Little Artists

I'm looking back on this evening and I am so grateful.

Grateful for an a set of listening ears and a good cup of coffee. A few minutes of sharing my heart, a few minutes of being listened to and my night was magically changed. Thank you, dear listener.

Grateful for four fabulous little people, two we borrowed, who smiles, giggles and hand prints warm my heart.

Grateful for a whole community of people who help our day to day life run smoothly. Teachers, grandparents, amazing caregivers and friends. I am blessed everyday. I am blessed with this day.

Loving my husband who works so hard to keep our garden plans for this year on track. Remember this table? It was too moldy to bring inside so there are now wild flowers planted in the drawer. And it's for starting seeds now, but (but!) soon it will be all kinds of gorgeous.

Even though I pulled out my wool coat and scarf. I love that our walk around the neighborhood in the drizzling evening was just what we all needed. Even in that gloomy weather, we looked at the spring that is facing us!
 
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Giggling that I have chalk pastel dust on my glasses. I guess I shouldn't have left the setting on the table during this type of art project but, it's a good reminder of a sweet afternoon.

We had two very special visitors stop by for a bit.
In addition to reading stories, playing cars, dressing up and stopping for a snack break, we broke out the chalk pastels. And our new favorite obsession, grocery bags. Everyone had a great time.

Isabel channels Rothko in chalk.

We put on aprons, and the dust was still covering hands and shirt sleeves.


There is so much to be grateful for.

Weekending

Dinner with friends
Putting the kids to bed in another house (win!)
Early morning wake up call (Truman, as always)
Breakfast, coffee and mate
Painting and dreaming
Making banana pops
Thrifting
Family Walk
Spending the day with Bon-Bon and John-John
Impromtu date with Eric (more coffee!)
Chicken Tacos
Sewing and mending
Church
Sunday Lunch
Quiet time
Cleaning and organizing
Sprouting Rice
Cooking Pintos

Playing in the rain
Taize Service (I went by myself! Silence!)
Jammies and book reading
Folding laundry, putting away laundry
Making muffins for breakfast
Sneak a applesauce muffin and a cup of tea
Listening to a book
Bedtime

Phew! What a weekend!

How was yours?

Joining the habit of being. 

Asking questions.

Sometimes I forget that if you ask a question. You get a really good answer.

Like, when I asked a painter friend of mine (whose children are now grown), "How did you keep creative when your children were small?" She answered, something so surprising. She said, "I think, perhaps, that I was more dedicated. I was working on small textiles and I would take five minutes to sit down, glue a piece and then move on."

And later she said, "Or I'd sketch in the car. Since the scenery was always moving, I'd take a few moments to view it, draw it. You have to work quickly that way and it keeps your eye engaged, in shape."

Something for me to take away for today.

And how do you stay creative with little time? I'd love to hear how you keep your creative eye, engaged? In shape?

40 Days of Diligence: Soul Filled Moments

I've been thinking about what is soul filing lately. And what is nurturing.

I found that snuggling a little lady who can't sleep is soul-filling. Having a little man spring into my arms and lay his head on my shoulder is so soul-filling.

Walking the garden and dreaming what will be into existence is nurturing. Making coffee, boiling eggs, preparing lunches, filling stomachs with goodness. This is nurturing.

Let's look at how we can nurture and be nurtured. And let's throw off anything else. Good idea? I think so.

Oh, the places you'll go...

I have so much mundane goodness to tell you about. No surprises, but just sheer joy of living. But today, I'll just leave you with a few thoughts.

Like this little man. And how he kicks my butt at Memory. No really, after he procured 14 pairs and I looked down at my one measly match. I thought. Hmmm, this little man. He's going places.

Speaking of going places. We all are, aren't we? Going places? What if going somewhere was nothing more than learning how to be happy, content, fufilled where we are. The place of home guides us. And that place is right inside us.

Perhaps we just need to sit down and play Memory. It's not the winning that's important to my little man. It's just the playing. Together.