Inspired by Charm

Daily Gratitude

Today I'm shining because I'm thankful for:

• The tinkling of my wind chimes. I have several on my deck that ring differently  One is made of circular cut shells of lovely shade of light green colored. It picks up the light breezes. There is a rusted Mexican chime that has little bells of varying sizes that clinks when heavier winds come through. And my favorite, is a throaty brass chime that sings a rich tone in all winds. I love the comfort of their notes. 
• Lemon water. Right? It's so fresh and clean! 
• Scentsy stuff. I have one of those warmers that you put a nub of scented wax on to make the room smell good. I've tried different ones and found that I love the really creative smell combos from Scentsy. Right now I have a coconut lime verbena going that's just heavenly.

Inspiring Blog

Inspired by Charm - Just stumbled on this lovely blog by a young man named Michael. He owns a bed and breakfast in Pennsylvania, he loves decorating, and shares great recipes. The way I found him was through Pinterest (of course!). Always on the prowl for inspiring quotes, I found this one that features Zooey Deschanel...

I love the quote, love the format. Hmmmm, what's this Inspired by Charm, I wondered? I went to Michael's webpage and found several more he had created. Aren't these wonderful?

All creative and inspiring people, sharing a life of gratitude and positive energy. I love it! 

Well, I'm most definitely Inspired by Charm and have subscribed to Michael's blog. I appreciate the joy in his posts. Thinking you might like it, too!

Winds in the forecast

Daily Gratitude

I'm shining today because I'm grateful for:

• Sally Cat snuggled on my lap, head resting on my forearm as I work. Sweet kitty, her demands for affection are easily granted.
• Powers to be creative, God's amazing gift to us. I love that about Him - sharing the inspiration, frustration, and satisfaction of the process.
• Promises yet to be fulfilled. It's a challenge to be peaceful in the waiting. But, I'm so excited about them, that I'm deciding to be thankful, rather than impatient. 

The wind in the trees making beautiful music

Wind Gusts Up to 40 Miles Per Hour Anticipated

The weather forecast wasn't much of a surprise. The wind has been blowing all night. Pine needles blanket the forest floor and roadways. I used to hate wind. It messed with my hair and blew stuff around that would need to be returned to order. Things got dusty and it was just uncomfortable. 

Today I realized that I've changed my mind about wind.

As is our routine first thing in the morning, my dog Eddie and I took a potty walk down the road. (Know that this potty walk is prior to being caffeinated, so often I'm anxious to get it done quickly) Eddie was particularly rascally, chasing leaves and being overall rambunctious. Geez, Ed! 

Then, it struck me that the air was full of excitement.

Music was in the trees. The giant pines that surround the lake commanded attention. The symphonic waves of sound coming from their massive branches rose and fell. Large maples and oaks joined in with feeling. In the lulls, clusters of poplar and aspen whispered high, light notes. Here and there, accents of wind chimes from decks tinkled brightly. And, if I listened closely, I could hear the underlying rhythm of the lake pounding the shore. It was magical.

Wind has always been symbolic of change. I can say without exaggeration that there's certainly been windy times in my life, times when I've viewed the forces as destructive and chaotic. Wave upon wave of distress, discord, and disappointment. Times when I've been knocked around and knocked about. It was messy, it was confusing. Of course I hated it. 

Yet, when I look back, I find that these times, these winds, changed me in ways that made for something better. Blown away are relationships, situations, that no longer serve me. In rushed the fresh currents of the hopeful and helpful. I think if I'd tapped into the magical, transformative powers of change I may have heard the wind-music. 

So, I say, bring it on. I've changed my mind about wind.