Taking The Initiative

"I like things 
to happen 
And if they
don't happen, 
I like to make
them happen." -Winston Churchill

Circumstances Within My Control

 "Never touch anything with half of your heart, be present, endlessly loving and compassionate towards others, confront any challenging situation first with a deep breath, wander, remember that your own happiness and comfort comes above all things, before reacting-- understand, eat breakfast every morning, find the faces in the flowers, remember what is important to you, treat your body kindly, be honest, get to know yourself, take things at your own pace, don't feel embarassed to feel, laugh,cry, sing or love, remember that what's right for someone else may not be what is right for you (and that's okay), never be ashamed or afraid to ask for help, do what you love, remember that you always have a choice, find joy in what life really is---living."

Comfort on a Rainy Day

No Limit

"And life is eternal
and love is immortal,
and death is only
a horizon, and a
horizon is nothing, 
save the limit of
our sight." -Bede Jarrett

Same Same "Here We Go Again!"

Same Same sisters off to Dallas once again!

TGIF

My Creed

" my creed is that;
happiness is the only good.
the place to be happy is here.
the time to be happy is now.
the way to be happy is to make others so. "
                    -Robert Green Ingersoll

Starting Point

"You can only 
work on yourself.
Start there." -Alice O. Howell

Infinite Hope

"We must accept finite dispapointments
but never lose
infinite hope." -Martin Luther King

A Feeling of Home

 "Wherever we are together, that is home."

Symphony of Color

 "Think HAPPY!"

Made Anew

"Love doesn't just
sit there, like a stone,
it has to be made, 
like bread:
remade all the time,
made new." -Ursula K. Le Guin

Getting Better

Happy Valentine's Day

"This was love:
a string of 
coincidences
that gathered
significance and 
became miracles."  -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A Valentine Beckoning

"Love calls - everywhere and always...
Are you coming?"- Rumi

It's All In The Meaning

My Bluebird of Happiness

"Stop leaving
and you will arrive,
stop searching
and you will see.
Stop running away and
you will be found." 

Looking Forward To This Day

Happy Birthday to My Girlie ARIA

 May you know unlimited joy and love in this year ahead,

 and may this journey continue to fill

 your heart with a great sense of fulfillment.

"....guided along as it were a chain of flowers
into the mysteries of life..."

Not Just About A Book Club Reads "Take Me With You"

The book of choice for our February 7th meeting was "Take Me With You" by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Our "Not Just About A Book Club" gathered in the conference room of our local  "Grounds Bakery".   

 Our scheduled hostess "Kathy" had to cancel because she is recuping from surgery. 

We all missed you Kathy!

 Grounds has great baked goods, coffee,

and yummy sandwiches.

After we ordered our food we were all set to discuss the book.

Many thanks to Lynda who provided chocolate treats for us.

I guess you can tell many of us were elementary school teachers.

We just had to "pattern" the chocolates on the table!

As always a joy to be together and to share the nicest conversations about one of our favorite past-times, the reading of good books.

Remind Me Not To Forget

Taking Note of Little Things

"To a great mind, nothing is little." - Sherlock Holmes 

The Search Continues

The Activity Center

Someone posted this picture on facebook and it brought back so many memories.  It was a toy someone gave us when our children were born. I attended a baby shower recently and after the baby shower  I was thinking, what a  wonderful journey these parents are about to embark on. I also thought about how immense and powerful the adventure of parenthood is.   
It all goes by so quickly. One minute you are knee high in diaper changes and then it's nightly homework and driving the kids to umpteen lessons, soccer matches etc. Quicker than you can imagine they are in college...gosh. Then this picture pops up on facebook and I say oh my we had one of those for our babies too and now those babies are all grown up!

Life what a wonderful, lovely story you give us.

Know This

"There comes a time
when you
have to choose:
Between
turning the 
page and
closing the 
book."

Fun In Culver City

A couple of weeks ago my cousin Nancy and I met up with our artist friend David from Australia.

Our day began with a first time visit to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. 

I really don't know how to describe this place.   Quirky, odd, eclectic are some words that come to mind.

We all enjoyed this experience although I'm not sure it will be everyone's cup of tea. But speaking of tea you can enjoy one in the upstairs gallery and sit or walk through the lovely and most serene garden there.

A short walk from the museum is the Wonderful World of Animation Gallery. We had fun perusing original animated drawings from famous films such as Disney's Fantasia, Snow White and many other studio animated  films. 

 

 We enjoyed the whole bustling and happening scene in Culver City.

Lots of fun restaurants and shops. Very close to the Animation gallery is the historic
Culver Hotel.  More on that later. 
 

But first dinner at AR Cucina.

 Nancy and David displaying their prized purchases.
Now to the bar...

After dinner an easy walk to the historic Culver Hotel* for some fun live music to entertain us.  

*The famed Culver Hotel was built in 1924 by Mr. Harry H. Culver. It's vintage glamour, artful design and dash of European ambiance delights the visitors. It is a "flatiron" building located in downtown Culver City. During the 1938 filming of "The Wizard of Oz" Much of the cast including the 124 little people "Munchkins" stayed at he Culver Hotel, just down the street from the MGM studios. It has been said that the little people (many of whom had never seen another little person before went absolutely crazy and had a wild time with so many like sized new companions.) 

9400 Culver Blvd. 

Culver City

We had such a delightful day with you David!

Come back to visit us soon!