I Went Far, and I Came Home

Flox in the Morning Sunshine on my Walk – Mars (Pittsburgh), PA – May, 2019

I went far,
and I came home.

And I realize
I am experiencing

the same sun
and the same earth,

the same sky
and the same air.

And the world
feels more like home.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Top of the World

Top of the World.

Wishing you a “top of the world” kind of day!

Cheers & Hugs and Woofs & Wags,
Jodi & Charlie

 

Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine.

Do you feel it?
Are you excited about all the possibilities the day may hold?

All the opportunites to make it special?
All the reasons to wake up?

Rise and shine
and cherish the moments!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Every time I hear or read or say the words, “Rise and Shine,” I think of Grandma

As a teenager, I loved to sleep in late – much like most teenagers – right?  I vividly remember hiding under the covers to keep from seeing the sun streaming in the bedroom and hearing Grandma  cheerfully holler from the bottom of the stairs on a weekend or summer morning, “Rise and Shine!”  She was always so excited and ready to start a new day.  I smile remembering that hope and excitement in her voice.  She didn’t work.  She didn’t even have a license to drive.  Her days were mostly spent at home working hard – inside and out – making it a haven for anyone who visited or lived there.  And yet she woke up so cheerfully each morning excited for what the day might hold. 

I have to admit – I love the early mornings these days – especially on  weekends and days I get to stay home.  I love thinking about having the whole day ahead of me. 

I baked Grandma’s Apricot Nut Bread yesterday.  It is a recipe I have shared here before.  And it truly really begins to feel like Christmas when I smell this bread come out of the oven.  The memories just come flooding back of Christmases past at Grandma’s house and the joy that radiated from her in everything she did.  

So rise and shine and cherish the possibilities this day will hold!

Every Sunset

Sunset, Mars, PA - Autumn 2017

Sunset, Mars, PA – Autumn 2017

Every Sunset.

May every sunrise
fill you with hope.

And every sunset
bring you peace.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

One New Beautiful Thing

One New Beautiful Thing - Along My Daily Walk

One New Beautiful Thing – Along My Daily Walk

One New Beautiful Thing.

As you walk along life’s pathway –
which often seems to go the same ole’ way,

Challenge yourself to find
just one new beautiful thing each day.

Open your eyes and open your heart –
it is right there in front of you if only you look.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

The Scent of Lilacs

Purple Lilacs in Vase

Purple Lilacs in Vase

The Scent of Lilacs

Your petals are so delicate.
Your lavender color exquisite.

But it is your sweet fragrance…
Your uniquely undeniable scent –

Much like an aura –
That always draws me in.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Beauty along the Rough Path

Even the rockiest, roughest of roads
often have patches of beauty.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Brief Visit

The Old Dogwood Trees' Blossoms

The Old Dogwood Trees’ Blossoms

A Brief Visit.

Your visit is so brief….
but your memory lingers,

and it is ceremoniously revived
each Spring when you surprise me yet again.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This’ll be the Day

sunrise-thistle-feb-2017

This’ll be the Day.

This’ll be the day
I will seek and find
beautiful things
in humble places….

Things that have been there
all along,
but I didn’t take the time
to notice.

This’ll be the day
I will look in the mirror when I rise
and say, “Hello Beautiful”
instead of “Ugggghhhh!”

I will focus
on the things
I like about myself
instead of the things I don’t.

This’ll be the day
I consciously decide
to seek
simple moments to cherish.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Road Taken

Don’t

backyard-looking-into-the-woods-february-19-2017

Don’t.

Don’t shop
when you are hungry.

Don’t reply
when you are angry.

Don’t decide
when you are sad.

Don’t miss the forest
when you are focused on the trees.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi