sperlygirl

because sometimes...

a simple reminder feels like a profound one. 

 

tangled nearby...

love...she always is, tangled nearby, even when we aren't sure we feel her there...she is

a sprinkle of love...

today, amid the hurry of last minute errands and the mindlessness that tends to bring with it - we noticed a scattering of sparkly hearts scattered near the church down the street. kai and i gathered a handful for his treasure bag. 'ohhhhh my word...ohhhhhh my word!!!' he giggled and repeated excitedly as he picked up heart after heart to tuck in his bag. we were sure to leave some there for others to discover. my mindlessness was instantly refocused to the pure pleasure that a scattering of teeny shiny hearts can bring, and in that instant i felt no need to hurry anywhere any longer. happy love thursday!

reason #999...

reason #999 why i love him so...he offered to make me chicken soup for lunch yesterday - knowing that we didn't have any in a can here. so he just whipped some up for me because it sounded good and would make me feel better. and he is a creative force to be reckoned with. stays at home with our kids and is finishing up another novel. i have always been amazed and inspired by his creative drive. need i say more than that?

 

love...

she humbles me that word, love. there have been times where she has filled my heart so full i thought it would burst and others where my heart broke so deeply, i never imagined it would feel again. there have been times she has merely whispered to me from some ordinary, fleeting moment in life. and others where she has been standing curb-side waving frantically, calling out my name in hopes i would spot her. there have been moments when she has glimmered like a firefly against the evening sky with only the intent to remind me of her presence. i have felt her in warm embraces, in curling fingers of teeny babes, in the comfort and safety of a treasured friend, in the presence of a trusted animal. i have seen her through the actions of kindness, thoughtful gestures of care and concern, the outstretched hand of generosity, or more simply in an acute presence in the world. i have heard her in the final words of my father, the first cries of my sons, in the farewells from our families and friends, in the stillness of silence, and in the rhythmic roll of the tide as she meets the sand. i have been fortunate to experience her - her range, her fullness, her emptiness, her depths and with each encounter...i am left humbled.

**participating today with imperfect prose**

life's distractions...

distraction no. 2......ooooooooh those cheeks, i simply can't resist!

5 months love note...

to my little one,

(ryder ~ 5 months)

be sure to seek out the wonder in the everyday. be sure to dance outside in the rain with a dear friend once. stop and listen to the wind. stand barefoot at the shoreline, marvel at the horizon, and feel your body surge with life as the tide rolls in to meet your toes. pick up a beautiful shell but do not discard the broken one next to it - as there is so much beauty to be found also in those fractured pieces. be mindful of your burdens and respectful that others carry their own too. some may be obvious and others you may never realize are there...but they are. lead with your heart in whatever it is you wish to pursue but always remember your greatest resource is the knowledge you allow for yourself. approach all living beings with kindness - including yourself. always remember (and use) your good manners - they have the ability to take you quite a ways in the world. and do not ever forget the genuineness of an unexpected handwritten note. be thoughtful, mindful, fearless, kind, and above all, be happy, my littlest one. ti amo. xx mama

moments of beauty...

there are times in life when i find myself overwhelmed with the world - and not in a negative sense. it's like my heart is full and then some simple 'thing' happens - be it an unexpected comment, gesture, kind act, something i notice, a surprise letter/email but usually it is simple and ordinary - and it causes my heart to overflow.

i say all of this at the risk of sounding completely corny, crazy or both but it's true and genuine for me. i can recall moments like this all the way back into my childhood. it's like a momentary awareness of all the inexplicable beauty in the world and it just hits you, shocks your system a bit, rocks your world, and then as unpredictably as it arrives - it gracefully settles back down into the recesses of your soul. it's a clarity...a lifting...a peace. nothing in your life is changed after wards, but you are left with the memory of this very difficult to articulate moment. i felt this today. i cannot tell you why or when it exactly came on, but i realized it in the moment. i was simply aware of it...and so very grateful for it.

**and to be true and honest, i have those other moments too - you know the ones where you feel deflated, defeated, and it's a struggle to define anything good in the world. i wouldn't be human if i didn't have the both. but i also believe wholeheartedly that it is my mind that creates my reality, so i work very hard to be completely aware of this during those darker moments. everything in life is as fleeting as the breath.

a list of 36 loves...

inspired by karen's post today...thought i'd share my 36 loves.

1. peaceful, quiet mornings

2. my little boy who will randomly tell me, "mama, you look pretty as a picture!"

3. the friendship of j and his loyalty

4. my supportive and loving family

5. my dearest and cherished friends

6. the sea

7. fresh flowers

8. a clean bathroom

9. a new planner (omg, i am such an addict)

10. a mix cd made with love by a friend

11. skype, skype, skype

12. my camera - and looking at life from behind a lens

13. the scent of my shiva oil paint sticks

14. internet radio

15. ziggy marley and his positive vibe

16. limone gelato (i miss you!)

17. a nice slow glass of red wine over dinner with friends overlooking the seaside (pure heaven)

18. the gift of creativity

19. an inspiring read

20. seeing a movie in the theater

21. church bells in the distance at twilight

22. planting new plants in the garden and the hope that's tucked in the soil with them

23. fresh fruit

24. traveling (anywhere!)

25. sweet, friendly pets who miss you

26. the incredible community of blogger friends (thanks!!!)

27. messages of love and inspiration found in Mother Nature

28. watching the clouds drift overhead

29. sweet children's books

30. soaking up time visiting with friends

31. butterflies

32. seeing a child gain confidence and pride in their creative abilities

33. being able to write out a poem when it flashes across my thoughts

34. letters from my grandma

35. the anticipation of meeting this little one we've come to love who has been living in my belly the past 8 months (there is so much love here waiting to greet you, sweet one)

36. striving to the find the possibility in each and every day

32 weeks...

32 weeks...moving around this belly is more of a challenge. although i have not been able to gain much weight at all - what i have has gone right here to the belly. teeny kicks, dances, and dives all over the place and all the time. the bassinet is assembled and ready to welcome his tiny little sleepy body. his big brother delights in giving my belly kisses and then waiting to watch the inevitable kick that comes in response. and i wonder and daydream of just who this teeny little boy will become.

(photo taken by j)

"The fruit derived from labor is the sweetest of pleasures."
~Luc de Clapier