Gratitude is the sign of noble souls ~ Aesop


Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving ~ Kahlil Gabran


Joy delights in joy ~ William Shakespeare


Friday, July 30, 2010

Powerful words

Driving home tonight my husband turned to me and said, "I believe in you." And it may sound corny, but it wasn't -- it was earnest and filled with truth and it felt like a giant wave of love and joy washing over me. A loy wave, if you will. :) What a gift it is to have someone who believes in you...I am so grateful for that gift that I was given tonight, because even while I know it, it's still nice to hear it every now and then.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Dog day afternoon

It is a true delight to take our dogs to the park on a warm afternoon -- they way Pippin freaks out with excitement and chases his ball with single-minded determination is a sight to behold, and I love how Alfie just takes his time, lumbering along, exploring at his own pace. The best part is when we get home and they collapse on the floor in exhausted ecstasy, breathing light freight trains with their open mouth smiles. It's good to be a dog. And if you can't be one, it's good to join them while enjoying a sunny afternoon:)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Nine Lives

When you've been staring down
at the computer in your lap all day
heart growing tighter by the moment
sometimes it helps to get higher
to go out onto the balcony
and hoist yourself up
using the flower box as a stepping stool
and to shimmy up towards the roof
climbing the stucco like you used to climb
the sprawling dogwood in your grandmother's yard
the dogwood was easier to climb
or maybe your body was more equipped to climb
your knee pops loudly now
and you feel dizzy with the worry
that you might fall
you've learned something about gravity
since the old dogwood days
but the need to get closer to the sky
trumps the vertigo
and when you reach the top
you straddle a short wall between the buildings
for balance
remembering to squeeze your legs
like you were taught in horseback riding lessons
finally you sit and greet the setting sun
at eye level
sure, you wish the cable wire
weren't obstructing your view
but after a while looking out across the rooftops
you begin to forget what you expected to see
and you start to just see
the crepe maple that seems so sparse from the ground
now rises up to offer you pretty purple flowers
as if it has mistaken you for the sun
and an airplane passes overhead so close
you can't help but wave wildly
laughing at the thought of the one passenger
who happens to look down at that very moment
to see the woman on the wall
now you know why you can't keep the cat
from climbing onto the roof
this is how it feels to have nine lives

Monday, July 26, 2010

A heart full of thanks

Today I'm thankful that this blog means something to my favorite people. I feel so blessed to have people in my life that I love so much and who love me through everything. I am thankful for my Aunt Char who made being a smart woman seem cool to me when I was young and who helped to instill in me a lifelong love of animals. My four pets are thankful to her for that too! I'm also thankful for my high school teacher Mrs. Berry, who I was thinking of today, and who didn't let me hide my talent because of a guy, but challenged me to put it out there and to do what I loved to do. It took me a while to take her advice, but I'm so glad she planted the seed that has become a lovely and fruitful tree. I'm grateful for a stream of creativity that came flowing through my work today and I'm thankful for the hope in my heart that it will flow again tomorrow and the next day and on and on...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Peaceful Canopy

Afternoon escape
Green leaf stained glass cathedral
Breezy trees applaud

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Summer snow

Sweet icy crunching
watermelon feels like snow
melting in my mouth

Friday, July 23, 2010

The sun'll come out...

I was grumpy feeling today and so I am thankful to be in bed now because it means the day is over...hooray for tomorrow:)

Good day

I'm thankful for a great pitch meeting today. It's nice to be in the zone and to be able to tell a story to people who really listen and can see the picture you're trying to pitch. I'm also thankful for delicious veggie lasagna and for friends to make it for...and for left overs:)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Shy moon

Shy moon peeking out
bashfully, like a small child
can I play with you?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Weird and wonderful weeds

While walking the dogs today, I saw a bush of weedy flowers that looked like a bunch of Fraggle Rocks (a show I used to watch as a kid with my best friend Lisa) and they made me laugh, those petals looking just like those funny puppets with their frizzy fluffy orange and pink hair:)

Making Friends With Mr. Panic

He bangs on your door
sudden, insistent
He likes to drop in
Out of the blue
You open the door
and he doesn't pause
for pleasantries
"Your house is on fire!" he screams
You take a look
"No it's not," you point out
"But it could be," he cries
You notice the ravenous
look in his eyes
He is hungry
Always hungry
So you feed him
Anything he asks for
because it quiets him
Peanut butter on toast
Cheerios with bananas
Comfort food
"Slow down," you say.
"I can't," he says.
You nod, he continues
"It's like there's a giant hole,
deep down, an empty pit"
You nod again
He worries he might faint
"You never have," you remind him
"First time for everything," he retorts
"Not everything."
"But what if I die," he cries
"Drink your water," you encourage
He drinks reluctantly,
but it helps
You notice his fingers
they have stopped shaking
He yawns
"I'm tired, I think I'll go now"
And with that, he is gone
Quick as he came
The kitchen is a mess
You leave it and flop on the couch
exhausted, but glad he's gone
You laugh to yourself
because you know
the poor guy means well
he's doing the best he can
And as you count your blessings
that at least he doesn't
live with you anymore,
you remember back to when
you were enemies
Now you are learning
to accept him for who he is
You don't have to fight with him
you know he's all talk
he just wants to make sure
you're paying attention to life
and not taking any of it
for granted
Still, you hope that he doesn't
drop by again for a long time
But you know that when he does,
you will be a gracious host

Monday, July 19, 2010

Manic Monday

It's nice when you can find something old that you forgot about so it feels new again. I just put an old bedspread on and it feel so new and pretty and I didn't have t spend a dime. I'm thankful for dumb Bachelorette tv show nights as an excuse to hang out with Linds and I'm grateful she accepts me just as I am. And I'm thankful for two soft happy puppies that calm me with their furry cute faces.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Lazy Sunday

I can't quite describe how much I love sleeping in...to luxuriate in bed for longer than you know you should, well, it's just my kind of rebellion. Hooray for lazy Sundays. Makes me think of that SNL video...still makes me laugh. I like that God basically commanded us to be lazy on the sabbath, to get rest and recharge. It's so rare that I actually heed the call to take a day of rest, I feel guilty somehow, like I should be working, but thankfully in his infinite wisdom God know how important taking a break is, and I'm thankful that every now and then I actually get to do it.

Sunny Saturday

I am very thankful that I am not allergic to bee stings after stepping on one in the sand today. And I am grateful for a day at the beach with my dad...even if it was too cold for me to brave the water, it was fun to watch Ryan and Dad get pummeled by the waves:)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Vicarious gratitude

I'm thankful that after a hard, frustrating day that my sister called to tell me some good news she had just gotten. Her bright light dispelled my darkness and helped me climb out of my wallowing rut and gain some perspective. A joy shared is a joy multiplied indeed:) I'm also glad that a bad day is a good reason for a nice long happy hubby hug.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Just what I needed

I was feeling incredibly frazzled yesterday after my trip and trying to jump right back into work, I didn't feel so much like I was hitting the ground running, I was just hitting the ground. So I am very thankful that both of my big meetings that were scheduled for today were rescheduled, and the suddenly free schedule gave me a much needed day to get my bearings.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Sigh

Back home with my hubby. All is right in the world.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Soaring

I am thankful for modern marvels as I write this somewhere over Colorado from 32,000 feet. I love that I can see my family whom I miss so much and that I don't have to traverse the Oregon Trail to do it...just hop in a metal tube and a few hours later I'm getting the hugs I love so much. What a wonderful trip home. Thanks EK for helping me to take care of Nana and make the feast of my life, thank you Andi and Andy for raising two super fun, super smart and loving children and for playing beautiful music for me and feeding me macaroni and cheese. Thank you Mom and Dad for being my chauffeur just like in the old days and thank you for walking with me on a beautiful night to search for sunsets and lightening bugs. Thank you hubby for sending me care packages and pictures of your painted bearded face. Love you all so much.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Greatest compliment ever

I had a blast swimming with my niece and nephew and their friends today, doing handstands and flips and playing dolphin, and I guess they must have had a blast too, because when the whistle for adult swim sounded and all the kids had to leave the pool, they looked back at me and told me I had to get out because only "grown ups" could stay in. Talk about making my day:)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Summer magic

I'm thankful for fireflies! What a marvel they are, those stars so close you can catch them in the palm of your hand. Dad and I ran through the wet grass last night chasing after the playful guys and finally managed to catch and release one each. And tonight Andy and I sat on the back porch in the dark and watched the morse code lighting up across the fields. Spectacular.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Reason to celebrate

I'm thankful for the reason for this trip home -- my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. FORTY! How amazing is that?? I'm so grateful for the inspiration they are to me, and that in a world that does it's best every day to rip marriages apart, with a lot of hard work, and faith, and most of all love, they have weathered the storms and grown stronger together. Truly a reason to celebrate. Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Nana at the movies

I will never forget the image of my 85 year old grandmother giggling like an eight year old when we took her to see Toy Story 3 today. Her eyes actually sparkled as she ate popcorn (what dentures?) and slurped her root beer through her straw. She even ate a Twizzler...it took her a while, but doggoned - she ate it! The wheelchair we left at the end of the aisle so that she could sit in the more comfortable theater seats was completely forgotten and for those two hours she was transported and transformed. Beautiful.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

My family

It was pretty great to come up the escalator at the airport in Kentucky today and to hear "Hey You!" and then to look up with everyone else on the escalator to see my brother's mischievous face smiling down at me as he pointed "Yeah, you -- I know you!" And then Dad came and picked us up in his bright yellow jeep and we drove home though thick green rolling hills while we watched the great ball of the sun set in a blazing burst of hot pink that looked very much like the Miami Vice logo. It's hot and hilly and full of hicks...and it's home:) I'm so thankful I get to hug my mom and stay up late talking with my sister and that we both get to tuck my Nana in at night. It's almost perfect...just missing someone to sleep in the twin bed next to me. But I'm thankful my hubby has such a good heart that he's helping kids at camp, even if it means I me flying solo back in my old neck of the woods for a week.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Kids

Today we ventured to a sunken gem of a park in Santa Monica to grill fake meats and tip a plastic cup of beer to our revolutionist forefathers. And, against all reason, we brought our two pups with us. It was a crash course in parenthood: making sure the kids went to the bathroom before we got in the car; telling them to sit down and shut up while we were driving; chasing them around the park to make sure they didn't run off with a stranger; yanking all manner of foreign objects from their mouths; seamlessly breaking a civilized conversation to scream their name after catching them in the act of any number of questionable behaviors; making them stay hydrated; cleaning up their poop; etc. And although it was overwhelming at times, it was also a lot of fun. Friends and strangers pitched in to help! The kids ran and ran and ran with their tongues dragging in the dirt out of sheer exhaustion and bliss! And when the sun got low in the sky we returned home to our sweet, sweet reward: two pups that will sleep for days. Maybe having kids won't be so hard after all... as long as they play fetch.

Look around

I was very grumpy this morning. For no reason at all...just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It's such a strange thing that you can have so many good and wonderful things in your life and still wake up feeling down from time to time. I tried to shake it by thinking of all I had to be thankful for...but that just made me feel worse because then I felt bad about feeling bad. So I tried to notice things going on around me a little more, keeping my eyes out for something to lift me out of my funk as I ran my errnds, and thankfully, I was not disappointed. It wasn't one thing, but a series of little things that eventually pulled me out of the mire. I had a rare sighting of a famous hairstylist I used to idolize in my youth, Jose Eber, the king of the 80's talk show make-over -- and he still had his trademark long hair and crazy cowboy hat after more than 20 years. Then I went to a shoe sale (I needed a parking validation) and managed to leave without buying a pair which made me feel very good about myself. And my hubby sent me a text that was like an electronically delivered ray of sunshine. And when I got home, the angel trumpets were smelling so sweet that I got an up close view of a fleet of bees loaded down with such giant bundles of nectar on their legs they could barely fly for the overabundance. I swear I could hear them cheering. Well, after that the cloud hanging over my head scattered and I was able to fully enjoy a date night filled with good food and bowling and watching TV. It's funny how feeling down can make you feel stuck inside your own head and how good it is in those times to turn your gaze from the inside to the out and take a little look around. I am so thankful for the gift of noticing, it certainly came in handy today.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Best friends

I'm thankful for my sweet stinky puppies who love nothing more than to sit as close to me as possible for as long as possible and share their softness.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Twilight schmilight

I am thankful tonight that I don't have to decide between a werewolf with anger management issues and a mopey vampire without a heartbeat to spend my life with. Poor dumb Bella. I enjoy my human husband very much, thank you!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

A Breath of Fresh Air

I am walking on a cloud today, reveling in the glorious weather we have been blessed with. After high 90s to low 100s for the past few weeks, 80 degrees feels like a breath of fresh air!
Back to my happy place—writing on the back deck :)

Homemade happiness

I'm thankful for unexpected kindnesses...for my sister sending me a beautiful box of low sugar muffins on a day when I needed a taste of home, and for my neighbor Senta who made me a beautiful birdhouse because I had made an offhand comment about loving one of hers last week. There's something so touching about someone taking the time to create something with their time and their talent just for you, and a it's a good reminder to make sure I am thoughtful enough to do the same for the people that I care about.