Wordless Wednesday ~ Sisters

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Heartwarming visit with a kind friend via Hangout.

2.  Feeling heard and loved, exactly where I am.

3.  Gentle reminders that Enough can be practiced even here.

4.  Making a point to catch rest in the snippets available.

5.  Blessed calmness descending

6.  A perfectly gorgeous Fall afternoon

7.  Silly snapchats with a dear sister.

8.  Relaxation that comes from focused work.

9.  Being willing to do something and then not having to.

10.  Discovery of a surprise being sent my way.

11. Healing balm that is quiet time.

12. Writing my way home.

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St Francis and the Sow

I needed this poem today and plan to keep it close in the next little while 

so thought I'd share it here, too.

Saint Francis and the Sow
By Galway Kinnell

The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don’t flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as Saint Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine
down through the great broken heart
to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing beneath them:
the long, perfect loveliness of sow.

May we all be assured 

(and reassured and retaught if need be) 

of our beauty. 

May we gently lean 

into the flowering of self-blessing 

from our "creased forehead" 

all the way to the "spiritual curl of [our] tail" 

and into our "great broken heart" . . . 

.              *             .

Long Week

It was a long week, 

emotionally, 

for me. 

Yesterday afternoon 

there were tears. 

Just wanting to honor 

and witness the truth. 

My truth.

(your presence

is welcome, too)

.               *               .

Fall Broom Mandala

(it's been awhile)

.              *             .

Wordless Wednesday ~ Mary in the Fall

.               *               .

Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Fall tradition of three happy pumpkins on our front steps

2.  Safe space to tell the truth

3.  Patient, trusting hubby

4.  Delightful shared surprise

5.  Gifted writing that will bless 

6.  Light-hearted new boss

7.  Healing medicine in the form of wise advice

8.  Remembering again what I had forgotten

9.  Baby nephew got to go home

10. Intense study in boundaries

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Baby Noah is Here!

He arrived Thursday afternoon,

three weeks early.

We went to see (and hold!) him last night.

Such a happy auntie!

He was fussing a bit so I asked 

Uncle Tadd if he would take him and

stand, maybe walk a little bit with him.  

It did the trick!

We sure enjoyed our first visit with our newest nephew 

and look forward to sharing a life with him.

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Thankful Tuesday

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Honoring a promise to myself to take the time to enjoy this Fall, my favorite time of year. 

2.  And by doing so, grounding myself back in my one wild and precious life.

3.  Nourishing my spirit by attending daily Mass. 

4.  Joyful, light-hearted exchanges while working with my new supervisor. 

5.  Making time for rest. 

6.  Yummy cream cheese pumpkin muffin and warm milk breakfast. 

7.  Blessed, perfect timing of a conversation with a wise friend. 

8.  Inspiration from watching Dancing With the Stars. 

9.  Anticipation of seeing our dear littles this weekend. 

10. Welcomed ease of "let it be."

.              *               .

Angel Sunday ~ Angel of Summer

Returning to a fond tradition of sharing one of my angels on Sunday. 

This sweet one is my newest angel. She's a gift from a friend who was moving and downsizing and thought I might enjoy having this wee one come live with me.

She was very right!

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Peaceful on a Beautiful Fall Morning

Peace