“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot I’m currently sitting in the hospital waiting room for my youngest’s marathon MRI session to end. Rather than stew for hours in fear and anxiety, I’m opting to put together my annual year-end review post. Honestly,…
Category: blessings
May Your Days Be Merry…
I love this simple acts of kindness list so much. The original link is here. The accompanying photos are just a few from life lately. The Hello Kitty, panda, and heart wood are gifts from dear friends. I am filled with gratitude that, not only do I have wonderful people in my life, they know…
My Little Chapel
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.” – The Grinch I don’t have our tree up yet, but I do have our newest little decoration up in the house. And no, it didn’t come from a store. And it means a whole lot more. Isn’t it the…
Behind the Scenes With Big Cats
“My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” – Diane Arbus Yesterday I took my Little Sister on an adventure at our zoo for a behind the scenes tour of Big Cat Country! What a great time! Neither of us had ever done this before. When we first walked up to the exhibit…
Center for Advanced Gratitude
“Let go or be dragged.” – Zen Proverb Recently I read a column by Judy Woodruff that knocked me on my rear. It was called “I was my husband’s caregiver as he was dying of cancer. It was the best seven months of my life.” The title alone was a hook. Those were the best months…
Music and Memory
Yesterday during my run, I heard notes from a saxophone lift above the usual whistles, hollering, and grunting of the high school football field. At first I wondered if the band was rehearsing on the track. But as I passed by, I noticed this young musician practicing on his saxophone on the bleachers. Surprised, I…
A Good Sign
Some people wait for pumpkin spice lattes to mark fall’s arrival. Others wait for the arrival of football as the sign of the season. Or mums. Or apple cider. My signs of the season include funky pumpkins at the Farmer’s Market. Or the migration of monarch butterflies. Or landscaping changes. And cooler temperatures. But perhaps the sign of fall we anticipate the…
God is Everywhere
“The presence of God is everywhere, you have only to embrace it with your attention.” – Deepak Chopra LOVED this story in Spirituality & Health by Snatam Kaur called “God is Everywhere.” The contrast between her childhood buddy’s view of God and her own made me laugh. I tend to subscribe to the author’s view. I do…
Hey, I Have an Idea!
An 80 degree day and an outing with my Little Sister? Yes, please. The original plan was to go to the zoo, but I had a last-minute idea. Typically, the five most dreaded words in my household are “Hey! I have an idea!” But every now and then, my ideas pan out. Sometimes even some…
You Are What You Notice
A cat’s purr in my ear. An easy morning commute. Homemade pumpkin bread. A thoughtful note from a friend. Rainbows appearing at my feet. Texts from both of my kids at the exact same time. The arrival of a new issue of my favorite magazine. Sparkles dancing under a bridge. A cute couple picnicking under…
It’s the Japanese Festival!
Got to spend the afternoon at one of my very favorite places with some of my favorite people. Today our Botanical Garden was host to the annual Japanese Festival. Bonsai displays, art, demonstrations, food, flowers, Japanese product vendors…there was a lot of neat stuff. We were surprised by how many people dressed in ethnic costumes for the…
You Have a Good Soul. I Can Tell.
“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you’d never think a negative thought again.” I always knew that running was good for me, but I never knew that it could actually be therapy until today. Midway through my run this evening, I was getting discouraged by my pace. Lots of little criticisms filled my head until…
Long and Short of It
“There is one simple thing wrong with you – you think you have plenty of time.” — Carlos Castaneda, author Getting older has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve not done anything unusual in the way of self-reflection or anything, but I’ve noticed some changes in myself. People, circumstances, and difficult discussions don’t…
Sometimes
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”
Always Remember…
You are braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, And smarter than you think.” –A.A. Milne Since the mind behind Pooh Bear said this, I’m going to trust it is true. Because Pooh is never wrong. But if you figure out how to accomplish all of the above, please let me know. Because sometimes it’s…
Sometimes
“Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.” – Mary Oliver, poet
Life Lately…
…it’s been busy around here. Within the past few days, my kids and I have seen Coldplay in concert… …saw the Legends of the Dome game (the Rams’ last hurrah in St. Louis. Thank you, Isaac Bruce.)… …including VIP passes and an autograph session… …and went to the ballpark with my Little Sister for Build-a-Bear night….
For the Love of Samaritans
Please take a few minutes to read this sermon from Nadia Bolz Weber, called “Why it is the Parable of the Merciful Samaritan and Not the Parable of the Robbers.” (Link here.) So. Much. Yes. It is a perfect commentary on the state of our world, the deafening barrage of violence and hate within our news, and…
That’ll Do.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice. — Meister Eckhart
Through Today’s Lens
“It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau Bubble Bus bubbles clinging to my car’s windshield or a whimsical, magical temporary art installation? A lost and beaten-up button or a funny/creepy little face? Roses through a rain-soaked window or a watercolor dream? A sleeping cat or a…
Kind of Blue
All shades, all hues, all blues…a little nod to Miles Davis. Seemed appropriate given how mellow – and blue – this day has been. Three pints of blueberries… …along with my brand new electric mixer… And you get three and a half-dozen cupcakes: roasted blueberry with chocolate fudge frosting (recipe here) and roasted banana blueberry with…
Freedom 4 Miler
Started the long weekend running the Freedom 4 Miler race with Drew this morning. A solid race for us both — and you simply can’t beat a start (and finish) line at Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium. The rain held off long enough for us to get in the entire event, so we were super fortunate….
Hello, July!
First day of July and day 11 of my 21-Day Gratitude Challenge. I start the month grateful for… 1.) The beginning of a three-day weekend! (Duh.) 2.) Seeing a dear friend’s success. 3.) Finally being able to make a (somewhat significant) appliance purchase that I’ve been wanting to make for so long but haven’t been…
Peace, Acceptance, and Soda Spills
“When you are comfortable in your own skin, you can be at peace anywhere.” — Antsy McClain So today I either discovered or was reminded of some irrefutable truths about myself. For starters, my car seems a lot smaller when the lid from a filled-to-the-brim Big Gulp pops off and Diet Dr. Pepper saturates everything in its wake….
hey there, friends 