Words of Kindness and Joy

 "Kindness is Magic, Sprinkle it everywhere!" unknown 

 

In between the sprinkles of rain this week I went into the garden. I took a very special teacup from a friend that has passed and a very old wildflower book that inspires me to paint pictures.
 

The garden has been kind in the rain it has shared, it thrives.

It gives me gorgeous flowers to bring indoors and beauty in my garden.

Spring is like magic.

It gifts us with hope and joy.

 I laugh at the discoveries I find hidden there.

Do you like to walk in a garden and discover beauty beneath your feet?

Does it sprinkle your heart with laughter and joy? It is a form of magic!

Sending love,

Marilyn

 

 

Word Magic

 The word this week is FLOW.

Definition:  a smooth uninterrupted movement or progress. a flow of information. b. : stream. also : a mass of material which has flowed when molten.

As I walked by these beautiful falls just a half hour from my home a few days ago I was reminded of the word flow. The water in these falls is continuous. Sometimes in summer the water flow is lighter and after a heavy rain it flows abundantly. In winter they sometimes freeze, but still there is movement, it might be a trickle, but they still flow.
 

I was walking there with a special cousin and nieces. The sharing and love flowed from both our mouths and touches of hugs.

It was a time of comfort and joy.

It bubbled up in our hearts.

The flow reminded me of a ballet dancer; so beautiful in the poof of her tutu and her movement with the music. She flowed beautifully across the floor and my heart sang her song for a little while.

In the definition it said a flow of information. I find sometimes the flow of information is too much and unavoidable. So much is heard in words and pictures that saddens my heart. So for awhile I will picture the flow of that ballet dancer and these water falls, plus the flow of the swaying trees in the forest and the flow of kind words spoken among dear ones.

What do you think of when the word flow comes to mind?

Have a terrific week, dear friends.

Speak words of kindness and love, let it flow from your mouth.

Word Magic

 The word this week is MAGIC

Definition: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.

"suddenly, as if by magic, the doors start to open"

 

British informal: wonderful moments

My attempt to snap a picture of natures magic in an eclipse.

"But all magic I've ever known, I had to make myself." 

  Shel Silverstein

I really liked the British informal description of the word magic. Then I read Shel Silverstein's description of making the magic myself. And it all made sense.

I think we need to notice the magic nature presents to us daily.

That saying goes, "notice what you notice".

But also make a little magic in your life.

Every year I see those amazing pots of chrysanthemums at the market and I try to resist buying them. Why, I don't know. This year I bought one and it is like magic sitting right on my front step. I touch them when I walk by. I smell them. And the magic of their beauty just makes me smile daily. What more is there than a little magic to make us smile?

Now the squirrel must have wanted to leave a little magic too; so the oak leaves were left for me to notice and smile. Then of course, a pumpkin! What is it about pumpkins that make us happy in Autumn? Again, for me it is the magic of nature, the noticing, and maybe a little planning to have magic surrounding me.

Happy Monday, dear friends!

 

Word Magic

 In a past post I mentioned the book I was reading by Michelle Obama. A few evenings ago I read her chapter about friendship. The next morning I woke with the song in my head on friendship,"You've got a friend in me". I mentioned that to my "live-in gardener" and said as a young girl I often had songs pop in my head that related to something I was doing or thinking about. I asked him if he did that too and he said "no". When I would be outside playing I would sing these songs out loud.

 

"Daisy, daisy, give me your answer too."

So the word for today is SING.

definition: "make musical sounds with the voice, especially words with a set tune."

At first I thought I would write about the word SIMPLE today. When I thought of simple a song popped into my head of "Tis a gift to be simple". Right then I realized I do this often, I sing a song. I wondered if anyone else does this or is this something only I seem to do? 

"Red roses for a blue lady!"

 

"Lavender blue"

 

Do you love to sing?

What kinds of songs touch your heart?

"Sunrise, sunset"

OK, if you don't do this, maybe it is time to sing out loud.

It does wonders for the soul. Plus it makes me smile. Some days it just keeps me sane.
 Have a great week, dear friends!

Go out and sing! 

 PS: My son says I am showing my age by the songs I am sharing. The thought crossed my mind too. It is all in our own personal context that songs sing in our soul. Enjoy! 

An Adventure at Ten

 

 

 

I was about the age of my grandson, 10 years old, when I loved exploring alone in a nearby woods. This week he and I went exploring near his home. We walked by the Frog Pond, stopped to check out the wild flowers, he climbed on a large boulder, and we viewed the big river below. The grass was flattened on the ground like the wild things had visited and rested there. We dreamed a little too and this is what I found:

Magic hidden below petals and mulch

A world I could not see

Yet I knew it was there

Stepping lightly through the trees

The ground springs beneath our feet

We must not disturb

Hidden from our eyes

Do you see it now?

Look closely

Use your senses

Put your ear to the ground

Listen with an open heart

Imagination is there to delight

Breathe deeply

Savor with your eyes

Discoveries are yet to come

Return with a smile on your face

 

 

I would dream of fairies and gnomes hiding just out of view. I am sure they were there peeking out at us. I would always return with a smile on my face and peace in my heart because it was an adventure this girl at a young age could do by herself. A place of discovery. I must admit a bit selfishly, my sister couldn't go there because of the poison oak. I seemed to be immune to it, but if it was just in the air she would break out in a rash. So it was my own secret adventure.

Do you sometimes imagine magic hiding nearby in nature? The magic is there to discover and delight if only we "notice what we notice".

Happy Fourth of July weekend, dear friends!

Have a weekend of discoveries and delights.

What Makes Your Morning Magical?

Most morning quite early I walk in my garden in my pajamas and robe. All the pictures in this post were snapped in just that manner. There is something so magical to me in walking, noticing, and snapping a picture when the dew is still on the grass and the birds are chirping "good morning" to the world.

The daffodils are almost finished, but this morning I loved still finding a few vibrant blooms.

 

The plum tree is beginning to bloom and I am dreaming of fresh fruit later this summer.

Magically the blooms had a visitor, smiling! I posted this picture on Facebook and had two think it was a most unusual butterfly. I was playing with the magic of imagination. I can only dream a real butterfly will visit me soon. I watch for them, but none have arrived for quite awhile. Butterflies are magic to me.

But I do have hummingbirds all year long, just outside my window. As I sip my morning tea I watch them come to the feeder. They never disappoint.

 So for me my morning magic is:

A chat with my cat

A warm cup of tea

A little reading

A hummingbird visiting

A song and a prayer

 I hope your mornings are magical too.

What speaks to you of magic?

Have a terrific weekend, dear friends!

Word for the Day - 2020

Magic

from wikipedia:

Magic may refer to:

• Magic (supernatural), a type of belief and practices
• Magic (illusion), the art of appearing to perform supernatural feats
• Magic in fiction, the genre of fiction that uses supernatural elements as a theme

To me magic is sitting on the shoreline viewing the sun rise or set over the ocean,

seeing a shooting star, an unexpected kindness from another,

dew drops on an early morning garden,

a song that touches deep within,

or that first sweet smile of a baby looking up at me.

Watching the progress of a bouquet of roses go from

vibrant to drooping and still look beautiful is magic from nature for me.

Magic conjures so many tingling, smiling thoughts.

What is it in magic that brings a smile to your heart?

Garden Quotes 2019

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, 

and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

~Norman Vincent Peale

My garden last January.
Snow just seems to be the magic wand
that makes winter "softer and more beautiful." 

May your week be full of magic and delightful surprises!

Find the Magic

Pictures inspire me to write, especially if there is a path or stairs.

Where is life taking us?

What can we find when we move ahead, face the challenge,

go where the end is not known?

Do we risk the travel?

Do we move forward or freeze in the path?

I have been thinking alot lately about being in my mid-70's.

I am thankful for good health and still an active, vibrant woman.

Sometimes I feel weary of the walk, but I know I can rest for awhile.

And other times I feel just bursting with energy

and face the world with gusto. 

Each day I try to face the magic of the day.

I love the surprises.

I love the discoveries.

I embrace the sadness along the way,

but always open my eyes to what is around me,

searching for the magic and savoring it too.

What do you see in this picture?

Notice what you notice.

Is it the dirt path?

Did you notice the brick in the path

or the leaves of a rhubarb plant?

It looks like up ahead there is another path,

did you see it?

When I let my light shine

I sometimes feel it will overpower me.

Some try to dampen the light,

but I have learned we cannot please everyone.

We are all different

and the most JOY comes from the light.

So notice what you notice,

let your light shine,

and embrace each day with magic.

Trust the Adventure!

Bathe under the Stars, Sit Cozy in the Woods.

The trees bend down to greet me.

Tenderly I walk through the forest.

Finding an old bath tub, I dream.

The water inside is steaming hot.

The stars shine above the branches.

I quietly slide inside.

Ahhhh!

The delight of it all fills my soul with JOY.

Wrapped in a fluffy robe with toes so bare,

I tiptoe to the cottage in the woods.

There is still the last remnants of light as I arrive.

The warm fire inside beckons me.

I am greeted by a warm cup of chocolate.

A cookie too.

Come join me as we sit by the fire and chat awhile.

The door has been left ajar just for you.

What a perfect autumn night with you by my side.

Oh friendship by the fire,

a lovely dream or reality.

Come and gather, sip a cup of frothy chocolate with me.

We will laugh, sing, and share stories.

Our hearts will be full.

An imaginary story, but oh so delightful.

Have a weekend full of imagination, delights, and laughter!

For it is magic!

Turns to Magic

A full moon.

Roses! and Flowers!

A blue sky with fluffy clouds.

A sunset!

It could be that I have shared all of the above pictures before.

When sipping tea this week with friends we started talking about magic.

A time when words cannot describe the beauty around us.

When it takes our breathe away.

One of the guys in the conversation said that when this happened

it turned to magic, it was a dance without words.

So often I mention Dance here on my blog.

His words made me realize what I was talking about.

When words don't do justice to the beauty surrounding us.

Our heart leaps with JOY.

For some of my regular readers I can almost guess what takes your breathe away,

the magic of it all.

For Jeanie it might be seeing Harry flying over the ditch.

For Lorrie it might be a beautiful sunset from her boat.

For Mary it might be the sight of a wild animal somewhere in the world.

For Sheri it might be the smell of a newborn baby.

For Linda it might be a stroll through a beautiful historical garden.

For Tracy it might be a walk on a rocky beach or a new skein of yarn.

For myself it encompasses nature surrounding me.

What takes your breathe away?

When do you feel the magic?

Monday's Tea Quote

"Come oh come ye tea-thirsty restless one,

the kettle boils,

bubbles and sings,

musically."

~Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengal poet

I love hearing the music of the water pouring into the cup.
It is like a bubbly brook on a warm summer day.
The kind of brook you just want to touch with your toes
or let your fingers be tickled by the flowing waters.
 The sun shines in streaks of light through the trees.
Moss is spongy on the shore.
Now lay on your tummy with your head close to the water
and listen to the music.
Close your eyes and rest dear friends,
then come and sip tea with me.
It's magic!

Dance in the Moonlight

 This morning I woke very early.

Shining through my window was the Worm Moon,

a full moon for sure!

My camera was grabbed and I stepped outdoors.

The clouds had another idea and decided to hide this glorious moon.

I waited and just when I had given up hope,

there that moon was winking at me.

It was saying to come and dance in the light of the moon.

So on went my wolf skirt and I began to dance.

The light of the moon shone just for me,

after all who else would be crazy enough to

wear a wolf skirt in the early morning light and dance.
The rain was on the grass in the early morning hour,
but I wasn't to let that deter me.
With no one around I danced under that moon.
I swayed back and forth and let out a soft sound of laughter.
It was exuberance that let my spirit fly
for in the midst on the last moments of night
I was surrounded by moonlight and daffodils.

And I smiled!

 Happy weekend, dear friends!
May you find moonlight and daffodils
to dance in the early morning hour.

May laughter be in your heart.

Expect the unexpected, Look for it!

 Recently I have been addicted to watching

chef shows on Netflix.

 It amazes me to see the detail and extent they

go to in presenting amazing meals.

 Most often they work with the grower to  produce

the perfect vegetables and fruit, or meat and poultry.

Only the best will do when serving their customers.

 One particular chef on Chefs Table intrigued me

with his creativity and thoughtfulness.

He is a true artist.
He even had one of his chefs develop an edible
sugar balloon that floated in the air.
Amazing!

He said, expect the unexpected.

He loves surprising people and revealing the magic.

Be open to the present in order to find the unexpected.

The pictures are all things in nature that I found

in unexpected places and in just noticing what I notice.

Do you love the surprise and magic of the unexpected?

Take time to notice.