For Haven's Sake

what a little list can do

The weather here is flirting with us. She bats her lashes and sprinkles down a few drips, enough to leave her mark upon the dust of our cars. The slate sky beckons the comfort foods. Hot oatmeal with blueberries, grilled ham and cheese with a cup of tomato soup. I scored a pile of pretty napkins at a yard sale in Prescott. I just love to go sale-ing in the yards. My mom and I will be up and out the door by 7 am. If there are any signs on the way to the coffee shop we'll stop and browse but we are much more curious after a little caffeine and carbs. The family with the napkins were so kind. Since a few of the sets weren't complete she marked them down from a dollar a set to two for the price of one. I was happy to oblige and she was happy to see them go to someone so excited about napkins. 

I woke up this morning and wrote a master list. It was invigorating. I happen to love a good list. I wrote notes about what my idea of an ideal day was, a few ideas for the blog, a grocery list and cleaning schedule, questions I have for Lane's patient pediatrician, labels for our home filing system and yes the list goes on. I am happy to say that today I was a cleaning machine, I scheduled that appointment, I breezed through the grocery and I still have The Bachelor to look forward to tonight while I fold laundry.

I'm still not too sure about Jill's choices, you'd think she'd know better about Wes, or that someone would buck up and stand up for the woman they want to marry. Reality TV. I should know better. Anyone else watching?!

With Love - V.

a chill weekend

there was a bit of...

: lounging outside on the back porch

: rain fall between book reading

: hot dogs on the grill and a first attempt at a potato salad gone terribly wrong

: mastering of stairs and walking barefoot upon the stones

: witness to the pitt smitt's grin and his ability to snore with his eyes wide open

: moments of stillness, the subtle luxuries of no ambition

: the bobbing of eyelids during late night movies

: mid-day naps, slicing of fruit and dishes being put off till evening

"You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level... When you don't know who you are, you create a mind-made self as a substitute for your beautiful divine being and cling to that fearful and needy self. Protecting and enhancing that false sense of self then becomes your primary motivating force... The truth is: you don't have a life, you are life. The One Life, the one consciousness that pervades the entire universe and takes temporary form to experience itself as a blade of grass, as an animal, a person, a star or a galaxy." 

On Sunday mornings I find myself giving sleepy hellos, pouring myself a cup a candy coffee (as Mr. Smith would call it) and making my way to the back deck with a little reading material in my hands. Something light yet spilling over and seeping in truths and understandings. I came across the passage above and re-read it about four or five times as to push down it's refreshing swells and nourish my soul. I thought I might share with hopes of passing along the good news to good friends. I also think I should share the fact that my Sunday reading isn't always the deep and profound but is equally old issues of Domino, Sunset and InStyle. They each have a way of making my senses come alive, stillness and the feel of glossies between my fingers.

Three hooray's for a pretty chill weekend. 

With Love - V.

an eye for color

Lane and I went for a picnic at the park this afternoon with my cousin and dear friend April and my beautiful niece Jersey. The sun was playing hide-and-go-seek and we were eager to bask in it's rays and in the sweeps of her shadows, sipping root beer from the can and savoring finger sandwiches and nectarines so juicy we had to eat it quick before the sweetness dripped past the wrists and down to our elbows. We swung on swings and slid down purple slides and when nap time rolled around we packed the kiddos up and took a stroll through the nearby neighborhood. I happened to have my camera and I just couldn't resist. There would have been more but the clouds hovered and decided to wash away the dust on her leaves.

And this wouldn't be a truly heartfelt note if I didn't share my sadness in the passing of Mr. Jackson. Despite the bad accusations and the past fifteen years of behavior that I don't quite understand, he is a musical legend. I remember the first time I saw the videos Thriller and Smooth Criminal, one cannot deny his talent and originality (and how much fun it is to dance to his music in the living room with the volume blaring). The man was smooth and I missed him far long before his passing. May he rest in peace and may we live peacefully.

With Love- V.

a common thread

 

 

the sun shines upon each and every one of us. 

there is no exception to this phenomenon.

we are all just visiting this place.

deep within there is a common thread

the flowers, the children, they know this.