sperlygirl

grounding in the now...

life has a way of completely humbling you to the core sometimes, you know? this week is a very busy and important one at work - one we have been preparing for for a long time. so what do i wind up doing yesterday? completely straining my back while cleaning the house. i rank it up there with my experiences of the worst pains ever. i am trying to look for the lesson here and perhaps she has yet to reveal herself (which only feels all the more frustrating at the moment). i am having to rely on others to help me with even the simplest of tasks. deeeep breath - much gratitude to those who are helping me. 

in hopes of trying to keep spirits light and lifted...i came across this video the other day and it has kept me laughing. 

technical difficulties...

this weekend, cafe spilled into my laptop, so not good. hope to be back soon...

in the meantime, this has totally become my new theme song, love

simply trying...

it has been one of those weeks - you know, the ones that feel so jammed packed with things you have to do, accomplish, and finish - that you feel you need to schedule in time to simply breathe. i do not do well with those weeks. i feel spent, stretched, exhausted and amped up all at once. checking an item off a list doesn't even feel satisfying as i know there is another one there to take it's place. so i have been trying to be mindful, gentle, and easy on myself (and those around me) in the process. let me just say, i am a work in progress here. but tomorrow is nearing the end of the week - so there is light at the end of the long week approaching. ....deep exhale...

*this tune felt so perfect today*

readjusting...

of course, when i feel like i am on a roll with things, life steps in and zings a little curve ball just to see how i will react respond. my laptop died yesterday. the up side is it seems like it's a part that was recalled, so hopefully a fix is in the near future but this has been really frustrating enlightening, having the freedom of working whenever and wherever, zapped. i am choosing (stated much easier after a quick run to chill out) to take this down time as an opportunity to attend to more creative projects. i will choose to make the best of it. plus, there is the chubby cheeked little babe here who keeps pulling himself up on anything and everything he can these days. i am kind of grateful at the fact things happened when they did, wouldn't want to miss that little milestone for the world.

a book fairy tale...

i was so honored to be a book fairy here in italy for the lovely christine mason miller. she is pure inspiration and it was a gift to be able to share that with someone over here. 

at first i wondered just where and how i should leave her book. i thought of the obvious at some infamous tourist location ~ but then i worried that these days an unaccompanied package could conjure up feelings of unease and anxiety. so i rethought a bit and decided that a cafe would be perfect. they are such a central location for this culture. a place where people meet, rest, watch, relax, unwind, or take in a bit of the day. a place for reflection. a place that resonates much with the pace of life here that has taken hold of my heart.

the day was rainy and cold, but i was hanging out with my dear girlfriend and her family so the weather didn't really matter. in fact, the chill was all the excuse we needed to duck into a little cafe to order a round of hot chocolates (...in august??? i know but it WAS chilly!) we decided this was the perfect spot to leave the book to brighten up someone's day that may be dimmed otherwise due to the weather. her daughter helped to translate the message on the book into italian...and we waited....and waited...and waited. then as we were getting up to leave, our waiter noticed the book as he was clearing the table behind us. "oh look what someone left behind," (in italian, of course) he exclaimed but then he read the message on the cover again and gently set the book on his tray and went back into the cafe...smiling. mission accomplished!

(photo by kt)

i will...

hard, that's what this year has felt, hard. but as much as i bawk at the challenges, i have to admit i find a rush there too. it's causing me to stretch, to leap, to mark some clear lines in the sands at times and then step back knowing that my decisions are healthy ones even if they may not be popular ones. i am rambling after a hard day ~ but i am also listening ~ to that voice that rides with me. to the voice that reminds me that i must be sure to carve out what i need, be it time, silence, patience, art, my camera, peace, what have you. 

i believe we must all feel this way along our journeys. my camera is a trusted friend, a non-judgmental observer of my world who helps me to focus on a fleeting moment as a solemn reminder of just what is sacred in this life. not my passage through it but my openness to it - to each tender moment, each subtle whisper, each beam of soft sunlight, each whiff of spring's fragrant blooms, each long hard day and the lessons she presented, each fleeting evening with a babe nestled in my arms, each walk with kai which uncovers hidden treasures, each longing of my muscles to lace-up my running shoes or toss down the yoga mat, each ring of the phone which brings a dear friend closer, each tender moment and all her wondrous challenges and gifts. i'll take the hard days along the way...i will

footing...

sometimes my steps through my day feel more tender than sure-footed. my confidence as a mother seems more rattled than courageous. my interactions with my daily routine seems more trying than successful. my ability to seek beauty feels more clouded than clear. my patience feel more fragile than sturdy.

i don't like to dwell on these days here but i do walk them. i walked one today. and as the sunlight sinks gently down into the sea this evening, i am hoping with all my heart to walk through this day - with the sincere intention of awaking to a fresh canvas in the morning.

going greener, month 2...

so remember last month, i mentioned participating in this challenge? our first small change was to reduce our dependency on those disposable cleaning wipes. i must say we met this challenge. while we have not eliminated completely, we have reduced our usage considerably. every mess i was met with last month presented me with the choice wipe or rag? and i am pleased to report i chose rag each time! i thought this might create more of a laundry heap than i already battle around here but it really didn't.

this month my goal is to attack the sandwich bags!! we already wash and reuse them several times but i want to go further than that. so i have been checking out some eco-options and this is what i have come up with so far. i hope to order us a set along with these wonderful utensils for packed lunches. here's to another small change...

Food Kozy

Waste Not Saks

Snack Taxi

**there is still time if you would like to join us in 'a shot of inspiration' swap ~ just let me know with a comment here and i will pass on all the details.**

 

to be heard...

i had been thinking of the importance of 'being heard' lately and then my friend, beth, posted this and i realized the sheer magnitude it holds for us all. sometimes all it takes to nudge you out of your comfort zone is to simply be acknowledged by another.

it's long been my philosophy as an educator, that children simply want to be heard - not just listened to - but actually heard. isn't that so true for us all? we long to be heard above the static of the everyday, heard through the rambling tones of conversations, and heard around the clamor of everyday life. this video (and this project) reiterated that dire need in us all. too often we walk through our lives caught up in our own lives and we do not realize the ripple and wake a simple gesture or act of kindness will leave for another. i challenge you to open your heart today, this season, to another and take a moment to really hear them - and in doing so - leave a wake of magic behind you.

inside plus outside challenge...

thought i'd play along with kt & beth and give this photo challenge a whirl today...

inside ~ a glowing candle in my studio

outside ~ glowing plastic chairs catching the afternoon sun

**and many thanks to beth for this link yesterday, i have watched it a couple times & it fills me with joy and happiness - what a great way to start a life together-full of laughter!**