Spirit

That inexplicable hope,

and peace-filled stability,

even when all else 

is disheveled around you.

Believe.

Live in the light.

Merry Christmas to all,

and May your New Year be filled 

with many little miracles.

💖

Rosie

For years I would cycle by these sweet little homes on the Harbor.

I would daydream of how cool it would be to own one.

I have to say this place is a special place to me.

I have been charmed by the community,

the water, the peace and serenity.

It truly is a special place.

Yesterday it took on a whole new level of special

when I signed the papers, and was handed a key

to my warm, cozy house on the Harbor.

It was all I could do not to squeel !!!

I am not one to name my car or my home....

but under the special circumstances....

I am naming this one.

In honor of her beautiful soul who hugged me big,

 and touched her forehead to mine,

looked me in the eye and said,

" Now listen! I want you to enjoy this house, and much as

I have all these years !"

For the hug that felt like so much more.

For her love left behind in that space.

For the comfy, warm feels every time I walk through the front door...

the home will carry her name.

Rosie.

~touched by an angel~

"You'll never go wrong with adding more love

to your heart and life."

💗

Choices

"Every time you make a choice 

you are turning the central part of you,

the part that chooses,

into something a little different than it was before." 

~C. S. Lewis~

God promises that He will give me the strength 

and the wisdom I need.

" It Is your choice whether or not you will stand up

for your highest ideals, develop your God-given gifts

and create a satisfying and productive life."

Sometimes it is really tough to focus on what is truly important.

Fear of rejection or of others' disapproval 

can discourage me and I compromise what I believe.

I try to "fit the mold".

Square peg...round hole.

" May we boldly say: " The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear. What can man do to me ?"

Go through.

Stand up! Don't be afraid.

Repeat.

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words;

it is expressed in the choices one makes.

In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves."

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

~choices to make~

💗

Sharing

....something I read this week.

There is so much meat to this little quote!

" There is something of yourself

that you leave with every person."

~warm cozies~

💕

Do's

Look for and note, the tiny treasures
placed along the way.
See God's handiwork in your life.
Revisit what you've captured and allow yourself 
to be amazed.

The moments slip away so fast.
Life seems to get covered up,
and the details are so easily forgotten.
Preserve and protect your memories...
they are worthy of safekeeping and appreciating.

Treasure:
any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized.
wealth, rich material, or valuable things.

Treasured, treasuring:
to retain carefully or keep in store, as in mind.
to regard or treat as precious; cherish.

~ grateful to be a picture taking, journal jotting junkie~

💖

Do's

Catch those moments 

scattered like little gems

reminding you of the dream that is still looming.

Collect them like little bread crumbs

reminding you that you are on the right path.

 ~the slightest hints~

💗

Nap

 Traipsing around the pasture
drenched in warm sunshine,
I find a patch to relax,
that will work out just fine.
Finding peace and contentment,
with cows gathering 'round & the camera in my lap...

 

... followed by the sweetness of a calf

then hubby

drifting into a nap.

~ all is calm~

nap

1. to sleep for a short time; doze.

2. to be off ones guard.

Benefits:

recharge

zap stress

boost mood

💖

Don't

Let other peoples opinions

about your life choices...

keep you from being

true to yourself.

" Run in such a way that you may win"
1 Cor. 9:24

💗

Thought

I have moved around my whole life...

...and sometimes I wonder, 

if all the places I've touched

miss me...

as much as I miss them.

~afternoon walk~
💗

Banana

I peel it back, until a little comes to sight,

as Ollie eagerly waits for his routine morning bite.

I put it down to eat later as a snack

and notice hubby's eaten half before I get back.

With only a little stump left in sight,

I just go ahead and take my little bite.

~the life of our banana~

 Checking to see if bananas were low in carbs...

Yep. Good.

I am trying to watch carbs right now...

(due to a little higher sugar count on my last labs.)

Also note that they:

 boost energy levels

reduces muscle cramps

combats depression

helps digestion

acts as a anti-aging agent

and an anti-oxidant

keeps skin healthy

The peel is also supposed to be good for a few things,

 (...wrinkles,hemorrhoids...bug bites...)

 it requires the peel to be rubbed or taped 

to you for a duration of time...

and I'm

 just

 not

 there

 yet. 

💗

Do's

"Follow your heart.  It rarely leads you astray.

It's thinking that gets us into trouble."

~mood~

💗

Do's

Because...let's face it,

some rules are meant to be broken.

~free time~

💗

Sunday

" All our dreams can come true-

if we have the courage to pursue them."

My head is filled with dreams...

but the now is making me pretty 

darn happy ! 

~ live. love. dream.~

💖

Harmony

  

" Happiness is when what you think, what you say,

and what you do are in harmony."

~Ghandi~

....definitely on the very top of the list of 735 things

that adds a note of harmony to my life. 

💖

Notes

to self,

.... on anxious thoughts.

Take responsibility for my own anxiety.

Is it ene-me or inner-me ?

External or internal ?

When things are going right, quit worrying about them going wrong!

Don't borrow drama from other people.

Don't let a situation contaminate my spirit.

It is NOT "out there", it IS my disquieting thoughts causing me to be anxious.

I don't have to prove anything to anyone.

I don't have to be anyone else.

What am I taking in ? Things that drain or fill me?

Is there a sense of urgency ? Do I need to figure out

what is really important?

Do I give weight to the wrong words or actions of others ?

Figure out where my "Yes" is, so I don't worry about saying "No".

Do it or Don't.

Worship or Worry ?

Faith or Fear ?

Don't isolate.

Meditate.

Create.

Spend time with friends and family. 

Play.

Reclaim my imagination.

Dream.

Focus.

Walk into the day expecting to see the good. 

~God is good~

💖

Continuity

"Stop running like mad 

because you don't know the music;

Lay in the wild grass 

while the stars dance instead.

Forget what they've told you about Me

and stop thinking 

it's something you have to perform.

You could spend your entire life doing that

and never know any more of Me at all.

You'll miss the point,

miss the beauty,

miss the sky I painted above you.

It's a beautiful night 

to realize what it's really like to be loved.

Stop chasing the song, child, 

and let me teach you to sing."

~God~ 

💖

Joy

A cool fall afternoon.

Walking in the pasture.

Calving season.

Allowing me to get close.

Treasuring the joy that only tiny newborns can bring.

And big mamas too.

That sweet bovine love.

~Blondie~

💖

Transforming

Not showy

or exotic looking,

but it doesn't know.

It's content to be what it is

and then it becomes

even more beautiful to me.

~cardinal~

💗

Fixing

...is the problem.

Trying to fix my life

myself

my marriage.

I forget that life is not about fixing.

It's about living.

Smelling Autumn in the air,

hearing the rustle of leaves in the breeze,

sipping a spiced pumpkin latte,

and warming my hands on the cup.

Life is about learning from the bad...

and nestling in with the good.

Remembering that even on the messiest or hardest days,

what I have is a whole lot of good.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding...."

Prov. 3:5

💗

Fika

[ f e e - k a ]  

Swedish

a moment to slow down 

and appreciate the good things in life.

"Coffee with friends."

" Most Swedes will enjoy at least one fika a day

as an opportunity to bond."

Taking some time

to remember who I am.

Snuggling up to the Swede in me today.

💗

Restore

" She believed she could but she was tired...

so she rested and you know what ?

The world went on and it was OK.

She knew she could try again tomorrow."

Few things better than finding a quiet place

in the country under the big oak trees,

Scotty happily running about, 

a nice breeze and a book in my lap.

~restoring~

💗

Dairy

Hubby worked our Pastor's 

dairy calves today.

I happily tagged along.

The weather was amazing.

The company was pretty sweet too.

💖