Common Miracles: Week 53

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron 

I have been mulling this one over for a bit (see Saturday's post), and it's become more obvious as the spring has progressed... our yard is my Common Miracle. Not just this week, but every week so far this spring, it seems.

I guess, more to the point, the real miracle is my attitude toward the yard, yardwork and all things weed/grass/dirt/plant related. I am loving it. All of it. Even the stuff I don't particularly enjoy, like mowing the weedy pasture space outside the yard proper, sneezing 65 times and displacing poor little groundhog babies; even that chore feels good.

But there really is so much good stuff, it makes the dirt mowing easy (easier) to deal with:

*Being outside, being warm and feeling the sun on my back? Loving it.

*Getting the pots full of annuals, and new perennials tucked into the beds. So much fun.

*Keeping the lawn edge tidy with that amazing edger husband got me last fall? Fabulous.

*Plotting juniper removal and planning replacement shrubs? Great! (Watching an incredible tractor contraption clomp down on a couple of boxwoods this afternoon and lift them fairly effortlessly out of the ground was icing on the cake.)

*Seeing the fish in the pond come nibbling for food? So pretty. And the birds at the feeder? Always a bright spark to my day.

*Watering newly planted seeds--whether green beans or sunflowers--and imagining 60 short days from now... blossoms and beans!

*Keeping an eye out for each new bloom, whether peony or rhododendron or pansy or hydrangea or... Lovely.

Yes, the weeds will come. The garden is already in need of a hoe or two, and I've applied heave-hoe to other beds as well... that will only escalate, and round about August I'm pretty sure I will not be feeling quite so miraculous about each and every aspect of the yard. But for now, I'll take it.

Common Miracles, Week 50

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”

–Pema Chodron 

h Common Miracles, I have missed you.

Well, you've still been around, but I have been a wee bit slack these past few weeks at noting your presence... but then, I took a peek at my iPhone, and there you were, in all your visual beauty.

Thank you for being so constant. My life is infinitely better because of you.

Alfresco weekend lunches with husband.

Blue skies through spot-free rinse at the car wash.

Pea shoots on the rise!

Family walks in the sunshine.

Fabulous grape hyacinth droplets.

Planning the flower pots for the season...

Late with the eggs, but just as fun!

First firepit of the season!

Bunnies as table decoration? Of course!

Boy is taller than mom. Wow.

Soothing sunsets to end the day. Peace.

To see how the Common Miracle project began, check out Chel's blog.

Common Miracles: Week #46

f you've clicked over to this blog itself, whether you came in via RSS or email subscription, you'll notice that it looks a little different...

Such a silly girl am I, I thought I'd change the blog banner last night to something un-resembling a Valentine's Day theme... not really a hearts gal, for all my Sweet Tea and Sunshine-ness...

And so it began.

You know that thing they tell you about backing up your blog (if you don't, take my word for it)? Well. I didn't. And so, POOF, much of the formatting I'd customized a couple of years back vanished... After a brief pause, and a realization that no, indeed, I did NOT back up, I regrouped. No worries, I'll just pick a new blog theme, and we'll have a fresh look. Yep, that's what I did. And in the process, I found some really cool, fun templates, but they didn't meet my "needs," exactly... Hours later, I was texting Jen in the middle of the night for guidance and thinking of course that I HAVE to stay up until it's beautiful again.

What's the Common Miracle here? None, that I can see. This is a truly "first-world" problem, if ever there was one. I am happy to be back up and running, in a mostly clean and attractive format, and I will play and tweak and maybe even work on something Even Better over spring break... I just wanted to share how this new look came about.

But my common miracles for today include:
* Blue skies after the rain... and a sunset to top it off beautifully.
* That fabulous scarf, which continues to ward off bad days.

* Great citrus... makes me happy in a glass or in a salad or just straight out of the peel.
* A few minutes of watching Seth play doubles tennis this evening, in the sunshine.
* Laughing with coworkers... problem-solving with coworkers. (A coworker helped me solve one of my blog issues, many many thanks!)
* Sending packages off into the international postal stream (it will be a miracle if this one arrives at its intended destination, for sure. This is the THIRD attempt; don't ask.)
* My first good strawberries of the season. Can't wait until I can put "local" in that sentence too...
* Gray fingernail polish. (Trust me.)
* My favorite salad (or, one of them--I have a lot of favorite salads!) available at a drive-thru lunch spot: greens and roasted pears and blue cheese and candied cashews and champagne vinaigrette. Perfect mid-day revival.
* Quiet. Absolute, peaceful stillness. Having less of that these days, I cherish it more.

Not a very original list today... but those were my pause-and-enjoy-it moments. My cherish-it-because-things-can-change-in-an-instant moments. My... OK, I'll stop with the over-hyphenation. You get my drift.

I hope you had some savoring moments today too.

To see how the Common Miracles project began, go here.

Common Miracles: Week #43

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” 

–Pema Chodron 

hat a horrible thing it would be if I had a complaint today, truly. Yesterday was SO beautiful, SO lovely and sunshine-y, SO warm, that I am planning on floating through the rest of the week on blue skies, no matter what the REAL skies look like (um, stormy, gray and oddly back-to-winter-ish today, of course). The fact that the sunshine came around on a weekend when we got to enjoy it to the fullest? Bonus.

My Common Miracles for today are memories from the weekend, bliss that it was:

I think that was actually Thursday night, driving home with Seth from his tennis practice... no matter how horrible the weather on any given day, there's a window right before sundown that can be amazing.

Delicious jam from a friend. Blood orange flavor to die for, really. Thanks, Ginger.

Coffee makes my world go 'round.

I might not have quite picked them from the yard, but they brighten our days anyway!

Is that the yellowest-looking breakfast plate ever? Joyous weekend omelette!

One day soon the flowers from outside will be blooming too!

These pictures (except for the first one) were shot using my Hipstamatic app. I keep saying I'm going to switch over to Instagram, really... I will. But just in case you were wondering about the cast to the photos... 

Happy week, everyone! Any miracles in your world today? 

(Hint: If you can read this, then yes, that's one miracle right there--eyesight, not necessarily the fact that you can read, but OK, if you want to count that then there are TWO miracles and you've barely even started. You are well on your way to a full-blown Common Miracles moment!)

Common Miracles: Week #42

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

t's been a while since I've participated in the Common Miracles project, and if I wait for actual time on my hands to jump back in, it won't happen. Too much, on too many plates. And they're all spinning, madly. (But happily.)

This video may be overstating it (you think?), but boy did I laugh heartily when I was thinking of illustrating plates, spinning, juggling things:



Meanwhile, what's going on in my miraculous world? Here's what I noticed today:

* Smiles. You know how "they" always say smiles make a difference? True story, that. One of those things where legend and reality meet up.

* Boots and tights. Wonderful for cold mornings. Especially cold, sorta-snowy mornings!

 * Our dear dog. So after he learns how to text, I want to teach Chief how to make my morning coffee. Seems doable, don't you think? He watched me making my latte this morning with such rapt attention and intelligence, I have to believe he could get the hang of it. (Kind of like those Geico guinea pigs rowing, right?)

* Dreams. I have been having some whackadoodle dreams lately. Co-workers, dogs (duh), my dad circa 1978 (no beard though), therapy circles in the grass, and a child I once thought was really sweet, apparently not so much! Basically my subconscious, once removed. Hilarious and kinda makes my day/night. Knock on wood there isn't a crossing over into nightmare-land...

* Robins. Saw a robin with a bright red breast in the snow this morning. The contrast was stunning. Obviously the groundhog forgot to copy the robins in on the six-more-weeks-of-winter memo! I got it, I just didn't believe it.

* Spontaneous singing. Must say, I have the best kid. Bursting into Am I a Man, or Am I a Muppet? in the kitchen and having your son join in? Bonus.

* Cheese. I was talking with husband this weekend about food cravings--of which he has very few. How is that possible? Me, on the other hand? I have them quite frequently, and they almost always involve cheese, in some variety or form. Am I predictable or what?!

* Family read/prayer time in the morning. It's quick and we're often hurried, but it is one of my very favorite parts of my morning... my day, too. I am blessed, we are blessed, and stopping for just a minute and remembering that, saying thanks for this family I am so thankful for? Bonus.

* Husband's key in the lock, home after an evening meeting. Love that sound.

* Music that makes my heart happy. Case in point today:



There. A snapshot of my common miracles, on this day (just like any other day), in this week (just like any other week), in this month (just any other month).

Except it's not. It was today. And there will never be another one just like it. I'm glad I got to live it. And I'm glad you did too.

To learn more about the Common Miracles project, go here.

What miraculous happenings took place in your world today?

Common Miracle project

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron 

My Common Miracles for today:

A note (and a very thoughtful package) in the mail from a dear, missed friend: "In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices." -Elizabeth Gilbert

Thank you, Shauna. This one's going in the keeper folder.

And this image: 

This little fountain is in our bird feeding area, just off the house entrance, and it hasn't gurgled since before Christmas. With the snow and now the melting, all of a sudden, it just started doing its thing this morning. 'Twas the strangest spring-like moment, in the midst of snow, still.

Those two moments sang to me today, as I slushed and slid around in the melting ice/snow. 

To see how the Common Miracle project began, go here.

Common Miracles: Week #36

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

ew things bring out my contented side quite as much as my rituals. (I know, what a knob.) But truly, morning and evening, the routines of my day bring quite a bit of joy.

The one thing that can drag me out of my bed at 0-dark-30 is the ability to stumble into the kitchen and give myself up to the putter and shuffle. Half autopilot, half Wallace-and-Gromit breakfast machine, there are times when I think the oats and egg muffins and all the additional bits and pieces could almost make themselves. But then I would miss out, and it's one of my very favorite parts of the day.

Flipping the switch on the espresso machine, starting the water for the oats and the green tea (husband's answer to a hot drink, as he's not so into coffee), getting out the blueberries and oat bran and chia seeds... yes it's quite the little healthful blend, but that's not the point. Each has its place in the overall whole, and together they serve as the ideal entrance to my day. Whether it starts at 5 a.m., or 5:30 or 6 (or 6:30 as it was today; I know shockingly late, but it WAS a holiday, cut me some slack), all the little bowls and espresso containers and spoons and such line up and get ready for their task.

At the other end of the day it's a bit more relaxed. How clean do I leave my kitchen before heading to bed? Well, that would depend on the day and who you ask! But the last putter about the house is generally mine--dogs attended to, doors locked, lights out, heat down--enjoying the peace of the house. (Can I just say here that I still miss the Christmas tree lights. There is nothing like looking at a lit tree in a dark, quiet house. I could be persuaded to leave it up a lot longer...)

Part of me feels like a dweeb, admitting this behavioral tendency (there's probably something in the DSM-IV that applies...). But obviously I've gotten past that thought, and just today found myself reflecting on how much it suits me. It is peaceful and common and entirely miraculous.

Do you have any rituals that make you especially happy, or is it just me?!

To see how the Common Miracle project began, go here.

Common Miracles: Week #35

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

veryday good fortune. I love that concept, of rejoicing in everyday good fortune. When I reflect on the run-of-the-mill definition of rejoicing, it's a word most associated with the big news, the fun stuff, a wonderful announcement or life change--weddings, babies, new jobs, a celebration, clean bill of health, something momentous.

But think about rejoicing in the every. day. moments. To bring that level (REJOICE!) of enthusiasm to the mundane really only takes a shift in perspective.

I put on my clothes, brushed my teeth, made my breakfast, etc., this morning. Rejoice, my body works, and pretty well. Think about relearning skills after an accident or stroke, or surgery...

I have food in the cupboards and fridge to eat, make, savor. Rejoice, that's not universally the case.

There are puppies who greet me with wagging tails. Rejoice, so many families have lost dear pets recently, or have had to give them up due to economic hardship. The shelters are full, people. Go get a pet!

I am told quite frequently that I am loved. Rejoice, indeed!

I saw the sky today; in fact, the sunrise was pretty! It wasn't sunny for very long, and, in fact, the gray and cold were both not very welcome. But I saw and I felt. Rejoice!

I read almost constantly, and I love it. Devouring information is one of my all-time favorite things. I can read! I know, that sounds pretty silly for me to make a big deal out of, something we would mostly but, well, that's a piece of everyday good fortune. Rejoice! Imagine not being able to read.

I laughed today. My son does indeed make me smile, laugh, sometimes even snort. Not very ladylike, but I do enjoy a chuckle. I also laughed at myself more than once today, which is entirely too common. It's a little bit sad when someone is so much of their own comic relief... (Rejoice?)

My feet don't hurt as much as they used to (self-diagnosed plantar faciitis), thanks to some lacrosse balls I got that, if you stand on them and roll your feet around for a bit, help stretch out the muscles. Pretty fine, if I just remember to do that! (Of course, if I forget, my feet remind me.) Rejoice! Less pain.

I cried last night while I was watching Downton Abbey. (I know! What a flake. Good grief, Sher, get a life.) I think seeing the changes in all the characters and their life circumstances from the first season (pre-WWI) to full-on wartime in the second season, it just touched my heart. I rejoiced in people living with conviction--even when that conviction brought them pain and at the worst, might see their lives lost; was sad at lost love (though I haven't given up hope on them by any means!); and in general (obviously) got caught up in the drama... if you haven't succumbed to the thrall that is DA, you must!

So, what everyday thing are you rejoicing in today? What's your Common Miracle?

To see how the Common Miracle project started, go here.

Common Miracles Week #31: In list form

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” 

–Pema Chodron

haven't paused consistently for Common Miracles lately, but it does seem to me that of any season of the year, THIS should be the one where I feel and see Common Miracles all around me... and I doooooo (can you hear the hesitation in my "voice?"). The pausing really takes a little extra effort for me when I'm bouncing around between oven and stove and computer and tree and oven and stove and computer and tree. (Think Dug, from Up. "Squirrel!")

So to pause.

My list of Common Miracles includes (but is not limited) (just to cover myself, of course) to:
*The amazing ice that formed in the heavy fog on Friday. The beauty on each stem, fence post, tree branch, is amazing. Also amazing, the thought that this frozen wasteland will come to life again in the spring. That seems particularly miraculous right now.
*Lights in the darkness. I know I curse the darkness a lot, but boy do twinkle lights help. The tree, the stair bannister... I love the lights.
*The fireplace. I feel so blessed to have warmth at all, much less a fireplace. I love sitting by it, and the tree, and just being cozy... Seth and I tried each taking an end of the sofa while reading this weekend, but we found that our combined size now makes that less comfortable than in winters past. So apparently we'll need a second sofa! Ha.
*Laughter. Such a good thing.
*Tears. Also a good thing, in moderation.
*Holiday baking. Working on the moderation there...
*I take great joy in rugging up to go outside. Boots, coats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, you name it, I will layer upon layer to stay warm. I wore my funky green and chunky lumberjack-ish hat to drop off Seth and a buddy at the basketball game Saturday night... I think they were very glad I didn't come inside!
*GPS. Love being able to find my way around without having to use my apparently nonexistent sense of direction. Whomever invented GPS (the government? Ack.), I want to kiss you.
*Fondue. Well, OK, cheese in general. I had fondue with Jen in Portland on Friday, as well as a really great chicken schnitzle dish that had braised red cabbage, and it was divine. I know, who knew? I would not have thought that in my lifetime the words "braised red cabbage" and "divine" would show up in the same sentence. But they did, and it was. Yum. But back to fondue. It's been too long, girls. I'm feeling a fondue coming on...
*Shoulder rubs. I tweaked my back on Friday morning doing something pretty mudane. (Please, keep your snickering to a minimum.) Brushing. My. Teeth. Seriously. Quite the tweak, too. I got a few really good, gentle-ish shoulder rubs from husband over the weekend that went a long way toward fixing my tweak. Ahhh.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something--clean air to breathe? good well water to drink? an ample pantry? a roof over my head? all these and more--but for today, these are the ordinary things that make me smile, remind me that life is good, and we are all quite blessed.

To see how the Common Miracle project started, go here.

Common Miracles Week #29: Sunshine & quiet

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
– Pema Chodron

ov. 28th? Seriously? We came home to 63-degree weather yesterday afternoon, and while it was easy to believe the tales of high winds while we were away for Thanksgiving--areas in the yard where there had been bark were completely bare--it was also uncharacteristically warm. Heavenly warm. And, of course, undoubtedly soon to change.

But while it's here, I'll take it. The sun is shining, there's a tractor mowing in our field--a crazy sign of the nearing global warming apocalypse if ever there was one--and the dogs seem happy as clams. I'm a little worried they'll lose whatever winter fur they've built up, but I think the temps are supposed to dip later this week, to something in the 40s...

Sunshine streaming through windows never fails to lift my spirits and make me believe that anything is possible. I simply love it. I know that if I were to live where the sun shines (almost) 100% of the time I would probably take it for granted and stop being *so* in love with the sun, but since I live in the Pacific Northwest, that probably won't happen any time soon. What's the old saying about "without the bitter, the sweet isn't as sweet"? 'Tis true. Without the clouds, the sunshine wouldn't seem so bright. Without the rain, there wouldn't be rainbows... I could go on.

But, for today, I will just bask in the sunshine and be thankful for it's warming effect on not just my body, but all of me.

As for the quiet, I'm basking in that too. I (must have) said something snap-ish to my men last night (which of course I can't remember!), as husband turned to Seth and said, "Mom's ready for some quiet time, Seth. She'll be glad to get you off to school and me off to work tomorrow." My eyes widened a bit and of course I protested. And I'd still protest... but... I have gotten very used to my quiet. I wasn't always that way, but over the years of being more "at home" (and maybe a bit with age, as well) I've gotten a bit protective of my quiet. After a few days of high people interaction, being home and hearing only the sound of the dogs barking occasionally (well, this morning they are pretty excited about that tractor mowing...), and whatever snippet of music I might play, and other than that... just peaceful... that, to me, is completely restorative.

I found this quote last night in a devotional:

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes. -Etty Hillesum

This from a young lady writing from a Nazi concentration camp. Talk about inhabiting a warrior's world...

I hope your Monday is off to a great start, and that somewhere in your day is that rest between two deep breaths.

To learn how the Common Miracle project started, go here.

Common Miracles, Week 26: Autumn is my favorite (again)

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

I know! The autumn junkie is back for another round of wacko-fall-love. Look away now if this in any way annoys you.

What's common and ordinary, and inspires me today?
*The color of the sky up against the mountains, the shades of gray and blue and purple, dark and angry, but comforting.
*The colorful leaves, swirling in the wind.
*The doggies, running in the wind. 
*Butternut squash, especially with a little parmagiano and just the teensiest bit of cream.
*When someone sings the national anthem a capella and hits all the notes. Maybe some day I'll be able to hear that without tearing up. Today was not that day.
*Christmas decorations, still in their boxes, but a few feet closer to their December destination. I swear they are quivering in expectation. Really.
*Coffee with frothed milk. I had forgotten how yummy that is.
*Words that resonate:
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home. -Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation

I hope your Monday has been good, for a Monday, and that you see Common Miracles around you. (Because they are there, everywhere.)

To see how the Common Miracle project began, go here.

Common Miracles, Week #25: In love with the season

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”
–Pema Chodron

Fall continues to woo me... completely ordinary things surround me, but I am in love with them all. (Well, except for the dark. The dark I am less in love with...) The color variety, the crispness, the sweaters and boots, the fall flavors, the holiday anticipation, the pheasants strutting around the fields... it's all quite up my alley.

I am getting my iTunes all squared away again (things have been iffy in the computer world, but are definitely looking up!), and loving getting reacquainted with music I haven't seen/heard in months. Kinda cool, the memories associated with songs. I love that (mostly). Nothing (maybe other than some specific smells) can transport me so quickly to a time and place.

I read Mona Simpson's tribute to Steve Jobs yesterday in the NYTimes and had a quiet cry at my keyboard... a lovely piece, and oddly intimate. I didn't expect to be so moved by her words, by her telling of his last days and hours. 

The Beth Moore study I'm in right now isn't one of my favorites--it will be hard to top Fruit of the Spirit from last spring--but there are still nuggets in the mix... this morning was devoted to the Lord's Prayer, how to pray, etc., and that's my speed. I especially was internally nodding when she talked about praying without being results-oriented. I wasn't nodding because I know this and live this, but because I needed to be reminded of that fact. Pray to be in His will, not to have my will magically imposed on the world. Nuts. I mean, good reminder.

A warm mug of coffee is currently juicing me up to go mow/pick up leaves. Husband got me a wee espresso maker for my birthday--for a non-coffee-drinker, he does indulge my habits!--and I mastered the espresso this morning. Now on to the frothing of the milk... the little rituals of our mornings are quite soothing to me, especially on mornings such as this, where autopilot is really the only mode between 6 and 7 a.m. If I actually had to think? Not so good...

Words that pop up in multiple places around the same time always feel like tiny knock-knocks on my brain: Pay attention, Sher. I love that. I'm not talking about those silly urban memes like Lionel Ritchie's picture with the lyrics from "Hello" underneath it--which seems to come around every six months in a flurry like it was just discovered for the first time. No, I'm talking about seeing words, similar if not exactly the same, in very disparate places. Happens to me all the time. I dig it.

Two recent examples:

Kurt Vonnegut quote

Some times you need to see things multiple times (at least I do) to Get It. I'm trying to lean in more closely and listen, but some days my internal chat is turned up too high and things whiz by unnoticed... Working on it...

That's my list for this day. I feel utterly blessed to look out my window and see sunshine and colorful leaves. Now to go mow them up!

To read about the Common Miracle project and how it began, go here.

Common Miracles, Week 24

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”

– Pema Chodron

ast week was a no-show for me with the Common Miracles project. That bummed me a bit; being a person of routines and grooves (bet you hadn't noticed that), when a groove is gotten out of, it saddens me... but, when the internet's down, the internet's down, right?! What are you going to do? I know, post from my iPad, but I have yet to really feel the love with that process, so let's just say the internet was down, OK?

Meanwhile, this week I'm back, and ready to roll with Week 24.

And I'm feeling the list form... common miracles abound!

Sunshine. There was a promise of freezing, or at least frost, so Seth and I hauled in a bunch of late produce yesterday afternoon, in the sunshine. I got so warm, I couldn't believe it was October. We picked eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes (a lot of them green...), potatoes, cucumbers... I was a little surprised at what all we unearthed! (And sure enough, this morning the world was frosted. Quite prettily, but it was indeed the first morning I said COLD! It's COLD.)

Pretty yarn that is fun to crochet. I'm on a little variegated jag at the moment...

An owl that sits on our highest roof peak and welcomes us home in the twilight. I love seeing Owen!

Beautiful autumn colors. While we certainly don't live in the most colorful part of the country by any means, there are still a few yellows and oranges and reds to liven up the landscape.

Being in the middle. I never thought I would really say YEAH for middle age (it just sounds soooooo boring), but just yesterday I witnessed some chutzpah of youth (no, not Seth--at least not this instance!), and some silliness a bit older than myself as well (no, Ma, not YOU), and I thought--boy, I'm glad to be where I am.

Small projects that you can start and finish quickly. I don't mind longer projects to chunk away at, but every once in awhile, the instant gratification of a quick project just feels so good!

Words. You know, the difference between the writing that makes you say "yeah, that!" and the other, where you shake your head... I love words. And I especially like them when they get put together in sentences that resonate.

Audiobooks. I am in love with the audiobook. Listening and doing something else too, at once? Yes, please. Guess who downloaded Steve Jobs yesterday, hot off the presses? That would be me. And who just about (well, kinda did) fell asleep listening to Timothy Keller's King's Cross with Seth last night? Yep. Me.

Sleep itself is such a beautiful miracle. Husband and I were talking about how we (well, maybe mostly I) wish you could build up a sleep bank, so that a big weekend of sleeping could take one through a week of less-that-stellar sleep... just doesn't seem to work that way. You can catch up, but to get ahead on sleep? What a dream!

Having the Common Miracle concept in mind as I go through my week is really helpful in seeing what's going on around me through more grateful eyes. The pause-and-reflect mindset embues even the smallest things--leaves, the breeze, my son's smile--with a new appreciation.

To see how the Common Miracles project started, visit Chel's blog.

And have a great day! If you haven't voted for my birthday treat yet, please do! I haven't done an official polling, but I think something hazelnut-y is in the works...it's a bit of a split between crepe cake and the icebox cake, so weigh in!

Common Miracles, week #22: The ordinary stuff of life

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.”

-Pema Chodron

s I look around my world during this beautiful autumn, I see many ordinary things that qualify as common miracles:

*Leaves turning color. We don't have a lot of yellows and oranges, but quite a few reds... on fire!
*Pheasants scuttling around the front yard.
*Bunnies sitting and munching in the rain.
*Dahlias still blooming, happily.
*Flowers my husband brought home for me.
*Thanksgiving (Canadian) flowers my parents sent to us, so beautiful.
*Plum cobbler, yum. I could make a whole meal of it. (Well, I kind of just did.)
*Seth on his trumpet, making beautiful noise.
*The sound of rain on the shop roof (I could sleep out there!).
*Dark clouds against the mountains.
*Smell of turkey roasting (again with the Canadian Thanksgiving... we call it "warm-up Thanksgiving" around here).
*Pumpkins all piled up outside the grocery stores. 
*Fuzzy socks and warm sweaters.

In a way, I feel like fall snuck up on me. But in another way, it seems right on time. Loving every minute of these cooler days and wishing that somehow darkness didn't have to come along with it. There's certainly no common miracle in the dark! Ha.

I am indeed inspired by my everyday good fortune, and I hope you are feeling the same, whatever your Monday held!

To see how the Common Miracle project started, go here.

Common Miracles, Week 21: My little blue dot

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” 

–Pema Chodron

am aware (have been for a long time, actually) of my directionally challenged nature. If I don't pay close attention, I can end up on the opposite side of a city (Calgary, Alberta comes to mind), come up out of a subway and find myself in the Bronx instead of uptown NYC; I have frequently turned left when it was pretty obvious I should have turned right, and frustrated many a traveling companion. It can take me multiple times of driving (myself, not just being a traveling companion, that takes even longer) to a new, complicated destination, before I've got it down.

I was reminded of this just yesterday when navigating my way out of Seattle, and, finding myself on the flip side of I-5 than I intended, I pulled out the handy GPS on my iPhone. It was actually pretty hilarious how many times I rejiggered the "current location" to accommodate where I had ended up, as opposed to where I was supposed to be. It almost never failed that when the line said "go there" my little blue dot was going the opposite way. (The beauty of a 15-year-old traveling companion with his face in an iPad is that the frustration levels stay pretty low. Bonus.)

Why am I confessing this? Because it struck me that, as with road trips, so is life. How many times do I have to adjust, rejigger, adjust again and sometimes I've even had to turn around? It happens. BUT. At least I'm doing it. Moving. Changing direction as needed. There's nothing noble about picking a course and staying it, even when you know for sure your little blue dot is way lost. Yet, that happens all the time, doesn't it? Sadly, yes.

Before you think that I was wandering the hills of Seattle for hours, this whole thing was about 7 minutes long, before I got myself headed the right direction; I'm not sure Seth even noticed! But it was funny enough to me that I thought about it on the way home, reflecting how grateful I am for GPS technology (how much longer would it have taken me if I didn't have the blue dot feedback?). And I also thought about road maps--digital and otherwise--and decided that actually having a road map is a heck of a lot better than not having one!

(This quote applies to life, not actual driving road trips!)

When I think about where my blue dot is most days, it brings me a lot of joy.

The Common Miracles project started here. I really enjoy the prompt it provides me each week to think a little differently about things I might otherwise take for granted.