tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101301492009-12-12T22:44:17.066-08:00...because life happens up close and between the linesbbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.comBlogger325125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-10530558763573310432009-10-14T13:44:00.000-07:002009-10-14T13:50:32.577-07:00

Remember the old song by Jim Croce? Time in a Bottle is a love song, but it also expresses a universal theme--time is fleeting.  Here we are at mid-October, and I have not updated Macromoments since June. Honestly, I thought it was a month or two! Time got away from me, and it was all good.  Nick and I spent time on the coast, twice with our granddaughter who has been camping with us since she

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-48165488565326401492009-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:002009-07-17T09:40:04.792-07:00

Remember the first trail you ever followed? Where did it lead?Mine was a soft, sandy path leading up a "mountain" behind my house. I was four years old, and my two older brothers and I packed a sack lunch, kissed Mama goodbye, and told her we’d be back before nightfall. She knew we’d be gone an hour, but she didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for adventure. We spotted her at the back door watching us

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-13847968785129315262009-07-03T10:05:00.000-07:002009-07-03T12:06:24.208-07:00

I saw an old man pulling a beat-up shopping cart up the street. He looked like he should be home playing with a grandchild instead of rearranging his collection of bags, which hung like ornaments from both sides of the cart. Every few yards he would stop and recheck each bag. That's how life plays out when one's entire earthly belongings are stuffed into bags meant for garbage.That very same

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-24225588458926700122009-04-07T10:23:00.000-07:002009-04-07T10:59:40.853-07:00

I worked in the yard yesterday, cutting back old brown stalks leftover from winter. The past few months, I didn't have the heart to rob our wintering birds of plants that had shriveled and dried. They'd holed up in our photinia hedge, pecking at seeds and enjoying the leftovers.Now the real work begins. Winter's past and with Spring staring me squarely in the face, I have no excuses. Weeds were

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-15221357859309561042009-02-12T11:03:00.000-08:002009-02-12T11:32:24.796-08:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI'm back on track with my Bible-reading. I'd been grabbing blocks of time here and there, always feeling hurried. It was hardly the special "quiet time" I knew I needed. I'm finding my day goes so much smoother when I begin it with Him bright and early.I asked God to show me how (no, that's a lie - I said, "Help me find an easy way...") to memorize the key point

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-41316574922031547072009-02-03T08:20:00.000-08:002009-02-03T09:59:16.385-08:00

I've been bitten by the jewelry design bug. I dabbled a bit in beading last summer, but am now creating one-of-a-kind charm bracelets for an Etsy shop I will be launching in the next few weeks.When my friend Glenda heard about my new creative venture, she surprised me by sending a ten-lb. box of vintage jewelry she'd inherited from an elderly relative. I'm combining new charms with beads and

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-59879477316892290522009-01-29T17:28:00.000-08:002009-01-29T18:09:34.355-08:00

My garage is the last place I want to spend time this time of year, but as long as clothes need laundering, I beat a path to my washer and dryer several times a week. I make my visits short, just long enough to start another load of wash and gather our nice, warm, sweet-smelling clothes from the dryer.A couple of days ago, I was daydreaming about how nice it would be if my washer and dryer

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-3907324556437296122008-12-18T10:03:00.000-08:002008-12-18T10:57:39.382-08:00

Image by simonsterg via FlickrLife's a slippery slope. If you don't think so, give it a day or two. Change is inevitable. It can happen in a split second.It isn't God's intent to hand us a carefree life. He understands us well, and knows that if we never faced difficulties, we'd eventually start relying on ourselves instead of Him. We'd celebrate our ingenuity and independence instead of

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-2445146731820960902008-11-24T13:49:00.000-08:002008-11-24T20:27:10.338-08:00

Browse a few blogs and you'll see that we're not short on gratitude this year. People are taking longer looks at their lives and giving thanks for the blessings they halfway forgot throughout the rest of the year. They're sending attaboys and attagirls to people who have enriched the past twelve months. It's a nice season, and especially nice when our thoughts turn outward.The posts I've loved

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-18804654403974724582008-11-13T12:28:00.000-08:002008-11-13T13:58:30.348-08:00

A friend and I were discussing the current economic crisis,which seems to be wrapping around the world. It's easier to turn off the news and ignore it, especially if you're not heavily invested in Wall Street, but in October over 750,000 found themselves in foreclosure. The rate of job loss is steadily climbing, as companies close one by one. We can't turn away.My husband and I are in a

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-53164749148688954382008-10-22T18:41:00.000-07:002008-10-22T19:23:27.944-07:00

Nelva is one of those elderly ladies who makes me laugh. (I can't bring myself to call her "old lady," even though she's pushing 80) Like most people her age, she experiences more achy days than pleasant ones, but even so, it's easy to pull her out of a bad mood.Just turn her loose and let her talk.She's lighthearted and fun to be with, and always leaves me smiling. Last week I left her house

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-59826818409719106992008-10-03T10:07:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:47:53.445-07:00

With all the crazy newscasts bombarding us lately, isn't it peaceful to step away and listen to the silence? I believe in staying informed, but enough is enough.I usually switch on the little radio in my kitchen whenever I load the dishwasher. I rarely drive without a newscast or music filling my space. I've created a folder of MP3s to listen to as I work on my computer. I've even loaded MP3s

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-57354097888773621502008-09-25T06:16:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:14:25.850-07:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. - II Corninthians 1:3-4 (NIV)Have you checked out a map of active world air traffic lately? (If you're planning a trip by air anytime soon, you might

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1113847502392135272005-04-19T16:28:00.000-07:002008-08-25T06:50:30.816-07:00

While waiting for the attendant to fill my gas tank, I pulled out a To Do list to add a note to myself. That's when I detected movement out of the corner of my eye, and glanced just in time to see a hunched-over man ambling up the road. He had the appearance of someone who'd been carrying a heavy backpack for years, and knew exactly when and how to shift the pain from one shoulder to another.

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-76845771651022458402008-08-06T23:53:00.000-07:002008-08-07T00:17:47.856-07:00

My last post spoke of contrasts--how life is made up of so many opposites. It seemed fitting to follow that with a review of an exciting new book by my friend Kathi Macias. If you haven't already heard the buzz, you've been away from blogging for a while. Kathi's book blog tour was a successful intro to a book that is going to strike a resonant chord with readers everywhere. I'm honored to review

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-58341037840375549052008-08-04T13:24:00.000-07:002008-08-05T10:31:39.969-07:00

You never know what you'll see around town if you keep your eyes wide open. For a writer, observation may produce a snippet of dialogue or an image mentally filed away to use in a story or article someday.While driving home from Costco, I notice a red sports car heading up the street towards me. At the wheel is a man around 40, and next to him sits a guy who looks old enough to be his father.

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1629433312629964092008-07-30T08:38:00.000-07:002008-07-30T09:48:57.838-07:00

While visiting a new local restaurant for dinner, our waitress handed us each a menu with this piece of advice: "You'll want to leave room for dessert."I can count on one hand the number of times I've ordered dinner and dessert. After a delicious meal of Caesar salad, chewy garlic bread, and Chicken Alfredo, I was too stuffed to care. Until I rose to leave, that is.On the way out, we passed a

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-27128052392355283712008-07-09T08:58:00.000-07:002008-07-09T19:37:31.061-07:00

Her email caught me off guard, like an old song or a favorite scent carrying me back to another time and place."Are you the same Bonnie Bruno who used to live next door to a little half-Korean girl?" asked the sender. "If you're the right person, please e-mail me back."I answered immediately. "Are YOU that little girl?" I wondered.She replied with an enthusiastic yes. Lisa, the preschooler with

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-68498130622800310852008-04-03T13:36:00.000-07:002008-06-17T17:05:45.514-07:00

So I haven't blogged in two weeks. There's a perfectly good explanation. I began a decluttering project that evolved into more than I bargained for, but I'm here to report that I found my floor today.I hadn't seen it since sometime around Valentine's Day, as it has been protesting under the weight of bookstacks, boxed-up photos, and so much more. Between my desk and the window sit colorful crates

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-42144515980144717512008-06-17T07:24:00.000-07:002008-06-17T15:12:09.530-07:00

My perennials are thriving. It's their second year, after I dug out my back lawn and replaced grass with flowerbeds and paths. Never in my wildest January dreams did I think I'd have this much color a few months later.Plants that seemed to take forever to form strong, secure roots have suddenly multiplied. A single stalk of blue delphiniums has spread to five separate plants, each weighted now

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-77477550541022678082008-05-28T09:07:00.000-07:002008-05-28T10:11:34.362-07:00

I hadn't seen a goldfinch in weeks, ever since the squawking began--a high-pitched cry that sliced through my quiet morning. At first, I thought our goldfinches were protesting the arrival of our resident scrub jay. Then I realized there were two jays flying back and forth into the hedge, not one. Uh-oh. Babies. Not just any bird babies, but baby scrub jays. Just what we need--another rowdy jay

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-19220341284965326402008-05-13T09:47:00.000-07:002008-05-13T10:37:44.914-07:00

I'm a bonafide collector of quotes. Give me an inspirational quote and a story or article begins to root. That's what happened when I read the following quote recently from Henry Drummond: The people who influence youare the people who believe in you. I had heard his name before, but didn't know much about him. I learned that Drummond, who lived from 1851-1897, was a lecturer in natural

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-18445223209744630362008-05-02T07:20:00.000-07:002008-05-02T10:20:25.700-07:00

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Dr. Seuss Last spring, my backyard underwent a dramatic transformation. I didn't intend to dig up the entire lawn, but once determination grabs a shovel, there's no turning back. Perennials took root and swore their allegiance to a special mix of fine soil and fertilizer. Buds eased open and lasted long

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-23496965221573121842008-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:002008-03-21T09:17:02.170-07:00

Perception varies from individual to individual. How we process information through our five senses--vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch--is often attached to experiences past or present. For example, pick a favorite smell. Why do you like it? Chances are, it's tied somehow to a sentimental memory that brought you joy.I love the scent of lilac. It reminds me of my early childhood in Arizona.

bbrunophotographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742007174349160869bonnie@bonniebruno.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-59766123177507664742008-03-03T15:16:00.001-08:002008-03-04T10:54:23.787-08:00

I'm rearranging furniture, hip-shoving chairs and couches like a woman on a mission. There's something about a little bit of sunshine that makes me want to clean the corners, toss out excess, and rotate everything.God rotates my inner life every now and then, too, by reminding me of how deeply I'm blessed and how much He loves me. Sometimes He surprises me by rearranging my priorities, goals, and

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