Great love, wishes and miracles

What a beautiful quote by Willa Cather!

Another version of this quote replaces wishes with miracles.

I'm not sure which one is the correct quote.

As I came across the quote, I pondered the meaning although I have run across it many times through the years and never gave it a thought.

My first interpretation was "with love comes faith."

My second interpretation was "is love enough?"

"Enough for what?"

Perhaps Willa was conveying the message that even the greatest love does not bring happiness, but we can always hope for a miracle?  Or was she conveying another message about being patient with love?

Could it be that she had a great love for someone who did not return the same degree of love, but she could wish for her desires?

There is a popular quote that has been used in song lyrics through the years . . . 

"love can move mountains."

Could we interpret the meaning of the Willa's quote to mean the same thing?

Sometimes I analyze and think too much!

The quote just got me to thinking about what her thoughts and feelings were when she wrote it . . . and what was going on in her life at the time.  Love and how it affects us fascinates me!

What is your interpretation

 of the quote?

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Meaning in life

Meaning doesn’t lie in things; meaning lies in us. 

When we attach a value to things that aren’t love and cannot love— the money, the car, the house—we’re loving things that can’t love us back.

We’re searching for meaning in the meaningless, and this will always cause pain.

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Time stood still

Feeling grateful towards someone or something in your

life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate

and value into your life. 

Christiane Northrup

We often experience life's bumps in the road and last week was one of those times for me.  

It is so difficult when someone you love has a health issue emerge that could have serious implications.  While I'm already grateful for all that I have been blessed with, I'm feeling extra grateful.  Good news was received as far as Diamond Lil's tests are concerned.  

Extreme relief would be an understatement.

As she underwent a surgical procedure last week, it felt like time stood still.  What was expected to be a short recovery time turned into hours with no idea of what was going on.  There was only one other time in my life that I experienced the sensation of everything going in slow motion. 

Her smiling face was a welcome sight when we received the call to go back to the recovery area.  I was never so grateful for her sparkling smile that released the helpless feeling that had consumed me.  Mommy smiles can be magical . . .

The remnant of grief from losing many friends and family members is the fear of more death.  Of course it is silly to think that life and death won't continue to happen, but confronting it is way out of the comfort zone and teeters on the edge of the panic zone.

I'm grateful for passing that bump in the road!


Have you ever felt that sensation of everything going in slow motion and time standing still?

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Buried dreams or fulfilled visions?

It is important to have a vision

of what we want in life.

More important is to take action

toward getting what we want.

Do you have a dream or a vision for your life?

Do you want fulfilled visions or buried dreams?

As with any journey, you need a map to your destination and a way to get there.  Otherwise you will probably get lost or find yourself stranded along the way, burying  your dream as a result.

It is never too late to dig up those buried dreams . . . take action toward making it happen.  No matter what it is, come up with an action plan and move on it.  It takes one step at a time . . . no matter how small the steps are.

Fuel the way to get to your goal like you put gas in your vehicle to get somewhere.  Just do it . . . put your well thought-out plan into action and make your buried dream a fulfilled vision.

We only have one journey of life . . . live it the way you dream it.

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The Transition Zone

“When we feel stuck, going nowhere . . . even
starting to slip backward . . . we may actually
be backing up to get a running start.”

Dan Millman

Changing from holding on to those old habits or circumstances in life can sometimes be difficult since they are comfortable. The transition zone is not in the comfort zone . . . it is the unknown.

Seems like life circumstances can put you in the comfort zone and out of the transition zone. Having to deal with a life and death situations throw me into the comfort zone, making it difficult to eat, sleep or just function normally . . . as if I have been momentarily paralyzed into the comfort zone.

I’m still dealing with the death of my spouse and several close friends and family within the span of a few years and really, I was thinking about how well I was dealing with grief, but now I don’t know what I am feeling . . . it is like everything has come back to haunt me.  It comes and goes . . . even though I have moved on with a new love and my life is happy.

The past couple of weeks have found me dealing with several health issues that have gotten me down with so much to do and not much energy to do it.  

Although I am feeling stuck, going nowhere . . . more like suspended in time . . . and yes, I feel as though I have slipped backward, but I am having faith that I am just backing up to get a running start.

Do you have times of teetering on the edge
of the transition zone and the comfort zone?

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Leaving Baggage Behind

A serious sensibility may come over you today, prompting periods of self-reflection. You may be overcome by an intense curiosity that compels you to delve into your past in order to determine how your personal history has influenced your life in the present.

As you contemplate what you consider to be the important episodes in your life, you may discover that emotions you imagined were no longer exerting influence over your life are still a part of your experience. In order to cleanse your karma and reestablish your soulful equilibrium, you may need to analyze the emotional baggage you are carrying and then discard it. You can achieve true closure today by recognizing those parts of your previous life experiences that add no value to your life in the present. 

As you clear the emotional baggage that has accumulated in your soul over time, you will gain an unimpeded and consequently optimistic view of your future. Each of us is gradually saddled with more and more of this type of baggage as we move through life and eventually it begins to weigh heavily on our spirits. Clearing emotional baggage frees you from the limitations and patterns of thought imposed upon you by circumstances from your past. As you discard this karmic waste, you will attain a state of mental clarity that allows you to see life’s wonders for the miracles they truly are and divest yourself of habits and behaviors that add no value to your experience. Your soul will be rejuvenated today as you release your emotional baggage.

 Source: Daily Om

Letting go of emotional baggage has been one of the most difficult areas in the healing process of my life. Grief, the associated guilt and the pain of past hurts that sweep over me when I least expect it sometimes knock me down. 

Through the years, my coping mechanisms have made it easier to pick myself back up, even though the waves of emotion sometimes make it difficult.

It is easy for someone not going through the emotion to simply say, "pack it up and put it away" . . . easier said than done although not totally impossible. The healing process of emotional baggage is a "one day at a time" kind of thing.

The key is to remember you are in control of the present, despite the past.

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How did I live without you?

"Don't wait until the last moment to let God know you want to use your ticket to Heaven ... you never know when the train is leaving the station."

"How did I ever live without you?" is a question/statement often included in my daily prayers.  As a born-again Christian who found God later in life, I can't imagine life without my faith in God.  The courage, strength and hope that I find daily amazes me sometimes.

Surely I'm like most other people of faith . . . when times are good we tend to forget to pray and give thanks, yet in times of trouble, the question "where were you?" ultimately comes up.  As hard as I try not to, I do go there from time to time . . . I am human and situations in life happen when they are least expected.

As I go through the motions of life with so many things to do packed in a day, I have made an effort to consciously thank God for all those little things that bring me joy and happiness and it has become one of the most important parts of my day.   It is part of what I call the Simple Abundance lifestyle.  I used to write a grateful post to my blog every day . . . I've gotten away from that although I am still conscious of all those little things.  

Since many loved ones have passed on, I have really become aware of how fragile life is, how much every second of every day counts, how important it is to let those you love know how much you love and appreciate them in your life.  I write about this often . . . it is that important. 

Living with regrets can haunt you after it is too late.

Today I am grateful for waking up to a sweet, sleepy hug from The Captain, a love I thought I would never find . . . after being startled and annoyed by Willie the Wonder Cat in my face wanting attention.  

I am grateful for the little annoyance from the sweet little furry creature who just recently appeared in our lives, bringing us so much joy.  It occurred to me that a little over a year ago, I woke up to nothingness of being totally alone . . . now I have a sweet little family who loves and appreciates me.

The simplicity of hope and faith found when I became a Christian carried me through those awful years after JR died . . . where would I have been today without God in my life?  

Yes, I am definitely grateful and my Simple Abundance lifestyle helps me realize it.

What is a simple joy you are grateful for today?

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The Drama Queen Syndrome

Are you a drama queen?

Or perhaps a drama king?

Maybe I'm overgeneralizing . . . as a seasoned drama queen will do . . . but I firmly believe that women don't corner the market on this syndrome.  

Guys . . . you know it . . . you can be just as dramatic as the most seasoned drama queen.

Are you guilty of taking a negative event to the outrageous proportion of a pattern of defeat that you just know will never end?  

Are you convinced that going on and on about it makes it all better?

It reminds me of an old saying that I have heard most of my life . . .

"make a mountain out of a mole hill"

I must admit to the title of Drama Queen . . . and yes, I'm well seasoned!  What can I say?  It is in my genes and ethnicity . . . I'm an italian with a bit of cuban thrown in . . . I was born with it . . . complete with the waving hands!

(The Captain is convinced that I would be unable to talk if my hands were tied . . . sometimes I know he is tempted!  Speaking of him . . . yes, he is a Drama King!)

At times it can be amusing, even comical, but taking it too far releases way too much negativity.  Life is too short for that!  Irritations at life situations should be taken seriously, but we can also laugh at the absurdity of it all rather than sap our energy on negativity.

 Neither may or may not change anything, but can ultimately make the way we handle it more pleasant. The alternative is similar to an irritating pack of little yappy barking dogs.

In my quest to make incremental improvements in my life, I am making a conscious effort to recognize the drama queen traits when the syndrome starts to rear it's ugly head and try to nip it in the bud while in the amusing stage.  

To mask the beginnings of something ugly about to happen, I am learning how to turn it into a comedy routine, quickly getting over the silly thing I was starting to get dramatic about.  It takes making a conscious effort to recognize it starting to happen.

My journey to peace, love and happiness has made me keenly aware of the "Drama Queen Syndrome" dangers . . . and my new-found awareness has made some potentially explosive situations comical, leading to smiles instead of frowns.

I wonder if there will be an "I told you so" type of
statement in the conversation when he wakes up!

So . . . come on, admit it . . . are you a drama queen . . . or king?

Is your partner a drama queen or king?

Both of you?

How do you handle it?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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What is love?

Love is patient, Love is kind,

It does not envy, it does not boast,

It is not proud, It is not rude,

It is not self-seeking,

It is not easily angered,

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

Love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

L o v e N e v e r E n d s

L o v e N e v e r F a i l s

Corinthians 13 : 4 - 8

It is my favorite interpretation of perfect love and my favorite passage from the Bible . . . in my opinion, the most beautiful words ever written.

Love is a many splendored thing with a range of meanings as deep as the ocean . . . all beautiful since love is the most important emotion there is.

There is romantic love which transforms an otherwise normal woman into feeling like the queen of the world. Romantic love manifests itself into passionate ”forever love” . . . being a part of another person, facing life together as partners, experiencing good times and bad supporting each other . . . the end of loneliness, the end of fear of being alone, security, the sense of belonging and the awesome feeling of the caring and nurturing of another person. Finding true, forever love with another human being is the most beautiful thing that can happen in anyone’s life. That just touches on the romantic side of love.

Then there is the nurturing part of love as in the love of a child or the love . . . the love of a favorite thing, as in the love of music.

All types of love change with intensity and the passage of time takes love through differing stages. The exploration of love is my favorite journey through peace, love and happiness . . .

This post was written before I found love again.

It is my first post of the year since love is one of the themes
of my blog . . . and this is one of my favorite posts of all time.

I dedicate this post to The Captain, who has enhanced my

life beyond my prayers and wildest dreams.

I love you sweetie . . . Happy New Year

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The Journey

The journey that you are making now is most wonderful. 

It is called human life. 

This life, as you have manifested a body, a career, a dwelling place, a mate, co-workers, experiences of workshops and places of gathering, this experience of life is most wonderful, because you have created it. 

You are creating it moment by moment. 

Enjoy the journey. 

This lifetime you will never live again, so make the most of it. Enjoy the journey of this lifetime. Allow yourself to come completely truly alive in this lifetime, to be able to speak to other ones from the heart, not fearing that you are going to fail or have some other tragedy befall you. 

(Author unknown)

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Passion flowing through your veins

A kiss can be a comma,
 a question mark or
 an exclamation point

Mistinguett

It is all about passion.

Passion has many meanings . . .

powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate

strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor

an instance or experience of strong love or sexual desire

a person toward whom one feels strong love or sexual desire

a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything: a passion for

 music the object of such a fondness or desire: Accuracy became a passion with him

Passion is the emotion that gives me the zest for life, the motivation to work on a project or do a  job that I love, gives me that intensity to love with all of my heart and is the fuel for my compassionate nature.

Since I am an extremely passionate person, I see those things that excite me with lots of exclamation points.

Life should be more than a peck on the cheek . . .

live like passionate kisses with sparks

What are you passionate about?

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