Memory.
Without it, I would have no evidence of some of the most impacting people, events, and moments in my life. I know I take a lot of photos. Mostly because photography is an outlet for me. But also because I love the way a photo can bring to life a memory that's been stored away. I'm amazed at the power of a memory. At the way a song or a sound or a smell can bring to life a moment that's been lying dormant for so long. I spend a lot of quite thought time with my memories, reflecting, enjoying them for what they were and appreciating how they've played a part in shaping who I am right now.
Showing posts with label 30 Days of Thanks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30 Days of Thanks. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
30 Days of Thanks: Day 6
I'm thankful for the right to vote. For my voice to be heard, though it is one of millions.
30 Days of Thanks: Day 5
Okay, this might sound dumb and superficial, but it's still part of life...
I'm thankful for our car pool! Seriously. Without it, I would fail miserably at accomplishing all of the stuff I need to do on a daily basis. I mean really, our 3 kids have a combined 23 hours of sports practice a week. I'm just not that good. It's SO nice to have people who are willing to help and share the load, and it's nice to know that I'm able to help them out just the same.
Besides how helpful it is to get to share the load when it comes to sports transportation, I love these ladies (and their kids)! They have become such good friends, and life would be a little less interesting without knowing them.
Just so you can see how crazy these kids can get during a car ride... I took this pic the other day as I was driving down the road (with one hand on the steering wheel, and the other holding the camera and randomly aiming toward the back seat... this is what I caught... a bunch of feet up in the air. ??? Cracked me up!)
And just think, this is only with the 3 youngest girls... we're missing the 2 older girls and Sebastian for this particular car ride. Keeps life interesting.
**********
I'm thankful for our car pool! Seriously. Without it, I would fail miserably at accomplishing all of the stuff I need to do on a daily basis. I mean really, our 3 kids have a combined 23 hours of sports practice a week. I'm just not that good. It's SO nice to have people who are willing to help and share the load, and it's nice to know that I'm able to help them out just the same.
Besides how helpful it is to get to share the load when it comes to sports transportation, I love these ladies (and their kids)! They have become such good friends, and life would be a little less interesting without knowing them.
Just so you can see how crazy these kids can get during a car ride... I took this pic the other day as I was driving down the road (with one hand on the steering wheel, and the other holding the camera and randomly aiming toward the back seat... this is what I caught... a bunch of feet up in the air. ??? Cracked me up!)
**********
30 Days of Thanks: Day 4
I'm so thankful for creativity. It's been such a huge outlet in my life - writing and painting and photographing life. It has shaped me and has shaped the way I view and interact with the world. And now I see it coming to life in our kids, and it makes my heart happy. I can see them finding themselves, learning more about who they are and who they want to be through expressions of creativity. It's a brilliant part of life, and it's just one of those things that makes me sure that God is a genius.
While I'm on this topic, I thought I'd share this video with you. I took it this past Sunday (which would have been Day 4 if I were actually keeping up in a timely fashion). For all of you nosy peeps, you can peek inside a pretty typical evening in our home... about 20 things going on at once... we're all loud... but content and chill. I love it. This was Sebastian's first time ever picking up a guitar (other than a pretend one that Isaac got for his birthday or Christmas a few years ago). Shane let him use his guitar to play around a bit, and this is what Sebastian did with it... I think he's watched It Might Get Loud a few times, as he took right to finger slide like Jack and Jimmy and Edge.
While I'm on this topic, I thought I'd share this video with you. I took it this past Sunday (which would have been Day 4 if I were actually keeping up in a timely fashion). For all of you nosy peeps, you can peek inside a pretty typical evening in our home... about 20 things going on at once... we're all loud... but content and chill. I love it. This was Sebastian's first time ever picking up a guitar (other than a pretend one that Isaac got for his birthday or Christmas a few years ago). Shane let him use his guitar to play around a bit, and this is what Sebastian did with it... I think he's watched It Might Get Loud a few times, as he took right to finger slide like Jack and Jimmy and Edge.
30 Days of Thanks: Day 3
(catching up... you knew it was coming... you had to know i would never be able to actually keep up on a 30-day anything! ha!)
I'm thankful for living in a location that is close enough to still visit with family. We could have landed in a lot of possible locations, but this one is wonderful! So close to Indy, lots of concerts and games and museums and events to enjoy. Close enough to 'home' to still get back and visit occasionally, or maybe have the occasional visitor! Love that!
Saturday Shane came and hung out with us (and almost jinxed Notre Dame by watching the game at our house... he's lucky it didn't fall out that way or he would be uninvited for next time... it's only weird if it doesn't work, right?). Anyway, he came, he hung out, he stayed. We had good times. It was all good stuff. And it made me happy. Happy is good.
I'm thankful for living in a location that is close enough to still visit with family. We could have landed in a lot of possible locations, but this one is wonderful! So close to Indy, lots of concerts and games and museums and events to enjoy. Close enough to 'home' to still get back and visit occasionally, or maybe have the occasional visitor! Love that!
Saturday Shane came and hung out with us (and almost jinxed Notre Dame by watching the game at our house... he's lucky it didn't fall out that way or he would be uninvited for next time... it's only weird if it doesn't work, right?). Anyway, he came, he hung out, he stayed. We had good times. It was all good stuff. And it made me happy. Happy is good.
Friday, November 2, 2012
30 Days of Thanks: Day 2
So this is a little random. And maybe it won't make any sense outside of my head. I know that sometimes I run that risk when I try to put my thoughts into words...sometimes my thoughts are more of an understanding than an ability to express an idea.
Today I realized how thankful I am for complexity. Odd? Maybe. But odd is me.
Again today, Dublin and I walked to the nature reserve, but we took a different path. We walked to the other side of the river, where there is nothing but wide open space, fields of overgrowth and underbrush and small trees and shrubs, bordered by forest that follows along the river. Beautiful. One of my favorite places. Especially on days like today when no one else is around.
We spent nearly an hour there, running through the long grass, trudging through the forest, and splashing in the edge of the water. It was quiet time to think while he chased leaves down stream and attempted to catch and eat as many grasshoppers as possible. Quiet time that doesn't come often for me anymore with the layers of things going on in daily life.
I felt really at odds standing in the middle of the forest. Just on the other side of the river is a paved walking path with well-kept medians that border nicely manicured laws that surround nice and tidy homes. And here I stand in the middle of the messiest, most unruly of surrounds, with vines growing every direction, trees fallen and decaying, and the ground absolutely covered in layers of mud and leaves and debris. There, dogs are kept on leashes and tightly controlled and held to human expectations. Here, they can be off-leash and run and play and do what dogs are meant to do. There, life is orderly and routine and scheduled. Here, there's no order, no routine, no schedule or obligation - only existing.
This contrast was just a spring board for a whole trail of thoughts that I'll spare you. The point is, I realized today, standing in the middle of the woods, that I am really thankful for complexities and contrasts and dualities that make up the human experience. Without it, how boring would life be? I'm just not the type of person that can keep everything neat and orderly - not physical things, and not in my mental and emotional being. There are a million layers and possibilities, and many of them are at odds with each other. And without them, I would be a totally different person. And I like them. I like the oddities and the contrasts. They give substance and context to what could otherwise be a mere passing of time.
So there you have it... blah blah blah... pardon the ramblings of my Stewart Smalley moment. Deep thoughts ended. Carry on. ;)
**********
Today I realized how thankful I am for complexity. Odd? Maybe. But odd is me.
Again today, Dublin and I walked to the nature reserve, but we took a different path. We walked to the other side of the river, where there is nothing but wide open space, fields of overgrowth and underbrush and small trees and shrubs, bordered by forest that follows along the river. Beautiful. One of my favorite places. Especially on days like today when no one else is around.
We spent nearly an hour there, running through the long grass, trudging through the forest, and splashing in the edge of the water. It was quiet time to think while he chased leaves down stream and attempted to catch and eat as many grasshoppers as possible. Quiet time that doesn't come often for me anymore with the layers of things going on in daily life.
I felt really at odds standing in the middle of the forest. Just on the other side of the river is a paved walking path with well-kept medians that border nicely manicured laws that surround nice and tidy homes. And here I stand in the middle of the messiest, most unruly of surrounds, with vines growing every direction, trees fallen and decaying, and the ground absolutely covered in layers of mud and leaves and debris. There, dogs are kept on leashes and tightly controlled and held to human expectations. Here, they can be off-leash and run and play and do what dogs are meant to do. There, life is orderly and routine and scheduled. Here, there's no order, no routine, no schedule or obligation - only existing.
This contrast was just a spring board for a whole trail of thoughts that I'll spare you. The point is, I realized today, standing in the middle of the woods, that I am really thankful for complexities and contrasts and dualities that make up the human experience. Without it, how boring would life be? I'm just not the type of person that can keep everything neat and orderly - not physical things, and not in my mental and emotional being. There are a million layers and possibilities, and many of them are at odds with each other. And without them, I would be a totally different person. And I like them. I like the oddities and the contrasts. They give substance and context to what could otherwise be a mere passing of time.
So there you have it... blah blah blah... pardon the ramblings of my Stewart Smalley moment. Deep thoughts ended. Carry on. ;)
**********
30 Days of Thanks: Day 1
Thanks to Thanksgiving, November is the month marked for thankfulness. I love it! And I truly believe it's a great opportunity to practice actively being thankful. For every little thing. And for every big thing. And for everything in between.
So, I'm jumping on board with the "30 Days of Thanks" project this year. Taking time to be aware of what's around me - of all the things that fill up my life and make it what it is. I have a lot to be thankful for!
(and yes, I do realize today is Nov 2. Late is me. But we'll deal.)
Nov 1 - Today I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do since we very first got Dublin. We walked all the way down to the nature & wildlife protection zone about a half mile or so from our neighborhood. It's one of my most favorite places to be, to just be, but so far, his little puppy legs (or his little puppy behavior on a leash) haven't been up to the task. Well, today it was warm, with bright blue sky and cool crisp air. Perfect conditions to give it a try. And it was great! And while I can't pinpoint one exact thing, I was just overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for the whole situation - for the puppy, for the weather, for the natural protection and the fact that we live close enough to walk there whenever we feel like it. I was also thankful for the fact that our puppy-training efforts have begun to show some fruit. For our entire time walking around down there, I was able to drop the leash and just let him wander. It was nice to feel confident that he would stay near me and would follow me if I walked away.
(He found the best stick ever and plopped down to chew on it for a minute before we moved on)
**********
So, I'm jumping on board with the "30 Days of Thanks" project this year. Taking time to be aware of what's around me - of all the things that fill up my life and make it what it is. I have a lot to be thankful for!
(and yes, I do realize today is Nov 2. Late is me. But we'll deal.)
Nov 1 - Today I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do since we very first got Dublin. We walked all the way down to the nature & wildlife protection zone about a half mile or so from our neighborhood. It's one of my most favorite places to be, to just be, but so far, his little puppy legs (or his little puppy behavior on a leash) haven't been up to the task. Well, today it was warm, with bright blue sky and cool crisp air. Perfect conditions to give it a try. And it was great! And while I can't pinpoint one exact thing, I was just overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for the whole situation - for the puppy, for the weather, for the natural protection and the fact that we live close enough to walk there whenever we feel like it. I was also thankful for the fact that our puppy-training efforts have begun to show some fruit. For our entire time walking around down there, I was able to drop the leash and just let him wander. It was nice to feel confident that he would stay near me and would follow me if I walked away.
(He found the best stick ever and plopped down to chew on it for a minute before we moved on)
**********
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)