139/365 - Happiness?

Walking around my old university (UC Irvine), I came across a sculpture garden; thought I'd gotten lucky in finding a statue of the goddess of Happiness:
But no, she's the goddess of longevity.
But I guess youth, beauty and health can certainly make one happy!

"Ma Gu, the goddess of longevity in ancient Chinese tradition, always appeared as a young and beautiful maid of eighteen. According to the legend, Ma Gu lived tens of thousands of years, achieving longevity by picking divine herbs from a verdant forest and brewing wine with them. Legend also has it whomever tasted a cup of Ma Gu's wine would be eternally young, beautiful and healthy.

According to legend, MaGu lives forever on clouds. Winter Blooming Dergenia, with a soft cloudlike texture and form have been planted around the statue."

More pics of the garden:


This guy was my favorite.

Looking past the sculpture garden out to Aldrich Park, which is in the very center of the campus.

138/365 - THEME - HAPPINESS

Mom's BirthdayMaking a wish before blowing out the candles.Enjoying good company (with one of her best friends, Rita)

137/365 - THEME - HAPPINESS

...to see the leaves changing!
Who said Southern California doesn't have seasons? ;)

136/365

A laaaaaadybug kept me company in the garden for quite some time today. Doesn't that bring good luck? I certainly hope so! She/he? crawled around on my glove for a long while before I placed him/her on a branch so as not to get bounced around by me!I ran in to get the camera, and it was still there; I've never seen them hang around for so long!

135/365

This creature was walking so carefully and slowly across the flower; I couldn't tell if he was trying not to be seen, or his feet hurt. He was actually quite graceful.

but what is it??

134/365 - 7 DEADLY SINS - WRATH

...of Mother Nature.
The sky today, with fires burning in Yorba Linda (maybe 30 miles away?), and people evacuating Anaheim Hills (about 20 miles away), the air has turned a greyish, fiery suppressive orange, and there has been ash falling from the sky for hours now.

I find it very unsettling, and sad for all those who have lost and are losing their homes.

133/365 - DEMOCRAT MUCH?

(I do not recommend clicking to enlarge this particular shot; I tried 3-4 times to get the right exposure, and as it was in low light, it was consistently blurry and noisy as I don't have a tripod, so it's pretty crap really. PLUS... it's not only on some person's front yard and therefore I might look weird taking several photos, but also across the street from the school where I teach... so I didn't want to look terribly odd... but of course HAD to get that shot!

132/365

The full moon.

A time to LET GO of negative or old ideas/habits that don't help. Something I've been very much in need of; particularly this week!

131/365 - 7 DEADLY SINS - ENVY (& Gluttony)

***Possible spoilers for those of you outside the U.S. waiting for Cycle 11 of ANTM***

Undecided as to whether I'd prefer to be the model, getting made up for a shoot,
or the photographer, controlling the shoot and creating a gorgeous image with a bitchen piece of equipment.
But yes, I envy them all.

And because I'm posting this after the fact and have yet to find a decent photo of GLUTTONY, I'll use this one:... in which Marjorie, up until now my favorite, imbibed far too much one night, and only by the grace of her housemates was saved from embarrassment... but alas, not elimination.
Au revoir, Marjorie, bonne chance!

130/365 - 7 Deadly Sins - SLOTH

Pretty much sums up my attitude of late. Forgot it was a SIN!