Random Thoughts

"There are two ways of looking at life, one as if nothing is a miracle and the other is as if everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein I wish there had been a video camera in church this morning to record what had to have been the most glorious and Spirit-filled Easter service I've ever attended. I'm used to the very solemn and dignified rituals of Easter morning. The church dressed in white, candles burning brightly, songs full of praise and people, all decked out in their Springtime finest, walking reverently towards the altar to receive mass. Things have changed at our quiet little church since the Hispanics have taken over. Worship for this, "happy band of Christians" (as they were dubbed soon after arriving) is all about "making a joyful noise." They are still reverent, with perhaps more rituals than we are used to, but each is done with the intent of giving praise and Thanksgiving to the Lord. There is a mixture of long-time Catholic tenets...

Since 1995, the "Imagine a Woman" poem has circled the globe, inspiring books, screenplays, videos, life transitions, professional portfolios, ministries, coaching practices, relationships, virtual communities , social networks, and organizational missions. This year Imagine a Woman International is celebrating the poem's 15th year anniversary with a new website and new programs and opportunities for personal growth and professional enhancement. You're invited to the "Imagine a Woman" poem's 15th Birthday Party throughout April at www.imagineAwoman.com . We'll be partying all month so get your party clothes on, invite your friends, and come on over. I came upon this website after jogging from one blog to another like a frog on lily pads. There is a lot going on at the site. I have read the poem before. Still I'm kind of surprised it's been around for 15 years. There is a second version of the poem at the website. I particularly like this one,...

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." Gilda Radner My dad bought himself a new scooter - a GO GO - last week. Watching him drive around the house, running into walls and doorways reminds me of taking driver's ed in summer school back in 1968. I'm not sure how I ever took what I learned there and managed to pass the test to get my license. I never did master the art of driving in the simulator. After my first turn behind the wheel on backing up day, I don't recall that any orange cones were left standing. Dad is pretty good at getting around, he just cuts his corners a little close! We went out this morning, which meant I had to take the GO GO apart and put it back together 4 times. It's not hard to...

" If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life." Bill Watterson Johnson sent me more pictures from Hawaii today. I must say, even though I'm his mom and have a certain degree of prejudice going on, I think his photos are getting better and better. Of course it doesn't hurt that he is living in a tropical paradise, has a little too much time on his hands and his sister just sent him a new camera. Still, I am blown away by his ability to see more than just a flower, or a tree, or a beach, or a sunset. He seems to be able to capture the soul of whatever it is he's photographing. Remember the scene in the movie Dirty Dancing right after Johnny takes Baby up on the stage and shows everyone a thing or two about dancing and the mother looks at the father and says, "she gets this from me"? It is evident that my Johnny did NOT get his skills from me. I am a point, shoot, and hope my thumb is not over the lens...

Photo by John "Green is cool and friendly like ... and I think it's what I want to be." Kermit the Frog Several years ago when I lived in San Diego I had a green moment. Like an "ah ha" moment that Oprah talks about - that moment when a lightbulb goes off in your head and you see things with perfect clarity - only it was green. I'd lived well over thirty years, but for some reason I'd never really noticed or paid much attention to the color green. On that particular Spring day, I rounded a corner and viewed before me a vast landscape painted in what appeared to be a crayon box full of shades of green. I'd never seen so many variations on the green theme. It was stunning. It was spectacular. Since that day, when I think of Spring, I think of green. Green that is so much more than just a back drop for bright spring blossoms. One of the first things I think of when I consider the color green is Kermit the Frog. Mostly because Kermit green is a favorite ...

"As the sun shines on upon my heart, so may my heart shine upon others!" The Upanishads I haven't been writing much lately. I could blame it on all the painting and furniture re-arranging. Or I could say I'm too busy getting back in the groove of dad-sitting. These are truths as well as excuses. An even deeper truth is that I feel like my words have dried up. I've tried to write, Nothing works. The fact that Spring has sprung and my blog friends are either soaking up Nature's newly green bounty, or writing about how they are spring cleaning both their homes and hearts also has me feeling stuck. I don't have any deep thoughts about the weather or my circumstances. Sweetie and I got a card in the mail today congratulating us on our marriage. As I read the note, I realized that not having a lot to say is one thing, not saying thank you is just poor manners. So many people held me tight in their circle of love during one of the hardest times in my life, and w...

"One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different." Pablo Picasso I have just finished putting the second coat of primer on 3 walls in my bedroom. Even before this month's hullabaloo, I'd been thinking I was ready to change the dark, mossy green walls of my "cave" into something lighter and brighter. I was thinking yellow. Sweetie nixed that before giving it even a cursory bit of consideration. When I painted the room four years ago, I figured a dark color would cover just about anything. What I didn't know was that it can take at least two if not three coats of paint for a good coverage. Of course that could have as much to do with the expertise of the painter as it does the quality of paint. Now I'm discovering the same is true of covering over a dark color. I guess that makes sense. Especially since the color I finally decided on is none other than your basic, apartment Navajo White. I ...