All posts by Helen

Of Plums and Spines

Very Grateful for~

God’s gift of time

Wyatt’s 1st birthday, to celebrate (and in lieu of gifts) his parents are asking everyone to bring something to put in a time capsule to be opened when he is 18—in the year 2029

Fresh plums

The promise from Minerva, that there will be fresh peaches today

A night spent crafting spine poetry

Garrett’s encouragement

Jean’s thoughtful emails

Dad’s memories

Forgiveness is letting it go so that your hands are not so filled with past hurts that they can not grasp onto the goodness that is waiting to be held. Forgiveness means that you are acknowledging that you may have chosen to do things differently, but that now you know better and you are treating yourself with kindness and moving forward in a new and better way…~Brave Girls’ Club

Surprises in letters and matches

Very Grateful for~

God’s surprises

A rare morning rain spell

Two interview call-backs in one morning

An eloquent recommendation letter from Garrett that was the only reason I received a callback

The “vintage” band “Boston”

The determination of Olympic athletes…inspiring

Time to discuss ideas

Dad’s memories of tennis matches

Cool water

So often in life…it’s that last mile in the marathon that shows us what it’s all about…don’t quit before the race is over. ~Brave Girls’ Club

Microwaves and Miracles

Very Grateful for~

How God leads us to learn from each other

Nighttime yoga class

Green tea

Spoons

Spending the afternoon creating instructional materials for teaching

Yonker, mowing my yard with a Stogie hanging from his mouth…for fifteen years it has been this way

Microwaves

Miracles

Reading

a better future always begins in a series of  thankful nows. ~Ann Voskamp

Insightful words, said by others

Very Grateful for~

*A friendly God

*Insightful words, said by others:
*God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa
*He rises by lifting others. ~Robert Ingersoll

*Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life. ~Eckhart Tolle
*You were born knowing how to love. At birth you instinctively reached out to be held. And you held others too, embracing their fingers. Don’t let learned fears stop you from doing what you were born to do. Love and be loved. ~Karen Salmansohn

*The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. ~Carlos Castaneda

*There is not a person alive that hasn’t had something happen that is extremely hard to get over. There is not a person alive that hasn’t gone through something hard to understand. It is OK not to understand. http://www.incourage.me/2012/08/they-will-be-comforted.html

* If anything matters then everything matters, Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes, every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every act of kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again. ~W. Paul Young

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; ~1 Timothy 4:3-5

 

Fixing it

Memories of all God has done
Amelia’s dentist
getting the car fixed (no more check engine light)
realizing that  I had not been back in two years and breathing through that
tip-toes
coordinating a speaking gig for Melissa
Garrett’s extremely helpful emails
figuring out Skype (like, how to answer a call, really basic stuff)
Zonker’s lawn service for 12 years
This post on beginning a laughing journal

A healthful hunger for a great idea is the beauty and blessedness of life. ~Jean Ingelow

Jean, Carol, and Garrett

Very Grateful for~

God’s gift of healing
Prayers for my mom from Jean, Carol, and Garrett
My brother’s safe arrival
Steaks and Klondike bars—my dad’s favorites
Nurses who are extremely patient with my mother
Finding out what is wrong with my car
Crepe myrtles in my front yard
Cookies in my mailbox from neighbor Linda
Funny emails from Rachel

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it. ~William Feather

Pancakes and Prayer

Very Grateful for~
God’s gift of healing
doctors
nurses
the medicine and technology today
the quote from the article Garrett recommended: The silence sings. It is musical. I remember a night when it was audible. I heard the unspeakable. – Henry David Thoreau
prayer
pancakes
fleece throws made by Amelia
sleep
lemon water
Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic. ~John Henry Jowett