Searching for the beauty in all things

This bunch of irises helps to remind me to find the beauty of all things. And that includes the beauty within. Not to judge myself based on how far, how fast or even the consistency of my run. The beauty to me is the fact that I do it!

This reminds me to find the beauty in my daughter - her laughter, her smile, the fact that she still wants to do the 'kissing hand' before we part in the morning - at age 7! It reminds me to find the beauty in my marriage - my husband and his kindness, patience and never-ending flexibility with schedules, child-rearing and 'work' that a marriage takes to be successful. And what does success look like anyway? The beauty of that is we make that choice - and it's what we model for our daughter.

When I went to change the channel the other day during a kissing scene on television. She said, "Mommy, why are you changing the channel?" I responded, "Because you don't need to see all that kissing!" "But Mommy,' she chimed in, 'you and Daddy kiss all the time!"

Although it may not feel that way to me, she sees an affectionate marriage and friendship between the two people who still have a great deal of influence on her! That made me proud to know that she notices that we still love each other so much!

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Month of Miracles

photo credit: http://marcestes.com/2011/02/11/miracles-the-need-for-the-hour/ In the tradition of continuing the commitment to writing each day, I am beginning the month of December as I have for many years…. with a passage from Simple Abundance about December. "December's gifts - custom, ceremony, celebration, consecration - come to us wrapped up, not in tissue and ribbons, but in cherished memories. This is the month of miracles. The oil that burns for eight days, the royal son born in a stable, the inexplicable return of Light on the longest, darkest night of the year. Where there is Love, there are always miracles. And where there are miracles, there is great joy. Gratefully, we weave the golden thread of .. joy in our tapestry of contentment. At last we embrace the miracle of authenticity, changing forever how we view ourselves. Our daily round. Our dreams. Our destinies. Days we once called common, we now call hol...

Day 5: Share your favorite recipe

Today's blog for the Blogember challenge is a favorite recipe. This one we saw on the Food Network being made by Giada DeLaurentis. It's absolutely delicious. And for me the very best part is this is one of 3 dishes that my husband considers 'his' and will make it on a weekend for us to enjoy! I just love that! Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil Ingredients For the lemon oil: 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 lemon, zested For the pasta: 1 pound linguine pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 16 ounces frozen shrimp 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1 lemon, zested 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups) 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions For the lemon oil: Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve. For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm...

Day 19: My first job

Memories of my childhood bakery with a cannoli …. As this roller coaster ride of emotions and outpouring continues on Day 19 challenge to blog each day in the month of November for Blogember I recall my first job. I often say that when we recall the past, things that appear to have gone on forever, are often relatively short in the grand scheme of things. After my dad passed away when I was 8, my mom remarried a year later. By the time I was 10 they went into business together opening a neighborhood Italian bakery on the west side of the town I grew up in. This was long before the days of Carlo's Bakery where cakes cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars. A bakery was a lot of hours and energy for very little profit back then. To that end, I was cheap labor and was trained to bag rolls and make change at the cash register. In retrospect it talk me a lot about customer service, the value of relationships in returning customers and how running a family b...

Run, Laugh, Eat, Repeat

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