“Stand close to a mountain and you will see only a massive wall of earth and stone. Stand at a distance and you will see the heights. Often we find fault with what we see, when the fault really lies in where we stand.”

Hugs

No matter how hard you hug your money, it never hugs back. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Bucket List

Recently, I began my Bucket List. The purpose of the Bucket List is to list all the things you want to do before you die, no matter how outrageous or ridiculous your wishes may be. So far I have a list of 57 wishes/hopes/dreams. Whatever you choose to call them. It was much easier to create the list than I ever imagined! And there are so many more things to add.

Here are a few of mine:

Learn to belly dance
Join the Peace Corp
Live and meditate with the monks in India
Learn to perfect Mom's bun recipe
Relax in a hammock on the beach in Barbados
Kiss the Blarney Stone
Participate in a flash mob

First

I heard an adorably sweet man say "Oh my goodness!" yesterday. Priceless.

Bailey

There are lots of miseries in keeping a puppy. But there are so many joys too. She's so unbelievably excited to see me when I get home from work, she squirms and jumps and you can see in her face she's just dying to bark. After she's expressed her joy, she'll rub her face in my hands or lap and snort through her nose. It's kind of her way of giving a hug... with puppy boogers.

When my alarm goes off in the morning, invariably her nose peeks over the top of my mattress and she sniffs along the side of my bed until she gets close enough to my face or hands. She will bump my hand with her head, gently encouraging me to get up... start your day! play with me! I have to pee!

When I lay on the couch to read, she gently rests her head on my chest or belly and watches me. I know she's telling me something, probably like "Wouldn't you rather play with me?" or "Look how cute I am; don't I deserve a cookie?" or "My energy is skyrocketing, can we please go for (another) walk?" But I prefer to believe she is thinking the same I think, "I love you and am so happy you're my friend."

Funny

I once prayed to God for a bike, but quickly found out he didnt work that way...so I stole a bike and prayed for his forgiveness.

Autumn

Fall is my second favorite season and this is why: It is cozy. I love the bright red, orange, and yellow leaves. I love the rustle of walking through leaves and seeing the flocks of birds flying south. I love how daylight is so hesitant and lazy to make it's appearance and how dusk is dark and mysterious even before the sun goes down. Mostly I love the smells. The leaves laying on the ground make a dusty, almost decaying smell, that for whatever reason is lovely. I love the smell of woodsmoke drifting through neighborhoods... the smell clinging to my hair and clothes makes me feel so warm and soft inside. The sunny warm days lift my spirits, as I watch students walk to the university beneath the trees that are so worn out they can't hold their leaves any longer. Some leaves swaying and swifting as they drop, while others drop heavily like water into a bucket. Even more, I treasure the gloomy, rainy days, sucking up the opportunity to bundle up and smile in the comfort of shelter. I love listening to other people grumble about the crappy weather and smile to myself feeling lucky that I have learned how to embrace it.

Some see it as depressing with everything dying and seeing only the long winter ahead. Fall has magic to it. Even though things are dying, animals are hybernating, and water is freezing. There is a preparation and expectation of what comes next.