grateful..

warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful (dictionary.com)


i'm grateful for a lot of things, but i must go to work now... i'll have to elaborate later <3

doggie days..

these days with darcy have been pretty good. he is a sweet puppy with lots and lots of energy! i have learned a few things about dogs and darcy and myself during these few short days...


1. even though we don't speak the same language, darcy and i can work/determine to know what the other one needs/wants... (like when he wants me to wake up and take him out he shakes real hard so i can hear his ears and collar flapping and then he stands up by the bed and stares me down until i do something about it :).

2. there are a few key words darcy does know... & some that come in very handy! --no, outside, bed, darcy, ball, and -my favorite- sit!-- i keep trying potty, but i'm not sure he's familiar with that one! yesterday he just looked at me like "we're outside already, what else is there?!"

3. staring contests are more fun that i thought! (and there's no need for peek-a-boo with puppies; babies might like it, but pups, i've discovered, find it rather boring!)

4. everyone likes a window seat... especially D! opening the blinds for him is like one big doggie treat! (i happen to like it too.. the natural light in claire's house is very nice!!)

5. speaking of claire's house, i love it! it's cozy and comfy and has everything i could need or want for my stay. i have had a few little interesting experiences though... first of all, claire is not a coffee drinker and therefore has no coffee maker -i had to go by my house sunday and retreive mine! i also thought i had to get my hair dryer as i couldn't get hers to turn on (later i realized it was the outlet just needing to be reset! :) finally i've determined it's nice to have a pet when you live alone... it just makes everything a little less creepy -noises at night, strangers at the door, etc..

6. kitchens are kitchens wherever you go... dishes still get dirty and need to be washed. the kitchen is great & functional and i'd rather not do without it. but my little vacation-mode/mindset got tilted this morning when i realized i was eventually going to have to do some dishes if i wanted to keep enjoying claire's kitchen! (it really wasn't that bad; thank goodness for dishwashers! :)

7. and finally... i handled the dog-poo pick-up a lot better than i thought i would! i was honestly a little nervous about cleaning up after D, but it's really not that bad! (it also helps to direct him to go closest to the garbage bin!)

...i think that's all for now, i'm sure i'll have more adventures and discoveries to share throughout the next 4-5 days! <3

darcy-sitting..

..hanging at claire's, dogsitting mr. darcy for her.











he loves that spot... and then, he just can't take it anymore..



i think he's overwhelmed with gratitude for the company :)

this moment..

we can pursue happiness our whole lives long and never realize we had it all the time... i love this moment. it's where i'm at. it's who i am. it's what i can do right now, today, in this moment, to affect the next or someone else's moment.

i'm thankful for the time i've had to think and dream and read and write and play! i'm thankful to actually slow down and enjoy these fleeting moments...


...my thoughts on using the avocado to illustrate this moment...

first of all, i love the image of the pieces that fit together (like the moment -whatever kind it may be- and the gratitude of it all); second, i love the awaiting opportunities that fill the bowl.. happy, sad, special, monotonous little moments and their gratitudes all waiting to be had! <3
(so maybe that was a stretch with avocados, but i felt the need to explain! :)

homemade..

here they are.. the bag i finally finished (new orleans) and a new one (hug.a.tree) shannon taught me how to do!!


..from new orleans tshirt from summer 04...


..from a walmart tshirt i used to love to wear...
(lined w/ duct tape!) <3

standing still...

the idea for this post actually came from the sailboat picture.. all i had in mind when i sat down was 'standing still.' so i thought i'd find a picture to depict what's going on inside my head...


mmm, the sailboat... a perfect analogy for where i'm at..
...standing still [until moved].. exactly the mental picture i was going for! (ready to sail, yet dependent on the wind to carry me)

.. that lifehouse song (hanging by a moment) keeps going through my head.. "standing here until you make me move..."

(the picture is from our ny trip -the day we went to lake ontario :)

... ... ...... ... ... ...... ... ... ...... ... ... ...... ... ... ...... ... ...


in 48 days... i read, "luck is what happens to people who have clear goals and detailed plans of action. or luck is when preparation meets opportunity..." (dan miller, p.91)

..this adds some weight to my little sailboat analogy..
preparation = my boat/self/positioning
opportunity = the wind.. outside of my control, yet part of life.. harness-able!

soo, i remain hopeful and ready --(a process, not.so.much a destination)..

open hands..

when it comes to our hands, we have a choice.
we can either go through life with them closed: tightfisted, fearful, angry, reluctant, withholding, comparative, and empty.

or we can go through life with our hands open: generous, expressive, grateful, helping, and full.

the way we hold our hands reveals a lot about our hearts.

(Looking for God: open or closed, ch. 15, p. 139)


when i originally titled my blog not my own, i was thinking along similar lines... a reminder to myself that the things i see/have/get to hold in this world are not really my own...

instead of grabbing on and clinching my fists around things, i must keep open hands, a posture of love and trust and respect for God who gives good gifts to His children... (James 1:17)

(thanks, claire, for suggesting such an inspiring read!)<3