When the Spirit moves

Daily Gratitude

• Rest and rejuvenation. Oh, how beautiful a good night's sleep is! I've had a string of restless nights and this morning I woke feeling ready for the work I must face: packing and hauling boxes. 
• Grateful for the generous help of loved ones. Yay! Moving is made fun when people you love are lending a hand! 
• Coffee, I love you. Yes, I tell you this often. But, please know I never take you for granted. 

Moved by the Spirit

As I am packing away most of my possessions and putting them in storage, I find myself distracted by things I haven't seen for a while. This morning I found these paintings. I was going through a beautiful spiritual metamorphosis and attempted to put some of this change on paper. I'm not an artist, so this was a new thing for me. When I found these today, it reminded me how beautiful this time was and it reignited the Spirit within.

Out of the Darkness Came Light

When the Spirit Moves

Cracked Pots 

Readying the Harvest

Gift of Life 

Shiny, happy girl

Daily Gratitude

• Over the past few months several of my long-term dreams have started forming in reality. Graduate school. Moving from my home to a new place. A couple of new jobs. And, more... I am thrilled. I am blessed. I am Shiny and Happy! 
• The snow has started to make its way to my lake community. It's cold and wet. Yet, I like it. This change in seasons is why I love living here. Welcome, Winter! 
• Loved ones continue to bless me. How can I say to each of you how much my life is colored by your generous gestures. 

I'm feeling shiny. I'm feeling happy! 

Though skies are dark and stormy, my heart is bright with joy! I am bursting with light and I'm going to let it burn full power. Look out, it's brilliant in here!

Cars and summer fun

Daily Gratitude

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

• The quiet coolness of morning. While walking Eddie, I loved the coolness of the early day. I felt the heat coming. It's going to be gloriously warm.
• Bright, glowing clouds. I looked up to a brilliant blue sky that held a few clouds. They were ablaze, as if they had their bellies full of sunshine.
• Coffee with friends. Amy, my dear friend, and I are catching up today over a cup of coffee at Forza. Doesn't get much better then this!

Cars and summer fun

Shiny hoods, sparkling headlights, brilliant ornaments. Yes, this is what "Show & Shine" is all about. It was my first time to enjoy All Wheels Weekend in little Dayton, Washington. I joined several thousand happy car buffs to admired the line-up of beautiful cars and trucks on Main Street. 

Here are a few pictures from the line-up

Old Glory blesses the weekend

Old cars of all kinds

Main Street filled with happy people

What a great way to start the summer...cars, happy people, sunshine. I'm going to put All Wheels Weekend on the calendar for June 2014 for sure!

Waiting in line

Daily Gratitude

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

• Generosity. Last week I started a "thank you" jar. On small slips of paper, I am noting unexpected gifts and gestures of kindness. It's amazing how many notes are already in the jar. 
• Safe travels. Last night I returned home from a lovely weekend with my sister, who lives about 150 miles from me. As I pulled into my garage, I was struck by how often I travel and take for granted my accident-free trips. Thank God for His protection and blessing!
• The quiet of the morning. I love the early hours of the day. I especially love Monday mornings. 

What do you do when you wait in line?

Brazen headlines of titillating gossip plaster the rag mags line the cashier’s lane. The captions insist on being noticed as I inch my shopping cart forward. One particularly eye-catching header gets my attention, “Farrah Abraham propositions an intrigued Charlie Sheen, shows off boob job.”

“Is there any other time in my life,’ I shake my head as I ask myself, “that I willingly endure craziness such as this?” Then there’s this tidbit, “The Fast Diet lets people eat whatever they want, but only five days a week.” Sounds great, but isn’t there a saying that says if it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is? And, I’m so glad to know this, “An eyeball licking trend in Japan is spreading pinkeye; teachers unearthed the trend at school.” Seriously, who reads this stuff?

The words on the tabloid covers are large and colorful. “Gosh,” I think, “I’d never buy this junk.” Yet, I’ve pulled a copy of People Magazine from the rack. As I guiltily leaf through the glossy pages, I am treated to images of plastic surgery disasters, enhanced cleavage, dimpled bottoms, gala gowns, hang-over tips, and the lasted gossip about Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux.

Every few minutes I push my cart forward. I’m no longer anxious about the wait. My mind is lulled by stories of beautiful people and the lives they lead. The magazine has pulled me in to a kind of zone especially created for those waiting in line. Soon the screaming kid and the yelling mom fade from my awareness. Even the woman ahead of me who has a mountain of return items doesn’t faze me.

I feel woozy and a bit dazed when my cart finally reaches the conveyor belt. It’s as if I’ve overdosed on sucrose. Snapping the magazine shut, I quickly return it to its place. Now that the waiting is over it’s time to return to reality, time to be clear-headed, time to be practical.

I think to myself, “My next visit to Megamart, I’m going to pick a longer line.”

You make me laugh!

Daily Gratitude

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

• Text messages from my son. He's far away at college. Getting calls and pictures of his day-to-day world make me happy. I love you, Morgan!
• Rain that washes away the pollen. Goodness, for the last couple of days the air has been hazy with yellow pollen. Great, down-pouring rain storms have almost knocked out the pesky stuff. Whew...
• Prayers from loved ones for my sweet girl. Tomorrow is a big day for her, as she's undergoing surgery. I'm so grateful that God uses doctors and surgeons to do His healing work. 

I needed a bit of laughter today, so I spent it with people who made me laugh...

"Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing. My soul probably looks like Fred Astaire." ~Jarod Kintz

"If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man, don't bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he's a good man." ~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour." ~Charles Dickens

What a lovely day I had! 

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!

My precious daughter

Daily Gratitude

Today I'm shining because I'm thankful for my Sarah girl:

• My daughter has imprinted me with indelible ink. She makes my heart sing a song that is only hers. And, like her sweet baby smell, it is especially assigned to her. 
• Like a photo negative, she and I are the same picture with different light. Where she shines, I sit in awe and wonder at her unique gifts. 
• As is with most mothers and daughters, we are complicated, convoluted, and changing. Through the years our relationship has taken on unanticipated hues and depths. All making for a rich tapestry that both of us can proudly claim as uniquely ours. 

"Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world. No matter what happens. I need you to remember that I love you." ~Laini Taylor

Image credit: Sarah Hepler