reflections of mine....

Hello to you, and thank you for stopping by for a visit.
Please know, I sincerely appreciate your visit ... really!
And be aware this is not my normal post, but
it does help me put these thoughts out into
the blogihood ... the friends and neighbors of
the "hood" I have come to appreciate help
me through each day just by knowing the world
I live in is bigger and better than that which I can
see in my immediate surroundings.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the life
I have, for the area in which I live ... as someone
recently told me ... this is my home.

That struck a chord with me ...  he was right ...
this is my home and I chose it...

More on choices later ....

I share with you today some events from my past week
and things that have been rolling in my mind ...
not particularly illuminating things, but often times,
once the words are written, I find it helps align the thoughts
scattered ... eh?
{grin}

Mourning the loss of a giant ol' cottonwood ...

This week started with the loss of a gorgeous giant of a tree in our common

back yard.  You can see the stump of it here ... silly I am sure, my feeling

of loss, but the dear tree lost a big section last fall and this last week it split in

some high winds.  For the safety of all and sunder, including the structure

in which we live, it had to be cut down. 

It seems to reflect upon my current life. ... 

the bad must be cut out

to replace it with good.  The tree

will grow back, I know, but I

will mourn it's loss.

This week I had  a meeting with my lawyer.

The sum total of the meeting can be summed up in

him telling me that since I hired him, he can handle things and

"I should move on with my life as I wanted."

uh ... for some reason his telling me this put me in one of

those moments when you sit back in life and think ...

"what????"

I've come to several realizations since my meeting with the attorney ...

I'm not my mother, my daughters, my friends, my family ...

I'm not my co-workers, I'm not ....

Oh goodness ... one simple statement has put me

into puddles of reflections ...

To my life-experienced blogihood neighbors, you have much wisdom,

to my younger life-experienced blogihood neighbors, I wish you wisdom ...

I pose this hypothetical question ...

If you discovered you had to start your life over ...

Where would you begin? What would you do?

Do you know who YOU are?

Do you know what makes YOU happy?

Okay ... so, on that note .... 

I appreciate you.

Thank you for helping me through these thoughts.

This morning I rode my bike through my childhood neighborhood,

(probably didn't help the getting past the reflection of my life phase)

and as I rode with no direction in mind, just the thought of peddling,
I passed runners participating in our local

Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon.  I passed every type of

runner on my ride this morning ... I gave them encouraging words

as I passed them, because they were doing something ...

running or walking ... and obviously it meant something to them ...

Good for them!

On the other hand ... I was proud of myself too ...

I was on my bicycle ... peddling because it made me feel like
I was doing something good for myself and something that I
remember I used to enjoy ... a lot ... and it's good for my health.  
I got home and thought to myself "I deserve a reward ... " 
 then right on top of that thought was,

"my reward was the fact that I got out and did something

good for myself" ... I enjoyed the ride, I enjoyed the breeze,

I enjoyed the community of seeing the runners and my old

neighborhood ... my home ... and ...

I rewarded myself with ice-cold water 

{grin}

I had to run an errand this afternoon and had time to kill

before the appointed time of my errand so stopped by my

local Barnes and Noble ... I've forgotten how much I so

very much enjoy just soaking up the atmosphere of books,

the possibility of all that information, the wonder of everything

available ... and the laughs that are possible ...

by Cheryl Caldwell

I found this book by Cheryl Caldwell ... Follow Your Dreams [Except

for That One Where You Go To Work Naked and Dance the Polka]

Obviously ... it struck the chord of my life-reflective mood,

but better yet, it made me laugh.  I love the humorous ... and this

book reminds one not to take your life too seriously ... laugh.

Yes, I bought it ... purchase probably budget unwise ...

but I bought it ... and I will read it often.

I wish I could share every page with you ...

You too would laugh!

While at Barnes and Noble, I found this:

Thomas Kinkade puzzle

I adore puzzles ... it reminds me of my grandmother and I really

like the challenge ... it's one of those things I just can't pass up when

the puzzle is laid out waiting to be put together ...

just like reading a really good book ... you know you

have other things to do, but ... just one more ... :)

I also adored Thomas Kinkade and most of his works

of art.  I enjoy looking for the hidden items among his painted

objects.  I was saddened by the news of his death,

but saddened more by the news of the state of his life at his death.

His art and the meanings behind it will always hold 

meaning for me. Rest in peace Thomas.

Again, while at BN ... seriously glad I only had half and hour

to pass there ... I found this issue of Machine Quilting:

Judi Madsen article, pg 59,
Design Decisions for a Sampler Quilt

I picked it up for purchase right away because one of my

ultimately-amazed-by and in-awe-of quilters wrote an article

on quilting designs ...  if you aren't familiar with 

Judi Madsen, I wholeheartedly recommend you stop by her

blog  Green Fairy Quilts  and prepare to be amazed 

and inspired by her quilting!

Seriously.Beautiful.Amazing.Artist!! 

Also this past week, I took my daughters in to get hair cuts.

Actually, my oldest DD's first hair cut in over two years.

She's been growing her hair for Locks of Love:

Teensy-bit excited :-)

Above ... before.

Below ... after.

This was her idea and her desire to donate.

She's very happy with her hair cut and ready

to start growing it long again ...

I am proud of my little girl!

Little Miss Abigail also got a sassy new do to match

her sassy personality ... adorable!

The girls are away from home for the next two weeks.

I find I have lots of time on my hand for thinking ...

God Help us All!

On Friday, a summer storm came through:

Five minutes later:

If you look close, you will see the rainbow and blue skies.

Gary Allen's song "Every Storm Runs Out of Rain" 

is very appropriate here {wink}

A good reminder that storms may come,

rain may fall, harsh winds may blow,

but beautiful things will come in time...

Life ...

One storm at a time ...

One choice at a time ...

One thought at a time ...

and on that thought  .... 

I'm off to stitch ... one stitch at at time.

I've projects going, some to share at a later date ... 

during the upcoming Ho Ho Ho Hop for starters ... 

also have things in the works for the upcoming

Be a Hexie Queen:

I do promise more upbeat posts again soon...

really!!

I even have a giveaway planned for my Ho Ho Ho Hop post

in August, so please, if I haven't discouraged you with this post,

do come back for another visit ...

I will have quilt work to share 

{wink}

I wish for you a happy heart!