Seizing The Day

Today's not totally jelled, but I'm considering a short out of town jaunt to the Aveda Store, as my tube of o3/sweet tea is just about gone. I've tried Almay's brand of liquid makeup, & just can't talk myself into thinking it's just as good, for the tone is slightly flat in the light, & hence, not as much fun to wear. I want to refurbish my makeup, as I am planning a trip out to Philly the end of the week, to spend time with some dear friends. One of our friends has been battling an illness for some years now, & I just want to go out their way to extend an extra set of hands. We live hundreds of miles away, & miss them very much. I hardly ever travel out of New England alone, & this is of course one of those situations of which I am choosing to step outside of my comfort zone for a few days to make this heartfelt visit. The train is the way to go for me, as it has always been my very first mode of transportation.

For today, of where I'm at now, my husband suggested-- "Get outside, take a walk in the woods. Write again after that, & compare your tone after being outside."

That's a good idea for no matter what it is I may be trying to solve, [extended family related topics of the general Thanksgiving Day stuff] which has been ongoing, or connecting the dots for living a life-- "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Dolly & I will just have to go outside, & catch some rays. Who knows how long this fleeting sun will last, but she's always game, & why not. Nothing like sharing time with a sweet pup, who every day in every way reminds her human to-- live in the moment & "seize the day".

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End Of The Day Thoughts:

All in all, things worked out quite well today. I couldn't find an Aveda Shop for the makeup, but a really nice salesperson at the Maul's bookstore did an online search for me, & it seems the economy took it's toll on my brand of makeup, & I'll either have to travel farther, or just do an online purchase.

Our friends in Philly seem to have reached a good plateau in the health crisis which was relayed over the weekend. And we were able to postpone a visit out that way, for until when my husband & I could travel together. Ultimately that makes it better for all of us, especially our Philly friends who are dealing with oh so very much, & of whom we remain prayerfully hopeful.

This morning a young hawk flew by my kitchen window, & then perched himself out on the deck for a few minutes. He was perched facing away from me, looking straight out into the woods. He then took his head & did a 180 degree turn, & looked me straight in the eyes, & after a few minutes, did another 180, back to the view in the woods. The bird life & the wild life that inhabit our corner of the world is truly a presentation of nature in all her glory. It was an ordinary day today, but no day is really ordinary. We make plans, we change plans, we forge, we gather, we reach out, we connect. "All's well that ends well."

Amen, Amen, Amen

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Way Too Soon For Winter, "Not"

True these photos are a bit dark, as there's not much sun this morning, & no, my snow tires aren't on yet. But it's 40 degrees outside, so it will melt. Yes, this New England weather, we'll definitely listen to Mark Twain on this one & , "wait a minute".

{Additional Note:

Hay Everyone Out There, Yes there is "hope", it's 12:20pm, & the sun has come out, we'll see for how many minutes.....

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee- "What's The Buzz"--

All I can say, most honestly & true--

"Just plain--

Love it, love it, love it!"

What would you expect from a sugar-acholic. Sugar's candies, chocolate & sweets. Which do I like better? Well they both bring forth a buzz, but if I had to choose, & if there was only one I could put on the shelf, it would certainly be --

Coffee,

Coffee,

Coffee,

Coffee--

I'm enjoying a cup right now,

Care to join me....

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I have in my coffee collection a bag of Caribou, which says it perfectly--

"Life is short. Stay awake for it."

This quote is on the bag of "Amy's Blend", named in honor of "the bright spirit" of, Caribou Coffee's roastmaster- Amy Erickson. A slight fruit infused, smooth & silky, blend developed as a fund raiser in honor of Amy, with one dollar of each bag of coffee sold, donated to the Susan G. Komen for the cure foundation.

I like Caribou Coffee, it's a premium flavor, as I do love a good bean; but it was the message that I love even more that-- "Love never dies." No matter the blend.

For so many years when my father was alive, one of the really fine ways we would visit, catch up & just schmooze, would be to have coffee together. When he passed away in 1994, coffee time, never quite seemed the same. As time went by that autumn I began to light a small candle in the kitchen with strong feelings of prayerful gratitude, of all those years we had together, & to sooth my sadness. My main thought & message as I slowly became more & more accustomed to him no longer sharing a cup, & being physically with me; what I said to myself then, with that "quiet still voice"--

"Have a cup of coffee with God." Which I do to this day, as it is quite nice.

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{For those that are interested in contacting Caribou Coffee, they can be reached

by "clicking" or calling; cariboucoffee.com /1-888-227-4268 }

When The Leaves Of Grass Meet The Wind

None of us have all the answers, we're only human, it's just our way. What we do have are individuals in our society who are kind & generous in sharing their knowledge & wisdom with us. Walt Whitman was one, Deepak Chopra is another. Deepak is one of those people who seems to be in fine tune with all that we need to get by with. Quite frequently I click onto his website, & am never, ever disappointed with the deep wisdom he so generously shares.

I was up into the wee hours of the morning last night, & did a click, this is what I relearned, & of course I was sure to bookmark it at the time, under Peace Topics. After rereading it again I decided it would be best to just go ahead & share it, as it speaks plainly & simply to our very core, & if it were to inspire anyone to seek Deepak out, to visit his website, read one of his books, or even attend one of his speaking presentations, I must say that you will not be disappointed. He is very human, indeed.

Deepak Chopra's Daily Meditation of 11/05/10, as follows:

"The most good you can do for yourself spiritually is to live your life with total love, conviction & purpose."

*To further your acquaintance with Deepak Chopra MD

visit him at [deepakchopra.com]

A Prisms Mind's View

It certainly was a very busy week, & now that we're home on the range, perhaps the sun will come out tomorrow. You never know with our New England weather, but the forecast looks promising. On Monday our 27 year old son, was officially sworn in as an Attorney in the Connecticut Supreme Court. It was one of those days when as parents we truly felt a deep appreciation, knowing that as a family we have been able to support one another in attaining our various hopes & dreams. Those were my thoughts, intertwining with the present, thinking back to when our family was growing up. It was best described by my husband as we walked down those mighty Supreme Court steps just four days ago, in Hartford. "It is really something, to think, that my own father, sold pies from the back of a truck, & our sons, all now, have their college educations.". It was those words, that he had expressed, on those very steps, that truly brought the experience, right home, straight to the heart.

On the next day we voted, & for us, most truly, an American experience, as we live & breathe.

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On a much lighter note, this evening my husband & I went to see Bruce Willis's, all star cast movie "Red". We give it a solid "good", nothing great, but a real good, over the top, satire. Not necessarily worth a trip to the movies, but a good future Net Flicks or rental choice to keep in mind.

Tomorrow may be a good day to get out & rake, & to also get Dolly some more bones, as she's pretty much chewed her last for now, & it would be good for me to remember to restock for her, on a more regular basis.

We have plans in the works for this weekend & eventually I hope to get myself motivated to pull together some of the loose ended projects I've had my mind on getting done before this year comes to an end. Now that Dolly's pretty much acclimated & settled in & now that I have some of my outstanding commitments & projects somewhat done, it's time to go forward with further completions & bring in the color. It is autumn after all, & with a bit of sunshine all things are possible.

The Deed Is Done & Election Results Are In

Election Day 2010 is now history, & what an event. Some of it of course became over the top, with the on & on, of campaign advertisements, & signs, all of it, so littering the natural landscape, & of our minds too, nonetheless , we have arrived !

It has been said that, "the people get the government that they deserve". I personally know of an individual who is a politician, have known him since high school, & can honestly say he is an upstanding & honest person. His name is John Larson. John has been reelected to the United States Congress for the 7th time. Many years of my growing up time was in the working class town of, East Hartford, Ct., from where John is from. He makes it a point to stay in touch with his constituency. His excellent work in Congress is for the "average American", for Connecticut & beyond.

This new session will be different & challenging, & I will remain hopeful that each individual who is part of our Government, will allow themselves to remember that we can achieve what it is we need to do, but first & foremost, political parties aside, it must be for the "greater good", of every American.

Yes, it will take hard work, determination & much more than luck. What we also need is for Americans to stay awake in the process of helping one another walk the path. Democracy is a living & breathing process, all of us have this "great responsibility", to make it work.

Election Day 2010

To keep democracy healthy & well, & to protect our liberty-- We must be sure to exercise our right to Vote.

No matter the outcome of this election we must be sure to log in & Vote, & use our voice to keep this country great.

See you at the voting booth, near & far--