Morning Walk

We finally had rain!! This summer, most of North Carolina has been suffering from a drought. Grass is brown, azaleas are dying, the leaves on branches are wilting. But last night, we had the greatest storm - it just rained and rained - all night... a soft constant rain that quenches the earth to its very core.

What else to do the morning after such a downpour but go for a walk? We have trail in the woods nearby that we call "The Adventure Walk." Aptly named, one time we found sturdy vines hanging from the trees. The kids took turns playing Tarzan by swinging precariously from a bank out over the stream. Fun for them, but the adults experienced unnecessary heart palpitations that day.

The stream that travels alongside the trail has a sort of sandbar at one part. You can climb down to it and wade in the water. This morning we found a ball for Dasher to chase and, like most dogs, he loves the water. My daughter joined him and they had a great time splashing together. What a treat for them both!

It was just delightful to walk in the cool shade of the trees, with drips of water still falling from the leaves when a breeze came through. The rays of the morning sun filtering through the mist was so beautiful and peaceful. Little spiders were busy weaving their intricate webs and cicadas were buzzing in the distance. What a great way to start a weekend!

Making Cakes

The other morning my husband had to work, so my daughter and I had some time to spend together - just the two of us. We played a little Disney video game where Minnie Mouse makes cakes - the party kind - two layers with lots of icing and confetti. When we finished, my daughter put on the Krispy Kreme baker's hat my mother in-law brought home from our local Krispy Kreme shop. She looked at me and said "Let's make cakes." I laughed and said "The real kind?" She shrugged and said "We can make them out of paper." I thought for a moment and said "How about clay?" She nodded in agreement.

I rummaged through the craft room and found some Sculpey. I also found a bag of aquarium pebbles from our unfortunate experiment with hermit crabs (poor things - does anyone raise those little guys successfully??) We spent the morning making cakes, candles and plates decorated with colorful pebbles. Aren't they cute?

Afterward, she took the cakes to her "shop" where I could buy them. And so I did. About 10 times. Ah, to be young again! How thrilling it must be to pretend you own a lovely bakery where you sell the most delightful cakes to the most appreciative customers!

Making Deviled Eggs

My mom offered to have us over for a BBQ to celebrate labor day. I said, "How about I bring wine... and... deviled eggs?" She said, "What a great idea!"

I called my husband to tell him I was making deviled eggs for the BBQ. He said "Oh, no. Okay, I'll make them."

What you have to understand is that my husband is a chef. He does all the cooking in the house, mainly, I think, because he has major control issues over the kitchen. Whenever I try to cook, he hovers. He tells me to use chicken stock for the noodles, add this spice or that, turn the flame up on the stove, decrease the settings on the convection oven... you know, do it his way. Finally, he gets so frustrated, he kicks me out of the kitchen and takes over.

Most of the time I don't mind. The kitchen is his domain and I'm not much of a cook anyway. I'd rather putter around in the craft room, start the laundry or play a game with my daughter. But this time, I really wanted to make the deviled eggs, dang it.

So I said, "What do you mean 'oh, no'? Deviled eggs are easy! I'm going to make them" (Of course, I've never made deviled eggs before but I was sure I remembered my mom making them in a flash.)

He said, "No way, honey. You need to use a Robot Coupe, you need a pastry bag, you need a binder to make the oil of the mayonnaise stick to the eggs. There is a certain way to boil the eggs to make sure the yolks don't turn gray or else your filler won't be bright."

What he said went way over my head so I just said "What are you talking about!?!" I was at work and did a quick google search on easy deviled egg recipes. Kraft Foods had a good one. "It says right here that all I need is mayonnaise, grey poupon and paprika."

He said, in his favorite patient-chef-voice "Honey. You need to have a smooth, consistent filler. You have to add extra flavor besides just mayo and mustard. You need to pipe the filler into the eggs. I'll take care of it. I'll make the eggs."

I said in my favorite your-driving-me-crazy voice that always makes my friend at the desk next to me laugh out loud, "Honey. I'm sure my mom did not have a Robot Coup or a pastry bag when we were growing up. I'm certain that it doesn't need to be this difficult. I'm going to make the eggs, I'll take care of it."

So we went around like this for about another 10 minutes before we were both exasperated but he agreed to stay out of the kitchen and let me make them. I was pretty excited and boiled the eggs just like the Kraft Foods website had instructed. I started to peel them and, I couldn't believe it, the shell did not peel easily from the egg white. In fact, on some of them, whole parts of the white stuck to shell, there was no way around it.

I called my mom. She said "Oh, I hate when that happens. Sometimes if the eggs are too fresh, they just don't peel right." Geez. I couldn't believe on this day of all days, we had the freshest eggs in town.

So, I patiently took my time, running the eggs under cold water as I peeled and most of them looked just fine. Once the eggs were peeled, I was having a lovely time. My husband and daughter were away and I had relaxing acoustic music on. The yolks came out without a hitch, the filling tasted great and I actually took my husbands advice and piped the filler into the eggs by cutting a corner off a plastic sandwich bag. (I ended up using mayo, hot and spicy mustard, celery salt and fresh ground pepper for the filler... paprika on the top, of course.) I placed the finished eggs on a cute plate that my daughter made at the pottery camp a few weeks ago. Then, so that the plastic wrap wouldn't stick to the eggs, I took two of the eggs that didn't peel very well, cut them in half, placed them on the four corners of the edge plate and stuck a couple of skewers in them.

The finished product looked delightful, I must say. We had a great time at the BBQ. Everyone enjoyed the eggs not to mention the rest of the yummy food. How fun!

Great -Grandma Turns 100

A few weeks ago, my great-grandmother turned 100 years old. Her children: my grandmother, her 2 sisters and their brother, threw a little party in Pennsylvania where she lives. We couldn't miss it and made the 7 hour drive north one sunny weekday afternoon.

The party was held at the assisted living home where she has her own independent apartment. The great thing about my great-grandmother (or as I tell my daughter, she is so great, she's your great-great grandma!) is that she has always been sharp as a tack and the sweetest person you could ever know. We haven't seen her in a few years but even with her enormous family (four children, 16 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren so far) she still recognized my daughter instantly and greeted her by name!

Of course, great-grandma was embarrassed by all the fuss. There was a huge cake for her, balloons, snacks and the best punch I've ever had - 7up and orange sherbet! Drinking it instantly brought back memories of the reunions and holidays we used to celebrate. Feasts at my great-aunt's farm, playing in the cribs, building hay tunnels, and long walks through the fields.

It was incredible to see all the family again. Wow - kind of like a time warp. We hadn't had a reunion in probably 10 years so it was wild to see everyone and meet all the kids of my cousins for the first time! It was a great turnout, probably about 70 people showed.

Despite all the "fuss" I think great-grandma really enjoyed seeing so many loved ones come to visit. I'm sure it was overwhelming, with all the cameras flashing and so much commotion, but she took it in stride and seemed quite delighted to talk.

Think of how amazing it is to turn 100 - great-grandma was born in 1907! To live through all the developments of the 20th century is hard to imagine - electricity, automobiles, radio, television, even indoor plumbing! But I suppose we just keep moving forward. In 50 years, people will find it astounding that we grew up without computers or video games.

So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREAT GRANDMA! We're so happy we made it to your party!

(too bad Dad couldn't make it, we would have had a five generation picture!)

Summer Fun Series: Swimming Pools

Going to swim at the local community swimming pools was a huge part of my life when we were growing up. During the summer, we'd spend almost every day at the pool. We'd meet friends, practice our fancy dives, and get frozen snickers bars from the snack bar that always smelled like french-fries. At the end of the day, our eyes would be bloodshot and our hair smelled of chlorine, but we'd be glowing with deep rich tans.

I could probably count on one hand the number of times we've been to a swimming pool in the last 5 years. There really is no excuse because the pool is less than 5 minutes from our house! So when our daughter begged to go to the pool one Sunday, what could we say?

We got there early before the crowd and had the whole place to ourselves. My daughter was thrilled! She flew down the slide over and over - we joined her a few times. What fun skidding at top speed then splashing uncontrollably in the water. She showed us her new tricks: cannonballs, backflips, front flips, touching the bottom of the deep end, the list goes on!

A few times I swam around on my own. There is just something about being weightless in the brilliant silence of the water, sun rays filtering through the ripples and bubbles, making fascinating patterns on the bottom. I've always loved to swim, I could stay in the water for hours. For me, it's the ultimate freedom.

In a few short hours, the pool began to attract more visitors and the noise level slowly started to rise. The screams, the laughter, and the splashing brought back so many memories of my childhood summers that I had to grin. It was absolute bliss. On a hot summer day, there is nothing better than a day at the pool, floating in crisp, cool water with not a care in the world!

Summer Fun Series: Family Barbeque

In my mind, a summer just isn't complete without a family barbeque. I'm sure in some families this is not the definition of summer fun, but I'm lucky enough to be blessed with a great group of relatives who all live close by.

I think that anything cooked on a grill equals GREAT FOOD - especially when your host gets creative by sauteing fresh veggies in a pie platter. Add that with cole slaw, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs and yum! That's my idea of good fun.

Our family recently gathered after not having seen each other for several months, some folks over a year. It shocked me to see how much the kids have grown - one newborn now a sweet, grinning toddler; another growing so tall she's nearly a teenager; and one with such long hair, he looks like a California surfer! We talked about Disney World trips and tips, real estate endeavors, and a war against basement copperheads. We updated each other on work, home and balancing life amongst chaos!

And through all of this chatter, all of this catching up, all of this laughter, it was so interesting to me how the thread of family history weaves it's way into just about everything we discussed. One word, one reference, one look can spin you off into memories from which you can hardly return.

There was one moment that was particularly interesting... we were sitting as a group and talking about my grandfather. My younger cousin leans over to me and says "I really wish I could have known pappy, I've heard so many great things about him." And in that instant a flood of memories tumbled into my mind - how he used to sing a little jingle on his guitar with his handlebar mustache to make my sister and I laugh, how we used to play in his wood paneled art studio covered with framed articles featuring his paintings, how we would fall asleep on the gold carpet of the living room floor by nightlight, comfortable and secure, listening to the quiet ticking of the clock.

All of that in one moment - one flash, like lightening illuminating miles and miles of breathless and beautiful evening sky.

It's fascinating when you actually think about it - in most cases, you're family members are the ones who know you the longest and the best. I have always, and will always, enjoy discussing family history - little snippets of memories here and there that piece together a deep and rich tapestry of my family history. My daughter is more engaged in stories about my childhood than any movie I've ever seen her watch.

There is just something about learning about people who are related to you, shaping who you are and where you've come from. It's grounding in the most basic of ways.

And so I relish the family bar-b-ques, the friendly faces, the shared laughter and the scrumptious food and drinks. It's like blossoming in the summer sun!

Summer Fun Series: Outdoor Concerts

We've been doing so many fun things lately that encompass the heart of summer that I decided to do a "Summer Fun Series" since I can't cover everything in one post! The first is on Outdoor Concerts.

The NC Museum of Art has been doing outdoor movies and concerts for many years but we've never attended them. Either the movies were too late or the concerts didn't really interest us. Several weeks ago, I came across a flyer announcing that one of our favorite bands was performing! Southern Culture on the Skids - a local band from Chapel Hill that we've seen numerous times when we lived in San Francisco, was paired up with an outdoor movie, Talledega Nights. If you know anything about SCOTS, you'll know that this is a perfect combination!

What a glorious evening it was - warm with low humidity. As the sun dropped, we enjoyed chilled wine and snacks. I observed other groups of friends enjoying picnics in the grass, kids dancing around like little jumping beans, people wandering around in barefeet and everyone be-bopping to the music - such hits as "Too Much Pork for Just One Fork" and "Liquored Up and Lacquered Down". In fact, my friend and I even got to dance on the stage with the band during "Eight Piece Box" and throw fried chicken to the audience! What a blast!

If being outdoors on such a comfortable evening and enjoying great music wasn't good enough, once the performance was over, we assembled our chairs on the lawn and watched the movie on the big screen - the same ones they used to have at the drive-ins! It was so relaxing to sit beneath the stars in the fresh air and joke with our "lawn chair" neighbors. Much more fun than any theater!

We had such a great time and ticket prices were much lower than any amphitheater concert. If you have any organizations in your area that offer outdoor concerts and movies, I highly recommend them. It's the epitome of summer - enjoying life in the great outdoors!

May you be blessed

Many years ago, I worked with the most interesting fellow. He was a sweet, sincere man from outside of Houston with a heavy Texas drawl and a slow, deliberate way of talking. He ran a national trucking company by himself and was eager to please. After we booked the first truckload with him, he sent me flowers in a beautiful ceramic vase. Initially, I was a bit uncomfortable with getting flowers from someone I hardly knew. But after months of working with him, I realized that he's just a genuinely thoughtful kinda guy - a real cowboy, I suppose.

When the time came for me to resign, he was just about crushed. I could hear it in his voice. Shortly after our call, he sent me an email. It was called "May you be blessed" and had a link to a website.

When I clicked on the link of the email and watched the movie, I thought, oh, geez, here we go... another junk email. But after the first couple of frames, I became entranced. And touched. And then I realized that I was starting to cry - because how wonderful it is that someone actually wishes that you are fully blessed, that everything in your life is absolutely amazing and wonderful and that every dream you've ever had comes true.

I think this is a blessing that we should pass onto everyone we know - even those we don't know. Because it's only right and true that every soul in this world is blessed beyond their dreams. We can only reap the benefits of our friends, family, neighbors and strangers on the street having a happy and fulfilling life.

I don't even think I realized how nice it was to talk with Andy everyday and listen to his slow, southern drawl. He had a way of recognizing and honoring the spirit of everyone he knew.

So - to you... MAY YOU BE BLESSED! Pass it on to all you know.

I'd rather be yard sale-ing

A few weeks ago, my neighbors came up with the idea of everyone on our street having a yard sale on the same day. We thought it was a great concept and dove right into the preparations. I dragged box after box of our daughters clothes from the attic and sorted them for hours. My husband pulled things from the garage that I hadn't seen in years. We posted an ad in the paper and hung over 30 signs around the neighborhood and on major streets. We made plans to have a refreshment stand that served coffee, doughnuts, cookies and iced tea (which my daughter would run, of course.)

On the day of the sale, we woke up before the light of the sun hit the sky. Our neighbors were up at the same time, setting up tables and organizing. It was a shared moment - we greeted each other by moonlight as the locusts buzzed and birds began to sing. The sky began to lighten and we offered to help each other, all of us bustling to get ready. The sun began to rise and we wandered into each others yards looking over the goods. One neighbor set up a moonwalk for the kids, another a manicure table, some had tents, fans, candy and coffee. One neighbor cat-called on a bullhorn to passing cars, we had music. It was like an early morning block party!

Although my husband and I had some small bills in our pockets for those who made immediate purchases, the majority of our money was in a cash box by the refreshments. If you recall, this was being run by my 7-year-old daughter. She would disappear every now and then, coming back with a book, a video or a stuffed animal. Then she walked back with a scooter (she already has two) and then a sled! We realized that she was taking the profits and shopping at the competitors! The rest of the kids thought this was a fine idea and they all joined in.

The balmy morning developed into a very hot and steamy day. We didn't have the hordes of people that I had expected. I took stock, remembering that it was July 7... 7/7/07. I'd heard that lots of weddings were planned for this day - brides imagining luck in the numbers. Perhaps that was the reason for the low turnout. I looked around at our offerings. My clothes, although very organized by size and price, were piled on two 8 foot tables with bins underneath. Toys were scattered on tablecloths on the ground. We probably did not have our prices low enough. My husband made over 4 gallons of coffee. (I think we sold 3 cups the whole day - am I the only one who drinks coffee in the heat?)

By the time we started packing up, the thermometer hit 100 degrees. One neighbor jokingly called out to another "Now for the best part, right?". He replied "Hey, I've got some gasoline in the back to burn it all - it'll be it out before the fireman get here!" I have to say, at that exact moment, I wouldn't have objected!

Once everything was stored in the garage, I counted the cash. We made just over $100.00! Pretty good for a morning yard sale on 7/7/07. We changed into dry, cool clothes and headed for a place with plenty of A/C... the movies!

...And the cast comes off

The day finally arrived - the cast on my daughter's arm was scheduled to be removed. She was incredibly excited about it and announced it to all of her summer camp friends, counselors, neighbors and anyone else who happened to listen. After this, she'd be able to participate in the camp activities she'd missed out on - swimming, mini-golf and go-carts. At the doctor's office, she hopped around like a jumping bean.

We were lucky to have a doctor with a great personality who joked with her during the procedure. I think we were both expecting a frightening, high-pitched buzz saw. But, the little tool really sounded more like a vacuum cleaner motor and was completely benevolent.

Since I've never had a broken bone that required a cast, it was fascinating for me to watch this process. How the saw the cut through the fiberglass so easily. How the pliers cracked it open like an egg. How her arm was lifted out like a precious little treasure. I was startled to see how tiny and fragile it looked. When I applied lotion to the dry, flaky skin, I felt like I was handling a delicate piece of porcelain.

How amazing it is that these bones of ours can be placed into hard shells to heal. That within these hard shells our skin starts to wither, our muscles begin to atrophy. My daughter's arm was tender after the cast was removed. It was hard for her to move it around. It ached. She asked that I wrap it at night to keep it warm and still.

I remember someone once telling me that it's baffling that humans continue to thrive in this world. With all that can injure and harm us, we still have survived millions of years. We need a certain amount of food and water daily, a certain level of oxygen to breathe. We can't be exposed to extreme temperatures for too long. We have learned to avoid poisonous plants and dangerous animals. We have discovered the right level of immunizations to cure deadly diseases.

At the bookstore recently, I found a book for my daughter on the solar system. Every time I see the lineup of the planets, I am amazed. Nestled within the lifeless orbs that circle the sun it this perfect little beautiful ball of blue and white, shining like a beacon in space. When I was little, I watched a TV program called "The Big Blue Marble" and I think that describes the planet perfectly. How incredible that life thrives on this planet, out of all the planets that we know of. It is a miraculous thought.

Are we simply lucky to be alive? It is just coincidence that, in this world spinning through space, life flourishes in the light of the sun? I think there is a deeper mystery to the perfect balance in our world. There is a reason we are here, that we have survived for all this time. There is a reason that we can heal after being broken. That a small little arm weakly emerging from it's protective shell can grow strong again. So strong that it can swim and play and drive a go-cart.

Ernest L. Woodward was quoted as saying:

So great has been the endurance, so incredible the achievement, that,
as long as the sun keeps a set course in heaven, it would be foolish to despair of the human race.

So I celebrate the wondrous gifts of this world. I give thanks for the miracles that occur every minute of every day. I relish this life and marvel at its beauty.

Watching My Garden Grow

After we returned from Disney World, the weeds in my gardens went absolutely crazy. It was a party in the dirt, I tell you. I spent the better part of the first weekend pulling most of them, using a claw cultivator so vigorously that, over a week later, a rather large blister on my thumb is still healing. In addition, we have centipede grass in the front lawn that appears to have been quite attracted to the weeds. The two intertwined in such great strength that I might as well have been ripping up turf.

In fact, the muscles in my hand were so sore, that when I went to sign my daughter in at summer camp on Monday, the pen fell right out of my hand. My thumb and forefinger refused to work together any longer!

My sister has been sending us daily affirmations and then her thoughts to follow. One day the affirmation was: "We have a choice to plow new ground or let the weeds grow." Her thought was: "Because of weeds' pioneering spirit and heartiness, they are a good metaphor for survival in harsh times. Let's not disparage the weeds." Although I can see her point, I've become quite disenchanted with weeds after my recent experience. As I was ripping out one large clump last weekend, I couldn't help but eject the words "DIE! DIE!" and hold the drooping clump up with a cry victory. Of course, I immediately felt guilty for this. After all, they can't help that their weeds. Poor things are just looking for a new place to call home. So, I try to be a little more gentle with them. Now I say something more along the lines of "Sorry little weed, but this garden is just not the place for you..."

This weekend was the second weekend I've worked on the weeds. I pulled out all the rest of them and applied piles of mulch. In certain areas, I put down a fabric weed barrier beneath the mulch. I trimmed and shaped bushes, used Miracle-Gro and sang to my flowers (I heard that helped.) All of this in 95 degree weather.

I finished at about 3 pm this past Saturday. I popped in a frozen pizza for us (lunch is always so late on days like this) and grabbed a beer. Then I sat. I gazed at my garden and absorbed. I watched the bumblebees intently collecting pollen from the coneflowers. I watched the stalks of golden yarrow gently swaying like lazy pendulums in the breeze, each to its own time. The butterflies fluttered around the lantana as my sunflower flag was lifted softly to the sky. I closed my eyes and heard the locusts humming in the distance, birds twittering in the rustling pine trees. It was a lovely, satisfying experience. Even as the sweat dried on my skin, dirt caked beneath my tingling fingernails, shoulders and legs exhausted, I was relaxed and blissfully happy.

As I sat and watched and listened, I was reminded of a poem:

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

Joyce Kilmer, "Trees" (poem), 1914

Yes, gardens are hard work and require lots of attention. My mom has always been a big gardener. She would send me pictures of her garden, but I didn't really get it until I had my own. After you've dug your fingernails deep in the dirt and poured your energy, sweat and blood into it (yes, I have several thorn scars...), I'm not sure you can really understand the bliss of seeing your flowers and bushes flourish with health. When you watch the bees collect the pollen and butterflies enjoy the nectar of the flowers - when the birds create their nests and rely on the berries of the bushes - what a wonderful blessing! A visual cornucopia of treasured delights. The ultimate reward, the happiest of happy places... a garden of your own!

Disney World

So we finally made the big decision to visit the land of children's dreams, the ultimate theme park, the pinnacle of imagination: Disney World!

It all started out nice and simple. We left earlier than planned, had extra room in the trunk, made pretty good driving time. We arrived in sunny and humid weather. Enjoyed chilled cocktails on the porch. Then, as the kids splashed in the pool out back, an all-too-familiar cry of pain penetrated the air. Yes, just 2 short hours after we arrived in FL, we found ourselves at the emergency room. My daughter broke her arm!

Interestingly enough, this did not dampen our spirits for the trip. We decorated her sling with Disney trading pins and she got plenty of sympathy from passers by. In fact, one woman said, why are you waiting in line for this ride? Go to guest services for a special ride pass - after all, it's the land of a million dreams, they'll take care of you. And bless their hearts, they did. The friendly staff gave us a special assistance pass so that Maddy wouldn't have to wait for hours in the heat. Truly a Godsend.

What can I say about Disney World but WOW! Walking down the main street of the Magic Kingdom brought tears to my eyes. We saw a mama duck with her 7 little ducklings walking down the sidewalk (was that planned!?!), a barbershop quartet serenaded us on the street, a carriage with two beautiful Clydesdale horses clip-clopped right by us, and who can resist the statue of Walt himself holding hands with little Mickey Mouse in front of the infamous castle.

We booked special lunches with the Disney characters - avoided standing in huge lines, enjoyed fabulous food while relaxing in the A/C and got autographs to boot! My daughter led the Winnie-the-Pooh Parade around the dining room of The Crystal Palace and saw all the princesses!

The Tiki Room is still there but "under new management" with new songs and new birds. The Pirates of the Caribbean is also but now features Captain Jack Sparrow. Believe it or not, my daughter loved the Carousel of Progress, I think the moving theater was what impressed her the most. We also loved the 3-D PhilharMagic theater show. The special effects were great, including the wind in your face, spraying water and glittering jewels that hovered right before your eyes.

Other favorites were Test Track at Epcot where you're testing a new car, sort of like a crash test dummy. Another is Soarin', where you fly above the earth, past mountains, the ocean, San Francisco and finally right down Main Street Magic Kingdom, up the castle and into the sky with the fireworks!

MGM Studios was hopping with dramatic actresses, directors and clueless policeman characters roaming the streets. The Tower of Terror at the "haunted" Hollywood Hotel is a blast as well as the Aerosmith Rockin' Rollercoaster. Both have great concept setups - the hotel has an "you've entered the twilight zone" theme and the rollercoaster whisks you away in a "stretch limo" with a crazy driver.

And of course, we saw the Cirque Du Soliel show "La Nouba". Believe it or not, it was the 4,000th show, on the dot. They passed out glow sticks to the audience. When the show was over we all cracked them and spun them in the air. Quite a sight.

Now we are home and my daughter is sporting a bright pink cast that practically glows in the dark like those glow sticks! The good news is that the break was minor and she gets the cast off in a few days. What a story, what a trip - truly one of dreams... imagined and unimagined!

Hurray for Hallmark!

After we moved into our new house about 5 years ago, I became obsessed with interior decorating and garden design. I subscribed to several magazines: Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, Better Homes & Gardens, and Cottage Living to name a few. I was addicted to the Home and Garden Network, Trading Spaces, Designed to Sell, and Divine Design.

But now that my home is pretty much completed on the interior and the garden well on it's way, my interest in that particular area of my life has subsided. I'm now much more interested in living, life stories, and spiritual awakening.

So, I was at the bookstore several months ago and picked up a Hallmark magazine. I had never seen this publication before and wasn't quite sure about it. When I was in high-school, I loved the Hallmark store, but after awhile I felt it was a little too much. Kind of the way I feel about Oprah, a little over the top, but fascinating and intriguing to watch at the same time.

Well, I fell in love with the first issue I read (January-February 2007) and have fallen in love with every issue that followed. One article talked about a woman who adopted 5 children ranging in age from 5 to 15, all of whom suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It brought tears to my eyes. Another article talks about getting back in touch with yourself and has bits from professional writers as well as average women who have re-discovered their own spirits.

There are recommendations and reviews on the latest greatest novels, natural recipes for silky hair, baking advice, interior decorating ideas (I still need a little of that...), and inspiring quotes like "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." (Hans Christian Anderson)

The magazine is organized into these great sections: Inspire. Renew. Nest. Connect. Nourish. Now if that's not inspiring enough, I don't know what is. It makes me want to absorb every word!

The tag line for the publication is "The magazine that celebrates your life." Truly. I think it celebrates the lives of us all!

Standing Still

There is a wonderful story about 2 grandmothers who stood in a park for peace. They stood for so long that the town began to talk. They made jokes. They gossiped. But slowly, more people joined them. And more... day... after day. The newspaper did a story. They mayor got upset and asked the police to break them up. But, the police couldn't. For after all, they were just individuals standing still in a park. Soon the mayor's wife joined them. Then the police chief's wife. Towards the end, they had over 2,000 people standing still in the park for peace.

There was a book written about their experience called The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering. I haven't read the book but I understand that this event has started a huge movement of standing still for peace. There is a website called StandingWomen.org. They invited groups to register and stand still on May 13 at 1 pm - Mother's Day. Over 3,000 groups registered... groups in Thailand, Australia, Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Canada and hundreds of places throughout the United States.

We had a group in Raleigh, too. A woman from our church organized it. A small group of us stood in a park beneath an oak tree across from the church. A soft breeze was blowing and even though cars were passing by on the busy streets and we could hear the sounds of a homeless rally in the distance, there was peace. She rang a meditation bell to signify the moment. We settled into silence for 5 minutes. The leaves of the oaks rustled above us. While my eyes were closed, I saw a flash of bright light out of the corner of my eye. I realized that it was the sun filtering through the leaves of the trees above. But in my mind the flash was much brighter. It made me think of all the people all around the world standing still at that exact moment. I felt an overwhelming sense of unity with these people. Like we were all holding hands to form a gigantic circle of hope that embraced the globe.

The StandingWomen.org website says this:

We are standing for the world's children and grandchildren, and for the seven generations beyond them.
We dream of a world where all of our children have clean drinking water, clean air to breathe and enough food to eat.
A world where they have access to a basic education to develop their minds and healthcare to nurture their growing bodies.
A world where they have a warm, safe and loving place to call home. A world where they don't live in fear of violence - in their home, in their neighborhood, in their school or in their world.
This is the world of which we dream.
This is the cause for which we stand.

There are lots of people that think this is a ridiculous concept, standing still for peace. But there are a couple of things that come to my mind about this idea. Non-violent protest, for instance. The idea of universal substance, everything is connected - how you act, how you think, what you say, all makes an impact in this world. And finally, meditation - you become centered and peaceful, and by no action of your own, you influence everyone you meet, everything you touch.

So, I'll continue to stand still for peace. I hope that more will join me. Just think, if everyone in the world stood still for peace, there would be no one left fighting.