Standing Into Danger

Friday, April 3, 2020

Positivity, er, Positively

Time for some ~~positivity~~, er, positively.
I'm positively behind.

This is my third post this week.
Try as I do, I will never match the unstoppable Pat Hatt and his productivity.
Nor his ability to get ahead of the curve.
Lord, he's just published another book!

Let's see if Amazon can get it to me quicker than
a memory card attachment for my new computer.
I can't wait to see what happens to Sally and Travis in the end!

"The Elusive" by Pat Hatt

Pat Hatt Time

Amazon

Needpix

So, I'm positively making this post short,
and I'm trying not to let perfect be the enemy of good.

And the positivity?
Every day I wake up like this, and today may actually be the day!!!
Call me a perpetual optimist or call me insane, I don't care.
What matters to me is what I think!

Positivity and Positively

Google

I am positively bummed that I couldn't go to Hawaii,
and now my trip back to Italy is down the toilet.
But when I'm positively behind like today,
I'm going to take a shortcut, post a travel photo I love,
and find positivity in a substitute.

Positivity and Positively

BeMorePanda

Terry says I should have been born Italian.
He is positively right.

Positivity ~ No "er" About It!

Padua, Veneto, Italy

September 14, 2018

Photo by Terry Barbour

I will return to Italy, my soul country.
Apologies to my Scottish ancestors,
but Scotland is rainy and cold and dour.

Haggis and whisky or Tuscan red and pasta ~
Are you kidding me?

Take care, everyone!
And try your best to keep up your daily rituals.

BeMorePanda

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

IWSG: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 ~ Take Care of Your Spaceship

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex Cavanaugh are Diane Burton, J.H. Moncrieff,
Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard.

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:

The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy April, Everyone!
I hope all is well with you.

I live in Aurora, Colorado in the United States.
Our Governor Jared Polis has issued a stay-at-home order through April 11th.
He is considering extending the length of that order.
As of yesterday afternoon Colorado has 2,966 cases of covid-19 and 69 deaths.

Terry and I are doing well.
We are taking the stay-at-home order seriously,
because we are older and I have asthma.
Life continues normally inside our home,
but when we go out the door everything has changed.
I know the covid-19 pandemic is real, but it still feels unreal to me.

Terry and I are concerned, but we are focusing on
what we can do to keep ourselves healthy and positive.

My sister Barb shared a video which I found calming, reassuring and inspiring.
In the video Chris Hadfield, a retired Canadian astronaut,
gives people a guide to self-isolation.

This astronaut has lots of experience dealing with isolation under risky conditions.
Chris has flown two Space Shuttle missions
and has served as a commander of the International Space Mission.

His calm, down-to-earth manner and his reassuring, matter-of-fact guide
gave me a sense of purpose and direction for this difficult time.
I now have a plan to take care of my spaceship.

Take 2:05 minutes to view this inspiring video.
It's well worth your time.

An Astronaut's Guide to Self Isolation

by Chris Hadfield

YouTube

What I have found necessary to my mental and physical health at this time
is to walk outside in the open space near our home.
I meander along my beloved Piney Creek listening to joyful birdsong
and watching the landscape blush and green with rebirth.

I'm taking lots of photos, but I can't share them right now.
I need a memory card attachment for my new computer,
and Amazon can't deliver it until late April.
This is a lesson in patience for impatient me!

I have an iPhone, but it can't match the capabilities of my little Canon.
Nevertheless, my iPhone sometimes captures a photo that lifts my spirits,
like the shot below taken near the spring equinox.

Hawk High Over Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 21, 2020

Today I posted, along with my fellow anthology authors, on the IWSG anthology blog.
We ten authors shared our favorite middle-school-aged books.
It's a great list for antsy kids of all ages.
Perhaps you'll find one you can read aloud with your family.
Check out our post: Good Reads for Challenging Times.

Take care of your spaceship!
Be Safe and healthy!
Happy writing in April!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Waiting for the Ferry to Tiverton

Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada

July, 2016

Friday, March 27, 2020

Coping with Colorado's Stay-at-Home Order

On Wednesday Colorado's Governor Jared Polis issued
a mandatory stay-at-home order for all residents of the state
to take effect Thursday, March 26 at 6 a.m.,
and to last through April 11 unless rescinded or modified.

As seniors Terry and I are taking this very seriously.
We're watching health systems overwhelmed in places like Italy and Spain,
and doctors, nurses, and emergency workers forced to make
decisions about who will live and who will die.
We're watching medical personnel in these countries
collapsing from exhaustion and dying in increasing numbers.
We're likely to see the same situations developing here.

As older people who might not be considered worth saving,
Terry and I are doing the best we can to stay isolated and healthy,
hoping to make it past the hospital crisis that might hit our state.
We both consider our lives worth living, we both want to live,
and we certainly don't want to die for the economy.

The only control we have is to be as responsible as we can for ourselves.
We're going outside only to walk briefly, pick up prescriptions,
and buy necessary groceries and supplies.
We're focusing on being pragmatic.

It's an adjustment for sure.
Sometimes I'm buzzing around inside, busy and productive as a honey bee.
Other times I can't motivate myself, and hours disappear into nothing,
as I ignore things I should be doing.

But that's okay. I'll find a rhythm and get on top of this new state of being.
Meanwhile I'm FaceTiming with family and doing things to lift my spirits:
like playing with my photos of happier times and listening to favorite music;
and I'm thinking of and praying for all the selfless people
risking their wellbeing, perhaps lives, to help us all.

Here's a photo from a happier time and a favorite song that never fails to cheer me:

Terry and I catch a wave.

Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

March 14 2015

Somewhere over the Rainbow

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

You Tube

Wishing all my blogging buddies health, happiness, fulfillment,
and lots of love and support from your families and friends.

Take care, everyone!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, March 20, 2020

A Surreal Time

Surreal.
I keep searching for another word to capture how I'm feeling,
but I can't get past surreal.

Inside our home everything feels normal.
I'm sitting at the kitchen counter typing, snuggled in a warm robe.
Terry is slouching on the couch texting with a friend.
Bright flames are dancing in the fireplace,
blown about by wind in the chimney escaping the snow swirling outside.

But beyond the familiar comforts of a winter evening
is a world I don't recognize.

Two weeks ago I was packing for Hawaii.
One week ago Terry insisted I had to stay strictly at home.
Tonight, after a week of stunning events, I'm wondering
What will happen next?

I've stayed inside, except for one brief hour.
I've never known Terry to literally bar the door,
but he did when I tried to head for the grocery store.
"I'll do it. Not you!" he exclaimed.

He's freaked out worried over me and all the scary what ifs.
He's made brief forays outside,
one day scoring eggs, another milk, a third bread.

He also found yellow tulips, raspberry chocolate ice cream,
and two slices of plain cheesecake, items not on most stock up lists.

But then, Wednesday was a landmark birthday for me,
and Terry wanted to surprise me with something.
Our plans of lingering over mai tais and pink haupia cake at the Royal Hawaiian
while listening to waves washing on the shore had blown up.
I never anticipated spending this birthday, any birthday, isolated by a pandemic.

That one brief hour?
As a birthday treat, we walked in the open space along my beloved Piney Creek.
The red-winged blackbirds filled the air with whistles, trills, and chucks.
Spring is coming. One of the best gifts ever.

Heading into the Open Space

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Middle Pond

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Nests Waiting for Occupancy

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Winter-Weathered Rabbitbrush

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Open Space Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

A Pair of Mallard Ducks

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Cottonwood Stand

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Jetliner Out of Denver International Airport

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Cottonwood Limb

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

Upper Pond

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 18, 2020

I can't imagine what the next week will bring,

but I'm optimistic we'll get through this surreal time.

I'll ease Terry's worries by staying inside,

and he'll ease mine by walking with me along Piney Creek.

Take care, everyone!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, March 13, 2020

No Tropical Waters for My Tippy Toes

No tropical waters for my tippy toes,
no delicious mai tais to sip in the tropical breezes.

Mai Tai

Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

This past week has been chaotic in the Barbour household.
We went from preparing and packing for three weeks in Hawaii and one in Vegas,
to canceling our trip and trying to recoup some of our money,
to unpacking and restocking the supplies in our house.
And that was for starters!

Last Thursday I hit my all-time-since-retirement record
of 35,312 steps on my Fitbit, and I never left the house.

Hibiscus

Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

I'm the reason for all this chaos.
As a senior with asthma who is susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia
and who is allergic to almost all antibiotics,
I reluctantly conceded that perhaps this wasn't the best time to be away from home.

Likely we would have been just fine on our trip,
but the downside medically and financially was definitely risky
if we ran afoul of the coronavirus.
My husband Terry was concerned about me, and my brother was FaceTiming me daily.
Better safe than sorry was their relentless message.

The View from the Top of Diamond Head

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

It was a huge letdown because we were looking forward
to seeing our friends and doing all the fun things we love.

We're not hunkered down and afraid. We're not hoarding toilet paper and tuna.
We're just trying to be prudent until the coronavirus situation becomes clearer.

The Toilet Paper Shelves at our Grocery Store

Aurora, Colorado, USA

I'll be around to catch up with all my blogging buddies,
and I'll get back on track with posting next week.

The upside to all of this is that I might finally catch my tail!

Sunset

Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

Wishing you each peace and health during this crazy time.

This too will pass!
Meanwhile, my tippy toes remain ready to go.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

Tippy Toes Ready to Go!
Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

IWSG: Wednesday, March 4, 2020 ~ Opting Out

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex Cavanaugh are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard,
Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence.

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulling Me Back

Near Diamond Head, Hawaii, USA

2018

I tossed mine, and it's looking like that lei worked!

I plan to be dipping my tippy-toes in that tropical water very soon!

If you have a chance stop by today's IWSG Anthology post
featuring Bish Denham and her short story "The Blind Ship."
Link

Happy writing in March!

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Hallgrímskirkja

Last Friday I shared photos of the starkly beautiful and dangerous
Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland, a country I love and long to return to.

Today I am sharing photos of one of the most striking buildings I have seen.
It's architecture is said to have been inspired by Iceland's geology,
including the columnar basalt outcrops at Reynisfjara Beach:
Hallgrímskirkja, in Iceland's capital Reykjavík.

Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

This dramatic building, visible throughout Reykjavík,

is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church.

It is the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest buildings in the country.

It's soaring main tower reaches a height of 244 feet (74.5 meters)

and pulls your eyes straight up into the vault of heaven.

The Main Tower

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Hallgrímskirkja

As Viewed from the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

June 11, 2014

The church was named after Hallgrímur Pétursson,

an Icelandic minister and poet, renowned for his Passion Hymns,

a collection of 50 poems that describe Christ's Passion from the time
He enters the Garden of Gethsemane to His execution and burial.

Hallgrímur Pétursson

1614-1674

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Iceland's parliament, the Althing, adopted Christianity
as Iceland's predominant religion in 999/1000 CE,

replacing the pagan old Norse religion.
In the 1530s, following the Icelandic Reformation,
Iceland turned from Catholicism to Lutheranism.
The Lutheran Church of Iceland has remained the state church ever since.
Icelanders were granted religious freedom in 1874. Wikipedia

Skálholt 1550: Last Roman Catholic Bishop in Iceland,

beheaded with his two sons in 1550

by Friðrik Bridde

Oil 150 X 200 cm

On exhibit in Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

Reykjavik, Iceland

June 11, 2014

Wikipedia

Guðjón Samúelsson designed
the Hallgrímskirkja church,
his final and best known work.

He was the first Icelander
educated in architecture
and went on to become a State Architect
and one of the most influential
architects in Iceland.

Construction of the Hallgrímskirkja began in 1945 and ended forty-one years later in 1986.
The crypt was completed in in 1948, the steeple and wings in 1974, and the nave in 1986.

Initially designed to be shorter, the height of the Hallgrímskirkja was increased
to make it taller than the Landakotskirkja, the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.

A Portion of One of the Wings

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Roofs of the Nave and the Sanctuary

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

A Crow Rests in the Sunshine

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Overlooking the Roof of the Sanctuary

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Black Roof of the Nave
contrasts sharply with the rest of the church.

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The church's tower contains an open-air observation deck
from which you can see sweeping views of Reykjavík
and the surrounding mountains, harbor, and ocean.

The Open-Air Observation Deck
at the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

The Open-Air Observation Deck
at the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Reykjavík

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Nearby Mountains

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Reykjavík

from the top of the tower

The Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Standing in front of the Hallgrímskirkja is a commanding statue
of Leif Erikson that predates the construction of the church.
The Icelandic explorer was the first European known to reach North America.
The United States gave the statue to Iceland in 1930 to commemorate
the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD.

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

Leif Erikson

in front of the Hallgrímskirkja

June 11, 2014

If ever you make it to fabulous Reykjavík,
the Hallgrímskirkja is one landmark you can't miss!

Source: Wikipedia

Note: Iceland turned from Catholicism to Lutheranism when Christian III of Denmark imposed it
on all his subjects, including those in Iceland. Jón Arason, the last Bishop of Iceland,
resisted, even after the other bishop, Ögmundr Pálsson was deported. In the religious strife
that followed, Jón Arason and his two sons were seized and beheaded in 1550.
Today he is remembered as a national and religious hero.
Sources: Britannica and Encyclopedia of Protestantism

For Map Lovers Like Me: