join me on the path

fill in the blank

Writer's block descends when we least expect it. When words won't come it's a feeling akin to illness for me. I start to worry that I'll not have anything worth reading to write again. Who gives a damn what I have to say anyway? It's all a bunch of blather ... blah, blah, blah.

At which point the committee in my head can spin yarns of gloom and doom and utter disgust, that if I took the time to write it all down might entertain some sick mind. But I keep putting pen to paper in my journal, writing about the weather, the state of the union, what my sister told me on the phone. Writing as if to keep my muscle tone, as if I trust the words will come again.

A couple of days being housebound has quieted my mind. I pulled out some of my favorite DVDs and vegged in front of the TV, read Grisham's latest entertaining blockbuster and ate my weight in potato chips and bagel sandwiches.

Turns out it's not been so much of a writer's block but rather a much needed timeout. I pulled out some of my favorite writing prompts and journaled my way back into that place where it feels that my wings are made of words.

If you want/need some inspiration, try a few. Fill in the blanks and tell me your stories ...

My wings are made of ______________

I know this much is true: ________________

If only _______________

What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? ________________

peace & love, my friends

snow day

It doesn't happen often but our city is on a level 3 emergency and our offices are closed, which translates into a SNOW DAY! An ice storm has made it too treacherous to drive but it can't stop us from pulling on boots and tromping around in the winter wonderland. After two days inside, I've got a touch of cabin fever so I'm headed into the great white storm.

Of course, that means climbing out from under this down comforter and braving 20-degree temperatures. Maybe I'll just watch it snow a little longer.

Wishing you a safe haven in the storm. Peace & love.

hope springs eternal

Yesterday was a gift from the gods or Mother Nature. The sky was crystal clear blue (this photo doesn't do it justice) and the temperatures rose to the mid 40s. The sun shone warmly all day long and even from the confines of our office we all felt lighter and happier.

These two birds were chirping away in the bradford pear tree outside my home. I thought that by the time I put my bags down, dug out my camera and was ready to shoot that they'd be gone but they seemed content right where they were.

Lately I've been worrying a lot about all the commotion going on around me, in my little part of the world and the world at large, but as is so often the case, the natural world will show us the way if we pay attention. These birds reminded me to be still, enjoy the beauty of the day and remember that I'm never alone on the path. There is always a friend nearby to share in the joy and to reach out a hand in times of trouble.

Peace & love.

hail to the chief 01.20.09

In the unlikely story that is America
there has never been anything false about hope.

                                      —Barack Obama

Peace, love and hope for brighter days to come.

baby pictures

humor me, ok? every time anyone has shown me these kinds of pictures I mostly smiled and said, oh, yeah, i see the baby. while really not seeing much more than a bunch of gray and white stuff.

today my daughter sent me the first baby pictures and I had to say, so, where's the baby?  this first image has the measurement of her head-to-butt length (see the dotted line between the two plus signs?). having gained my bearings, I was then able to see the baby bean's face in the second image below.

far too soon to know if the bean is a he or she, but we're defaulting to 'she' for now.

See her adorable little nose and face at about 10 o'clock? her mama said she was doing flips and banging her head around all during the ultrasound. a wild child in the making!

and if you need to, just say, oh, yeah, i see the baby.

peace, love and baby toes

when words won't come

Watching the sun rise this morning, sitting at this laptop with fingers poised over the keys, I had nothing to say. I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Over recent days the well had run dry.

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, honoring a man who had a dream that one day the color of our skin would not divide us and that we would "... one day live in a nation where [we] will not be judged by the color of [our] skin but by the content of [our] character." Dr. King's dream is coming true, and we are blessed to be a part of this amazing time in history. We owe it to our children and the family of man to keep the dream alive.

As I watched the winter sun creep over the snow covered ground earlier today these lyrics came to mind: "There's a place in the sun where there's hope for everyone, gotta find me a place in the sun." A quick Google search reminded me that it was Stevie Wonder who wrote and sang those words. Simple sentiment yet profound.

May we all find our places in the sun. Peace & love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX5u_dWRICg

when fear rules the day

It's a constant these days: fear. About the economy, our livelihoods, the weather, our health. And the media continues to promote gloom and doom without much balance. Until a couple days ago when a 'miracle' became the big news. A jetliner pilot put down a plane full of 151 people into the frigid Hudson River and every person survived.

I actually heard one reporter suggest that perhaps the souls who perished on 9/11 were watching over the jetliner. I witnessed people responding to the good news of the rescue mission as if it were a sign that maybe all is not lost in our world; that good things DO happen.

And I remind myself that every day I must choose: operate from a place of fear or love. Just for today I choose love.

i get by with a little help from my friends

a friend invited me and others to her home for brunch

 a friend met me for breakfast, another made me lunch and yet another fed me dinner

  a friend helped me drain my water heater while another friend repaired the burned out element

   a friend came and sat at my desk with me and we caught up on business and life in general

    a friend checked on me to see how I was weathering these dark and frigid days

     a friend dropped off a note and some tea

I get by with a little help from my friends. ~the beatles

when people show you who they are, believe them

Maya Angelou is credited with saying: When people show you who they are, believe them. It's a derivative of the phrases "actions speak louder than words" or "talk is cheap", and while often I share the same advice with others, it's a lesson I still have to relearn from time to time.

People will say anything you want to hear. They may think they WANT to do what they say they're going to do (or not do anymore), but their actions are much truer indicators of what to expect from them. That's another lesson (and another post for another day): expectations, unrealistic expectations, ridiculous expectations. I have a tendency to expect people to follow through, to be brave and to keep marching onward toward personal growth and peace.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend who wanted to make major changes in his life. Changes that would be difficult but that he believed (HE SAID) would take him closer to being the man God intended him to be. But then one of the options he thought he had seemed to disappear, and in a span of a few days he let go of any idea of moving forward in a more healthy way and decided to stay right where he was. Actually went backward to practices and people from whom he'd struggled to extricate himself.

I'm trying not to take it personally; it's not about me. The strength or wisdom of my words weren't what could make a difference for him. Part of me thinks, Jeesh, the hours and hours we spent talking about what was wrong, how he'd gotten himself into the situation he was in, what it would take to do the next right thing, the positive differences that awaited him if he could take a leap of faith. It feels a lot like a waste of time and energy!

He's learning his life lessons at his own pace, and this was yet another good lesson for me. Change comes slowly if it ever comes at all. And THAT'S my lesson.

peace on the path

yes we can

I believe in Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, because I believe in the power of WE. Let's join together and help each other so that we can help ourselves against the wave of negativity and fear that's got a hold on our hearts.

Yes we can heal this world.

Peace & love