“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…
Category: photos
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…
So Good…
Sunshine, comfortable temperatures, and a fantastic long bike ride on a Tuesday night. Technically, I have all three gratitude items for today covered right there. But I’ll roll that up into one big item. Coming in a distant second and third: hot showers, and fireflies pulsing softly outside my window as I get ready for…
Aww Shucks…
“Your words have the power to hurt or heal. Choose to be an encourager; the world already has plenty of discouragers.” Tonight I went for my bike ride along my typical trail. I don’t aspire to be a competitive rider, but I do try to put everything I can into my workouts. But, as with…
My Buddy the Diva
Lord, give me the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult. — Catherine Doherty A few months ago, I became a Big Sister to a sassy, sweet, and altogether adorable 7-year old. Essentially, I’m allowed to be a big kid and friend — and I get to…
It is Well With My Soul
“I love myself for I am a beloved child of the universe and the universe lovingly takes care of me now.” – Louise Hay Today I went on a really long bike ride along my usual trail. It was all pretty standard at first — 98 degrees, sun blazing, my skin and clothes grimy and sweaty. I knew…
So Over It
This was the scene at the foot of my bed this morning. Violet wanted nothing to do with daylight or consciousness. When I pulled up the covers to make the bed, she was dragged right along with it. The girl is totally over this week. Me, too, honey. Me, too. Today I was grateful for: 1….
Cheat Sheet…
I had to laugh when I received my daily email from Tiny Buddha this morning with the subject “100 Reasons to be Grateful Today.” I had just said in yesterday’s blog post that I wanted to start working on a gratitude list. Only mine wasn’t as ambitious as a list of 100 things. I could…
21 Days of Gratitude
I’ve been slacking on the blog front lately — and on the gratitude front. So I’ve decided to do a 21-day gratitude commitment to help me with both. I’ll list three things each day for which I am grateful for 21 days. (It’s a tool rooted in Shawn Achor’s 5 ways to create positive change.)…
The 10 Rules of Karma
Whether or not you subscribe to the concept, these 10 Rules of Karma are worthwhile words of wisdom that I wanted to pass along. There’s more detail in the original article here. But I’m including the free prize inside, along with photos from a recent visit to our City Garden. You Get What You Give…
Powerful
“I’m convinced that the negative has power – and if you allow it to perch in your house, in your mind, in your life, it can take you over. Those negative words climb into the woodwork, into the furniture, and the next thing you know, they’re on your skin. A negative statement is poison.” –…
Graffiti Gawking
I’m a St. Louis girl to the core, but I believe that Kansas City absolutely sets the standard for graffiti art. While I don’t always like the subject matter, there is no denying the extraordinary talent and creativity of these artists. These paintings are on point. Here are just a few examples from the weekend….
Seek or Be Found
Yesterday after work, I decided to head to Forest Park to take some photos. And I was lucky enough to have my youngest come along to keep me company. I was really hoping to find a few lovely late blooms or something really inspiring, but there really wasn’t much going on. The light was lovely, Tanner was…
A Quick Adventure – Part II
Combined with my jaunt through the National Zoo, I covered more than 11 miles on foot yesterday. After paying respects to Mr. Lincoln… …and countless war Veterans… …both living and deceased… …in the process of making the ultimate sacrifice… …for the love of country… …and the protection of our future generations… …in the most eloquent and…
A Quick Adventure – Part I
Look who I got to see during a quick visit to Washington D.C.!! And would you look at that, she’s happy to see me, too! Actually, she’s smiling about chow time and a fresh serving of bamboo, but still. She’s smiling. You see it, don’t you? Such a happy girl. And check this out. This swordfish…
Life is Good
There are good days and then there are really good days. Today was a really good day. Our first trip to Alabama has not disappointed. These first few photos are from a stop outside of Mobile. Before setting out on this seemingly normal and harmless path, a nearby woman suggested that we eat our sandwiches…
In a Word…
“This is why your race times are so bad.” That thought crossed my mind so many times tonight as I took photos along my running route. Including when I took the above photo of what I presume to be a discarded ice cream cone wrapper in the grass. Which was along the same street as this. This…
Full
Tonight I made dinner. I realize this is neither extraordinary or newsworthy. I didn’t make anything complicated. Just homemade calzones. Strawberry (and blueberry and blackberry) shortcake. Garlic breadsticks. Simple stuff. But I put it together. We were all home to be able to sit down together at the table and eat. And I’m happier than…
Putting the “Her” in Hero
What a gorgeous Saturday for my favorite 5K! This was my third time running the Girls on the Run, but this was the biggest one I remember. 8,000 people were registered, all coming together for this wonderful program designed to empower girls through running. Seriously, this view never gets old. And neither do sweet little…
Some Thoughts on Mother’s Day
I had an odd relationship with Mother’s Day for many years after becoming a mom more than 20 years ago. While the responsibilities of being a mother have happily consumed my existence from the start, it took me a long time to feel like the celebration of Mother’s Day encompassed “someone like me.” I’m a single…
Lost and Found
“I like gardening – it’s a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself.” – Alice Sebold, writer I would amend this to read, “I like gardens – it’s a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself.” This sums up my visit to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens at the…
Pause
“Learn to pause…or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” – Doug King, poet Today is the first day of the 21-Day Reverence Challenge that I’d mentioned in an earlier post (link here). I loved it and wanted to pass along: “Drop Into The Present Moment: Busyness is an epidemic in today’s world. Our calendars have…
Life Lately
…according to the iPhone. And a few small lessons learned: – Life would be better if approached with the enthusiasm of a dog. – Sometimes it’s liberating to run in the rain. – With photography, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. – Sometimes fixing things in your house – even if it costs a…
hey there, friends 