My weekend was busy!

A night out with Carol is a Gratitude list on its own.Highlights would be grown  up mac’n’cheese at the Bistro. Maple bacon ice cream at Stoddards. The Music Man at Stow H.S. Fun evening!

Two new people at Laughing Club. Always nice to spread the word that laughter is beneficial.

It seems at Church there is always one song that is speaking directly to me. The lyrics of one spoke to my soul.

Singing in the choir is so joyful. When we lift our voice is song, I picture God saying do you hear that those are my children.

Working together in the Church kitchen to set up a reception for the Children’s musical. Everyone working together. Laughter.Fellowship. So much food!

The Children’s musical. Fish Tales. The expressions on their faces. The potential comedian. The passion with which they sang their songs. The one who had to run off to go potty. Best of all, the three year old scene stealer dressed as a fish who in dress rehearsal just stood there but with the audience eyes on her began to dance and twirl and sway smiling broadly while the other children sang their closing song!

Home at last to both fall asleep during a recorded program!

I look at this week and it will be busy. I will use these precious memories to propel me through.

1. God
2. No longer avoiding the beach
3. Letting Peabody run free until we were told he couldn’t, might disturb the plover nests, so we walked a ways around and then onto the sand again
4. The Revere Beach diet (a clamroll, also hot dogs for Peabody)
5. Magnolia buds
6. Charlene and Richard took us out to dinner
7. Cassie organized the closet, where we keep the CDs and DVDs and inside which I’d packed lots of stuff and forgotten about it. Lucky her, she found a few gifts I’d been planning to give to her. None of them as nice a gift as a clean closet.
8. Taking time to listen more closely and patiently during phone calls (rather than saying “don’t talk while I’m interrupting”

• It really is here!
• Early wildflowers – skunk cabbage, trout lilies, violets et al
• The way distant trees look surreal (like watercolor paintings) when they get their first brush of green
• Spending lots of time outside
• Seeing the fruits of my labors
• Not being too upset about falling behind on some things
• Handling distractions without complaining (not too much, anyway:)
• Giving myself permission to eat anything I wanted today…
• …including ice cream from Honey Hut (coconut and chocolate chocolate chip), which was beyond yummy
• Sharing my gratitude with all of you                                                                                                              #cswshare

1. Early walk on the towpath, though brief
2. Starbucks coffee with heavy cream- my absolute favorite
3. Breakfast with my inlaws
4. Time for my girl to run and play and imagine- good for her esp. during all this change
5. Rain
6. The library
7. Running and laughter
8. Making mud pancakes
9. And sometimes real ones
10. Compassion

1. Really allowing that part of me have a day of icecream, chocolate cakes etc.
2.  Responding to the inner nudge to let go of  a connection that doesn’t suit me anymore
3.  Making good use of Sunday – alone in the house.
4.  Eckhart Tolle live meditation online
5. The Delta music program that enables children to connect worldwide – and playfully create music together.
6.  Ever new solutions to recycle wastewater – California, Brasil:0)
7. I think i want to rave about my aunt – she’s always so easy to please – and my heart dances along                   Have a Wonderful Monday!

• Getting up early and writing Morning Pages while sipping good strong coffee
• A pleasant morning drive across town
• Beginning a new class
• Arriving 15 minutes early
• Having the honor & privilege of studying with a master healer
• Meeting and connecting with like-minded people
• Exciting new concepts
• Infinite possibilities
• Rediscovering that we are born with everything we need
• Giving and receiving                                                                                                                                  #cswshare

1. Finally in our apartment, basking in the quiet and solitude
2. Except for the neighbors, who are wrestling upstairs? Throwing each other on the floor, wordlessly? It’s fun trying to figure it out.
3. Hearing good news about the house we made an offer on- they accepted, now for the inspection
4. Huge, tons, massive help from my MIL today, who watched the kids and then cleaned. She’s wonderful.
5. And Tessa, who took Ava out with G for a looong walk while I did the floors and unpacked. She came back full of joy, and tired.
6. A new way of being in my relationships (who’d have thought being 100%, no bones about it, clear about what I want would be so effective?)
7. On that note, there were two instances where I stood my ground with an extended family member today, and darn if that doesn’t feel good to say, “No.” and then, “No. I said no, and NO is how it’s going to be.” and finally, at some point, 80 no’s later, being heard. (Strangely enough, 3 year olds never hear that word, must be one of those sound frequency things, like when they play high-pitched noises for teenagers that middle-agers and older can’t hear.)
8. Trying, and trying, and trying again. Because when you fall 7, stand up 8 and all that. And standing up is all I know how to do.
9. A less busy day than I anticipated, oh what joy
10. Building castles in the sky

• Face daily challenges
• Juggle interruptions
• Ask questions
• Receive answers
• Talk it over
• Say “yes” to emotions
• Forgive myself
• Accept what is
• Think about what might be
• Trust
  #cswshare

• Sun peeking out over the mountains this morning
• Snow on surrounding mountains and the sleeping giant
• Trees budding, so awesome
• “Heaven Is For Real”
• Al and Sue back from AZ
• Family pranksters putting a playing card on GPa’s bike so that it makes a clickclickclick noise when he rides :)
• Almost to Ft. Harrison when we had to stop for deer to cross the road in front of us…
• When we got inside we saw a man who was round in size, had a beautiful white beard to go with his white hair, and was wearing a red shirt…hummm…am wondering if we should name those deer..Dasher, Prancer, etc. :):)
• Read John Steinbeck’s quote again:  “I’m in Love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection.  But with Montana it is Love.  And it’s difficult to analyze Love when you’re in it.”

It seems my lists are getting shorter but in each word is something to cling to, a hope for tomorrow.A brightness in today.

God (Sorry Garrett but He’s the center. The Alpha and Omega! )

Sleep

The dollar store -$6 worth of joy

Laughter (I made a sandwich after choir and then couldn’t find it. I asked the dog he looked guilty so I made another. Went for a drink found the sandwich ate it too.)

Music

Singing

My daughter- She is finding out being an adult is not what she thought but

Flowers -Daffodils are putting on a show

Friends

People who listen Thanks Ralph

Something to look forward to