Russ Towne's A Grateful Man

Our daughter and her boyfriend have worked for the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District for many years. They are Heavy Equipment Operators. As a reward for their excellent service they have been selected to occupy a home in the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in the Los Altos Hills for as long as five years. The home is above. The views are amazing including the City of San Jose and part of Silicon Valley (which I imagine will look especially nice at night) and some of the hills in the park.

Just during the few hours we helped them move into their new digs we saw a coyote walk nearly up to their house, a dozen turkeys, and four deer. It’s a wildlife paradise.

Their commute is about 400 yards. I’m proud of my daughter and her boyfriend and what they’ve accomplished. I’m happy their employer recognised and honored them in this marvelous way.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

What’s all this have to do with photos of beautiful flowers? They too have brought beauty into my life as I feel the warmth of the sun during my daily outings into my backyard when the walls of my home seem ready to suffocate me. They are like fleeting friends who remind me to absorb and appreciate all the beauty I can while it is available to me.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

I found some terrific questions on this list and believe many of you will find value in it.

With Love and Gratitude,

I love symbolism and contrasts in photographs. In these photos I took along my back fence I was, of course, attracted by the the beauty of the flowers themselves, but I especially enjoyed the many contrasts the scene elicited in my mind: Fleeting beauty vs. aged fence, silken vs. coarse textures, delicate vs. sturdy, vibrant color vs. subdued tones, uniform lines vs. varied wood grain.

Such images remind me how differences in people can enhance life and relationships when I look beyond individual surface attributes to see larger blessings all around me.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

>>Today’s Funny

While flying from Denver to Kansas City, Kansas, a lady was sitting across the aisle from a woman and her eight-year-old son.

She couldn’t help but laugh as she heard the mother say to the boy, “Now remember…after we land, run to Dad first, then the dog.”

>>>Today’s Thot

I don’t need anger management. I just need people to stop making me mad.

Source: Mikeys Funnies

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The Journal of Applied Social Psychology published a paper that showed that when a food server leaves a mint or piece of chocolate with a bill, they typically get a larger tip.

One piece of candy yielded tips that were 3% larger than they otherwise would have been. And leaving two pieces yielded tips that were a whopping 14% larger than they would have been if no candy was left.

That’s what I call a sweet return on investment!

Source: dan@nowIknow

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“If you haven’t got charity in your heart you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

–Bob Hope

With Love and Gratitude,

Russ

Source: 1440

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My extended family and I enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July with Air Force and Navy personnel and their families at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Maryland this year. It seemed a most fitting way to celebrate our independence with those who sacrifice to keep us free. Our son is an officer in the Air Force.

Nature put on its own glorious display while we waited for the man-made fireworks to begin.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

I awoke this morning, turned my head and saw these images reflected in my table lamp.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

Hi, everyone. I’m back. Anyone here? I’ve missed you and decided to check in to see if there is any interest in my beginning to post here again.

With love and gratitude,

Russ

Russ