Ligo Circle of Appreciation

Last week, Mimi at WaitingfortheKarmaTruck.com included me in the Ligo Circle of Appreciation. Somewhat different than a blog award, the Ligo Circle is a way of including and acknowledging those bloggers who have touched our lives through their blogs in a special way.

Had I received this honor from someone else, Mimi would have been on the top of my own list for inclusion. Her blog is always a favorite and when I thanked her, she said: “I was so happy to be able to give your talents some attention, Cathy. You are someone who I am sure I would befriend in the real world, and as such value you with the same tenderness that one saves for those they love.” That’s Mimi.

Mimi shares inspiration, humor, a love of family, ethics and her favorite music. When she was Freshly Pressed recently for a hilarious post about stink bugs, she was somewhat dismayed that the tag under the FP announcement for her post said “More Entomology.” But true to form, she laughed it off, accepted her reputation as a “bug” person and included a picture of a praying mantis in the follow-up post.

The only rules for the Ligo Circle of Appreciation are to invite two more bloggers into the circle and to complete the sentence: “A blog is…”

There are so many bloggers who I do include in my circle of appreciation – people who I now consider friends – people I care about and miss when they take a break from blogging. But I will choose only two for the purposes of this post and hopefully in the next few weeks, I plan to finally put together my blogroll.

I invite Julie Hansen Intuitive. I met Julie within the first month of my blogging experience here on WordPress. She shares her amazing insights and gentle wisdom on her blog and I always look forward to her posts. We have made a commitment to get together in person to share a hug and a cup of coffee at the earliest opportunity. (And if I’m not mistaken, Julie was the first person to present me with a blog award.)

And I invite Madame Weebles. Lord knows she doesn’t need the additional press. This week, she offered to throw a virtual tea party on the blogosphere and got 80 RSVPs! She’s my blogging heroine – and I’ve told her that many times. Weebs is funny, irreverent, kind (a word she uses for me but it also fits for her), a great writer and a historian. She’s also a Reiki practitioner and my friend. As busy as she has to be answering all of the comments that she gets on her blog, she always seems to be able to make the time to come over to my site and comment whenever I put up a post. And I always appreciate it.

To Julie and Weebs, I simply want you to know how much I appreciate you. Please don’t feel that you need to do anything further than to know this, but if you choose to participate, it is an honor to include you in the circle and to see who you would invite.

Finally, in my humble opinion, a blog is a place to express one’s unique world view in a way that enriches the blogger and those who come to visit.

May your blogging experiences lead you to new paths of appreciation and your circle.

Love,

Cathy

On Being Freshly Pressed

Tuesday at work: Email from Michelle.
Congratulations! You have been Freshly Pressed.
Ode to the Blogosphere will be posted
in 1-2 days.
Stay focused on clients…

Wednesday: Doing email.
Notification of moderation.
James posts a comment.
Hmmm – never met James before.

Light goes on.
Check the FP page.
IT’S THERE!
Art and all.

Histogram jumps.
143 views in first hour.
Comments to moderate.
Comments to answer.

Aside: Fortunately,
I am out of the office today.
My day off.
Otherwise, people would think
I had disappeared.
Note to self: If it ever happens again,
and you’re supposed to be working,
call in sick.

Cut back to Wednesday: Eat breakfast.
Reply to comments.
Eat lunch.
Reply to comments.
Workout for an hour.
Reply to comments.
Cook and eat dinner.
Reply to comments.
Go to bed.
Actually sleep.

Thursday: Things have slowed down.
Answer a few comments.
Go to work.
Ski jump histogram
returns to normal when
announcement ends at 4:00.
It marched over 32 hours,
from top left to bottom right
and then off.

Amazing stats.
Over 1100 Hits,
195 Comments,
175 Likes,
4 Reblogs,
50 New Followers
from around the Globe.

People liked the poem.
It spoke to them
of their own experiences.
Why they blog,
what they’ve learned.
That feels good.

A magical mystery ride.
Thanks to WordPress.
And I would have never
written a poem,
Had I not started my blog.

If you’ve ever been Freshly Pressed, has it changed your blogging experience? If you haven’t been Freshly Pressed, is it something you aspire to? Do you check out Freshly Pressed to find new blogs? Why?

Love,

Cathy

More Snow

Yesterday, we got our first snow of the season here in Colorado. After being Freshly Pressed on Wednesday and Thursday, I was still joyfully replying to comments on the awarded post, and wanted to write a short poem and put up a picture before leaving for a full day of clients at the office. So I cheated and used a photo from a huge snowstorm last October.

I did confess my transgression in the comments, but my friend Clare asked me to post what my beautiful environment looks like now. By the time I got home last night, it was dark and all the snow had melted.

This morning, I was greeted by more snow and bright sunshine so here’s what I shot just a few minutes ago:

Having grown up in the South where snow is a rarity, the first Autumn storm is always a delight. For an avid skier, it means the slopes will soon be calling.

Peter and I met skiing twenty years ago (yes, on the lift) and we still share our passion. Here’s the post about that story if you’re interested. We buy a season pass and try to go up every Friday to one of our ski areas about two and a half hours away. We usually leave the house around 6 am, get to mountain about 8:30, ski like Banshees for five or six hours, have a late lunch and then head home before Friday afternoon rush hour in Denver. It’s a long day, but worth the effort for us.

Skiing is great exercise, but also a way to get outside in the winter, enjoy the magnificence of the Rocky Mountains and expose ourselves to much needed sunshine and fresh air. It keeps the cabin fever away and also keeps us in great shape.

So here are my questions for you: Have you ever tried skiing or snowboarding and if so, what is your favorite experience? If not, ever wanted to try it? Where do you like to ski or ride? If it’s a passion, why?

Best,

Cathy

First Snow

Early white stuff,
before Halloween this year.
Old timers say it means
a cold, snowy winter.

Fine by me.
Champagne powder builds
in the mountains.
New Volkl Kenjas,
get ready for a workout!

Freshly Pressed

Got the word Tuesday
from Michelle, the Story Wrangler.
A short gestation – one to two days.
Never thought it would happen,
Just happy to have a place to write,
to experiment, to publish all these pics.

And then the mystery of friendship,
comments, support – egging me on.
Ode to the Blogosphere
Ode to you.

Ode to the Blogosphere

Blog Love – Zendala by Cathy Ulrich

Seven a.m.
Sitting at my Mac,
I check email,
click on blog notices.

Peter walks by.
“What’s happening
in the Blogosphere?”
he says.

“Oh, Madame Weebles
just got Freshly Pressed,
Le Clown was featured
on The Daily Post,
Clare went to Edinburgh,
Brigitte came back
from Woodstock,
and LameAdventures
is taking a break.”

“That’s nice,” he says.
Doesn’t know
the details,
but knows it’s
important to me.

Each day starts
with blogging.
More than writing posts,
I read,
like,
comment.
reply.

Sometimes, one comment,
sometimes back and forth.
It takes time
for me and them.

I don’t click “like”
unless I’ve read the post.
And I”d rather go
to their website
to click.
It raises their hits.

I’ll write a poem,
post a quote,
compose an essay.
Then go to my files.
find the right shot,
upload that.

Or create a mandala
on Painter,
trying not
to overload my readers
with too many posts.

I had no clue
how much I’d enjoy a
community of creatives.
Writers,
poets,
artists,
humorists,
explorers
of their inner
and outer
worlds.

Social media?
Yes,
but not like Facebook
and not like Twitter.

Blogging is people
taking the time
to write
or photograph
or paint
their lives,
their loves,
their passions.

It’s people
finding others
who share
these lives,
loves,
passions.

Or, learning
about lives
different
from their own.
My own.

It’s richness
in a
smaller world.
A world
that will never
be the same
for me since
I started my blog.

This poem and mandala are dedicated to all of you who share the blogosphere with me. To those who read and follow me and those who I read and follow. And to those who I have yet to meet. To all of you, thank you for this fabulous ride.

If you’re a blogger, why do you blog? What have you learned about yourself or others as a result of blogging? Is this experience what you thought it would be when you decided to start your blog? If not, how is it different?

Love,

Cathy

Piano Blues

Patiently you sit
in the corner
by the window
waiting to sing.

Weeks pass
filled with working,
running, cooking,
cleaning, sleeping,
writing, shopping,
blogging, doing.

I promise
to play you today.
To touch your keys
and hear you sing.

Running Outside

Devil’s Backbone by Cathy Ulrich

After a hot summer,
running in brisk fall air
brings heaven nearer.

Foot falls easier,
breath softer,
sweat disappears
in soft clouds.

And golden Autumn light
reflects evergreen
Mountain Mahogany
lining the red trail.

The Estuary

The Estuary by Cathy Ulrich

Flat light shines,
reflected
in still water.

They stroll
on rocks
of Breakwater,
stretched
to infinity.

Cape’s hook hosts
man’s warning
of dangerous shoals.

Meanwhile,
the estuary breeds
new life.

Our Genuine Selves

The Three Sisters – Alpine Paint Brush in Rocky Mountain National Park by Cathy Ulrich

“If we can get to the place where we show up as our genuine selves and let each other see who we really are, the awe-inspiring ripple effect will change the world.”

—  Terrie M. Williams