Keep on Dancing

 She danced! Dreaming of Dance

If you have followed me for awhile you will know I visit my favorite antique mall 4 times a year for their seasonal events. It is sort of my kick off for a new season. The celebration just makes my heart happy. I don't need to buy anything, but snap a few pictures and savor the changing of the season by surrounding myself with beauty and pretty things.

Each time I go I notice if there is a theme that is showing up that I have missed. It seemed this time it was just about decorating ourselves.

We can decorate ourselves with baubles and beads or maybe a pretty hat or piece of lace. It doesn't take much at all. We can even just pick a flower when out and about and tuck it behind our ear.

Yes, I did have to notice the light coming in the window, shining on this pretty blouse. Just the light took my breathe away.

Sometimes I can't help myself, I just must touch. Thankfully, I didn't see a do not touch sign. I love to touch old fabrics. Oh, I touch new fabrics too. When I go through a clothing store I can't resist touching as I walk by. And sometimes just the touch will sell me on something I hadn't been looking for. Do you touch when you shop for clothes?

There is a song that says, It's a Hard Luck Life. Everyone has times that are part of that hard luck life, but it is how we choose to live it that counts. It counts that we decorate ourselves and dance.  Another song is I Keep on Dancing on my Own. That is exactly what I do for myself and what I tell others to do too. Let's all keep dancing, decorating our world, and we will certainly find JOY through all the tough times.

And then I found this smile.

He made me smile back.

Have an amazing week and don't forget to dance.

Yes, I know, I just got back from traveling to Alaska, but an opportunity came along last week and I said "yes!". I leave Sunday for 10 days, traveling to Provence (the south of France). My "live-in gardener" is staying home and I am flying off to meet others and play awhile. There may be a little shopping too. I might even dance in the street. France has always had my heart and I needed one more adventure there.

I will see you in a couple weeks for pictures.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Sitt'n and Dream'n

 

I adore a pretty Adirondack chair to sit in and dream in.

Recently I had an email from the magazine, Bella Grace. They send me encouragements to subscribe. The magazine is gorgeous, but expensive; so I just enjoy getting their ad emails. Now in most cases I unsubscribe, but this is one I look forward to. They always have a link to something fun and free.

Recently they had a list of 35 Joyful ways to settle into Spring. I thought I would share a few with you to think on when you find a few moments to sit in a pretty chair.

1. Refresh your closet with a burst of cheerful paint.

3. Line a windowsill with pots filled with herbs.

8. Keep an eye on the sky for migrating birds.

13. Practice the art of strolling.

15. Visit a flower market and splurge.

20. Put lemony bar soap in your drawers as sachets.

23. Eat a decadent breakfast.

24. Paint your toes like a spring bouquet.

28. Stargaze.

33. Take note of the change in light.

35. Start taking the stairs.

All three of these chair pictures I found when out and about this past Spring.  I love finding them and dream'n too.

Books finished this week are the first in the 3 part Timeslider series by Santa Montefiore called Shadows in the Moonlight. I always love a time travel adventure. A gift from a friend was Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart Reynolds. A very quick book to read and made me smile with the comparisons to cats in our society today.

What would you add to the list of Joyful Ways to settle into summer?

Oops! I just noticed I forgot to post this in springtime, but summer works too.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

4th of July - JOY

 The Fourth of July is always worth celebrating, but for this year I was having a hard to time doing so.

I started this post a week ago and yet I totally forgot to post and send best wishes. I was struggling to find JOY.

What did bring me joy was noticing the flags waved. There is just something so beautiful in seeing the flag of the country you love wave from the front porch, a patio, bridges, and even from a car or truck. It just feels like a celebration.

Here are a few sightings!

Instead of a true 4th of July celebration I took a drive to the coast. Yes, It brings me JOY too.

I found a path to JOY.

There was an avenue of fun and games.

And a few swans swam by.

Out and About in my part of the world brings me JOY. Just seeing people celebrating the day brings me JOY. And waving a few flags brings me JOY. So even though I didn't watch fireworks or even eat a hotdog, I found JOY in the little things around me.

I hope you also found JOY in celebrating the little things around you.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Seek JOY

 

”Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a great one today.” -Doe Zantamata

Recently I read that kindness and joy are as important to a long life as a good diet. I tend to agree with that. What do you think? I have a friend that just turned 93 and he still seeks joy and adventure. He is a delight to visit with and soon I will invite he and his girlfriend to come for tea.

I am in the midst of re-reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. It's an oldie, but goodie. I went to the library recently to see if they had it on the shelf, but it wasn't there. I probably could have ordered it at the library, but since I want to share from it I bought it. In June I will be speaking at TeaFestPDX (June 27th) on tea in literature. Winter Solstice takes place in England and has so many references to having tea I thought it was worth a re-read to get me into the spirit of offering tea when a friend stops by. For me, sharing a cup of tea with a friend brings a quiet joy. As the next quote says it does make for a smile, a grin.

"Joy is the feeling of grinning inside." — Melba Colgrove

Next week I will be seeking joy and a bit of sunshine/warmth by going on an adventure. See you in 2 weeks. Can you guess where I would be going for a bit of sunshine? Some of you are still buried under winter. Stay warm and find a cup of warm tea.

Now there is only one picture here today, but I thought it was a good one. It is on the Main Street of the town I live in and is also the office where my daughter works. I thought it was perfect for a counseling center.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

Finding Joy

 Buddhist proverb: Three things will always rise; the sun, the moon, and the truth.

This quote reminds me to search for the small joys in life.

When I lived in my house you often found me early in the morning strolling through the garden in my robe or even in summer just in my pajamas. I loved the early morning hour strolls through the garden. I was always searching for new blooms, new growth. It is what brought me joy. These days I am adjusting and relearning how to do this. I find if I just step out on my patio at sunrise and look toward the sky I can find stars and sometimes the moon. It delights me.

If I spy a flower or take my cup of tea in hand and breathe in the scents, I smile.

My "live-in gardener" was in the hospital for a few days this past week. He is better now and we are both almost back to normal after having the "icky" virus going around. Our appetites aren't quite back to normal; so for Valentine's I thought we would have a simple teatime.

I made cucumber sandwiches, Coronation chicken sandwiches (British), cream scones, mochi with marachino cherries (Japanese), fruit, and moon cakes (Chinese); then tea was rooibos Marco Polo (French). It was a multi-ethnic teatime, but it satisfied our teatime appetite quite well.

Do you enjoy candle light in the winter evenings? Or even in the morning? It also brings me joy and delight.

Then today there was a Chinese New Year celebration with my tea group.

It was a potluck and tea tasting.

Wow! There was a lot of food and tea.

I made the pink mochi balls with maraschino cherries inside.

This week I finished reading Mrs. Endicott[s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen. It takes place during the late 1930's, early 1940's; which is an era that fascinates me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even through their struggles, the characters found small joys.

Finding small joys in the everyday times.

What brings you small joys?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars - Passion

 Passion

A glimmer only do I see

A spark takes hold and

begins to shine

Only a spark at first

It grows 

It ignites

It envelops

and consumes

The fire has been created

and soon it dances

with exuberance.

It is said a fire becomes

the color of the heart.

Yes, reds and golds

and heat do sing in my chest.

In this my singing heart

I find Passion.

Passion is of the heart

A Joy not to be contained

A fire burns there

I know it does

I will dance and

embrace this heart full of Passion,

this heart of God.

This God of Love.

M.Miller

What passion do you find burning in your soul?

A Joy not to be contained?

As we approach a new year soon, I am beginning a mental review of the past year and also the coming year. What passion do I want to include in 2026.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

Sometimes I just need to focus on those things I love.

Teatime and flowers are often in my circle of loves.

This week there were opportunities for both and a little bit more.

I even visited the grand opening of a favorite chocolate shop. They have opened a shop and education room to celebrate chocolate at their factory. Their chocolate all comes from one estate in Ecuador. 

Then on another day I celebrated the start of the day with fruit, scones and tea.

My tea bush on the patio is beginning to bloom.

And then I visited the Lan Su Chinese Gardens where my friend, Eric, was doing a tea tasting. It was fun to sit for an hour and sip tea with Eric and others at the table.

Pomegranates growing in the garden.

And lotus too.

And just for fun, I had to toss in a teddy bear from the antique mall.

And a visit to the dahlia farm.

A bouquet brought home from the farm has delighted my week.

Sometimes we just have to take a break and enjoy those things that bring us JOY and light to our hearts because life can get heavy.

Hoping you have had a little JOY and light in your week.

On to a new week and searching out JOY and light.

Sending love,

Marilyn

 

Women Holding Things

On social media I have followed @MessyNessy in Paris for quite awhile. Several months ago she showed pictures of women holding things and ever since then I have thought about what women hold. Women hold: a child, a job, emotions, the home, the family, food prep, bills, structure of the home and sometimes it is hard to let go.

 Here is my mother holding me.

 I grew up and she had to let me be me by letting me fly and find my own wings.

Hands are unbearably beautiful.

They hold on to things.

They let things go.

~Mary Reufle 

https://mairakalman.com/womenholdingthingsbook 

 Could you see how gently my mother's hand held me on her knee?

And my daughter holding her son (my grandson).

 I see as he gets older there will be a time to also let him fly. Yes, I had to do it for my own little ones.

And here is me holding my teacup, a time now for meditation and self care. Being surrounded in nature touches my soul. And I hold each day in my heart and cherish those moments of both holding on to life's joys and sorrows and then releasing them to fly away.

 

 

A personal story. When I was in junior high school my gym teacher taught the girl's to hold there breathe and suck in their tummies to make them flatter. I realized all these years later that sometimes holding ones breathe is not really good for me or anyone else. I am learning to release my breathe and in that hold joy right in my belly, even if that means I don't have the flattest tummy in the world. Why do we teach girls to hold their feelings in, not breathe, and not release what is good into the world? I hope this makes sense, it's something I am still learning.

 

Let's hold on to what is good and release the stale air, laugh and find joy each day in the little things. What are you holding on to today? Does it bring you JOY? 

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Flowers Speak in Songs

 

Flower season is my favorite season of the year. And you know I take an adventure to LanSu Chinese Gardens with each season to find the blooms. This is camellia season at the gardens. They sing to my heart.

This single camellia laying on the ground reminded me of a story I saw recently on social media. It was a stray cat that would bring these fallen camellias to a woman each day as a gift. Finally the woman realized she needed to adopt this cat. And now year after year the cat still brings her flowers. 

Often I am reminded of songs to tell a story.

"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" is a song written by Neil Diamond with Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was sung by both Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand.

You don't bring me flowers
You don't sing me love songs
You hardly talk to me anymore
When you come through the door
At the end of the day

I remember when
You couldn't wait to love me
Used to hate to leave me
Now after lovin' me late at night
When it's good for you, babe
And you're feeling alright
Well, you just roll over
And you turn out the light
And you don't bring me flowers anymore

It used to be so natural (Used to be)
To talk about forever (Mmm)
But 'used to be's' don't count anymore
They just lay on the floor
'Til we sweep them away
And baby, I remember
All the things you taught me
I learned how to laugh
And I learned how to cry
Well, I learned how to love
And learned how to lie

So you'd think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye
(So you'd think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye)
You don't bring me flowers anymore

 

Sad song Neil wrote to his ex-wife as they were going through divorce. Flowers and a song can speak of so many stories, from love, devotion or a broken heart. The cat spoke of dedication and love to her owner. Neil spoke of the ending of a story shared together.

 

To me they speak of JOY.

 

It was a beautiful day when I visited the gardens. Then I left my car parked by the gardens and walked a few city blocks to the river. At the river the cherry blossoms were blooming. Again I thought of a song, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" which celebrates young love and the beauty of spring. Cherry Pink symbolizes the passionate blush of young love, while Apple Blossom White represents innocence and purity."

I think sharing these songs shows I am remembering old songs, but they are still sitting in my head and heart after all these years.

 

Do you have songs pop in your head as you go about your day? Do the songs and sights bring you JOY?

 

Sending love,

Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

OK, I wrote this in August and realized I hadn't posted it. As tomorrow is election day I hope and pray a woman will soon be in charge.

Now you might say, "what does that have to do with Kindness and JOY?" I believe Kamala brings to the table just that "kindness and joy"! 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FciQeRGYFlw&ab_channel=Keb%27Mo%27

Put a Woman in charge! 

I hope you listen to the above link, it inspires me.

I believe, as women, our time is coming.

Women have the power to add tenderness and beauty around them. To take something ugly and make it something special. To heal our "booboo's". To cry with us, laugh with us. Yes, you might say a man can do these things too, but I believe a woman adds the gentleness so lacking in the world of men.

I am excited for the possibilities a woman adds to our world. Now normally I am not political here, but our time has come in the US to have a woman in charge. Please vote BLUE 

Sending you love, kindness and JOY in this time of struggle and upheaval.

Peace to you,

Marilyn