loved ones

A dear uncle of mine recently lost both of his parents.

Tonight I learned that a friend of mine had an aunt die unexpectedly.

With all my heart,
I wish there was something to say,
something to do,
that could make it better.


I have no perfect words,
no "magic" fix.

I am sad
for their loss.

For the loved ones who they can no longer share their lives with.

Tonight,
I want to offer up a prayer,
for everyone who is hurting,
who has lost someone they love.

May broken hearts be comforted.

I love movies!

From my first floor,

comes the rocking rhythm of Chicken Little's theme song.

My two youngest are hypnotized and happy.

Me?

I must confess,

I love a great many Disney movies.

Chicken Little touches my heart.

Little mistakes can be remembered a long time.

I feel for the little bird

and for his father.

I love watching the plot develop,

seeing friendships,

cooperation and

always a happy ending.

Feel good movies are such a blessing.

Watching together,

forming happy memories.

Inoculates us against the bumps of life.

Like cocoons of warmth,

the time we spend together makes our children stronger,

our own hearts happier.

Everyone blessed!

Have I mentioned lately that I love my parents?

With coffee and dessert in hand,

my father came on a mission of mercy last night.

We talked over life,

situations that were problematic and not remotely amusing.

In the end,

two heads were better than one.

Even the problems we couldn't "fix" weren't quite so heavy.

Before he left,

my father said a blessing.

Though I offer one everyday as I blog,

I must admit it felt wonderful,

if a little odd,

to have one offered for myself and my family.

Tonight and always,

I hope that you find yourself surrounded by those who love you.

That no matter what you face,

there is a hand outstretched toward yours.

And,

if it's helpful to you,

May it contain coffee and a yummy treat along with love!

May you feel the love of God in your life,

May you know that you are loved,

May you be blessed!

Down the road...

Just like everyone in life,

I sometimes have situations that I am unsure of what to do.

Occasionally,

I have several such issues all at once.

I am almost positive that you know how it feels when you are up to your neck in questions and running a little short on answers.

I have noticed that in the end,

everything is solved,

one way or another.

I sometimes wish I could know how it works out...

Today!

Sigh...

In the end though,

the journey,

the search for answers...

Those who help us along the way,

these times,

our friends,

our families,

shape who we are...

who we become.

So,

I'll keep thinking,

keep working...

keep walking...

But,

if you see me coming your way...

Hide your cookies!

I might just eat them all.

May we, this evening, find the strength we need for our journeys.

May we be blessed.

Now, Always and Forever

Nibbling

Didn't even try to resist.
I absolutely love spinach salads.
My favorite?
Mmmmm....
A light honey Dijon or Italian dressing...
Cranberries...
Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese crumbles on top...

yummy!
Hope your frig has something fun inside!

With a smile in my heart...

As I sit here and type,
my dog has settled on the floor beside me.

For so many years I did not understand the love between pets and their owners.

now I do...

Just a word from me and his tail wags.

One motion of invitation
and my pooch is in my lap begging for all the attention I'll share.

Such devotion is hard not to enjoy.

Yet, it goes beyond that.

Companionship that cannot comment,
only listen.

I have noticed that whenever I am feeling sad,
my puppy sticks to me like glue.

When I'm feeling playful,
he brings his ball
and chases his sister and I up and down the stairs.

Tonight,
I am counting my blessings again.

It is Monday and so lovely outside that,
I simply do not want to do everything I have to do.

So, I am counting my "must do's".

It's sappy...
but it is working...
a little...

Loading the dishwasher...
I am glad for food.

Doing school prep...
I am glad to have a job I love to provide for my family.

... sigh...
I'd tell you I was grateful for laundry...
but,
lightening would probably strike me dead!

Ha!
Oh, well...
Whoever said that we must be happy with everything in life in order to be at peace,
was certainly feeding us all a load of baloney
... and not the yummy kind fried into a sandwich!

May you be blessed this lovely evening...
...escape the work that isn't really necessary
and do what you must.

May the sights of the season warm your heart
and soul and may you have peace in your heart.

I'd wish your laundry pile would magically wash and fold itself too,
but...
I've misplaced my magic wand.
=-)

Life's challenges

I tease my Kindergarten kiddos that when they are naughty it makes my hair gray.

On Friday,

as I leaned over a table,

a dear little one said,

"Miss Susan, Your hair really is turning gray!"

I laughed and told them they were right,

that I needed to color it again.

This weekend besides coloring my hair, I had it cut short.

I've been growing it out.

I haven't honestly liked the way it has looked.

So after a few months of struggling with styling products,

I considered that I actually like my hair short and headed to the salon.

So many times things we do are just an effort to figure out what we like. Sometimes our choices are even made to try and impress others. (Sadly, teenagers do not have the corner on the market when it comes to silly behavior.)

Regardless of the likes or dislikes of others, we need to know what makes us happy. Such knowledge is not easily obtained. Thankfully, discovering my favorite type of dessert or which perfume I like the best is not a miserable thing to experiment with.

Not every lesson is self discovery is quite so simple. I am sure you'd agree that discovering ways to be polite in the face of rudeness, while not becoming a doormat, could be a challenge. And I don't imagine that anyone can tell me a quick and painless way to discover the ins and outs of meeting members of the opposite gender after many years out of the "game". The truth is that developing positive personality traits and relationships, takes a great deal of time and effort.

I pray that whatever you need to learn. Wherever it is you need to grow in your life. That you find the experience to be at least interesting, even if it is difficult at times. I pray that you will find grace in trying situations and peace for your journey.

I wish you happiness and joy.

I hope that we all find the strength to grow where and when we need to.

May you be blessed.

Now,

Tomorrow,

Always.