Thankful

Hurricane Sandy.

The weathermen called it the perfect storm.

Looks to me to be a complete disaster.

Today I intended to post a few pictures of pretty fall leaves.

After the storm, it seemed so trivial. I was feeling guilty.

Then I realized it's not trivial.

It's my life.

Instead of feeling guilty, I choose to feel thankful.

Thankful for the beauty around me.

Thankful my family is safe.

Thankful I have a warm, dry house.

Thankful for clean water.

Thankful for the everyday things we so often take for granted.

I am thankful for humanity's ability to care for one another.

If you're looking for a way to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy, the American Red Cross has a big banner across their home page asking for donations.

My heart goes out to those affected by the storm.

I pray there are no more lives lost.

I pray the healing will begin immediately.

Dry

DRY

Dry

dry

It is so blessed dry!

I have lived in the midwest for most of my life

and have never witnessed this kind of dry.

It feels scary to me.

It is not life sustaining.

Trees are dying.

Critters are lacking.

Fires are starting.

My pen well seems to have dried up with the weather.

I have not been blogging.

I have not been creating.

I have not been doing much of anything.
I fear I have been withering with the leaves.

Dry

It's dry.

Too dry to blink an eye.

Remember the poem "rain rain go away, come again another day".

Let today be that day!

Baby it's cold outside!

day 2

Spring Break Day 2

Aha!

This is why people plan trips

to sunny CA for spring break.

Drat.

Better run.

I hear a lottery ticket calling my name!

 

(Disclaimer: Fair weather friends... do not read past this point! It may cause confusion & frustration!)

Truly?

I love the rain.

It's what makes my state so blessed beautiful.

Hubby and I are annoying like that.

We love driving in it, watching it, even camping in it.

Water. Life source.

Today, I will use this grey and rainy day to do some spring cleaning.

The sound of the rain on the roof is soothing and reminds me that it's a good day show

my shelter some appreciation.

(The weather's been a mixed bag so I thought I would reflect the same with a mixed bag post!)

Monday

Here we go.

You and me, Monday.

We really need to have a talk.

What's with the grey skies and freezing rain...

...again!!!

Are you unaware of the length of my 'to-do' list?

What if we cut a deal?

I will do my best to be the sunshine today

if you will simply be gentle with me.

Capisce?

Deal.

Happy Sunny Monday To All My Fellow Bloggers!!!

If you don't have sunshine in your area

I challenge you to be the sunshine today!

Double Dog DARE!

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

What's on your 'to-do' list today? I have already knocked off a few items! Perhaps I will count this blog post as my "me" time and mark off a third! Perspective Baby.

Patiently Waiting

covers of white

hibernation

patiently waiting

sun warms

snow melts

peeking

stretches of green

reaching

blooms burst

spring has sprung

~ • ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~ 

 

The first year we moved into our home I planted crocus bulbs below the bay window.

One can never tell when spring has truly sprung

unless one listens to Mother Nature.

She is the surest sign. 

The crocus is my little announcer.

Never failing to shout out the first signs of spring

and always doing so with such splendor of voice.

I have not witnessed the beauty of this year's blossoms

as of yet... but soon.

Very soon.

 

For now I will allow the crocus to lead

and I will act as he

and be patient,

for all good things

are worth waiting for.

Playing

Hi all.

I hope I was not misleading with my lettuce flower picture from my previous post. Nope. I don't live somewhere dreamy and warm. That picture was taken during the summer. My back yard currently looks like this!

The past few days have seen quite a bit of downtime. Mother Nature has dished out a small snowstorm and a couple of viruses have chosen our house to host their latest party. With the weather outside being frightful, I've been spending a few stolen moments doing something delightful!

I have been rediscovering photoshop thanks to Kim Klassen and her awesome Skinny-Mini course. She offers several other great Photoshop courses as well and is a wonderful teacher! She also offers textures and tutorials. You really must check her out.

Here's an example of what I have been up to.

The picture from last post...

The picture with textures added and played with. I also added a quote from John's E-book My Eternal Journey which you can find more information about at the bottom of his blog page.

 How cool is that?!?!?!!!!!

See You Aug. 4th!

Yay!

A Vaycay!

Heading out to the rockies today.

Good ol' sunshine state!

Ironic as WI is giving us quite the Bon Voyage!

Flash flooding and tornadoes wreaked havoc on us last night!

The lightning was a show worth paying for.

Kind of hard to pack when your butt

keeps getting thrown in the basement

by the weather dude!

Oh how we needed the rain!

Took a few pics this morning.

Lots of rain.

Lots.

Love to all while I'm gone. 

See you in a few weeks!

yup. that's with the cover on. amount in 12 hours. yikes!

rain kerplunkin' in the bird bath :)

Gratitude Attitude - Days 20 & 21

(28 days to an attitude of gratitude - learn more here)

Here I am a mere three days away from my goal of 28 days of gratitude. It is interesting how the universe has provided me with continual reminders of my journey. I have been running across gratitude postings among some of my favorite blogs and my awesome mama friends on Cafemom have been posting their gratitude's as well. I guess it only seems fitting that I will be finishing my month of habit forming gratitude attitude creating right before Thanksgiving. The Powers That Be must have planned that one. I'm much too busy to have thought my plan through so thoroughly!

Yesterday was a very busy day and my body was retaliating from all the work I put it through. I gave myself the evening off to relax for a bit and fear the relaxation worked a wee too well as I fell asleep before having a chance to post! I am grateful for the relaxation and for the fact that I have come very far in my "growth as a human being" process and can easily forgive myself. ;) Positive self-talk is a very good thing.

Today was spent running errands (grateful for all I achieved), talking with friends and neighbors (grateful for the presence of every one of them in my life), and walking a wooded path with my family (eternally grateful for my little clan). The weather has been beautiful (grateful for that) and my mood has been matching (everyone is grateful for that!)

Gratitude Attitude - Day 8

(28 days to an attitude of gratitude - learn more here)

It is 9:30 a.m. and I am already very grateful today. I am grateful I was able to sleep in!!! I am grateful for the sunshine and warm weather forecast for the day as it allows my 14 year old solar powered cat (Hi Farley!!!) to charge up for the day ;)

The presence of the sun and warm temps will also allow me to finish up preparing my home and yard for the cold mid-west winter to come.

Thank you Mother Nature for the gift of this beautiful day!! I will use it wisely.