Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

It Came in the Night

It came in the night...  

when the moon was high and dancing with clouds in a darkened sky.

 I went out to greet it

and invite it to stay

and blanket the earth on Christmas day. 

Merry Christmas to all of you and all of your loved ones, all the world over.

May peace find its way into our hearts.

Color, Whimsy and Leaves

Looking back on the days of autumn that were filled with color, whimsy and leaves.

Stacking, Digging and Putting it Up for Winter

Saturday is our yard work day and we kept in step with that rhythm over at my parents' where three generations of us spent the day working together to prepare for the long nights and cold days of winter ahead.

Somewhere between the wood moving and stacking, there was an aha moment and declaration that a whole row of potatoes was still buried deep in the garden. It didn't take much prodding to head over to the garden to dig them up.

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Remember those fuzzy ducklings here?

along with SouleMama

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

joining along with Amanda over at SouleMama

Have you got a moment to share this week?

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

along with SouleMama

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Joining along with Amanda over at SouleMama

What's your moment like?

{this moment)

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

joining SouleMama

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

joining along with SouleMama

What does your moment look like? Leave your link below.

{this week)

This week was a big stepping out for me. I went away. I got on a plane and left my children (in very good hands) for the first time ever. I've gone away by car. They've gone away by plane. But this was the first time I got on a plane and left them behind. And went across the country to California. It felt big.

It was also the first time I'd been on a plane in ten years. After twenty years of always being on planes, I took a ten year hiatus. What a difference now with airplanes and airlines, with overbooking of flights and going through long lines of security check in, even taking off the shoes and no meals served on the flight. I did enjoy the individual movie screens though and got to catch up on movie watching and movies sure do make the time fly by. (yes pun intended ~ forgive me)

I went to California for the LifeWays Board of Directors meeting. I was invited to join the board of LifeWays last year and accepted with great honor. We met in Northern California, in Marin county, nestled in the hills surrounded by tall and majestic redwoods. So Californian: vast and beautiful. What a lovely time I had with these brilliant, creative and dynamic women, who are doing so much work to create a spaciousness in life for the children and families in our midst.

We worked hard yet I left feeling refreshed and so hopeful, imagining the network of LifeWays people all across the country, all the way from Maine to Texas, up the California Coast, Canada, Colorado,  Wisconsin, New York and across the seas to Hawai'i. Yes Hawai'i. Can you imagine, "Oh honey, I'm going to do my LifeWays training in Hawai'i" Well why not? Bring the family. More here.

Some pictures from California:

LifeWays Executive Director Cynthia Aldinger with her beautiful voice sings a LifeWays tune.

I was delighted to arrive home to a sleeping house greeted by this face at the door.

{this moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. a photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

photo by Robbie Stanley

joining with Amanda of SouleMama