Old Trees, Sunsets, and The Moon

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about how life throws us twists and turns along the way that often leave us in places, physically or otherwise, that we didn't plan on, and that we may not always enjoy. My next door neighbor and friend was just put in as the Relief Society President here in our ward, replacing us. She's a spunky lady, not originally from this area, and she's often told me that when she first moved here, she hated it. Loathed it. Cried herself to sleep each night for over four years. Then one day she woke up for an early morning walk and noticed a beautiful sunset strewn across the sky. That same night, she walked out her front door to find that the evening was lit up with vivid colors, a masterpiece above. She thought to herself, "You know, I've been wasting the last few years looking around me and seeing only the ugliness when I've been missing the beauty that there IS."

Guess you could say that I catch myself thinking the same thing from time to time, not just regarding the landscape either. Beauty is where we find it, in what we value most. I need to hunt a lot more, I guess. Here's a few of those beautiful sunsets my neighbor admires so much. I just took these a few minutes ago. The first one is of the same neighbor's tree, once an old tree house for their boys when they were young. I added a touch of vintage to it.

This last one was too great of a shot to pass up. I loved that little sliver of the moon that popped out of the clouds, kind of like a tiny treasure just waiting to be discovered.

Just gotta look hard enough and you'll find it ...