Just Like a Postcard

I feel it coming. Warmer, sunnier days are approaching. Slowly, but coming soon nonetheless.

While we wait in anticipation of the arrival of spring and summer (and to say so long to winter), let's recall places where the sun shines down on waves and sand.

And let's think about this thought for the day which was said by Satsuki Shibuya:

"Remember to breathe as many of our worries today will probably not be so important a year from now." 

The Real Goofy

Meet my dad, Peter. If you ever loved the Disney character Goofy, you would really love my father.

Like Goofy, my father is incredibly silly. However, please don't mistake this for lack of intelligence. I think  people mistake silly people to be stupid people, which is hardly ever accurate.

To be truly silly, you must be very sharp-witted and have great intellect. Being silly is like playing chess; you always need to be thinking three or four steps ahead, visualizing where this act or gag will go and assessing how far you can go as well. It's that foresight and strategic thinking that makes that "Goofy" in your life -- and we all have at least one -- hilarious and brilliant at the same time.

Today's photograph of the Borde family's Goofy was taken during a day trip to Laguna Beach to celebrate my Dad's birthday. I stopped to take photographs of the bougainvillea growing on this wall when my father stopped me and said, "Wait. Take this picture instead. Me in the bougainvillea. Now, THAT'S a great shot!" Then he proceeded to make several funny faces as he stood among the blossoms. This one was the most natural of the group.

It was a ridiculous moment, but beautifully sums up one of the many characteristics I love about my Dad. He is a person of great commitment and integrity and has a strong work ethic, but is also someone who has a contagious laugh and knows when to use it.

It's my greatest wish that in the coming years, he'll get to use that silly muscle more often than the responsible grownup one he has needed to use more often. If he doesn't, I'm not sure how the next generation of Bordes ever be able to learn how to be the next family Goofy. It's definitely tradition that must be passed on.

Staring at the Waves

There is not a time I look out at the ocean and not wonder about the meaning of life. I'm fairly confident that as kid at the beach I only focused on swimming in the waves and playing in the sand. As an adult, I have a different appreciation for the ocean.

When visiting friends who lived near the beach in Monterrey, California earlier this year, I could barely sleep because the sound of the waves crashing was so loud. Eventually, I adjusted and let the waves crashing lull me to sleep. What dreams I dreamed those nights! Fantastical stories in which I was the heroine. I don't remember the details, but when I awoke, I felt energized and ready for the day's adventures.

Time spent at the seaside is time well spent. Not only do you get a fabulous view with courtesy sun rays from the heavens, you get a lovely spot to contemplate the universe's biggest questions while evolving your soul. Too intense? Never fear. You could just sit in the sand and catch some sun while watching the tide roll away.

Just See What Happens

Here's another pearl of wisdom from Carrie Bradshaw from HBO's "Sex and the City":

Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.

Placing the Pieces

Even though I loved HBO's "Sex and the City," I'm not one for quoting its lead character, Carrie Bradshaw, who was played by actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

Of the four girls, Carrie was my least favorite. I admired Samantha's confidence and boldness. I loved Charlotte's optimism and fierce loyalty. I shared Miranda's ambition and vulnerabilities. But, I always perceived Carrie as the least likable character in the show. Carrie was often selfish, self-interested and so wrapped up in her own dramas that her friends seemed to carry her more often rather than the other way around.

In spite of her failings, Carrie was used by the show's writers to be the literal voice of the show. It was always Carrie's voice-over throughout each episode that provided viewers the relationship lessons learned by the four women.

While I hate to admit it, Carrie did share insightful observations at times that are worth remembering and incorporating into our own lives. Here's one of my favorites:

Eventually all the pieces fall into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment, and know that everything happens for a reason.

Be Confident

While it is not known who said today's quotation (it's attributed to unknown), I'm happy that someone did and shared it:

Be confident. Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing to be something we aren’t. Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is only when you accept everything you are -- and aren’t -- that you will truly succeed.

Temporary Home

While California is usually defined by its beaches and palm trees, the flowering vine, bougainvillea, should also be included on that same list.

Bougainvillea can be seen everywhere in the state. When in bloom, its vines are full pink, red and purple blossoms that cover fences and buildings this time of year. The blooms appear suddenly, like a burst of energy, and then last a few weeks and then disappear again.

Like the bougainvillea flowers, we too may only have a short time to bloom. So, we must make the most of our time and be bold, bright and beautiful as we pass through. It was fitting that the country club where we held the reception following my aunt's memorial service yesterday was lined with blooming bougainvillea.

They remind me of a poignant song by Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home." It's all about how we are only here temporarily.

People are like these temporary bougainvillea plants. We bloom for a season and then die, marking another stop in our life cycle. And yet, there is always the promise of the blossoms' return next spring, just like our promise of reuniting with those we love who have moved on from their "temporary home" in this existence.

"Temporary Home"
Performed by Carrie Underwood

Little boy, 6 years old
A little too used to bein' alone.
Another new mom and dad,another school,
Another house that'll never be home.
When people ask him how he likes this place...
He looks up and says, with a smile upon his face,

"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."

Young mom on her own.
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go.
She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out,
Because a half-way house will never be a home.
At night she whispers to her baby girl,
"Someday we'll find our place here in this world."

"This is our temporary home.
It's not where we belong.
Windows and rooms that we're passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is our
Temporary Home."

Old man, hospital bed,
The room is filled with people he loves.
And he whispers don't cry for me,
I'll see you all someday.
He looks up and says, "I can see God's face."

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This was just a stop,on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know... this was
My temporary home."

This is our temporary home.

Water Fountain Cherub

In light of yesterday's events in Libya, here are two thoughts for the day by two of the world's greatest thinkers:

• "Compassion is the wish to offer unbiased service to all beings, whether they are friendly or hostile to you." -- Dalai Lama
• "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

So often in struggle for justice, we comprise our humanity. No matter how deserving, the just should not rejoice in the death of another. While we may celebrate the change, freedoms or opportunities created by another person's passing, we should not be joyful. To embrace such joy under those circumstances compromises what makes us compassionate and just, leading us to be more like our enemies than we would care to admit.

Cheshire Cat Grin

This statue made me laugh. My reaction might be due to the Cheshire cat-like grin the lion is sporting, or maybe its goatee. Whatever the reason for my amusement, wouldn't it be nice to great each morning with this grin? I'm going to work on that tomorrow.

Frog Prince

So, the homeowners of our rental house in Temecula loved statuary. As you walked the grounds, random statues littered the garden areas. A theme wasn't apparent; statues ranged from cherubs to child gardeners to this frog prince seated on a glass ball.

While they didn't create a connected look for the landscaping around the house, the intriguing collection of statues did create many photo opportunities as I explored the yard.

Capturing the Blue Sky

While at a wedding in Temecula, California over the weekend, I stayed at this gorgeous house near the area's famous wineries. In between the wedding festivities, I snuck out at sunrise with my camera and explored the grounds.

It was a bright, sunny morning, which made it challenging to capture the blue sky and the photo subject without shadows. So here's my trick to balance the colorful sky with a well-lit photo subject -- focus your camera on the blue sky before taking the photograph of the photo subject.

On most digital cameras with auto focus turned on, you can push down the shutter button halfway to set the focus. Using this feature, you would focus the camera on the blue sky and then once you have focused on the blue sky, without lifting the button, you would shift the lens to your photo subject and take the picture. This trick usually works in most occasions, but you may need to play around with the focus to get it right.

Seagull and the Fountain

Over the weekend, I spent time in San Pedro, California. Located near Long Beach, much of San Pedro overlooks the Port of Los Angeles. While sitting in a restaurant patio near the marina, this seagull joined our party. It perched on the top of a patio fountain and lingered as if listening to our conversation.

Hollywood Postcard

Wouldn't this image make the perfect Hollywood postcard? Blue skies, green palm trees and mission style architecture are the epitome of California style. Throw in a little Hollywood glamor and you are looking at an iconic image. These are the kind of beautiful California days that make it hard to live elsewhere.

Bronson Gate

I'm pretty lucky that I have a job that takes me to such unusual, interesting places. This week, work took me back to California to the famous Paramount Studios lot on Hollywood Boulevard to help produce the Voice Awards.

One of the landmarks at Paramount Studios is the Bronson Gate. It was the original entrance to the studio lot and the inspiration for actor Charles Bronson's last name. It was originally Buchinsky before his agent recommended that he drop the Eastern European-sounding surname during the Sen. Joseph McCarthy and House Un-American Activities Committee-era.

Behind this gate is the Paramount back lot, filled with sound stages that film productions, such as "Glee," "Community" and "Star Trek." Although the iPhone camera didn't pick it up, behind the sound stage 4 is the Hollywood hills. From this vantage point, visitors can see the famous Hollywood sign in the distance.

Smog Sunrise

I'm in Los Angeles for work this week. I greeted the new day today with my iPhone camera and captured sunrise from my hotel balcony in Century City.

Sunrises and sunsets in Southern California are beautiful for an odd reason -- air pollution or "smog." Apparently, the layer of smog that sits over much of Los Angeles reflects the sun's rays, creating the brilliant orange, pink and purple color patterns in the sky when the sun rises and sets.

Thankfully, since air quality in Southern California has been improving due to the state's tighter air emission standards, these sunrises and sunsets have become less colorful. It's a change I'm happy to record with my camera.

Drinking versus Gargling

Through friends, we get introduced to their really cool friends who make you stop and say, "Hey, can I friend you on Facebook?" Weddings are always a great place to collect these new people. In Kaua'i earlier this year, I made a new Facebook friend who often posts very insightful status updates on his page.

Since it's been a long day and inspiration escapes me, I've decided to share one of Peter Malek's great pearls of wisdom from his Facebook page:

"Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle and spit."

Oh, how true! His status update is a variation of a quotation made famous by self-help author Dr. Robert Anthony, and demonstrates why I'm collect knowledge drinkers as friends instead of those who insist on spitting it out all the time. As I get older, I have less patience or time for knowledge "gargle-ers" who are unwilling to explore and embrace life's teaching moments and wisdom.

Tree Phalanges

When I took this photograph, I didn't mean for it to be so creepy. Since the Big Tree's large roots are above ground, I spent a lot of time photographing the roots from different angles. At the time, I didn't see that from this vantage point the roots looked like crooked fingers growing into the soil. Yuck. No one said that great photographs had to be beautiful; they can be startling too.

Roots

I just spent the weekend with the most important people in my life -- my family. They are like Big Tree. My parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins have all grown impressive roots in my life.

While I believe we are pre-programed for who we are meant to be at birth, our family helps to fertilize and nurture the seeds of our being so we grow into the adults we are created to be. Last week, I was once again reminded how blessed I am to have been blessed with a loving family who encouraged and supported me throughout my life. Everyone is not as lucky. It is a truth I hold on to when facing life's grown-up challenges, such as loved ones' illnesses and death. 

Like Big Tree, families take a long time to grow. Roots grow deeply into the earth and expand. In essence, we are a combination of the people who came before us and those who exist with us, all tied together in this endless cycle. I'm grateful our family's cycle carries more good things than bad. If I am honest, it is because they taught me to be honest. If I am generous, it is because they showed me how to be generous. If I am loving, it is because they loved me and showed me how to return love. It is a legacy of lessons I will hopefully pass on to my children, a legacy that will live beyond us all.

We must always strive to be good gardeners of our family's plot by removing weeds and helping what's good grow and flourish in future generations.

Big Tree

This tree in Glendora, California -- just minutes away from my parents' home -- is so large that it was hard to capture the whole tree in one photograph. Known in the neighborhood as "Big Tree," it is a type of fig tree native to Australia that was planted in this spot in the 1880s. It is now 90 feet tall with a 110-foot branch spread and a trunk 30 feet in circumference. It's unusual root system -- my favorite characteristic of the tree -- covers more than 1,200 square feet of land beneath the tree's branches.

When we were younger, my parents once took us to Big Tree for a family holiday photo session. We clamored over the roots and stood among them for the photo. At certain points, the roots were almost as tall as we were. While visiting Los Angeles for the weekend, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit and photograph one of my favorite trees one more time.

Backward Glance

Today, we remember and celebrate the teachings and life of a great leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. To make a better today and take the steps to move toward a peaceful tomorrow, we must continue to look behind us and learn from the past. While we cannot dwell there, we must apply its lessons learned to create a better world now and for future generations.