“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin I spotted this little heart in a parking lot this evening and I was so tickled by it. Of course upon closer inspection of the photo later, I was bummed to see it was a bit of litter that…
Category: blessings
Look again
“Look at your body. Look at those arms that have held people they love. Look at those eyes that have seen oceans and mountains and big green trees. Look at those legs that have carried you through your longest journeys. Look at your feet that have held you up on your hardest days. Look at…
Sorry, not sorry
“You know what breaks me? When someone is visibly excited about a a feeling or an idea or a hope or a risk taken, and they tell you about it but preface it with: “Sorry, this is dumb but…” Don’t do that. I don’t know who came here before me, or who conditioned you to…
Phoebe wisdom for a Tuesday
Today seemed to be a good day to tap into some Phoebe wisdom. It’s only Tuesday yet there seems to be a disproportionate amount of stupidity and clumsiness at every turn. I seem to be continually spilling, breaking, dropping, or misplacing everything in which I come into contact. It’s like the Midas Touch in reverse….
Magic in the desert
Somehow we’re approaching the tail end of April and I haven’t yet posted anything about two back-to-back trips I’ve taken this year. I count on this blog to maintain a record of important moments in my life, so I don’t want to miss this. In late February, I took a mother-son trip to Vegas to…
Hopes for the week ahead
Here’s hoping for smiles along our paths… and assurances of love, however faint… …or more obvious. Here’s hoping for warm blankets when hunkering down against the cold, cooperative traffic during our commutes, uninterrupted moments for rest, steaming hot cocoa to accompany a good book, and unwavering patience and peace. Here’s hoping for kind exchanges of…
The gift
“Their joy – that’s the gift to you.” Not long ago, I saw a Steve Hartman segment featuring some school kids who were inspired by a Secret Santa to raise and give away literally thousands of dollars to strangers in need. (Please watch the segment here if you haven’t seen it, which includes the above…
Gentle Goals
Gentle Goals for a New Year “Wander more. Notice at least one beautiful thing a day. Take the class you’ve been thinking about. Leave your comfort zone more often so you have stories to tell when you get back. Make a new friend. Read a book that changes you. Stay loyal to yourself. Act with…
Priceless
Write about someplace you’ve been that you’re grateful for. The fifth of 15 gratitude journal prompts is taking me to….my Grampa’s house during Christmas when I was a child. The little chapel pictured above is well over 100 years old, made by my Grampa as a tribute to the first little church he attended with…
15 prompts
What’s something that you’re looking forward to? I found a list of 15 “gratitude journal prompts” on Facebook this morning that I’ve decided to give a go. First up is the above question…which has several answers. In no particular order: – The gingkoes shedding their leaves – Frost flowers (fingers crossed) – My next visit…
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton In recent years I have found that negativity and gratitude cannot co-exist in the same headspace; gratitude is simply too powerful. And it is absolutely our choice to make every single day —…
Glimmer
“Today I learned about a term called a “glimmer.” Which is the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more.” – Unknown Fall…
Think about such things
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will…
Let July be July
Let July be July, and let August be August. And let yourself just be even in the uncertainty. You don’t have to fix everything. You don’t have to solve everything. And you can still find peace and grow in the wild of changing things.” – Morgan Harper Nichols July. It has been quite a month….
The list goes on
“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis I realized today that it’s been a hot minute since I sat down and made a gratitude list. It’s certainly not for lack of content. But here are just a few things on my mind. There are so many more things to…
Too Much is Just Enough
“If you love something, love it completely. Cherish it, say it, but more importantly, show it. Life is finite and fragile, and just because something is there one day, it might not be there the next. Never take that for granted. Say what you need to say, then say a little more. Say too much….
Every storm runs out of rain
Yesterday we had a bit of nasty weather roll through the area…but not before leaving a lovely parting gift. And then how fun is this. Check out the full double rainbow (at least much as I could fit into the frame.) Then look at the exact same frame about 20 minutes later. (Don’t miss the…
Good question
“What’s something most people don’t understand?” Today I got a notification on my phone saying that I had an unusual jump in traffic on my blog. This made me smile a bit, but it also made me super curious. “Traffic” has never been important to me when it comes to writing here. This is mostly…
Many happy returns
“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.” Today is National Flower Day! Personally, I think flowers should be celebrated every day, but I’ll take any excuse to make a floral run. Wouldn’t it be great if we could create a day for all of our favorite things? I…
Many Thanks
“Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many.” – Mark Twain I’m on the cusp of a new trip around the sun. Age has definitely brought about some changes – especially in recent years. A few new wrinkles…a few new pounds…a few new aches and pains…weird sleeping patterns. Sometimes it’s kind of…
What to do with 21 bananas
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop For whatever reason, I was thinking a lot today about little things we can do to brighten each other’s spirits. The other day I found a handmade gift of a ring for me and a collar for Finn on my front porch…
As long as we’re here
“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” = Walter Hagen Both of my fur-boys seem to enjoy stopping to smell the flowers. And it always reminds me to pause in appreciation. We are given so many tiny opportunities to savor, if…
Present
“If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present…Gratefully.” – Maya Angelou The best part about long walks outside with my dog is that it is the one time I am sure to be fully…
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