it's that season again....

This is for all those mamas out there who are letting someone fly ...

Whether they're flying off for a half day of pre-K or to another state for college or half way around the world for work, our hearts break a tiny bit with each farewell, don't they?

So, for all of us mamas who are letting them fly ... I share these dragonfly wings. When I look at them, they seem so incredibly fragile. Gorgeous, and full of possibility and light...but oh, so fragile! Just like our kids, right?!? Yet these fascinating creatures, as you probably know, have survived millions of years! Engineers dream of making robots that fly as well as the 'delicate' dragonfly! Point is, friends...they're stronger than they look! And just like this dragonfly, our 'babies' will flit off, flutter around and come back to land in the same spot over and over. We've either given them strong roots, or we're working on it... So now it's "trust" time....

....yes, it's the season of letting go...

Joining Tamar

Vacation Reflection {first of many!}

If you have to check in with work

or get something accomplished

even when on vacation,

it's very nice to be in an

"office"

with this view!!

From my vantage point,

the laptop just provided me with more scenery

to gawk at while admiring my kids
and sipping my coffee!

Joining James for

Weekend Reflections

Good. Random. Fun. {Weeks 18 & 19}

The past two weeks have been full.

FULL of GOOD!

The New England weather has gone from frosty to rainy.

It's been a bit dreary, but extremely conducive to finishing up all the unpacking.

Cause that's an inside job.

And, drum roll please....it is finished!

For me, the 'bestest' of all the GOOD is that friends have journeyed north.

They have come.

Come to scrap. And to chat.

I'm elated.

And so very grateful to them and for this delicious new space we get to share!

Some came bearing gifts...

Gifts are always GOOD!

Especially when the giver knows exactly what you'd love

and delights me with our first bird feeder!

In the RANDOM department,

the road in front of our house was paved last week.

Signs went up days after we moved in,

and we feared the worst...

a long, drawn out street repair that drags on through the summer.

Bun no!

In less than two weeks the project was completed

and we now have a brand new road in front of our brand new house!

I'll bore you with a few more ball park pics.

Because going to a ball game is SO. MUCH. FUN!

Especially when the weather is perfect.

And they win.

AND you are being treated to the cushiest box seats

{suite and food included}

in all of the park!

The view of the field was outstanding and

the company was great.

Our son was able to join us for the game

and serenaded me during the traditional singing of  "Sweet Caroline."

It's a Boston thing.

The whole ball park ~ we all sing this silly song together before the bottom of the 8th.

It's a Boston thing.

To top it all off,

Mother's Day was wonderful.

We had our first family celebration in the new abode.

One daughter, one son-in-law, one pup, one son...

a chat with a grandma and an uncle...

and, as always, LOTS of laughter!

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Pre-teens?

Well, we've got SIX babies that have made it to the pre-teen stage.

It's so beautiful to see the growing swan family gliding across the swampy pond.

Sometimes these little ones still look {and act} like babies.

They cuddle up for naps and stick together.

But, like our human babies,

as they head towards those teen years,

we start to see some changes.

Like trying new hair styles....

mohawk anyone?

And stretching their wings...

under out watchful eye, of course!

Sharing this swan story with Kim for

LIttle Things Thursday

Six Word Fridays ~ Serve

Once upon a time, a young
family of three moved to Paris.
Before long, baby boy joined in
and their little family was complete.
Like any little family, days were
filled with bottles and diapers, toys
and bed times, giggles and tears.
Time passed. Days turned into cereal,
school, parks, homework, dinner and many
more bed times. Just like all
of the families in all of
the cities in all of the
world. Except they were in Paris.

I don't know when the little
ones realized they lived in one
of the most beautiful cities in
all of the world - to them
it was just home. Their neighborhood.
The grand adventures on the Seine
and to the top of the
Eiffel Tower only happened when visitors
came to town. If memory serves,
their first trip to the top
included a grandpa and an uncle.
There were so many smiles, so
many ooh-la-las! No fear, just fascination.
No worry, just wonder...and lots
and lots and lots of questions.
They saw many of the monuments
and museums they would later explore...
from high above and far away.

Then they went home to play.
Back to the swings and sand
boxes of the little neighborhood parks.
As kids are, they were happy
for the adventure, but unaware of
the significance of what they'd seen.
But I knew....knew it would
always be a part of them.
For it was against the spectacular
backdrop of this great city that
my two littles grew and learned
how to live happily ever after.

Join us here and share your story,

six words at a time!

The Best Gifts

The best gift

That I ever got

Didn't really weigh a lot

It didn't have a ribbon 'round

And it sometimes made a terrible sound

The best of all it seems to me
It wasn't 'neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I'd have to say,
That it made all the other presents twice as gay

The best gift that I've ever known
I'd always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice

The best gift that I ever get

Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet

Was usually pink, but often times red,

As it lay so innocently in it's bed

The best gift of the year to me

The one I hold most dear to me

A gift that simply drove me wild

Was a tiny, newborn child...

An all time favorite Barbara Streisand song...

My two all time favorite Christmas "gifts"...

And a little nostalgia on a Tuesday morning...

Joining Kathy for

Song-ography
and Mama Kat for her
Writer's Workshop

I Got {exactly} What I Needed

Motherhood.

From those first moments when my two were close

and safe in the nest. 

Our nest...

Through those first steps and

the early exploration of their worlds...

During all the playful moments,

and the long walk, "long talk" moments...

I have loved being a mother.

It wasn't a dream of mine - this motherhood thing.

I never imagined myself in this role.

No, I grew up with dreams of stardom and an independent life.

But...

as the song says...

"You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes

well, you just might find,

You get what you need."

The Rolling Stones

Today is my 27th mother's day.

My kids may think they are celebrating me today.

But, in my heart,

I'm really and truly celebraing them.

Joining Kathy and friends for

Song-ography

and Rebecca for

Simple Things Sunday

Now

the big picture isn't finished
i look up, out and around and i don't see spring
yet
colorless
leafless
the softening limbs taunt me
tiny buds play with me as if an elementary school art class has been given markers to dot the sky
i know
i hear emerson
adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience
i know
yet i fail

again and again i remind myself
the bigger picture isn't finished
is it ever?
really?
i watch my children
so many seasons have come
and gone
they're young, but old
kids, but not
breaking ground, showing their colors, more than a bud
not yet a flower
not finished, but flourishing
not perfect, but whole

could it be that the bigger picture is always finished?

always finished...
i look down, i look in, i look closely
i see stems stretch
small petals wink and the tiniest of flowers nod
we are whole
we are safe
in this moment we have all that we need
though we are not finished
though i am not finished
this elusive bigger picture just might be

and i am grateful
for the love
of now

Joining with

Texture Tuesday

and

Just Write

Black and White Wednesday ~ More

This mothering thing, as we all know, is all sorts of hard. And all kinds of wonderful. I've been a mom for 26 years. I've loved being a mom for 26 years. It's the piece of me that I know the best. That I feel I've lived the best. Oh sure...not perfectly. But wholly. Happily.

I was pretty sure, as my kids were finishing high school that I was doing a great job at the letting go part of mothering. I thought...hmmm...this isn't so bad. My daughter lived away from home for a few years. Then she got married. My son lived at home on and off through college. Now he's finished with that, and working sixty-plus hours a week. Point is...they're both really on their own now. And my husband and I have settled pretty easily into this stage of our lives.

Well, maybe that's not the point. Or, not today's point. Today These past few days I have been stunned by how acutely I'm feeling the loss. Not the loss of my kids...exactly. I mean, the boy kid still technically lives here - though I rarely see him. And I talk to the girl every day. More than once. No, I think some of what I'm feeling is the loss of the role. A purposelessness. Like I'm looking to situate myself, and not quite finding a place.

I'm also feeling the loss of 'spiritual community' ...we all went to church together for many years, and it was a strong bond between us and a part of our lives. It's been a few years since you could call any of us regular church goers. And, while I think our reasons for this are understandable, it's hard to loose this connection ... both between us and with a spiritual community that we can love and trust.

So, in this 'letting go' season, I'm going to be breathing in the crisp air. Walking. Praying. Watching the colorful leaves float to the ground. Taking lots of pictures of all the leaves that are floating to the ground. Taking each day as it comes....aware that these feelings will pass. And blessings will come to fill the corners of a heart that's longing for...well, more.

Please share your black and white photos 

here with me today!

Six Word Fridays ~ Misty

Oh, memories. Those misty, water colored 
memories of the way you were.

{Someone might be missing her kids...
just a wee little tiny bit}

Born to Run

As my daughter looked towards the horizon,

watching the ships and the birds and the light dancing on the sea,

I couldn't help but think,

"Baby, you were born to run!"

May all our children dream dreams,

keep their eyes lifted towards new horizons

and 

live lives far beyond our wildest imaginings!

Joining Kathy for

Song-ography

Meet Max!

While my daughter and her husband are on vacation,

we get to puppy-sit!

When I got home from work last night

Max was waiting for me...

well, I don't think he was actually waiting for ME -

but that's what he got. 

He wasn't sure what was going on!

Even though it was gray and damp

we got into the car...

yes, I drove my car with a puppy on my lap...

and went to the pond for a walk!

I think he liked this place ~ we'll be back!

This morning,

much more relaxed and comfy

{after a night in our bed, I sure hope so!}

we cuddled while I had my coffee.

It was hard to leave for work today....

but he's got my son to play with at home

and I'll be back before he misses me too much.

Linking up today 

with

Mama Kat's

{one of her prompts was "introduce a pet"... how could I not??!?}

Weekend Wonderful

Saturday began with my mother - we have a favorite local restaurant that never lets us down.

After helping her with her errands,

I spent some time with my feathered friends.

The skies were dark, and I might have gotten caught in a light rain!

Needing a little more time with my camera,

I went back outside when the rain stopped - and fell in love with these

sweet, white blooms ... perfect on this gray day.

To top off the day?

Date night!

A 'sit-long-talk-much' dinner with great friends.

Spending time with them always gives me a lift

and brightens my perspective. 

But the best thing about Saturday??

Well, I still have Sunday to look forward to!

I'll be spending the day with these two -

Golden child number one

and

Golden child number two.

{this is one of my all time favorite photos of these two!}

We'll be cheering on the Red Sox,

laughing

and 

celebrating all that we love about being family.

Linking up with

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Six Words Friday - Mom

don't remember what day this was -
i'm guessing just an ordinary one...
sun came up, a brother woke
his sleeping sister and play began.

lucky me - getting to watch this
ordinary-big-little-moment...secure as
an outsider. peeking. snooping as you
snuggled  easily into your shared world.

this thing. this gift - the two
of you my children, and me
the mom...well it's the best
present that i have ever unwrapped.

Black and White Wednesday: These Two

...as mother's day approaches

i seem to be
walking hand in hand with
nostalgia....