“A pretty woman makes her husband look small
And very often causes his downfall.
As soon as he marries her
Then she starts to do
The things that will break his heart.
But if you make an ugly woman your wife,
You’ll be happy for the rest of your life,
An ugly woman cooks her meals on time,
She’ll always give you peace of mind.”
An ugly woman?! I don’t think there is such a thing! Lol
Since I’m sharing this song I decided to share a couple of the “ugliest” (there’s actually waayyy uglier ones my sister has of me that she takes of me during moments I least expect it but I won’t be sharing those here – she has them on Facebook though!) pics of me. lol It’s not that I’m ugly but these are pictures I took of myself recently during my horrible sore throat and stuff. I’m totally not in my underwear, just pj shorts. lol And I have chicken legs (natural ones, not because I’m sick) which my mom thinks are hilarious. They aren’t as noticeable in pants.
I took these pictures shortly after I felt my sickness slowly beginning to heal. I was celebrating my desire to “live again” after walking around like a zombie for a few days. lol So for this reason, I think they are beautiful pics!
This is me recovering just after a terrible sore throat and possibly a (mild) kidney infection.
I haven’t been this sick in quite a while. And if I look a wreck, in my defense, like I said, I’m sick but recovering very well!
Don’t you just LOVE the feeling of getting over a sickness?! It’s a wonderful feeling for sure. When I’m listing things to be grateful for, even when I’m not sick and haven’t been in a while, I frequently think of the incredible feeling when a sickness begins to end. In general, most of us feel this feeling of not being sick but we tend to overlook it I think, take it for granted, because we’re so used to it….until we get sick. Then we realize how absolutely wonderful it is to not be sick. ❤
I was letting my dog out in the backyard to go potty and as I stood there at the door waiting (she doesn't like us to leave and close the door on her lol), I felt flooded with gratitude that I felt so much less sick!
I'm sharing this funny song & pictures as part of my one word challenge! My word is beauty. It’s just a funny song, but definitely not true! There are lots of pretty girls who can make some delicious food and love to cook for others and are great loyal, wives, girlfriends, lovers….
This song, while kind of rude, is uplifting!
“Say man.
Hey baby.
Saw your wife the other day.
Yeah?
Yeah, she’s uglyyy.
Yeah, she’s ugly but she sure can cook.
Yeah?. Okay.”
Lol Whaaattt?!?
I can’t cook (but then again, I never even try…)and don’t want to and I don’t keep stuff neat and organized so I must be totally gorgeous!! ;-D
My view is if you truly want to be happy, look for the beauty in everyone. Not just physical beauty but inner beauty. “Look for the light in others and treat them as if that’s all you see.” Also not to assume things especially based on outter appearances. You may think a woman is ugly and it turns out she can’t cook at all and a woman you find stunning may be a great chef!
And not just about cooking but anything. Lol Physical appearance can’t generally tell us much about someone!
This may seem like common sense but some people really do judge based on appearances. I’m not completely innocent of this myself. I don’t ever judge based on level of attractiveness but there have been occasions I just looked at someone and thought this person doesn’t seem like the most pleasant person and the person turned out to be the sweetest thing! Even if we get a first impression that isn’t good, we don’t have to act on it! Let’s give everyone a chance! ❤
(This isn’t my photo but isn’t it sweet?!)
It’s hard though to listen to this song and not want to giggle or sing along! 😀 The tune is quite catchy, wouldn’t you say? 😀
“It felt like spring time on this February morning
In a courtyard birds were singing your praise
I’m still recalling things you said to make me feel alright
I carried them with me today”
I found this fortune on the floor near the door when I walked into work today. It brightened my day and made me smile. And it reminds me to smile at the very next person I look at (which I did! And he smiled back! 😀 ).
Last night I had difficulty sleeping. My grief kept me awake. It tends to do that some nights.
But my adorable dogs know when I’m in serious pain whether it’s physical or emotional and they show me extra love. Lol It’s so cute!! ❤
One of the strange things about grief is how one moment it can be quiet, soft, mellow, calm, easy to bear then the very next moment it can be raw, agonizing, violent, nearly unbearable. It appears and reappears for many of us as long as we live, no matter how long ago the loss occurred. I still feel this for my dog who died of old age in 2013 and others I knew and love.
Last night I was thinking about how in just a few weeks, it will be the first anniversary of my close friend/coworker's unexpected death. It has been a long exhausting journey of grief this last year. Full of beauty & pain. Light & darkness. Love & hope.
One year is just a social construct and it seems strange and interesting to think about it. Our society places so much importance on anniversaries each year. This can be good or be very painful. Or both?
My grief exacerbates to nearly unbearable levels off and on throughout my days. And while it's so hard sometimes, I know that's ok. It will be like that. I no longer try to battle it usually. It's not something to be battled.
It's just a natural reaction to our losses. So I let it appear, do what it will, and then mellow out to the more bearable levels until the next raw flare up whenever it may be.
Sometimes I still have trouble doing this though. Sometimes I want to resist that grief that hurts so much.
Last night as I laid down to sleep, it just hit me. So unexpectedly. My beautiful friend never leaves my mind and my grief never leaves me either. But like I said, my grief now is usually bearable.
But last night as I thought of the first anniversary approaching, the pain came at me like daggers piercing every square inch of my being. I thought of all the beautiful days we shared together in the last decade. All the love she has shown me and the love I still have for her and always will. But last night the happy memories weren't enough to soothe the pain. In some way, they even worsened it. Somehow though, I finally drifted off to sleep with her beautiful face across my mind.
“Oh darlin’ as I lay me down to sleep
This I pray, that you will hold me dear
Though I’m far away
I’ll whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy” ❤
Today I woke up still in that terrible raw state of grief. It's worse than when she died because at least back then the shock of her unexpected death protected me against the agony that was soon coming. But when I think of her, when I speak her name, it's so healing.
As I sat at work today, a memory came to me. It was the Summer before she died. It was July, just after her 58th birthday. I was 28 years old. Diane always treated me like her own daughter. We stood together by the soda boxes in the store I work at. Her job was in the bar kitchen across the street. But she came over to the store to help me when it was busy. She absolutely loved to help people. She was a very giving person.
She often came over just to talk to me or bring me food and tell me something funny. She was hilarious, so full of life. Diane bragged about me to others constantly and always told me how wonderful I am and how she loved me. She was so proud of her sons and always sharing stories about her grandkids. She was so full of love.
I always loved how she referred to her boys as "My Thomas" and "My Matthew" and "My Daniel"
She would scold me when she thought I was doing something not good for myself like if she thought I was not eating enough food. She was always making me food and bringing it to me.
My sweet, sweet friend. I miss her like crazy. The pain is almost physical.
I always felt so close to her.
I remember her black hair blowing in the swirl of the air the fan was blowing that day. I remember her white t-shirt and long denim shorts. And her beautiful voice.
There is nothing significant about this memory. It just came to me in one of my worst moments of grief and stood out. I love how it's just a simple memory of a mundane part of an ordinary day, yet it's so vivid in my mind.
And it's a memory only I have of us together that day. There was no one else here. It feels so unique. But now it's written in stone, for the world to see at any moment of any day. And for that I am thankful.
Today I walked over to the soda box where we stood that day. I longed for her. I longed to feel her near me. My arms ached to hug her.
And as my grief reached its pinnacle and I felt it would destroy me and I was so tempted to repress and deny it, instead I let it ripple through me in agonizing waves. I let my body writhe in agony, I let myself keel over as I clutched my chest which felt like it held something inside physically breaking, as I thought of how I'll never see her again, how she'll never live again, never work again, never see her sons and family and friends again. Never again feel the wind blowing through her dark black hair. I thought of her hearing aids and how she'll never again reach up to adjust them. She'll never again eat her favorite strawberry ice cream or drink her favorite soda, which is also my favorite. Coca Cola. We both have always loved it and we both wouldn't drink Pepsi if Coca Cola was sold out. Lol Instead we drank Mt. Dew.
So I let the pain break me. As much as I wanted to resist it. I let it break me. Then I allowed myself to steal away into the stillness around me and within, the quietude, the spaciousness, the emptiness, that awaits beyond the worst of the pain. The still of this cold, desolate afternoon enveloped me in a soothing, exhilarating kind of way, giving me life & hope.
And I felt beauty. I felt calm. Love. Whole. I felt her in my loving memories and I felt healed to a certain point. Grief, for many of us never completely heals but that's ok.
It will appear and reappear and rise and fall. It will scream some moments, loud and vicious and terrible. And other moments it will softly arise in our self, floating gently and sadly but beautifully across our essence. Sometimes the happy memories will shatter us to pieces and other moments they will put us back together and help heal the darkest pain. And it's all ok. But it won't always feel ok. And that's ok too.
I was so tempted to only see the ugly in my grief today but I remembered my vow to this year refine my ability to see beauty in every moment, even the seemingly ugly ones. To deepen my sense of beauty and strengthen my philosophy of life that life is beautiful even in its darkest moments.
So I let myself stand in quiet and calm and felt the beauty rise and surge within and consume me in its glow.
And it was all ok again.
And all will be ok again.
Acceptance is a beautiful thing. It beautifies the world. We can accept our things that can't be changed and just go with the flow. And even things that can be changed, we can accept that things happen that aren't good while trying our best to help it. Acceptance doesn't mean we don't try to help it. It just means we allow whatever will be, to be and move forward doing the best we can, the best we know how.
I accept my grief and my loss. And I move forward and try to help others in any way I can, often through my writing here & sharing inspiring posts. If it just touches one person, even in some small way, it's truly amazing. ❤ ❤
“It’s not too near for me
Like a flower I need the rain
Though its not clear to me
Every season has its change
And I will see you
When the sun comes out again” ~
Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down
Mobile:
Desktop:
I’m wishing you much love & light today and always,
1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)
“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
(this one isn’t mine)
I’m not religious but I love churches! And I just love the little golden cross at the top and the Wintery feel of my photo here. Churches are one of my favorite things to take pictures of! They are just beautiful. And while I don’t believe in any gods, I still find deep beauty & inspiration in some of the messages and love of people who believe in them or one of them.
I am someone who finds beauty & inspiration everywhere, even in things I don’t agree with and even in dark situations.
But this year, as part of my one word challenge, I’m being even more mindful of beauty everywhere. Beauty is my word.
😀
So I decided to share my pictures here with a Biblical (at least in some versions) quote I find beauty in. And also I want to share a sweet Jesus song I find so much inspiration in.
I want my one word challenge to be about not only finding beauty in my own views and things I completely agree with but appreciating the beauty in other views and opinions I don’t share.
“Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can’t be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come here in my heart
And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed
By the power of Your name
The power of Your name”
Isn’t this incredibly beautiful?! It’s not just a message that can only apply to those who believe in Jesus. It’s meant for each one of us. Jesus, whether he was/is a real man or only a character in a fairytale, is symbolic of love, compassion, and hope. Those are messages that can apply to all of us. We can look within us to find that power to help transform the world around us.
I invite you to look for and find beauty in places you don’t think you are likely to find it. Maybe in certain political views for example or in the people who hold views you yourself do not. There are views I don’t agree with but appreciate people’s courage to share them or the determination they have to work for their cause. If we really try, we will find glimpses of beauty even in the most unlikely places.
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the earth revolves-slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
I shared this quote here before, not too long ago and thought of it again when I was drinking hot tea at work. My tea bags turn red in the hot water and look so pretty. I am inspired by the coloring and the tea itself. Hot tea is my favorite. Not just because it’s delicious but just the very concept or what it symbolizes, at least for me. To me, tea symbolizes serenity & simplicity, warmth, and mindfulness.
Tea always reminds me to live in this moment and savor every second.
I took this picture of my tea at work one day recently and put a darkening effect on it to make the red stand out. (and I put this quote on I read in a mindfulness book for treating addiction) I love how in photos, we can creatively play up certain aspects or details to make them stand out more than they do in actual life. Certain things like shadows & reflections & colors or drops on things are often overlooked in person but in photos we have no choice but to notice. Certain kinds of photography inspire mindfulness when they provoke us to be attentive to details we would otherwise overlook.
The more I look at people’s photos and take my own, the more I notice the wonderful, simple treasures of life in person like mist on leaves and tree branches, the motion of a butterfly’s soft wings flapping in the gentle wind, the reflection of a setting sun on car windows and the window of buildings, the chipped paint on bricks of buildings, decaying window panes on old houses, the shadow in front of me as I walk the streets on a sunny day, smooth stones resting in wet soil after a rainstorm, the edges and lines and repetition of wooden fences, the crisp yellowing pages of old books, the swirl of colorful city lights at night, the small ripples of river water and the large glistening rocks that adorn it, the large arches of bridges, freckles and moles and wrinkles on someone’s skin, and not just things seen but felt or experienced with the other senses, like a soft breeze upon my smooth skin, the feel of hot or cold liquid on my tongue, going down my throat, the fragrance of cold air, the softness of flower petals against my finger tips, the light playful touch of the wind blowing through my long hair, the sound of traffic on a wet day, the taste of chocolate in frigid air (it always tastes better to me in the cold.), and so, so much more.
I love this quote. It is a beautiful reminder that we are HERE. Right here. Right now.
Now.
It’s truly all we know we have. We may have tomorrow all that we have today, maybe even more. But it’s also possible in an instant, it can all be taken away. Buildings we see everyday can suddenly be demolished, beautiful trees cut down, delicate flowers crushed beneath the soles of hasty footsteps, beautiful friends leave or die, one of our body’s beautiful systems stops functioning, we lose our job or place of living. We just never know.
Even if we knew we have forever, it would still be great to be mindful and appreciate the beauty but the point of this quote is that we don’t have forever. All we have is right Now. So it makes sense to focus more on this than tomorrow or yesterday or even later today.
Let’s cherish every moment we have been given.
Here is a beautiful song sung by Ringo Starr about this fact of life!
“You’ll Never Know”
“…with every dawn every day is full of chances
to find some good before it’s gone
You’ll never know which way
a day is gonna take you
theres always some surprise
that comes along to shake you
a simple rule of thumb
thats often been neglected is
take life as it comes
expect the unexpected
you’ll never see exactly where
the road will lead you…”
(This is the old church in the process of being demolished. 😦 I wrote about it before. It reminds me of the mini creepy castle in the horror book I’m reading!)
“Once upon a time she had pretended that the castle had been built thousands upon thousands of years ago by men from Saturn. And well it could have been, so far as any local person knew. She had chosen Saturn because of its rings. She could place herself in imagination upon the planet and look up at the colorful rings encircling the planet and see the most beautiful of all sights. And on Saturn the trees were all colors, like flowers, like the rings, and beauty was everything, just for the purpose of being beautiful.” (pp. 39)
I’m reading a good mystery fiction book, published in 1981, called Hear the Children Cry .
This excerpt is out of this book.
😀
I love it because not only is it beautiful, it’s also very wise. Not everything we do or have has to be practical/have a practical purpose. It reminds me that it’s ok to not always be productive, just to sit back and bask in the beauty.
“Everything is beautiful
In its own way
Like a starry summer night
Or a snow covered winter’s day
Everybody’s beautiful
In their own way
Under God’s heaven
The world’s gonna find a way”
I love the message of this song. I don’t believe in any gods but the message is beautiful! It’s true there’s beauty in everything & everyone; we just have to open our minds and see, feel. And it’s true, if we open our minds to see beauty in everyone and everything, the world will find a way. ❤
“There is none so blind
Than is he who will not see
We must not close our minds
We must let our thoughts be free
For every hour that passes by
You know the world
Gets a little bit older
It’s time to realize
That beauty lies
In the eyes of the beholder”
“We shouldn’t care
About the length of his hair
Or the color of his skin
Don’t worry about
what shows from without
but the love that lives within
We’re gonna get it all together now
Everything gonna work out fine
Just take a little time
to look on the good side my friend
And straighten it out in your mind”
Late last night, we actually got Snow here in Philadelphia! But it only snowed for a few minutes, not enough to collect on the ground but enough to collect on the windchimes and things on the ground, trash can lids…
My phone doesn’t often take good pictures in the dark. It was nearly 12:00AM and when I woke up in the morning, the sun was out and the snow was gone! It’s still freezing cold today though! And I’m seeing & feeling beauty everywhere!
Thank you for the sweet messages on some of my posts! I will respond soon! I was without wifi most of the day at work and just got home. I always appreciate comments/messages & likes & shares!!! ❤ It was so cold at work so I had hot cocoa & tea!! yummy! :-p 😀
“Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.” ~Rumi ❤
I have been struggling with a severe episode of depression. The darkness has descended on me again and has felt unbearable. It started a few weeks ago but is worse now. I have recurrent episodes. This one started out gradually getting worse now seems like it may be ending. The most severe ones I have usually begin & end slowly with the worst of it in the middle. This is one of the worst ones. It's one of the ones where I can hardly feel any sense of pleasure in anything. Everything is dull, worn out. Music has no sound. Food has no flavor. My memory is just about non existent (except for all the bad things that ever happened to me…in this way it's perfect!) I can still find things amusing but not to the depth I usually do. It's hard to explain but with severe depression it's like everything is covered in plastic like that kind that food gets wrapped in and sometimes we can smell the food through the wrapper but it's dull because the plastic blocks out most of the scent. Or like a common cold when we lose most of our sense of taste but maybe catch a hint of it.
This is what severe depression is often like for me.
Even with it, I can often still laugh, even belly laughs sometimes. But there's something "dull" about it and it's not the same full laughs usually as I have when I'm not depressed.
Even with severe depression, I can sometimes truly laugh and smile. Just because we're depressed or kill ourselves or try, doesn't mean all our smiles & laughing is/was fake or to cover up the pain. We are still us. Depression can't take away all that I am even when it seems to.
I learned how to handle them better than I used to and I'm not constantly depressed anymore but it's very bad now. Some moments are ok then other moments I'm sure I'm going to kill myself and have a plan and all. I'm afraid to try it in case it doesn't work and triggers my physical pain disorder to flare up. That's all I need, right?! I don't want to do a half-assed job and mess things up even worse. But I keep holding on waiting for it to get better, waiting for it to end, either my life or the depression. Some moments I don't want it to get better, I just want it all to end, good, bad, everything. And I keep doing things to help myself like positive things and interesting things to distract my mind. It helps a little bit but it's hard to find the desire or motivation to do anything. But I force myself. My whole body feels heavy like something crushing me and my head feels so heavy. This episode is not triggered by anything specifically. It's not triggered by the holidays or anything. I love the holidays! And they cheer me up a little bit. It's just a deep, deep despair about nothing and everything. A wretched kind of agony some occasions and almost numb other occasions. Nothing in my external environment has changed but inside my head is Hell. I can't wait for it to end.
But today is much, much better than yesterday! So much better! I listened to some uplifting songs that helped a lot. Depression is biochemical as well as psychological and with practice and positive habits, we can learn to help ourselves and cope well. Not all depressed people can just listen to a happy song and be cheered up and I can't always do that. And not all depressed people can just think positively and be better but with practice, it's possible we can learn to handle it better with positive techniques like happy playlists and meditation.
I think gratitude and meditation can affect brain chemistry. It's not just things we put into our body that affect its chemistry but things we think and do.
This quote I find so beautiful and reminds me that if we once felt something, we can feel it again no matter how long it has been or how deep our sorrow or despair is now. My cover photo on Facebook says "Life is beautiful" and I have a bracelet that says it as well. Whenever I'm in despair and see my bracelet or cover photo I am reminded that I once felt that life is beautiful and can feel that way again.
“Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.” ~Rumi ❤
I have seen & felt my own strength, my own beauty, my golden wings so I know they are here with me and I will see them again. Even if now all I see is ugliness and weakness and all I feel are broken wings, I know some sort of strength dwells beneath the weakness and through my ugliness are glimpses of deep beauty within, and even with broken wings I will learn to fly again.
This quote has managed to inspire me in some deep way even in the midst of this seemingly impenetrable depression.
I want to share it here, not only because it helps me to write and share but more because it has the potential to touch someone else who may see it some day, now or later.
Also I want to share two songs I find so uplifting. They really impact my mood for the better.
This song will get you pumped! If not the message, definitely the music! But I feel that it’s the perfect music for the perfect message. Some years ago, my friend at work died and I was inconsolable. This is one of the songs that helped me cope with my devastating loss. And it helps me with my devastating episodes of depression and headaches. I hope it inspires you too! 😀
This song, I shared on Facebook recently. It’s a mixture of funny, uplifting, & inspiring. The music is upbeat and also the lyrics and video are funny. There is some wisdom to the way those glamour boys live! Not thinking about tomorrow, always laughing, always dancing….lol! They sure know how to have fun! ;-D
Depression really sucks but I feel I may be winning this battle.
So, I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever you are and hope you’re not struggling like me but if you are, whether it’s depression, something not so severe or something even worse, remember your beauty, your strength, your golden wings…..and hold on, keep going!
I find the scene funny and it makes me giggle. ;-D
I love how they included the red cups with all the New Year stuff for when people have their drunken celebrations! 😀
Anyway, I hope it’s a safe and happy one! I hope with everything I have in me there are no tragic accidents like people overdosing on alcohol, getting hit with stray bullets, driving recklessly and killing themselves or others. Every year, along with the thrill of holidays and celebrations and things, there’s also horrible accidents and senseless deaths that could have easily been prevented. I hope it’s a happy start of a new year for EVERYONE and especially a safe one. ❤ ❤
Here is something I share here every year. It's inspiring and uplifting!
In Sarah Ban Breathnach’s “Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy,” she writes:
“January, the month of new beginnings and cherished memories, beckons. Come, let winter weave her wondrous spell: cold, crisp, woolen-muffler days, long dark evenings of savory suppers, lively conversations, or solitary joys. Outside the temperature drops as the snow falls softly. All of nature is at peace. We should be, too. Draw hearthside. This is the month to dream, to look forward to the year ahead and the journey within.”
She also writes, “…time is the New Year’s bountiful blessing: three hundred sixty-five bright mornings and starlit evenings; fifty-two promising weeks; twelve transformative months full of beautiful possibilities; and four splendid seasons. a simply abundant year to be savored.”
We don’t have to wait for a new year to begin to be inspired to change for the better or to be motivated to try new things. The start of a new year is just made up or a social construct. We can just as soon change our mindset, lifestyle, anything, in the middle of July. And we can keep up the same old habits into the new year. It’s not about the date but about our inner power and desire, motivation & inspiration, which we can tap into any moment of any day of the year. Each moment, each breath is a chance for new beginnings. But the new year is symbolic of restored hope and new beginnings. So let’s let it inspire us to feel hope, love, and empowered.
Isn’t the prospect of a New Year thrilling?! I just love the feel of it each year. I have always found it thrilling but tinged with sadness. I never liked saying goodbye, not even to a number given to a year. I would think it’s sad no longer living in the year 1996, 2002, 1999….whatever it was even though it was also happy. But for the last couple of years, I don’t feel that pang of sadness as much. I haven’t experienced as much wistfulness or nostalgia and I’m not in the mood for it either. Nostalgia and longing can be both beautiful and sad. Bittersweet.
But I’m not always looking to experience bittersweet emotions. Sometimes just sweet is fantastic.
Also, in 2016, there will be an extra day! 366 bright mornings & starlit evenings! An extra day full of beauty, hope, opportunities, & love!!
😀
Today, at least here in Philadelphia(and quite a few other places), it’s still 2015 though so let’s not forget to cherish these last moments of this year, soak up all the beauty & magic of Now.
Nahhhh…I decided to go out in the middle of a rainstorm! it’s raining cats & dogs out there!
Even though it’s storming, I decided to walk to get my mom, sister, and me coffee & hot chocolate.
I LOVE walking in the rain! As long as I can change my clothes and get dried off soon!
Today I soaked up the rain and let it drench me. No umbrella, no hood or raincoat or anything to shield me against the drops falling out of the sky. I felt it on the tips of my toes as I splashed thorough puddles all the way to the top of my head as it soaked my hair. Oh the joy!
My hair just got long enough to sit on last night! Lol It was always almost long enough to sit on but just last night whenever I sit down now, my hair pulls my head back because I’m sitting on it! Lol It’s so funny it just happened in one night! Long hair problems! ;-D
It was also funny walking in the rain. I had nothing but smiles and giggles! 😀 Everyone was probably thinking that poor girl, not knowing it was my choice and I love it.
The weather is perfect for walking in, not cold or hot. Just cool.
A couple people felt sorry for me thinking I got caught in it unexpectedly. Lol But I was loving every second! I received a few friendly and sympathetic and even funny comments. I guess a soaking wet girl with excessively long hair tends to attract attention while out walking!
Here are a few pics of me after getting home drenched. And some rainy songs!
“Strolling along country roads with my baby
It starts to rain, it begins to pour
Without an umbrella we’re soaked to the skin
I feel a shiver run up my spine
I feel the warmth of her hand in mine
Ooh, I hear laughter in the rain
Walking hand in hand with the one I love” ❤
“I want her and I need her
And someday, someway
I’ll meet her
She’ll be kind of shy
And real good lookin’ too
And I’ll be certain she’s the one
By the things she’ll like to do
Like walking in the rain (like walking in the rain)
And wishing on the stars up above
And being so in love”
“If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain
If you’re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I’m the love that you’ve looked for, come with me, and escape”
And here’s a beautiful song about paying attention to life and all the beauty we are blessed to know, about not taking things for granted and letting people and things and days slip away without cherishing them.
Maybe you don’t like walking in the rain but this is a great reminder to soak up all of whatever we do love. Cherish every moment we have been given, honor each day being mindful of all the gifts it provides us.
Today when I woke up I had the song “My Favorite Things” stuck in my head! Lol Whaaatt?! It was playing in my head really loudly as I was waking up. I must have been dreaming about it. I don’t believe I heard it in years or even consciously thought of it.
It reminds me of Christmas even though it’s appropriate for all year. ❤
I realized how much I love the song after I woke up and listened to it this morning! It's full of joy, passion, and wisdom. When we are struggling or in a low mood, it really does help to remember a few of our favorite things.
Some of her favorite things are: raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles, brown paper packages tied up with strings, girls in white dresses, door bells and sleigh bells….
I love all these things too! ❤
Here are some of my favorite things:
1.) a cup of hot tea
2.) snow covered hills
3.) a cool Summer breeze
4.) the holiday season
5.) acts of kindness
6.) the scent of pine on a crisp day
7.) puppy kisses
8.) girls in stilettos
9.) soft, warm blankets at night
10.) mystery thriller books
11.) the feeling of stepping out of a cold air conditioned room into a hot, sunny afternoon
12.) beautiful dark poetry
13.) photography
14.) my long hair
15.) makeup
16.) seeing someone genuinely smiling & laughing
17.) pleasant surprises
18.) meeting people I never met before
19.) sweet conversations with friends
20.) intriguing conversations with a stranger
21.) hugs
22.) the swirling of ceiling fans on a warm day
23.) the first days of Fall
24.) the floral fragrance of Spring
25.) the sound of construction work off in the distance
26.) the sound of people laughing outside late at night
27.) the sound of cars sloshing through puddles on a rainy day
28.) kitty kats and other animals licking their paws and cleaning their faces
29.) Christmas lights and decorations
30.) the changing of the seasons
31.) Oldies songs
32.) quiet afternoons and mornings with sunlight streaming through the windows
33.) reading a thrilling book in the darkness in my room
34.) the taste of candy outside in cold weather
35.) tall city buildings
36.) a blue, blue sky speckled with fluffy white clouds
37.) used bookstores
38.) old books
39.) books that take place long ago
40.) books that take place in cold seasons
41.) love
42.) cupcakes with Buttercream frosting
43.) rainy days
44.) the sound of heavy rain pelting upon rooftops
45.) tea with friends
46.) Coca Cola
47.) Christmas
48.) Christmas songs
49.) Halloween
50.) hearing a song I haven't heard in ages (like this one!) 😀
51.) receiving packages in the mail
52.) caramel apples with nuts
53.) meditation class
54.) positive people
55.) dogs!
56.) Christmas pj's
57.) trampolines!
58.) warm sunny days
59.) cold dreary gray days
60.) getting new books
61.) inspiring quotes
62.) belly laughs that hurt
63.) feeling flooded with relief & gratitude
64.) shadows & reflections
65.) a black midnight sky full of twinkling stars
66.) septa busses and trolleys
67.) iced tea
68.) old baby pictures! My mom happened to find baby pictures of me today on my first Christmas in 1986!
She was looking for something else and came across these! Which is fantastic since Christmas is a few days away!
This is me on Christmas morning, 1986, in my night clothes before I got changed into my little red dress my aunt Mariann bought me. ❤
I was kind of cute wasn't I? lol I was really big for seven months and had to wear toddler clothes already and my mom thought I was going to start needing special extra large sized diapers ordered. I needed jumbo diapers. lol Then when I got older, I slimmed down.
😀
This is a bit more than a few and I can go on & on! It's so uplifting listing nothing but happy things! And so much easier and more pleasant than listing things I don't like!
What are a few of your favorite things?
😀
I hope you're having a wonderful day/night!
❤
Xoxo Kim
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