Off Grid

Some exciting time coming up.
I will be off-grid for a little while.
While I'm away,
please remember a few things:

Be kind.
Be nice.
Be generous.
Be silly.
Be joyous.
Be blessed.

If I can sneak a post here and there,
I will do so.
If not, please understand.
We all need time to
regroup,
refresh,
reenergize.

Enjoy your week!

Super Heroes

Today is National Super Hero Day!
Who is your favorite?

Some might say Superman
or Wonder Woman
or perhaps one of the newly glamorized ones.

Mine?

My husband -
for every extraordinary second he puts up with me,
for being an amazing provider,
for being a grand example to our kids,
for his love.

My daughter -
for her voracity for adventure,
for her tenacity of tenderness,
for her loyalty in friendship,
for her fortitude in family.

My son -
for his amazing strength,
for his incredible abilities,
for his persistence and fearlessness,
for his dedication to his passions.

Who is yours?

Math

Back in the day,
I majored in math.
(Thank you Mr. Ayers for THAT gift!)
And, as this wedding draws near,
I am reminded of all of its offering.

Subtracting a boyfriend.
Adding another son.
Multiplying the fun.
Raising the laughter to the Nth degree.
Obviously, everything is acute!
Working the angles.
Off on adventurous tangents.
Not much is squared,
some stuff is imaginary,
the good stuff is exponential.
Together we are complementary and co-efficient.
We keep mean to a minimum.
And the root of happiness is our congruence.
Quotients are reached through parallel functions.
And to sum it up,
the range of our qualitative cohesion
is factored by understanding
that love is our greatest common denominator.

No Business

So, while I was painting the house last year,
I had the radio on outside.
This song came on that I had never heard.
(I know, crazy, right?!)
I was instantly a fan and have heard it once or twice since.
This morning . . . I woke up with it bouncing around my little head.
If you get a chance to find it and listen,
it's called:

There's No Business Like Soul Business

Just absolutely love it.

I hope you do, too.

Focus

So sometimes,
at the worst times,
we find our focus.

If you can just breathe;
walk away from the madness;
collect yourself;
readjust;
you'll see a purpose.

Focus on what really matters.
Focus on your objective.
Focus on your passion.
Focus on faith, family, fortitude.
Those three things
will always carry you through.

Find Your Focus

Me Too

Ever felt
frazzled, frayed,
fractured and flawed?
Me too.
bullied, betrayed,
beaten up, beaten down?
Me too.
coerced, compromised,
confined, confused?
Me too.
abused, assaulted,
attacked, abandoned?
Me too.

But I am more than a hashtag.
I am not defined by circumstances.
I am not confined by my past.

I am a fighter.
I am a survivor.
I am a beast.
I am an overcomer.

What about you?

Precious

In anticipation of the upcoming wedding,
I am grounded in the realization
of just how precious things are.

Precious children (no matter their age)
Precious family
Precious framily
Precious time
Precious adventures
Precious memories
Precious hugs
Precious laughter
Precious moments
Precious happiness

Appreciate what is around you.
Appreciate the time you spend
with those you love and care about.
Appreciate the opportunity
to laugh and make memories
out of moments.
And remember, too,
that in the midst of all of it,
YOU are precious also.

You Bet!

One of Momma's favorite sayings and songs
and for some reason,
it is stuck in my head at 4:15 am.
Hmmm

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself - what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself - what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of the people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I Love You
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself - what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself  -  what a wonderful world

Enjoy every little thing around you!

Like Mom

Some say I look like her.
Some say I definitely behave like her.
I try to do a lot of things like her.

I work hard.
I play hard.
I love hard.
I try to inspire and motivate.
I try to continue to learn.
I try to foster passions.
I encourage dream chasing
while remaining firmly grounded.
I exercise my gifts.
I delight in my children.
I welcome and love the folks around me.
But do NOT make me angry.
She gave that to me, too.

Hi Mom!
Happy Almost Birthday.
We'll be missing you but know you're always there.

Persistence

All too often,
we give up
when we are just one attempt
at breaking through.

Persistence pays off.

Keep trying.
Keep working.
Keep pursuing what you want.
Set backs occur.
Curve balls are thrown.
Obstacles appear.
You can do whatever it is
you want to do.
Find a way.
Do it.

Persistence.

Feeling Blue?

Something got ya down?
Less than happy?
Not where you want to be?
I have the solution.
Seriously!

Help someone else.
Do something for others.
Donate.
Volunteer.
Give - whether it is time, sweat, blood, talent.
Without want, need, or expectation of acknowledgement.

When we focus less upon ourselves,
our troubles seem to have a way
of untangling themselves.

Raw

Sometimes,
at our most vulnerable,
we are taught great lessons.
We are stripped bare
of all the facades and falsehoods
and forced to walk
in all our shame
with all our flaws
and every nuance of who we are
blatently exposed.
And we learn.
That that person
is ok.
That those facades
are unnecessary and unwarranted.
That we are simplistic creatures
endowed with incredible features
that we should neither hide nor mask.
We learn - to be our true self.

And that 'self'
is absolutely stunning.

Life

Life doesn't require that we be the best,
only that we try our best.


Thank you H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Here I Am

I am who I am
because of those who
guided me,
counselled me,
lied to me,
betrayed me,
taught me,
inspired me,
hated me,
pushed me,
prodded me,
molded me,
blocked me,
boosted me,
cheered me,
suppressed me,
supported me,
laughed at me,
laughed with me,
hugged me,
held me,
countered me,
asssured me,
allowed me,
loved me.

Thank you one and all
for your input.

Start Fresh

Saw something today
that made me rethink something
I say a lot:

"Each new day is a fresh start."

But . . . what I saw changed everything.
In the best way possible!

Start Fresh
You can start ~ in this very moment.
You need not wait for a new day.

So, if you try something new
and are a failure at first,
try again in an hour.
A fresh start is only an inkling of effort away.

Do You Know

Where you're going to?
Do you like the things
that life is showing you?

Go ahead . . . keep singing.

I have learned in my hundred or so years here,
that perception and assumptions
are not worth all the letters they embody.

Sometimes, we perceive a situation to be one way.
We are irate, upset, betrayed, befuddled, or confused,
because we do NOT go to the source and ask.
We conjure up our perceptions.
We toy with our assumptions.
And we end up making decisions,
sometimes LIFE decisions,
based on what inevitably turns out to be falsehoods.

If you feel slighted, hurt, abused, angry . . .
don't jump to any conclusions.
Swallow that pride.
Take a deep breath.
Go directly to the source
and ask the question you need answered.

It is hard to do, but the results
are infinitely more beneficial
than assuming and perceiving.

Good luck and God bless.

What Muir Do You Want?

Now I love my sand and beach and sunshine . . .

but . . .

this is some seriously sage advice:

Keep close to nature's heart . . .
and break clear way, once in a while,
climb a mountain or spend a while in the woods.
Wash your spirit clean.

I am so soothed with just the vistas.
When I am enveloped - it is bliss.

Siblings

Today is National Sibling Day.

If any of you are 'only' children,
I have a few to spare.

Sister to six brothers,
life was always . . . interesting.
I've been the measuring stick for jumping bicycles.
I've been the stick person who knocked down the hornet's nest.
I've been the test pilot for angled snow sled trails.
I've been the grand tennis 'partmer'.
I've been the one infatuated with all your friends.
I've been the who calls with every question imaginable.
I've been the classmate who could never get enough of your silliness.
I've been the person who scares the snot out of you.
I've been the sobbing slob when you gave bad news.
I've been the bearer of some pretty terrible news.
I've been the Switzerland to 'battling nations'.

And I birthed two children
who are a couple of the most amazing siblings
ever to grace the face of this earth.

I've been beat up, beat down, laughed at, laughed with,
family banded, Saturday wrestled, and adventured to pieces.
And as crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't change a thing.

Nourish

It is terribly important
to nourish yourself

with healthy sustenance:
veggies, fruits, proteins
quality snacks

with fortifying surroundings:
positive people, support,
love, kindness, generosity

with substantial r & r:
you time, quiet, reflection,
sleep, Word

with quality input:
read, educate, learn,
pray, listen

Nourish yourself every day.
Give your body, mind & soul
what it wants and needs.

Just Breathe

There are moments . . .

You know what I'm talking about.

When you have to restrain yourself.
When you have to ask yourself why.
When you simply shake your head.
When you don't understand.
When things simply don't make sense.
When stupidity rules.
When arrogance seems to be a fashion statement.
When a throat punch seems appropriate.
When you have to just walk away.
When you realize the weight of things.
When remaining quiet becomes difficult.
When an orange jumpsuit might be an option.

Just breathe!

The chaos of the world, and those circus monkeys,
are none of your concern.
Reassess your point of view and realize
what extraordinary beauty is right next you.
Bask in your blessings.

Just breathe!

The Heart

What a mighty and powerful muscle.
Capable of amazing things -
literally and figuratively.
It keeps you alive.

Beyond that . . .

it races with excitement;
it skips a beat with joy;
it is broken with betrayal;
it is worn on your sleeve with openness;
it is stolen in love;
it is shattered in pain;
it is swollen with pride;
it is empty with hurt;
it is given in love;
it is touched by kindness;
it is followed toward passions;
it is happy because of selflessness;
it is mended with sincerity;
it is grateful for simplicity;
it is full of love.

Lose Yourself

Some folks are so uptight.
Some folks are too regimented.
Some folks try so hard to appear perfect.

Lose Yourself!

Lose yourself in laughter.
Lose yourself in silliness.
Lose yourself in the woods.
Lose yourself at the beach.
Lose yourself at the library.
Lose yourself in art.
Lose yourself in quiet.
Lose yourself in sleep.
Lose yourself in a hug.
Lose yourself in love.

Thankful

When life gets messy;
when troubles multiply;
when chaos seems normal;
when sanity is stretched;
remember to be thankful.

Kind of nuts, right?
Through all the madness,
be thankful!

Thankful for a smile.
Thankful for a hug.
Thankful for a message.
Thankful for a visit.
Thankful for a green light.
Thankful for a door held.
Thankful for the sunshine.
Thankful for a Spring rain.
Thankful for a friend.
Thankful for what is good.

And there is ALWAYS something good.

Rainbows

Today is National Find A Rainbow Day!

Rainbows sometimes arrive after storms
to remind us that those bad times don't last.
Rainbows are storied with
a pot of gold at the end of them.
Rainbows are said to bring with them
beauty and hope and promise.

In other words . . .
The 'silver lining' that I've always spoken of
in multi-colored format!

Enjoy your rainbows
wherever you may find them.

Gifts

Some folks call them talents.
I call them gifts.

We are all 'gifted' with abilities.
They are as varied and amazing
as each person who possesses them.
These gifts are not meant for grandeur.
They are to be shared;
to be given freely;
in the knowledge that they are a piece of you
exposed in all your glory
for the enjoyment and betterment
of those around you.

And, if you're lucky,
you just may touch a heart
or two along the way.
And THAT, my friends,
without the riches and fame,
is what it's all about;
to positively impact another soul.