tiptoeing

Dawn & dusk feel like a whisper to me.  Our home is quietly lit.

As I travel from room to room, I feel like I am gently tiptoeing...

careful not to disturb the peaceful surround.  This is my favorite

moment at the farm.  It is free of expectations.  

sweet kindness

I am quite certain that kindness is measured in moments when your

heart finds joy in giving.  No thanks, ego or return receipt requested...

just relishing helping or giving or sharing.  On this first day of spring,

there was a sweet gift of kindness waiting at my roadside mailbox.  With

no note or name...this sweet rusty farm sifter with a darling nest and a 

handmade leaf that will hold a tiny drink for a bird in my summer garden

was waiting for me.  This is one of many first days of spring I have found

a sweet gift at my mailbox.  Over the years tulips, a hydrangea...all 

unexpected gifts of kindness.  I know the giver expects no thanks, but 

I am ever so thankful.

finding the right words

In 2014, my year was blessed by a gift I received just about 

every week...a handmade postcard from Nan.  As an artist,

Nan set a goal to create and send out a card each week.

From collage to stitchery to watercolor.....she designed & 

mailed.  

The cards were based on seasons, events, celebrations!

Whoever was on Nan's mailing list was in for some joy!!

Each card has been so special, both in the cover design 

and in the words on the stamp side.  Each card reminded 

me of the importance of words & sweet details.

Each week that a postcard arrived was met with surprise

and appreciation...."she thought of me....again!"

I am most certain my mail carrier came to wonder who 

Nan was and how she might get on this extraordinary

mailing list too!

These postcards will be paged through & looked at 

over & over.  They are intentional & meaningful!  They 

not only came from Nan's hand...but from her heart.

And just when I thought I received my favorite one...a new 

favorite one would arrive.

I find myself at some loss as to how to express my

appreciation to Nan.  So, I have decided to spread

her words...to share her kindness.

Yes, kindness matters!

And so I will count my blessings...Nan, you are most

certainly one of them!

When the final postcard arrived in December, 2014...

I cried as I held it in my hands.  Tears of thanks 

sometimes takes the place of words.

Thank you dear Nan!

warmth on a snowy morn

This morning I awoke early, snug robe, furnace

kicked up just a notch, coffee.

I lit the house with the fewest of lights...

would watch morning arrive.

And August Rose watched too.  

I feel so so blessed by all the sweetness of this farm.

My heart is very thankful.

tears of gratitude

At the end of a long day, kindness is a gift.

Such was today --- worked hard, came home to play with the animals...

6:30 p.m. -- time to finally rest, bone tired.

Walked out to the road -- 

hadn't unloaded the mailbox since Saturday....and it was full.

And there in the midst of an electric bill that is far too high,
the new insurance rates on our cars,
and other stuff that will just have to wait on my desk....
was a white package.

Inside were three felted hearts and a note from my Jani....

the bright red heart has lace, buttons & pearls from

her wedding dress.  Tears of gratitude!  Special indeed!

Let us never take for granted how much a kind word or gracious gift can mean.

Today such kindness brought me tears, tears of gratitude.  

Nestled in a white package was kindness.  

And for that I am ever so grateful.

through my window

On the way to morning chores, I turned to this view.
Magic, pure magic.

Sometimes when the view is less then perfect, the best advise is to find another window.

my thoughts....

We indeed are the answer we have been waiting for...
    when we offer:

• empathy rather than judgement
• compassion rather than anger
• critical thinking rather than ignorance
• an open mind rather than a closed heart
• thoughtfulness rather than blind faith

It is within each of us to reach out a hand and yet still hold strong to our beliefs.
To lead, not just blindly follow.

Just my little old thoughts this week. 
She says with a twinkle in her eye & a rainbow in her heart.

be in the moment

I recently received my April-May copy of Mary Janes Farm...with the theme for many articles - "smitten". Today I took a moment to look through it, and found the following excerpt from an article, "Smitten by a Farm" by Victoria Strauser: "I saw my first fireflies at the farm, and thought it must be a magical place for something so beautiful to choose to live there." Be in the moment, I said to myself. Last night as I tucked in the goats for the night, I came out of the barn to bird song...back again. Be in the moment, I said to myself. This morning I found two little girl kittens asleep on the porch, wrapped in each other's little arms. Be in the moment, I said to myself. We all collect magical moments when we are smitten. Perhaps they are songs from the tree tops, fireflies in the meadow or a soft loving look...and we know for that one moment all is indeed right in our world.

picture credit

just a little thanks...

Oh this is a happy day indeed...woke early 'cause I'm off today & we are going on an antiquing adventure. Over coffee, checked out my favorite blogs, and there it was...my name in lights, well sort of, I had won a copy of "Flea Market Finds with Matthew Mead"! Oh Yea! The link to Matthew's blog is over yonder in the right column. Oh thank you! Isn't it fun to win?

picture credit

call me thankful...

I look at the calendar and am

continually amazed when

this time of year rolls around again.

How ever did that happen so quickly?

A few years ago I stumbled upon the book Simple Abundance at a thrift sale -- and read it daily that first year.  It suggested keeping a Gratitude Journal -- writing down 5 things daily that one appreciates.  I did that well for about a month....then wandered off from that to just jot a note in it every now & again.  So this time of year takes me back to that list --- 5 things that one appreciates.  Now, the typical way one might go about this is to do the basic:  home, family, friends, health, work......but what if it needed to be specific -- detailed moments that caught your breath and made you think, "I am indeed lucky".

So, do call me thankful for:

1. Running across the farm yard with three cats at my side - Whisper, Chestnut & Cinnamon.  They keep steady to my pace, making me feel like an Olympian.  And when we make it to the barn door -- I am surrounded by a chorus of purrs -- a fitting closing ceremony.
2. Turkeys in a compote, buttons in an Ironstone bowl, quilts in a pile, magazines stacked by season, lace at the window -- gentle & inviting nuances that say "this is home".
3. The stack of 1st edition Harry Potter books found on a recent antique trip -- with a call to my Ian, they now await his homecoming --- my 23 year old has discovered reading for pleasure -- and I am not caring if that reading is about a boy & his owl or the best of William Shakespeare -- he is reading.
4. A call to the front desk of my office just yesterday-- where a client waits with flowers and a card that says, "thanks for your guidance".  Oh my -- I can't even put words to what that means to me.
5. Ladders.  This morning I asked Dave to take the ladder up to the hayloft -- I need to put the barn to bed for the winter and have some taking down to do upstairs after the last Barn Sale.  There was a quilt hung in the rafters I would need to get.  And then I saw him folding the quilt in his arms on our porch in the early light, gentle and thoughtful -- he had taken the quilt down for me.  And I thought about ladders we climb to reach our goals or maybe to even reach for a star or two.  What would we do if there were not others to hold that ladder steady, to encourage us to climb, to maybe even lead the way up.......so, my blog friends -- I am thankful for each of you.  You might not even know that you do that -- but you do, you hold my ladder every now & again.  Please know I am thankful -- ever so thankful for that. 

Do call me thankful....