Sunday’s Seven –Plus 7 31 March 2024

Easter greetings to the Christian readers here… I hope you’ve had a lovely day and made good memories. The bloom in the picture was only a bud the afternoon of Easter Saturday…what a difference a day makes, right? 😉

That full bloom iris greeted me this morning and reminded me how much good can come in a truly short time. Always be on watch for it.

It’s been a busy few days here with grandchildren dyeing eggs (and that brought back memories of my children doing the same— as well as my mom doing the same with me so many decades ago. Memories hang with us.) Traditions. ❤️

Little Easter baskets and fillable eggs and cascarones and children’s happy voices …

…and those children coming in with pre-birthday gifts as we were able to celebrate together this weekend…

The mailbox has been a treasure trove of happy mail recently, and I will always marvel at the magic that seems to bring a card or parcel from place to place. Today, it held homemade baked goods, too…all the ways friends show up with love and light.

I sent some good mail of my own during the past few days: a stitched contour portrait is on its way to Australia thanks to India Flint and her ever busy way of connecting creatives through stitch or words or art.

Friendships…and the ways we witness one another through good times and bad 🌟

Full moon glow a few days ago that led me to stand in wonder…the beauty of this world…

Books and journals and coffee cups and flowers…all the usual suspects that bring joy 🦋

Recipes…and time to make them…

And as I enter a new year, I honor the tradition of staying up to meet the day—happy to see another year and hopeful for the good it will bring…

So many times I wanted to post because I knew I missed last week, but I decided a catch up today would do. The message really doesn’t change:

Find beautiful moments. Surround yourself with good people. Learn from a child. Laughter is life. Carry on.

Be good to yourself. ✌️

Happy Easter Bloom

Sunday’s Seven 3 March 2024

“A grateful person will never be poor. The grateful heart sits at a continuous feast.” —Ancient Wisdom

Nice words to start this week’s post—ones I believe and I hope you do, too.

What feasts did you enjoy this week? It seems that there are always so many to recall:

Children burning energy at the playground…

The public playgrounds/parks available for our use…

Recent show try-ons with little girls jumping up to test run their choices—-shouldn’t we all be doing that? When does that see how it feels to run in them become only memory? I prefer their ways 😉 👟 🏃🏽‍♀️ …

Making it to the early voting line with a child in tow—and the welcome she received from all around her. Children being out the best in us…and honestly, more of us might show up to vote if we received the welcome she did. 😊

The first red geraniums of the season on my porch …

The markings I put on corners of the fitted sheets so I get it right the first time 😅🤣…if you have battled that hot mess you know 😂😂

…

life. Today I sat in the March sun and stitched a meditation (thank you for teaching the process, Liz Kettle.) I used indigo dyed wool from a years ago workshop in NM. I smiled as the dye still stains fingers after all this time. I was present, calm, focused. 🧵 🪡 ☀️

I hope you find those moments this week.

✌️

Sunday’s Seven 15 Oct 2023

Nature-y Magic Days

This has been a fun and entertaining week…the last few days spent as a “single mom” of sorts…keeping three precious granddaughters for a few days while their parents are away. Tonight is the last sleepover of the stay, so after school drop- offs are complete in the morning, my regular busy life will resume.

I knew these days and responsibilities might be challenging, so I reclaimed what I’ve done in any challenging time: stay in the moment…only the moment at hand.

Thinking back over the time and happy kid moments, I remember cookie decorating outside, cracking pecans and “sailing” their empty shell boats, collecting wishing leaves on our way to the pond, making mud when the puddles dried up, taking some impromptu grocery store trips (3 in tow) and some solo kid excursions this morning while the bigger two were briefly partying with their aunt.

Add in the suppers and breakfasts and snacks and baths and potty breaks and boo-boos and bedtime routines and art times and story times and tv times and homework and well, all the unnamed things that happen between point a and b… and

I surely would have been overwhelmed had I allowed myself to think too long or plan too much.

So, I stayed in the current moment…advice I hope to continue taking as the days roll on.

The week gave me other good things in addition to grandchild love…

deer sightings, meaningful exchanges with strangers, a coffee break with a dear friend, laughter, my mom’s Santa light glowing in the kitchen.

And the week to come promises to hold a lot of good, too…because I desire it, look for it, find it.

God bless you…and especially all the single parents among us. ❤️💐💐💐💐💐💐

Sunday’s Seven 1 October 23

The calendar says fall. TX says where… but maybe by week’s end we’ll get a not 90 day. One must hope. Forecast says likely. 🙌🏼

Leaves have not been up to their usual autumn magic, but there are signs of trying.

Beginner

The garden spiders are busy and a few littles have joined in the naming: Sally and Izzy are still daily regulars, but Sunny Star Scout (fave name 🤩) must be otherwise occupied …we expect her return any day. 🕷️ I know all are not spider lovers, but these are my returners. Sally always sets up on the side of the garage. Izzy chose the dog food bin this year, but she waves a happy leg at me each morning as I gently get Ada’s breakfast without disturbing her glorious weaving. We seem to understand one another.

Sally

The days aren’t fall cool, but outside is bearable, so that’s the win. Little girls were joyful with jump ropes and sidewalk chalk and swings and driveway races. That’s good. ✅

Little boy wearing a cowboy hat greeted me at his house with “ampoline ampoline!” on his busy way to the swing and see saw and trampoline…then sat happily in the backyard dirt and sifted through his goldmine …stopping multiple times to bring me treasures. A child who notices. 🫶

Gifts from a 2 year old 🍂

I hung the pumpkin front door decoration, and as is my custom, also plugged in the white lights on my beginning tree—this year it will live on the sunporch where it’s already bringing us moments of joy. We have decided it will be our art tree. I’m looking forward to how it transforms by December. So much to be said for creating spaces that we enjoy. The days are busy. White lights in the early morning and late evening are luxury. 🌟

Beginning tree 🌟

Little things. Passing moments. Noises and silences and all the gifts those hold.

May your week be filled with treasures you are able to notice. ✌️

Sunday’s Seven 16 July 2023

Returner

Ah, my elusive egret has returned, and what an entrance. I’ll start with her story to top my list today:

I have been looking for this egret, and while I’ve seen some at area parks this spring and summer, no egrets at my place. Really unusual. I felt a surprising sadness about it, honestly. But this morning, as I was writing near a sunporch window, Ada barked and I looked up to see this beauty swooping in and rounding the corner of the house, almost clipping the siding on her way. It was a moment I would not have believed if I hadn’t experienced it…a true Mary Oliver moment, I really do think. 🤩 Majestic moment.

I immediately went outside, but by that time, she was a distant shadow among the trees. An hour later, though, she returned to the place I have been missing her from…and she posed for me for a good while. Little gifts, dear people. I marvel at nature and her offerings. May we never be indifferent to them. ❤️

Other things making the list this week:

an impromptu patio visit with a dear friend (thanks, Dee)

a gift of international stamps from a loved one (thoughtful giver)

a Burger King crown 👑…that’s its own story, but let’s add late night drive thrus to the list and one grownup thinking another might accept it…and did 😅

cast iron skillets and all the stories and sustenance they’ve helped provide…

the four slot toaster it took me far too long to buy…it really is the little things 😄

My adult children. They listen to me, help me in ways they cannot imagine, and they really are the invisible listing here each week. Always present outside/ inside/between the lines. ❤️❤️

The week has been a busy one, and I have noticed myself ranting a bit too much, irritated a bit too often. I tell you this as a form of disclosure. While this blog is about the good things, it’s not always easy. Sometimes we ( I ) have to look harder. But sometimes, a great egret will appear right in front of our eyes, and we will remember: look.

As Mary Oliver told us:

Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

Bye for now. I hope something memorable and beautiful greets you this week.

Sunday’s Seven: 12/18/2022

Week 4 of Advent, and the fastest Christmas season I remember in years…

This week’s theme: love.

That’s a good word to meditate on and carry with us through the next few days as we await the coming of our Savior.

I’m lighting the fourth candle late tonight, but glad to celebrate this marking of time.

So much light around us now: 4 candles lit. Let every heart prepare Him room…

Week 4…Love on the way.

And now for a recap of seven beautiful things that were good since last time :

Airport reunions…not just mine with a precious daughter, although that was the best one for me…but waiting and watching and seeing so many reunions, long hugs, raucous laughter, puppies and children and old people and all in between celebrating the return of another. My heart says thank you. 🌟

The drive that day to the airport…light traffic, easy travel. Christmas Canon playing as I hit the airport exit. 🌟 All the moments one’s heart knows there is so much beyond what we think we know.

Meeting friends and catching up on a year’s worth of news…as a matter of fact, there have been several friend reunions this week: gratitude for all of them, old and new. 🌟

Santas. The surprise gift ones destined to be yearly decorations, the merry ones in the midst of shopping, and one in Ft. Worth who embodied the original. So many people in our paths bringing joy. Let them. 🌟

Coming home to candy canes lining the driveway…an effort by my son to welcome his sister home. Traditions. Family meaning. Love. Christmas. 🌟

Real Christmas trees and lights and decorations and tinsel and lists and hurry and slow down and see it all and keep it in you for as long as you can. The messes. The joy. The love. 🌟

Magic. Being aware of it. Being able to create it for another. Being able to recognize it when someone creates it for you. Knowing the magic of Christmas is open to any who wish to feel it and to any who wish to create it for another. 🌟

Next Sunday, we get to celebrate the best gift of all. Until then, love yourself and love those in front of you. ❤️🌟🎄

Sunday’s Seven: 5 June 2022

June is here, dear readers. May she be good to us all.

I’ll start this week’s seven good things with a simple one: lullabies. Do you have a favorite? Did someone sing to you as a child? Recently, a granddaughter requested one that I often sing from my childhood: Tura lura lura…it’s a sweet one. Music holds so much good. Another frequent request is She’ll be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain, but we add Yee-haw after every verse, so it’s not really in lullaby genre, but hey, it’s ok.

Clean sheets. Something about freshly laundered linens, especially when the weather gets hot. I remember as a child my mom would pop the sheets on super hot nights ( I did not grow up with central AC) , and I’d feel the cool billows of air on my skin as a nighttime ritual. I think we often crave nostalgia and the good feelings of past childhood days. Returning to those small feel good things— even small things like clean sheets—can make the immediate moment better.

Lots of little ones are in my house this season, and we have adopted our own rituals and routines. Sometimes a prayer, sometimes a song, most times laughter and stories and planning for the next times. Sweet words from young mouths. I wish we all could hear those.

Other sweet moments from the past week:

The grands wanted the plastic baby Jesus this week — the Christmas yard decoration one that ended up being one of their beloved babies. I located him, and watched as they kissed him, checked him for ticks (we may have adopted a ritual here 😅), and “fed” him all the snacks. Little precious moments that the world does not see. Moments that have great power.

A repairman came and I watched from the window as he took extra moments to play with our dog. You can always tell about someone based on how they treat an animal, especially if it’s not theirs. ❤️ Another one of those moments that the world didn’t see—a moment that made my heart happy to see the kindness of strangers in action.

Oh, it’s been a week filled with art, too. The Index Card a Day (ICAD) has started again. It is a daily creative challenge and one that has become a tradition for many of us. If you are interested in learning more, check out this link:

https://daisyyellowart.com/icad-base

And, last for this week, I have more art on display at our local gallery. A potter friend and I are alternating months so that we can keep the space filled with fresh art and still have time to do all the other things we like to do. I’m a believer in the power of art to change the world for the better. It’s nice to have a place to share.

Sometimes we are making memories that will become only memories. That’s good. Sometimes we are making memories that become rituals, routines, traditions. We may not realize how important those things are for a really long time, but then something or someone reminds us.

That’s good.

Here’s to memory making days.

✌️

Sunday’s Seven: 5/1/2022

May has arrived, so I guess she gets to be 1/7 this week.

2/7 Freshly mown grass. It has its own unique scent. Reminds me of fresh starts/clean slates.

3/7 That cardinal that my eldest granddaughter mentioned this week—and immediately asked for my phone camera to document it. She wanted me to see what she saw. Today, her daddy mentioned a random sighting, too. I missed both…because sometimes the things we see are meant for only us to recognize.

4/7 My art life. I’ve been busy painting for weeks now, and a festival I enjoy showing-selling art is next weekend. I hope to report good stories from there soon. Three dear people who came for years to greet me there have passed since this time last year: Aaron, Martha, Betty. Their spirits will accompany me and remind me that life is brief. I’ll miss their encouragement and laughter and presence. I’m glad I shared their life path for a moment in time.

5/7 Seeds. Lots have been planted here, and while the blooms have not appeared, the sprouts have. I never take it for granted. 🌱

6/7 Cards and letters and even a recent email from a decades ago student. She reminded me that the smallest thing we might do is remembered. So, if you ever think what you do and say is meaningless, it is not.

7/7 My April journal. It holds a lot of good things: words, poetry, cards, ephemera. Pieces of a life. I’m grateful.

Welcome a new time, dear readers. Mother’s Day in the USA is next Sunday. I’ll try to post some good things then. Until then, happy May. 🧚🏼‍♀️💐🌟

Sunday’s Seven 4/24/22

Greetings, dear reader,

Seven goodnesses from the past week:

A student who I previously taught came by to see me this week. He wants to write…and in his words for real this time, and I think he really might. We can hope. We can offer hope to those among us who are brave enough to share their desires with us. We can encourage and picture them doing what they hope to accomplish. 🌟

My two youngest grandchildren spent the night this weekend, and for the first time, the youngest let me trace his hand in one of my journals. Little milestones. His sister assisted, and clapped for him in encouragement. Sweet little moments. 🌟

I witnessed a beautiful memorial ceremony this week for a cousin who died after a full and vibrant and long life. It really is a beautiful thing to honor the memory of good people. A tree was planted in her honor—something bright and beautiful to remind us she lived. Traditions like these are important. I was glad to be a witness. 🌟

The irises are still busy under the oak tree in the front yard. Some years, they barely bloom at all. One day, one purple bud opened. The next morning: seven or more. This struck me as a reminder that things really do change so fast, but those changes can be good. Sometimes they really are good. I’ll post a pic or two at the end. 🌟

Fish fries. It’s been a long time since I attended one, but my workplace held one this week and it was nice to congregate on a beautiful day, listening to live music and enjoying good conversation. 🌟

Timers for prayers. I’ve done this for years now: set random alarms to remind me throughout the day to pray for specific people and their needs. A dear friend requested that this week—not the alarm (but she is getting one 🙏🏼)—but the request…it is a holy and precious thing to stop for just a moment to think of another…I believe the power in it is stronger than we might realize. 🌟

Free pass givers. Sometimes we are not at our best. Maybe we are tired, maybe we are anxious, maybe we have no reason except that our best behavior was not available. But even so, we see people letting it go. I saw that this past week. It makes me want to be that free pass giver in this new week. I’ll be trying. 🌟

One auditioner before the big blooming 🧚🏼‍♀️

What a difference a day makes. 💐🧚🏼‍♀️🌟

Sunday’s Seven: 4/17/2022

Happy Easter Day to my readers who celebrate. 💐

I’m in a different routine this particular Sunday, so my greeting to you is coming earlier than usual. As I was journaling early this morning, I started thinking about surprises…and that will be the focus of this list today. 🧚🏼‍♀️

When was your last real surprise? Did it rely on someone else’s actions, or was it more internal…a real knowing of sorts?

The natural world is filled with surprises…

A bird’s intricate nest

The hole that the honeybees return to each year

The iris about to burst out of their bud-rooms

Not surprises to them, of course. They know what they’re doing 😉…but sometimes we are caught by surprise when we dedicate time to look, to watch, to savor.

Sometimes the surprise isn’t of the natural world…it is that simple amazement when things line up for us:

the random text

the unexpected note of appreciation

The lives we live unfolding in chaos or flurry or wonderment (or all)

Sometimes I say Well, I guess I’m doing this now and that can apply to the salad that falls from its precarious angle in the refrigerator to a messy heap onto the floor,

or to the prolific (for me) amount of large canvases lined up in my hallway awaiting a new art show,

or like yesterday when I hit “submit” on a computer keyboard and a rush of deer walked out in unison and I knew, I knew they, too, were witnesses to the good in life.

Sometimes surprises are not as obvious as a crowd of deer coming to greet us, but they are there…simple decisions that turn out to be moments of wonder and simple joy:

This day I’m not celebrating the same way as I have some bigger Easters in the past, and the gift and surprise of the holiness in that is its own surprise:

A long burning candle is lit for all of us today, and as I see it throughout the day I’ll utter these simple words and hope they land for whoever is reading this:

I wish you well.

Happy Easter. Pray for peace. 🧚🏼‍♀️