Change of Pace

I've been trying to finish up a project each week so I have something to share on my blog each Thursday, but this week I decided to do something different for several reasons.

I have finished two more quilts, but they can wait a week or so.

I've been going crazy with some of the sunrises and sunsets we've enjoyed the last couple of weeks. A few years ago, I challenged myself to shoot the sunrise every morning in November as one of my tools to combat depression. Not every sunrise was particularly photo-worthy, but the challenge stimulated me and helped me find a good reason to get up out of bed each morning and look for something good.


Nearly one year ago, some of my friends were devastated by election results. Some of my friends and family members were beyond thrilled. I personally had hoped enough people would vote third party that "we" might win a state or two and send a strong message to our elected representatives that we as a country are tired of political corruption and deception. I secretly hoped each of the third-party candidates might take their home state so the message would be even stronger. The politicians are supposed to be working for us, not raking us over the coals.

Depression set in because although third-party candidates did make a stronger showing across the continent than any election since 1992, third-party votes weren't strong enough to send a clear message. Some might argue the outcome sent a stronger message. If that's true, the two main parties were and still are so embattled, they weren't and still aren't paying attention to voters, in my opinion. I felt (and still feel) voters, as a country, are even more forgotten than before the 2016 election.

It's November again. Many things have been bringing on another layer of depression, and sometimes it seems people in general seem to be treating each other with less respect than ever before.

I took a stand last year and was basically laughed off the planet. I swore I'd never step foot into the arena again.

But now I'm back from outer space
No more sad look upon my face
Sunrise each day
Sends smiles my way
It's time to share
And catch others in my snare
Spread joy any way I can
And that's my new Friday plan
(Daily sunrise progress - when I have internet access - may be monitored here. A little more format tweaking is required; HTML5 has changed the rules, and I'm starting all over from scratch in learning how to build web pages. You should have seen my first two attempts!!! AAACK!!!)


After each of this year's tragedies, natural and man-made, I have watched in horror over and over again as poor examples of human beings spew the most unkind things and capture headlines while everyday people quietly try to do whatever they can to make things better.

People doing kind things generally doesn't win ratings wars, and news purveyors thrive on conflict and sensationalism. I can't change the world, but I can try to make my little corner of it better.

I've had fun with my Friday Funnies, and I think they've accomplished the goal of spreading smiles one day a week. I think it's time to turn up the heat a notch or two. I began sharing one of my sunrise photos along with a quote I find motivational each Friday on Instagram three weeks ago, and it feels like the right thing to do. Beginning tomorrow, I'm going to do the same thing here on Snowcatcher.

I might not take the world by storm, but if I can help even a couple of people remember we're all human and in this game together, I'm going to give it my best shot.

I'll be back with a finished quilt next week. I'll be back with a month of sunrise photos in December. And I'll be trying to spread more than just smiles every Friday.

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