Soulful shift

“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” — Friedrich Nietzsche The other day I used this quote and lamented that the stories of autumn were still on the horizon. But tonight, during our evening walk, it felt like the book had begun to crack open. A crisp chill hung…

Feelin’ Fine

Finnegan. Face. Flower. And a Fall walk with my favorite fur friend. (Brought to you by the letter F.) (16 of 41)

Weekend colors

Just a few images from a weekend spent celebrating my mom’s birthday. Beautiful in every way. (13 of 41)

Maybe…

Maybe the clouds and the trees and the flowers all love looking at you, too. (3 of 41)

Be proud of this

“You’re so hard on yourself. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the grief that softened you, at the heartache that wisened you, at the suffering that strengthened you. Despite everything, you still grow. Be proud of this.“ – unknown And despite being chucked in our neighborhood yard waste bin, these sunflowers…

Life lately

Just a few photos from recent walks in the park… And a trip to the flower truck for a peony fix. Which is entirely too expensive but totally worth it. Hello, weekend. I’m so glad you’re here.

Truths

I spotted a list of five harsh truths about life that I thought was pretty good – and accurate. 1. You are responsible for your own happiness. 2. The majority of your limits are self-imposed. 3. You can never fully prepare for everything life will throw at you. 4. You will mess up. The best…

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…

Be safe

“Be safe.” Today as I left the office, a nasty storm was brewing right outside the front doors. Several people were leaving at the same time and instead of the usual “have a good evening” pleasantries, there were lots of sincere and slightly anxious exchanges of “be safe.” I thought about that expression during my…

Swan Surprise

Today I decided to visit one of my favorite parks in search of these beautiful trees… …only to be surprised to find something entirely new. The swans are going to be parents! Just one egg so far. But how cool is that? In unrelated cuteness news, here’s Finn’s face while patiently waiting for me to…

Mystery flowers

“The world is full of magic things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W. B. Yeats During a chilly walk in the park this morning, I saw in the distance what I thought were snowballs on the icy surface of the grand basin. But upon closer inspection, I found that someone had…

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…

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…

Just be here

“Everyday is not an opportunity to improve yourself. Some days are just there for you to accept yourselfand look at the clouds. This too is growth.This too is rising. Just existing is enough on some days. The flowers do it everydayand make the world more beautifuljust by being here. So do you.” – Nikita Gill

Nearer

“If you want to get warmyou must stand near the fire: ifyou want to be wet you must get into the water.If you want joy,power, peace, eternallife, you must getclose to, or even into,the thing thathas them.”– C.S. Lewis

Close enough

“The world is absurd but I still cling to its flowers like a bee drunk on spring.” – Luke Levi So I guess technically these bees are drunk on summer. Close enough.

Miracle

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole world would change.” – Buddha I brought this bundle of tulips home recently and I’ve enjoyed watching them from bud to bloom. Each stage has been beautiful – a miracle – in its own way. Even when they were completely faded.

A wish for the week ahead

“May you keep waking up every day, even if you have to snooze the alarm a time or ten. May you continue sharing your triumphs, and sorrows, and jokes, and blurry, off-centered photos that bear witness to a life being lived. May you choose to let the other party in a pointless argument have the…

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…

Next

“Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta (And it you live alone, this still applies, by the way.) I loved this quote because it serves as a reminder that even…

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….

Shades of Spring

Looking over a few photos from walks in the park over the past week, I noticed a lovely color trend that I thought was worth sharing…

Details

The world is full of beauty waiting to be noticed. When we look closely, we can see things we never noticed before, like the way light shines on a tree or the pretty patterns of a butterfly. By doing this we can learn to love and appreciate the world and all it has to offer….

Silent Sunday

I visited a park today that, once I stepped through its gates, it felt like I was walking back in time. It felt like the kind of place where a poet would write…or an artist would paint…or a musician would find inspiration. A magical, hopelessly romantic place. There are several areas in which you can…

Just for now

I will typically tell you that I don’t have a favorite season because there’s so much to be enjoyed with each of them. But spring…oh, spring… Pink dogwoods… Pending robin families… Happy bees… Lots of smiles. I’m going to say that spring is my favorite for now.