LIVE...

see what's in front of you,
as well as beyond..

listen with your heart...

feel deeply...

smile with your eyes...

speak the truth..

taste with your eyes closed...

touch with your fingertips...

have peace in your mind...

show kindness...

give love...

simple things..

It's time again for the simple things... Christina over at Soul Aperture is hosting it and this time for a really good cause, for every blogger that participates her family will donate a $1.00 to doctors without borders for Haiti relief. What a noble idea, doesn't surprise me...she has a heart of gold and a soul that soars miles high... Thank you Christina, love you :)

So here is my list of the simple things that make my soul sing each day...

sunlight as it changes through the day..
peaceful moments..
a stranger's smile as they pass you by..
the scent of nature..
shadows as they dance on the walls..
memories that warm my heart and make me smile..
a good laugh with my boys..
movie nights all cuddled on the sofa..
walking through isles at the bookstore..
the boys gravitating to the kitchen as I cook..
long conversations with a good friend..
five extra minutes of sleep in the morning..
my 16 year old blowing me a kiss as I drop him off at school..
the colors and textures on oil paintings..
and a few kind words exchanged amongst strangers..

Please play along today...and stop to appreciate the simple things in your lives..
Stop by at Christina's for more simple things


love...peace...joy...

please let her know if you are playing along so that she can link your page as well :)

look for it...

yes, it's raining...

it's wet, dark and gloomy...

and still...

we manage to find beauty....

and comfort on this day....

we should...
we must...


look for it...
find it...
embrace it...
enjoy it...!

love...peace...joy...

corner view "holiday"

"Holiday" means something different for each of us, the word itself can be used with different meanings... a favorite holiday, a celebration of things, perhaps a travel to a far away place...

As I thought about today's post and the topic of this weeks "corner view", the word holiday meant a warm and special feeling I had in my heart... To me it means a visit to a friends home and the surprise of a home made treat all tied in a pretty ribbon to take home with me... warmth...love...





stop by Jane's corner for more corner views, glad I finally got to play along.

love...peace...joy...

2010 and beyond...

Yet another year is upon us, as we start another decade. Much like our own birthdays... every time a year rolls around we stop and reflect, we look back at the year and think of all the events and experiences we had and look forward to a fresh new start.

So, as Earth celebrates another birthday and as we say goodbye to one decade, pressing onward towards a new one...let's reflect, let's look back and see what we've been through and what we've learned both on a global and personal level. I hope that we will cherish the good times we've had, pat ourselves on the back for the major and not so major accomplishments we've achieved, and most of all learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others and not repeat what history has taught us...

For the coming year and the new decade we are entering, I have very few things to ask for. I hope to find peace both internally and for our fellow man as well. I hope to live with eyes open to see the wonders each day has in store for us, and to witness the events as they unfold in the world. I hope mankind will learn to be a bit more compassionate and to rely on love more often, I hope for an outbreak of kindness around the world (as a friend said the other day). And most importantly I hope we can all do our part as individuals as well as a unit to make this little blue planet of ours a better place for our future generation...

I wish you all a Happy New year and a prosperous decade ahead. Enjoy yourselves tonight, don't drink too much.... then again...why not? Go ahead knock yourselves out I know I will, there will be lots of drinking and a downpour of tears in our home tonight, both happy and sad...

Peace my friends!
Love and Joy to accompany...


So...tell us what do you hope for in 2010 and beyond...?

change...

Change.... is Mother Natures way of moving forward...
There is much to be learned from her...


Have a great weekend everyone!

love...peace...joy...

six word saturday

TAKE THE PATH LESS TRAVELED... SOMETIMES!






hosted by Cate at Show My Face

six word saturday

hosted by Cate at Show My Face

GOOD FOOD....GOOD COMPANY...IS PRICELESS!!!

love...peace...joy...

simple things....

the sunlight in the morning,
the smell of cinnamon in my coffee,
a hug from my boys,
fresh baked muffins,
the warmth of a scarf around my neck,
a hot cup of tea in my favorite mug,
long conversations,
cooking up a storm for my family,
a good book and a quite space,
movie night with my boys,
the way children laugh,
colors on a canvas,
a good laugh,
a good cry,
a call from a friend,
a good movie,
looking through old photos,
a walk through the woods after rain,
the color of sunsets,
getting wet in the rain,
hearing "I love you mom"...


thank you Christina for giving us "simple things"

love...peace...joy...

six word saturday..

NATURES INTRICATE DESIGN MAKES ME SMILE!

hosted by Cate at Show My Face

have a great Saturday...



love...peace...joy...

six word saturday

EACH NEW DAY PRESENTS NEW WONDERS!








hosted by Cate at Show My Face

love...peace...joy...

love from the bogoshere...

My lovely blog friend Christina over at Soul Aperture sent me this photo today...
Her husband participated in the cancer run in Milwaukee on a September day, and among the names of all their friends who have been effected by this horrid disease, was Gag's name too.... made me teary looking at it.




Thank you Christina and husband for thinking of him and thank you for the photo, you truly are a very special person. To think we don't even "know" each other, we met here in the cyber world, between blog posts and sharing stories, admiring our pictures and finding comfort in our words. Yet it would seem we have connected on a much deeper level...

There is much love here in the blogosphere, no doubt about it.



love...peace...joy...

wordless wednesday... rain (finally)

love...peace...joy...

fun filled weekend...

The weekend started with a pleasant
surprise as I found out that my mom's
friend and daughter were taking us out to lunch.

So we were off to Malibu's Taverna Tony
where delicious food was had.
The saganaki which is a fried cheese flambeed
table side was amazing, as were the rest
of the dishes. And a little Ouzo shared with
good old friends in a nice setting is just what
the doctor ordered.

That evening was one of my favorite
events that takes place in our little community
every year, the Music Festival.

Colorado Blvd. is closed off a few blocks and filled
with food carts, craft vendors and some dozen
bands in different corners of the street.

This shot shows the hustle and bustle on the street,
where people flock to each year for some
good music and great street food.

The boys and I were having far too much
fun to stop and take pictures, but I did
manage to take a few shots of these guys.
Who were performing a Brazilian
Martial Arts dance called Capoeira.
The beat was mesmerizing, and the
performance amazing...

Then we were off to Castaic Lake for a
family picnic on Sunday.
What a beautiful fall day that was,
crisp air, little breeze and the sun warming
us at times.

Of course great food was had...

Little rock stacking, patience lessons were
practiced between father and son (my brother)...
and other family members...

And an overall great time was had, surrounded
by family, food, laughter, and these magnificent
trees...

Lots of great memories were made this weekend, many photos taken, countless bonding conversations between friends and family, kids had quite a few laughs as well as us adults.
Quite honestly this was possibly the first weekend where I felt a glimpse of happiness in my heart, yes again.. Gag was always on my mind and I did get teared up at times thinking how wonderful it would have been to have him with us, and how he would enjoy every moment of this weekend, he loved full days like these, where we had a lot going on...

But... I laughed with a bit more ease this time, and the teary sessions were a little more spread out than usual... And this was a good thing for all of us.


Love...Peace...Joy...

october..

just a quick note to let you guys know what's going on in October over at Capturing beauty.
so go on over there now and check back throughout this month for some fun shots of the changing season captured by all 11 of us there..
Here's my first shot I posted.... more to come :)

thanks Philip once again for this blog opportunity

love...peace...joy...

fall has arrived....

well folks... fall has officially arrived
a walk through of a retail store
shows quite a bit of evidence of this




spice and cinnamon scented candles
invade your nose as soon as you walk in

colorful and soft woven scarves
are begging to wrap around your neck

Halloween fabrics are everywhere
from costumes for the kiddies to kitchen towels

and my favorite.... rain gear piled high on shelves

yup... it's here, the weather is changing, the smells and colors around are changing, and so are we.... looking forward to cozy corners, comforted by soft blankets, hot tea and the crackle of the firewood.... enjoy the change of the season... as this too will pass quickly and take us into the winter, as we will no doubt be yearning for the warmth of summer once again.... and the cycle will begin all over .....


love....peace....joy....

by the way all the images above were taken with my little baby cannon :))) not bad huh??

i'm so ready for fall

Well at least it looked a little cold and "fall-ish" outside this morning. It's been so hot and dry and just yukky for the past month, and the fires didn't help either, the air quality is really bad. I am so ready for some good old fashion cold, rainy and gloomy days.

I love fall, love the colors, the flavors, the smell of burning wood from the fireplaces, as you walk in the neighborhood in the evenings, warm sweaters, scarves, hats, soft socks, cozy blankets, the very few trees that actually do change color here in LA. Even though we don't have four seasons here, the change is still visible. I love the foods of the season too, hearty soups and stews, warm deserts, hot tea in the evening with some home made preserve. Can you tell I'm ready for the season?? And of course my favorite holiday.... Thanksgiving... yum...

Now that I'm done with the renovation project at the shop... I need to find some new projects to keep me busy, don't get me wrong.. I have my hands quite full with the boys, their activities, running the shop and home... but it's not that kind of "busy" I'm talking about.. it's the kind that keeps my creative juices flowing... and I love that kind of busy... so there are a few ideas in my head and will share soon enough, but for the moment... I'm just looking forward to the weather getting colder so that I can enjoy my early morning walks and hikes again.

Enjoy your week everyone

love...peace... joy...


a little quote before I go:

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

friendship....

I want to talk a little about friendship today...

I'm not talking about the type of friendship that's kind of casual, a drink here and there, a lunch date on a busy work week, or an occasional phone call once in a while. What I'm talking about is the kind of friendship that withstands the test of time, the up and down hills that life takes us through, the connection that is thicker than blood. Not many people are fortunate enough in their lives to make and keep such connections.

Although I'm a strong believer that a lot has to do with the kind of friend you are to others that determines the friends that you make throughout your lifetime. We all go through different stages of life and during these different stages we come across many people that win our hearts, then sometimes we drift away and loose that connection for whatever reason or we hold on to those friends forever if we're lucky.

The friendship that I speak of here is much like the unconditional love of a parent for the child, yes I know that connection is stronger than anything we will ever encounter in our lives, but with a good friendship, an unselfish friendship one that has no boundaries one can come pretty close to a connection that is similar to a family bond. Friends like these will accept you for all that you are, will cherish what you have to offer, will know when to push you, or when to step back. They will understand that if you need time then that is what they give you, or if you need a shoulder then they are the first to arrive... (preferably with some comfort food and vino). They don't judge or criticize you when you are not yourself, instead accept and understand your position, they don't shower you with advise when all you need is a hug, they don't talk when you need them only to listen. And they certainly don't walk away and leave you crouched in a dark corner when you need a lift.

Yes friendship like this is hard to find and hang on to, for those who find it should do all necessary to feed that connection, not to let it drift away. A note of caution here... it is very important that this devotion be a mutual one, if only one is the giving and supportive partner all the time... then that's not a real friendship. And at times we will have to accept that not all people are capable of such a devotion to that connection and those are usually the people that can't make any other connections in their lives last for that matter.

So, yes as the saying goes "we may not choose our family, but we choose our friends" is true, and we should choose.... the people that can take that step and commit to that connection... because a train cannot travel on one track... it needs both tracks on a leveled surface to ride smoothly.

And that's my two cents worth on the topic...
Be well my cyber friends


love...peace...joy...