This lovely little creature tried so hard to visit my office today. He unsuccessfully fluttered and flitted against my window. He eventually gave up, but he brightened my afternoon just the same.
Learning the Hard Way
“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” – Pema Chodron You know, I never really understood that quote until recently. In fact, I’d never even thought about it much. But it popped in my head last night during a run. One of the things I love about running is that…
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…
Be Vibrant
We’re all crayons in the world’s coloring box. We’re all a little broken, but we can still color.
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…
Home
“I never realize how much I like being home unless I’ve been somewhere really different for a while.” – Juno After a number of trips to really different places over the past month or so for work, vacation and otherwise, I am happy to be home. And my travels are over for a little while. But I’m…
Art Adventure
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he* grows up.” – Pablo Picasso *or she. Sorry, Pablo. Check out my Little Sister, the artist! You can see her handiwork on this wonderful metro bus (in partnership with the Saint Louis Art Museum), along with the handiwork of lots…
Ah, yes.
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” – Banksy
A Little Quiet
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass I’m sorry that my blog has been a little quiet for the past few days. I’ve not been neglectful, I’ve just spent the last few days on a silence retreat on the grounds of a convent in Indiana. With all of life’s recent changes…
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…
Good to Go
Despite any drawbacks or concerns accompanying pop culture’s Pokemon Go craze, I will say this: I have never seen so many public spaces being utilized by so many people. Especially young people. I’ve had many a Sunday stroll through Laumeier Sculpture Park, and it’s typically a pretty solitary exercise. Not today. I’ve never seen the place so…
Patterns, Shapes, and Hidden Things
Try to find patterns, interesting shapes, and hidden things. That was my photo challenge to myself early this morning when I went to the Botanical Garden. I also confined myself to the front of the garden, with a boundary of the pools near the climatron. My favorite subject, the Japanese Garden, is beyond that boundary. But…
Three-Day Adventure…and a New Chapter
When you spend 24 hours of a three-day road trip in the car, you make your own adventures. My younger son started his new job in Tennessee today, so his brother, his girlfriend, and I moved him over the weekend. Each way, we drove through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Day One We didn’t stop…
And Again…
Another glasses sighting. (And another.) This is so weird. If there’s a message there, I’m sure not getting it.
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….
29 Life Lessons…
…to learn from Thich Nhat Hanh: 1.) Never underestimate the power of a kind word, a touch, or a smile. “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” 2.) If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence. “The most precious…
For One Minute…
…walk outside. Stand there… …in silence. Look up at the sky… …and contemplate… …how amazing life is. (Have we had the most amazing clouds lately or what?)
This and That, Chi-Edition
While it was a short trip to Chicago, we still managed to see some neat stuff. Here are some miscellaneous finds along the way. A little bit of garage graffiti. And a disgruntled dumpster. And a paint chip profile portrait.. On a completely unrelated topic, it is worth noting that the hotel in which we…
Rock ‘n’ Roll, Chi-Style
Just a few scenes from a quick weekend trip to Chicago for a race with my boy — a half marathon for him, a 10K for me. And apparently a half marathon for a Pokemon trainer and his Pikachu. The 10K took a different course than the half…all along Lake Michigan. It was gorgeous. And…
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…
hey there, friends 