Today I got to take my little buddy Lucy to make her very own BFF. Because BFFs are so very special, we had to go to a very special place: Build-A-Bear Workshop. After perusing a wide assortment of puppies, kitties, bears, and other critters, Lucy found her perfect companion. A purple unicorn My Little Pony. And she was…
Today I was Grateful for…
“Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there’s always something we could be grateful for.” – Barry Neil Kaufman, writer I just realized that it’s been awhile since I’ve put together a gratitude list. Lately I’ve let outside stuff and…
Added Dimension
As I mentioned in my last post, my aunt passed away recently, leaving behind a houseful of belongings and family history. This weekend, I went over to the house and looked through a few boxes of really old family photos and….oh my. It was fascinating. Bear in mind that my Grampa was born in 1885 and died when…
Looking at Things…Differently
“It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau Dirty gas tanker or a canvas for silliness? Old post-it note or a canvas for an anonymous happy greeting? Old fashioned duct work or a cheery tin man face? Lamp post or a platform for encouragement? Negative space or an opportunity…
Snow Fun
Big thanks to my friends who sent me this video. You know me too well.
Not So Long Ago…
…in an arena not so far away… Late last week the kids and I went to the St. Louis Blues game for Star Wars Night. It was the boys’ first game. I hadn’t been in at least 24 or 25 years. It was a nod to one’s inner geek and a nod to one’s inner jock that made…
20 Teachings to Start the Week
Things have been a little hectic lately, so I’ve been bad about blogging. Here are a few of my recent random iPhone photos accompanying 20 teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh that I found today. Love, love, love some of these. Here’s a link to the full article, but below you can find the free prize inside. 1.) People…
I Don’t Know Where I’m Going From Here…
…but I promise it won’t be boring. – David Bowie Ziggy is now stardust. Rest in peace.
Distracted Churchgoer
This is what I noticed sitting next to me at church this morning. It was 16 degrees outside. Bare knees and feet. Why? This photo set off a stream of thoughts that I can only describe as feeling like my brain was live-tweeting throughout the service. Here’s a sampling: “Hun, it’s 16 degrees outside. Put some real…
He Really Was a Good Man.
This throwback photo seemed to be the perfect image to post along with this fascinating look at Charles Schulz and Peanuts on Brain Pickings called “Peanuts and the Quiet Pain of Childhood: How Charles Schulz Made an Art of Difficult Emotions.” A friend shared the article on Facebook this morning and I’ve been thinking about it…
This.
“To help heal others, you must first heal thyself. To do this, you must practice being gentle in all areas of life. Release all emotions that no longer serve you. Replace guilt with acceptance, swap fear for love. Have a warm and caring heart. Every cell in your body radiates peace and, because of this,…
More or Less
“There is no resolution that, if kept, will make me more worthy of love.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber I’m not sure I understand the “new year, new you” approach to the turning of the calendar. Why would I want a new me? It’s taken a long time and a lot of work to become this me. But there is…
The Tradition Continues
You know, I’d almost forgotten about it this year. In fact, I hadn’t even looked. Every year since 2011, during my holiday shopping I’ve found… …some innocent chocolate critter has been punctured… …squished… …smushed… …or gutted. I’d almost let this photographic streak of destruction snap. Then this afternoon, there it was, staring at me from…
It Will Be Happier?
“Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering ‘it will be happier’…” – Alfred Lord Tennyson I love that quote from Tennyson. I love to think that next year is going to be happier — especially when this year was such a good one. It’s always fun to look over blog posts to…
Filling the Tank
“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe. No less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.” — Max Ehrmann, writer My running buddies and I, after numerous failed attempts to coordinate schedules, were finally able to get together for a long walk…
Life Lately: Holiday Edition
A few photos on the iPhone lately include glimpses of… …my kitties’ company… and cupcake baking. A full Sunday in the kitchen and I had four dozen from-scratch cupcakes to show for it: red velvet (top left), peppermint (middle), egg nog (lower left), and gingerbread with cinnamon frosting (right row). The irony of this photo…
This and That
If photos reflect a current state of mind, then mine has been a little quirky.
A Very Good Day
In anticipation of the holiday next week and in an effort to get somewhat caught up, the boys and I all took yesterday off for a full day of shopping and cheer. We went across the river over into downtown Saint Charles for some lunch and a bit of shopping. I don’t get over there…
Maybe.
(Video) food for thought from Daily Good.
Walking Miracle
“People say walking on water is a miracle, but to me walking peacefully on earth is the real miracle.” – Thich Nhat Hanh Apologies for the poor quality of this photo. I took it through my front windshield on the way to work this morning. I was startled by the posture and gait of these two…
God Winks
For the past few weeks, for whatever reason, I’ve been thinking a lot about a story I wrote and photographed for a dear friend’s magazine a long time ago. The story was about a local business called Seeds of Happiness (Seeds shown above), but it was never published. It’s bothered me from time to time that I…
If the World is a Fair Place…
Temperatures in the 70s with less than two weeks until Christmas? Really? Yes, please. I thought this called for a walk through Laumeier Sculpture Park first thing this morning. And it didn’t disappoint. Lots of fun details. But then there was this installation by Raqs Media Collective. I loved this. Here’s the exhibit description: “Laumeier…
Fairly Certain…
…this video is my new favorite thing. Ever.
hey there, friends 