What does a week hold? So many things, when you think about it: joy, hope, sadness, love, peace, discord, sleep, work, delicious food, pretty ordinary food, prayer, happiness, tears, laughter, music, noise, silence, cursing. This week was no exception.
And of course, this week held gratitude. Gratitude to be a part of this world, this life, living with the people I get to call family and friends and colleagues, and contribute to all that makes the world go 'round.
An old family friend posted a video on Facebook by the Maccabeats, and being the acapella junkie that I tend to be, I had to go find more music by them. I liked many of their songs, but this one stood out as reflective of my current mood.
Last weekend we were fortunate to have my brother and his family here to visit and spend time together. We did all the usual things--ate, napped, went for a glorious walk in the sunshine, visited around the firepit while roasting s'mores, ate some more, and waved goodbye as they all-too-quickly whisked back over to the other side of the state. I was grateful for our time together and look forward to our next visit. Soon, hopefully!
I have a little before-bed habit of browsing Instagram for #maryoliver. Her words do calm my spirit, and life me. Here are a few of the ones that stayed with me, this week.
"Everything will be everything else, by and by." Love those words.
I have a confession. I had not heard the song "Happy" until tonight. I know, how insane is that? It's only been everywhere, all over the place, for ages. How I've missed it is a feat, it itself. And to top it off, I have even been gifted the song on a CD from one of my dear music friends. Somehow that one had not made it into my CD player in the car, quite yet. It will be asap, I swear!
It could be a tiny testament to how distractable I've been, I suppose, a version of busy that, for me, tends to sap my ability to read anything longer than a blog post or article. It's not pretty (in terms of concentration outside of work topics), and I think I need a reset button or digital sabbatical to undo some of my more wound-up tendencies, lately. Meditation, prayer, quiet time? Good thoughts, all.
Regardless, I feel the need to share the song tonight, even though this hasn't been the happiest of weeks. Let's just say it was one of those weeks where reminders of life's fragility felt close. I could list my own reasons for feeling fragile and you'd have yours too, surely. Everyone who reaches a certain age and has any kind of interaction with other humans on this planet knows loss and heartache on some level. I can't imagine it being otherwise. And the sweet part of the bittersweet is all the love, all the happy, all the warmth and joy that exists and that I get to experience daily. The bitter is what it is, just that. Sure makes me appreciate the sweet, and the happy.
My home is warm, my tummy is full, the pups are dozing on the floor nearby. I can hear Seth's voice as he visits on the phone with his special lady friend (gosh, if he only read the blog, imagine how annoyed he'd be with that phrase?!) in the other room. Husband and I share snippets of conversation and I am thrilled with the two days ahead, where the break in the routine is definitely welcome. I am very grateful for all of the above. Very much so, tonight.
I am very happy to have arrived at Friday night again. As I very often say--I haven't been this happy to see Friday, since last Friday!
The week held a lot--a lot of work, a little fun (lunches and even a brief coffee with girlfriends), some relaxation (evenings with House of Cards, I'm done now so you can't spoil it for me) and helping with a volunteer luncheon that's happening next week. I am so looking forward to the next 24 hours of family chill time, I can't even tell you.
Here's a tidbit (it's hard for me to not share the whole thing... do click over to the link above):
“It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma…
“You see, at the centre of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics – in physical laws – every action is met by an equal or opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it... “And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that 'As you reap, so will you sow' stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff...
“If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. All I do is get up on the Cross of the Ego; the bad hangover, the bad review. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my shit and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was he just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.”
For all I smile to myself about Bono (as in, wow does he take himself seriously), I really appreciate those words. Anytime I seem to get myself in trouble, I can usually look at the Cross of the Ego, and sure enough, there's me. :) I am very grateful for grace.
A weekend ritual for me is listening to NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. I am very grateful for people who will consume large quantities of pop culture so I don't have to. Well, more to the point, I'm glad they make recommendations, so I don't have to waste my time! These people are funny, and I love how I feel like I know them after listening for a couple/few years.
I am so ready for springtime cooking and springtime eating. I've over Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. So over. I'm ready for green little shoots in the garden, for salads picked minutes before being gobbled up, for flowers and sunshine and asparagus and salad onions, with the hope of a long summer FULL of gorgeous, local produce. I am ready! I made arugula pesto this week and ate it three nights in a row. Yes, three. It was *that* good.
Being tucked in here at home with all my men (which sounds a little weird until you consider that both the dogs are boys too--I'm surrounded!), the fire is on and I'm feeling cozy. I feel blessed to have a husband and a son who are so communicative. As we all caught up on our weeks tonight, my gratitude for them both made me smile and appreciate, so much, all that we share together.
I hope you are feeling tucked in and cozy too, and the weekend ahead brings joy.
Feels good to be back to my regular routine of Friday night gratefulness. I'm all for daily gratitude, but my weekly ritual is one I've come to cherish, especially after a little break.
It was one of those short-long weeks--not enough time in the day to get it all done, but boy did a couple of the days feel especially loooong. (One I even wanted to hit the reset button on.) But, as all weeks do, time passed and here we are at the most marvelous night of them all.
I'm so grateful for our fireplace. It's not a traditional fireplace, in that it's a pellet stove, but boy the light is lovely and the warmth is welcome. I really enjoyed sitting by the wood stove at my brother and SIL's house over the Thanksgiving break, but the heat actually drove me into the next room a couple of times--powerful stuff! Our stove is more "subtle" (read = less effective), but I do so appreciate the ambience.
The holiday season has arrived like a freight train. I know, the Christmas stuff was up at Costco in August, and many other stores barely got Halloween gear off the shelves before throwing the red and green and tinsel at us, but I managed to hold off until Thanksgiving... mostly. Having Thanksgiving so late in November means the holiday season feels really compressed. (Zoom.) I'm grateful for the holidays and all goodwill associated with this season.
Dear friend Corinne sent me some bulbs for my birthday and they are blooming already! I love an amaryllis bloom! I am grateful for my heirloom friend.
(Catch a glimpse of the sweet pups photobombing my shot? They are dears.)
I'm grateful, always, for inspiration. Whether it's to try a new recipe (thank you Pinterest--shhhh, Lisa!), or new way of listing goals (thanks, Ma and Shelby) or even color (thank you, Pantone), I enjoy looking around and seeing what's new, fresh and lovely to me. Being reminded that all I really need to do is look up and open my eyes; that's the key.
Snow came to visit this week, happily (for me). I was quite excited to wake on Wednesday morning to an inch or two, and with our current deep freeze temperatures, it has stuck around. We are expecting very cold weather through this weekend, at least, and I would love it if we got a bit more snow, just to keep the stuff we already have company!
Just saw this new Nike ad, and it's pretty inspiring too! Fun times in the winter months--might as well enjoy it, since it's going to be here for a while.
With the super-cold temps come worries about pets and pipes and agriculture and people less fortunate. I am grateful to live in a community that looks out for these things, as evidenced by a local church opening up it's doors for those who might be without shelter right now, providing a warm place to sleep.
I was happy to partake in a birthday dinner this week--four of us have dinner together at some point around this time of year. It started out for just the Oct-Nov ladies, but the other two are Dec-Jan, so why not expand the merrymaking? Joyous times with good conversation and great food--definitely high on my grateful list this week!
Lastly but not leastly, my guys. I am grateful, always, for our love and our affection. I couldn't be more blessed to be loved and cared for by them both.
I hope that wherever you are as you read this, you're warm and feeling grateful.
I am not opposed to the selfie, goodness knows I have flipped the lens around on the phone more than a time or two to capture a good hair day or an acne-free moment! But in approaching the word self, I felt pulled toward something else.
Thinking on those words, how they relate to self, and how they relate to gratitude, made me so grateful for this month, for this challenge, and for what gratitude can accomplish. I've mentioned it before, but the circle of gratitude never fails, it really doesn't.
"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." -William Arthur
I saw a few posts in social media this month that put down the idea of a 30-day challenge, of a month where thankfulness is celebrated. The general theme of the complaints seemed to be that we should be grateful every day, not just one month or one day out of the year. I couldn't agree more. But what surprised me was the lack of general goodwill that seemed to surround the notion of allowing others the space to speak their gratitude in whatever way is meaningful to them. I mean, look away if others speaking their thankfulness is somehow annoying, you know?
This was the first year I've participated in a gratitude challenge. In past years I have seen posts trot by via social media and had slightly negative thoughts about the concept myself--how trite, how forced, how shallow. Somehow, this year, with my lack of real time and energy around blogging, the idea of a photo challenge through Instagram seemed doable. And the act of looking at the chosen word and thinking about it--sometimes in advance, sometimes extremely last-minute--became an exercise in daily gratitude that I appreciated.
The trend toward gratitude as a marketable notion, something to be embraced by the masses, is bound to give even the most grateful of us a bit of a hollow feeling--something along the lines of an art masterpiece being slapped onto every fridge magnet, coffee mug, and over-the-sofa posters: one-size-fits-all gratitude, if you will. It's what happens when an idea becomes universal, or close to it. But I am willing to take that down side for all the positives I witness from the spread of gratitude. And, for the small amount of negative noise around the rituals of Thanksgiving and thankfulness, there was much more voice given to the benefits of gratitude. .
This TED talk is worth the 14 minutes to consider living a grateful life. Many of his thoughts resonate with what I've found to be true about happiness following gratitude, not spawning it.
I don't have to struggle (most days) to achieve gratitude. I'm not saying that because everything is sunshine and rainbows and unicorns in my life. I recognize my blessings, daily. But more to the point, I recognize that my attitude has a lot more to do with how I'm feeling on any given day than the actual circumstances do. There are times when I feel like I should apologize for having this approach, as if the fact that many people struggle to find happiness is somehow my burden (I should cheer them up?), that I need to chill with the gratitude, just to fit in better. Can't do it.
I've had a few situations lately that have shown me how embedded gratitude is in my life, and I couldn't be happier about that. There's an "other shoe dropping" feeling that clutches at my heart as I write that sentence, knowing that tomorrow the Universe could throw myself or a dear loved one a giant curveball that shakes up my idea of gratitude completely. I guess, in acknowledging this, I'm saying that's OK. It's going to be what it's going to be; the only thing I can pick is how I respond.
I wish you gratitude. Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Yearlong, joyful, solid and unshakeable gratitude. Me, I'll be back on Friday night. ;)
Today's blogging challenge: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up, and did you come close?
When I first formed the idea of being a grown up professional, it was around the idea of broadcast journalism. And I fixated at the ripe old age of 12 on Jessica Savitch. Not Barbara Walters. Not Diane Sawyer. Not even Jane Pauley or any of the other morning ladies. The funny thing is, I don't even remember ever watching Jessica do the news, to be honest, but from somewhere I got the idea that she was a pretty cool cat. (Like my early '80s lingo?)
When I think about the idea of being in front of a camera every night, I have to laugh. There's really not much that appeals LESS to me than that. I am legendarily awkward when a video camera is turned on me, and I know it. Luckily I reached this awareness by the time I entered college and somehow settled on the very practical mass communications degree, with a concentration in journalism and an art minor. Somewhere between 12 and 17 I arrived at the idea of the written word being far more appealing to me than the spoken-in-front-of-a-camera word.
During college, I thought about changing my major a few times--actually did once, but quickly changed it back--and focusing more on literature and creative writing than journalism. But, in the end, I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made to what I've actually done with my degree in the (cough, sputter) 25 years since acquiring it.
My trajectory looks somewhat like this:
Copy editor
Production coordinator
Managing editor
Director of production
Caterer and personal chef
Stay-at-home mom/wife
Projects (part-time)
Director of web services
Not much Jessica Savitch glamour in that resume. But, I am a-ok with that.
An interesting, but not unusual, side note is that when I started my career post-college, the idea that I'd currently be working primarily online and with websites would never have occurred to me. Well, it couldn't have occurred to me, as the world wide web wasn't yet world wide. Amazing what the past 20 years have brought.
If I were to do the college thing all over again, I would focus more on business, organizational leadership, marketing and a bit of design. In my college days, the business students all seemed quite stuffy and obviously headed for a lifetime of accounting and I avoided that department as much as possible. Not sure why my perception was so strong in that arena, given that I grew up in a household where the idea of business and entrepreneurial spirit was respected; I think now that I just didn't correlate the business concepts I knew with the academic side of it. I feel very lucky to have learned a great deal about business by being part of a great company and also by having a desire to learn more and read and study as I go.
I ran across this little tidbit while looking for a nice picture of Jessica online. It made me laugh. Seeing that I think, "Oh, I could have done that job! It's really just about bossing people around." Ha.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you make your dreams a reality, or did your dreams change along the way?
Jen and I (and occasionally my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.
Well, as luck would have it, the next two posts are supposed to require some thought, and "real" writing, and where am I? On vacation with family. Yes, a more thoughtful blogger would have planned ahead, I do realize that.
I'm not going to bail completely, but maybe tread more lightly than I had planned, and circle back around for a more "ranty" post later. The challenge for today: What has happened lately in the media that make me want to rant?
Well, there is always something, right? If it's not some social issue, there's popular culture or politics. So many diverse opinions, so loudly stated, one can't help but take issue with not only the message at times, but also the delivery method.
A couple of weeks back, the VMAs and the Miley/Robin Show got everyone chewing on a variety of topics ranging from the obvious (foam fingers? teddy bears? Beetlejuice suits?) to the more nuanced (a little white girl dancing with large black women all around? what's that about?). It was very interesting to read the various takes on the performance, and for a few minutes it seemed like everyone forgot that the ability to provoke and enflame is pretty much standard fare at the Video Music Awards. And of course, it's all pretty much died down now, and the media seems to have largely moved on.
A blogger I follow posted the video below, soon after the VMAs. There wasn't an overt written correlation to that performance, but for me the link is clear. Women as accessories to men, or women as "female wallpaper" in a male setting aren't issues I have had to deal with on a daily basis. And yet, they are issues in many settings, and as a woman who cares about how women are perceived, the video below bothered me greatly, and stayed with me.
Rather than a rant per se, I am left with many questions about why women conduct themselves in certain ways; why when so much progress has been made, and so many options are available to women they would choose to relegate themselves to riding on surfboards, climbing under plexy desks and sculpting their faces and bodies in the quest for youth and beauty.
I am sure there are many--men and women alike--who would say these are valid choices that women make, and who am I to judge those choices? I think Narelle on her blog said it excellently when she penned: "It is about women and the radical disavowal of responsibility, the profound unwillingness to be at the source of our lives."
I am grateful to live and work and love and participate in a place and with people who value me for who I am. I have no doubt that culturally and socioeconomically I am blessed with many circumstances that encourage this freedom. But I am also sad. I am sad for women who feel the choice to be valued as a person and not a thing is somehow beyond them, or that they might not even be aware of their voice in this conversation.
What's your thought as you watch this video? Did you have a strong opinion about Miley's performance at the VMAs? Did you think Robin Thicke should have taken a bit more of the pushback in the aftermath?
Jen and I (and now my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.
Such a peaceful evening here, with the sun going down earlier and earlier, and the nights cooling off. I know it's only July, but I can already feel summer waning, even as the days are 100 degrees. So quickly, the long days shorten and before you know it, I'll be complaining about the frost on the tomatoes. Except (wait for it, you know what's coming, don't you Jen?), autumn is my favorite season. I almost forgot, I love summer so much too. And spring. Spring's not bad. Winter's really the low point on the season radar for me, but you can winnow that to January and February, really, because anything up to the first of the year is the holidays, and who doesn't love the holidays? So, 10 months to love, 2 months to be "meh" about? That's not bad.
Now that I've got my seasonal musings out of the way, I can move on to gratitude. I can't seem to pull much more together on the blog lately than gratitude. Gratitude and kale. Really, aren't those the same thing?!
The garden does continue to produce, and we continue to enjoy kale, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and this week our first little lemon cucumber. Still to come will be the avalanche of tomatoes, when all the plants are producing daily. Right now it's still mostly the Early Girls and some yellow cherry toms.
Today husband and I went to the funeral and it made me think about a lot of things to be grateful for--community, family, love, tradition, faith, health, and a host of other things that have complicated emotions tied to them. A friend, without knowing that I was headed to a funeral, sent me an essay to read about two recent funerals she and her family attended. One lovely takeaway line: "Joy and sadness often intermingle as we grieve." Too true.
Seth and I had such a great trip to Canada last weekend, road tripping together through the wilds of Washington. I am so very grateful for a teenage son who is so much fun to talk with, hang out with, listen to audiobooks and laugh with. We have done so many of these road trips together, and each one holds a special place in my memories.
I am grateful for sleep, which I know will come easily tonight.
I'm grateful for air conditioning during these hottest of summer days. I'm grateful too, that when I open the sliding doors in the morning, the cool of the morning will fill the house.
I'm grateful for husband, and his loving ways.
I'm very grateful for my faith, even as it is sometimes as short-sighted and ADHD as I am. I saw this video over on Donald Miller's blog this week, of Mark Wahlberg talking about his upbringing and decision to turn his life around and the role faith plays in that, and I was encouraged. So many people don't feel (especially in the public eye) like they can speak of their faith without a certain amount of scorn coming their way, and his matter-of-factness was refreshing.
I wish you a weekend of peace and gratefulness for wherever you are, and whatever life has brought your way this week, this month, this year.
A few days ago (Friday, I think), I remarked that I had completely lost track of days... the holiday during the week rather than a Friday or Monday kind of threw me off, I guess. But in the best of ways. What day is it, anyway? Friday felt like a Monday all day, because the night before felt like Sunday. Or some such logic... Well, yesterday did feel well and truly like a Sunday, replete with all the things that make a productive Sunday shine--husband and I both got good and filthy doing some yard work, I did some deep cleaning in some areas that hadn't seen my Swiffer strong arm in a good long time, and we did a little road trippin' with the dogs with a stop at one of our favorite soft-serve ice cream joints (they sell a lot more than ice cream, but that's all we ever get) on the way home. A really lovely summer day!
A few things have come across my path lately that have inspired me, and of course I wanted to share them with you!
This letter written to an author was a great reminder to me that taking the time to let someone know that they have made a difference in your life is a really worthwhile thing. Last week, partly prompted by reading this, I took the opportunity to write a note of thanks to a local oncology caregiver for the color she breathes into a room when she enters it. Her cheer and positive words have made all the difference in the world to a local woman I know who is currently fighting cancer.
All that is to say, if there's someone you've been meaning to write to, or has been in your thoughts in a way of gratitude for an action, big or small, take the time to say something. Do it. You won't regret it, even if (maybe especially if) you never hear a word back about it. It's just a good thought, out there in the universe--and YOU put it there!
Viral wedding toasts and dances are all the rage these days, but every once in awhile one will stand out as unique and sweet. This one was, for me. (See my note below the video about how to actually know what she's saying.)
Click over to YouTube and watch the video there (rather than above), and click on "transcript" below the video to read along as she sings. Very clever for old ears like mine that don't hear every word in a rap!
If you think about writing, about putting your thoughts out to the world, but can't ever seem to make it happen, this post might be for you. I am warning, as the writer of the post does, that the language in the post is Not Safe For Work (for those of you who may not know what NSFW is). Which means you probably also shouldn't start reading it aloud to your mother (or mine) on a road trip. But put the language aside, and grab the gist of it: just get writing already.
This sweet thing was posted to my Facebook wall just yesterday by dear friend Jen. It reminded her of me, I guess. I'll take it, even though I'm Northern, not Southern. But the tea is sweetened there too...
I do love love and family, and I've been known to adhere to a tradition or two, as well. :)
Last night I was feeling a bit dreary that the weekend was over, that I hadn't gotten enough done, etc. etc. And then... we watched Pitch Perfect. I guess I'm not supposed to tell on the guys, and make it sound like I watched it all by myself, but that's silliness. Guys can be in the room when singing goes on in a movie, can't they? Of course they can. I am pretty sure I liked the movie much better than either of them, but it was a light little bit of nonsense, if you haven't seen it, and the music is just a bunch of fun.
I'm a big Rebel Wilson fan, since Bridesmaids, and her part was a hoot. (There's a barfing scene mid-way through this clip that you may not want to be eating while viewing. It's a little unreal, but thought you should be warned!)
And of course, you know the PS22 kids have a version of Beca's When I'm Gone audition song too:
Woke up to rain again today; it's like the Oregon Coast has come to us, since we're not going to it any time soon! Misty and drizzly and definitely a stay-at-home day... except it's not!
So I'll watch this video again, and be inspired to put a little urgency in my step today! Love the visual.
And for when summer actually does arrive, a few words for the occasion:
Let peace come to you, out from where it's hiding behind the sofa and under the bed. You have done enough for now. Let summer surround you. Let everything rest. -Karen Maezen Miller
How quickly the week has flown... I wish I could say that blogging (or the lack thereof) has been weighing on my mind, but alas, right now, it has not. I have thoughts and ideas about blogging, and on the weekend I actually cook (shocking!), but thankfully don't feel guilty about the lack of time to get it all down onto "paper." That time will come again... but I will not abandon Friday night!
I'm grateful this week that my family is safe--from my aunt who is in flooded Calgary, Alberta, but able to stay in her home without evacuating (so far); to my parents on their gallivant around Europe; to my brother and family in sunny California; to my beloved in-laws across the pasture. All safe and accounted for. This is not to be taken for granted, indeed.
Seth's home.
My husband bought me a flower. In spite of my dismal track record with orchids, I came home to a beautiful specimen this afternoon, and his thoughtfulness touched me.
Last weekend I spent a little too long in the sun/yard. Not in an overt, holy-cow-she's-sunburned kind of way, but just in a worn out, bedraggled fashion... I got really into it, and as much as it makes me smile when I think of my childhood yard-avoidance issues, I really love getting things ticked off the list. And, once you're hot and dirty, you might as well stay hot and dirty, right?! I am grateful for a fairy quick recovery during the week, and no lingering sun effects.
The rain came in and took over after the sunshine of the weekend. Odd to have rain to this extent in June... but rain it did, and plenty of it. The poor wheat has those trampled marks like a big giant has been stomping around in the field. I hope with some sun and less rain, it will stand upright again, but who knows. We went to bed in the rain, woke up in the rain, and looked out windows at rain during the day. It was weird, but refreshing.
I'm thankful for music. I had some fun in iTunes last weekend, getting ready for my big yard day. Music, podcasts and audiobooks always make my hours outside fly by. Straight No Chaser has a new album and I really enjoyed listening to most of it (got a little acapella fatigued by the last few songs...) as I bopped around the yard on the mower.
I'm especially thankful tonight for laughter. For the ability to see the humor, even in sometimes less-funny situations. It's a sign of my adoration for Jimmy Fallon that I find this video so very amusing, even though it has Brad Pitt (who I am somehow less fond of) in it. Who thinks this stuff up?!
I'm also thankful for tears. Tears are so, so good, sometimes. Like a mental clearing away of cobwebs. I'm not one of those chronic criers, by any means (a la Holly Hunter in Broadcast News), but every once in awhile... even an ad can set me off.
So this:
Can turn me into this:
I'm grateful that it's summer, and that these long days of light will go on for awhile longer. Since we are just solstice-ing now, it will start to tip back toward shorter days, sadly. But at least it takes awhile, and we can have beautiful sunsets and early sunrises and evenings by the firepit between now and the 4 p.m. darkness of winter. Love this time of year!
And I am grateful for all the usuals: the colors of summer, the flavors of summer, the sounds of summer. The birds are having a heyday in the twilight outside our open slider windows, and I love hearing them!
I'm ever-so-grateful it's the weekend. Sleep. Bliss.
My friends make me grateful; for their laughter and love and sharing, I am glad.
For the peaceful scene out our bedroom window. Layers of green: trees, grass, wheat not yet turned, distant hills... (That's not quite my view exactly, above. But very close...)
For friend time this week--an overdue lunch, an almost-spontaneous pedicure, texts and emails, pop-by hellos. Thank you, friends, for the lift and the love.
For technology that allows me to follow my parents as they gallivant around Europe. From Barcelona to Sicily to Croatia and a few points in between, seeing their posts on Facebook and their texts as they catch up--while waiting for evening entertainment on their cruise ship!--I am delighted to know they are well and enjoying their time abroad.
For dear Seth and his thoughtful ways. He turned an end-of-year reward for a job well-done into a treat for some of his friends and it warmed my heart; his very first thought was to give. And his love and affection for husband made me meltm as we had a little pre-celebration of Father's Day too.
For growth. I am known as someone who likes resolution in all things, and as quickly as possible, thank you very much. That is not always possible, of course, and I have had more than a couple of situations in my adult life that caused me frustration by their very nature of not being easily resolved. Alas, that's life. I reflected this week that I'm doing better with that particular aspect of life, and not being as easily frustrated. Of course, as soon as I say that, something will come up that knocks me right upside the head and I will be wanting rock solid assurances of a path, an answer, NOW. Ah well, still felt like it needed to be said. I am grateful for growth, even if it's baby steps.
For this season, and all that means, flavor-wise: tonight my salad had figs and nectarines in it. Yes, you heard me correctly: FIGS! So early too. Usually we don't have them locally until July or early August, but I spotted them at a downtown lunch/deli spot this week and had to buy a pound on the spot.
For laughter. I've been on a Jimmy Fallon jag lately, I think he's just the funniest comedian, and I love the way he can't keep a straight face! I love to laugh along. Here's his clip from just last night, in honor of Father's Day. Here's to you, Pa!
Of course, I can't help but share the Mom ones too...
For our pups. They are both doing well, and I feel really lucky that the transition of adding General into the family has gone so well. Chief seems to be doing well, needing affection and reassurance, of course, and General is just a love. He can be barky with anything that is noisy, but I think he's getting used to me and my morning routines, which include the blow dryer, the blender, coffee bean grinder... (I'm a noisy one in the morning, apparently...)
My weekend gardening stints are usually accompanied by some sort of chatter on the iPod, whether an audio book (I swear I just about typed "book on tape." How's that for admitting my age?!) or some comedy off Pandora, or a podcast.
Lately I've been alternating between Mitch Joel's Twist Image podcast, and the NPR Pop Culture Hour podcast. I highly recommend both, though of course they are quite different. Mitch is all about tech/social and interesting interviews, and the round table hi-jinks over at NPR can range from discussion about the passing of Jean Stapleton as it relates to the evolution of TV wife/mom characters, to the differences between the various Iron Man movies, and the universal appeal of Robert Downey, Jr.
Today on one of the podcasts I listened to with the NPR group, they referenced the following video, which I already had in my drafts to share as inspiring. This video really did have 223 takes, and they pieced the audio together--a mighty little feat. It's a great deal of fun, be sure to watch all the way through, the elevator scene toward the end is one of my favorite bits, as well as the outtakes at the end. Does OK Go ever disappoint? I think not.
I can't remember where I stumbled across this story, but it sat in a "to read" tab in my browser for a while before I had a moment to tune in. A powerful story of recovery and the human will. And a few other things, but those come through loud and clear. I would like to know where this guy is in five years, or 10. That article touches on some of the larger issues, but time will tell how running and faith and recovery all intersect for this man.
I hope your week is off to a great start after a fabulous weekend! I'm going to step out and say mine is! Just putting it out there, Universe. Make it so!
It's Friday night. What shall we be grateful for? (I'll give you a hint: For so very much.)
For love. Divine love, earthly love, all love. Such a blessing, is love.
(Total aside: did you know that a bunch of unicorns is called a blessing of unicorns? Me neither. How awesome is that?)
For seasons. There is wind in the trees outside our bedroom, blowing in exactly the right direction so that I can hear and enjoy it, and not be chilled. It's trying to rain a little, and acting quite like spring again, rather than the full-on summer we had a week ago. This is good.
For quiet. Other than the trees and my own typing, it is silent. And lovely.
For good health. Not to be taken for granted, for a moment.
For bright spots in our days. Laughter, an encouraging word (given or received), a pause to reflect. The sunset, cloud formations, rain on the sidewalk. A happy pup greeting at the end of the day. A happy son greeting at the end of the day. Seeing my guys together, enjoying each other.
For music. I blame my wallawallamusicmama friend Jen for the recent ELO fixation. This song takes me back to walking through carefully through a cow-pie riddled field to catch a ride to school, somewhere around 1982. And this song, too.
Jen got me started with this video:
I love the energy of the group singing and strumming! If you want to get lost in YouTube for a bit, keep following the Wellington International (and/or UK) Ukelele Orchestra from video to video. It's a little bit magical. I can also waste a bit of time in college acapella groups...
For the strength to not be completely wrecked by a new fitness regimen. Slightly (well, OK a little more than slightly for a day or two) sore, but not wrecked.
For seasonal eating. Salads! Love all the fresh greens available. Especially baby kale. So delicate and healthy! And our strawberry plants are loaded with berries--now for some sunshine to turn them red! And I'm back on the green breakfast smoothie wagon too, this time with kale--it's awesome. Seth took one look at my mug 'o smoothie this week and made a face, gah, too healthy. Nope, it's really the perfect way to kick off the day, for me. (Well, with a coffee prequel and chaser, of course!)
For new takes on old favorites. Sometimes I get a little exasperated at how many times we collectively circle around ideas and themes (fairy tales retold and REtold, anyone?!), but if we're talking Shakespeare, I can always take a few more stabs at the same idea. I have long been a big fan of Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing, but here comes Joss Whedon and his spin. Looking forward to it, so very much.
For down to earth people. I am so grateful for real people. I know, you probably think, doh, of course, Sher, you live in rural Washington state. How much more real can it get? Ha. Setting is not always an accurate predictor of real vs. silly fake. Amazingly, even in Walla Walla, Wash., one can run into pretense, positioning, ridiculous politics, taking things too seriously or personally... Which makes me grateful for real. Salt of the earth, baby. Bring it.
At the end of every week, I am grateful for the pause. The rest. The ability to step away from the pull of the everyday and express thanks and praise to my Creator for this life, these people, these opportunities to live and give and serve. Blessings abound. Just gotta pause and take it all in.
I hope your weekend brings you all the fun you can handle, and a little rest to go along with it.
Good Monday morning to you! I hope your weekend was as marvelous as mine--I was a little sad when the "festival of Mom" ended last night...
It's commencement address season, and here's a take on one that is quite inspirational, to me. Janet shared it on Facebook over the weekend, and I can't help but share further:
This post crossed my path recently and included some well-known (to me) and lesser-known (again, to me) tips on getting your day off to a productive start. It reminded me of the times I've gone to bed in my workout gear, just to save time and BE motivated upon rising. It may be time to start that habit again...
But then, there's always this new study on the core sets of exertion needed to gain optimal results, and the idea is that if you do them all in succession, with intervals, you can get it done in seven minutes. Seven rather strenuous minutes, but still... What do you think? Would you give that a try? I might.
Husband and I both took major stabs at closet reorganization this weekend. It felt good! Put a few things in the Goodwill pile, boxed up a few things we don't want to part with but aren't up for everyday wearing anymore, and generally got things in order for summer.
I love that feeling, having everything hanging semi-neatly with like items, folded and stacked pieces in order as well, shoes too... We didn't consult any organizational gurus before diving in, but I did see a few pictures on Pinterest that got me really excited AFTER we were done! Oh well, you work with what you have, and some of these are a bit oooh-la-la. Dream closets, I believe they're called. We're more (much more) like the first picture than any of the others, though lacking in number of bins on the top shelf. I want more of those!
At first I thought, "Fabulous closet! Love the settee." But the more I look at this picture, the more I think it really is a showroom for clothing. (I think it's the multiples of one item that gives it away. But still, a lovely setting.)
Last tidbit for the day, something I need to remember, every day:
"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."
-J. Bridges
I hope your week is off to a great start! Seth and I have agreed to try out the seven-minute workout tonight... wish us luck!
Mother's Day. A day filled with emotion, no matter which way the day cuts for you, personally. I know a few who would prefer to see this day slip by without mention, akin to single folk on Valentine's. Too much loss, too many memories and many of them not good. For others, it's a festival of love and appreciation, for both the generation above and below: Moms rock!
To all my friends, loved ones and readers who are missing a mother or feeling empty-nestish today: I'm sorry. I hope your memories of your mother give you a smile, even in the missing. And I hope your kids call or visit, too. To all my friends, loved ones and readers for whom motherhood is a role carved out in non-traditional ways: Bless you. The world is better for your mothering skills, put to use in creative and thoughtful ways.
And to those of you with a brood of loving, noisy, annoying and energetic children around, and all you want is just a half-hour of peace and quiet (or maybe even just to get to go to the toilet alone): Enjoy your day! Peace and quiet will come later--like, midnight!?--or when the last one leaves for college!
I count myself blessed to know so many wonderful mothers, and to have my own still healthy and present, as well. I am confident she'll forgive me for posting the picture above (circa 1987) of us in our matching dresses. I am also thankful to my mother-in-law for giving husband many of his great husbanding skills. Mothering isn't easy, but it sure is worthwhile work. I have blogged about Mother's Day in the past, and find, as I reread the post, even years later, I can't say it any better. I adore the boy I am blessed to call son, and I learn so much, every day, from being his mother.
In wanting to add to the Mother's Day mix this year, of course, I thought it appropriate to share this video from Google, showing the sweeter side of motherhood.
As well, this SNL video about moms on Facebook also made me smile. Seth watched that over my shoulder this morning, and had a little laugh.
And this rundown of mom texting fails is pretty good too; though, it's missing the well-known texting moment where mom tells her kid that his uncle has died, LOL. Kid texts back: Do you know what LOL means? Mom: Yes, lots of love. That one always makes me smile, no matter how many times I see it.
On my list of wishes for Mother's Day? A hug, a little time together, some conversation while we putter around doing bits of yardwork, and another hug. Can't ever get too many hugs.
Looking forward to my wishes coming true today, hope yours do too!
This quote.
I said: what about my eyes?
God said: Keep them on the road.
I said: what about my passion?
God said: Keep it burning.
I said: what about my heart?
God said: Tell me what you hold inside it?
I said: pain and sorrow?
He said: ..stay with it. The wound is the place where the Light enters you. -Rumi
I wake up
...on mornings when I arise with the sun, knowing that no matter what the day before held (and possibly even the night, if sleep was scant), all will be well.
I wake up
...in moments of clarity on a weighty matter on my mind; I breathe an audible sigh, knowing things will work out as they're meant to.
I wake up
...when I read words that resonate with me; words that remind me to stay true to what I believe and know to be right.
I wake up
...when I acknowledge the grief and loneliness that is inherent in being human on this planet, but also acknowledge the love and compassion that also exist.
I wake up
...when I remind myself of the blessings of love.
I woke up
...at a pivotal life change that I didn't/couldn't control (divorce). It busted me out of ruts and habits and patterns, and turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.
It wasn't until some time after that pivotal life change that I was able to see the difference, the before and after--how it peeled back all of my layers. I felt exposed, raw, and very awake. Even though it was downright uncomfortable, many times, I was able to see a lot of possibilities about my life that I hadn't considered in a long time, maybe ever. I remember describing the state as "wakefulness" to a couple of girlfriends at that time, and since; some get it, others look at me a bit askance.
A little later on down the path, past the actual crisis and flux, I reflected on how easy it would be to get comfortable, to snooze a little, and become complacent. I resolved not to nap, not to fall back into a sleepy existence.
The notion of never "life napping" has proved (and will continue to prove, I think) challenging. There's nothing this world appears to want more than to lull us into complacency. And it is very easy to be lulled--by whatever it is that creates a false sense of self for any of us... that can range from the shallow, shiny bling-bling of life, to real and significant distractions--work, accomplishments, the ridiculous notion that any of us are what we DO all day. I can't speak more thoroughly and thoughtfully to the commitment to staying awake than Pema; she never fails to inspire.
So, I wake up!
I wake up
...and reflect on the glorious notion that I have one more day to live and breathe and love and cry and laugh and work hard and feel keenly.
I wake up
...and count myself fortunate, as well as beholden to good fortune, in paying back and paying forward, remembering my responsibilities as a citizen of my community and the world.
I wake up
...joyful in faith, confident in love, and prayerful for peace.
I wake up
...and count myself so thankful to live, woken up.
What's this A-Z business about? Check out my kick-off post. And stay tuned for the random joy and nonsense I concoct during the month of April!
Salty or sweet? is a question that gets asked a bit around here--even of myself in a rhetorical (not in a scary-talking-to-myself) way.
Generally, I like to tune in to what I'm "in the mood" to eat. I know, a lot of people don't march to that drum--they eat what's in the fridge, what's easy, what the majority of people in the house vote for. My style is different (more whimsical), and I'm OK with that. If it means I make more than one thing for dinner, I'm also OK with that. (Calm down, moms who have to cook for six or seven. In our house that number rarely gets over two--something for the guys, something for me.)
Often when I'm tracking "food moods," I find myself on the salty/savory side of the menu. In fact, as I've noted to myself, even here on the blog, my sweet tooth has diminished over the years, sometimes disappearing for weeks or months on end. Of course, it always seems to return, even if my stamina for really sweet things is quite low. I may indulge (waaaaaay too many jelly beans at Easter being a recent example), but it doesn't sit well with me, and I definitely stop much sooner than years back.
The combination of salty and sweet? That's just the bomb. It's a combo that's gone rather mainstream the past few years, with sea salt on everything from chocolate to caramel to cookies and fudge. I remember the first time I really tucked into the idea of salty and sweet: I put salty peanuts on Frosted Flakes, and thought I'd found nirvana. Not raised with a lot of sugar cereals around, maybe the cereal was too sweet on its own--I don't remember the details--but somehow a packet of roasted, salted peanuts ended up on top of my cereal and milk. I was in high school at the time of this revelation--away from home at boarding school, to put a finer point on it--so there weren't any voices of moderation around and I proceeded to eat this combination every weekend for two years. Bliss.
Fast forward a couple of decades (and then some), and my love for salt and sweet together still exists. A few examples include, but are not limited to:
*My current obsession with kale and brussels sprouts salad, with dried cranberries, or pears, or grapefruit, or strawberries...
*Any cheese and fruit combination.
*The Perfect Bite at Thanksgiving, which includes a little turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
*Salted watermelon or papaya.
*Anything peanut butter and chocolate.
*Cucumber salad with a tangy sweet vinaigrette.
*Mango salsa with tortilla chips.
*French onion soup with Gruyere and toasted croutons.
Well, I have now succeeded in making myself quite hungry. I hope I have done the same for you!
If you've got 20 minutes and you care about salty and sweet as much as I do, Alton Brown is always worth a watch:
As well, TLC has a quick clip on tastebuds and further info on salty/sweet preferences that I found pretty interesting.
And there's always this short quiz. (I'm salty, in case you hadn't guessed.)
Which are you: salty or sweet?
And completely unrelated (or is it?), there's this:
What's this A-Z business about? Check out my kick-off post. And stay tuned for the random joy and nonsense I concoct during the month of April!
Posts
