Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for spring showers that bring May flowers.
Although the mornings greet T and me with sunny skies as we hike along the trail, the afternoons bring clouds and rain and gloom. My gardens delight in this weather pattern, surprising me each day with fresh blooms. Today, I noticed several bunches of very lovely violets.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Friday, May 13, 2005
Friday, 13 May 2005 - Good timing
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for good timing on a Friday the 13th.
Luck seems to be on my side as I've had a pretty good day. My timing has been spot on:
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for good timing on a Friday the 13th.
Luck seems to be on my side as I've had a pretty good day. My timing has been spot on:
- Caught our neighbor just as he was leaving for the weekend. We had our once a month discussion about the state of the world.
- Found organic mangoes for just $.99 each (I bought the four largest) and organic tomatoes for $.99 a pound (I bought 10 pounds).
- Arrived home from our afternoon walk around the park just as the storm hit with rain and lightening and thunder. (Even S returned from his bike ride in time to miss the storm.)
Amen.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Thursday, 12 May 2005 - An impromptu concert
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for an impromptu concert.
Music emerges as the surprising antidote for a lazy, can't seem to get started, afternoon. The unexpected sounds flood the air with melody and harmony and cacophony. I'm enjoying a mid-afternoon concert featuring two talented thirteen year olds - our neighbor, Hayden and his friend, Ian.
Even T likes the sound of Hayden's saxophone and bass guitar and Ian's trumpet. He lies quietly on the grass while the music swirls around us in a fantastic dance of improvisation, creation, and joy.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for an impromptu concert.
Music emerges as the surprising antidote for a lazy, can't seem to get started, afternoon. The unexpected sounds flood the air with melody and harmony and cacophony. I'm enjoying a mid-afternoon concert featuring two talented thirteen year olds - our neighbor, Hayden and his friend, Ian.
Even T likes the sound of Hayden's saxophone and bass guitar and Ian's trumpet. He lies quietly on the grass while the music swirls around us in a fantastic dance of improvisation, creation, and joy.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Wednesday, 11 May 2005 - Life's possibilities
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for life's possibilities.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34 NKJV
I feel depressed today. Still no results from months and months of job-hunting. From what I can tell, at 51, I am too old, have too much experience, and am too expensive. Translation: I feel useless and unwanted and unappreciated. Most of all, I wonder why you, God, would give me talent and experience and no place to use them.
After T and I return from our morning hike, I sit down at the computer. As part of my daily routine, I check an online forum where people discuss health issues and natural remedies. One posting catches my eye" "unbearable symptoms ... please, please, please help!" I open the message and read about a woman who suffers from several debilitating ailments. She's hit another treatment roadblock and desperately needs help finding a breakthrough.
Wow. And I thought my life was unbearable and a lost cause. On her best day, this woman can barely drink a quart of diluted tea or move her body without intense pain. In comparison, my problems, though real to me, seem so small and insignficant. I immediately stop the pity-party and shut down the negative self-talk. I choose my life and all its challenges over another's.
In her many books on creativity and spirituality, Julia Cameron suggests ways to spend Job-inspired "desert" time. I find a writing exercise that focuses on life's possibilities, not its immediate realities. This should revive my spirits.
After taking a deep breath, I begin: "If time and money weren't an issue, I would ..."
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for life's possibilities.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34 NKJV
I feel depressed today. Still no results from months and months of job-hunting. From what I can tell, at 51, I am too old, have too much experience, and am too expensive. Translation: I feel useless and unwanted and unappreciated. Most of all, I wonder why you, God, would give me talent and experience and no place to use them.
After T and I return from our morning hike, I sit down at the computer. As part of my daily routine, I check an online forum where people discuss health issues and natural remedies. One posting catches my eye" "unbearable symptoms ... please, please, please help!" I open the message and read about a woman who suffers from several debilitating ailments. She's hit another treatment roadblock and desperately needs help finding a breakthrough.
Wow. And I thought my life was unbearable and a lost cause. On her best day, this woman can barely drink a quart of diluted tea or move her body without intense pain. In comparison, my problems, though real to me, seem so small and insignficant. I immediately stop the pity-party and shut down the negative self-talk. I choose my life and all its challenges over another's.
In her many books on creativity and spirituality, Julia Cameron suggests ways to spend Job-inspired "desert" time. I find a writing exercise that focuses on life's possibilities, not its immediate realities. This should revive my spirits.
After taking a deep breath, I begin: "If time and money weren't an issue, I would ..."
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Tuesday, 10 May 2005 - Giro d'Italia
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy professional cycling race).
After months of anticipation, S and I were so excited when the Giro d'Italia began last Saturday with a 1.15 K prologue. The race is a spring tradition in our household. For three weeks, it entertains us each morning with the thrills and spills of professional cycling in Europe. We also love the views of the Italian landscape and villages - they fuel our dreams of someday living in Italy or France.
This year, we're following the race on the Internet with live coverage via cyclingnews.com and streaming video via OLNTV.com. Needless to say, S is in cycling heaven!
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy professional cycling race).
After months of anticipation, S and I were so excited when the Giro d'Italia began last Saturday with a 1.15 K prologue. The race is a spring tradition in our household. For three weeks, it entertains us each morning with the thrills and spills of professional cycling in Europe. We also love the views of the Italian landscape and villages - they fuel our dreams of someday living in Italy or France.
This year, we're following the race on the Internet with live coverage via cyclingnews.com and streaming video via OLNTV.com. Needless to say, S is in cycling heaven!
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Monday, 9 May 2005 - An old-fashioned remedy for gray hair
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for an old-fashioned remedy for gray hair.
A few weeks ago, I read yet another article about the health risks of hair dyes, so I decided to discontinue their use. Although I hate my gray hair, I don't want vanity to cut short my life.
I began to look for an alternative that doesn't contain harmful chemicals that cause cancer. An Internet search yielded the recipe for an old-fashioned tonic for gray hair woes. It's a concentrated sage and rosemary tea that you brew and apply daily to your hair and scalp.
Since I've had good results with other natural remedies for health concerns, I hope this one will work. In the meantime, I'm crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, and saying an extra prayer.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for an old-fashioned remedy for gray hair.
A few weeks ago, I read yet another article about the health risks of hair dyes, so I decided to discontinue their use. Although I hate my gray hair, I don't want vanity to cut short my life.
I began to look for an alternative that doesn't contain harmful chemicals that cause cancer. An Internet search yielded the recipe for an old-fashioned tonic for gray hair woes. It's a concentrated sage and rosemary tea that you brew and apply daily to your hair and scalp.
Since I've had good results with other natural remedies for health concerns, I hope this one will work. In the meantime, I'm crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, and saying an extra prayer.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Sunday, 8 May 2005 - My mother
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for my mother who didn't exactly encourage me to write, but never discounted my desire to be a writer.
"God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers."
-- Rudyard Kipling
Thank you, Mom,
For never speaking ill of
The first poems and stories
I wrote.
Despite your private opinions of
The heroine, plot or rhyming scheme,
You never labeled my
My endeavors foolish or
A waste of time.
Maybe,
Because of a mother’s intuition,
You knew that,
From the moment I first put pencil to paper,
My passion for words would grow,
Until, as an adult,
I would proudly claim the occupations of
Writer and
Poet.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
For this blessing, I am eternally grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for my mother who didn't exactly encourage me to write, but never discounted my desire to be a writer.
"God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers."
-- Rudyard Kipling
Thank you, Mom,
For never speaking ill of
The first poems and stories
I wrote.
Despite your private opinions of
The heroine, plot or rhyming scheme,
You never labeled my
My endeavors foolish or
A waste of time.
Maybe,
Because of a mother’s intuition,
You knew that,
From the moment I first put pencil to paper,
My passion for words would grow,
Until, as an adult,
I would proudly claim the occupations of
Writer and
Poet.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
For this blessing, I am eternally grateful.
Amen.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Saturday, 7 May 2005 - Daffodils
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for my garden's daffodils.
If you haven't guessed by now, daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. I like them because, when I was growing up in Southern California, they bloomed around my March birthday.
In Colorado, however, they wait until late April or early May to show off their yellow bonnets. This year, they're just in time for Mother's Day.
I don't mind waiting for them. It really doesn't matter if they appear earlier or later. But when they finally bloom, daffodils always make me smile and think happy thoughts.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for my garden's daffodils.
If you haven't guessed by now, daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. I like them because, when I was growing up in Southern California, they bloomed around my March birthday.
In Colorado, however, they wait until late April or early May to show off their yellow bonnets. This year, they're just in time for Mother's Day.
I don't mind waiting for them. It really doesn't matter if they appear earlier or later. But when they finally bloom, daffodils always make me smile and think happy thoughts.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Friday, 6 May 2005 - An unexpected gift
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for an unexpected gift (the best kind).
It's not my birthday or Christmas or a day of any importance. But, there it sits, a gift from a girl friend - a blue mist spirea bush - unannounced, unanticipated, unbelievable.
My friend is a very passionate gardener who has already made a generous contribution to my landscaping venture. Last fall, she sent me two large shopping bags filled with plants from her garden. Happily, all are thriving.
I am thrilled at the newest addition to my xeriscape garden. And, I feel very blessed to have a friend who cares enough to send me the very best from her garden and her heart. Thank you, Kathy.
For this blessing, I am very grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for an unexpected gift (the best kind).
It's not my birthday or Christmas or a day of any importance. But, there it sits, a gift from a girl friend - a blue mist spirea bush - unannounced, unanticipated, unbelievable.
My friend is a very passionate gardener who has already made a generous contribution to my landscaping venture. Last fall, she sent me two large shopping bags filled with plants from her garden. Happily, all are thriving.
I am thrilled at the newest addition to my xeriscape garden. And, I feel very blessed to have a friend who cares enough to send me the very best from her garden and her heart. Thank you, Kathy.
For this blessing, I am very grateful.
Amen.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Wednesday, 5 May 2005 - A renewed sense of purpose
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a renewed sense of purpose.
Now that I am 51, I can't go full speed ahead for weeks on end like I did in my 20s, 30s and 40s. So, when I feel run down, I take time to recharge my aging batteries by doing something creative or mentally challenging for a few hours.
I've been known to study knitting patterns for a new project, work on a beaded necklace, complete several online crossword puzzles or invent a new recipe. After the respite, I am once again ready to tackle my to-do list with energy and enthusiasm and, most importantly, a renewed sense of purpose.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a renewed sense of purpose.
Now that I am 51, I can't go full speed ahead for weeks on end like I did in my 20s, 30s and 40s. So, when I feel run down, I take time to recharge my aging batteries by doing something creative or mentally challenging for a few hours.
I've been known to study knitting patterns for a new project, work on a beaded necklace, complete several online crossword puzzles or invent a new recipe. After the respite, I am once again ready to tackle my to-do list with energy and enthusiasm and, most importantly, a renewed sense of purpose.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Wednesday, 4 May 2005 - Another step to great health
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for another step to great health.
I'm an internal cleansing fanatic for one big reason: colon cancer prevention. My father has a history of colon polyps and a maternal uncle died from the disease.
After weeks of research and courage-building, I finally completed my first liver/gall bladder flush this morning. If you're wondering what this is, go to www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp for more information.
I'm not going to share the details of my experience - too "yucky" if you're not into alternative medicine. I will admit, however, that the treatment worked so well that I've added it to my cleansing regimen.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for another step to great health.
I'm an internal cleansing fanatic for one big reason: colon cancer prevention. My father has a history of colon polyps and a maternal uncle died from the disease.
After weeks of research and courage-building, I finally completed my first liver/gall bladder flush this morning. If you're wondering what this is, go to www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp for more information.
I'm not going to share the details of my experience - too "yucky" if you're not into alternative medicine. I will admit, however, that the treatment worked so well that I've added it to my cleansing regimen.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Tuesday, 3 May 2005 - Sunshine
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for sunshine.
After nearly 10 days of wet, gloomy weather, the sun reappears to resounding applause. T and I run outside, eager for the brilliant light to revive our cold and damp spirits. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. I chide myself for having taken for granted Mother Nature's generous gift - over 360 days of sunshine each year.
After discovering large dandelion colonies in the lawn and garden, I grab the weed bucket and my trusty digging tool - the one that looks like a screwdriver but has a forked end. The warm temperature surprises me. I happily break a sweat as I pull one weed after another.
T performs his usual canine routine. First, he completes a leisurely patrol of the yard's perimeter. Then, he lies down on a soft grassy bed near the penstemons - time to nap and catch a few rays.
Today, I am thankful for sunshine.
After nearly 10 days of wet, gloomy weather, the sun reappears to resounding applause. T and I run outside, eager for the brilliant light to revive our cold and damp spirits. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. I chide myself for having taken for granted Mother Nature's generous gift - over 360 days of sunshine each year.
After discovering large dandelion colonies in the lawn and garden, I grab the weed bucket and my trusty digging tool - the one that looks like a screwdriver but has a forked end. The warm temperature surprises me. I happily break a sweat as I pull one weed after another.
T performs his usual canine routine. First, he completes a leisurely patrol of the yard's perimeter. Then, he lies down on a soft grassy bed near the penstemons - time to nap and catch a few rays.
For this blessing, I am very grateful.
Amen.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Monday, 2 May 2005 - A vote for the environment
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a vote for the environment. I believe we should be faithful stewards and always err on the side of the Mother Earth. Unfortunately for the planet, the politicians think otherwise.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money. -- Cree Indian Proverb
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a vote for the environment. I believe we should be faithful stewards and always err on the side of the Mother Earth. Unfortunately for the planet, the politicians think otherwise.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money. -- Cree Indian Proverb
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Sunday, 1 May 2005 - Season of transition
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a season of transition.
The dreary weather continues. Today, the storm front comes from the south. As T and I hike along the trail, the sky spits snow and rain upon the earth. The sticky clay soil clings to my boots and T's paws. I try to walk on grassy or rocky areas, but can't avoid the annoying muck. I spend several minutes cleaning my boots in the creek before we return home.
I notice that the grass and plants thrive in the wet environment. The brown foothills now wear spring green accents. The younger scrub oak trees show off bright green leaves while their elders bear thousands of leaf buds. I discover a diversity of wildflowers blooming along the trail.
My own garden continues to thrive. In spite of the fog and snow flurries, the daffodils are close to blooming. Perhaps, after seeing their cheery yellow faces, the sun will finally emerge from its hiding place behind the mass of gray clouds.
This is our nineteenth Colorado spring. Despite the years, I am still learning that spring is a process, not a period with a set timetable that I can map out on the calendar. Winter doesn't officially end in March nor does spring officially begin. The former slowly eases out of our lives as the latter carefully eases in. The transition requires patience, faith, and a sense of humor. In my garden and in my life, I continue to nurture all three.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a season of transition.
The dreary weather continues. Today, the storm front comes from the south. As T and I hike along the trail, the sky spits snow and rain upon the earth. The sticky clay soil clings to my boots and T's paws. I try to walk on grassy or rocky areas, but can't avoid the annoying muck. I spend several minutes cleaning my boots in the creek before we return home.
I notice that the grass and plants thrive in the wet environment. The brown foothills now wear spring green accents. The younger scrub oak trees show off bright green leaves while their elders bear thousands of leaf buds. I discover a diversity of wildflowers blooming along the trail.
My own garden continues to thrive. In spite of the fog and snow flurries, the daffodils are close to blooming. Perhaps, after seeing their cheery yellow faces, the sun will finally emerge from its hiding place behind the mass of gray clouds.
This is our nineteenth Colorado spring. Despite the years, I am still learning that spring is a process, not a period with a set timetable that I can map out on the calendar. Winter doesn't officially end in March nor does spring officially begin. The former slowly eases out of our lives as the latter carefully eases in. The transition requires patience, faith, and a sense of humor. In my garden and in my life, I continue to nurture all three.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
