Seek And Ye Shall Find ...........

Sea glass found in Falmouth 6-26-13

An early morning walk along the beach this week , yielded me this collection of treasures. (The large brown piece is actually dated 11-8-71.Very fun!) I find beach glass magical. Pretty peaceful way to spend a "lazy day of summer" moment or two.

I Choose Family...........

Kickin' back at Falmouth Heights Beach yesterday!

Really liking the "lazy days of summer" so far. Convenient that we are on vacation this week and don't have to go to work. My family and I spent a few days at the Cape....ipad and tablet free..and since I don't have a smart phone it was a real disconnect..with the outside world that is.

Let me tell you, if you want to take it down a notch and decompress from the rapid fire info our brains process with being online and constantly needing to be connected, the benefits are yours for the taking. With letting the technology go, we were able to experience quality family time, being engaged in a way that yielded laughter and great memories!

Now that we are home, we have decided to be mindful of the amount of time we spend online and even more mindful of the amount of time we share laughter and memory making moments. 

In order to be more connected to one thing, sometimes you have to disconnect from another.

Lazy Days Of Summer.............

Happy Summer All.... It's officially here. I've toyed with the idea and I'm going to take on my next goal...drum roll please... to create and incorporate "Lazy Days Of Summer" into my days.

So within that way of thinking, I'm kicking back a bit on the structure of my blog and foregoing the Sunday Wednesday schedule of posting. I will see where the "Lazy Day" moments take me.....and post randomly along the way.

May you too enjoy "Lazy Day" moments as we kick off summer and make it one to truly remember!

Cheers!

My Thought For Today.........

                           

                               Happy Heart

"The happy heart gives away the best. To know how to receive is also a most important gift, which cultivates generosity in others and keeps strong the cycle of Life."  Dhyan Ywahoo, Voices of our Ancestors

Teach Them Well.........

I remember growing up my parents had a photo from a magazine, pinned on the back of the kitchen door.  The caption read "the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." I translated it as best I could as a child, but now, as an adult and a mother, it's message rings true.

I am blessed to have the love of a man that brings to my Life the meaning of that caption each and every day. 

While out to dinner today to celebrate Father's Day, our 16 year old son raised his glass and said "to the best Dad, husband and teacher."  When my husband asked something he had taught the boys, my son replied "how to be a Dad." I loved it! 

In my husband I see the strength and love he shows me, while providing the same for our sons. He has mastered the juggle of both which plays a pivotal role in our family.

I agree with my son, he has taught them how to be a Dad and I must add he has also taught them how to be an awesome husband!

Happy Father's Day shout out to all the awesome Dads out there who teach their sons......how to be the Best Husbands & Dads!

Little More Kindness...The Original

This past weekend while attending an art show, I was reminded of how a simple gesture of kindness can truly bring on a smile....for everyone involved!

While enjoying the artistic displays and items for sale, we found ourselves in the  "Children Artist Section". This area was great....children ranging from ages 6 - 12 had their tables set up to sell their own artwork. There was such a wide variety of art and these mature little people, manning their booths were fantastic!

I had the great pleasure of meeting (if I had to guess 9 year old) Liam. He sat at a 6 foot long table with simply a pile of stapled papers being held down by a rock to battle the breezes and a sign in a Lucite frame that read "Liam's comic books only one dollar". I had to take a look. I asked him about his work. With a smile on his face he shared with me that there were five comics he had written and illustrated (didn't have time to color) included in the packet and the last one was his favorite...because it was funny and you have to turn it over to see the ending. I offered him a dollar to purchase a copy and his smile got bigger...I asked him if he could autograph it and his smile got even bigger. I explained I wanted his autograph "so that when you.." before I finished he filled in "I am going to be a cartoonist when I grow up"! So very dear.

It was a great exchange meeting Liam. Seeing his ambition at such a young age and the joy on his face when I took the time to chat and buy his comic book.

I'll be the first to admit I've slipped lately with efforts towards random smile energy....aargh Life getting in the way. But summer is here and there are plenty of opportunities to make them happen. I'm thinking kids & lemonade stands here I come! 
                                   

Little More Kindness......

This morning my family and I had the pleasure of attending an art show with artisans from near and far.  We walked around appreciating their talents. I was certainly liking some pieces more than others, "something for everyone" kinds of thoughts entered my mind. Regardless if it was my taste or not, I could certainly appreciate/admire the time, energy and hard work these artists put into something they believe in so much.

I'm envious of that! The perseverance, the determination and the insight to pull it together. My mind frequently races with the many interests I have and what I can "do" with them. Along with the racing thoughts, an overwhelming feeling quickly creeps in and the promise of tackling it fades and I let it go.

Then the rational side of my brain says "wait a minute, you wanted to compose and offer a presentation of Connect With Your Life..you did it..so check! You wanted to establish a grassroots group of artists in your community to network and support each other and that is under way....so that gets a check! 

And a year and a half ago you wanted to start a blog, share positiveness, sprinkled with kindness, as well as reach out to others and share your own aha! moments in the hopes of bringing one to light for them. So with the blog counter at 8,893 I think we can safely say ....check." 

Now back to the other side of my brain...Oh My Gosh it just hit me!!!! If the rational side of my brain has the realistic thoughts, the opposite of that is irrational, which is perhaps where I spend a bunch of my time....I think I do!

So now I carry on, and rather than experiencing obstacles and overwhelming road blocks, I envision all that I am able to accomplish because of the awareness of putting the rational side of my brain in the forefront. Also, so very important, through it all there is the underlining desire to want to move forward...and that feels a whole lot better than going backwards!

Now my suggestion to you dear readers is to see where your rational and irrational thoughts are taking you...they can take you places you don't even realize you have been. Take stock in all that you do and all that you still want to do....after all we are each the ring master in our own circus of Life!

Blog Post Side Note: Ok so when I started today's post with the title "Little More Kindness" and right through the first two sentences, I was going in a totally different direction. Still about attending the art show, but somehow my thoughts took a turn, ending with the above post. I just went with it...no over thinking... which resulted in just where my mind was taking me while I typed.

Seems as though, once again dear readers, you witnessed the scattered thoughts of this blogger...sure do appreciate you coming along for the ride.

In Wednesday's post I will share my original thoughts of the young cartoonist Liam that I met....or maybe I won't...we'll have to see where these fingers take me. 

Mom Pangs.......

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The past few weeks I have found myself retrieving parenting advice I had previously heard and stored in the "hold on to it until the need arises" part of my brain.

OK so, the need was arising and I was looking for answers...and then realized, I can't be the only one...in fact, recent chat with friends yielded the same pangs with their teens and young adults. So here goes, I'm sharing useful nuggets that helped me wrap my brain around my Mom pangs. Plug in your own frustration and give these thoughts a ponder.

We have poured into them, our love and nurturing, judgement and Life skills, compassion and guidance. We look for evidence they have retained it by their behavior and choices they make.

When we see the opposite, we ask ourselves "what did I miss, why don't they "get it?" The thing is this...here's the nugget now....all that we put in to them is still in there and will reveal itself at different times. It is their discovery and independence coming through. They have all that we have provided and they will draw from it when we least expect it. It will never be all at once and we don't know when, we just have to take comfort in knowing that they will!"

Secondly, the stresses that we create with trying to pave the way for our children in the hopes of their Life running smoothly, can sometimes act as a disservice. Nugget Alert..."smooth now means bumpy later, when they try to figure it out on their own.....so bumpy now is smoother later." 

The joys and pangs that come with being a Mom are plentiful. Each coming and going with it's own ebb an flow. Sometimes it's smooth sailing and other times we need to weather the storm. The constant through out it all is the foundation of love we set, serving as the driving force to see clearly these sweet children of ours, are truly their own person, looking to shine..and make us smile along the way....oh hey that may be a nugget and it's from me...

Last nugget is mine too......recognize the joys even when they are small, because they are really just the tip of the iceberg, with so much more to discover underneath.

Now a shout to my own boys (because I like to believe this may just be the time they decide to read my blog)

I love being your Mom! You are both amazing young men who have taught me a great deal. We may weather our own turbulent moments but they come in between all the joyous sunshine we share in our family...and always remember "I love you to the moon and back....magnified really well...."

Timely Post Of Happier At Home......

While contemplating which area I would tackle for my final installment on Happier At Home, I tried to find something that brings me frustration in my home.

Thankfully the list is short. Exploring family and possessions in my two previous posts has yielded a bit more of a harmonious atmosphere...also I think my perception has shifted, providing similar results too. It is important to note that the harmony and more moments of happiness are certainly not constant...nor would I want them to be, because my thought is: the bumpy times make the alternative of smooth and happy all the more appreciated in contrast. 

Today the challenge I share is:

TIME: when I really stop and think about it, time holds such a pivotal piece of this journey of discovering more happiness at home. Needing time to master the changes/additions I have put in place as a result of this journey, is key. I need to make the time to accomplish the tasks that seem to bring those happier moments.

Secondly, a huge wake up call is, being aware of how I spend my time. So much hinges on that very concept!  For example when I get lost on the computer, that then takes time away from "stuff" that needs to get done (clean & organized does bring me happiness) and fun activities I could be doing instead. But one has to ask "doesn't being on the computer bring me happiness in it's own right?" Perhaps there's happiness and then there's mindless fun and happiness. I'll have to explore that  further at some point.

Back to my time...while being more conscious of this precious gift recently, I did see how I could ease some of the stresses by using my time more thoughtfully. I found myself getting ready for work a bit earlier so not to be rushed, lingered at the dinner table longer to facilitate family conversation, put errands aside to call a friend and stop by for a visit. Perhaps one of the things that really helped was, at various moments stopping and asking myself  "is this really how I choose to spend my time right now?" and then making adjustments if my answer was no.  Granted a bit tricky when at work or doing a "must do", but that's when I can go to my "happy place" and dream for just a bit.

I find when I think of time as a gift, I, use it more wisely...hold on to it dearly...and consider it an avenue to make a difference in both my Life and the Lives of others.

                              

Taking this journey to be Happier At Home has been a fulfilling one, one that I'm so glad I took....and will continue to take. Gretchen Rubin's book served as a reminder and a wake up call to the abilities we have in our lives, and the important role we Moms play in our homes.

I can truly say...."I am happier at Holme!"