"Supermoon"

For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise
or the magnificence of a full moon, but it is impossible to fathom
the magnitude of the universe
that surrounds us.
~ Richard H. Baker

In a word: Wow. What words can possibly describe the miracle of the moon? And word is, it hasn't been this size in 18 years.

I'm blessed to have seen this & am thanking God for sharing his masterpiece.

These pictures are courtesy of my lovely, Italian bella, 'sistah-from-anotha-motha', Lisa D. Incredible, no? Thanks for sharing, sister :-}

High on Arrival

Some years ago, my sister, treated me to Oprah's weekend workshop "Live Your Best Life."
In San Francisco.
It was a whirlwind of unbelievable. Flew out Friday & in on Sunday. I was so full of exhilaration & on such a high. It lasted for days on end. Overwhelming enough to go from being at work one day, then the next seeing the beauty of the City. Then the next day, spending the entire day in the presence of Oprah. Unreal.
While my sister & I were trying to sneak pictures that weren't allowed, security asked us if we wanted to greet Ms. Winfrey as she "exited the limo."
Then there she was. "This" close.
The afternoon spent w/2,500+ women (& some men) & Oprah was the amazing experience (besides child birth) ever. O is really the shit; a huge force to be reckoned with, but SUPER funny! And very down-home, like a cousin or something. She kicked off the stiletto's & wore her slippers 5 min. into coming out on stage. By the end of the workshop, it felt like I had 2,498 new friends. The feeling of self-love & sisterhood made me glow.

On the plane coming back home (it was clear flying out - you could see the ground below from Ohio to S.F.; same way coming home), I was SO giddy, I filled nearly 1/2 the journal Oprah passed out (PS: she did give away some cool stuff - I still use the duffle bag.) It was a blessed gift from my sister! For me, that is one great memory I'll not forget. It was the last time I got really excited about something!*



After a week or so, my hyper level mellowed & my life returned to it's routine.

"But that is the beginning of a new story..."**

Pictures: internet
*Daydreaming on Paper
**Carry On Tuesday

This is the truth about me

1. Sometimes I feel inadequate, even though I know I am enough
   
2. I don't consider my job as a legal assistant to be a 'career', even though I've been doing this type of work for over 15 years
   
3. I try to do everything at once (Adult ADHD???)
   
4. I'm an impulse buyer
5. I am still looking love that I can return, wholly, unconditionally & truthfully, even though I've been in present relationship for 21 years
   
6. I never meet a stranger
7. I am open & welcoming to everyone, but close myself off to having close friends
8. I pray that God's plan for me include helping those less fortunate than I
9. Even though my autistic son is now 23 years old, being wholly responsible for his advancing into adulthood terrifies me more than when he was a child
   
10. Some days when I'm in a thoughtful mood, I can go nearly all day without saying a word

"Daydreaming on Paper" word thoughts: "This is the truth about me"

Pictures by: me :-) (I have an uncanny love for sea shells. They are art for the taking if you take your time & look)

Love Thursday: Lilly Love

"Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise!" ~Wallace Stevens

Today is the first day that it truly seems like Spring is on it's way. The rains have ceased, skies are blue, green grass shoots are peeking up thru the poor, beat up ground, and all of the mess of winter is on display loud & clear. I am dreading the major cleanup of my yard with all the tree limbs from several ice storms, but the end result always makes me feel good & thank God for letting me see another season.

I almost get a giddy-type of sensation in this season for all of the possibilities that Spring brings: my hosta garden returning each year - bigger & better; new plants to try out, hanging baskets to make, keeping bird bath & feeders filled, planting butterfly plants to attract butterflies, wondering how much more huge my Gabriel's Trumpet bush will grow (it took over the entire front & side of the house last year), an organized photography walk (my 1st one - can't wait!), & of course, the new veggie garden. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's my favorite type of work :-)

Random Fact: My dream job would be to if not own, then to work full time in a nursery. Spending every day all day amongst the plants/flowers, dead-heading & watering sounds like full time bliss :-)

The late, great, Norman Vincent Peale gives these four tips for a Spiritual Spring Cleaning. Doesn't a nice 'clean' soul to start out Spring sound great? :-)

PS: Continuous prayers for Japan. I have to say that in spite of their tragedy, the people seem to be the most calm, organized, orderly, group of folks in spite of their pain and losses. They say the disaster is really taking its toll on the elderly (who happen to be my favorite type of people). My heart aches for them.

Happy Love Thursday, all!



Pictures by: me :-) (the "white lily" & the "eye of the Tiger...". nearly 2 weeks since I bought this fresh cut bunch for my office & they're still thriving. Yay!!)

Simple Sunday randoms

I have more snow pictures, but I'm feeling soggy. Rains, then boat-loads of snow takes it toll. It sure is beautiful, but I sure am a little tired of seeing it :-\

Thoughts of thankfulness:

• chocolate fudge cake for dessert & chicken noodle soup (from scratch) in the crock pot. both excellent
  
• thanks to Pillsbury for putting 'Decadent Dark Chocolate Fudge" icing in a can w/a nozzle on the end. So much neater & easier to squirt into your mouth
• "Daydreaming on Paper" for more food for thought
  
• Construction paper as a back drop. DUH!
  
• went to a church concert w/mom this afternoon. I'm glad I fought the urge not to go. It was nice & made her happy
• "Nelson", the homeless guy @ the library, told me he collects stones & has one for me. He didn't feel like digging through his huge bag of belongings to look for it so I told him I'd get it next time I saw him. I'm looking forward to receiving
• many prayers for Japan
  
• spending a solid hour, un-interupted, shooting pictures in natural kitchen light. Well, nearly un-interrupted... why do people have goofy questions the minute they see you pick up your camera? (lol!)
• Learning new camera things & shooting random things on a whim
• Podcasts & audio books on iPod. Blissdom.
  
• a new Gift of Jewels project! Yay! It's always such a chain of love.

Pictures by: me :-)

Vacation for one, please

"I may be just a foolish dreamer. But I don't care.
'Cause I know my happiness is waiting out there somewhere.
Somewhere.
I'm searching for that silver lining. Horizons that I've never seen.
Oh I'd like to take just a moment and dream my dream.
Dream my dream.
Zoom.
I'd like to fly far away from here.
Where my mind is fresh and clear.."

Pictures by: me :-)
Lyrics: "Zoom" by the Commodores

Love Thursday: Simple Love

Sigh... we are scheduled to get hit with 3-5" of snow tonite continuing on into tomorrow for another 3-5". I choose to remain calm because this is, after all, Ohio...

Some things in my life right now that I simply love:

• Beautiful touchstones from a dear, talented friend. Seems she knows exactly how & when to surprise me with these gems. Sometimes I rub them around in my hands & feel the smooth coolness. Oh, & I close my eyes & repeat the words on each one. Soothing.

• This beautiful Tibetan prayer flag. Have always noticed them & never knew what they were, now I have one. Red, yellow, blue, green & pink. It cheers me up! Ask and you shall receive! (thanks, again, friend).
  

• My super-cool, cheap-o reading glasses w/matching case. I don't wear glasses otherwise, but when I put these on, I feel super-smart. :-)
  

• The old-fashioned roses & stitching on my bedspread. Not only is it pretty & all things 'girlie', it's 'heavy' & snuggly. Which is good, since... you know.. we're expecting 3-5" tonite...
  

And finally, these Gerbera daisies I treated myself to. I'm so starved for color, and with the "3-5" coming tonite, there won't be any color any time soon, so I provide my own. Aren't they simply blissful?


Happy Love Thursday, all!!!


Pictures by: me :-)

Good & saved

When I was young, my parents sent me & my 2 younger brothers to a very large church that was age-appropriate for us, so that we could learn & understand spirituality. This was a good thing; we had very kind teachers that made learning about the Word fun. We made friends, sang songs, learned the lessons/stories of the Bible, Bible verse contests, had camp sleepovers, picnics; it was nothing like the quiet, stuffy, "sit up straight" pains of our family church.

At the end of every Sunday school service, everyone went to the "big auditorium." This was where church services were televised, had a huge congregation with a big, booming pastor & the biggest cross I've ever seen in my life on the ceiling. I was very intimidated about going into "the big part", it was scary stuff: grown ups, that pastor's voice, that cross - surely Jesus, God, the devil & everything else was all up in there. I wanted nothing to do with it. But we had to go in because, as the teacher said, we may want to "get saved."

So, before the end of services the pastor called out for ones wanting salvation to come forth. I sat still as stone & peeked out to see if any of my classmates were going upfront. Since we were in prayer, there was 'sposed to be heads bowed, eyes closed, no peeking, but every time I looked, somebody was always looking right back at me.

One Sunday, I didn't think about what anyone else was doing. I wanted this great thing our teacher kept speaking of. So I stood up. My teacher stood w/me, smiling. After prayer & shouts of AMEN!! & clapping for those wanting Jesus in their hearts (I felt like I was on the red carpet), she took me into an empty classroom, we read passages from the Bible (John, 3:16, I'm sure) & I accepted Jesus into my heart to be my personal savior.

Following week: Same routine. I was no longer afraid of the "big church" & that big cross on the ceiling cause it was all gravy now. Jesus was my buddy, he was all up in my heart, I had been saved. HOWEVER... when the invitation was offered, I stood up again & was whisked away by a different teacher, who went over the same things with me. Again, I was happy. I was saved by the blood of Jesus!!!

Week three: Same routine. No fear. When the call came, I stood up. I noticed I didn't get as many claps, cheers & AMEN's this time. Hmmm... No, THIS TIME... my teacher grabbed the bottom of my dress & lowered me back into my seat.

Her: "where are you going, honey???"
Me: goin' up to get saved (said very matter-of-factly, like "goin to the store.")
Her: "you did that last week. In fact, you did that the last TWO weeks. You have been saved."
Me: "I know, but it always feels like it wore off by around Wednesday"
I'm not real sure what she said - she was laughing hysterically...

She then made me hold up my five fingers & remember the 5-fingered prayer: I. Shall. Never. Leave. Thee. She said Jesus is always in my heart since the 1st time I asked him. He's always been there & always will be.

That was so many years ago, but I remember it clearly as if it were yesterday. And, in my adult life, you had better believe there are many times I hold up my hand & say that prayer on my fingers.

You know - just to make sure "it's" still there & hasn't "worn off..." (LOL!)

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me,
and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14

Picture by: me :-) (neighbor's sun-catcher catching the sun!)

Preference

I once only knew to shoot pictures in "JPEG"...

.... but now I prefer shooting in "RAW".




Pictures by: me
Sunday Scribbling word prompt: "raw"

Respect & Fear

I tried to pull myself awake, but it felt like I was stuck in cement. I wanted nothing more than to fall back into my deep sleep, but my name was being called with urgency. When I finally got it together, the words came through, again, with more urgency.

"The house is on fire!!!"

In a haze, I alerted my son as the thick smell of smoke hit me. We ran down the steps & as soon as I turned the corner, I noticed I could not see the ceiling or the ceiling fan - just thick, gray smoke. I grabbed an afghan and pushed my son out onto the porch & ran to the kitchen. What I saw is engraved on my mind.

Huge, evil flames danced up from the top of the stove & licked fiercely at my cabinets. The crock of utensils on the counter were completed melted, as were the paper towel holder; the curtains, the mini-blinds; & in the middle of it all was "D", fighting the flames with wild abandon, his eyes wild with fear.

I moved in slow motion, not knowing if I should run outside, or stay & try to help. "Where's the flour???" he screamed, while I watched in awe. "It's over the stove", I barely said. Over the stove in the cabinets that were being slowly burned. Amazingly, he reached over the fire into the cabinet & tossed a massive amount of flour into the flames.

Not a good idea, but believe it or not, it worked. Once the fire was sustained. He and I stood in the middle of the now blackened kitchen. Him scorched with black soot while we both looked around as if we had been dropped into a dream. As it turns out, he had been cooking & fell asleep.

The smoke had awakened him, too. He said when he saw what was going on, he panicked, & at first thought of running to safety. Then he alerted me & started to run again, but he said what changed his mind was that he could see me kicking his ass if he let my house burn, so he ran back in a dealt with the devil.

The firemen came & commended him for his bravery. They could not believe he had put the fire out alone. They then shared their stories of fires at their own homes caused in almost the same way. Firemen having fires? Really?? After a couple of months, I had a brand new kitchen & appliances, and a whole new respect & fear for fire. It's fast, furious, dangerous & does not discriminate.

And the new house rule: fire extinguisher in the pantry; smoke alarms working @ all times (in spite of pesky beeping); if you don't get your belly full by 8:00 p.m., you're shit outta luck. No cooking anything once the kitchen is 'closed'. If you're starved for a snack, check the new cabinets - there's plenty of microwave popcorn.

And don't burn it....




Pictures: Internet courtesy
Sunday Scribbling word prompt: fire
PS: This is a true story of my fire of about 10 years ago. Scary!!!

Love Thursday: Social Network

I don't know if I've mentioned this here or not, but I am the proud parent of a 23 year-old autistic young man. This is he and I when he was 13 months old; he had been diagnosed five months earlier. I would've never known to get him checked out, but thanks to my mom (mother of 9), she recognized the signs in him, or the lack of signs; not walking, not curious, not really interested in anything.

It took quite a few years before I finally shed my own selfishness and accepted reality. When I did, the world bloomed. I realized I had a child that God had made perfectly & especially for me, and had entrusted me with the knowledge that I would be able to take care of and raise this special boy. That fact always has gotten me thru the tough days - back then and still today.


My son is quite the handsome, polite, gentleman today. Very kind, laid back, trouble-free & extremely easy to please. He never asks for anything, which makes me want to do even more for him. With him being immersed in every sport (basketball, baseball, track), we are constantly on the go. After nearly 15 years of being the taxi & the responsible mom of an athlete, I have to say a lot of times, I get very tired. And at times, very irritated.

Being a parent of a special-needs person means to some degree, you will always be their social. Special needs vary on different degrees. My son has friends who live in group homes & are totally independent of their parents. Our case is not. My son very well could live elsewhere, but "we" choose to stay together. He's very, very shy, unable to make informed decisions & in no way could or would stand up for himself or speak up for himself, so quite often, I am also his voice.

So, in addition to trying to keep my own life on track, I keep my son's life on track, which takes a lot of balance. As he is a young adult, there are young adult issues to deal with. When your brain feels like it's gonna run outta your ears from exhaustion, you still need to keep your suit of armor on cause it's not just about you, but about another human being who is counting on you.


So, with God watching over us every day, all day, and continuously blessing us with more than we (well, I) deserve, we make a pretty good team. Even though I'm an old-school parent who keeps the boundaries between parent/friendship very clear, he truly is my best friend. He's my walking partner, my confidant, my teacher, my attitude-adjuster, my sun on a cloudy day & we mutually respect each other. With all those gifts, I hardly ever notice being tired! (sometimes... :-))

"Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful." -- Annette Funicello

Happy Love Thursday, all!


Pictures by: me :-}