At the door...

Standing expectantly,

my little daughter waited for someone to open the door.

In life,

there are times that we are frozen

on the edge of the future.

We are poised,

wondering,

what is out there?

Sometimes our musings are filled with excitement,

other times we may feel a little trepidation.

I think of the summer about to open before us,

I sigh contentedly when I daydream...

of trips to parks,

local beaches,

pine cone fights

and picnics under trees.

My kids have their own agendas...

water balloons,

camp outs

and staying up late.

Summer is my favorite season.

It is a time to take our shoes off,

literally and figuratively.

Tonight,

contemplate with me,

happy thoughts...

Lightening bugs...

burned marshmallows...

playing until the mosquitoes drive you inside...

Live this summer.

Embrace all it has to offer.

Open the door and step through!

May this night,

this season...

Bring you peace and blessings.

Cake

In all the world,

my favorite dessert is chocolate cake.

The simple kind that comes in a box

and is adorned with frosting.

Cake makes special occasions better

and ordinary days more lovely.

Can you imagine a birthday without a cake?

A graduation

or a wedding

without all that yummy frosting?

Tonight,

along with dinner,

my eldest

made an absolutely lovely chocolate cake.

With a smile in my heart,

I know with all certainty

that my affection has been passed along.

She will always equate cake

with happiness,

with family,

with love.

Betty Crocker

and Dunkin Hines

should pay me dividends.

Behind the confection,

is a message of care,

of love.

I am blessed to have such very dear children.

May you,

May I,

always keep those we love close to our hearts.

May we be grateful

for the loved ones given to us

and treat them with care.

Each day is a blessing,

a gift.

May yours be beautiful!

HikeOhio

Tonight I went hiking with a friend.

Standing among the trees,

splashing in the creek,

watching the mountain bikers fly past,

I smiled.

closed my eyes.

paused...

I felt as if I was truly in heaven.

Then I came home and pondered the experience.

I went online and found a group full of people who share my love.

It's called, "HikeOhio" and I can't wait until their next hiking event.

sigh...

anybody else

really enjoying their weekend?

Swings and Starry Skies

Laying on my swing,

my feet dangling over the edge,

brushing the grass with each gentle pass,

I looked up into the sky,

darkness was settling around me.

The multitude of fences were disappearing,

as if into a mist,

from somewhere,

the smell of popcorn floated by on the breeze.

I chatted on the phone

and thought about what an absolutely lovely evening it was.

Friday

Payday

No rain predicted

for the whole weekend

My girls came out for a little while and joined me.

Even the dog sat with us.

A brief trip indoors to put everyone to bed,

then back out with a blanket,

a cup of coffee.

I fell asleep for just a little while,

waking at my pup's slight whine.

Why was mom,

sleeping outside?

Back,

writing to you,

telling the story,

getting ready to climb into bed.

Planing the day tomorrow,

daydreaming in my head.

It has to be a park day,

a play day.

A picnic,

bring a smile day.

One park,

two..

dare I say

three?

warm

happy

blessed.

May your evening be beautiful.

May tomorrow find you refreshed.

May you always know you are loved.

May you be blessed.

I've heard the rain is ending soon!

Maybe the sun will even come out!

Knowledge

I am a sentimental woman.

I love paper flowers made by children...

the gifts wrapped all by themselves,

with hair stuck in the tape.

I love rocks brought back from trips

and flower seeds from historical gardens.

I have a weakness for homemade Christmas decorations.

Paper chains,

tissue papered baby food jars

and

my favorite...

Glittered Pine cones.

I have a lovely large one that my eldest daughter and I brought back from the Cement Tepees in Cave City, Kentucky. Its base is crooked and it drops a little glitter every year. Lovingly I place it above my television and smile at it's lopsided endeavor to spread Christmas cheer.

One day I saw giant pine cones and someone told me they were from the redwood trees out west.

I even saw a family find massive cones on television.

Ever since,

I've had a burning desire to go to the National Forest

and swipe myself one of these fantastic cones.

Tonight,

I decided to talk about my dream...

My silly wish for "some day"...

to muse about my happy thoughts.

So,

I went to look for a photo

and discovered...

Sequoia pine cones are itty bitty and very rare.

Staring at the screen,

I laughed out loud.

My long time daydream,

is now a little revised...

I still want a giant pine cone,

but,

I guess...

What I thought I wanted

is not what I really do!

Sometimes knowledge can make us sad.

Like discovering how far a hundred dollars really goes,

or that the pizza place closes at eleven

and it's eleven o' three.

Other times,

like tonight,

Knowledge

is

surprising

but not unpleasant.

I hope for you,

that your next

"unexpected moment"

is pleasant!

May you rest easy,

with happy thoughts on your mind

and love in your heart.

May tomorrow bring you at least one smile to share.

May you be blessed.

Gym teachers

Them...
Running like crazy ants...
Giggling and screaming...
Happy!

Me...
A quiet sigh...
A half an hour to sort papers,
set up an activity
or clean up the room...
Happy!

The gym teacher...
Patient...
Knowledgeable...
Fun!

The result...
Exercised and relaxed children...
Calm and collected teacher...
Productive morning!

Every other week, a delightful woman comes to teach physical education. It is my kiddos favorite scheduled activity. It may just be mine as well. The time they spend running and playing leaves us both focused and refreshed. Not everyone could do her job. If you peek into the gym when she is teaching, you will see controlled chaos. She has a plan, they are not running willy nilly.

Today is gym day,

did you guess?

I am happy for my students.

I am happy for me.

May you,

may I,

remember to tell those around us,

"Thank you"

for the wonderful job they do.

Sometimes what others do,

what we do,

makes a bigger impact on the lives of those we touch,

than we could possibly know.

May you know this day,

that every job,

big or small,

is needed.

Without you,

the world would be missing someone special!

Thank you for sharing your talents.

May your life be blessed.

Now,

Tomorrow,

Always.

Happy Surprises!

After work,

when I was digging in my change about to satisfy my late afternoon desire for a cup of coffee,

I found something really neat!

A shiny penny caught my eye.

It was flipped to the back side

and I did a double take when I realized

that I didn't recognize the picture it bore.

Happily I picked it up and tucked it in my pocket. I couldn't resist showing it to the clerks in the store, my parents when I picked my youngest daughter up and my son's aide when I made it home. Of course my kids were impressed too and I can't wait to show my Kindergarten students tomorrow!

Apparently,

there will be four new designs this year in honor of President Lincoln's birth.

I love our Mint. It is so much fun to collect coins. I love the thrill of finding one in your change on gray days.

It really makes the day seem like more fun.

And... it's not just me... everyone seems to like them.

If you haven't seen one,

go to your bank and ask for one.

I am betting you'll smile.

Simple joys...

happiness for us all...

even when it's gray.

Thank you for sharing this day with me.
May you be filled with happiness that does not rely on the light from the unpredictable spring sun.

Now,

Tomorrow,

Forever,

May you be blessed with peace in your heart.

Laughing softly in Ohio

While shopping this weekend, I happened upon the garden displays in several stores.

Each time, I paused and let my eyes pass over the display.

I probably had a grin on my face...

I know I felt like I was in heaven.

Like the proverbial kid in the candy store, I started picking out what I wanted. In my mind I could see my new gardens... growing and lovely.

This year, I am once again going for the "Zillions of Sunflowers" look which is my favorite.

People literally have stopped their cars to stare at the gardens I've grown in the past.

There is something about sunflowers that causes most people to smile and shake their heads in wonder.

One year, about half way through the summer, two neighbor boys actually came over to ask me how to grow them. I was so sad to tell them that they'd have to wait until the following spring.

As a grownup, spring seems far away some days.

To a child, the wait is an eternity.

Today, with no one to ask permission, I indulged myself and came home with a stack of seed packets.

From some "Fuzzy Face" cuties to lemon yellow "Moon Walkers" that will blow in the breeze above my head, my selection is impressive.

I'd like to pretend that my craving is cured... but, I do try to be truthful. I know that every trip to the store will result in another seed packet.

It's a good thing I have some dear friends who garden too! Every year when I split the packets open, I feel ever so less guilty when I share the bounty.

It's not completely selfish to have fifteen types of sunflowers... if you share the seeds... right?

Tonight, as I dream of summer... of the spectacle that will come from daydreams and hard work, I am listening to my itunes and smiling.

With my tummy warm from a cup of coffee and myself wrapped in my robe, I find the world to be a lovely place.

I know that it's cold outside.

That the world is not perfect.

But, tonight... tonight I'm not thinking about those things.

May your heart be filled with happiness this evening.

May you find that your happiest daydreams are enough to carry you through the winter.

May you be blessed.