Uphill idealist

Yesterday was filled with 1/2 day off of school running around, juggling office work, preparing for my son's 12th birthday (today),and participating in our community Christmas Parade. Usually, I try to do my best to eat healthy soup for my lunch and manage a well-balanced family dinner three to five nights a week, but the Friday evening rush called for a quick dinner stop of fast-food sandwiches for everyone piled into my Buick. One cheeseburger, one bacon cheeseburger, two chicken nugget and fries meals, two Sprites, a Coke and a Root Beer were quickly consumed while in route to where we were meeting. Finally, we were set for a few hours of cold outdoor parade participation. In the rush to line up for the route, we left our fast-food wrappers, cups, stray fries and bags scattered in the back seat. We left my car parked on one side of town and we carpooled over to our starting point and I promised our driver that I'd be happy to get him back to his truck across town when we fin...

Photo found at Photo.net Mr. Squirrel lives in the maple tree at the back of my yard. He really lives in multiple trees as the branches are so far reaching that they touch the branches of the neighbor's maple across the street. Mr. Squirrel spends most of his time leaping from limb to limb and scurrying away whenever he hears a noise that frightens him. Mr. Squirrel rarely looks beneath him to see what is going on at ground level. I think he's to easily frightened to ever look down and take everything in. This morning as I was brushing off the cars to prepare for taking the kids to school and heading off to work, it was early enough to be able to hear the stillness of morning. There was a blanket of fresh snowy sparkling everywhere. The wind was blowing glittering waves of swirling snow across the yard and down the street. There seemed to be a fresh, beautiful stillness everywhere I looked. There was so much to see that I even looked above me to look at the snow covered trees o...

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A few days ago I was visiting a friend and her golden retriver came bounding up to me the way she does and simply leaned against my legs the way dogs do when they expect to be petted or paid attention to. It's almost a hug when dogs do this gentle lean and wait. In that simple moment, Tasha leaned and I remembered my dog that passed away this July. It was not so much a moment of grief, but one of missing dog hugs and the company she provided for the past 11 years. I honestly think dogs have a way of picking up on this missing feeling, because everywere I go that last few months dogs have been greeting me with this leaning hug. Dogs at my friends house, dogs being walked by neighbors, even a dog down at the plaza the other day while I was running errands tried to lean and hug into me even though the owner was apologetically tugging on her leash to keep moving. I didn't mind, really. I miss dog hugs. Maybe its time I started looking for a dog to hug back, maybe. Click here to joi...

Sunshine Comes in my window and instantly contacts the frazzled, funk imposed mood that overshadows me. Reminds me of a summer day filled with book reading, relaxing and going to dinner at an Indian Resturant. Allows me a space of warmth and welcome. Fills me up so I have something to give. Reminds me that you are always with me, even on the gloomy cold mornings in December. Sometimes there is sunshine right around the corner of noontime. T.L. Eastman 2008 Click here to join in on NaBloPoMo 3 thankful posts down, 28 to go!

When in my dreams, conversations are filled with lists of what I've done wrong I'm thankful that my wakeful ones are not. When worry causes me to think of what might be the worst case scenario is right around the corner, I'm thankful when my reality is better than what I expected. I begin to wonder though, in all this thinking about my life and my world - what is the rest of the worlds reality? Are they safe? Did they have a warm bed to sleep in? Were they able to fill up their gas tank on the way to work this morning? Could they buy a coffee to warm their chilled hands? Or did they have to walk to work? Do they have work to go to? Sometimes when driving a late model Buick you can begin to want something newer, until you realise you may be living someone elses someday dream. T.L. Eastman 2008 Click her to join in on NaBloPoMo 2 thankful posts down, 29 to go!

Hope Sometimes hope sneaks up on you. You see it just in the corner of your eye, hear it in the voice of a child, or smell it in cinnamon soaked pine cones in the seasonal section of Wal-mart. It's not what you expected. It takes you off guard. But when it shows itself, your heart skips a beat and you get goosebumps up and down your arms. It reminds you of things you miss. Like cookies, toddlers, and Aunt Carol that gave you a full glass of Pepsi when you were five. It's fizzy and fuzzy and isn't afraid to be held or given with dirty hands. Hope is everywhere, but can only be seen from the corner of your eye. I'm thankful for those corners of hope. Copyright T.L. Eastman 2008 Dedicated to Aunt Carol Rain who passed away December 4th, 2008

My blogging friend Mary Lue has inspired me to try blogging every day for a month. She's done it a few times and since we share blogging on our Monday's Sleeping with bread posts, I thought I'd give this challenge a try. Some of this desire is to keep up with my writing in a more disciplined manner and to also celebrate the advent season with my focus being on the theme of Thanks. If you'd like to join in on the blogging challenge follow this link to NaPoBloMo

The tempo of Thankfulness, turkey dinners, family, friends back home in J-town for the holiday, worship, advent's beginnings and lots and lots of things being made have been the hallmark of the last week in my household. Let's see where the beat took us... Life-draining: There seems to be this wall of "business" that is trying to invade my mind and home. For the most part, I've tried to remain at rest and peace, but there are times where I'm feeling pulled in too many directions. There is that transitional pull at work that is simply amplified by the whirring engine of the church holiday pace. It would be easier to pace myself vocationally if I was not abiding in the constant learning curve, but I am learning again that the little word, "No." is a good, good word to keep in my vocabulary and life. On a sad note, I got news that my Aunt Carol is very ill. She's been struggling in her health for several years now, but last report is she's now f...