Peace is Every Step

Reading Thich Nhat Hanh and loving these bits from him right now:

breathing in, i calm my body

breathing out, i smile

a simple breath mantra that is so effective - try it - you instantly become aware of now and you really notice the relaxation of your face and body - so good

i love this idea:

Look into your Hand

"whenever you miss me, look into your hand, and you will see me"

a mothers words to her son - but he goes on to say that when he looks he sees all the generations, that he exists in the network of interdependent relations, in the tree branches of time - every pebble, leaf and butterfly are present in his hand.

Just a few wonders from this powerful book Peace is Every Step - enjoy your day.

Art!

i've been peeping at these blogs to see what is going on and boy do i like what i see - misty is teaching a class at artfest that i'll be in and  i'm super psyched to see her in action. she has been doing journal pages and themes for everyday this month - way too ambitious for me so i've jumped into the 52Q challenge over here at Em's and now just have to learn how to scan in my tags to share here - it's on my to-do list this weekend.  i'm working on some atc's so i can take part in the swap that she is putting on for artfesters and i'm still dreaming of doing some more work on my mandala which is hanging but needs more love put into it.  so many projects and the weekend coming to work on them - so cool.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Jelly

Remember that song from the old days at camp - Peanut Butter and jelly...and jelly.  that's the only part I can remember.  so i went to youtube and came up with this

which is funny but not the old girl scout camp verison - anyway you can see what is on my mind this morning.  i'm off for coffee and pb&j toast - right now!

Passionate Kisses

Is is too much to ask for it all? True deep passionate love, thriving children, loving and healthy family, successful career, cozy home, plenty of food, close friends, time for spiritual and creative pursuits, the last is my missing link - Oprah would say i don't love myself enough. i need to put me on the priority list. The key is in the balance and i need some more free alone time. it is getting harder to come by so i guess i need to make it happen. Tonight we are going here to see the latest show - it is always entertaining - they do amazing sets on this small stage and the productions are first class.

i leave you with a little lucinda this morning:

Yes we Can

Who else wept? i sure did - watching our 44th President take on the challenges of this nation of ours. What a guy!  and seeing the crowd together in their joy and tears - i was overwhelmed by the magic and hope of it all.  when so many are joyful and looking toward a better future the dynamics will change to optimism and hope for the year ahead.

Practicing....

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger to a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." 

-Melody Beattie

Hi Ho Hi Ho

Off to work i go!  i'm wanting to do some artwork but the office comes first - maybe tonight! nic made it back to school after a grueling 25 hours of travel - yuck.  he called to say it is cold there - no kidding - here we are having another 80 degree sunny day!

I've been dreaming a lot about my grandfather - we were very close and i always looked up to him as a mentor.  i think that he comes to me in my dreams to help me answer some of these questions that float around in my brain and heart.  he was the perfect sounding board - he was never judgmental and so intelligent - he contributed and then left you to make your own decision.  i miss him so very much.

look at this wonder i stumbled upon - unfortunately i don't know who took this fabulous photo: