Restless T.raveler: Smelling the Roses

I think we all have those family members who are known for having this or that saying they consistently insert at any and all opportunities. One example being "if it ain't broke don't fix it!", "you're getting too big for your britches" or "cold as blue blazes"...well maybe that last one only strikes a cord with me. It is a saying of my Mammaw's, and I still have no idea what it means. (*Mammaw = grandmother for you non-southerners. And to my European friends, no, it is in no way of french origin ;)

Sometimes these little sayings don't really hold any meaning with us. Too often, I'm afraid, they would if we hadn't heard them a half a million times. Why is it that we can become immune to words of wisdom as well? I wish our "immunities," if you will, only applied to things that are proven to harm us, like colds and those metaphorical "words that will never hurt me."

I was talking with my Granny down in Texas recently, catching her up on my travels and just letting her know that I was still alive and well after my trip to China. My granny is one of the most entertaining women you will ever meet. She is a mix of Chicken Little and Annie Get Your Gun. The sky may always be falling on her head and the world may be going to hell in a hand basket, however she is still grateful for all that she has and is as ballsy as they come. And it took her 10 years to become convinced the microwave was not some devil's machine. That tidbit doesn't play into Chicken Little/Annie bit, it just makes her more fantastic and thoroughly entertaining.

My Granny has always repeated this saying "don't forget to stop and smell the roses." Basically, it is trying to tell us not to run through life, missing the beauty that is all around us. We should take time to stop and smell the roses on our way. This job I accepted has pretty much been a sprint-paced marathon. I am changing projects, departments, and locations every 2-4 months, making it a go!go!go! time in my life. That is how I like it, however after a while it can overwhelm me as well.

I was in Portland for a period of 4 months this year, from May through the end of August. I had this conversation with my Granny about 2 weeks before I left Portland to travel back home to NC for a week before heading on to Germany (where I am currently). I really tried to take those words to heart in the little time I had left in the Pacific Northwest. Plus, could it be more apropos that my granny reminds me of this little proverb while I am living in the city of roses? So, here are my roses from a wonderful summer. Even looking now, they still smell great...? Ok, waaay too corny there! Enjoy the pics, folks :)