Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a smaller world.
My last minute email to a friend yields a warm thank you and bad news. Funny how I hesitated before sending the message. Now, I'm glad I did. If I hadn't written, I would never have known about the cancer. As a result, I feel more connected; the world feels smaller, more intimate.
Of course, the bad news catches me off-guard. Sadness mars this bright and beautiful spring day as I add another name to the list of people for whom I wear a yellow "livestrong" bracelet.
A mutual friend has Stage 4 lung cancer and is currently undergoing conventional treatment. Despite the grim prognosis, he remains in good spirits. He's a lifelong nonsmoker but then, about 10-15% of lung cancer patients make the same claim. Could it be the toxic Los Angeles smog in which we grew up, the flaky asbestos ceilings in our UCLA dorm rooms or secondhand smoke?
I've known this man since the first grade but lost track of him after college. When we graduated from high school, he gave me a bottle of my favorite Miss Dior cologne (was an expensive gift in those days). I wish I still had the bottle so I could hold it close to my heart. Would be like holding his hand while I pray.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, 30 April 2008 - Wild dandelions
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for wild dandelions. Their springtime invasion tells me that planting season is only a few weeks away.
About dandelions,
I think,
"What courage!
They grow here every year
knowing full well that I will dig them up."
About me,
Dandelions think,
"Maybe this time, she will forget."
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for wild dandelions. Their springtime invasion tells me that planting season is only a few weeks away.
About dandelions,
I think,
"What courage!
They grow here every year
knowing full well that I will dig them up."
About me,
Dandelions think,
"Maybe this time, she will forget."
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, 29 April 2008 - My longtime friend, HP
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for my longtime friend, HP, as he celebrates his birthday.
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.
~Elisabeth Foley
It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~John Leonard
We first met in the first grade which means our friendship spans 48+ years. He was the brother I never had and, I guess I was the sister he never had.
I think our friendship endures because we have profound respect and admiration for each other. In 48 years, I don't think we've ever argued or uttered a negative word about each other.
After attending elementary, junior high and high school together, we went to UCLA for our undergraduate degrees (his in history, mine in kinesiology) and postgraduate studies. We even lived in the same dorm.
My fondest memory?
During graduate school, HP stopped by during my office hours. Surprisingly, past events and old friends never crept into our conversation. Instead, we shared current challenges, future plans, hopes and dreams.
Yes, we had grown up. Together.
I knew then that, no matter how divergent our paths after we left UCLA, we would always be friends. For once, I was right.
Happy Birthday, HP!
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for my longtime friend, HP, as he celebrates his birthday.
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.
~Elisabeth Foley
It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~John Leonard
We first met in the first grade which means our friendship spans 48+ years. He was the brother I never had and, I guess I was the sister he never had.
I think our friendship endures because we have profound respect and admiration for each other. In 48 years, I don't think we've ever argued or uttered a negative word about each other.
After attending elementary, junior high and high school together, we went to UCLA for our undergraduate degrees (his in history, mine in kinesiology) and postgraduate studies. We even lived in the same dorm.
My fondest memory?
During graduate school, HP stopped by during my office hours. Surprisingly, past events and old friends never crept into our conversation. Instead, we shared current challenges, future plans, hopes and dreams.
Yes, we had grown up. Together.
I knew then that, no matter how divergent our paths after we left UCLA, we would always be friends. For once, I was right.
Happy Birthday, HP!
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, 28 April 2008 - A place for everything
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a place for everything.
That is my goal for this week ...
to find a place for each item in my writing/sewing/knitting/beading/book making studio or get rid of it. I hope the charity shop has room for my excess supplies.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a place for everything.
That is my goal for this week ...
to find a place for each item in my writing/sewing/knitting/beading/book making studio or get rid of it. I hope the charity shop has room for my excess supplies.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, 27 April 2008 - A clean culvert
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a clean culvert.
The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty.
The activist is the man who cleans up the river.
~Ross Perot
Our friend and neighbor, Ric, calls just before 1 PM. He tells S that a local Cub Scout troop is planning to pick up trash in the culvert at 1 PM and wants to know if I can join the effort. I agree to help. This unplanned project means that S, T and I must postpone our bouldering adventure by one hour. No one complains about the delay.
Only one Cub Scout, Brian, and his mother, Julie, show up at the culvert (the others are cleaning the park that lies south of the subdivision) so it's a good thing that Ric, Mark and I are available to assist. There's a lot of trash piled at the culvert's north end and scattered along the full length of the west bank. I collect the plastic bottles and aluminum cans for recycling. S arrives later with T and a shovel. He quickly breaks up and moves the pile of wet leaves that's blocking the main drainage area.
By 2 PM, the culvert is clean. Our ad hoc team disperses. Brian and Julie move to another location. Ric and Mark decide to clean up the "waterfall" area at the south end of the culvert. S, T and I go bouldering in Ute Valley Park.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a clean culvert.
The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty.
The activist is the man who cleans up the river.
~Ross Perot
Our friend and neighbor, Ric, calls just before 1 PM. He tells S that a local Cub Scout troop is planning to pick up trash in the culvert at 1 PM and wants to know if I can join the effort. I agree to help. This unplanned project means that S, T and I must postpone our bouldering adventure by one hour. No one complains about the delay.
Only one Cub Scout, Brian, and his mother, Julie, show up at the culvert (the others are cleaning the park that lies south of the subdivision) so it's a good thing that Ric, Mark and I are available to assist. There's a lot of trash piled at the culvert's north end and scattered along the full length of the west bank. I collect the plastic bottles and aluminum cans for recycling. S arrives later with T and a shovel. He quickly breaks up and moves the pile of wet leaves that's blocking the main drainage area.
By 2 PM, the culvert is clean. Our ad hoc team disperses. Brian and Julie move to another location. Ric and Mark decide to clean up the "waterfall" area at the south end of the culvert. S, T and I go bouldering in Ute Valley Park.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Saturday, 26 April 2008 - Seed planting time
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for seed planting time.
Think small. Planting tiny seeds in the small space given you can change the whole world or, at the very least, your view of it. ~Linus Mundy
I'm late. I should have started the tomatoes and peppers a few weeks ago. But, back then, I was unsure if I had the right attitude to grow vegetables this summer.
Today, I decided to try again. Not because I want to to change the whole world, but because I need to change my view of it.
So, this afternoon, I carefully plant tiny heirloom tomato and pepper seeds in small peat planters. I place the 25 planters in a lidded tray that simulates a greenhouse. I set the box in the sunny west-facing kitchen window and begin the long wait.
Tomorrow, I'll plant basil, cilantro and chives seeds in pots and transplant pelargonium cuttings. If the cold winds subside, I'll sow coreopsis, daisy, poppy, butterfly weed and marigold seeds in the backyard garden. And, I must remember to study the bulb catalog - it's already time to pre-order my selections for this fall's planting.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for seed planting time.
Think small. Planting tiny seeds in the small space given you can change the whole world or, at the very least, your view of it. ~Linus Mundy
I'm late. I should have started the tomatoes and peppers a few weeks ago. But, back then, I was unsure if I had the right attitude to grow vegetables this summer.
Today, I decided to try again. Not because I want to to change the whole world, but because I need to change my view of it.
So, this afternoon, I carefully plant tiny heirloom tomato and pepper seeds in small peat planters. I place the 25 planters in a lidded tray that simulates a greenhouse. I set the box in the sunny west-facing kitchen window and begin the long wait.
Tomorrow, I'll plant basil, cilantro and chives seeds in pots and transplant pelargonium cuttings. If the cold winds subside, I'll sow coreopsis, daisy, poppy, butterfly weed and marigold seeds in the backyard garden. And, I must remember to study the bulb catalog - it's already time to pre-order my selections for this fall's planting.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, 25 April 2008 - A gardening day
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a gardening day.
The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow.
~Author Unknown
Instead of climbing rocks and battering my hands, I worked in my front yard garden and dirtied my fingernails.
For two hours, I carefully trimmed and fed the perennials and raked the mulch.
Yes, even hardy xeriscapes need TLC in the spring, and I willingly take care of mine. My beloved garden is entering its fourth growing season. I hope its a glorious one.
(If you're interested in watching my garden grow, please visit my other blog, A Garden Grows in Colorado. I began posting entries last week. See the link at left under "Inspire Me")
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Daffodil bud
Today, I am thankful for a gardening day.
The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow.
~Author Unknown
Instead of climbing rocks and battering my hands, I worked in my front yard garden and dirtied my fingernails.
For two hours, I carefully trimmed and fed the perennials and raked the mulch.
Yes, even hardy xeriscapes need TLC in the spring, and I willingly take care of mine. My beloved garden is entering its fourth growing season. I hope its a glorious one.
(If you're interested in watching my garden grow, please visit my other blog, A Garden Grows in Colorado. I began posting entries last week. See the link at left under "Inspire Me")
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Daffodil bud
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thursday, 24 April 2008 - More signs of spring
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for more signs of spring.
S, T and I boulder and hike in Ute Valley Park for the third consecutive day. While hiking, I notice that the landscape is in an identity crisis. When I survey the area, I might guess the season to be either late autumn, late winter or early spring. Brown, tan, beige and gray dominate the current palette - very bland and quite boring.
On closer inspection, however, I see multitudes of tiny green leaf buds on the scrub oak and deciduous trees. A very good sign.
In a few weeks, spring will burst forward in all her glory, erasing chilly memories of our exceptionally cold and long winter.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photos: Mule deer graze in the meadow (Ute Valley Park)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wednesday, 23 April 2008 - My everyday miracle
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for my everyday miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
The dream-come-true winds just aren't blowing my way these days. Still, the unsettling feeling that precedes major change haunts me. Until I know exactly what's going on, I'm embracing whatever good comes my way, seeking solace in my garden, writing poetry and rock climbing.
My everyday miracle? The fact that just being here for S and T is enough to get me through my darkest days.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Miniature daffodil (front yard garden)
Today, I am thankful for my everyday miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
The dream-come-true winds just aren't blowing my way these days. Still, the unsettling feeling that precedes major change haunts me. Until I know exactly what's going on, I'm embracing whatever good comes my way, seeking solace in my garden, writing poetry and rock climbing.
My everyday miracle? The fact that just being here for S and T is enough to get me through my darkest days.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Miniature daffodil (front yard garden)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 - Planet Earth
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for my home on Planet Earth.
Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~Quoted in Time
Earth Day,
every day.
My home on Planet Earth extends beyond the 7,000 square foot lot on which our house sits.
It reaches westward to the neighborhood park, alley, greenbelt and National Forest.
It embraces places like Ute Valley Park and Red Rock Canyon where S, T and I rock climb, boulder and hike, the summits of 14,000-foot high mountains and hundreds of miles of wilderness trails.
It touches the roads I travel and stores where I shop. It includes office buildings, libraries, art museums, community gardens, gas stations, post offices and beauty salons.
And, it remembers the footprints I've left in scores of places outside of Colorado (like Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York City and New Orleans).
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: A few of the Ute Valley Park boulders
Today, I am thankful for my home on Planet Earth.
Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~Quoted in Time
Earth Day,
every day.
My home on Planet Earth extends beyond the 7,000 square foot lot on which our house sits.
It reaches westward to the neighborhood park, alley, greenbelt and National Forest.
It embraces places like Ute Valley Park and Red Rock Canyon where S, T and I rock climb, boulder and hike, the summits of 14,000-foot high mountains and hundreds of miles of wilderness trails.
It touches the roads I travel and stores where I shop. It includes office buildings, libraries, art museums, community gardens, gas stations, post offices and beauty salons.
And, it remembers the footprints I've left in scores of places outside of Colorado (like Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York City and New Orleans).
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: A few of the Ute Valley Park boulders
Monday, April 21, 2008
Monday, 21 April 2008 - A chance to say good-bye
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a chance to say good-bye.
though love be a day and life be nothing, it shall not stop kissing.
~e.e. cummings
Earlier today, S spoke with George for a few minutes, probably for the last time. Tomorrow, he moves to the hospice facility. He needs more care than his wife or visiting nurses can provide.
Last fall, after learning about the cancer's return, George decided to skip traditional radiation and chemotherapy. Probably a wise decision since the cancer had already invaded major organs.
True to his nature, he really wanted to die at home. Gently. Peacefully. On a sunny winter or spring day. Now, he claims it doesn't matter. He doesn't need hope, only comfort and painkillers.
Whenever he talks to George, S conveys my heartfelt wishes. George usually responds by asking S to give me a hug, for him.
Today, George tells S that he wishes he had known both of us longer. We feel the same way about him.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a chance to say good-bye.
though love be a day and life be nothing, it shall not stop kissing.
~e.e. cummings
Earlier today, S spoke with George for a few minutes, probably for the last time. Tomorrow, he moves to the hospice facility. He needs more care than his wife or visiting nurses can provide.
Last fall, after learning about the cancer's return, George decided to skip traditional radiation and chemotherapy. Probably a wise decision since the cancer had already invaded major organs.
True to his nature, he really wanted to die at home. Gently. Peacefully. On a sunny winter or spring day. Now, he claims it doesn't matter. He doesn't need hope, only comfort and painkillers.
Whenever he talks to George, S conveys my heartfelt wishes. George usually responds by asking S to give me a hug, for him.
Today, George tells S that he wishes he had known both of us longer. We feel the same way about him.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sunday, 20 April 2008 - Climbing fun
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for climbing fun.
True to my nature, I complain about my less-than-stellar climbing performances, forgetting that I'm 54 years old and have less than two years' experience. In response, Joe, our friend and owner of a local climbing gym, reminds me that the best climber is the person who is having the most fun.
So, with Joe's comment in mind, I have to admit that on any given afternoon, S and I are the best climbers in the world.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Saturday's adventure. I try to move on a challenging roof problem at the Ute Valley boulders. S is making progress; I am not. Today, we climbed in Red Rock Canyon.
Today, I am thankful for climbing fun.
True to my nature, I complain about my less-than-stellar climbing performances, forgetting that I'm 54 years old and have less than two years' experience. In response, Joe, our friend and owner of a local climbing gym, reminds me that the best climber is the person who is having the most fun.
So, with Joe's comment in mind, I have to admit that on any given afternoon, S and I are the best climbers in the world.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Saturday's adventure. I try to move on a challenging roof problem at the Ute Valley boulders. S is making progress; I am not. Today, we climbed in Red Rock Canyon.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Saturday, 19 April 2008 - April blooms
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for April blooms.
April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
~William Shakespeare
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photos:
-Daffodils (my front yard garden)
-Pelargonia (in pots)
-Wild crocus (Ute Valley Park)
Today, I am thankful for April blooms.April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
~William Shakespeare
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photos:
-Daffodils (my front yard garden)
-Pelargonia (in pots)
-Wild crocus (Ute Valley Park)
Friday, April 18, 2008
Friday, 18 April 2008 - A new camera
Dear God:
Today, I am thankful for a new camera.
I've gone months without a digital camera ... bad news for someone who takes about 1,000 pics a month. My withdrawal pains intensify each day as I watch my garden awaken from its winter slumber.
So, on Wednesday, S, T and I headed to Shewmaker's, the locally-owned photography shop to buy a new camera.
Long story short, I expected to buy a Canon but, after nearly two hours of shopping, ended up buying the Olympus SP-570UZ (we love Olympus lenses - already own three nondigital Olympus cameras - 2 SLRs and 1 point and shoot).
Of course, the first photo I took is of T. In the backyard. In the snow.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Today, I am thankful for a new camera.
I've gone months without a digital camera ... bad news for someone who takes about 1,000 pics a month. My withdrawal pains intensify each day as I watch my garden awaken from its winter slumber.
So, on Wednesday, S, T and I headed to Shewmaker's, the locally-owned photography shop to buy a new camera.
Long story short, I expected to buy a Canon but, after nearly two hours of shopping, ended up buying the Olympus SP-570UZ (we love Olympus lenses - already own three nondigital Olympus cameras - 2 SLRs and 1 point and shoot).
Of course, the first photo I took is of T. In the backyard. In the snow.
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
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