Counting Blessings again.......

Nothing deep or philosophical today.  I just feel the need (from time to time) to list out little blessings, things that make me happy, things that make me smile.  It's good for me to recognize the little things as gifts and remember how rich my life really is.

Little things that make me happy:

• the fresh scent of clean sheets on laundry day
• the sound of children laughing as they play outside
• sweet hugs between friends where cheeks and hearts touch
• cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles
• soft, fluffy pillows
• little girls with braids
• soft green moss on grey rocks
• pretty paper umbrellas and fruit in drinks
• cuckoo clocks
• little girls in white lace socks and black patent leather shoes
• banana popsicles on a hot summer day
• the comfort of yoga pants
• John-Boy Walton-style old manual typewriters
• The smell of warm, buttery popcorn
• Turning out a perfectly baked skillet of golden brown cornbread
• gingham and calico fabrics
• Hearing the words, "Hi Mommy!" when I answer my phone
• roadside fruit stands and curb markets
•  antique shops
• the act of grating fresh nutmeg.  I love the feel of it, the sound of it. the smell of it and the taste of it! 
• waking up before the alarm goes off in the morning and feeling rested
• the crunchy baked-on ketchup bits on top of meatloaf
• riding a bike with the wind blowing your hair
• the excitement of seeing a pony
• slicing and dicing vegetables.....it's empowering!
• the smell of crayola crayons and a new can of Play-Doh 
• eating with chopsticks
• Picnics!
• When you buy something and need to remove the price-sticker...and it all comes off in one big piece without tearing! Best feeling ever! 
• slow dancing to old songs
• getting a real hand-written letter in the mail
• looking at old photographs
• fingerwaves and other vintage hairstyles (Buy I draw the line at the bee-hive and the bouffant, however!) 
• Ladies gloves and dainty handkerchiefs 
• umami 
• relaxing with a glass of good quality red wine after a long day 
• Sweet potato cakes that my daughter picked out just for me
• writing with a nice, weighted pen
• freshly mown grass
• wood fires- the spicy smell and the crackling sounds and the mesmerizing flames
• nighttime choruses of crickets, peepers, croakers and cicadas
• the perfect weight of a sleeping baby in my arms
• lightening bugs at dusk
• hearing my husband's heartbeat when he holds me close
• sequins, lame', glitter, glitz, and bling
• fluffy, warm pancakes with melting butter and warm maple syrup
• kissing the soft, pink cheek of my daughter
• a soothing bubblebath
• little bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion from hotels
• taking off my high-heels at the end of a long-day 
• falling asleep when you first hit the bed...no tossing or turning
• getting "likes" on Facebook statuses and pics
• Greek Salads. They are seriously delicious.
• Sweet puppy kisses
• shooting stars and making wishes
• snuggles on the couch
• coming home
• anticipation
• trying new things
• knowing all the words to a song
• whipped cream
• sunshine after a rainy day
• my son's smile and twinkling eyes when he laughs
• riding in the car with the top down, letting the wind blow my thoughts around
• singing out loud
• icecream cones
• foggy mornings
• the way my husband always holds my hand when we pray
• handmade quilts
• breezes blowing curtains at the window
• school supplies
• coloring in coloring books
• old church steeples
• fern fronds
• steam rising from hot pavement after a cooling rain
• old barns
• rocking chairs
• fried bologna sandwiches with yellow mustard
• the smell of cedar
• tacky Hawaiian print shirts 
• birdhouses
• trips to the zoo
• pretty pink toenail polish
• lace doilies
• soft puppy bellies 
• rosebuds
• seersucker suits
• flipflops
• the smell of Pine-Sol
• hammocks
• daffodils
• Nelly-Olsen curls
• lemon curd on scones with clotted cream
• old dishes
• secret gardens
• clearance sales
• morning sunbeams
• fingernail moons
• feeling sexy
• wind chimes
• new tube of lipstick
• seeing the Big Dipper in the night sky
• sunrise
• dewdrops on spiderwebs
• finding 4-leaf clovers
• sunny yellow dandelions
• finding the perfect gift for someone
• tangy keylime pie
• cowgirl boots
• the first foot prints in fresh snow
• waterbirds that teeter around on ridiculously skinny legs
• the smell of an old book
• the softness of a watercolor painting
• making eye contact with my husband and not even needing words to know what he is thinking
• parasols
• tiaras and crowns
• waterfalls
• long, hot showers
• when dust dances in a beam of sunlight
• dainty teacups
• musicals - why can we all sing and dance together in real life? 
• swinging on the playground
• castles
• watching cartoons
• blowing on the fluffy white dandelion fly-away flowers after making a wish
• lipgloss
• good dreams
• fireworks
• fairies
• purple
• doggies dressed up in clothes
• walking barefoot through the grass
• when someone tells me that they saw something that reminded them of me
• wire baskets
• Snoopy and Charlie Brown
• the ocean
• worship
• rainbows
• warm cookies and cold milk
• when a pond or lake is so still and peaceful that it becomes a perfect mirror 
• when I can make someone else laugh
• blowing bubble-gum bubbles
• starfish
• old rock walls
• the goofy way people in infomercials can't do basic, common tasks (like peel a boiled egg) correctly
• eclairs
• horse and carriage rides
• cafe au lait 
• When people say, "hump daaaaaay" on Wednesdays
• watching my favorite tv series
• Making the perfect recipe
• Having the windows open at my house. Fresh air is wonderful!
• Free samples.  Doesn't even matter what of.  
• well-written prose
• when someone saves you a seat

Goals for 2015 - A Work in Progress

2015 GOALS




1.  Healing   I need to take better care of myself.  This includes fueling myself with healthy foods, getting enough water, limiting the toxic junk that I put in and on my body, exercising my heart and lungs and muscles, getting enough sleep and rest, not wallowing in self-pity or allowing myself to play the victim.  Now that I'm getting older, my body doesn't bounce back as quickly as it once did....and it's the only body I have (with the possible exception of the invention of better, bionic replacement parts). I need to nurture and care of myself a little more. 


2.  Travel - My burning desire to see the world has not lessened....if anything, it has intensified!  I want to see it all!  On the trip-planner for this year so far:  Miami, Las Vegas, and Pennsylvania. 


3.  Mercy - Mercy for those who wrong me, those who irritate me, those who detest me, those who tolerate me.  Mercy for myself.....because I am often the worst offender of all of the above.  Unmerited Favor.  Undeserved Grace....forgiveness when it doesn't make sense.  Oh, how I need to both experience and extend more Mercy. Not in an unhealthy- no boundaries- kind of way, but in a loving and kind way.   Every single person is fighting a battle; every single person needs to be forgiven, understood, and loved.  I want to be a part of that.


4.  Horseback Riding - it's been on my list for about 3 years now....a hold-over from my childhood, perhaps.......maybe this is the year?


5.  Writing - I receive such a joy and an emotional release from the simple act of writing.  I have NO idea why this past year, when I needed joy and release almost more than I needed oxygen to breathe, I avoided writing and I avoided relationships and I avoided almost everything that could bring me the relief I so desperately sought.  I want to write more.....it doesn't even have to be deep and revealing.  I just want to experience the thrill of writing words on paper and seeing thoughts take shape!  Poems, Lists, Menus, letters, memos, notes, journals, blogs, notes of encouragement, cards, texts to tell someone that I love them.  I just want to express what's locked up inside me with words!


6.  Joy in The Journey - I want to experience joy on a daily basis.  No more waiting for the weekend; no more counting the days until vacation or a trip or an event.  No more surviving work days to get to the off days.  Because the days that I'm just surviving.....just enduring....just getting through....those are the days of my LIFE. These days precious minutes/hours/seconds that will be gone forever.  They are not something to be endured, to "get through" or just bear.....this is the only time I will get to share; to experience; to learn; to love.  I have wasted so much time waiting for better days.....I have missed so many small joyous moments waiting for the drama of big events.  My new goal is to find joy along the way....to look for roses to smell along the path....to slow down in traffic enough to enjoy getting to the place I look forward to going. 


7.  Mindfulness  This goal goes hand-in-hand with finding joy in the journey.  I want to really, truly savor things and be mindful of each blessing.  I have rushed to get through work, rushed to run errands, rushed to eat, rushed to clean, rushed to do just about every task that I have to do and I miss so much in my hustle-and-bustle hurry!  How many, many times have I squandered the simple joys of feeling sunshine on my arms, a cool breeze in my face....I have given up savoring the rich taste of my morning coffee, stopping to breathe deeply to inhale the fresh scent after the rain, and cherishing the exchange of quiet smiles of the ones I love. I need to just S-L-O-W D-O-W-N and really experience things with all of my senses.  To be mindful of even the small, seemingly insignificant things and count them as blessings. How much richer my life will be!!!


8.  Keeping in Touch - with my family across the globe, with far-flung friends who have moved, with family and friends who stayed put when we keep moving......remembering the good times, remembering the love and laughter we have shared.......and remembering to reach out to those special, precious people to let them know I'm thinking of them.  This is something I have neglected, but want to remember to do!  This year, I want to be more about interacting, engaging, and connecting and a LOT less about isolating. 


9.  Banishing Fear - Fear of being alone; Fear of being wrong; Fear of loss;  Fear of missing out; Fear of failure;  Fear of the dark; Fear of FEAR itself.  Fear of just about everything.  I am tired of being afraid. Adventures, Risks, and (controlled) Danger.....I am seeking you out this year!


10.  Continuing to navigate the mine-field of parenting adult children - Still struggling with how to interact with my kids, now that they aren't kids anymore.   They are adults: living adult lives, doing adult things, and making adult decisions.  That I often don't agree with, believe in, or endorse.  But I still love them with more than my whole heart.  And I want to support them and encourage them and still have a relationship with them.  And it's hard.  And it hurts.  But it's worth it.


11. Marriage - My marriage is precious. It is my shelter from the world, a refuge where I am safe and loved - no matter if I'm getting older, uglier, fatter, or crazier.  I want to feed and nurture my relationship with my amazing husband.  It just seems to get sweeter and sweeter as time goes by.  Our love grows deeper, more mature, and has endured more trials.  I want to acknowledge him more....show him that I love him unconditionally and without reservation.   I want him to experience the sweetness and romance that he bestows on me.  His thoughtfulness, his playfulness, his gifts and acts of service and words of love.......I need to be better at expressing all of these things back to him.