Photo a Day 31. Whatever You Please

Leaving on a jet plane for San Francisco. Which was bittersweet... I missed Halloween with my kids for the first time. But still excited about the week ahead. Photos to follow this week....

New Tunes Tuesday - Toby Keith

Beer has been mighty good to Toby Keith. He's been able to build a solid career singing about it and the honky-tonk lifestyle that goes along with it. He continues the party vibe with Hope On The Rocks. Almost all of the tracks have some reference to beer. But to be fair, the album isn't all about beer. It's also about bars. And women. And women who like beer. You get the idea.

But he's anything but shallow. The title track squashes that idea completely. Hope On The Rocks kicks off the album with a sobering (pun intended) look at life from a bartenders perspective. "Where do they go? They come here / to drown in their sorrow and cry in their beer / they're in need of a mindbender / I'm a bartender at the end of the day / I'm all they've got hope on the rocks." It could spoil the mood for the rest of the album, but it at least shows that drinking has a darker side.

He cranks out hit after hit on the first half of the album. You have the humorous The Size I Wear with the unforgettable rhyme: "She was five foot two 'bout ninety-five pounds / She was round in the places she's supposed to be round." Scat Cat and I Like Girls Who Drink Beer are bound to be crowd favorites. And Get Got has some amazing guitar rifts and great one liners "Less is more, 'cept love and money." It should be a single at some point.

The second half of the album slows down a little with the token love ballads ("Haven't Seen The Last Of You" and "Missed You Just Right"). Ballads aren't really his strong suit, but they are well done and in a sincere way.

Together it's exactly the kind of album you would expect from Toby Keith. Regardless of what you think of the subject matter, he arguably knows how to make great country music.

Photo a Day 30. Clothes

Picked up my dry cleaning today.

I know that is totally fascinating, right? Maybe not at first glance. Not all photos are spectacular. Some just have a story to tell or are a snapshot in time. That's what this is. Just a hard working American earning a living and providing a service that is needed.

I'm sure she has a lot of stories to tell. Think of all the people she meets and comes in contact with as they pick up and drop off their laundry... the hurried, the rushed, the calm, the quiet, and the down right ugly. I'm a talker though. So I asked her how her day was. Chatted about the weather. She was very pleasant and patient as I searched my purse for my debit card. She complimented me on the blouse I was wearing. She didn't have to do that, but she did. And that's why I keep returning. The people that work here are always warm and friendly, plus they do a good job.

I don't really understand why some people are hateful to one another. The words you say and how you act can really leave an imprint on a person. The reverse is true too. Your smile and compliments can put a bounce in a person's step. Turn their bad day into a wonderful day. Everybody likes to be noticed. It just feels good, right?

What kind of imprint did you leave today?

Photo a Day 29. Moon

The pull string on my daughter's bedside lamp is a crescent moon.

The moon is full and brilliant right now, but I wasn't even going to attempt to take a photo of it. When I do it always looks like a million watt bulb. I don't have the proper lens or camera... or patience... for that. So, this is my photo of the day. If you are curious on how to properly photograph the moon, I found a site with some great tips and wonderful moon photos.

I did take a nice photo of the moon this summer at the lake. It was taken with my phone camera on the "night" setting. The reflections on the water are very peaceful. I also recall that I was on the dock with my Dad listening to music and drinking a few beers. So for me, this photo isn't about the million watt bulb moon. It's about connecting the memory of that night. 

And isn't that one of the main reasons why we take pictures? 

Dad... I love you to the moon and back.

Halloween Yourself

Holidays are fun. Dressing up is fun. Pretending your something else is also fun. That's why I like Halloween. Unfortunately I will be traveling on Halloween this year, so no dressing up or costumes for me. So bummed about missing the costume party this year....

But I still wanted to dress up my Facebook page for Halloween. Just for fun.

So, I went looking for a photo editor and came across Picmonkey. I've used it before to create a cover photo for my Facebook page. Now they have a handy tool to edit your profile pic for Halloween! So fun.

Here are a couple pics that I created:

Vamped Out

Bewitched

You can also make yourself a Zombie, or there is a Day of the Dead tool. If you're not into the scary thing, there is also "trick or treat" with different frames and word bubbles.

Now you can have fun dressing up your photos without all of the make-up! Sweet! 

Happy Halloween!

Photo a Day 28. Looking Back

Looking back at my kiddos.

They grow up far too quickly. Where has the time gone?

Photo a Day 27. Morning

Today was an EARLY morning.

It's Mizzou Homecoming day, and the game kickoff was at 11:00 am. Yikes! Morning tailgates are tough... and cold... but I still enjoyed a Bloody Mary (or two).

But the sun was shining, and it was warm inside the stadium. The Tigers played well, and we came away with our first SEC victory against Kentucky 33-10!

Photo a Day 26. Listening To...

I'm listening to my country rockin', cold beer drinkin', ready-for-the-weekend playlist.  

Just push play if you want to listen too.

T G I F ! ! ! !

Photo a Day 25. People

Every day Mizzou students walk through this courtyard between the Medical Sciences Building and the University Hospital. This is the view from my office window.

It's also a pretty nice place to eat your lunch or just relax and take a break when the weather is nice. 

Which is NOT today. The temperature just dropped from 74 degrees to 56 degrees in the last 15 minutes. Brrrrr! You can't tell from this photo, but the wind has kicked up and the clouds have started to roll in.

Going to be a chilly Homecoming weekend!

Photo a Day 24. Weather

Mostly sunny.... or partly cloudy?

Believe it or not, there is a difference. It relates to the average amount of cloud cover expected. But would you believe partly sunny means more cloud coverage than partly cloudy? It can be confusing. Mostly sunny means more sun than partly cloudy does, while partly sunny means more clouds than partly cloudy does.

Growing up I wanted to become a Meteorologist. I was fascinated with the weather and dreamed of being the "weather girl" on television. That was until I became aware of the math requirements for the degree. Differential equations = different major! And I'm not a morning person. One does not begin their journalistic career on the evening news. You start on the morning edition around 5:00 a.m. Um, no thank you. But I still have a love for meteorology, enjoy learning about it, and find myself taking more and more pictures of the sky. I'll never forget my meteorology teacher at Mizzou. He was from Boston with a thick accent. He would say the sky in my photo is pahtly cloudy. He made meteorology fun.

So from least cloud cover to most, the scale is this: sunny, mostly sunny, partly cloudy, partly sunny, mostly cloudy, cloudy. Mostly sunny means more sun than clouds. Partly cloudy generally means an equal amount of sun and clouds like in my photo.

And now you know! Enjoy the weather.

New Tunes Tuesday - The Script

The Irish trio, The Script, produces songs from real life experiences that one can relate to. I really enjoyed their self-titled album and fell in love with Science & Faith; therefore, I have been really looking forward to their latest release aptly named #3.

Fans of The Script know that the lead singer, Danny O'Donoghue, has this niche with rapping. And it's not Eminem rapping. It's more like OneRepublic or even a Jason Mraz scat-style. So it didn't surprise me at all that they collaborated with will. i. am. from Black Eyed Peas. He's featured in their first single, Hall of Fame, a Rocky-type anthem with a good message.

What works well for them though are the ballads. This is where the song-writing really excels. Six Degrees of Separation is absolutely brilliant. It's a song that takes you through all of the stages of a break up: anger, sadness, despair, false hope, regret and finally admittance. It's a bona fide hit. If You Could See Me Now is an emotional, heartfelt song about missing a parent. "I'm tryna make you proud / Do everything you did  / I hope you're up there with God / Saying that's my kid." Glowing is a sparkling song about forgiveness and holding on. "No I'm never givin' up 'til my heart stops beatin' / Never lettin' go 'til my lungs stop breathing / I will follow you and we'll both go missin'." 

Other notable songs include Kaleidoscope that reminds me of U2 all the way to the guitar rifts. This song will be a definite concert crowd pleaser. The yearning and incredibly romantic No Words is extremely sweet and catchy. He could talk about any and all topics known to man, but words escape him when he thinks of the love of his life... "There are no words to describe or define what’s inside you, your feeling, your vibe / Believe me I’ve tried to break you down to a science / (I) See you in my mind and I open my mouth and it’s silence."

#3 as a title provides three things... music for your head, heart and feet. It's a must have for any fan of The Script.

Photo a Day 23. The View From Here

Let's take a walk down memory lane...

Overlooking Kentucky Boulevard from Maryland Avenue Garage

I walked through this intersection many times as a Mizzou student. I used to live in the tan dormitory, Jones Hall, that you see on the left in this photo. I lived on the 9th floor of Jones Hall when I was a freshman at Mizzou. I'll never forget moving in day... the elevators weren't working properly. That's a lot of stairs, my friends! And hot! It was a really hot day in August. Jones Hall was NOT air conditioned in 1990, kids. My room faced the other direction towards the football field. I remember hearing Marching Mizzou practice earrrrly in the morning during football season. And sometimes I would occasionally hear the life flight helicopter taking patients to University Hospital.

On the right side of this photo you can see some of Greek Town. The Evans Scholars house is in full view on the corner. Just behind that is Kappa Alpha Theta, Farmhouse, and Phi Mu which was Lambda Chi Alpha when I was in school. Sigma Phi Epsilon is on the corner. You can also see the tree line of Providence Road in the distance. If you turn right and head north on Providence Road, you'll reach Alpha Phi. That's the house that I called home for many years.

And now I work near the hospital at the MU School of Medicine just steps away from where I lived here on campus. Here's the view of the Medical Sciences Building from the same parking garage.

Funny how life works out that way, isn't it?

So I guess you could say I take a walk down memory lane every day on my way to work. And that's pretty cool.

Photo a Day 22. In Your Town

In my life, I have lived in only two places... my hometown of Orrick and my current home of Columbia, Missouri. I left Orrick to attend college at the University of Missouri and stayed here after graduation.

And I don't regret that decision at all.

Columbia, Missouri is where I work, where I met my husband, where I am raising my family, and where I call home. It's a great place to live. It's the fifth largest city in Missouri, so not too big and not too small. We are well educated, over half of the population has a bachelor's degree. It's a college town, so there is always something do. And it's in the mid-west. The people are friendly, you can watch the seasons change, and it's fairly inexpensive. I love it here.

Autumn on the Quad - University of Missouri

And it's the home of my Missouri Tigers!!! This week is Homecoming. I hope to see a lot of our alumni COME HOME and cheer on the Tigers this week. Go MIZZOU!!!

Photo a Day 21. Calm

Lighting a candle for someone I have lost warms my heart. The calming light replaces the sadness and brings them near.

Missing You
by Cheri Marks

Light a candle,
see it glow,
watch it dance,
when I feel low.

A candle flickers
burning bright.
Warms my heart
with calming light.

Every time I
see this flame
I'll think of you
and say your name.

You're not here...
but you're not gone.
Your memory still
lingers on.

Even though
you're out of sight;
you're in my heart
with this candle light.

Photo a Day 20. 4 o'clock

Today was a perfect fall day. I enjoyed the afternoon on the deck with a bottle of red.

Doesn't get much better than this...

Photo a Day 19. Letters

Can you see the letters?

I'm a big fan of word art. It reminds me of lying in the grass as a kid finding shapes in the clouds. So when I read that today's prompt is letters... I decided to go looking for some in photos I've already taken.

My son's bent arm forms the shape of an "L" quite perfectly. I loved the photo of the sun inside the basketball hoop, so I chose it for the "O" today. The angle of this building forms a perfect "V" if you turn it upside down. And finally, the rings on the playground look like an "e" if you focus on the right part. And finally, I made them all black and white so the eye doesn't concentrate on the colors but the images themselves.

Are those the letters you saw?

Day 18. Made You Smile Today

After a little retail therapy... I was smiling!

I did some shopping on my lunch hour today. My wardrobe was in dire need of an update. This always happens when the seasons change. I start going through my closet, tossing out things that are outdated or that I just don't like any more, and then I go in search of something new. Today I was successful. Well partially. I went looking for a black suit and came up empty handed! I know, really? The simplest thing and I found nothing. But there is only so much looking you can do in one hour. I had to be quick.

I did find a few things to give the closet a boost. I'm most excited about my dress (that would be the black and gray tweed you see in the photo). I plan to take it with me on my trip to San Francisco coming up. Only question is.... boots or pumps? Not sure yet. I'll keep you posted.

So what made you smile today?

Fall in Missouri

The fall foliage in Missouri is absolutely beautiful right now. I had the pleasure of taking a few photos the other morning. I plan to take a whole lot more before the view is gone completely. Here is a sampling.

 

Get out and enjoying nature's paint brush before it passes you by.

Photo a Day 17. Fruit

According to my kids... this is fruit.

What are they thinking???

My favorite flavor is cherry.

Mamma sure ain't perfect.

New Tunes Tuesday - Jason Aldean

It's much more difficult to follow a smash hit album than a sophomore slump... even if you're as hot as Jason Aldean (and hot, he is). The added pressure may have robbed this album of some sparkle. But if four or five of these songs hit #1 - and it could happen, the hits are here - does that mean this is an undeniable great country album?

Night Train has plenty of small town songs, love gained and lost songs, and he sings them all well. He already has a top hit with Take a Little Ride, which was the first single released. Another potential top hit is the first track This Nothin' Town where he defends life in a small town. He sings about one of those small town escapes in the title track Night Train. He and his lover ride out to the outskirts to listen to the sound of the train roll through town. They, of course, arrive there by truck.

Another sure single is I Don't Do Lonely Well. He sings of the heartache when there's nothing to distract him from the hurt that still haunts him. And then there's Talk... he woos his lady on the hood of his Ford. "I don’t wanna talk anymore / I know enough about you that all I wanna do is / Find out a little bit more / I don’t wanna waste that moon and the heat on the hood of this Ford / I don’t wanna talk anymore." Another potential hit single.

A standout track for me features a few familiar voices with Luke Bryan and Eric Church joining in on The Only Way I Know. It's a rowdy, beer raisin' good time... a cranked-up new anthem. "That's the only way I know / Don't stop till everything's gone / Straight ahead never turn around / Don't back up, don't back down."

My favorite song is probably Drink One For Me about remembering the good ol' days and missing home. It reminds me of See You When I See You from My Kinda Party. "Drink one for the ones you can't be with / the ones we'll always miss / for times like this...."

With 15 songs on the album, it's about 3 or 4 songs too long. If one could be cut, I would have chosen 1994, an ode to Joe Diffie, where he uses the country artist's last name as a verb, "Hey Joe, come on and teach us how to diffie." Say what? That line will either make you laugh or drive you crazy.

As a whole, it hardly slips off track. It's a confident album from a superstar who has a firm grasp of what works for him. Fans of Jason Aldean (like me) are going to love it.

Photo a Day 16. Something You Wrote

I took the photo of this gorgeous tree which inspired me to write a poem. Here is something I wrote...

Autumn Leaves
by Cheri Marks

I awake to the raining celebration of leaves,
giving up the weight and beauty of attention.
Paper fire in sunlight,
you ignite the sky.

In your final journey to the ground
I hear your whispered secrets
as you skitter across the sidewalks,
dancing to the music of the breeze.

How often have I frolicked in your bed
within our sounds of crunchy laughter
and autumn's perfect perfume
imprinted on my skin?

Beautiful leaves of autumn how brief your rich display.

Photo a Day 15. Dinnertime

It's time for dinner! And last night was my favorite... Mexican food! Fajitas and bean salad with a cold beer to wash it down. Fantastic!

I have to admit. Dinnertime during the week is usually rushed at my house. I wish we had more time to sit around the table, talk about our day, and enjoy the meal together.

Or maybe it's that we just don't make the time.

Maybe that is typical with most families? I have really good intentions of gathering everyone for the evening meal, but in reality... we're eating in shifts or in front of the television. Some nights we're running to soccer practice, or basketball, or doing errands. Still that's no excuse. Sunday evening was family dinner time at my house growing up because the week day was so busy. I haven't made Sunday evening a priority around the table at my house. I'm not proud of this at all. The kids will only get older and time with them shorter. It's time to make a change.

Many times this photo a day challenge has proven to be therapeutic for me. And here it is again. Today's prompt has forced me to evaluate my dinner time practices. We need more family in our dinner time.

How about you?

Photo a Day 14. Makes Me Laugh

Family, friends and Facebook (connecting with them all) definitely makes me laugh. So how do you take ONE photo of all your family and friends that make you laugh?

You make a collage....

I made this on picscatter.com. I linked the site to my Facebook profile and then pulled the photos into the collage. For this particular one, I chose my Facebook friend profile pictures. I clicked on every single frame to choose the photo I wanted. It was kind of time consuming, but worth it for the end result. Unfortunately not everyone could be included, I couldn't choose the number of squares available... so no hurt feelings! 

I have also made several scatter collages with my Facebook albums and made them my cover photo. My favorites were made with vacation albums. I think I might make a collage of my October photo a day photos. It's fun to see the month as a whole.

A big thank you to Facebook for allowing me to connect with all of these wonderful people every day...and for helping me laugh.

Bob's 47 Oktoberfest

The chill in the air has me craving some tasty fall beer. One of my favorites is Boulevards' fall seasonal, Bob's 47. You really can't go wrong with Boulevard. They have quality beers that never disappoint. This one is no exception.

This Munich-style lager salutes Bob Werkowitch, Master Brewer and graduate of the U. S. Brewer's Academy, 1947. It's a medium-bodied, dark amber brew with a malty flavor and well-balanced hop character. It's close to a brown ale - without the dark malts and with crisp lager characteristics.

It's a very mild and drinkable beer. Pairs well with pork or ham and beans. Oh, fall yummy comfort food, I love you. Gather around the fire pit and tip one back.

Cheers!

Photo a Day 13. Landscape & Black and Gold Run!

This morning I participated in the first Black and Gold Run in Columbia. It was a fun way to start the day. This was the landscape of Peace Park on Mizzou's campus before the run....

The course was two miles long that took us through downtown Columbia and parts of campus. There were two color stations along the way where they would toss gold powder on us. There was plenty of color tossing before the run also!

I ran with a co-worker of mine, her sister and her friend. We had a total blast! Here's our before and after...

Definitely doing this again next year!!!

Mizzou Madness

Basketball fan day! Let the madness begin!

I am so excited for this basketball team. The talent gives me goosebumps. First, let me say the slam dunk contest was pretty cool... but Keion Bell.... Wow. He did a power leap over six, that's right, SIX people to  win it!

Check out this pic from Steve Goldberg @SG_Mizzou15 that I found on Twitter....

Here's a video of the dunk I found on Telly. You gotta watch it.

The women's team was fun to watch. I will definitely catch some of their games. It's a very young team but very fast paced.

The men's team, of course, was phenomenal. Led by a couple of familiar faces... Michael Dixon and Phil Pressey. And Laurence Bowers is back. He had a warm reception. Then a few new faces appeared.

There are some new names to learn.... like Bell, Brown, Ross, Oriakhi, Criswell... 

....but we'll know them, and the whole country will know them, soon enough!  

Faith in Haith!

MIZ!!!

Photo a Day 12. On The Table

This was me last night... feet propped up on the table watching the VP debate.

I'm not a big fan of politics, but I do like to be an informed voter. That's why I watch the debates. And I like to know what everyone will be talking about the next day. 

And what they're talking about is Laughin' Joe! At least Big Bird is off the radar now. But wow, Biden appeared like a bully to me last night. His smirks, laughs, and smug attitude were a huge turn off. Biden's condescending behavior really diminished his words. I don't care which side of the political aisle you sit, his demeanor was completely disrespectful. 

I had never heard Ryan speak before last night. I thought he did a fine job. He appeared calm, cool and collected.... which was fairly easy while sitting next to the feisty Biden.

Did the momentum shift either way? No, I don't think so. The left think Biden won. The right say the night belonged to Ryan. The undecideds watched the Titans beat the Steelers.

Photo a Day 11. Something Close-Up

A close-up of my Mizzou snow globe that plays the fight song. Yeah, I'm frustrated with the football season right now, but I still love my Tigers. My globe makes me happy.

And I'm really, really looking forward to basketball season! 

Mizzou Madness is tomorrow at 7 PM. It will be televised on ESPNU, but I'll be at Mizzou Arena. Come back to see my pics!

Happy Founders' Day!

I know one of the best decisions I made while in college at Mizzou was pledging Alpha Phi sorority. I made long lasting friendships with my sisters in Alpha Phi. No matter the distance, no matter the time spent between communications, I know they will always be there. And I'll be there for them.

It's amazing when I meet someone, say I'm an Alpha Phi, and then find out they are too. I feel an instant bond and connection. We know the same songs. We know the names of the 10 founders (well, almost). We wear the same crest, and we both love the silver and bourdeaux. We also share an affinity for teddy bears.

More than that, I also learned leadership, service, scholarship, and loyalty. I learned to value the past but look forward to the future. I was encouraged to reach my full potential. And I became a strong and more confident woman. This is what it means to be part of a sisterhood. Alpha Phi will always be my home away from home.

Happy 140th Founders' Day, Alpha Phi!

Photo a Day 10. Emotion

A difficult topic for me. There are so many emotions you could capture in a photograph... joy, sorrow, fear, anger... which one do you choose?

I thought about photographing my kids. They display every emotion possible multiple times a day, but that seemed too easy. And they are somewhat reluctant subjects at times.

So I thought back and looked through some photos I have taken recently on my phone. Surely I can find an emotion I have captured recently.

But everyone is just smiling.

Not exactly the emotion I was looking for, to be honest. I was looking for heartfelt, honest, deep emotion. Do I have a picture like that? This was not an easy task. A picture of the kids was sounding more appealing by the second.

Then I came across my album for a concert I went to recently. I started remembering the emotions I felt that day...

• Excitement - I was really looking forward to hearing the artists perform
• Joy - I love music. I am one very happy girl at a concert.
• Irritated - yeah, there was some pushing and shoving to get to the front of the pit. Some people can be downright rude.
• Warm-hearted - the song lyrics brought back great memories for me
• Sad - the letdown following any event you plan and look forward to... it's now over
• Pleased - but I heard all of my favorite songs and then some! The concert was incredible. I enjoyed every second of it. I walked away with some great new memories.
• Touched - the artists were really grateful and appreciative of their fans.

And then I found it. 

The perfect photo.....

a very emotional Justin Moore

New Tunes Tuesday - Blake Shelton

I had a hard time finding a CD to review for today. Is it too early for Christmas music?

Well, too bad.

You may know him as one of the sharpest tongues in Country Music, the bromance partner to Adam Levine on The Voice, or the guy on Twitter always talking about drinking. Yep, I'm talking about Blake Shelton. He doesn't really seem like the "family" guy who loves Christmas, does he?

But hold on a sec... he brings in a lot of star power on this album that makes it work. Even his Mom sings on the album! So, he does keep it clean, y'all.

First up is a song with wife, Miranda Lambert, Jingle Bell Rock. It's a twangy, rocking good time. They sound great together. Another favorite of mine, which makes so much sense it's silly, is Blue Christmas featuring Pistol Annies. Their back-up harmony is perfect to his melody. I have the Spotify link to the song posted below. Home featuring Michael Buble' is a touching addition to the album. Gives it a little Sinatra feel. Kelly Clarkson really improves There's A New Kid In Town. It's really kind of a boring song until her verse starts. But she can make any song sound better with her powerful voice. Oklahoma Christmas will also make you smile, especially since Reba sings with him on this song.

The other songs seem a little forced. Maybe he should have just stuck to duets? The collaboration and team effort is what really makes the album work.

"Cheers, it's Christmas" is a solid album for the season... you know... when you're ready.

Standout track:

Photo a Day 9. Red

What is Red?

by Cheri Marks

Red is a crisp apple on a fall day.

Red is a sunset far off in the bay.

Red is a sunburn on the tip of your nose.

Red is a brilliant, beautiful rose.

Red is a valentine to the one you love.

Red is anger with a push and a shove.

Red is alarming, a warning, a light.

Red is a hot fire burning bright.

Red gets attention, there is no doubt.

Red is a color I can't live without.

Photo a Day 8. Angle

From her cowboy boots to her down home roots...

From the songs she plays to the prayers she prays...

That's the way she was born and raised and ain't afraid to stay...

COUNTRY!

"She's Country" - Jason Aldean

Photo a Day 7. Light

Light

Brings hope in our lives

Gives vision to many eyes

Spreads everywhere at sunrise

Colorful display on the west side

Before the thunder it strikes

Faster than any fight

Overcome evils of the night

Fill your empty soul with

Light

by Cheri Marks

Photo a Day 6. I'm Thankful For...

I'm thankful for a lot of things.

Coffee in the morning, a job that I love, a warm house to come home to, cold beer in my glass, tasty food to eat, fleece blankets...

I was really thankful for those last night at the football game.

But, when I really thought about it, they all would mean nothing without one very important thing....

my family.

Photo a Day 5. Shadow

I decided to photograph an inverse shadow casting light. I just put up my Halloween decorations and love this tealight house.  And I love how the inverse shadow is the outline of a candle.

And I prefer to focus on the light.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo a Day 4. What You Read

I keep a few books on my desk at work. They're mostly about budgeting and money management because that's what I do for a living. But this book is the one I grab most often.

It has some great advice on keeping your sanity at work. One of my favorites is Chapter 19. Take Your Breaks. It's good advice. He talks about how working through lunch or not taking those breaks will actually wear you down and make you less productive. You become a little less patient and lose your enthusiasm. He states that if you take a few minutes for yourself, you'll get your energy back and can come back to your work ready to go.

He also recommends taking a break every hour or so. And I agree. They don't have to be long breaks. Just a few deep breaths, stretch your arms, take a walk down the hall, or go get some air. I'm taking a break right now from my regular work to write this to you. Now I'll be able to work smarter, more efficiently, and get my regular work finished because I won't be thinking about what I want to write to you. Task finished.

Now I hope you'll take a break and read my post.