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.

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:)

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

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...

Peaceful Canopy

Afternoon escape

Green leaf stained glass cathedral

Breezy trees applaud

Summer snow

Sweet icy crunching
watermelon feels like snow
melting in my mouth

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:)

Shy moon

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

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:)