Day 164 or A Reason to Smile

What a lovely way to return to the bloggy world. The terrific Sami Joe from Peek Through Our Window (http://peekthruourwindow.blogspot.com) dropped me a line while I was away and shared a little sunshine. So I thought that's how I would get back on my bloggy horse.



So I am so, so thankful. The award comes with only three rules. Acknowledge the lovely blogger that passed it on. Tell ten things that make me happy and share it with ten other happy bloggers.

Ten Things that Make Me Happy:
1. My fabulous family (even when they are less than fabulous -- which of course is never, really never -- my life is a piece of perfection pie)
2. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
3. Bubble Baths
4. Really good New York style pizza
5. Singing along to bad 70's mellow rock with my kids
6. The smell of my children's hair after a bath
7. Belly kisses
8. A book that whisks me away to another place or time
9. BLOGGING!!!!!
10. My wonderful circle of friends -- IRL and on-line :-)

Now the hard part -- what wonderful blogs to choose? I have been lucky enough to receive a few awards and I always agonize over sending a new one out because I am ALWAYS leaving out someone I love. But I looked back so I wouldn't repeat and here are ten blogs and bloggers that I love -- ten of many. (I wish I could award you all!) The following blogs are varied in focus and styles but they are all terrific.

1. Debbie at Suburb Sanity (http://www.suburbsanity.com)
2. Chitra at My Pilgrimage (http://chitra-mypilgrimage.blogspot.com)
3. Mary at Hurricane Riley and His Big Brother Riley (http://hurricaneriley.blogspot.com)
4. Bonnie K at Mama K (http://mamaksblog.blogspot.com)
5. Erin at The Mother Load (http://abbyandizzysmom.blogspot.com)
6. Joanna at The Fifty Factor (http://www.thefiftyfactor.com)
7. Melissa at Scholastic Scribe (http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com)
8. Lorenza at Pure Energy (http://lorenza-pureenergy.blogspot.com)
9. Audrey O at Parenting Tips (http://myparentingideas.blogspot.com)
10. TattyTiara at AAA1 Quality Blog (http://tattytiara.blogspot.com)

So thank you Sami Joe for giving me a reason to smile. Truth is if you hadn't given me this award, your name would be listed in the above ten. Lots of love to you and to all the winners.
:-)

Day 161 or Coming into the light

Hi, everyone. I have begun to come out from under the heavy grey clouds to look for the sun. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and shared the love. I haven't written in a week but every now and then I peeked at the comments and oh, oh how they warmed my heart. Much like the sun that has chosen to shine for the first time in eight days -- metaphorically and atmospherically. I'm not quite ready to be my pithy little self so I'll just share a few more borrowed words but first, let me say this. I am immensely grateful that you have chosen to be a part of my world. It matters. You matter. And slowly, I will get back around to tell you personally.

So once again, I go to my play list to share my feelings. You can't go wrong with George Harrison. Soon enough I will speak for myself but today, I'll let his words carry my thoughts.

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right

Day 154 or Stop all the Clocks

A lovely man left this world yesterday to start his new adventure. He shall be greatly missed. It is stunning how such personal loss can seem unfelt by the greater world. Life continues on and there is a great beauty in that but personally it can feel so incongruent that one has trouble catching breath. Fifteen years ago, I lost my brother and I read this beautiful poem by Auden. My FIL attended that funeral and today I post these same words in his honor. Auden expressed these feelings of disconnect far better than I so I shall let this great man's words properly honor another great man.


Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.


To my friends, thank you for your prayers. They were felt. I'm not sure when I will swing by next. But I will be back. Until then I say, thank you from my heart.

Day 153 or Once Again...

Dear friends, once again, I come to you for your prayers. Last night, my dear FIL was rushed to the hospital in very bad shape. I am blessed to say that he survived the night but the situation is precarious. So if I may impose on your friendship another time, to raise him in your thoughts and prayers.

I may be away for a while. I will try to post as things settle down. And to all the lovely new friends who came over from MBC, please forgive me if I am slow to retuen the visit. I will be coming by soon. I have been amazed at what an active group you guys are.

Please know that I consider you guys my friends. Bloggy friends are real friends. thank you for your love and support.

Day 151 or I'm Good Enough...

Remember the old Stuart Smalley skit on Saturday Night Live. A 12 Step/Self-Help Junkie, Stuart would stare into the mirror and say, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" As silly as it sounded, and as silly as he looked, there was great truth in his words.

Wouldn't it be great if someone followed us around saying, "You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you"? I know I could use that. Because some days, I don't feel good enough, smart enough, and sometimes, despite all the wonderful people in my life, I do question if people like me.

I'm not sure why. No matter how much success I achieve, there always seems to be more I need to do. If there is any failing, I hyper-focus on that rather than seeing all that is working. It's like a child bringing home a report card of all As and one C and the parent not acknowledging the As and only criticizes the C. Except that I am the parent now. Doing it to myself. And in a room of friends and family, I will feel the presence of the one person in the room who doesn't like me. And fixate on that.

It's silly but it's worse than that. They say that children learn more from watching their parents than by what they say. So, I can tell my children that they are good enough, smart enough, and doggone people like them until I'm as blue as the bonnets for which Texas is famous but if they see those doubts in me, I am still hurting them.

So today, I'm taking a lesson from old Stuart in his v-neck cardigans and bad dye job (well, at least we have that in common right now!) and each time those doubts come bubbling up, I am going to tell myself that "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone people like me". Because it's not just about me.

And if you ever feel this way, too, do yourself the same favor. And in case you need a little help, I'll do it for you -- "You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone, people like you". I know I do.

Day 150 or You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Day 150 and I have passed the 50 followers mark! Wow! I can't tell you what it means to me that you guys choose to take time out of your busy day to visit my little virtual abode. So from the bottom of my growing heart, I say "thank you, thank you, thank you!" It's like a slice of perfection pie. :-)

One of the wonderful things about blogging is the kindness and generosity of fellow bloggers. And one of the most fun example of that are the giveaways. Before becoming a blogger, I always said that I never won anything. I think that I am going to have to stop saying that. In December, I won beautiful hand-made cards from Mama-Face at http://blogignoramus.blogspot.com.

Then I won a beautiful book and bear set from Momma-Such at http://www.raisingmy4sons.com/. What's especially cool is that the series of books are available for purchase or FREE download so we have more great stories coming. We got it this past week and here are my kiddos enjoying:





At first, I was worried that they would fight over the bear, but my son surprised me. My son who thinks that all blue things are inherently for boys and therefore, in our home -- his. He decided that the bear was similar enough to a bear that he already had and said that his sister could have it. However, this didn't stop him from cuddling it during story time. He gave it back, though. So go check out Raising My Four Sons which will be evolving soon as she expects Baby #5. God bless her. She is more woman than I!

Finally, I recently won a naughty little something from the very fun http://jennaintheditch.blogspot.com/. It's called Linger and I will let you linger on that with your own imagination. Let's just say that if it works as advertised, I won't be sharing anymore details but there may be even more smiles interspersed in my posts.

So visit my generous friends because ladies and gentlemen, they and you make me feel like dancing!

Day 149 or Sundays in My City

The fabulous Unknown Mami hosts a weekly segment called "Sundays in My City" which allows us a glimpse into the beauty of our own city and cities all around the world. It's a favorite of mine, especially since she lives in San Francisco, the city where I truly left my heart, and many of my favorite bloggers also participate. I, however, have not joined in recently due to the holidays and then illness, but... I'm back. Today was a gorgeous day in Austin and we spent the afternoon at my son's soccer practice and game, and later riding bikes on the track. Below is a sampling. I'm not sure that this qualifies as Sunday in My City but it definitely is Sunday in My Life -- and a very good one at that!








I hope you all had as wonderful as a Sunday as did we. Now go check out the hot Latina Momma we know as Unknown Mami.