live passionately

The only time we have is the present. I’m seizing the day and taking what’s come into my life – I would always wonder if I didn’t.

real concord grapes today. I don’t know how I got to be 32 without ever trying them. For some reason, I didn’t think that the taste of dark grape juice existed in nature – I figured it was a fabricated taste in the way that apple juice doesn’t exactly taste like apples. But they tasted just like the juice – it was kind of a weird eye-opening moment today!

this whole postcarding-with-the-world-thing. It makes me a little giddy thinking of contacting people throughout the world by snail mail, I don’t know why! It’s just fun! :)

spent with some of my dearest friends in Oregon. I can’t even begin to tell you all the special and fun things we did, or how much I needed this vacation. Wow. I just love my friends so much.

That’s right, folks. The timing couldn’t be better for me to get the hell out of dodge and clear my mind. This is actually something Pema Chodron has taught me over the past few days – in order not to strengthen the powerful energies that come from things like depression, hate, envy, grief, and so on, we must do something different than what we normally do. So I’m going to Oregon for a few days to be with friends. I’m finally getting excited about it. This is exactly what I need to get my perspective on love and life back quicker. The Supershuttle arrives at 3:30 am.

Hiking in the forest, picnic-ing by a stream deep in the woods on various yummy cheeses, pita sandwiches, and strawberries, feeling both the chill of shadowy breezes and the heat from the sun peering down through the trees.

today from my list, because I was starting to feel boxed in and shut down by it. I wrestled with this because it’s on my mental list, but the thing is that I don’t have the goal firmly defined in my head and trying to articulate it was becoming more and more of a self-conscious effort. Why puzzle over it – why not enjoy what is? (‘Cuz puzzling’s in my nature)

doing this more than usual and it feels great. I’ve got some flow going on in my life that I am just digging. It’s nice to challenge sometimes the ideas one has of oneself. Also, to take life a little less seriously and just have some fun!

Filled with my favorite things: my sister, our cats, coffee, our traditional christmas stollen, holiday tunes, a catnip tree, caramel rolls baking, taking pictures and posting them on the web, hanging out in my jammies, anticipating turkey dinner and a trip to the movies. Happy holidays, everyone!

I went to this Railroad park with one of my best friends. We rode the kiddie holiday train ride, which winds around the park and through fields of lights and Christmas displays, complete with animated elves, dancing Santas, stuffed animals riding on ski lifts, a wooden cut-out Grinch scene full of Who’s, and a lit tunnel that ended with a dusting of snow (likely the most we’ll see here in the valley). We had such a good time. There were a ton of kids and families there and everyone looked happy and excited. It’s a memory I will long treasure.