“Christmas magic is silent. You don’t hear it – you feel it.” – Kevin Alan Milne May the magic of Christmas be yours, and may you be safe, joyful and blessed. I took this photo two years ago during Christmas in Tampa, Florida. This will forever be one of my all-time favorite images I’ve come…
Category: photos
Finnegan
“When was the last time someone was so overjoyed to see you, so brimming with love that they literally ran to greet you?” – Mark Twain We’re just shy of reaching the one year point since this very good boy became mine. I brought him home right after Christmas — my beloved pandemic pup. It…
Winter Solstice
May the longest night and the shortest daybring rest to your mind and soul, I pray. May you find guidance and may you find peace,as the cycle of light will slowly increase. Embrace the magic that the darkness bears.Breathe deep in the chill and shift in the air. May you always be blessed with the…
Timeout
“There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. So don’t just settle. Life is too short. Study your daily habits and routines, figure out where your time and energy goes, …then remove needless distractions. It is time to focus more on what matters most.” – @marcandangel Lately I have to admit that I’ve…
Hey there, friends
Day 29 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A secret delight. Answer: I actually laughed a bit at this prompt. I’m not sure what this prompt is going for, but I had a vision of eating a pint of Haagen Dazs and reading a Harlequin romance novel in bed with my comforter pulled over my head or…
Repeat
“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” —Rachel Carson Day 28 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Your favorite thing about nature. Answer: Besides everything? The above quote is my favorite thing about nature. I find so much comfort in the rhythm…
A really good thing
A little downtown stroll with my fur boy this evening, right by the Farmers Market and the Christmas Market. I so enjoyed watching families search for their perfect tree and strap their winning selection atop their vehicles. There was excitement, anticipation and happiness in the air, as well as the gorgeous scent of fresh evergreens….
Highest compliment
Day 26 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A compliment that’s stayed with you. Answer: My favorite compliment is when someone forwards a photo of a heart or unusual photo and they tell me that it reminded them of me or they thought it looked like something I would see. I share my photos in the hope…
Stop and smell the…
Day 24 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A favorite scent. Answer: Lilacs. Any shade, any variety. I routinely adjust my running route based on lilac bushes blooming in my area. And I have no issue coming to a complete stop in the middle of the sidewalk and just breathing it in. I don’t even bother…
Joy
I spotted this little heart yesterday and it felt like a love note from earth. Day 22 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: An everyday item that brings you joy. Answer: The little heart leaf brought me a great deal of joy, but that’s not something you see everyday. So I will say my standing mixer….
That’s it. That’s the answer.
Day 21 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A favorite place to visit. Answer: New York City. And I cannot wait to see her next year.
Beyond Work
“Just be kind. Please. Just be kind. Especially during the holidays. Have an extra moment of grace, of understanding, of love. There are so many with stories of loss and struggle and hardships. And the illusions of the holiday and perfection and celebrations can make the hurt magnified. So just love. Smile more than you…
This Very Moment, In Fact
“At the end of the day, give up your worries and give thanks for the journey.” – Ben Vereen Day 18 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Your favorite time of day. Answer: Right now. This very moment is the best part of today. The time right before sleep has become my favorite…my favorite way to relax,…
Simple Secret
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – The Little Prince As I tried to finish out my work day, I could tell that I was missing a gorgeous sky show outside. Admittedly,…
Gems
Day 16 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A cherished friend. Answer: This prompt made me smile. I believe that all friends should be cherished. But if she’s reading this, I know the cherished friend that popped into my mind first knows exactly who she is.
Let me think about that
Day 15 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Something you’re currently passionate about. Answer: Running? Making Christmas cookies? Spoiling my dog? Finding hearts in things? Taking photos? I have a lot of interests and things I enjoy right now, but passionate is a strong word. I guess if I had to call something a passion, it…
Everything
Day 14 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: One thing you love about your body. Answer: My initial reaction to this prompt? I love my eyeballs because they are capable of rolling in my head. I know I’m not alone in this, but a healthy body image has never really been my strong suit. But then…
I said that?
Day 13 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A life lesson. Answer: Okay, I totally cheated on this one. It’s been a long day and today’s prompt was a little deeper than I had the energy to dive. I figured that surely I had something in a past blog post that could give me some inspiration….
Second Act
Check out yesterday’s sky at sunrise when I took the dog out… …and then an hour later when I left for work. I had assumed the sky show would be over once the colors faded. Imagine my surprise when I walked out the door again and saw the show was simply in its second act….
Turkey Trotting
Day 11 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A happy memory. Answer: Last Thursday. Thanksgiving, obviously, but beyond that, I got to participate in an in-person race with my older son — our first together since 2018. Which, of course, leads to countless other happy memories of races with both of my kids and others in…
Finnegan (Finn-again)
Day 10 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Something that made you smile today. Answer: Otherwise known as something that makes me smile every day.
Light and Luxury
Can we take a few moments to admire the ridiculousness that was the late afternoon light in the park this afternoon? Everything looked like it had a golden filter applied. Such a beautiful afternoon. We walked and walked and walked. And Finn has slept and slept and slept ever since. 🙂 And we met three…
This and That
This fading Black-eyed Susan made me laugh. It looks like it has eyeballs. And there are still just a few trees left determined to keep the fall color show going. Day 8 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: A beautiful sound. Answer: The obvious answer would be music, especially Christmas music. Whitney Houston in the Preacher’s Wife…
Frost Flowers
Several years ago I read about something called “frost flowers” and I’ve wanted to see one in person ever since. But the timing (a brief window in late fall) and conditions have to be just right (first hard freezes have arrived, but ground is still warm) for these ribbons of ice crystals to form, so…
hey there, friends 