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Over the past few days I have been thinking a bit about this post and have been stumped. What has this week had to offer, anyway?

That's bad.

These things should be obvious. I should see blessings for what they are right away. (Right? Help me, here....)

A week into summer vacation, I am trying to slip through the dull cracks that line the faces of Obvious and her best pal Oblivious, and as I disappear I just can't see the goodness for what it is anymore.

That's good.

That makes everything a blessing.

For instance.

My daughter has been at basketball camp this week. Very cool. She loves playing, and it gives us some time apart. Now, I could have dropped her off and dashed home and cleaned like a nutcase for two hours and then dash back and be a very accomplished over-achieving haus-frau. I did not. As my mother says, "It's only a problem if it bothers you, dear." No dust or--dare I say it--grime really bothers me these days. So I slung my camera on my back each day of the week and went for a walk--the same walk every day--to see what there was to see that I hadn't seen before.

One day, I was making my way through this lovely field of asters when I heard this strange cry of surprise. I looked up, and up leapt a young deer who had been camouflaged completely by the tall and delicate flowers. I watched him run deeper into the field until he was as invisible as he had been before I startled him.

Each day, I saw flowers I either never saw before or never saw as I did that particular day.

Each day, I head the peaceful, methodical sound of fishing reels letting out line as fishermen in the river sought a trout--or anything at all that would show they had indeed gone fishing. (Standing in the river and taking in the scenery is called fishing.)

Following those trails, listening to all the natural and lovely sounds of the day, I did not think about whose governor had a tryst in Argentina, what derranged pop star at long last relieved the world of his presence, which auto manufacturer was spending my money to no good end, whether or not the North Koreans would torch Hawaii. Human endeavors are downright ridiculous amid a field of asters. (Maybe that's why the deer went there.)

Flower power? Nah. Nothing to do with power. Flowers.They're the thing. The blessing. That's plenty for me.

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