, and the kind of success that encourages the accomplishments of others. It is also about not being able to speak one's own truth, or to roar if you feel threatened in any way."
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It has been bright and sunny here in Albuquerque... nothing like the traditional weather gracing holiday seasons back east. But that's not a bad thing... and I am enjoying the blue skies and sunshine. The photo below, and of the lion above, I took yesterday on my walk around the college area downtown.

My hope is that it will fill you with sunshine thoughts and blue skies... and courage to face your day.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Another week has begun... and it was full of sunshine and warmth today. It has been unusually chilly for here (me-thinks)... of course... I am used to being in much warmer weather. However... with the chill comes the reason that so many leaves here turn such brilliant colors... so I cannot complain.

Today our drive in the countryside took us out over Dutch Hill and into the fields and back roads of Jenkins Hill, Ayers Hill, and such. The leaves are beginning to turn... and the sunset was gorgeous.

A couple weeks from now will be the local "Falling Leaves Festival"... and the gun show. The business stuff/paperwork I have been doing for my mother is finally winding down... and things are almost completely taken care of. There are a couple projects I would still like to do... and a few people yet that I would like to see..... but things are getting there.

But for right now... I am enjoying a warm cup of tea...

and the warmth of the sunshine in these photos...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Having dealt with debilitating illnesses before... you'd think that I would know when to slow down. Or stop. But I don't. I think sometimes that illness (at least in my case) can therefor sometimes be a good thing; in the sense that it forces me to take time and rest.
This whole past month I have been working up to a "good" case of bronchitis. And now, for the past several days... it has consumed most every moment of my existence.

Stupid stuff completely wears me out.

I have been trying to sort thru the house ... and this past weekend I sold some of the stuff off of Craigslist. The stuff that didn't sell.... I loaded up and took to Goodwill this afternoon. It was all I could do to basically drive it up there... and somewhat help unload it (fortunately... I very nice guy helped me out). By the time I got home... I was ready for another breathing treatment... and some Tylenol for a killer headache.

One thing that never seems to wear me out though... is taking photographs. Both of the shots for today's post I took on the way home from Goodwill. They are sunny.... and remind me to keep "looking up".... and keep on keepin on....


------->photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today is monday... and I have had very little sleep. I am beginning to get cranky and exhausted... and so I took some extra time this morning to rest.

I picked up my mom from the hospital after lunch, and decided to take her for a drive in the countryside. It was a beautiful day today... and it was wonderful to enjoy the sunshine... the very blue skies.... and the plant life bursting to life around us.

We went onto some of the backroads today... and it was teeming with the critters and such of springtime. Bunnies... hawks... cows... goats and sheep and horses... even a turkey vulture looked at us as if we were disturbing his springtime frolicing.

I have been taking lots of movies and music up to my dad... and we have been enjoying them all over again. He rests alot in between times... but every so often he will burst into laughter and grin like a kid at Christmas over something.

It is a joy to see.

I am trying to make sure my mom is well rested and eats...

sometimes this is easier said than done.

But for now... here are a couple shots from our drive today...

------->all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Well.... dad's fever has finally somewhat stabilized.... and he is tolerating the IV antibiotics he is getting. His spirit is strong... but his body is betraying him these past few days. Today... it was discovered that he has a significant blood clot in his left femoral artery *left groin/upper leg area.
Ironically... the best thing for the pneumonia is to be as active as possible.... but with a clot.. he is confined to minimal movement at best... as he is getting blood thinners and such to absorb the clot and minimize more from forming. It is a viscious cycle almost.....

Mimicking the up and down of dad's health... is the weather here. I took this photo of a stained glass art piece in my parent's living room looking out to the backyard... and not even an hour later... we were in the middle of a massive snowstorm.

The snow didn't stay of course.... and I'm sure the weather will improve... it just seemed horribly ironic....

Walking around the house... I was really tired... and trying to figure out what I would take as my photo for the day....

And so.... I am including a photo of probably some of the most *ahem* interesting wallpaper ever.... (in my parent's bathroom)... and a photo of a hand-colored photograph of my dad taken when he was about 3 years old. Yes... my grandmother really did dress him like that for school. He says it was how he learned to fight so well as a kid (>>giggle<<).

* all photos by Elaine A. Russell