Because We All Matter

I am sitting here seething suddenly, trying to keep the lid from exploding off of the top of the pot that has been simmering steadily inside of my mind for the past week or so.  There is a family that I have come to care deeply about who is facing something that no family should ever have to face and I have been trying to collect the words, the right words, to write about their situation.  This is a married couple who has been together for twenty-two years.  This couple met in 1990 and immediately knew that they were meant to be together.  As a bi-national couple(one from the US and one from France), they made things work by juggling what they could to keep themselves together.  They adopted four beautiful children, now ages 6 (twin boys whose eyes twinkle), 8 (a sparkly little angel girl)  and 11(a handsome, growing young man).  In so many ways, I have grown to admire this wonderful family.  They represent so much about what is right with this country.  They are cohesive, innovative, filled with love and mischief and joy.  They are a family so much like my own.(Although in their forties, they are crazy enough to still talk about adopting another child which might possibly put me over the edge!)  Yet herein lies the difference, instead of their names being Mark and Deb, their names are Mark and Fred, and although their marriage is legally recognized by the state that they were married in, it is NOT recognized as a legal marriage by the federal government, nor is it protected by something called The Defense of Marriage Act(DOMA, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996) which would allow Fred to stay in this country only if this were a heterosexual married couple.  So, as with too many laws in this country, one law has been negated by the other creating an uphill battle where there should be none.  Mark and Fred and their children are now waiting to find out what the result of their request to stay together as a family in this country will be.  We are talking about five American citizens and their husband/father.  This is insane.  The possibility that they could be torn apart as a family is insane.  But, as I ask myself whenever I am faced with a decision to act or to not act on something that might be extremely difficult to battle, here is the question that Mark and Fred must answer right now; Is this the hill you would be willing to die on?  And as they forge ahead into the battle to keep their family together, there is only one resounding answer...Keep fighting the good fight, my strong and brave friends.

*Borrowed from Mark's Blog, Our Simple Lives:)  Aren't they Gorgeous???

You can read more about this family's battle here on Mark's blog http://www.oursimplelives.com/ and on CNN.  And for some touching perspectives, read here, http://psychdocnyc.com/, and here, http://37paddington.blogspot.com/2012/01/stop-deportations.html and on the January 12th post here, http://www.ragdollinnewyork.com/.  If you feel at all compelled by this story and the many others that are just like Mark and Fred's story, feel free to express your outrage to these individuals:

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

393 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

P: 202-224-6324

Toll Free: 866-802-2833

Fax:  202-228-0604

Secretary Janet Napolitano

Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, D.C. 20528

202-282-8000

This family deserves the same rights as any other family who celebrate anniversaries, are raising children(or cats or dogs or birds or llamas, etc.), who drive in carpools, pay taxes, do mounds and mounds of laundry, clean up after sick babies and honor one another through marriage in sickness and in health!

I have now contained my anger, but the lid will not be placed back on this pot.  Oh no, it won't...

What is Real

I walked into the beautiful lobby of The Montage Hotel (One of my favorite places on earth!) with a feeling of great anticipation.  I could sense that the person who was waiting for me was standing very near.  As I turned my head toward her our eyes linked in instant recognition and our entire bodies lit up in bright smiles.  We headed for one another, arms wide open, and landed in an embrace which felt both entirely comfortable and very familiar.  Nothing unusual about two good friends meeting up for lunch, but this was different.  Kathy and I had never met in the physical before.  Since about 2007, we have been encouraging, supporting and caring deeply about one another over the Internet.  Kathy lives in Chicago and I live in California.  Blogs and emails have been our main lines of communication. In other words, as Kathy so aptly put it a few months ago, we are pen-pals.  Albeit, the modern, electronic version of pen-pals, but pen-pals, nonetheless.  And although this form of communication has gone on for ages (I still remember my pen-pal from Butte, Montana who was given to me as a child by my school), people are always surprised to find out that friendships, real friendships can grow out of meeting someone online.  And yet, why not?  We meet people in all kinds of unusual situations, so why not electronically.  I believe that we are drawn to those we are drawn to for a reason.  I also believe that our souls can recognize those who are meant to be a part of our lives long before we consciously see it with our own eyes.  There is a knowing.  There is a glimmer.  There is the feeling of "Where have you been?"  Trusting in my beliefs, I have developed many online friendships that are no less real than any of my "real life" friendships.  And although I understand and watch for the inherent dangers of making an online connection, I also trust that I will recognize a problem far before the meeting stage.  I have spent enough time lecturing my own daughters about this to know.  I am also cynical and savvy enough to not be fully aware of all of the dangers in the world.  That being said(mostly for my daughters and my fathers sake), I knew that Kathy was someone whom I was meant to meet.  When the opportunity arose, I was very happy.

And so, there we were.  Two women who had never met before, chatting and laughing and being quiet with one another as we asked each other question after question and listened intently to one another's answers.  We did not even look at our menus until about two hours after we sat down knowing that it wasn't about the food, but the friendship.  At one point, I noticed a man who was sitting at another table with a woman who had her head down and dark sunglasses on her face.  He kept looking over at me and  because he looked so familiar, I had to peruse my mental rolodex.  It took a few minutes for me to realize that the couple was one who used to be on The Housewives of Orange County and that the reason the gentleman kept looking over at me was because he wanted to be recognized.  Of course, the irony was a little lost on Kathleen because she doesn't watch any of those shows(good for her!), but being that many of these people are my neighbors, and my kids know their kids, I sometimes do.  And even though my Angel Daughter Number Two worked with this Housewife's daughter for a while, I would not feel at all comfortable walking up to her and introducing myself.  She seems far too removed from reality. I found it interesting how some "characters" who expose their lives on a reality show seem less real to me than someone whom I have, up until that point, only met online.  Life is funny.

Kathy and I talked for hours.  We made a friend.  A seagull kept landing on the roof next to our table and although I know I am "not supposed to", I kept pitching french fries his way.  As someone who has rescued more than one seagull suffering from malnutrition in the winter/spring months, I have no problems sharing my food with them.  Kathy not only put up with my feeding of the seagull but also shared with me some stories about the results of her generosity with little critters.  We laughed, loudly.  The staff kept coming outside to our table to see if we needed anything else.  Kathy asked them if we were being too loud.  They said of course not!  We shared a dessert and chatted some more.  I recognized Kathy's daughter and her sweet friend walking up the path down below us and she came up to say hello.  What a sweetheart!  I adored her right away.  I really enjoyed meeting her!   I asked her if she would take some photos for us and she agreed wholeheartedly.  Unfortunately, the skies were a bit overcast that day but she took some wonderful pictures for us.  It was especially cute when she told us to do some silly poses which made us all laugh.  Suddenly, Kathy and I were acting like two teenage girls who were enjoying the day with each other.

This is actually my favorite picture of us.  When Kathy's beautiful daughter told us to do something silly, we both put our fingers up in the same pose!  Since it was getting late and neither one of us wanted to say good-bye, we decided to check out the little stationary/perfume shop which is outside of the hotel.  It was fun because Kathy had not yet discovered it and so we got to enjoy it together.  We each purchased some wonderful journaling materiel as well as a little book called, This is Water, by David Foster Wallace.  As we said good-bye, we embraced tightly and I knew that we would see each other again in the future.  Who knows, maybe next time in Chicago?

When I got home that evening, Mark smiled as I chattered on about my day and how much I enjoyed spending it with Kathy.  You see, as I have become more and more affected by my chronic illness,  I stay home a lot(out of necessity, but still), friends of many years have slowly dropped away not knowing how to be in a relationship with the new me(who is still me, by the way), and I have not been able to create any new friendships because of my lack of energy and my need to put as much of it as I can into my four daughters and my beloved husband.  But I think that in my renewed enthusiasm, Mark recognized more than a glimmer of "the old me" and it made him very happy to see me so happy.  It made me happy too, to know that she is still in here.  And although I am realistic to know that I cannot go out for days at a time, visiting with friends, chatting for hours, etc., I do know that I still get great enjoyment out of making that kind of a connection.

That night, Kathy texted me to ask if I had read the little book that we both bought.  Her reaction to it was , "Wow".  I told her that I would read it in the morning, but then, I could not resist.  I sat down and read it that night.  It was about living consciously and in the moment.  It was about learning and changing and accepting, even amongst the struggles.  It was about living a compassionate life.  I went to sleep so grateful to Kathy and to my husband and to the angels, God, and a friend who "introduced" us to one another.  And I said a prayer of thanks to whoever invented the Internet(um, Al Gore, of course) because without the Internet, Kathy and I would most likely have never met.  And I would never have met all of the wonderful individuals who so graciously read my words and leave me such beautiful, kind comments which lead me to their wonderful blogs from which I gather so much.  So very much.  Do not ever doubt that we are all friends, real friends.  Our blogs are like the backyard fences of yesterday or the pen-pal notes before the Internet.  They allow us to create amazing connections where there might never have been one possible.  I love that.

Thank you, Kathy, my sweet pen-pal, for our wonderful day.  And I meant it when I said you are beautiful.

Gratitude For You

As the waves crash up against my life, I feel like I sent out some distress signals which were answered by so many compassionate and concerned friends.  And in the answers came strength, comfort and understanding.  There is a collective woman-soul(This includes certain men who are very comfortable with women.  You know who you are:)) which crosses over boundaries, differences and even the Internet.  There is a language spoken that whispers to us and helps us to fly past the obstacles and into a clearing of better understanding.  In so many ways, the individuals who I have met as a result of this blog, have ushered me into a space of clearer understanding.  We may all be on different paths during this lifetime, but so much of each other's story feels familiar.  We listen to one another.  We care for one another and we reach out when someone is wounded.

And as the waves crash in, I am so blessed to be pulled away from the undertow by kind souls like you.  Your words, like floating buoys of respite, cradle my tired spirit until I am able to swim my way back to gentler seas.  Thank you for allowing me to admit that even though there are some things that will never be, I can search for and find comfort in places I never even expected.

Wings

Something about the light.  The shades and shapes.  The subtle melding of hues.  The way in which each   bird took its form against the background, reminded me as to how we each use our words to create a picture.  One word building upon another.  An idea clearing into focus.  A story which now exists where there once was none.

Watching the small flock of birds feeding outside of my window, I allowed my mind to wander into both dark and light.  Color and shade.  Stillness and movement.  And I began to consider the movement.  The rest. The fluttering of wings.  The fluttering of wings.

And I began to consider how just as the fluttering of wings can compel another bird into movement, the words of another can invoke more words and more words and more words.  With my story building upon yours and your story building upon mine until the ideas become fluid.  Rippling words concentrically building outwards until there are new meanings to be found.  Unique ideas.  Fresh stories being created in the quiver of an original word.

Each one of us has a hopping-off point.  A point at which something, or more importantly, someone, inspires us.  Moves us.  Motivates us.

We then land in the space where we are more able to nurture our own ideas.  We take sustenance from the words of others, and then when things are done correctly, we use those words to ignite our own notions.

It is a process that allows us to stretch our own wings.  Our own thoughts take shape and we are inspired to fly!  The words come and we compose our own unique flight-patterns.  All built upon the feeling that we get when we read something that inspires the soul out of its momentary rest.

And sometimes, the results are just breathtaking.  Our wings spread further and farther than even we ever imagined that they could.

Our hearts open wide.

And the beating of our wings, of our heart, take on another rhythm which also includes the rhythm of the words that came before.  From someplace else.  From someone else.  And an even richer story is launched into flight.

So I continue to read.  I read books, many, many books.  I read your blogs, filled with your words of life and hope.  Yesterdays and somedays.  Tomorrows and right nows.  I study my surroundings.  I take in all that I can.  I listen.  Talk radio happens to be one of my favorite mediums.  I fall asleep listening to words and ideas, and I continue listening even as I slumber.  The voices become part of my dreams.  I study color and shape and movement.  Not only the obvious, but the subtleties behind what is initially notable.  And my own wings begin to flutter with all of the possibilities.

This last picture caused me to think about how we share so much of who we are when we write things down.  And whether we share our words through publications, books or blogs, we never know exactly when something that we have said, will resonate with someone else, and so on, and so on, and so on.  Words, your words, can be just the flutter that might inspire someone else's flight.  Never underestimate the power in that.

Flutter on.

And Yet Another Reason Why I Adore Blogging

Today, my spirit is singing a song of gratitude. In a world where so much can seem wrong, I am choosing to dwell on what is right. In a world where pain can so easily become the focus, I am choosing to feel a peaceful acceptance. And in a world where there are individuals who can treat others with such selfish, horrific disrespect, I am choosing to surround myself with those whose souls are healing and gentle. This is not to say that there are not days when I am overcome with sadness. There are. This is not to say that I am not a realist who knows how life can batter and bruise the human psyche. I do. But I also understand that no matter how hard things become, they can always get worse. Or better. And today, in this moment, I am choosing to believe in better.

This past weekend, Mark took me away to celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. These photos were taken in Santa Cruz and Carmel, CA. Two of the most beautiful places on earth. I will share more photos from the trip, soon, but for now I just wish to say thank you.
Thank you to all of my wonderful blogging friends. Welcome to my new ones! There is so much generosity of spirit in the blogging world. I am so grateful to have discovered a sense of community in a place that can seem so impersonal.
Thank you to my wonderful husband for taking me up into the clouds and then grounding me safely back on the earth, once again. EGBOK, my love.

Thank you to my beautiful Angel Daughters for keeping the nest well-feathered while we were gone. I am so very proud of each one of you. If I accomplish nothing else in this lifetime, being your Mother and being Daddy's wife will have deemed me a very successful woman.
When we arrived home from our trip, I spent a little time catching up on all of the daily stuff that builds up when you go away. Much to my delight, there was a package waiting for me when I went through the mail from Kathleen Botsford. Kathy is a very special blogger who also creates the most beautiful jewelry. I am humbled to say that she made this necklace just for me. She used African Turquoise and Swarovski crystals. It is beautiful, isn't it? Kathy's wonderful blog is about life, family and her own personal journey which she expresses through the most heartfelt words and spiritual artworks. Kathleen is a very honest, loving, and empathetic angel who always seems to know just what to say. If you haven't already had the pleasure of perusing her website, stop over there and say hello.
Kathy is truly somebody worth knowing. Thank you, sweet friend, for the gorgeous necklace and the beautiful postcards. I will cherish them, always, as I do you.

I also want to say thank you to two other fabulous bloggers. The first one is to a wonderful doctor who writes a blog which I have listed under my favorites. The site is How to Cope With Pain. It is extremely well-written and informative. This doctor, who chooses not to focus on her own identity because she is still in practice, is a compassionate, understanding and knowledgeable individual. I am very honored to say that one of my posts about spirituality and illness was featured on one of How to Cope With Pain's most recent blog-carnivals. If you ever need any information on dealing with pain(and who doesn't!), head over there and check out this blog. It is one of the best ones out there when it comes to learning more about pain.

I also would like to extend my gratitude to Laura from Shine the Divine. Laura has been on my blog roll for quite some time because I have always been able to find inspiration in her words and artwork. Recently, I discovered that Laura has been living with Multiple Sclerosis. She is in the midst of a terrible flare and will soon be starting a treatment regimen which will hopefully offer her renewed energy and spirit.(God willing.) Laura published one of her daughter's bittersweet poems, as well as some lovely photographs taken by her other daughter. She mentioned that she was inspired to share her beautiful daughters because of what she read here on my site. If you are in need of some inspiration, pop over to Laura's site. She has such an encouraging view on life. Thank you, Laura, for sharing your own Angel Daughters, as well as their blossoming creativity!

And to all of my other friends and faithful readers. You matter to me. I began writing as a way to work through my own thoughts, but one of the reasons that I continue writing is because of your support and encouragement.

Thank you.

Blogging, Blessings and Blue

I have been asked by people who know that I blog, but who do not blog themselves, what I "get" from keeping an online, interactive journal. There seems to be a sort of mystique which surrounds the blogging world. One that is not easily understood by those who have little contact with these open little alcoves in cyberspace. To those individuals who do not understand, it seems odd that there are so many of us who are willing to share the events of our lives with seemingly total strangers. And I am sure that for a time, I was more like them. I did not understand. Even when I started my own blog a bit over two years ago, I wasn't sure exactly why I was doing it. I only knew that I wanted to write and express myself through pictures. I only knew that words were very important to me. I only knew that I wanted to start somewhere.

I began writing and the words just began to pour out. I wrote about the things that mattered to me. I wrote about my four Angel Daughters, my husband and our lives together. I wrote about sea glass and my walks on the beach. I wrote about the things that brought me joy, the things that caused me pain and the things that made me think. I wrote, because it gave me an outlet from which to sort out my life. And a very interesting thing happened. People began reading. As they began reading, they began leaving me comments. I was both surprised and delighted. The words which people took the time to leave here, left me feeling energized and understood. I followed those readers back to their own blogs.(The readers who have blogs, anyway.) Something very unexpected began to occur. Over time, friendships were forged. People whom I would most certainly never have the opportunity to meet became people who I began to care about, deeply. There was a benefit to blogging that I had never even considered. It made the world a smaller, more accessible place.

A couple of months ago, I had the unique pleasure of actually meeting one of my favorite blogging friends. Her blog name is Blue and if you are lucky enough to know her, you will most certainly recognize her lovely little heart signature whenever she comments. Even without it, she would stand out as her comments are always very kind and thoughtful. One day, I got an email from Blue saying that she would be doing a quick passthrough CA with her son and that she wanted to meet me. I immediately emailed her back and told her that I would LOVE to meet her so that I could finally give her that hug in person. We made some plans to meet up the next day at the beach. Because of my illness, I am a very, very, very late riser, so by the time I woke up, my husband, Mark, and Blue had talked several times. Blue wanted to take her son to the beach, so we decided that we would meet down there. Walking down the beach, I spotted Blue, right away. It was like getting together with someone who I had met hundreds of times before. I noticed Blue in the distance wearing a lovely pink skirt, a white tee-shirt, and a floppy white hat on her head. She was barefoot, dancing in and out of the waves taking pictures of her adorable son. As I walked on the beach towards them, I noticed a piece of sky-blue sea glass on the sand. I tucked it in my pocket as I picked up the pace. Blue noticed me when I was about twenty feet away. We made our way towards one another. The hug we shared was heartfelt and genuine. For the next couple of hours, we sat and chatted as we watched her son playing in the waves. I gave her the piece of light blue sea glass that I found because it matched her eyes. Sitting and talking with Blue felt like reconnecting with an old friend. Blue's son was just precious. He was a natural in the water and talking to him made me laugh in a way that only a child can make you laugh. That pile of seaweed in the picture behind us is a pile that Blue's son collected from the ocean floor. With strength and determination, he schlepped huge amounts of seaweed out of the water and onto the sand. The tenacity of children...

When it was time to say good-bye, I asked Blue's son to take a picture for us. He took about fifteen which made us all laugh.

So how do a nice, little Jewish girl from California(New York, originally) and a sweet, loving Mormon girl from Utah(California, originally) find one another? Blogging. Surreal, somewhat futuristic, but not so far-fetched when you actually "get" it.
Once upon a time, I received the most glorious gift from Blue. After reading about my connection with sea glass, she put together a collection which she collected on the beach in Hawaii. When I unexpectedly received it in the mail one day, I was overwhelmed by Blue's kindness. For those individuals who do not understand what might possibly be gained from blogging, the answers are many. But for now, I will just start with one simple word which anyone can understand...A benefit that I, myself, never really expected, but will forever be changed by. Friendship.

The Gifts of Angels

I was reading a post by the incredibly gifted Irene today and it reminded me about something that I have wanted to share for the past couple of weeks.  Irene(a gifted poet and writer) received a little gift from one of her blogging friends and was extremely touched by the kindness.  She wrote about the loving thoughtfulness of bloggers and how it has impacted her life.  I must concur.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a little package in the mail.  The return address was from one of my favorite all-time blogging friends, Blue.  Many of you may know and recognize her.  She suspended writing on her blog for the past several months, but she has consistently stayed in touch which I am very, very happy about.  She is one of those individuals who always seems to have the kindest of words to share.  Her comments always concluded with a little heart symbol that always made me smile.  Blue is someone who is worth knowing.  She is kind-hearted, inspirational, beautiful and a wonderful writer and photographer.  *If she ever decides to start writing on her blog again, I will let you know.  

When I opened the package that Blue sent me, I found the little gold box pictured above.  Slowly, I untied the ribbon which was so lovingly placed, took off the lid.  My breath caught at the sight of the precious heart stone which was gently packed inside.  If you look at it closely, you will see that there is still bits of sand within the crevices of the heart.  I was so moved by the thought that Blue found this beautiful rock for me.
And then I removed the top layer of cotton to discover what was packed beneath.  Seaglass and seashells.  Recently, Blue went to Hawaii to visit with her sister and while walking on the beach, not only did she care enough to remember that I adore seaglass, but she spent the time to collect some for me.  I cannot tell you how this makes me feel.  It is indescribable.  
On the bottom of the box was a little hand-written note which I didn't discover until later on.  Another gift, discovered and cherished.  I was so moved by Blue's kindness.
I have carried the little gold box with me, back and forth to the beach.  Meticulously going through each small piece of beach ephemera, holding them in my hands and carefully placing them back into the box until the next time.  A special gift from a friend who I have never met personally, yet one of the most thoughtful presents that I have ever received in my life.  How does that happen?  We connect with someone who we have never met face to face, yet the connection is very heartfelt and true.

You all do that to me with your words, your comments, and your emails.  Each one is like a little box that I get to unwrap whenever I want or need to.  Thank you, Blue.  Thank you to my very special readers. 
Now I must introduce you to the latest little angel in our family.  This is two month old Micah.  We adopted him on Tuesday from a wonderful rescue organization.  It has taken us several months to find the right angel for our family because we take animal adoption very seriously.  There are way too many unwanted and unloved pets out there who are waiting for their forever homes.  The numbers are staggering.  They are in the millions.
This is our little starfish on the beach.  If you haven't heard that story, I promise to share it with you in a few days.  His story began very heartbreakingly, but because of some incredibly caring individuals with enormous hearts, it will not end that way.
As I ready myself for sleep, Micah is resting happily between Mark and I on our bed.  Becca, our sweet ten year old pup is sleeping sweetly on her bed to my other side.  My two youngest Angel Daughters are tucked safely in their beds.  My strongest prayers are with each one of my oldest Angel Daughters, as they navigate the world on adult-child terms.  Life is such a gift.  

I will be posting the information about the Energy Muse bracelet gratitude giveaway on Sunday.  I chose and ordered the special bracelet today and it is beautiful.  I know that it will end up on the wrist of the person who needs it the most, right now.  Life is like that.

Must snuggle with Micah and sleep now...

*Okay, so I just went to link my blog with Blue's blog and SHE'S BACK!!!!  Can I just say how happy I am.  Please pay her a visit.  You will meet one of the nicest bloggers on the web.  Blue, you snuck back in on me, silly rabbit!  I am so happy that you have returned!

Wandering into the Lives of a Few Blogging Friends

Sometimes when I am wandering around with my camera in hand, I spot things that remind me of some of my blogging friends.  In the time that I have been blogging, I have come to consider so many of you as my friends.  I pop in to check on you, as you do me.  We read about each other's days.  We laugh at each other's jokes.(thank you, Ms. TJ)  Our hearts ache with one another's pain.  As I was going through some of the photos that I recently shot, I found some that were taken with a particular blogging friend in mind.  I am going to share some of those with you here.  This is something that I hope to do more of in the future, as you all mean so very much to me.

This first image was taken a few days ago from the front yard of my beach house.  It is a picture of Catalina Island at dusk.  I cannot always see it as there is usually a lot of marine layer(fog) which hides the island from view.  Catalina Island is off the coast of Southern California.  It is a tourist destination, but much of the island is uninhabited.  The small town of Avalon is filled with small shops, restaurants and other sight-seeing opportunities.  The only way to get to Catalina is by boat or helicopter which makes it fairly remote.  This photo was taken with JoJo

in mind.  She once wrote about her "bucket list" and how she would like to take her husband to Catalina Island.  I snapped this picture with JoJo in mind, but I am posting it for anyone who has ever wished that they could run off to a remote island.(even for just a few hours!)
As I was wandering around the quaint streets of San Juan Capistrano, I spotted this beautiful Madonna statue.  Although I am Jewish, I admire the iconic beauty of various religious figures and what they stand for.  One of my dear blogging friends, Kathleen, often refers to her connection with the Madonna.  When I spotted this one, I just had to take a picture of it.  I felt a sense of calmness just looking at it.  

This photo was also taken in San Juan Capistrano.  There are so many lovely, old homes lining the streets of the Los Rios district.  When I stopped to admire the color, shadows of light and the angles on this home, I was reminded of the wonderful paintings that Catherine Holman creates.  Cathie's creations and her stories illicit a sense of calmness in this often crazy world that we live in.  Looking at this little house made me stop and think about Catherine.  She paints such lovely places to hideaway inside of.
Another one of my favorite bloggers recently wrote about shells and butterfly wings.  I recently spotted this beautiful Monarch butterfly, perching on a plant.  It was kind enough to pose for a quick photo.  It made me stop and think about Roxanne at River Garden Studio, and how she constantly inspires me to be more creative.
And finally, there is this gorgeous little lady.  Mark and I saw her flitting her way down the street in Laguna Beach.  She went from one shop to another, collecting her daily snacks from the shop keepers.  Please check out her toenails.
I swear her owner was wearing the same color nail polish on his toes.  I suppose that's what love is all about.
Ness, Hallie and all of my other Doxie loving blogging friends, this little baby is for you.  There aren't many people that I think about when I see a Doxie in a pink-leopard tutu with matching pearls.  That is a category all unto itself.

These are just a few of my wonderful blogging buddies.  There are so many more.  I have linked the sites of these special people up to their names.  If you get a free moment, stop by and say hello.  It's interesting because I find that all good bloggers are connected to one another, somehow, so you may already know these lovely individuals.  I feel very lucky to have connected with each and every one of you.  If I wasn't able to include a picture that made me think about you, I will in the future.  Friendship is like that.  The simplest things can cause us to stop and think about someone we care about when we least expect it.  It's always a welcome surprise!

May this day spark thoughts of the people you care about.  May you find a way to tell them how much you care.