Each New Day

~morning has broken ~

easily one of my favorite songs of all time

the promise of a new day

the joy of a sunlit morning

the call to take note

to pause and

pay attention

this morning

as soon as the sun's light shone through the trees

the entire back yard sparkled

the air was crisp

the grass, covered with frost and

sprinkled with countless dewy drops,

caught the light

and put on quite a show for me

so i left the comfort of the family room

ventured forth into the morning

knelt in dew soaked grass

and

praised

THIS

recreation of the new day

Joining Kim and Kat today

My Anchor

It was a sunny, frigid day in Boston yesterday.
And I wanted to write about blessings.
But wasn't sure what to say...

Because I believe I am deeply blessed. Profoundly, completely, repeatedly. Now and over my lifetime.
Not only do I believe I am blessed, but I feel it.
Sure, I get tired and anxious and pouty. Truth is, I have a down right melancholy soul.
But the blessings are there. And real. And they matter more than the rest and soothe my soul...when I let them.

Lately, however, my path has felt unclear. There are days when I'd describe myself as hemmed in. Limited. With only a few choices.

Other days I feel like there are too many options. That there is so much that I long to do. That I could be heading anywhere I choose.

Like the fallen leaves, I feel a bit blown here and there by the winds. And wonder if a decision made a decade ago to change paths, to swim against the current that had carried us for years, wasn't just a bit too crazy!

When I start to get lost in doubt, questions, "what ifs" and "what's next" it's then that I realize what the blessings mean to me. What they do for me.

They are my anchor.

When the winds blow, and the waves of doubt toss me about...it's the simple joys and those immeasurable blessings of home and family that steady me. Carry me. And fill my heart to overflowing.

"I have been blessed, and I feel like I've found my way.

I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day.

I have been blessed

With so much more than I deserve!

To be here with the ones who love me, to love them so much it hurts...

I have been blessed."

{Martina McBride}

A day late to Kathy's Song-ography party

and linking up for Project 52

Six Word Fridays ~ Blessing

One golden, sunlit leaf set sail

and on the wind was swirling.

And then another caught the breeze

and soon they all were twirling.

From branches full they floated down,
melting together and covering the ground.



Lift your eyes and you'll see
a leaf ~ a blessing ~ floating 'round...
Hundreds. Countless. Longing to be found.

Black & White Wednesday ~ Still Letting Go

leaves take flight
on frigid air
branches bare their souls

my spirit
knows the chill
of
this letting go season

a tear drop
spills gently to the page
where,
pen in hand,
i seek thanksgiving

i wait

wrapped in blankets
wrapped in blessings
my faith
whispers the promise

warmth will return

There it was...

When I read the quote on my page-a-day calendar on Friday, I had to chuckle. The morning began with a tired case of the grumps. Reading this in my comfortable kitchen, while making coffee on my fancy coffee maker before leaving for work at my well paying job...I had to chuckle. It's uncanny how, even when surrounded by comfort {by ease...by enough - more than enough} we can allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the negatives. I shook it off, sipped my coffee and headed to the office.

After a busy day, I stopped off at the pond to catch a bit of fresh air and fall foliage. It had been a blustery day, and the sky was gray. The first of the fallen leaves were gathering in the water along the edge of the pond...the water washed over them and the reds and yellows were vibrant. It was nice to be there, and the air was refreshing...but I was feeling rushed, and my mind wasn't settled as quickly as it usually is by the waters and the paths.

And then I turned back to the parking lot to head home.

And there it was.
The blessing that was clearly not in disguise.
Over the paved lot {not the place that I usually look for nature to wow me}  was a full arc.
Maybe one of the first rainbows I've ever seen this clearly.
I remembered that morning's quote, and just let go. Laughed again...

...and stood still for quite a long while.
Until a double rainbow was visible...and then they both faded from the sky.

I stopped worrying about disguises, and just started counting my blessings.


Linking up with Project 52 and Miscellany Monday

Six Word Fridays ~ Patience

A Blessing

I'm a lucky lady. On Friday, to kick off the weekend, I arrived home to see this pretty bouquet waiting for me in the kitchen. Thanks to the Irish, and the celebration of St. Patrick's day, a couple of these beauties had been dyed clover green. Now, I'm not Irish but I'm always happy to celebrate! This week I've been rejoicing with the extra daylight - like the light that was streaming through my kitchen window behind these flowers. And when my husband does a little something for me just because...Well, to me that's better than finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

Especially when there are sunflowers involved.

"Having a place to go ~ 

is a home.

Having someone to love ~

is a family.

Having both is a

blessing."

Linking up with 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

and sharing a quote with

Fresh Mommy

Wedding Weekend ~ Instagram Style!

Our Sunday began in a garden,
a simple time of worship with our friends.
Then off we went to decorate the venue - everyone pitching in.
A few hours to spruce up
and we gathered for the ceremony and reception...
a truly magical celebration of love and family.
We sent off the young marrieds under a flutter of falling leaves...
{beautiful leaf fluttering photo by Jana of Looking Glass Photography}
...took off our heels and cleaned up the hall.
Once back at the hotel,
dressed in our very best sweats,
we took over part of the lobby, relaxed together, shared some wine and stayed up too late!

In this month where we're focused on gratitude,
it's easy to feel richly blessed because of friends like these!

Spring's Promise!

Every branch. Each bud. Every seed.

Seeking sunlight. Yearning to bloom and

to become. Spring holds such promise.

Here come the reds, the yellows,

the purples, blues and greens! Bursting

forth from the dry, wintered ground.

We clean and plant and open
the long sealed windows to the
fresh air ~ our own hope renewed.

Melissa's word for us today?

Spring

The Small Strokes that Paint a Bigger Picture

A simple text.

A hug.

A scribbled note or a pretty card.

A knowing glance.

A hand held

A joke shared.

Please.

Thank you.

The child's hand picked dandelion.

The husband's call from the car.

The friend's "Are you OK?"

We have so very many chances every single day to express our love.

And each smile, each gesture, each word

is the stroke of a paint brush.

Taken by itself, it doesn't seem like much.

But when added up over days and years

the masterpiece of a loving relationship is created.

Today began with a text from my son.

A college kid on his way to class.

He didn't have to ~ we don't have any "check in" rules.

He could have thought of it and just not bothered.

I know he loves me, so I don't really "need" it.

But it sure was a nice way to start the day.

Bigger Picture Moments are at Hyacinth's today.

A Day Late...

My mother-in-law's birthday was yesterday ~ Here's a picture of Jan, with her favorite guy on her favorite beach! She's shown me so much love over the years....so I thought I'd put my birthday wishes for her on my blog for all to see!

For Jan ~

Birthdays come and
Birthdays go,
But the desire to wish you good health
and years full of happiness
never changes.

You open your arms and
You open your heart,
And my desire to thank you, to
let you know how MUCH you are loved
is ever growing.

Family first and
Family forever ~
Your generosity, kindness, attention and
energy have knit us together so
we become stronger.

We celebrate you and
We celebrate with you ~
A full life, a fruitful life, a faithful life ~
May God continue to bless
and protect you!

Love, Adrienne

Counting our Blessings

Stored away in books are the
Countless, simple blessings of our lives.
Rainy days, summer haze, school plays;
Autumn leaves, rolled up sleeves in
Photos we've taken of our lives.
Big deals, training wheels, family meals;
Our holidays and each childhood phase
On storied pages of our lives.
Killer braces, favorite places, silly faces;
Imperfect hair and prom night flair
Number among the countless, daily and
God sent blessings of our lives.

What does Jury Duty have to do with Scrapbooking?

Nothing.

But this last week I served as a juror for the first time in my life. I sat through a criminal trial that ended as we found the defendant guilty of thirteen of the fourteen charges against him. Two of which were attempted murder. At the end of the trial the judge came to speak with all of us ~ all of the jurors. She began by telling us that there was, nearly every day of any given year, a different domestic violence case being tried in that courthouse. She apologized for the ineptness of the defense attorney, and told us, without going into detail, that she felt compelled, in her role as a judge, to take some action concerning this attorney. She thanked us over and over again for our service, assured us that we had done our job well, and told us that it was time for her to do her job. To sentence him. It was a very long, sad four days. My heart broke several times over those four days, but was most profoundly saddened by the thought that there were children growing up in the midst of all this violence and neglect.

Switch to yesterday. What a contrast! It was tuesday, and the trial was finished, and there were scrapbookers coming to crop!! Every tuesday morning several ladies gather up their photos, paper, memories and creativity and journey into my workshop space to put it all together in a book. A simple scrapbook. I was especially glad to see everyone yesterday ~ there was lots of chatter as everyone shared stories and ideas, paper, stickers....and lunch! It's an atmosphere that always cheers me up. Yesterday, as I looked at soccer photos and skating photos and lacrosse photos and prom photos and graduation photos and vacation photos...well, it wasn't so much the photos of the events that struck me, but the care being taken by the moms who were creating, in these books, a safe haven for all of these wonderful memories.

You see, for me, scrapbooks are keepers of the good. My scrapbooks remind me that there is so much in my life worth treasuring. Worth celebrating!! The making of each book helps me to focus on what is good, and right and excellent and praiseworthy. We choose to photograph and record the noble, lovely and admirable pieces of our life and world. And in the midst of the tragic (or even just in the midst of the monotonous and the mundane) how wonderful it is to have the ability and opportunity to focus on the good. I genuinely admire people who more naturally see the proverbial glass as half full. Being more melancholy by nature, I need some visual aids. Some reminders to help me get the eyes of my heart focused on all that water that IS actually in that glass! So I'm a scrapbooker. Who enjoys being surrounded by scrapbookers. And who is learning to hold on to the good ~ the good friends, the good memories, the good thoughts and the many opportunities to pull the good out of each and every day.

I'm glad that jury duty is done. And I'm grateful for the safety and love I had to come home to after facing the pain in that court room. With every page that I scrap, I hope to leave a little bit of that love as a legacy to anyone who ever visits those pages. In the mean time, the making of them sure does help me not to take the blessings for granted.