What I Love...in 400 Words #DecWriteO

Let me preface this by saying...this is a list, my list and I am hoping that all the love and magic in it will help my heart feel a bit less humbuggy today.  Hopefully, it can inspire you too!  Merry Christmas! <3  




What I Love…(400 words)

Twinkly, sparkly lights on my Christmas tree, and in the darkest of starry night skies or on my car roof from a diamond. 

The smell of fresh coffee as my eyes open to a new day.  Venti Quad 3 pump Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte with whip.  Or Gingerbread, depending on time of year. 

Cranberry Fig salt scrub for my winter holiday blues and rough elbows.  Shea Moisture Lotions in all their glorious goodness.  Dress trousers that fit my waist and flow to the floor.  Cute and comfy shoes!  

Books…oh, how I love books! Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Paulo Coehlo, Pablo Neruda, Brontë, Joseph Campbell, Dr. Seuss, Elizabeth Gilbert

Tarot cards.  Twitter.  The Moon.  Miracles. Angels.  My tea kettle.  Relaxing Salt Baths.  Journals. Monkey Slippers. My iPad. Writing from my heart and in the flow.

Valley of the Moon and Luna Winery.   Red wine.

Portugal…specifically the Magical Island of Madeira.  Yes, it really is Magical there!  

Magic.

Love.

My hair...it took about 30 years for me to finally admit this one and now I fully own it! 

Dark Chocolate. 

Fall and fall weather with the smell of fresh fallen leaves and a touch of chill in the air. 

My Mom.  Shared secrets and treasured memories with both my baby sisters.  Hugs and kisses from Cameron. The amazing, magical blessing of Being Cole Cole.  Jack, who as each day passes and years fly by has become more of a dad to me than I could have ever hoped for in this life.  Loving Friend all over the world who can make me smile, no matter what! 

HUGS.  And Kisses.

Candy Canes hanging on my tree. 

My car, my first car, that still runs and gets me to where I need to go. 

Scarves and wraps.  Fingerless gloves. Sudoku. Painting. Baking orange cranberry bread and snowball cookies. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm.  Harry Connick, Jr. College football Saturdays! Pizza Margherita.  Sushi.  Pickles. Ocean air and waves crashing. French toast and crispy bacon. BACON! Breakfast in bed.  Kisses under the stars.  Flip flops.  Pumpkin pear bisque.  Pho Soup. Frick Park. Phipps Conservatory.  The Getty Museums. Blowing bubbles in the sun filled day with my nephew.  Bagel Factory Everything Bagels.  Square Café: everything they make!

Giggling.  Laughing so hard I can not breathe with my sisters. 

Chili simmering on the stove. 

Fresh flowers on my desk. 

Art store sales! 

What do you love?  Think about it, write about it, share it here or anywhere! 

With Love and Christmas Magic! 

xoxoxo

The Secret to Begin

My lovely friend, Amy is offering up a quiet oasis of a writing circle for December.  (You can join in here: Writing Circle with Amy Oscar ) 


Ooooo, in my quiet space I sit with this prompt:  December 5th – Begin. We are going on a journey. Who knows where it will lead? What will you take along? What will you leave behind.
I have sat with this prompt for 9 days now.  Rolling it around my head, my soul and my heart. Searching for the right words, the right path, the right....Woah! Hold up!  


BEGIN!  Simply.  Begin...


Oh, sweet beginning.  There you are again...how nice to meet you.  Shining beauty, shining light. Oh what sweet beginning we begin again...

Photo: Lori Paquette

Oh, bittersweet ending is where my mind goes.  

In my haste I jump too fast to the end...at times...missing the start, the magic, the enoughness of now.  I remembered a beautiful post and an insightful journal lesson from years ago while I was going through my divorce.  I pulled it out and included it here...seems fitting and a wonderful reminder for me, again.  


From a 2005 journal entry:

"Here's a reason for using these questions-- by doing so you acknowledge that it isn't the answers that matter, but the process of asking. You stop focusing on when ______ happens, then you will _____. You start saying, "Now is now, I am okay, and I can start living in the flow now, where everything is valuable."

"Today's Intention: To notice when I focus on the end result, the goal, rather than the unfolding path."


As I sit here today, I can not help but wonder where my sense of wonder and excitement went for the path, the exploring, the adventure.  I get glimpses of it when I am traveling and trapsing around new cities and foreign lands. 


I realized this morning the real secret of BEGIN.  In my magical shower it dawned on me...I keep looking out, looking up, jumping too fast to the end when in reality I simply need to get still, turn within and BEGIN.  


As I sit here still searching for the perfect word the little voice inside is saying, "Just for today!"


So I ask you to join me in this journey as we Begin...just for today!  What will you discover?  What will you feel?  What will you see?  Magical wonder awaits you on your path!  


Just for today...dance the path and do share with me any magical discoveries of the Begin!