Simply Moments

I've been shopping like mad this week to finish up all the Christmas gifts that had to be mailed.  Got everything organized yesterday, then spent most of last night wrapping until I was dizzy and had tape and paper and gift tags from one end of the house to the other--though part of the chaos was due to my curious and nosy sidekick, Benny, who kept running off with things! Fell into bed exhausted, but this morning I made it to the post office just minutes after they unlocked the doors and now all the packages are off and away... woo hoo !!!!!!  I'm just so happy and relieved to have it all finished I can hardly stop smiling!!  Now I can relax, catch up on all the stuff I let slide this week, then begin my favorite part of the season: making Christmas cookies!!  (Okay, enough with the exclamation points, honest.) I probably won't post again until New Year's Day.  And, wow, not only where did this year go, but where did the decade go?  However, let's leave those

I woke up this morning to the first snowfall of the season.  It was softly quiet outside, as snow somehow always is, the large flakes dancing in the air like lazy, white butterflies.  The ground was covered, the trees decorated with snow drifts, the beautiful silence so magical. It's not often there is snow at this time of year where I live. I stood on the back deck watching my wee dog investigate the strange, cold weirdness that had invaded his space whilst he slept, smiling when he gave me a look like it was all my fault. Shivering in my pajamas, I stomped my slippered feet a few times--as if that would warm me up--took some deep yoga breaths of the crisp frigid air, and reveled in the moment, thankful for the unexpected wonder of nature.  I had my first laugh of the day when Benny buried his nose in the snow, then raised it with a big dollop on the end like frosting. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in America.  Traditionally, it's a time to reflect on what you're

11/29/2019  Update :  This wonderful book was just chosen as Waterstones Book of the Year!!  Author of the year went to Greta Thunberg for her collection of speeches on climate change.  Heartfelt congratulations to both. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Early last month I was reading an article about a new book being published, written by well-known British illustrator Charlie Mackesy:   The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse .  In the article there were some drawings from the book.  Here's one of them... Charlie Mackesy 2019 I loved the simplicity of his artwork, but along with the words?  Well, I just had to see more of this intriguing little story.  I did some research, read more reviews and by the end of the day, I'd pre-ordered the book and then just had to wait until October 22nd. Having now read it numerous times, I can safely say it's one of my favorite books.  It sits here with me at my desk and I often reach for it, randomly reading a page here and there, sm

Spent a wonderful Saturday last weekend carving pumpkins.  We had gone to the local farm that grows acres of them, plus they have a corn maze and hay rides leading up to October 31st.  It's always a fun thing to do in the *Fall, even if there aren't any kidlets involved.  I love wandering through the rows and vines to find just the right one...or three. Later, as I was merrily carving away, I couldn't help but wonder why we do this crazy pumpkin thing every year...besides the fun factor, of course.  A bit of research and now I know. Long story really short:  Once upon an Irish myth there was a fellow named Jack.  He tricked the Devil for his own gain.  When he died, God wouldn't allow him into heaven and the Devil wouldn't let him into hell, so he was destined to roam the earth forever.  To ward off any unwanted visits from Jack, or any evil spirits for that matter, folks carved scary faces into turnips, put a lit candle inside and placed these in their windows

Sometimes there's only so much I can take in before thinking my head might explode.  I practice yoga five days a week, meditate, and strive to remain objective and calm in the face of looming disaster. Some days are better than others for sure, but this week has been a constant barrage with the relentless political chaos of Trump; the faltering British Brexit deal; the nuclear threats from North Korea; the Chinese trade tariff fiasco; Bolsonaro letting the Amazon forests burn; climate change; gun control; a Berlin Wall in America...yikes!  I could feel the pressure building this morning, like my brain was a balloon ready to pop at any moment. Then I spied my wee dog, Benny, taking a nap, his head resting on his favorite toy, which he often uses as a pillow.  It made me smile.  And reconsider my day.  All he wants is love, a tummy rub, and doggy treats after a good walk. I can't get that basic, but I can chill, be in the simple moment of a crystal-clear Fall day with the sun

Yesterday I was reading an article on the DailyMail website about the Duchess of Sussex leaving Cape Town and heading for Johannesburg with Archie.  There was an adorable photo of her at the airport carrying Archie close to her chest, slightly covered with a blanket.  For some reason, I scrolled down to the Comment section--something I rarely do as there are so many troll police these days, I can hardly stand it.  And yep, there they were--amongst a small group of supportive folks--the haters, spewing their vitriol about how she couldn't carry Archie properly, what a bad mother she was, how fake Prince Harry is, blah blah.  I'm just getting so disgusted at the constant attacks on these two, that I did something else I rarely do:  I left my own comment…a quick, one sentence observation.   Imagine my astonishment when I opened my email this morning to find the moderator for DailyMail had deleted my comment due to so many complaints about what I’d said.   Holy Support t