Filed under Inspiration

Goofus and Gallant

Do you remember reading Highlights for Kids magazine? Like millions of American children, I discovered Highlights in the waiting room of the doctor’s office.  Nestled among an array of magazines for grown-ups, Highlights was fun to read because it was especially written for kids.  One of the magazine’s regular features that I enjoyed was a … Continue reading »

The Power of Art: An Invitation

Art, in its many forms, is one of the simple pleasures in my life. Art often inspires me; it provokes my thought and emotion.  Whether I am creating art, or experiencing art created by someone else, I find that the power of art lies in its ability to stimulate the senses and ignite the imagination.  … Continue reading »

Seeing With The Eyes Of Love: Remembering Our Friend

Familiar acts are beautiful through love. -Percy Bysshe Shelley When I read this quote I find comfort.  Shelley’s words remind me that it is not in the grand gestures, but in the simple everyday routines where beauty and love can be found.  Acts of kindness, of giving and sharing, of listening and playing: these are … Continue reading »

To Nap or Not To Nap?

I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps. -Tom Hodgkinson, British writer and editor of The Idler Judging from the way my family feels about napping, this must be true.  Time spent in the comforting refuge of  bed and blankets, head cradled by pillow or arms and legs wrapped ’round a pillow, somnolent … Continue reading »

Three Wishes

If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for? Oooh, this is a tough question. There are so many possibilities from which to choose, and the only limit is your imagination. It’s a little like, “If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?” Immediately I believe that I would … Continue reading »

Sixty Seconds of Happiness

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. Looking at it that way, you have to wonder why anyone would want to hold onto anger!  Sure, you can’t always avoid or prevent being angry; our bodies are wired to respond in any number of ways to stress and challenge, anger being … Continue reading »

The City

The City In the morning the city Spreads its wings Making a song In stone that sings. In the evening the city Goes to bed Hanging lights About its head. ~Langston Hughes In two short lines, Langston Hughes captures the nature of a city.  It is a living, breathing creature, a bird, rising from its … Continue reading »

Popcorn Words

  All words are pegs to hang ideas on. – Henry Ward Beecher And some words certainly carry a hefty load of ideas!  For example, the word “love” can be interchanged with the words “compassion”, “romance”, “friendship”, and “affection”, to name but a few.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other words are … Continue reading »

Creating The Adventure Book Of A Lifetime

Photo albums provide a rewarding way to record the destinations we travel… …as many of us who enjoy taking vacation snapshots know. Our photos become souvenirs, reminding us that we have left our footprints on a distinct place in the world, in a particular moment in time.  Our photos can stir our memories, evoking happy … Continue reading »