Friday, April 30, 2010
Trocks
Kara's Ark
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Moonshine
Monday, April 26, 2010
Meant to Be
My first movie. Wow. This is truly a night to remember. I can't wait to have the chance to share my unruly child (it's certainly not perfect, but it's lovable all the same) with all of you! Thanks for all of your support:)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Right Stuff
But I'm especially thankful that after all these years, I found my very own heartthrob - the cutest guy that makes me feel like a giddy teenager every day - and got him not only to notice me, but to marry me. Sorry, Justin Timberlake.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
32,000 feet
Creative Saturday
Friday, April 23, 2010
It's a girl!
Positive Thinking
I'm thankful for that reminder, for the beauty of its simplicity, and for the woman who lovingly drew it.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Clouds!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Striking!
Happy Thoughts
Erin
Oh the places we'll go!
Monday, April 19, 2010
My Crew
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Me Stew
I know this doesn't sound very much like a joy journal entry, but it just gives some background into what I'm really thankful for tonight -- the invention of the shower. Without it, I probably wouldn't smell very good:)
Breathing in a memory
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Oh the Thinks you can Think
Thursday, April 15, 2010
YOU
Dancing with Daffodils
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Golden
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Double Black
Joyfully Ever After
Monday, April 12, 2010
If Icarus could see us now
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Here Comes the Rain
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Everyday Art
I'm thankful for all the style icons I look up to -- for Kate Hepburn's fearlessness in trousers, Diane Keaton's quirky confident penchant for menswear, Grace Kelly's glamorous blonde bob and satin dresses -- and most of all for Audrey's simple, honest elegance. I like to think I carry them all with me when I walk into a meeting or dress up for a party. Truth be told, I usually have more fun getting ready for an event than the actual event! And so as I settle into bed tonight to read (re:look at pretty pictures) though my Vogue, I bid you all chiffon wishes and cashmere dreams;)
Silent night
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Questionable Calamari
Thanks Mom & Dad
Even if I do have to check my 31 years at the door... ;)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hi Kara!
Future Food
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Window Washers
A true Giant
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Easter!
This blog has meant so much to me these last 40 days that I feel compelled not to constrain it to only Lent. They say it takes 40 days to form a habit, and I'm hoping this has become a true habit for me. So I'm going to just keep going, and I hope you will join me if you can. So here's to continuing the search -- to looking for joy, and in looking may we find it.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Easter Eve
outside my bedroom
an angel in disguise
as a wispy white cloud
floats over my head
To the east the blue sky intensifies
in contrast to the setting sun
blazing gold and bronze
gleaming like the alter crosses
that will be unveiled tomorrow
It is Easter Eve
the quiet before the bells, the brass horns,
and lifted voices
The stillness before the quickening
the anticipation in the night air
cuts through the cold
and I smell smoke rising
from the neighbor's fireplace
like incense without the spice
I catch a glimpse of my reflection
gazing back at me from her window world
she looks thoughtful
and strangely distant
"for now we see as through a glass darkly,
but then we shall see even as we are seen"
the dogs lay at her feet
like they are posing at the foot
of some eighteenth century Queen
as they were bred to do
like they have found their purpose
And I suppose I have found mine too
sitting here with pen and paper
writing and watching
watching and writing
but mostly waiting
trying to see the girl in the glass
more clearly
If only I could get closer
Kara's Joy Blog
One of the (few) things I learned in restaurant school has to do with customer experiences and the rate at which they are passed along. In a nutshell, a poor experience is 10 times more likely to be shared than a good experience. Someone who has a plate of spaghetti dropped on their lap at the Macaroni Grill will tell 10 people about it... whereas someone who has a perfectly prepared and served Eggplant Parmesan will only tell one person.
Why don't we share the good experiences more often? Why do we tend to default to the negative? Who knows. But this little forum for sharing Joy, from the tiniest of observations to the grandest of personal triumphs... this Joy Blog... is a beautiful step in the right direction. It's a slice of happy. We all have bad experiences and bad days... but what we chose to focus on here are the things that make us happy and grateful. A joyful little miracle of a blog. Thank you, Kara.
Happy Easter everyone!!
Story People
Well for the past few weeks, you guys have been wonderful storypeople, and I've SO enjoyed reading your musings, precious moments, funny stories...thank you for sharing! I appreciate how we all find joy in different ways, and while we all don't believe the same exact things religiously, we are all joined together by our love of life and each other. So -- THANK YOU for contributing and thank you Kara for putting it all together in the first place! I'll miss this forum :)
I'd like to end my blog entries by sharing a few of my favorite Storypeople "poems". Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring, Happy Everything!!! xo
------
NOTHING MORE
If there is any secret to this life I live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can. & there is nothing more to it than that.
FIGHTING CHANCE
What do I get for this? I said & the angel gave me a catalog filled with toasters & clock radios & a basketball signed by Michael Jordan & I said, But this is just stuff & the angel smiled at me & swallowed me in her arms. I'm so glad you said that, she whispered to me. I knew you still had a chance.
REAL REASON
There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other's cooking & say it was good.
JOY OF SPRING
The birds brought seed & flowers & bits of brightly colored string & placed them in her hair while she slept so that she would remember the wild joy of spring when she finally awoke.
Friday, April 2, 2010
In-laws
Dancing dirty
The sound of silence
And then we have guests. We have great fun, and love seeing our friends when they come to visit. But I will admit, there is nothing in the world like a few days with a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old screeching and squawking around the house to reeeaallly remind me of what a blessing peace and quiet can be!
:)
Happy Joy-filled Easter to All!
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Or the type of hope the unknown writer of Hebrews portrays in the statement, "Nowfaith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." A metaphor for this statement might be to picture a builder examining a set of blueprints for beautiful home and standing at the site where a truckload of building materials has just been delivered; here, hope is represented by the blueprints, and faith is represented by the commitment in having the site ready and the building materials delivered.
Recently, in my studies, I was given this neat word picture: Hope is a tine in the trident we use to slay the dragons of fear; the other two tines are Faith and Love. As we wield our trusty trident to drive out and destroy the enemies of our soul, our spirit basks in the warmth of the climate of Joy, which always prevails.
Thanks for starting this warm little fire, KaraMc, and to all of you who have faithfully stoked it...It definitely brings "delight" to my day!
And thank you, Lord, for the joy of Easter, and the hope that it represents.
Happy joy-filled Easter, everyone...Hope you have a wonderful, fun filled day!
I shall get well!
And over walls and earth and trees and swinging sprays and tendrils the fair green veil of tender little leaves had crept, and in the grass under the trees and the gray urns in the alcoves and here and there and everywhere were touches and splashes of gold and purple and white and the trees were showing pink and snow above his head and there were fluttering of wings and faint sweet pipes and humming and scents and scents. And the sun fell warm upon his face like a hand with a lovely touch. And in wonder Mary and Dickon stood and stared at him. He looked so strange and different because a pink glow of color had actually crept all over him -- ivory face and neck and hands and all.
"I shall get well! I shall get well!" he cried out. "Mary! Dickon! I shall get well! And I shall live forever and ever and ever!"
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A very good night
Blog Archive
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▼
2010
(357)
-
▼
April
(43)
- Trocks
- Kara's Ark
- After a long day of travel
- Moonshine
- Meant to Be
- The Right Stuff
- 32,000 feet
- Creative Saturday
- It's a girl!
- Positive Thinking
- Clouds!
- Striking!
- Happy Thoughts
- Oh the places we'll go!
- My Crew
- Me Stew
- Breathing in a memory
- Oh the Thinks you can Think
- YOU
- Dancing with Daffodils
- Golden
- Double Black
- Joyfully Ever After
- If Icarus could see us now
- Here Comes the Rain
- Everyday Art
- Silent night
- Questionable Calamari
- Thanks Mom & Dad
- Hi Kara!
- Future Food
- Window Washers
- A true Giant
- Happy Easter!
- Easter Eve
- Kara's Joy Blog
- Story People
- In-laws
- Dancing dirty
- The sound of silence
- Happy Joy-filled Easter to All!
- I shall get well!
- A very good night
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April
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