Life is...

The book arrived late yesterday afternoon when I wasn't home. I was more than a little bit excited to find it when I arrived home yesterday. Don't bother to get a magnifying glass to help you read the return label - the name of the book isn't listed there. So, as promised, here are a few clues about the book. Put on your thinking caps.

Dancing.

Singing.

Relaxing.

Pointing.

Standing.

Cuddling.

Sailing.

Floating.

The fact that this busy author took time to autograph my copy of the book speaks volumes about who she is as a person - and the words she chose to write will guide me as I live each glorious day with intention.

And that's all the clues you are getting for today! And there is a logical reason as to why I am waiting until Saturday to announce the title of THE book. Really.

Where, oh where, is THE book?

This is my wonderful five year old dog, Lilly standing on her favorite rock, waiting and watching. She is waiting for her favorite truck to come down the driveway. She is not picky. She would settle for a UPS, FedEx or DHL vehicle. And today I am not picky. I want any of the above trucks to speed down my driveway with a large dust cloud following behind. I want the speedy delivery man to jump out in one fluid motion, race up my walkway and lean on my doorbell, announcing the delivery of THE book. I want to do my happy, happy, joy, joy dance around my house as I celebrate the fact that I now possess my very own copy of THE book.

Curious yet as to what book I am impatiently waiting for? It is not 'The Joy of Cooking'. I already own that. It is not "The Joy of Sex'. Been there, done that. But it does have something to do with the joy of living and I NEED the book, on many levels.

I thought the book had arrived on Friday. I heard the delivery truck roaring down the driveway. I ran, slid, fell down the stairs so I could grab THE book out of the delivery man's hand, politely, of course. I ran my hand through my tangles and patted the wrinkles out of my shirt. I wanted to look well put together when he presented me with THE book. I tried to not tremble too much as he handed me the package. The day had finally arrived. I had received...wait a minute. The box he handed me was a six inch cube. This was not your typical book shaped package. Well, the author is not your typical author so,maybe, just maybe, she had written a cube shaped book. I was feeling a bit skeptical as I tore the cardboard apart. Oh darn it. I forgot that I had ordered THAT! Another day without THE book.

BEEEEEP. BEEEEEP. So why is the FedEx, UPS, DHL man blasting on his horn while sitting in my driveway? Maybe he found THE book, hidden in a pile? I ran, tripped, skipped out to the truck. Oh, happy days!

"Hey, lady. Would you come get your dog?"

What is he talking about? I looked under the truck. No Lilly there, thank goodness. I looked in the front of the truck. No Lilly there.

"Where is my dog?"

"She is in my truck and she won't get out. Would you come get her?"

I looked in the truck and there sat my Lilly dog. Sitting politely, waiting.

" Oh, she is just waiting for a cookie. The speedy delivery man who usually comes here always gives her a treat. She is just waiting for her treat."

"I don't carry treats. Now what do I do? How do I get her out of the truck?"

"Just give her THE book. She will settle for THE book."

"Lady, I don't have your book."

"Did you check in every pile?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did you check way in the back?"

"Yes! Now please get your dog out of my truck. "

Fine. I called Lilly and she came out of the truck. Disappointed, we both walked into the house. No treats, no book. But tomorrow is another day.

It is my hope that you are now a bit curious as to what book it is that I am waiting for, and why, what, who, when...all these questions will be answered by Saturday, September 20th. Check in off and on this week as I will be giving more tips and clues. You won't be disappointed.

A Growing Circle

I answered my phone yesterday and got an earful of giggles. No hi, hello or heavy breathing. Just giggles. That would be my dear friend, Pam. Pam is the best giggler I have ever met. Her laugh is unique and I can't help but smile when I hear it. Fortunately Pam is an upbeat person so she shares her laughter frequently and it is contagious. I can't even write what it sounds like but when she really gets going she almost hyperventilates and chants 'oh my god, oh my god.' There is also a dance involved which involves crossing the legs and squatting but I won't go there. I could create a whole blog just about Pam - and I might.

I am one lucky lady. I have a circle of friends whom I cherish. We laugh together, we cry together, we talk, talk, talk, we shop, we dance , we eat, we drink, we fight, we share fears and we celebrate accomplishments . We love each other.



Karen travels in a parallel universe with me. I think of her as my kindred spirit and she helps me stay centered. She is my shopping buddy, a listener and an incredible artist. Ellen is my wise friend, my high energy, talented, very motivated friend who tells it like it is - but always with kindness. She loves a good adventure and could easily win American Idol. Diane is my analytical friend. Quiet, always observing and very loyal, she always has my back - and I appreciate her thoughtfulness. Soul sisters.



Cori is my unpredictable, hyperactive, wild friend. Martha Stewart doesn't have half the flair for style as Cori does. Her hair always looks perfect, she has fun with fashion and color and she is not afraid to flaunt it. She is bold. She is in your face. She cares.



Audrey would give you the shirt off her back. She puts the needs of others before her own - always. She gives so much to so many. She is a thinker. She is a doer. She is dependable. She is reliable.



Lori. Cyndy. Katey. Gigi. Julie. Sue. Cindy. Caroline. Beth. Lynda. Susie. And to all my other friends. I cherish my friendships with each of you - and don't worry - I will write more later about the adventures we have shared (maybe) and the wonderful qualities that you all possess. I am a lucky lady to have you as friends. Thank you. I am leaving my guy friends off this list - not because I don't cherish you but because the friendship is different. Another post for another day. And Ellen DeGeneres, if you are reading this - I would love to hang out with you! I have my Depends ready and I can dance! You would be a welcome addition to the circle.



And to my dear sister, Audrey ( different Audrey than above). I have not mentioned you because you deserve a post all by yourself. We shared the good, the bad and the ugly of childhood. Our friendship has developed slowly and steadily over the years and for that reason I value it so much more. We didn't choose to be sisters but we have chosen to be friends - and it feels so good. I love you.



And my friendship world is always expanding. I am 'meeting' people everyday through my blog. There is something quite addictive about blogging. I have no doubt that there are psychological and sociological studies being done about blogs and bloggers. I don't care about that. I like people and through blogging I have been given a virtual tour of the world - through photos and words. I am often left reflecting for hours about what someone has written. My world has changed because of blogging.



So imagine my surprise and delight when Akelamalu, a blogging friend from the United Kingdom, presented me with this award. My first blogging award. Here it is:



I am such a newbie to blogging - it has taken me all week and much research to figure out how to move the award over to my blog. I am exhausted. But I did it. Now there are rules involved with this award. I can't just accept it and walk off the stage. Oh, no. I sometimes have a difficult time with rules but here they are:

1. Only five people allowed.

2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog. YIKES!

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and lives in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award. ( I think I did this correctly?)

So... four dedicated followers to my blog? I don't really know and I hate to assume anything but here goes:

Bev at How Sweet the Sound

Pink Dogwood

Rapunzel at Rapunzel's Castle

Marg at Home Again

And a new blogging 'friend' is Jennie at Views from my Camera

I hope I have done this correctly. Let me know - I don't want to be guilty of committing any blogging faux pas!

Thank you Akelamalu for this award. And welcome to my circle of friends.

Summer ~ Please don't go !

To celebrate Labor Day Weekend we went hiking on two different trails - in one day! My husband and I went on this adventure with our son and his new bride - who I have lovingly nicknamed "Mountain Goat" after this experience. She can climb any mountain - fast. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to even move the next morning albeit a bit more slowly than usual.

The beginning of the first hike.

Resting in one of Nature's 'Rocking' Chairs as she waits for me to catch up!

Quintuplet Birch Trees

All those hours at the gym have paid off!

Shadows of Summer

More mountains just waiting to be climbed!

Who needs A GPS ?

Our second adventure of the day! The hike to the 80' waterfalls was 2.5 miles.

Almost at the top of the Falls.

I am already planning to climb to Bridal Veil Falls again next summer when it is hot and humid. This is the perfect location for a picnic and the pool at the bottom of the falls is clean, cold and tempting!

And if you look closely, in the middle of all the green, you will witness the first sign that summer is coming to a close.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough...

Today is a day of celebration. It is my baby's birthday. He is the youngest of my four children and today he is twenty-three years old. Wow - how did that happen? Time does fly when you are having fun. So buddy, here is one of my gifts to you. I promise that I will try and not call you 'my baby' outloud anymore. I will just think it, quietly.

Twenty-three years old. I do have a problem with not calling you my baby any longer. I often explain my jelly belly away by saying, 'well, I just had a baby.' I don't think I can use that excuse any longer. Great, now what? "Well, my daughter is pregnant with twins and I am eating for all of them?" That seems much easier than sit-ups.

So my dear son , my wish for you is that you recognize your strengths and use them to the best of your ability. Your strong verbal skills will allow you to communicate your needs and your desires. I have watched you as you listen and reflect on the words of others. Use your ability to communicate to help you both personally and professionally. I love your sense of humor. I will never forget when we watched 'Tommy Boy' together and you laughed so hard ~ I love the sound of your belly laugh. May you always be happy and find reason to belly laugh often.

I love your spirit and determination. My brain is full of so many memories of you playing baseball, soccer and basketball. You always played to win and took each game seriously. When you were five, you played T-ball. The adults never kept score at T-ball games. It was 'just for fun.' After every game you would climb into the backseat and proceed to tell dad and I the score of the game - and all of the other stats. It was never for 'fun' - you have always played to win. Just don't forget to have fun - and don't forget to laugh that deep belly laugh on a regular basis.

And included in your gift box on this wonderful day, your twenty-third birthday, I am presenting you with confidence, respect, positive self-esteem, trust, and oodles and oodles of hugs and kisses! You are an intelligent, compassionate young man. Follow your heart, listen to your gut and make all of your dreams become reality. So, my dear son, celebrate the day and remember that there ain't no mountain high enough to keep me from you...forever and always. xo

Seagull talk

I looked around the function room where we hosted the rehearsal dinner for our son's wedding a few weeks ago. The bridal party seemed to be enjoying each others' company and laughter and conversational chatter filled the room. It was then that I noticed the flower girl staring out the large window which overlooked the harbor below. She seemed deep in thought. Not wanting to interrupt her, I just stood quietly next to her for a few moments.

After a bit she looked up at me and gave me a heartwarming smile. She is seven years old and her two front 'adult' teeth were just starting to grow in. Freckles were lightly sprinkled across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. I asked Flowergirl if she was watching the big ships in the harbor.
"Nope."
"Well then, I bet you are looking at the lights of the city as they twinkle in the night."
"Nope, I am watching the seagulls. Did you know that seagulls are my favorite bird?"
"I did not know that. How come you like seagulls so much?"
" Because I can talk seagull talk."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Can they understand you?"
"Yep."
"Can you understand them?"
"Kind of."
We then stood together quietly watching the seagulls as they swooped around looking for food.
"Do you want to hear me talk seagull?"
"YES!"
"Well, we have to go outside because seagull talk is loud."
So we headed outside. Flowergirl stood in the parking lot, lifted her head back just a bit and let out the perfect seagull call. Loudly. She smiled at me with those two front adult teeth showing.
I smiled back and I prayed that the cynicism and disenchantment of adulthood do not accompany those two adult teeth. I hope that Flowergirl can always be comfortable and confident talking to the seagulls. Loudly.
And now, please excuse me, I have to go work on perfecting my seagull call.

Let's Get Physical!

Sunday morning I rolled out of bed slowly. My arms and back were achy from the kayaking and swimming I had done on Saturday. I hobbled down to the kitchen to have my morning cup of coffee which my husband lovingly prepares for me each morning. I thought about the agenda of my day - lazy, lazier and laziest of activities loomed ahead for me. No company was scheduled to come up to the camp so it looked like I might be spending my day laying in the hammock reading Jodi Piccoult's 'Change of Heart.' Nice.

It was at this point I noticed my husband pouring over his map. "Whatcha doing?" I asked as I walked by on my way to grab a pillow and blanket for the hammock. I wanted to be comfortable in case I got exhausted from reading and swinging in the hammock. A nap would be in order.

"I think we should do something physical today. The key to longevity is staying in good physical condition. I am planning a hike for us today."

Oh.

"Does that sound good to you? Did you have any other plans for today?"

"No, not really." I tried to hide the pillow behind my back. I can easily fall into slug mode so I am grateful that I have a husband who is energetic and keeps me moving. I ran upstairs, got my sneakers and I didn't even turn to look back at the hammock as we climbed into the car to head out for a day of adventuring.The time for living, moving, exploring is NOW - and I enjoyed hiking, laughing, and getting physical ! If I had stayed in that hammock, I wouldn't have seen any of the following sights. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Get Physical!