Friday, February 26, 2010

Heading south

I took a personality test this morning and this sentence was in the results:

Seeking to broaden her horizons and believes her hopes and dreams are realistic. Worries she may not be able to do the things she wants and needs to escape to a peaceful, quiet environment in order to restore her confidence.

Timely then, isn't it, that I'm heading to the cabin this afternoon for my escape to a peaceful, quiet environment. 

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Love

This weekend, on Saturday afternoon, I found myself surrounded by love.  Love that was brand new, between a mother and child, love that was appreciative between a scrappy little adopted dog and her saving human, love that was old and familiar, between two friends who have traveled many paths together, and love between a dog and his mum, a dog who has a new baby in his life and, well, is struggling for a bit of attention and therefore when that lap was empty, he liked to make himself at home.  I don't know what your weekend was like, but as for me, having a Saturday afternoon filled with love both new and familar was, well, lovely.

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Seriously, George is making a statement here.  He knows his mum loves him but maybe, just maybe, he is trying to stake claim on his pillow.

Sunday morning, ready for her walk

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Ah, the letter F

In my weekly pursuit of the ABCs of Life, I found myself skipping a week because the letter "F" is a BIG ONE.  The letter F is for Forgive.  By definition, forgiveness means to grant a pardon or to cease to feel resentment against, among other things.  Those are mere words. In my mind, forgiveness has always been a divine action. When we forgive, it brings us closer to God. Forgiveness can take time and it also takes effort.  It's not something to rush, but as much as a struggle as it can be at times, when we forgive wrongs that have been done to us we are rewarded by the feeling of peace.  I've always thought that that  feeling we get inside when we truly forgive, truly let go, it is God's way of patting us on the back, of telling us that we've done right.  If He can forgive us, surely we can find ways to forgive each other.

Practicing forgiveness is not something that I can only focus on for one week, but walking through my days this week with forgiveness in mind has given me an unexpected calm.  Letting go of the weight of resentment opens up life to joys that can't otherwise get inside our hearts.  It's an exercise to practice daily.  The benefits are divine.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Surprises

The best of friends offers the steady heart, the one that says I know you, I love you. The one who surprises me on Valentines morning with coffee and roses. Coffee and roses are a perfect combination, by the way. 

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Cutting in line

I realize that I am late on the next letter on the ABCs of life but I recently spent a weekend with two lovebirds who totally captivated me and I have on my hands one moping dog because they are, sadly, separated once again. The letter this week is F for Forgive and that's some heady stuff that I have to think about before I can write about and, well, I keep looking at my girl and thinking about how much fun she had while her boyfriend stayed with us.  Her boyfriend?  He's a lovely, lovely guy. And the two of them, they go together like peas and carrots.  The letter F will just have to wait.

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In a gesture of her affection for him, she let him retrieve and destroy his own stick on Saturday. This behavior on her part is rare, very rare.  He relished his uninterrupted opportunity to destroy on his own

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She tiptoed through (and ate) the clover.

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They are the prom king and queen of the canine kingdom. What they share is puppy love at its finest.

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POST SCRIPT:

This picture was taken the day they first met. Did I just hear you say Awwwww Yeah, I thought so.

Tiny Tiny

Sunday, February 07, 2010

As time goes on

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It’s been one, two, three, four, five years since my father died. To my surprise from where I stood five years ago, the world kept spinning, life moved forward from the time he walked here. I no longer feel like I am walking through wet sand. My feet are steady again, my heart is whole again. I was told that would be true but then again, time has shown me what no one told me. He is not gone. My father is very much here with me, in my heart, in my memories, in the lessons he taught me and the guidance his words still provide. In the magic voice the world speaks, the one he taught me to hear.

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I am writing from the picnic table on the back porch of the riverside cabin my parents built. A great Live Oak tree shades my spot. Fluttering above me and through the broad tree limbs are countless birds. A pair of Cardinals, a young woodpecker, others I cannot name. A hawk lazily circled in the clearing earlier. Two V-formations of geese fly overhead, and the lazy pelicans stand on the bulkhead posts. This is a scene he would love and, through me, does.

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I took a walk at sunrise this morning. I filled the bird feeders that I hung this past summer. Later, I’ll pour myself a glass of champagne and go for a walk with the dogs around the property, check things out, observe the changes in the season, in the light.

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What I do here is what I learned from watching my father.  Observe, care for, enjoy, don’t interrupt.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Love Thursday: These words

I was in college when I first encountered these words:  The fragrance remains in the hand that gives the rose.

They are attributed to many people, from Gandhi to Anonymous to a Chinese Proverb, and many other folks I'm not familiar with, but I suppose the important point is the message itself and not the messenger.

The message is that kindness is its own reward.  Such a simple way of expressing such a beautiful truth.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Are we at "E" already?

In my weekly pursuit of the ABCs of life, today is week five of the journey and therefore the letter E, which is for Express thanks

Before I move on to that, I want to backtrack to the letter D for a moment.  Dream.  I wasn't sure about that one and wrote as much. I learned a bit about myself last week.  It's something that apparently you already know.  I am a dreamer.  I got phone calls from a couple friends, comments, and had a couple conversations about it.  Many of my friends saw something in me that I had forgotten.  One said to me, You are always talking about your dreams, about what you want to make or see or do.  You have ideas and inspire others.  You are a dreamer, and you always have been.  I felt the fire ignite again. So, yes, I am a dreamer. I simply had forgotten. Last week I was reminded of it and I tapped into my dreaming self and got things moving again. It felt good to be what I am.

So now we are at the letter E, Express thanks. Feeling gratitude is one thing, expressing it quite another. Expressing it not only shows our appreciation but our connection, and the sincerity gives us just a touch of humility. I believe that a touch of humility is a good thing. I feel gratitude often and I express that gratitude in prayer often. My heart fills up and I let it bubble over in prayer.  Gratitude for lessons, for people, for challenges, for friends and family, and much more.  But, I believe that this credo in the ABCs of life is more along the lines of appreciating others right here along side me, and expressing that.  Out loud.  I believe it is about opening my earthly heart to the kindness and gestures large and small that I see and appreciate, whether for my benefit or the benefit of another. 

I look forward to this week, to keeping gratitude in the forefront of my heart and not only being aware of it but expressing out loud the thanks I feel.  Beginning right here:  To those I know personally and those whom I do not, I thank you for stopping by here on occasion to read my words, to check in with me.  I appreciate that you do this because I enjoy your presence here and I enjoy when you listen and share your thoughts in the comments.  It's a unique form of conversation, I admit, but a wonderful connection you bring to me.  Thank you.

And you?  Are you expressing thanks?