wisdom

A Little Birdie Told Me

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
goldfinch

Male Goldfinch, Mars, PA

A Little Birdie told me….

Stop waiting

for tomorrow,
or the weekend
or a rainy day,
or a sunny day.

Joy is found

when you stop waiting,
and start realizing
the joy in the moments
of every day life.

Cherish the moments

of a gentle breeze,
a warm smile,
a soft embrace,
a kind word.

A little birdie told me

life is short,
grief and hatred and sorrow exist,
but love conquers all,
joy exists,
happy moments must be grasped.

Cherish the moments.

A little birdie told me.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay

/ Jodi / 56 Comments

old boat at three rivers rowing association youth boathouse pittsburgh pa

Sittin’ on the dock of the bay
watching the……

geese and birds and fishermen and rowers,
cars and bikers and joggers and walkers.
Soaking up the early Spring sunshine after a fun little field trip day with hubby on Saturday.

We stopped by the Three Rivers Rowing Association Youth Boathouse in Pittsburgh.

As I snapped photos, I was drawn to this beat up ole’ beauty that sat alone
amidst all the sleek and shiny new sweep and sculling boats.

It’s beauty caught my eye the most.

Kind of like people.

Youth is sleek and shiny and new and beautiful,
but the real beauty that more often catches my attention
is the kind that emanates from the wrinkles on the face of the older woman
who has spent decades loving and smiling and laughing
with her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

or the rough and calloused, knotty, sun-spotted hands of an old man
who worked hard all his life to support his family.
Hands with map-like veins protruding as if telling a story of the places he’d gone and the things he’d done.
Hands that hurt, yet gently stroke his wife’s cheek, guide his children’s path, and cradle his grandchildren.

Yep – sittin’ on the dock of the….. river….
wasting time?
Maybe not.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Photo submission for the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge:  Half-Light:  Share a photo inspired by a poem, verse, song lyric or story.  Also in loving memory of “Poops” Pap McKinney, who we remember lovingly today on his birthday.

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

Mr Rogers Neighborhood

“Imagine what our real neighborhoods would  be like
if each of us offered,
as a matter of course,
just one kind word
to another person.”
-Mr. Rogers

Over the holidays, Hubby and I made a visit to our local Pittsburgh Smithsonian-affiliate museum – the Heinz History Center.

One of the highlights for me was the special exhibit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – one of my favorite childhood television shows.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was filmed in Pittsburgh for three decades from 1968 – 2001.   The compassion, patience, morality, and advocacy for important public causes Fred Rogers taught is embedded in my heart and soul.

As I viewed the exhibit,
reminisced about the home of X the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat,
gazed at the castle of King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, and Prince Tuesday,
and was transported by Trolley to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe,

I dreamed of a World neighborhood where kind words were spoken…..
and love was shared….
and this song stayed in my head…..

“It’s You I like.
It’s not the things you wear.
It’s not the way you do your hair.
But it’s You I like,
the way you are right now,
the way down deep inside you.
Not the things that hide you…
Its You
I like.”

Can’t we all get along?
Can’t we all accept each other?

Thank you Mr. Rogers.
Your wisdom transcends time, age, color, race, gender, identity, religion, ethnicity.

It’s You
I
Like.

Cheers & Hugs
Jodi

Real can’t be ugly…

/ Jodi / 77 Comments

stuffed bunny watercolor card

How could I have missed this?

It is a classic novel.

It was made into a film, a musical, and a soundtrack.

It is a story that caused my heart to swell,
reminded me of the past,
gave me pause to consider the future.

It made me smile broadly.

It gave me a lump in my throat.

It caught me off guard and caused me to gasp.

Tears welled up, and then magic appeared.

The Velveteen Rabbit, illus. William Nicholson:

How could this be considered a “Children’s Novel” when it teaches such relevant adult life lessons?

“How about this old Bunny?” she asked.
“That?” said the doctor.  “Why, it’s a mass of germs!  Burn it at once.  What?  Nonsense!  Get him a new one.  He mustn’t have that any more!”
And so the little Rabbit was put into a sack with the old picture-books and a lot of rubbish, and carried out to the end of the garden behind the fowl-house.

How often does this happen in real life….
to real people….
whose hearts and souls are young,
but their bodies are aged, broken, weak, and have germs….?

How could I have missed this beautiful story that was never read to me as a child and that I never read to my children?

The Velveteen Rabbit.

Written almost 100 years ago, and I just bought my first copy this week…. via Amazon Prime….   for ages 3 – 7… and I am 52… and I LOVED it!

The life lessons are so deeply profound.
I so encourage you to read this… slowly – and at least twice:

The Gahan Girls: Thank you, Skin Horse. I couldn't have said it better myself.:

Thank you, Skin Horse, for your insightful wisdom.
I will try very hard to remember this every day.

Whether you have children or not, The Velveteen Rabbit is a MUST-READ!  It will be the best 10-15 minutes (depending on how long you linger over the beautiful illustrations) you’ve spent in a long time, and the best $7.49 you will spend this year.

A new, old, profound classic on our bookshelf!

It is waiting to be read to or by anyone who visits our home….   anyone who wants to know what it means to be REAL.

velveteen rabbit

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

P.S.  I was so amazed by this story (which I discovered after a friend posted a quote on Facebook), that I had to draw a version of a stuffed bunny (a velveteen rabbit) late one night.  It came freely.   From a Google Search of stuffed bunnies, I saw a photo similar to this one I painted.  It came quickly and easily, and I was delightfully surprised when I saw how it turn out the next morning – when the paint had dried, and my eyes were clear, and it became “Real.”  And “Real can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Thankful

/ Jodi / 20 Comments

sunrise gfcoib15

I am thankful for…
nights that turned into mornings,
friends that turned into family,
and dreams that turned into reality.*

As I spend time this week with some bestie friends that have become like family…
and got to experience this sunrise yesterday morning on the beach…
I thought it apropos to share this quote I found that resonates so deeply with me.

Wishing all of this and more for you as well.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*source:  http://bearandlionmama.com/2014/01/a-new-year.html