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some days. in the midst of a project. or a sentence. or a thought. at 2 am. or mid-day. my mind wanders. in and out of the past. present. future. it's really quite a lovely state.

some days. actually, quite a bit lately. I think of friends. some I've lost contact with. some reconnected. some moved. some left. all hold a place in my life. heart. and always will.

I like that awareness. always will.

'somebody asked me if I knew you.
a million memories flashed through my mind but I just smiled and said I used to.'

Wednesday babble

off to work later today. trying to take advantage of the morning to tidy up a bit. piles of ecru. white. the occasional pink. paper accumulates.

did some shopping on Friday. some success. rug options galore. I tried one crazy with color. contemplated a stylized British flag. a most wonderful day. the lazy morning. lunch out. and a very patient hubs that drove all over creation to make me happy.

the house is still a bit of a gigantic mess. but projects are getting done. several new outlets. stripped the border wall paper in the front entry. spray painted a wall sconce. finished the citron-colored table. slow. but. sure. delightfully so.

tomorrow holds great excitement. (1) the fireplaces are being finished. (2) brother-in-law and family are coming. celebrating a 6-0 birthday. with Franklin Barbeque for supper. looking forward to Thursday. indeed.

its a rainy day. finally. but the sun has just burst through the clouds and the garden is glowing with damp. glistening. greens. I will sit. and stare. the self-imposed stacks are calling. back to work. to a rainbow of distraction.

'why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? can one really explain this? no.'

Sunday morning

I love the quiet time on a weekend morning. the smell of coffee brewing. the low sounds of two neighborhood owls talking. back and forth. the occasional dog calling in the distance. just me with my thoughts. sometimes racing. but this morning. a gentle hum of things to do today. the week ahead. the days past.

the morning is cool. so I sit. socks on. warm coffee in hand. a touch of cinnamon in the air. and think.

'I love early mornings when it feels like the rest of the world is still fast asleep and you're the only one who's awake and everything feels like it isn't really real and you kind of forget about all your problems because for now it's just you, the world and the sunrise.'

remember this

as sappy as it may sound. I wasn't going to post today because it is 9/11. a day of respect for so much. so many. lost. it is not the only day that requests the honor. but it is today.

but the more I thought about it. I am posting out of respect. and to share a humble wish (soapbox please).

spurred on by the book I am reading. I wanted to share the author's Twelve Commandments. her principles on being better.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
1. Be Gretchen.
2. Let it go.
3. Act the way I want to feel.
4. Do it now.
5. Be polite and be fair.
6. Enjoy the process.
7. Spend out.
8. Identify the problem.
9. Lighten up.
10. Do what ought to be done.
11. No calculation.
12. There is only love.

I say being better vs being happy. I think one leads to another. go hand in hand. and lift us up. to a level. conscious. unconscious. that takes on an attitude. perspective. realization. revelation. that is good. true. kind. sincere. and yes, happy.

I was. am. highly motivated by another campaign. The 90-Day-No-Negativity-Challenge (the art of being human). and by the works of Brené Brown. common sense. of course. common practice. of course not.

the notion to be kind. pay it forward. love not fear. let me rephrase. the act to be kind. pay it forward. love not fear.

that's better.

'by doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished.'

on the ottoman

I moseyed across this book awhile back. checked it out of the library but never got to it (seems like all my holds come in at once. is that part of Murphy's Law?)

so it popped up again the other day and I scooped it up.

those of you who know me. know this. I am a happy person. blessed. loved. I really do have a perfect life.

so why read a book like this? because. and I was reassured that it was the right book for me when the author herself acknowledged that she was a happy person. blessed. loved. but we fail to truly appreciate it. we take it for granted. we're not as happy as we could be. life won't change unless we make it change.

I've only read part of the first chapter. but already I am. feeling. happy. about my choice.

I'll keep you posted.

'now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.'

things I learned this weekend

paint stripper (no matter what kind or strength) has little effect on 100 year old ornate fireplace surrounds with multiple layers of paint (of all variety). so this week said surrounds are going to the professionals to be blasted.

putting in new tile/brick/whatever on a fireplace is not a beginner project. so this week the same guys that are removing the metal surround will be re-bricking one of our fireplaces.

palm sanders are fun. (safety goggles & masks are not. albeit a necessity.) I thoroughly enjoyed sanding a bead-board wall of the remaining paint (yes. again. many layers.)

metal bleachers and approaching storms do not mix. the local U had their home opener football game last night. we left after the middle of the second quarter when a lightening delay was called. good thing. an hour later. the game resumed. for a few moments. before being called again. and then cancelled.

the local U football games are a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night. especially with the cool breezes of an approaching storm. and a bag of popcorn.

family announcements are delightfully anticipated. our nephew and his wife are having a baby boy. all these boys. will I ever get to buy a pink tutu? hope lingers.

it helps to be nimble when doing yard work. as I found when I was not so much clipping dead branches in the front bed. my finger is healing nicely.

random acts of kindness make my day. assorted phone calls. visitors. miscellaneous friendly gestures. are simply. lovely.

'give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections.'

cheers

finished out the Express season today. a loss for the team. but fun nonetheless. and we got to run (ie walk) the bases after the game. a nice treat.

I like football. soccer. etc. but all pale in comparison to 9 innings and a diamond. looking forward to next year.

'love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.'