A Still Life

I spotted this lovely during our visit to the pediatrician this morning. Worth the visit.

Wading through a year of pics on my phone, here are latest sightings.

Water painting in the early morning.

Homemade cherry limeade, unsweetened.

A 15-yard bolt of fabric made in a South Carolina factory; purchased at 50% off + free shipping.

Pentecost decorations for a lively worship with a loving crowd.

Enjoying the completed walls of art as I come-and-go from the Y.

My favorite part of baking bread.

A quiet spot out front.

Not bad for mid-June. I’m delighted to think of all we’ll notice together this Summer.

I have a slightly abused Pantech phone with countless photos stored away inside its tiny memory card. The quality isn’t great, and I forget I’ve taken pictures. But there are some great moments tucked away in this little mobile phone.

Early morning tea:

Great urban art on my drive to and from the Y:

A recent fundraiser date-night with My Love:

Perfect Spring afternoons of play with The Girl, The Boy, and our old dog:

What moments are tucked away inside your phone? What are you noticing today?

If I had a better camera, you would be amazed by these beauties.

Today is gorgeous. GORGEOUS! The Boy and My Love are off to soccer, The Girl is about to take a nap, and there are so many ways I want to spend this day that I can’t decide where to start. Will I paint furniture on the front porch? Will I weed the walk? Will I start planting our pea seedlings? No matter what wins, I will soak up the sun and savor this amazing afternoon.

I am thankful for the luxury of choice and time. I am thankful for the luxury of an empty schedule. I am thankful for a gentle, kind, funny spouse. I am thankful for the delightful evening out we shared last night that “ended too soon,” he said. I am thankful for how much we enjoy each other after a dozen years in relationship and ten years in marriage. I am thankful for funny children, precocious as they may be, who keep life interesting and busy and full. Sure, there are plenty of things in life that are not perfect and are not as I wish for them to be. But there is so much more that is better than I could have ever asked or imagined. For all those things, I am thankful.

So get off the computer, friends. Go, soak up the sun. And if it’s not sunny where you are today, then sit and make a good, sunny, long list of all the things in your life for which you give thanks. Notice the abundance that surrounds you!

Today is gloomy. It’s cold. Scheduling is a bit mixed up. And I could focus on all of that and get grumpy. But that’s a waste of energy and a waste of a day in the house that could be fun and productive. Instead, I’m noting gratitude for:

• berry smoothies with Bob’s wheat germ
• digging through old issues of Southern Living for ideas for our next supper club
• a simple suggestion to move from chaos to order with just 4 items per day
• a few spontaneous sewing projects accomplished yesterday afternoon (photos soon) and plans for new ones
• shiny pink toes after a quiet outing with friends
• sprouting coneflower seeds
• the mystery orchid (that is opening after eight months of wondering) is white with a vibrant purple center

What do you notice today? What brightens your day?

The only time I really wish I had a fancy camera is when something beautiful and small starts happening around the house. Like the daffodils sprouts that were hiding under the last of the leaves or the deep purple peony shoots that are emerging. The lovely treat indoors is the explosion of orchids by our front door. If they all bloomed at the same time, we’d have well over a dozen blooms. I may enlist the aid of a camera-rich friend to capture the wonder of these orchids. I kind of think I’m like these orchids. They are slow and steady in their growth and only bloom after a long, long wait. Something’s coming soon, and that’s exciting.

On a morning excursion to pick up some yummy items for our weekend menu, this lovely reminder from area artist, Happy, was waiting for us at Farm to Family as invocation and reminder and blessing.

If you live in Richmond, you really should make stopping by Farm to Family part of your weekly routine. I spoke with Suzi briefly this morning and learned of their big plans for summer activities for families. It’s an exciting thing to support local business and local, sustainable farming practices with my time and with my dollar. In these winter months, I’ve slipped into quick and easy shopping habits at the large supermarket where folks carry groceries to the car for me. (When I’m out with two kids, that kind of help matters.)

But I can make different choices and better choices each week. As the season of soups, stews, and chilis winds down, I am welcoming a fresh season with return to daily and weekly practices that support wellness; that includes what we physically consume and how we consume as shoppers. I need this reminder often. Each moment counts. Each moment is precious. Each moment can be redemptive, if we choose it and claim it. Glad and thankful for that blessing from Happy and friends today.

For a quiet moment in my very own home tucked between fresh, white sheets while the sun is still out with a grand stack by my side, I am thankful.

The big week is finally here, and our countdown calendars have few days left while the wreath has only one remaining candle to light. The glee from my eldest is contagious! As always, my children have me noticing all that is around me. When I get too wrapped up in my words and thoughts on the hope and peace and joy and love of this season, my children remind me to simply be in it; live it.

The train comes around again and again and again!

Taking a break just to watch the water.

Trains and flowers and fairy houses, oh my.

Like her mommy, The Girl is tolerating the cold with an eye for warmer days.

But the Boy has big plans for three months of snowball fights.