My Helpful Blog Advisor and Remnants of Fall

I don't have nosy neighbors, but besides being one of my best friends, my next door neighbor is occasionally what I will call My Helpful Blog Advisor. :) I got a phone call from her a couple days ago just to let me know that out her kitchen window was a blog-worthy view that I really should go out and get a picture of. So here I am following her advice. (You're awesome, Steph! :)

I will call this picture "Snow?....I'm not done with my leaves!"

Yes, I did go out this weekend and rake the rest of our frozen leaves into the dormant vegetable garden. With plans to finish up the leaves in front, I left my rake leaning out against the deck. I never did get to the front yard, so my rake stood through a fairly hefty night of snow. By the time I took this picture, the snow had melted some...but the inspiration was still there.

Winter has arrived, but here are a few of my favorites scenes from fall...enjoy!

Oliver Bingo

We almost bought a new flat panel tv yesterday. We brought this home instead:
We drove through snow and freezing rain for about 2 hours to get this little guy. He's an eight week old beagle/bichon frise mix. His fur is medium length, very soft and fluffy.
Just before my husband walked out the door to go buy the t.v., I said "What about a puppy?" The kids have been asking for a puppy for a long time. Most of the more hypoallergenic breeds run 5-6 hundred dollars...more than we wanted to pay. I had looked at bichon frices before. They are cute, friendly, good-natured little dogs and the right fur for allergies (a necessity in our house). So I hopped on the internet and took a quick look just to see what was out there (something I've been doing off and on for months now). On my very first search, this little guy came up in a litter with his brothers and sisters, $200 a puppy. It didn't take us long to decide to make the drive to pick up this little one.

His name is Oliver Bingo.

Thankful Thursday: Just what I need...

"All is perfect, so perfectly perfect!

Whatever being lives, moves

And breathes on Earth

At every level from atom

To galaxy is absolutely perfect in its place..."

The Principal Upanishads

Yes, Thankful Thursday is back. I meant to write this yesterday, it just didn't happen...the day started out good but some tumultuous emotions overcame me a bit during my breadbaking and gravy making. I just wasn't composed enough to write a TT post.

This has been a difficult year for me. In the midst of personal loss...the loss of some very important relationships, I have had to wade my way through many questions and feelings. Yesterday brought those feelings to the surface again. Sometimes I deal well with them, other times I melt. It's honestly hard for me to write about this and I've admittedly avoided it but I can't do that today because I'm feeling too grateful.

I'm grateful because I know that everything I experience in life is exactly what I need to grow as a spiritual being. If I succeed, my spirit is enlarged and I am deeply grateful for God's wisdom working in me. If I fail, I have a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow. It's all so good...so perfect.

None of this means life is going to be easy. We all face trials...some more than others. We are all at different places with different needs, different lessons to learn and challenges to grow from. I am thankful to see this journey as perfect, the people I travel with as just who I need close to me and each experience, joyful or painful, exactly what I need to go through.

And I have to add that I am so unbelievably blessed to share this journey with my husband...who is just the person I've always needed, and four radiant souls who fill my days with light.

Letter Writing and Finding my way

I used to write lots of letters. Long letters...epic letters. Besides journaling, letter writing has probably been the most prolific outlet for my inner-writer over the years. Unfortunately, even I seldom write letters anymore. Mostly, the convenience of e-mail wins out over the art of handwritten notes. Not that I don't feel remorse over it--I do. It's just the way life is these days. Occasionally though, sentimentality takes over and some dear friend gets a letter, usually with a nostalgic intro about friendship, passing time, autumn leaves or the forgotten art of letter writing. Sometimes I send the letter, sometimes I don't and then it works it's way into something else I'm working on. For what it's worth...I think it's a sign that I need to get my writing self in gear...a desperate grasping for that little buzz word-lovers get out of well crafted prose or poetry.

For about three weeks now I've been exploring the idea of going back to school. I almost did it. It all started with a little inquiry into the nursing program at our local career college...just out of curiosity, not something that I imagined would happen in the next few years. But before I knew it, I was registered and about a week away from enrolling in winter classes. My mother-in-law had generously offered to help with the little ones while I attended classes and studied. A nurses wages would easily pay off our loans in 3 or so years if I went to work after graduating (granted I made it into the program which is pretty competitive, only accepting 30 students twice a year.) Our thoughts were for the future of course...getting me a marketable degree...save for the kids education. The possibilities were exciting, the challenge of something new was intriguing. But along with the nervous doubt in my gut that accompanied the excitement, I started hearing myself saying interesting things whenever I talked about this new endeavor...things like, "If I could do what I really wanted..." Then at conferences both of my children's teachers commented on their impressive journal and story writing. Hmmmn...I love to hear this...I heard myself say, "I'm a writer," almost more to myself than to them. My doubt was growing. But everything fell through one night as I was sitting on the couch nursing Ruby after the other kids were in bed. I looked down at her and something snapped. I started to cry. This is where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing. What an awesome opportunity I have to be here with them, my little ones, for such a short time. I don't want to take it forgranted.

Last night my husband confirmed my feelings. So here I am...back in the moment. Being a mom...and a writer. This place is the very place we need to be...what we are experiencing is exactly what we need to grow through. There's love and joy but there's also pain and frustration. It's all ours to embrace and learn from...expanding in spirit with every step. This is good...it's perfect, just what we need.

Maybe I'll pick up letter writing again.

Back to Blogging

Hi everyone! My big kids are back in school...my little ones nap in the morning, I'm ready to starting blogging again. Yay! I thought I'd start with this list for today...10 random things about me. (this would be a fun one to continue adding to in the future.)

1. I love the poetry of mystic saints.
2. I basically like hugging trees, flowers, ladybugs, blades of grass and hollyhocks, plus many other natural things.
3. I love Indian food and Indian music.
4. I love hot tea, especially earl grey...for the flavor, the comfort and the aesthetics of a dainty, aromatic cup of tea in my hand. {Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is a branch of philosophy, a species of value theory or axiology, which is the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. Aesthetics is closely associated with the philosophy of art.)--Wikipedia} ---I do get a little emotional about my tea.
5. I watch "That's So Raven" on Saturday mornings with my kids.
6. I want to be a writer when I grow up.
7. I miss riding my little blue bike to West street to sit on the curb and watch the sunset. I don't see the sunset very often anymore. (maybe I should ride my bike to Kelli's.)
8. I love, love, love words.
9. I'm a vegetarian and I like tofu.
10. I love to read out loud.

Okay, your turn, blogger-friends...just for fun (and so we can know you better) write a blog with 10 random facts about you!

Organic Gardening...and one last farewell...

My flowers that need care are the little blossoms in my own home and in myself...and those at last in my community whom I am honored to touch in my everyday life also.

On Selective Watering:

"...please, please don't water the seeds of anger, intolerance, irritation, or despair in me. And I promise not to water these seeds in you. I know that you also have negative seeds, and I'll be very careful not to water these seeds in you, because I know if I do, you'll be very unhappy. And then I will suffer also. I vow only to water the positive seeds in you--the seeds of love, compassion, and understanding." Anger, Thich Naht Hanh, pg. 74

"One hour of watering the flower in the other person can make him or her begin to bloom. It is not so difficult to do." Anger, Thich Naht Hanh, pg. 75

On Organic Composting:

"If you don't have garbage, you have nothing to use in order to make compost, you have nothing to nourish the flowers in you. You need the sufferings, the afflictions in you. Since they are organic, you know that you can transform them and make good use of them...you will smile at both the flower and garbage in you, you will embrace both." Anger, Thich Naht Hanh, pg. 69


I am letting go this attachment to focus on my garden...the beautiful souls I have been blessed to share this life with.

If you want to reach me I will always respond to comments I see delivered to my email!

Farewell...and God's richest blessings...............

Ruthie

good bye for now...

Dear Loved Ones

I have to say good bye for now

I have flowers to water

and compost to make

pretty fishy

Here's the jewel discovering our fishy's with the aid of a handy sit n' spin placed a little too close to the aqaurium...yes I held my breath while taking this picture. :)

Thankful Thursday: Candles...

and marshmallows and graham crackers and chocolate. yum.

Thankful Thursday: My Sweetheart

Today my Sophie graduated from kindergarten. Papa took the morning off to attend the festivities. The program was adorable, but it was the sweet moments caught on camera afterwards that I will always remember: Watching Sophie throw her arms around her Papa's neck with such a delighted sparkle in her eye was enough to make time freeze for a moment. It is overwhelmingly obvious that my children are crazy about their Papa...and so am I.

I am so thankful to be married to my favorite person in the whole world.

Kindness Matters

I don't know who she was but her face has been stuck in my head for the past hour now.

A couple weeks ago I vowed that I would never take all of my kids shopping with me at once again. It wasn't that bad of an experience...I mean, we've had worse. But for some reason we seemed to have been quite a sight on our last grocery trip because we got an incredible amount of comments. Comments like "Wow, you are a brave woman," and of course, "Are they all yours?" I have four children and I am often told that I don't look old enough to have four children. I am. Four children does not seem like a huge family to me, I am one of six siblings and my oldest sister has eight. (That does seem like a huge family.) I occasionally get comments on my size. At our yard sale an older lady was looking at a size 4 dress I was given that was just too big for me (it was a big 4). She said, "These are all your children and you can wear a size four? Congratulations!" Thanks for the skinny genes, Dad. Anyway, one of the ladies in the grocery store that day could not seem to get over my little gang. She kept going on and on, talking to others, saying things like, "Geeze, that's not for me." In the check out line when someone again congratulated me for my bravery to bring them all shopping with me, I responded, "You do what you have to do. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to." Needless to say, by the end of my shopping experience, I was drained and a little bit weary of my kiddos, who really were behaving quite well, considering my non-chipperness. So we got home and I said never again (which I fully knew was an unrealistic declaration).

My point, after the lengthy digression, is this: Kind words make a world of difference. I cannot begin to tell how my life has been altered by people who have taken the time to offer kind words, words of encouragement, words of affirmation. I can still see her face. I was at the grocery store today with the whole gang, bagging my groceries, dealing with hungry, tired children, in the most compassionately firm way possibly while bagging groceries and holding a wiggly 10 month old at the same time. She came right up to me and looked me in the eyes. She said, "You deserve great appreciation." That's all. I stopped, a little stunned. I said, "Thank you." I wish I had said much more, but really, I was a bit overwhelmed at a complete stranger offering so rich and sincere word of kindness to me that for a moment I was at a loss. Then she was gone. I hope I see her again. I would tell her how much her simple act of kindness meant to me and how I will remind myself again to be aware of others around me and to offer myself in that same way...even if it's just a kind or encouraging word.

My life has been affected again and again by thoughtful strangers and aquaintances who have taken the time to compliment or encourage me as a mother. We all need affirmation, to know we're doing a good job, to know it's going to be okay, to know we're not alone. When something like this happens in my life it makes me realize once again that I am a part of something much bigger.

What if we all took the time to be aware of the needs of others around us (at home and away) and learned to be liberal with kindness?

Pixies

By the way, there really are fairies in our garden:

And jewels:

Those Beautiful Curly Blonde Locks...

Yesterday morning I walked into the bathroom upstairs and noticed a few locks of beautiful curly blonde hair. For a moment I was puzzled, then slowly panic set in as I realized what little head the tufts had fallen from. In a daze, I found myself in the girls room surrounded by more angel hair. Sarah is my three-year-old. Everywhere we go people ooh and ahh over her sweet blonde curls. Admittedly, I have a hard time taking my eyes off those darling ringlets, myself.

I pulled her into my arms from a sound sleep and saw a first glimpse of the damage done. Yes, it was true, she had cut her hair quietly before going to sleep, not knowing the repercussions of her actions. In tears, I said, "Sarah, what did you do to your beautiful curls?" Still half asleep, her face crinkled up and tears swelled. Of course, I went through the stages of bewildered, sad, then angry....lastly humbled. Hair grows back, but heart's are easily broken...remorse was deep and real for her and for me.

Sarah now sports a darling vintage 80's hairstlye perfect for warm summer weather. It will take a while to get used to and I've vowed to put her in summer dresses and girly colors all summer while her hair grows out, but I have to admit...it suits her personality.
This is Sarah with her best friend, Bella...doesn't she look like she just stepped out of an 80's McCall's magazine?

Germinating

Spring has pulled me outside. It has lulled me away from my books, my paper and even my computer...yes. I don't regret it, but last night I was beginning to feel a little sensory overload...too much noice, too much touch, too much busy....too little shhhh, too little deep breathes, too little deep thought and free writing. When I get too busy I tend to neglect the little shoots pushing through the soil like this year's new peonies...reminding me they were there under the surface the whole time. I was too busy enjoying the new digging, the new planting...the anticipation of new things. Then the old pushed through. I would have initially compared this old stuff to weeds needing to be pulled...because we all have some of that in our lives. But after a moment's reflection I quickly, sharply realized that these underlying feelings that keep resurfacing, in spite of the pain they cause me, in spite of my first inclination to pull them like invading weeds, with patience and quiet inner work will bring a beautiful, fragrant blossom to my life. I will let my heart expand and love big...and love truly. I will learn to be truly here for my dear ones. I will open fully and vibrant like the peonies I now anticipate with joy in my garden. I will embrace that which must grow. This is my life, my moment is now....and now...and now...."dwelling in this moment, it is a wonderful moment"....it is the only moment.

Thankful a Few Days After Thursday: Spring Cleaning!

Spring Cleaning has had me distracted this week. Something about this weather turns me into a ball of energy and determination. I get this overwhelming desire to declutter and clean...to make wide open spaces in my home, to open windows and let the fresh air in. I have a lot to say about this practice because it's such a refreshing time for me.

Our basement seems to become a disaster every winter...it starts around October when I go on my Fall decluttering rampage, culling out the children's old toys, getting ready for the Christmas overflow. My intention is to make a few trips to a few local donation spots or to save up for a Spring yard sale. I'm usually a good one for hauling loads over to Goodwill but this year it just didn't happen, so yard sale it is! Anyway, I digress....cleaning out the basement.
Another Winter phenomenon for us is mice...we have been searching for a few weeks among the mountains of clutter near my husband's computer stuff for the mysterious cause of a terrible odor. Well, Tuesday I hauled 5 huge rolls of insulation up to the attic to make space in the basement for organizing the keeping stuff. Let's just say, dead mice: zero; crazy Spring-cleaning lady: 3; foul odor: eliminated. Pow!

I sweep my floors barefooted...it's practical and nostalgic for me. A close friend of mine once shared her secret of sweeping barefooted to assure all the crumbs made it out from under foot. Youthful memories of our friendship always surface when I sweep. I haven't seen her in years and only talk with her on the phone occasionally, but after all my sweeping yesterday, she made an appearance in my dream last night. I don't usually remember my dreams, but I was glad to remember this one. :)

Wednesday and Thursday were my Rearrange The Furniture And Make A Bigger Mess Before The House Looks Great Day. Which by the way, brought to memory these words I wrote in a letter to another old friend, which ring out so true in my life right now, "You can't de-clutter a room without making a big mess first. So don't be fooled if things look really good on the outside. On the inside it's still a big sloppy mess...but it's my big sloppy mess and little by little the clutter is clearing and my room is expanding." Hmmmn...deep inhale...okay exhale. Feels good, huh?

And....thank you to another sweet, sweet friend who came to my door with a box of Bigelow Vanilla Almond Tea. I am savoring a cupful this morning before going on a golf-outing with my husband...my first time on a golf course without castles and windmills...should be interesting.
Today is my sweetheart's birthday, so he's teaching me to golf! And thank you to Grandma who makes it all possible!

Because it Matters...

When you have some time, take a few minutes to check out the great links under Because it matters... find out how you can make a difference in this amazing home we share!Mother Earth

by Gaia

Thankful Thursday: The Park, People and Happy Kids

I did it. I left my dishes in the sink, my laundry all over the living room floor, and I took my kids to the park to run their little hearts out. I watched them climb and swing and slide and laugh...and fall. And when we got home they were covered with dirt, hungry, wound up and happy. But now they are clean, full and sleeping peacefully. My house is quiet and so is my heart. The dishes are done, the laundry is folded. I'm wearing a content and grateful smile.

At the park today I not only watched my children, but I watched my community...those people with whom we share this park...each with their own lives, their own story. I sat and visited with interesting people and opened my eyes to the beautiful network of individuals who make-up a community. Hmmmn, I like the park. I think we'll go more often.

After we were done playing and I had chased a three-year-old under a playscape doorway too low for anyone over three foot (ouch), we went for a quick grocery run to ALDI. Do not take children grocery shopping at six o' clock...especially after playing for 2-hours at the park. They were extraordinarily loud and interested in everything edible in the store. But they were also cute and sweet and lovable...and happy. Really, is there anything better than happy kids? As we were walking down the produce isle, Sophie was enthusiastically oohing and aahing over the califlower and tomatoes. I noticed an older lady in the cart next to us smiling. I said, "Can you tell my kids are hungry?" We laughed. Then we chatted briefly, bagging our groceries while the kids talked excitedly about the contents of my cart. We turned to leave and wished her a good evening. "Thank you,," she replied, "Enjoy your children!"

That pretty much says it all.

Yes, I am thankful today.

"Dwelling in this moment, I know this is a wonderful moment."

~Tich Nhat Hanh~

Hello!

Hello all you friendly-type readers! Thanks to Jen and Marisa for missing Thankful Thursday and making me feel loved. The kiddos and I are feeling much better. We spent last week in Wisconsin Dells enjoying some much needed family vacation time. We all had a lot of fun! I'll try to post some pictures soon.

Spring is always a good time for me to step back and evaluate, try to find some fresh focus and get priorities in line. I love this time of year, and although we've had snow for several days now (weird!), I'm anxious for the warmer weather that brings with it outdoor play and gardening! I'm also excited with the anticipation of embracing spiritual growth along with all the green growing stuff outside.

Mid-Winter I purchased two books by Gunilla Norris on seeing the sacred in the everyday, Being Home and A Mystic Garden. I savored the beautiful words in the first through the Winter, bringing them into my own moments of daily contemplation. But I happened to save the second to begin reading in Spring, thinking it would be good reading as I start my own gardening. When packing for vacation, I slipped this book in my bag with hopes of stealing myself away for a few minutes of quiet reading time on our trip. Fittingly, as I sat by the window of the house we were staying in, watching the snow fall and listening to the wind whip through the trees, I read these words about the Winter seasons of our lives:

"How full of invisible life is the garden you've been given.

At this very moment, you are in company with everything.

Trust does not need visible signs...

Everything is dormant in the cold. My spirit, too, is spilled and scattered. I seem to be at a stand still. Do I know that? Or is it that, connected to God, one somehow moves forward, even in sleep, in confusion, in turmoil, in cold? Benumbed, we may wonder if perhaps it is in quietude, in seeming deep freeze, that God enters our depth without interference?"

Yes....even in the dead of Winter, something is happening. It's in the Spring that life stirs and breaks through the surface...and we know it's been there all along. Sometimes God's work is quiet, but always, it's there.

Thankful Thursday: Senses

Have ever been so sick that you felt like your senses were too overwhelmed with physical discomfort to be aware of spirit? That is what my week has been like. Trying to care for my sick little ones, nurture myself, keep up with household responsibilities and writing has been a challenge. My house has suffered and my patience has been short.

Last night my five-year-old layed in her bed crying...it's been a tough week for her too. I sat down, exhausted and let my tired heart open to my little girl. Every once in a while I am utterly amazed at how much I need my kids. This gentle-hearted litte soul held me in her hand as I sat on the end of her bed and assured her of the wonderful journey that we are taking together as she grows up...5 years, 10, 15, 20...I sat and told her stories that I know my children have heard may times, about when I was a little girl and how I couldn't imagine what my life would be like when I grew up. Now I look at my husband and children and I feel so amazed and blessed...Wow, who knew these little people would grace my life?

This morning I woke up early feeling much better, ready to find a quiet place and connect with
my Creator...body no longer overwhelming soul. Deep breath...yes I feel it...spirit moving in, around, through me, holding us all together. Thank God for sweet quiet moments filled with pure awareness of His ever-present nearness. May those moments grow so close together that they mesh into every activity of my life--sensing the sacred in the common.

Thankful Thursday: Friends with Better Memories than Me.

Have you ever heard the quote, "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words?" Nice, a little hallmarkish, but there's something to this well-known friendship quote.

Today, in the midst of a hearty laugh brought on by a far-away friend, I finally realized what the author of this quote was trying to express. Here's my take on it (though not as flowery): " A friend is someone who reminds you who you are when you have forgotten or when you're trying to be someone else."

On that note, let me say that a friend reminded me today that I once found something profound and noteworthy in a hanger dangling high in a treetop.

Since I've actually been thinking along these lines lately of recapturing or becoming that person I really am (as opposed to the one I sometimes project,) this was another defining moment for me.

Who found joy in a misplaced hanger?....I can guarantee you it was creative and humorous spirit. I embrace that. :)

This is going somewhere and I'm going to follow it...but for now let me say thank you to my friends who so faithfully remind of who I am....with hopes that I can be the same kind of friend in return. :)

Deep Breathes, Crisp Air, Sunshine And Good Movies

For anyone who really keeps up with what's going on in My Woods (or A Path to My Woods), sorry I missed my Thankful Thursday! Besides having sick kiddos this week, I have a lot of thoughts brewing on the back burner. I'm feeling thankful, inspired and refreshed today. I'll write more later on that.

But let me just give you a few tidbits off the top of my head. Honestly, I don't want to spend too much time here this morning. The ground is still covered with snow, but the sun has been breaking occasionally through my window, and taking a deep breathe as I retrieved the mail sent my heart racing and mind reeling for a moment...it's a bit intoxicating to the spirit, and my front porch is beckoning.

In a moment of spontaneity, I popped in one of my all time favorite movies last night, Emma , with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam. No matter how many times I see this movie, I am charmed. I laugh, I swoon, I feel sympathy and exasperation and even a sense of pride, cheering on the young Emma as she grows into a lady, loved faithfully by the unmatchable Mr. Knightly. I'm not a movie critic and I won't waste words comparing this adaptation with Jane Austen's lovely novel or the well-done mini-series with Kate Beckinsale. I will simply say that this is a movie for pure aesthetics.

Thankful Thursday: Baking Soda...and grace.

I'm really into baking soda...it has so many cool uses. I bake with it, clean with it, bath my girls in it, put it in the laundry...so I often have a box of it sitting in various places around the house. In fact, one has a permanent home in the bathroom upstairs. I was a little surprised today to find that box empty...this is not a little box...this is the big box variety. Not only was the box empty, but the bathroom floor was not. I'll let you picture it. Little white footprints led from the bathroom into the girls bedroom....niiiice. I wasn't happy, but the footprints were pretty cute.
After sending the three-year-old culprit to sit on her bed to wait for me, I cleaned up the mess and gave myself some time to figure out how I was going to handle this. When I walked into her room and started the questions she answered in her sweet 3-year-old dialect, "I wanted to be a big girl but I had an accident and I spilled it." That was the first real discipline "talk" she and I have had together. I did not talk to her, I talked with her. I mean, my little one really has become a big girl, she's not a baby anymore. This post really isn't about baking soda (although I still think it's cool stuff), it's about grace and forgiveness and loving a little girl.

I'm thankful that I've learned the biggest lesson of grace...that I can be graceful with myself. I'm not perfect, but I'm growing. I make lots of mistakes, but grace says "Don't wallow...learn!" I don't always handle stressful situations well with my children, but today I did and my daughter experienced forgiveness in the true sense....and her grieving three-year-old heart understood.

This is a spiritual lesson...one that's meant to stop and consider the mother-heart of God. This is not about punishment, it's about learning. That's what it's all about. Hmmmn. And I'm really thankful for that.

Overheard yesterday as my girls were playing on the livingroom floor:

"No, Sarah, princesses can't marry horses!"

Do you have any favorite halfling quotes?

Thankful Thursday: Roller Skates, Snow Shovels and Lentil Soup.

Mid-February...it happens pretty much every year. I get that blah, sort of uninspired feeling. It lingers, wavering, dodging in and out of my spirit until signs of Spring appear...or by chance something like today happens. And I know that this is my chance...my chance to pull myself up...to climb out of this dreary state in an enheartened leap of self-motivation.

I went roller-skating today. Well, really I walked around the roller-rink in soft-soled sneakers helping kindergarteners learn to balance on those tricky little boots with wheels. I held my own daughter's hands and pulled her around on the wooden floor for the first time. I pulled her up when she fell and cheered her on when she bravely set out balancing on her own. The time we spent together was special and we'll both remember it. But the moments of connection and care with many of the other little souls in my daughter's class broadened my heart and made me more certain of the connection we all share on this journey. In Mother Teresa's words, "Children belong to everyone." In the deepest sense, we all belong to each other...and we need each other. There is not a sweeter face than that of a child who senses the genuine care of a kind adult...it is also easy to spot the ones who crave that care.

I shoveled snow, too. Some people dread snow-shoveling...but I love it...honest. The cool, crisp air and rewarding exercize is always invigorating. I've never finished shoveling snow without feeling a sense of accomplishment and over-all well-being. Does that sound crazy? This activity not only gives me a physical boost, but I always feel mentally and spiritually refreshed, too. It must be the quiet repetitive nature of it. Today, as I finished shoveling the driveway and sidewalk, a light powdery blanket started to cover the area I had already cleared. I may have looked a little silly out shoveling while more snow was covering my work, but I was reminded of the beauty of repetition in carrying out our daily tasks and finding the holy in the common.

After warming up inside, dinner was calling. The current lack of inspiration has effected me in the kitchen, too. I don't mind cooking so much...I really enjoy it when I actually have a plan and everything I need to execute it. Naturally, I don't dig the clean-up. But tonight sweet Sophie has the symptoms of a cold coming on and one of her favorites is Lentil Stew with Lemon...a simple meal, but perfect winter comfort food with a loaf of crusty fresh bread.

"For all that has been: thanks. For all that will be: yes."

~Dag Hammarskjöld~

Thankful Thursday: Surprises

Thankful Thursday: Somebody Loves Me

Yes, it's true.

One day I was standing near the computer talking with my sweetheart, and our email alert (a little yapping puppy carrying a letter) came on the the screen. I said, "Let me see if somebody luuuvsme." Now we laugh when Amazon.com or some other thoughtful emailer like iTunes or AllRecipes sends us a message. ebay luuuvsme! Okay, some of you might not think it's that funny. I do. It's funny. But here's my point: Yesterday when I tried to start my Thankful Thursday post, Blogger was inaccessable, I guess the server was down or something...so I didn't get my post done. This morning when I booted up the computer and checked my email I really did get a message from somebody who luuuvsme! The subject line said, "I want my thankful thursday!"

So here it is: I'm thankful for You, Luke. I'm thankful to be loved by you, thankful that you see the authentic me past my outward struggles, and encourage me to keep growing into that person. i love you.

Stuff Happens

“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so,

right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.”

~Natalie Goldberg~

I like this quote...so true.

Thankful Thursday: The Practical Wisdom of Children

Who doesn't love chocolate? Last night we had strawberries (a rare treat in winter) topped with chocolate pudding and a few marshmallows for dessert after dinner. Dessert is a one-helping affair in our house, as we are trying to learn moderation. However, one helping of chocolate anything isn't easy for most kids! So of course, our conversation naturally led to the topic of thankfulness. We talked about children in the world who have never tasted chocolate and how some children have so little, how some children have only tasted things like water (not so clean water) and rice. I encouraged them to eat their dessert slowly, mindfully, savoring the moment and the sweetness...and to be aware of how fortunate we are...to be thankful.

(good mom, wise mom)

Then my 5-year-old daughter says to me, "Mom, it's good to be thankful, but we really should do something for those children."

(still learning mom)

I'm thankful for the wisdom flowering from the brilliant souls I call my children...and how they teach me everyday...

Pictures!

Here's a picture post since I haven't posted any of the kids lately and the little jewel is growing and changing so quickly!

Here she is making her way through everything within reach:

And happy to be at the center of our attention:

Our Little Superguy:And of course the girls...they are simply fancy :

Thankful Thursday: Little Hands

Often my mother-in law comes to watch the little ones so I can walk to the school by myself to pick up my kindergartener and second-grader. I have to admit that sometimes my hands feel very empty when I'm walking alone. So I can't help but feel thankful walking home with a little hand in mine...and especially thankful that my nearly 8 year old son still eagerly slips his hand into mine, even on the school playground surrounded by his friends.

Thankful Thursday: Fresh New Mornings

Every morning brings a new sunrise, a new day, new hope. Sometimes a good night's sleep followed by a fresh new morning is just what we needed! I know by the end of my day, I am anxious to crawl into bed and welcome a new start! By the time I've gotten the kids all jammied and I think they are just about wound down for the night, something throws us off. Everyone's tired, including me! We all need a new morning.

Being a big L.M. Montgomery fan, I think back to the wise advise Miss Stacey gave Anne Shirley: "Tomorrow is a new day, all fresh with no mistakes in it." I find myself repeating similar words to myself and to my children. What a relief to know we can start over, to know we don't have to cling to mistakes. Things can be made right and we all deserve compassion...even from ourselves! If the Psalmist can celebrate God's new mercies every morning, surely we can celebrate with him.

Gunilla Norris speaks eloqently in her book, Being Home, about Awakening:

First thought--as in "first light"--

let me be aware that I awaken in You.

Before I even think that I am in my bed,

let me think that I am in You.

I am thankful for fresh new mornings and the opportunity to give my children the same sense of joy in finding ourselves once again in "You."

Peter Pan and Tinkerbel

I have a 5 year old daughter who believes in pixy dust. It works magic on so many things. If she's afraid at night, I simply add a pinch of bravery to the pixy dust and sprinkle it on (a little hug goes a long way to.) It seems to give her just what she needs to settle into a peaceful sleep.

Recently, after my 3-year-old recieved some Disney fairies for Christmas, we rented Peter Pan. The girls fell in love with the movie...Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy, even the old Crocodile with the ticking clock inside. So much of that magical stuff of childhood...they soaked it up. Then, one night this week I found my Sophie sitting in her bed working busily writing some letters. I came in later to find the window blind raised all the way. The objections when I started to lower the blind were loud! "Mom, no...leave it up." The only response to my "why" was "please don't look at my letters (positioned toward the window on a nightstand in front of it), you wouldn't understand." Of course, this raised my curiousity and I peaked quickly while the kids were in brushing their teeth before bed. The letter were addressed: To Peter Pan and To Tenkerbel.

All the kids were amazed and excited at breakfast the next morning as they announced that the letters were gone! Samuel, being a little older, looked carefully to make sure they hadn't just fallen behind the nightstand. Of course, I reveled in their delight at the prospect of Peter and Tink making a special visit to their bedroom window!

They have been busy this week making trips to Neverland, playing Peter Pan in the backyard. Sophie tells me that she makes up her own stories about Peter, too. Childhood can be such a joy!

And, yes...the letters are tucked away in a special place for priceless keepsakes. We'll pull them out when the magic fades and a little girl becomes a lady.

Thankful Thursday: Sticky Tac

While I'm talking about refrigerators magnets, I might as well voice my praise for this gummy stuff. I am truly glad for sticky tac.

Last weekend my husband and I began working on patching cracks and redecorating one of the kids bedrooms. I started by pulling everything off the walls that my son had collected over the last 7 years since we moved him in there...he was 6 months old. When I was done I had a ball of blue sticky tac that was slightly smaller than a golfball. That's a lot of goo. I was surprised with all the memories held up all those years. The sweetest to me were two letters that I had written to my little guy. The first one when he had finished his reading lesson book and the second on his first day of kindergarten...both big milestones for my firstborn...and for me. Another place I have gained an appreciation for sticky tac is on my kitchen cupboards, which have come to be a collection place for artwork and notes from my children and quotes to inspire me while I cook and clean.

Tape is nice, but oh sticky tac---is magic.