!!!!!

what is it?

it's the feeling of laying in bed, surrounded by my sweet little family; it's the first cup of coffee in the a.m.; it's cardigans; it's the edge of autumnal crisp in late august evenings and early august mornings.; it's rain; it's little weedy flowers strewn all over the house; it's pictures colored by preschoolers hung up every where imaginable; it's new bags sewn; it's planning projects; it's spending time with the family i was born into; it's real & composed music; it's the first hug&kiss attack when daddy is home from work; it's suppertime, listing our thankfuls and talking about our days; it's emma saying "clume" for climbed; it's the way violette wants to be tucked in with "flower" every nite; it's theodore's precious, chunky, slobbery smile; it's my husband's devotion and love for me; it's every tree, rock, flower, & blade of grass; it's the sky, the sun, the stars, the moon; it's the ocean, it's the desert; it's you, it's me. it's the divine.

thursday things!

-lovely photography
-interesting looking pasta pie
-for the harry potter fan knitters
-tips for rising early i've been attempting waking up when brady leaves for work, but so far i've been failing. these ideas seem to be pretty good.
-in case you're bored...
-homemade checkers!
-we're up to season 5 on lost! this is the only show, besides gilmore girls, that i've liked in a very long time.

this is one of the few pictures i've taken that i'm actually pleased with.

been on a really big 90's kick the past few days, it's good stuff.

a few thoughts i've had stewing.

setting my intention: every morning, i've been declaring my intentions for the day. not so much a "to-do list", but more of setting the tone. as of late, i've been focused on respecting all life, and treating every breathing thing with the tenderness i would appreciate all breathing things to treat me with. i've noticed a marked difference in my response to things like red sharpie all over the fridge, a skein of yarn cut up, you know, things children do out of curiosity. i've actually been thankful for these opportunities, so i can test out my new found patience. i keep thinking it's a fluke, it's so hard to have faith in oneself.

academia: a few quotes. i think everyone knows where i stand on the subject :)

"but it is inherent in scholastic thinking that something written down has a greater validity than something said or experienced." - idries shah

"if you want to get laid, go to college. if you want an education, go to the library." - frank zappa

wealth and abundance: always a struggle, but it's really been not sitting well with my being the last few days. how on earth can followers of christ have anything other than contentment and joy in the now? i've read and heard so many greedy christians lately, and it confuses me. i truly believe that the wealth and abundance talked about in the bible has absolutely nothing to do with material things and possessions, and everything to do with love and relationships. you cannot serve both god and mammon! i think mewithoutyou says it best:

"if i come without a thing, i've come with all i need."

friday nite was super fun, save for the bizarre crowd. how can you stand still while the psalters and mewithoutyou are playing? so silly. brady pointed out you can't dance when you have fancy cameras and phones on your person, obviously. mewithoutyou is the best, though. i seriously wanted to put them in my pocket and bring them home. well played and inspired music, hurray! their sufi vibe is pretty good, too. :)

speaking of sufi, i'm reading a fabulous book on the subject: the sufis. well, it's taking me quite some time to finish as i don't have the same kind of allotted reading time as i used to. but i'm getting through it! and every page is totally resonating.

confession: i'm a heavily active participant in marginalia. i underline, write in the margins, edit, what have you. and i'm loving this sufi book so much, well, basically the whole book is underlined.

is there anything better than tracking a package? i think not. i have several books on the way, and i'm obsessively refreshing. (the creative family and the handmade home, both by amanda soule)

well, i'm off to set my timer and work on my bedroom. the flylady and i are on again.

happy monday, friends. beautiful day to you all!

thursday things.

-clever and quite useful housekeeping site
-wonderfully wacky words.
-the best blueberry peach pie. so tasty!
-interesting gal
-one of my favorite photos
-free art!
-one word, go!
-redemption song goodness.
-tomorrow is mewithoutyou & the psalters!!!!

working on a road trip mix for the drive, as the show 2 hours away. what's your favorite road trip song? and maybe tell me your favorite road trip story? i'll surely love it :)

theodore wants you to have a beautiful, smiley day!