...rainy tuesday...

why is it.

that the rain

beating hard on the roof.

does not sound

as sweet

as it does in

june?

just BE.

robin.

...10.4.09...

even if something is left undone,

everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn. ~elizabeth lawrence

"i know the year is dying,

soon the summer will be dead.

i can trace it in the flying

of the black crows overhead;

i can hear it in the rustle

of the dead leaves as i pass,

and the south wind's plaintive sighing

through the dry and withered grass.

ah, 'tis then i love to wander,

wander idly and alone,

listening to the solemn music

of sweet nature's undertone;

wrapt in thoughts i cannot utter,

dreams my tongue cannot express,

dreams that match the autumn's sadness

in their longing tenderness."

- Mortimer Crane Brown, Autumn Dreams

stillness.

silence.

a blanket

of calm.

is coming.

but before that

summer will leave in a blaze of glory.

walk with me won't you.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...of kindness and gathering...

when i was young,

i admired clever people.

now that i'm old,

i admire kind people.

~abraham joshua heschel

agelessness, fulfillment and creativity work so much better when we make connections with others. whether it's service, spending time with people on our wavelength, or reaching out to ask for support. we are pack animals. being with people, asking for help and immersing ourselves in situations where the synergy bounces off like-minds is just evolutionarily correct. and we look our best when we are kind and helping others. it's kind of easy. and the place to begin with kindness is to be kind to yourself.

~the awe-manac: a daily dose of wonder

~jill badonsky

i will show you a love potion without

drug or

herb or

any witch's spell,

if you

wish to be loved.

love.

~hecato

others are gathering over

at HEY HARRIET for

SSS. please gather with us.

what are you going to do to be kind to yourself today?

just BE.

robin.

...f.r.o.s.t...

twenty four degrees = heavy frost.

sounds like good "snuggle warning" weather to me!

just BE.

robin.

...9.27.09...

this weekend

was homecoming.

funny

thing.

she was just

playing

with

bratz dolls.

her hair

was easily

managed

with two ponytails.

and the biggest

dilemma was

which dr. seuss

book were we going

to read.

not only do the outdoor seasons

change.

so does this.

...they both

seem to be

changing at the same

alarming rate.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...gather life's honey...

nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

talent will not; nothing is more commonplace than successful

men with talent.

genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. ~calvin coolidge

this is the Tao of success--the way--and like every other truth, it's at once very simple and very difficult. not the understanding as much as the doing, because the Tao of success is patience and persistence. patience is the art of waiting. like all high arts, it takes time to master, which shouldn't be surprising, since patience is the knowledge of time. how to use time to your advantage, how to be at the right place at the right time, how to pick your moments, how to bite your tongue. patience is discovering the mysterious pattern of cycles that cradle the universe and ensure that everything that has happened once will recur.

perseverance in life is being steadfast; persistence is being stubborn. persistence is grittier than perseverance. perseverance is achievement's perspiration; persistence is its sweat. persistence is knocking on Heaven's doors so often and so loudly on behalf of your dreams that eventually you'll be given what you want, just to shut you up. for example, think of an eleven -year-old child who want to get her ears pierced sooner than her sixteenth birthday, the age her old-fashioned mother thinks is appropriate. the first request, even if it comes in a burst of emotion, doesn't succeed. nor does the second, the third, or even the fourth. but the child who goes at you, morning, afternoon, and night, week after week, month after month; this child's voice is water to the rock of your reason. this stubborn but patient child wears you down, which is why you end up at the mall on her twelfth birthday, shaking your head as you pay to adorn her earlobes with tiny gold balls.

the potent alchemy of patience and persistence, which together become endurance, must have been what the lebanese poet hoda al-namai was meditating on when she wrote:

i have not withdrawn into despair,

i did not go mad in gathering honey,

i did not go mad,

i did not go mad,

i did not go mad.

if you are determined to gather life's honey, to stick your hand into the hive again and again and again, to be stung so many times that you become numb to the pain, to persevere and persist till those who know and love you become unable to think of you as a fairly normal woman, you will not be called mad.

you will be called authentic.

~simple abundance:a daybook of comfort and joy

~sarah ban breathnach

so.

after that lengthy read...

don't forget about HEY HARRIET and SSS.

gather your honey.

just BE.

robin.

...mr. and mrs. kevin mulder...

Ashley and Kevin Mulder

i finally finished editing

and making copies

from our niece Ashley's wedding...

so i am sharing just a couple of them here.

it was a beautiful day,

she was a beautiful bride

and her mom and dad were stunning...

and of course big brother Ryon and groom Kevin were handsome as well!!

**********
"This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes... rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you are in doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life."
- Anonymous

just BE.

robin.

...in this home...

in this home...

we do second chances

we do grace

we do real

we do mistakes

we do sorry's

we do loud really well

we do hugs

we do family

we do love.

i saw this on a site

and it was painted on a wall...

i am so sorry

i don't have the site...

but i loved the saying.

if you know who it belongs to,

please let me know

and i will credit them.

i know it was with

a bunch of orange

colored photos.

thanks!!!

just BE.

robin.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22333468

here is the listing for an etsy shop that does the lettering with a description along with it. thanks joanne...next time i lose my car keys (or my sanity) i'm calling you!!!! i remember the site i was on...the gal was showing her love for the color orange...

...9.20.09...

today.

this caterpillar.

is no longer

with us.

the frost of last night

has left him and his buddies

on the steps.

the seasons are indeed changing.

the withered black-eyed susan

catches a glimpse of

the life and youth of the younger

flowers behind them.

soon the beauty of the weeds

in the garden

will be a fuzzy blur.

"...Don't cry because it's over, smile because it was..."

seasons change.

with each time passage

find your joy.

enjoy the ride.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.

just BE.

robin.

...crimson shadows...

~from the book

My Stroke of Insight

by jill bolte taylor, ph.d.

(The author had a stroke, she is a brain scientist, it took her eight years to recover fully. Her story is amazing.)

" Based upon my experience with losing my left mind,

I whole-heartedly believe that the feeling of deep inner peace

is neurological circuitry located in our right brain.

This circuitry is constantly running

and always available for us to hook into.

The feeling of peace is something that happens

in the present moment.

It's not something that we bring with us from the past

or project into the future.

Step one to experiencing inner peace is the

willingness to be present

in the

right here,

right now."

on that happy note...

don't forget to hop over to

HEY HARRIET for great

shadow shots!!
what is your step one today?

just BE.

robin.