Thursday Thoughts

I am reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project and am gleaning much from it. Her project (to learn as much as she can about happiness and become happier herself) resulted in a book, a blog and a website,all chock- full of helpful things to think about each day. I've taken a number of her insights to heart, including "dressing the part". Today I'm more dressed up than I would be on a typical weekday, but it's improved my outlook. I've asked for help, which was a difficult thing to do, but most beneficial, and I've gone out looking for small things that light up my day. Today seeing spring green shoots in the gardens at home and at church have been great delights. Spring is springing up, and it's just March 31.

It's Wednesday

I'm trying so hard to get back to blogging.
I'm writing at 750words.com, which feels like a good practice, but I just haven't gotten back into the habit of posting something here every day.
In an effort to say something, today I am grateful for...

*sunshine, which makes my morning walk much more pleasant
*a great wedding over the weekend. Perfect, in fact.
*Lucy, home from the kennel. I love her so much.
*2.5 pounds lost last week. I'll take it!
*some stability at home. That's good.
*terrific books I'm reading (The Sabbath World and The Happiness Project)
*time away.


That's good for now....

All in a week

It's been a full week, since I tossed out my resolve to return to blogging.

FBC's last chorus concert tour of her college career was this week, and DH and I hopped in the car and drove to Louisville to hear the concert that was held in this congregation's beautiful sanctuary. It was a splendid concert and it has been so much fun to hear them sing over the past three years.

SBC did not attend because he was singing in his high school solo and ensemble contest. We are blessed to have friends who did not mind transporting him to and from and to school and feeding him and having him stay the night. It was well worth the nervousness of leaving him, because he advanced to the vocal runoff yesterday, and he invited me to come and hear him sing in it, which was a very great treat. He is poised in ways that FBC was not at the same age. He did so very well with his solo and with the junior madrigal group with which he sings.

Today we learned that he advanced to the final, the reward of which is a master class with this person. 146 students participated and ten individuals and two ensembles advanced to the master class. (Note: SBC thought he didn't do very well in the vocal runoff. Both his solo and his work with junior mads advanced him to the master class.)

I would not, for one instant, want my children to be so self-assured as to be cocky, but I do wish for them that they could enjoy their craft and not be so hard on themselves.

In the trivial (but not to me) department: I had foot surgery in November that was supposed to be a walk in the park but turned out to be more involved. When I was preparing for the surgery in November, I hoped that I would be able to wear cute shoes one day. This week, I turned a corner, and was able to find cute shoes that are very comfortable and will work for work and weddings (of which I have quite a few this spring and summer). It is such a joy!

Those are the highlights. In the past few months it has been so difficult to find anything of good report, which is more about my challenge of voicing my gratitude and finding the good than it is about my life. I pray this is improving.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

I'm planning to come back to the blogosphere, and very soon. The past seven months have been very stressful, and hard to write about, privately or publicly. I know, though, that writing begets writing, and I want to continue to hone that craft. I know that I have special connections with friends out there somewhere, and I want to strengthen those ties. I feel hopeful about getting back to writing, and attempting to do so regularly, but at a gradual pace.

I hope what I write will be worth reading, and I hope it well feel like something hopeful and healing.

It feels risky, to try again. Personal goals have been a bit elusive of late, as the immersion of caring for others has filled up all available space. We shall see.

From the time I was a very little girl, I've had an attraction to Japanese culture.
I pray for the people of Japan today, and everyone who has been touched by the earthquake that rocked the Pacific this morning.
Image of Japanese garden from here.