Hello there!

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, 'always do what you are afraid to do.'". 
 [Ralph Waldo Emerson]


Besides working this weekend (boo) I'm looking forward to bikram yoga, St. Patrick's Day (corned beef), and our monthly book club meeting.  Happy Friday! 

PS - One more month of tax season and these long, long hours!

Cherry Blossoms

"Upon waking, many people consider the coming day with trepidation.  Because of the natural human tendency to focus on what we fear or dislike, it is easy to unwittingly send a message of unrest into the future that negatively impacts the quality of our day.  However, while our lives are busy and frequently replete with challenges, they are also rich with joy and experiences worth savoring.  We can attract this natural bliss by starting each day with a message of love.

When you send love ahead to your day, that feeling will manifest itself in your interpersonal interactions, your professional endeavors, and your domestic duties.  Tasks and circumstances once made trying by your own anxiety are transformed by your caring, and you will find yourself approaching life's subtle nuances with great affection."

"If you are commuting to work, transmit love to the roads upon which you will drive, your fellow commuters, and your parking space.  If you have colleagues who arrive at your workplace before you, send them good wishes... Sending love ahead to everyone you will meet and everything you will do can ensure that your day is suffused with grace.

If you have difficulty directing love to those situations and individuals you deem particularly frustrating, consider that the warmth and tenderness you project can change your life for the better.  Each morning in sending this love, you will exercise your power to control the ambience of your existence and color your day with a positive force."

The passage above is from one of my companion books, DailyOM.  A source of inspiration and comfort for me.  And I think we all need a small dose of positivity for this day in particular as we are awake an hour earlier than usual! :)

And I hope these photos of the always lovely cherry blossoms can remind us of the beauty that surrounds us.  I might be stuck in an office during the day but when I venture outdoors this time of year I can't help but love the beautiful blooms I see all around me.  These trees are at my parents' home and they're close to 20 years old.  See the knobby tree trunk?

Happy Monday!  

Uncommonly Beautiful

I LOVE this (found on Rosie Molinary's blog):

Happy Friday - any fun plans for the weekend?  I have to work on Saturday but then fun on Sunday with yoga, book club, and a birthday dinner with my girlfriends.  And then it all begins again! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Random Acts

My calendar has informed me that this week is "Random Acts of Kindness Week".  How cool!  I've often heard of people doing small things for others like paying for drinks at Starbucks or even paying someone in the store a compliment.  Do you have any other ideas?  I'd like to participate in my own way.  

There is even a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation!  How inspiring!


"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon will be too late."  [Ralph Waldo Emerson]


Happy Monday!

Whole Life

Anyone who knows me knows that I (and James, too!) love dogs!  And our little ones, Piper and Fox hold special places in our hearts.  I hope to add a couple more to the family - they bring so much joy!  Here are some snapshots of the pups.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."  [Roger Caras]

Happy Friday!

By the way, I have missed my blog!  Tax season is in full swing which means I'm almost living at the office these days and that leaves little time for much else... but I will be blogging still, it's just too much fun!

Remember

 

 

“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.”  [Benjamin Disraeli]

Photos from a camping trip during the summer.  It's nice to reminisce about summer adventures during this time of year!

Inspiration

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."


[Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.]

Pure Delight

"You're never too old to become younger."  [Mae West]


I found this photo somewhere online (cannot remember where, sorry!) and I love it so much!  Pure joy and excitement!  It's hanging on my wall at work and will be a part of my vision board for 2012.

Fresh

Welcome, 2012!  Did another year really just come to a close?  It seems like yesterday it was 2011 - and what a wonderful year it turned out to be.


I started 2012 with a detox yoga workshop and it felt great!  Rather than make resolutions we set our intentions for the coming year - I love this!  I'm also creating a vision board for 2012... more to come.

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."  [Galileo Galilei]

Speaking of discoveries, I found these vibrant "sunburst tangerines".  Have you seen these before?  I love their dramatic coloring... and they're tasty, too!

Let Go

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."  [Lao Tzu]



I caught this beautiful scene on our drive home from our anniversary weekend.  I absolutely LOVE fog!

Open Your Heart

I truly believe.  Open your heart (and ears).

Dog Days

Is it already Monday?  It seems the weekends are not long enough (were they ever?) and some times returning to the office can seem a little emotionally daunting!  My best defense is to arm myself with positive reinforcements to help with the weekend-to-work transition.  What better way than pictures of my sweet dogs?  They never fail to lift my spirit and they always make me laugh!


These shots are actually way back from Father's Day - I caught some pretty funny moments!

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."  [George Eliot]

Piper, Fox, Bella, and Gypsy are my joys!  
Today is a new beginning - a new week - make it worth it!

Happy Friday

"You are what your deep, driving desire is.  As your desire is so is your will.  As your will is, so is your deed.  As your deed is, so is your destiny." 


[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]

Last weekend I went to my first Bikram (hot) yoga class and it was a great physical and emotional challenge.  Tonight I am giving it another try and am determined to keep an open mind - my practice is my own.  Yoga is my saving grace!


With an open heart, I am looking forward to this weekend filled with yoga, the homecoming football game at our alma mater, sushi, Halloween preparations, peace, and restoration.


Happy Friday!

Journal This

"People who keep journals have life twice."   [Jessamyn West]

I almost ALWAYS keep a journal while traveling and they are amazingly awesome to read through years later.  It is not an embellishment when I say it is like reliving the entire experience, every detail!

These photos were taken at a cozy shop in Venice packed to the brim with coloful journals.  All the leather journals are handmade and simply sumptious!  I came home with two!

Happy Friday (and 4th of July weekend)!

We're Off!

"No journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within."  [Lillian Smith]


We are embarking on a mini roadtrip down to Southern California later this afternoon to visit my best friend!  It's been awhile since James and I had a roadtrip so I'm looking forward to spending the time with him.

Happy Friday!

Keep Moving, Moving, Moving!

"The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving."  [Oliver Wendell Holmes]

I just love these shots from Egypt - everyone in motion!

James and I are heading to the coast tomorrow for a friend's wedding and then spending Sunday with our dads, starting with breakfast in the Bay Area and ending the day with a barbeque back in town.  I hope everyone enjoys this weekend! 

Happy Friday!

Words of Wisdom

"I shall pass through this world but once.  Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness I can show, let me do it now;  let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."  [Anon]

These words really touched me and brought me peace.  Enjoy your Friday and the rest of the weekend!  A lot of happy memories are to be made in these coming days and I can't wait to share them all with you!

Happy Friday!


*Photos taken by me in Israel, November 2010.

Do Nothing

"You do too much.  Go and do nothing for awhile.  Nothing." 
[Lillian Hellman]


This week has been an emotional rollercoaster for many different reasons.  One of which I will share next week!  A lot of adjusting and looking inwards for strength and finding comfort in the bond with my husband. 

Here's to a peaceful weekend.

Happy Friday! 

[Photo taken by me at the local Zoo in April 2011.]

Foolish

"It is foolish to fear what you cannot avoid."  [Publius Syrus]

Photos taken by me [Hipstamatic app] around the court house during my lunch break when I had jury duty.  Beautiful blue skies!