A Cloudy Day at the Beach

I adore rainy days. Always have. So it's no surprise that our move to the Seattle area was - and still is - a complete dream come true for me. And, needless to say, after three and a half years of the characteristic on-again off-again wet stuff, I'm still hooked.

Obviously my mental stability has been questioned numerous times. (Mostly by folks who prefer to spend their days underneath a glaringly bright sun.) And no matter how much I try to impress upon them the fact that rainy days are what you make of 'em, they don't believe me. They grimace, shake their heads, and proceed to inform me that I'm completely, totally, and one hundred percent crazy.

But I take it all in stride. If being completely, totally, and one hundred percent crazy allows me to wake up and greet cloudy, rainy days with a smile, then so be it.

I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

_________________

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
-- Maya Angelou

All About Pets :)

* Click here to see more of Jake... :)

______________

"Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem."
-- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

I Appreciate: Bookstores

When I was younger, I would get lost in bookstores. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, Walden Books was the "it" spot for book nerds in my hometown, and every time I went to the mall, I spent at least an hour (usually more) in that store. Barely bigger than a shoebox, it was filled to the brim with books, magazines, newspapers... Floor to ceiling and wall to wall - every square inch was covered in the literay word. It was my heaven. My little oasis away from the chaos and angst of typical pre-teen / teenage life. Every time I walked into that store, smelled the paper and book binding, I could feel my blood pressure drop.

And today, years later, I can still walk into a bookstore and feel that instant happiness. When I'm in a bookstore, I breathe easier. My heart beats lighter. My shoulders feel weightless. The minute I pass through the doors, time stops, worries dissolve, and every thought I have vibrates with possibility.

Needless to say, I spend a lot of time in bookstores.

So today I appreciate bookstores because, well, they make me happy. And that alone is enough of a reason to appreciate, don't you think?

What do you appreciate today? :)

________________________

"I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything."
-- Reese Witherspoon

All About Babies

___________________

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
-- Anonymous

Play :)

Blowing bubbles in a field on a bright, sunny morning is perhaps the simplest yet most delicious form of play... :)

_________________

"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold."
-- Joseph Chilton Pearce

Appreciating Cancer

Cancer equals bliss.

What?!

No. Seriously... What?!

Just give me a minute and let me explain.

Every once and a while, I get stir crazy. Okay, okay. More than once and awhile, according to Chris. (Oy, what that man doesn't put up with!) I have so many dreams. Big ones, super-big ones, super-big-seemingly-unrealistic ones, small ones, tiny ones, and seriously-you're-so-out-there ones. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on the day, really) I believe that these dreams - no matter how big, small, or seemingly unrealistic they be - are absolutely, one hundred percent achievable. And that's a good thing, right? So much faith. So much trust. So much believing and knowing in the magic of the Universe and my Higher Self...

But then, every so often, Impatience strikes. Yes, I want to go to Jamaica - and I want to go now. Sure, a week-long boat trip to Roche Harbor sounds divine - and I want to go now. Yes, those Frye boots are absolutely the coolest things I've ever seen (despite their $388 price tag) - and I want them now.

And, in my impatience, I forget to value the present moment. To count all the wonderful, over-the-top, out-of-this-world blessings that I have now. A pleasant night at home watching the usual re-runs while sipping a cup of tea? Boring. An afternoon spent cleaning and puttering around our apartment? Been there, done that. A Saturday where the only trip we make is to the grocery store? Hardly exciting.

At least, that's the way I feel when I come down with a case of Impatience.

Yesterday we found out that Dehlia has cancer. One of her lovable lumps (as we've always referred to them as) is a Mast Cell Tumor. We've only done a needle biopsy so far, so we don't know what stage it's in. As it's a fairly new lump (her others are just fatty bumps) and hasn't changed in size or shape since we first noticed it, we're holding faith that it is just a stage one and can be completely taken care of with surgery. (It's scheduled for tomorrow.)

Last night, after a few tears, hugs, and worst-case-scenario indulgences, Chris and I put our heads back on straight, sat down on the couch, and returned our attention to the positive. Sitting next to Dehlia, we felt our hearts soar while watching Abraham, laughed along with Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement, and Wings, and finally sat on the edge of our seats in nail biting anticipation during Happy Town. At the end of the evening, as we laid in bed, I realized with a pleasant shudder that we had just had the perfect night. That, all dreams aside, there was no place else I would have rather been. Nothing else I would have rather done. Last night, cancer helped me to appreciate my life as it is right now. It helped me to live in the moment.

And cancer will continue to help me remember what is important.

Why is it that we really only appreciate what we have when it's in danger of being taken away from us? And I'm not referring to a person, an animal, or a thing. I'm talking about our Now. Our present moment. Our lives as they are at this very second...

Honestly, I don't know. And, at the moment, I don't care to spend the time to try to figure it out. I'm just going to sit here with Dehlia, rest my hand on her back, and feel her breathe.

________________

"I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that."
-- W. Dayton Wedgefarth

Meet Jake!

Jake + Rain + Interesting Seattle Smells = Doggie Heaven :)

This is probably my favorite shot... The look on his face - pure bliss!

______________________

"The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog."
-- Ambrose Bierce

Don't Let Reality Ruin Your Day

There comes a time when you have to sit down and evaluate your life. When, for perhaps the first time ever, you place your focus not on reality, but on dreams. Then, with unwavering faith, you consciously step back and look at your life from a broader perspective.

And start planning for your dreams, not your reality.

It can be scary, I'll admit to that. Most of us have been taught to face reality, to plan for reality, and to live in reality. Only when and if we have time do we even allow ourselves a brief moment or two to entertain our dreams.

For the last few months, I've been planning for my dreams. Finally. I stepped up with faith, discarded doubt and - along with my caring and extremely generous husband - began moving forward. And the ride so far has been amazing. In fact, forging ahead in faith has been more liberating than I could have ever imagined.

And then last weekend hit.

For no apparent reason, I woke up on Sunday with my mind cloaked in doubt. In uncertainty. And in fear. Try as I might, I couldn't shake the helpless feeling of impending doom. Luckily, Chris can talk me back down from any chaotic frenzy I've allowed myself to slip into, and Sunday was no different. He has the admirable ability to stay cool and calm in any situation. He's relaxed, easy going, and always, always in control. With gentle encouragement, he rescued me from the mental ledge I had stranded myself on. He brought me back to my dreams.

Any remaining doubt was squelched entirely later that afternoon in a quirky little craft store, when the first thing I saw upon entering was a hand-crafted sign stating, Don't let reality ruin your day. (Hmmm... A "sign" in the form of a sign? Synchronicity at its best, wouldn't you say?)

You see, the most life altering leap of this journey is fast approaching. Up until now, nothing that I've done has been this big. This defining. And this momentous. And last Sunday, the old me - in her final death throws - desperately tried to pull the new, becoming me back. Back to reality.

But it's too late. The forward momentum generated by the last few months is moving too fast - much too fast to stop. So, I'm kissing reality good-bye. I've come to the edge and am now standing on the balls of my feet, teetering back and forth, eager and excited to... Leap.

_____________________

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
-- Albert Einstein

Summer Fun :)

__________________

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-- Henry James

Changes... :)

Well, the river of change seems to be flowing a little faster than I previously anticipated. (Not that I'm complaining, mind you!) Seems the Universe is a lot more efficient that I ever gave it credit for. :)

One bit of shiny, exciting newness is this blog - which I'm currently working to personalize as we speak. (Or as I type!) It's proving to be a bit of a challenge, as I really have absolutely no formal background whatsoever in graphic design. Hmmm... When is my design-educated, computer-loving husband going to be home??

In looking forward, check back next week for shots from a much anticipated shoot at the Space Needle and Music / Science Fiction Museum! :)
________________________

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."
-- Winston Churchill

Faces & Flowers :)

When I saw that this week's I Heart Faces challenge was entitled "Faces & Flowers", I immediately thought of my session with Sophia - way back in March. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and it was a beautiful day on the University of Washington campus...

Ah, there's nothing like Seattle in the Spring. :)

______________________

"Earth laughs in flowers."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"