Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts

July 30, 2023

Unlucky Car

Driver Okay.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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April 5, 2023

When Do You Honk

 

That's a telling bumper sticker for someone.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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November 17, 2021

Gorgeous Fall Leaves


Wow, gorgeous fall change of colors for the leaves. 

It almost looks like the tree is golden, heavenly and floating. 

We're so lucky to get to experience the wonders of nature. 

Thank you G-d!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Minna Blumenthal)


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September 23, 2021

Gourds Everywhere

Gourds gourds everywhere. 

Colorful, plentiful, decorative, and some edible.

Pumpkin pie is an example! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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April 2, 2021

Climbing Up, Falling Down

Thought this was insightful.
All paths up are different.

All paths down are the same. 

Climbing up is challenges and we all have to find our determination, strength, and skill to make it up rung after rung on the ladder of life.

Falling down is when the sh*t hits the fan and the walls come crumbling down and we freefall into the abyss.

The key as we usually learn early in life when we take our first falls is to quickly get back up (on the horse). 

Life is never just smooth sailing.

It's not meant to be. 

You wouldn't learn or grow if it was. 

Be prepared for the occasional fall from grace, and get your tushy back in the saddle and ride again.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

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November 29, 2020

@Underground Railway Trail










(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)


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November 25, 2019

Surfing USA Beach




Even when you fall down, you should always rise up again!

(Credit Videos: Andy Blumenthal)
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August 29, 2018

Just One Mistake

So all it takes is one mistake. 

And your whole life can be completely altered. 

The consequences for a slip up in a split second in time. 

I'm talking to someone today and he tells me his story and it goes like this:

He came here from overseas in early 2000 after winning the lottery for a green card.  

split second and his life is changed miraculously for the better. 

He moves here and finds work as an electrician. 

He saves money, gets married, and is living a decent life. 

All is well and then...

One day, another split second and he is on the scaffolding doing his work as an electrician and suddenly it collapses, and he falls severely breaking his leg and knee.  

He is taken to the hospital where the doctor tells him his injuries are too severe and he is transported to another major metropolitan hospital. 

After three surgeries, his leg is put back together with metal plates, rods, and bolts. 

He is unable to work, loses his job, and eats through his savings living off it while his leg slowly heals. 

Next, the hospital comes after him for $60,000 in medical bills. 

He says he has no choice but to leave the country to escape the debt, which he cannot pay. 

After 7 years and with the debt forgotten, he is able to return to this country.

His wife who he married here claims he abandoned her and divorces him.

He has lost everything he had in this country.

He shows me that his leg has huge scars up and down the sides and he bangs on his leg multiple times to show me the metal plates holding it together. 

He also demonstrates to me also that even after all these years, he still can't run and as he tries in slow motion, his knee collapses and he visibly starts to lose his balance. 

I asked if he still has pain these 10 years later, and he says, "Yes!" 

Then he comes closer, turns to me, and with a very serious look, he shakes his head.

He says, "It only takes one mistake...just one mistake."  ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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August 22, 2018

Watch Out For That Gopher Hole

So this was funny this week. 

I hurt my back and leg and am going around with a (little) limp. 

So one of my colleagues at work sees me struggling-limping down the long hall here, and they say to me this funny thing:
Did you fall in a gopher hole?

I had to take an aback because I never heard that phrase before. 

Working outside the city here though, where a lot of people live in the burbs, and we regularly see all sorts of animals around campus, perhaps it wasn't so outlandish a question.  

Anyway, as I'm limping, I can't get that funny image out of my head.

I wonder if other people have fallen in a gopher hole and that's why back problems are so common after all. ;-)

(Source Photo: here with attribution to annolyn)
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December 15, 2017

Slow Build - Rapid Demise

It takes time to build in life. 

Or as they say:
"Rome wasn't built in a day."

But it's not always easy to have patience. 

We all have to start somewhere and usually it's at the bottom.

And then we have to claw our way up (like Rocky).

Unless of course, you're one of those people born with a "silver spoon" in your mouth. 

The funny thing about building and climbing is that it can all be destroyed in a split second. 

One silly mistake, one stupid word, one indiscretion, one lackadaisical moment, a turn of bad luck...or a series thereof. 

It takes so much time and effort to build as we lay one brick of success upon another. 

And it takes just a split second to destroy it all. 

So watch-watch-watch your steps, because they can so easily turn into a rapid, spiraling, and even most deadly a fall.  ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 27, 2017

Longevity...85 Is The New 65

So I was speaking to one of our very nice elderly neighbors.

Last week he lost his dear wife of 60 years!

I had visited him during Shiva (the Jewish period of mourning) to wish him our best and let him know we are there if there is anything he needs. 

He told me how the night before she passed, they had gone out to eat and to the theatre (she loved the theatre)...and everything was fine!

And then the next day, he went to work--he still teaches medicine at the local hospital 2 days a month.

At midday, he called his wife and asked how she was and if she needed anything from the store (to eat etc.)

She told him she was fine and she didn't need anything. 

But by the time he got home just one hour later...she had fallen, hit her head, and died. 

He tried to do CPR by it was no use, she was gone. 

Both he and his wife were 84-years old. 

He mentioned that would tease her that he was 3 months older than her, and so she had to listen to him!

I felt so bad for him...it was obvious how much he loved her and missed her already. 

When he told me how old she was, I tried to say reassuringly:
"That's a good old age...at least she lived a full life!"

But then he answered:
"84--that's nothing! 85 is the new 65!!!"  
And went on to tell me how many of their friends are already in the 90's. 

It's funny how no matter what age you are...there is always a will to live!

He said how she had passed quickly and so maybe he could consider that a blessing. 

And we talked about how it truly is especially when some other people really suffer prolonged periods with terrible debilitating and painful illnesses. 

It was also strange that around the same time, I ran into yet another elderly neighbor, and he had tears in his eyes...and I asked how he is. 

He told me how he just learned 3 weeks ago that his wife has lung cancer. 

Seeing his expression how bad things were, I inquired what stage it was at. 

He said, "stage 3 cancer," and I told him as well how sorry I was for his pain. 

All this made me realize again, how very tenuous life is...and we all hang by a thread that G-d decides at any moment when to shear and when to cut--we need to live every moment to the fullest and as if it's our last. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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January 10, 2016

Enterprise Architecture - Make The Leap

Another good depiction of enterprise architecture.

What we are, the divide, and what we want to be.

We have to make the leap, but only with good planning and decision-making governance. 

Otherwise, it's a long fall down the project failure abyss. 

Faith is always important, but so it doing your credible part. ;-)

(Source Photo: Via Instagram)
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December 1, 2015

Awesome Northeast Fall Season

Just wanted to share this awesome photo that my beautiful daughter, Michelle, took this last week. 

I love how it vividly captures the Fall colors, the falling leaves, and the changing seasons. 

The bridge seems to magically span the lush green before with the orange and tan hues of the after all under a clear light blue sky. 

The scene definitely looks like a cozy and happy time and place I want to be in. ;-)

(Source Photo: Michelle Blumenthal)
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September 20, 2015

Apple Picking At Waters Orchard






(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

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March 26, 2015

Country Landscape

I like this beautiful painting of a countryside landscape. 

The vibrant fall colors of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.

The tops of the houses and steeple jutting up from the lush foliage. 

The bluish-green mountains in the background, the wavy blue water lined by white sand on the upper left, and the light blue sky with clear white clouds at the very top. 

It's a little bit of Heaven right here on Earth.

Where peace, prosperity, and health are abundant and prevail.

G-d should bless us. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 1, 2014

Pants Down

My question of the day, and I know it's the fashion and a lot of people do it, but why do they want to wear their pants this far down?

Maybe, I am just getting old and not so cool (anymore), but this looks mighty uncomfortable to me. 

Also, how do those things not just fall completely off?  

All the more power to them. ;-)
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April 22, 2014

Bird Tries Again And Again

My daughter, Rebecca and I watched an amazing sight yesterday.

We sat on the beach before sunset to enjoy the ocean and sand without the crowds. 

It wasn't cold, but the wind was blowing somewhat strong toward the south.

There were four kite surfers enjoying the gusts and gliding over the water at enormous speeds, and curving this way and that. 

But this isn't what really got our attention.

Instead, it was this one little white bird...I don't know specifically the type, but if I had to guess I'd say it was a dove. 

The dove was flying not with the wind southernly, but against it to the north. 

In the heavy wind, it would sort of hold it's position for a little, and then try with all it's might to fly north.

But the wind was too strong, and it kept tiring and then literally nosediving--head first, straight down like off a cliff--into the water, bam!

We watched this and thought at first what is with this crazy bird--and laughed.

But over and over again this played out--I think we watched this for nearly an hour!

After each attempt, the bird would pick itself out of the ocean water again, fly back south a little seemingly to get some momentum--only to try again and end up on it's face in the water. 

Reflecting on this, the bird tried again and again to make headway, no matter how many times it fell flat on it's face.

I thought this is a good lesson in life--not to give up even when things seems difficult. 

If this little bird could do it--so could we--and eventually succeed at whatever we set our minds to. 

If the white little bird really was a dove--the symbol for peace--then what better story to keep trying until you succeed and make flight even against the strong wind. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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November 12, 2012

Awesome Turtle

This turtle was awesome. 

Another hiker found him at the top of the mountain.

When he first showed it to us, the turtle's head was completely hiding in its shell.

After a while, the turtle decided to poke its head out and check out the scenario, and us. 

As you can see, both the shell and the turtle's body is this incredible art deco combination of yellow and black in all sorts of cool geometric shapes. 

In the Fall season's leaves, I imagine this turtle blends right on in--making it am even more amazing find today. 

The guy holding the turtle put him down for a second, and this turtle was almost off and running at turtle speed. 

Cute little fellow! 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

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The Chariots Are Coming


Took a long hike today for Veterans Days.

Along the hike, I found a tall branch (maybe 10 feet) that I took for a hiking stick. 

It was a little big for the job, but felt good through the trail to have it. 

At one point, I decided to just have some fun and pretended that I was Moses leading the Israelites to The Promised Land. 

I am not much of an actor, but this was me at it--impromptu. 

Anyway, always good to practice my leadership skills--now back to splitting the Red Sea. ;-)

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