A Beautiful Blessing

What a beautiful blessing

That each sunset’s delight

Brings the glorious birth

Of another new night!

— Russ Towne

If you enjoyed this poem I invite you to check out eight other new ones I wrote and posted at A Grateful Man’s Poetry at http://agratefulmanspoetry.com

A Grateful Man’s Poetry

And if you enjoy them, you’re welcome to “Follow” me on that site too!

Thank you.

With Love,

Russ

(c) Copyright 2016 Russ Towne

All Rights Reserved

 

Posted in Beauty, Blessings, Poetry, Poetry I Wrote | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Results Of Trying Too Hard

Sarah Vowell’s quote struck a nerve. I’d love to have fewer flaws, but sometimes wonder if there’d be anything left of me if all of my flaws were removed.

With Love,

Russ

kmabarrett's avatarKevin Barrett's Blog

We are flawed creatures, all of us.  Some of us think that means we should fix our flaws.  But get rid of my flaws and there would be no one left.
    —   Sarah Vowell
I am dying from the treatment of too many physicians.
  ―  Alexander the Great
.
On This Day In:
2015Make Me Look
2014Fresh Drink
2013Good Business
2012Unsure Spirit
2011A Lost Valuable

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dollars to donuts.

Nostalgic thoughts on a Saturday morning. Fun! As kids we used to collect soda bottles and get five cents for small ones and ten cents for the large ones (if I recall correctly) and a bit later the newly invented aluminum soda and beer cans for money. With long licorice strings and bubble gum selling for only a penny, Big Hunk bars for a nickel, and most candy bars a dime (and they were all larger in those days!) we used to be able to gorge ourselves sick. We were in that sweet spot (pun intended) where recycling was become a big deal and the deposit value of the bottles and cans had gone up much faster than the cost of the candy. Sweet times! We’d clean up nearby orchards on weekends and a week later the orchards would be ready for another bountiful harvest, and I’m not talking fruit!
With Love,
Russ

beth's avatarI didn't have my glasses on....

IMG_4437

m and f in training at just one of our family businesses.

at our size you can grow 10- 20 billion dollars a year,

absolutely you can.

– Charles Holley

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safe.

That sounds like a good person to have as a friend. I’m glad she has you to help keep her safe, Beth. We need more people like the two of you in the world.

beth's avatarI didn't have my glasses on....

il_570xN.322815592

each kinder

was asked

what wish

they would like

to send out

into the world

on a piece of paper.

one said this:

IMG_4755

she understands important things.

the liberties of none are safe

unless the liberties of all are protected.

– william o. douglas

credits:  1920s AMELIARANNE Bedtime Goodnight, susan b. pearce

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“Cold Emails” Can Lead to Wonderfully Warm Replies

I just enjoyed the article linked below and believe those who send thoughtful, heart-felt cold emails are likely to get some wonderfully warm replies.

Cold Emails and Warm Replies

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Authentic Living | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

“Nonsense”

“Wakes up the brain cells.” I like that! Whatever wakes up my brain cells is a good thing.

From fantasy, laughter, and hearing children sing.

But what warms my heart cells is finding kindness anywhere,

To feel that great connection when seeing people show they care.

With Love,
Russ

 

forgottenmeadows's avatarQuotes and Lyrics for the soul

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Dr. Seuss

fbql dr seuss

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Not An Editor Nor A Publisher

Colleen is a friend and amazingly talented writer/illustrator who just released her first book! I’m delighted to share the good news with all of you! I of course bought it and look forward to going a review of it when it arrives.

Russ

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My Illness this Week Reminded Me of My Old Friend

My Old Friend

I’ve been ill this week and as usual my great dog Duke stand at my side the whole time (other than the occasional potty break.) That reminded me of a song lyric I wrote to honor Duke, our friendship, and the bond pets have with their humans, “My Old Friend.”

I found it by going to YouTube and typing “Russ Towne” in the search field.

I hope you enjoy the song.

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Animals, Dogs & Other Wonderful Creatures, Friendship, Love, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

My “Bad Days” are mostly Amazingly Good

My days are filled with blessings. Every day. I’m usually wise enough to notice and be grateful for many of the blessings. Sometimes, however, I focus on one or more things that didn’t meet my expectations and I call it a “Bad Day” despite the many blessings I also experienced that day.

In reality, actual tragedies typically and thankfully only happen infrequently, and nearly all days are so blessings-filled that I should remove the phrase “Bad Day” from my usage. Even when so-called “Bad” stuff happens, it nearly always leads to other wonderful things including new opportunities for growth, relationships, introspection, and more.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Adversity, Attittude, Challenges, Gratitude | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

West Coast Sunsets

Sunsets along the West Coast can be glorious. My Beloved and I once sat for about an hour watching the sun late in the day. We were the only ones in the area and we had wonderful seats. After the finale, when we got up to leave and looked behind us we were surprised to see many people had quietly, respectfully, perhaps reverently, come up to sit behind us to also enjoy another of nature’s many wonders without doing anything to disturb what they could tell was a very special experience for us. Their consideration made the moment even more magical.

With Love,
Russ

Posted in Beauty, Blessings, Kindness | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments