I’m a big proponent of being in the moment. I often resist the urge to take a picture or a video so I can focus on appreciating what is in front of me.
But there are times when I feel the need to record the moment and share it. After taking in the scene above, I had to take out my camera. It was just too beautiful.
I was given two words that I can only use synonyms for. I wrote a cinquain to meet the syllable challenge.
Uncoil Buds spin open Tender verdant hue That deepens when emerald leaves Return
Thanks to Colleen M Chesebro. You can find the challenge, and the two words at www.wordcraftpoetry.com.
It would be fun if you made a guess at the two words and left a comment!
I was going through my book looking for good passages that I will use in a philosophy unit in one of my classes. This passage stood out to me:
Thoreau
We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us, like the grass which confesses the influence of the slightest dew that falls on it; and did not spend our time in atoning for the neglect of past opportunities.
We loiter in winter while it is already spring.
Tao
Earlier, Thoreau warned not to try to turn spring into summer; here he warns not to obsess on the past. Lao Tzu said:
Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could use it to escape the stain of guilt. This is the reason that all under heaven consider it a valuable thing.
Learn from mistakes and missed opportunities and apply this learning going forward. Practice forgiving yourself, especially if you have accepted the lessons from your mistakes.
If you are interested in buying my book, click this link.
Here is my poem based off of this photo:
Despite its stillness Picture frozen water flows Green comb waterfall Thanks to Colleen M. Chesebro at https://wordcraftpoetry.com/ Photo from https://secondwindleisure.com/
Five-hundred books!
I have to say, this brings me a lot of pride and joy. I’ve said before that it was a tough decision for me to self-publish. Not just because it felt like a defeat to not get accepted by a publisher, but more importantly I realized that I would have to promote the book myself.
I guess I’m doing a pretty good job!
I was thinking today about the rejection letters that I received when I submitted Tao of Thoreau for publication. Two of them were real disappointments because they expressed interest at first: I really thought the dream would come true. Due to those near successes, I held on to the idea of being published, until I finally made the decision to give it a go.
Now, I’m thinking of each of those books as an acceptance letter. And that’s a good feeling!
I think I’ve turned a mental corner about my writing. I feel more like an accomplished author every day, and the wannabee dreamer is being put behind.
I’m always trying to capture the way snowy branches look woven together. This picture does a decent job of capturing this.
I love the way snow turns the winter forest into a black and white landscape. This beauty is so wonderfully contrasting to the colorful loveliness of spring, summer and fall. Snow takes away the starkness of winter, giving brightness to the otherwise dulled colors.
Also, Anna is a cutie pie.
Finally got some snow yesterday in this spring-like winter! This picture is from the farm across the street from my house. I love how it looks black and white even though it is color.
The #sundaystills photo challenge this week is “Feed the birds”. This is my contribution!
A year ago I received my proof copy of Tao of Thoreau. It’s still a very cool moment and memory. I continue to try to appreciate every step on this journey.
I wondered then how many books I would sell. I frankly wondered if I’d sell any after friends and family bought theirs. As I write this, I have sold 495 books. A big number beckons, and 500 seems like a real milestone.
Though this is not the big dream I began in childhood, as I have said here before, it is better. It is reality. Instead of fantasizing about future success, I am planning ways to promote the book and get it to as wide an audience as possible.
If you’re interested in finding out more about my book, this page will give you some background and links to purchase on Amazon.
Mark Bozeman 