Category Archives: Flowers

Gratitude Friday

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This post is a mashup of The Little Bliss List and Joy Jam, and as such is meant to celebrate: the little things that brought me hope and happiness this week, the sweet stuff of life, those small gifts that brought me joy this week. By sharing them, I not only make public my gratitude, but maybe also help you notice your own good stuff and send some positive energy out into the world.

1. The view from where I write, roses from my garden and my new favorite book.

2. Sam’s nose is getting better, and might not be Discoid Lupus Erythematosus after all. We took him to the vet yesterday, and he thinks it’s most likely a simple case of skin depigmentation that’s common in Collies that just got irritated by the sun. We got some supplements for him to take (bacon flavored, so he’s happy) and are going to check back in a month. Sam’s coat is also turning “Summer Shepherd,” when he goes from almost pure black to this brindled reddish brown, especially on his neck.

3. Summer vacation. Did I happen to mention I’m on it? For the whole summer? Until August? I took a hefty pay cut to take summers off, but I am guessing it’s totally going to be worth it. Right after I get over the trauma of the to-do list I made yesterday…

4. Brene’ Brown The Power of Vulnerability two day workshop in Boulder. I get to go, and if that weren’t enough, a dear friend decided at the last minute to go with me, so even better.

5. This morning, I wrote an outline of the book I’m working on. I’m not typically an outliner, I’m much messier and more unplanned than that, but this felt right. And you know what, kind and gentle reader? I had a complete sense of power and confidence as I did. This is totally going to happen, and I’m going to learn so much in the process.

6. A good night’s sleep. After waking up so early yesterday and worrying about Sam, I needed it.

7. Even when I plan to take a day off from blogging or writing, I can’t, I don’t. I want to write and there seems to always be something to write about. After 25-30+ years of writer’s block, this is nothing short of a miracle.

Bonus Joy: Watching Away We Go again. I wanted a goodhearted, romantic comedy, and since they are so hard to find, I watched this one again. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it, and Alexi Murdoch does almost the whole soundtrack, so that’s really good too.

Something Good

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This is going to be a long list, lots of good stuff, so let’s get started…

1. Brene’ Brown wrote a new book. Releases on September 9th, but available for pre-order now. (Something good just for me: I’m going to a two day workshop with her in Boulder this weekend.)


2. Rachel Cole reminds us of “The Importance of Crying in Public.” Thank goodness, because I’ve been doing a bit of that today. This post is heartbreaking, honest, and empowering.

3. Broken Open to Greatness: Transforming Tragedy into Triumph, guest post by Jennifer Boykin on Jonathan Field’s blog.

4. 25 Blogging Tips from Jeff Goins.

5. Master Mind Your $100 Startup, a group of great people having an interesting conversation.

6. Laura Simms video about the $100 Startup.

7. Geneen Roth talking with Eckhart Tolle, about “Changing Your Relationship With Money: Make the connection between what you want and what you need.”

8. Patti Digh gave a commencement speech at Gilford College, The Geography of Verbs.

9. How to Live Well from Leo Babauta of ZenHabits. This is so important. You should really read it.

10. Five Reasons You Should Laugh More from Positively Present, a good reminder, if you needed reasons.

11. I want to make these.

12. I’m going to learn to do this.

13. 35 Greatest Animal Photobomers of All Time. You’ve most likely already seen this one around the interwebs.


14. This a good question to ask yourself, “What are you holding on to that’s no longer serving you?” from Jenn at Roots of She.

15. These two posts from SF Girl by Bay make me happy: A Handmade Home and Tulpina, Unique Floral Design.

16. 10 Things I’ve Learned from Anne Lamott. I adore Anne Lamott. She said of this post, “This person really did an amazing job of distlling what I am hoping to convey in my work. I’d forgotten writing in Op Ins that we’d all thought that having a kid wd be more like having a cat. And mostly I think that if I have a message, it is that we can unlearn the stupid, perfectionistic, efficiency-and-achievement driven BS our parents instilled in us. we NEED to “waste” time and paper if we are going to become artists. We need to fail and flail more, and make more messes and mistakes, not less. Send money to the Sierra Club every few months and then feel free toOVER-print-out your drafts, so you can hold the paper in your hands, and scribble on it with pen or pencil, and hear the sound of it between your fingers. That is an ancient and sacred sound.”

17. Thinks Like Me from ZeFrank. It’s hard to not have a crush on this boy.

18. Things I’m Afraid to Tell You. This is a great collection of posts, and a brave writing prompt idea.

19. Ronna Detrick and Fabeku Fatunmise talking about “Bigness.” The way he describes it, bigness sounds an awful lot like basic goodness.

20. This quote from Jennifer Louden, which describes exactly my reason for writing (besides the fact that I love it), my reason for practicing, my reason for living:

…because I am here to practice being beloved. And to teach this practice. To help myself, and hopefully you, know, through every cell of our being, that we are beloved. To know that truth as the glue that holds us together. Then, by knowing ourselves beloved, we hold every creature beloved, too. And act accordingly.

21. Exploded flowers.