Check out this spectacular visitor to my back yard over the weekend. He first dropped in late Friday afternoon, his arrival announced by a flurry of irritable crows and bluejays squawking and bouncing about. When he showed up again on Saturday, he had an even crankier antagonist — a very large red-tailed hawk. I couldn’t…
Category: photos
Sunday Smile
“Earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson And Finnegan is here to remind everyone that laughter is contagious.
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…
Stand here. Or here.
Same result either way.
That’s all
Just a beautiful bloom in early morning light. I figure any bloom giving this much gloriousness deserves to be seen by more than just me.
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…
Invitation
Oh do you have timeto lingerfor just a little whileout of your busy and very important dayfor the goldfinchesthat have gatheredin a field of thistles for a musical battle,to see who can singthe highest note,or the lowest, or the most expressive of mirth,or the most tender?Their strong, blunt beaksdrink the air as they strivemelodiouslynot for…
Valentine’s Day
“The greatest thing we can do is to let people know they are loved.” – Fred Rogers The other day I read a Facebook friend’s post about how much he “hates Valentine’s Day.” He argues that it puts pressure on people in relationships to create the perfect romantic experience, while it draws into focus the…
Purina Pet Parade
St. Louis does a lot of things well, but we do Mardi Gras REALLY well. The Purina Pet Parade always gets the lengthy celebration started on the best note – and today was a gorgeous day for it. So my younger son, Finn and I piled into the car and headed to Soulard. What a…
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…
13 Necessary Virtues
Today I stumbled upon something kinda neat on LinkedIn. It was a more extensive post than what I’m including now, but below are the 13 Necessary Virtues according to Benjamin Franklin in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Some pretty lofty standards for moral living, but I also thought it was timeless food for thought and effective…
Well, hi!
Colorful bandit birds? Rainbow snow people in disguise? I don’t know what these are, but I love them. I spotted these guys earlier this week on an unseasonably warm, sunny and altogether lovely day — the complete opposite of today’s cold, rainy, dreary ickiness. I’ve opened my photo library several times today to smile at…
For today
If you know me or are even a little familiar with this blog, you know I’m a look-for-the-bright-side kind of girl. Make gratitude lists. Always find the positive in every situation. Choose the good. And so on. It’s taken me many years to develop this lens and I’ve worked very hard to build the glass-half-full…
Couch Puptato
Sums up our Sunday perfectly. .
Frosty
A frigid, frost-filled walk through the park this morning. Mother Nature is such an amazing artist. I couldn’t decide which was more fascinating – the fuzzy frost or the patterns in the ice. I have no idea if Finn’s shirts and sweaters actually keep him warm, but he sure looks cute.
Imperfections and grace
“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging. Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we are all in this together.” – Brene Brown Lawd have mercy, I have been SO aware of my imperfections lately. And for whatever reason, I’ve been thinking about it a…
Noticing a pattern lately….
Literally. This was taken out my car window this morning at a red light. And this was taken as I headed through a glass walkway early yesterday morning. It’s a little different than what I usually am drawn to, but it’s nice to change focus from time to time.
Visible
“As the world fights to figure everything out, I’ll be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, Saying good morning, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk to someone who is lonely, being patient with sales clerks, smiling at passersby. Why? Because I will not stand idly…
New Year
Our first walk of 2023 was a strange and wickedly wonderful little adventure in the fog – below are just a few of the photos I took along the way. I know I should write something about resolutions or goals as we begin this new chapter, but I’m not in a new-year-new-me state of mind….
14 years
WordPress reminded me yesterday that I first posted with them 11 years ago. Prior to moving over to this platform, I’d blogged somewhere else under a different title. In all, I’ve been blogging for 14 years. Some more diligently than others, but 14 years. I briefly scrolled through my first posts and I started thinking…
Nothing
Today I’ve done nothing. After the frenzy of Christmas preparations and baking/decorating dozens upon dozens of cookies (a few samples below) – not to mention managing a load of work stress, today I’ve done absolutely nothing. Or to put it another way: 1.) I rested. 2.) I chose not to make plans. 3.) I recovered…
Saturday Impressions
Just some fun finds along a frigid morning walk in the park.
Minions and Memories
“The truth is, not everyone can change the entire world, and not everyone needs too. All we can do is give as much love in our lives as possible, treat ourselves kindly, and leave the world a more positive place than we entered it. That is all I can ask of myself, and I try…
hey there, friends 