the inspired family

striving.  looking ahead, while working very, very hard to stay right here and now.  last night i was all over monday… meaning, i would have been happy to see the universe jump off its tracks for one short twenty four hour period and move us all to tuesday… until today, that is.  today, monday, where there was nothing miraculous.  nothing earth shattering. it was just a day.

but after taking some stock of our circumstances, the verdict came in as pretty damn good considering, and things are moving in the right direction. on a day like today, a plain old, largely uneventful, monday, it’s something to be able to see the wonderful now.  and even better to know- just effing know- that there’s more wonderful to come.

i suppose on a monday it certainly helps when you get to look forward to baby girl primped, blushed and tutu’d for her first ever dance recital… perfection in a sprig of pink tulle.  edible perfection, i say.

up a half hour earlier than even my usual early.  welcoming kittens.

-20. icy clear skies.  a blue unlike any other.  snowy peaks, honed chisels, reaching for the sky.  cold, clear rocky mountain beauty.

a tiny space heater.  target slippers. coffee(!) and a hunk of fibrous wonder strewn with an occasional chocolately surprise … thank you dr. weil.

yoga in peace and quiet… in a tidy, clean little room, warmed with a little gas fire.  sun salutations. filling my lungs.  emptying my head. sweating.  moving.  lengthening.

a good school morning.  charlotte’s web. bone.

lentil soup.  hand-knit scarves.  striped gloves.  a hard, brisk walk with my beast… a tennis ball as yet unchewed.  connecting in a good, solid kick.  the beast sliding on her arse in bliss and snow after said tennis ball!

a hot bubble bath. entertainment weekly.

little girls, pink and sweet in trails of candy floss, dancing… precariously balancing large plastic snowflakes upon tiny heads.

rotisserie chicken.  fresh tortillas. jalapeno peppers. roma tomatoes. queso.  the stuff of life…

setting goals.  looking forward.  feeling confident.

an early night.

these wonderful, unusual, november days are striking in their warmth, clear blue and beauty… a typical november would leave us yearning to see the sun after days, if not weeks, socked in under clouds, perpetually hanging on the mountains, low and deep into our fair valley.  maybe even wishing for snow so as to break the grey monotony…

but this week has been a november unlike any in recent memory.  for bessy and i, this spell of unique conditions has inspired a fresh companionship.  as wedding season came to somewhat of a close, it was a partnership tired and a little cranky… now after a couple of weeks rest from one another, we come together replenished, eager.

and more often in these past days, this time with her is simply a meditation.  and without doubt, a gift.

the surreal continues though with a focus on the wonders of each day… it becomes something of a game.  the excitement of ‘what good things will come today?’

and knowing they will.

less, ‘how are we going to make this work’, and more, ‘what will i do today to make this work?‘

and answers come.  learning the difference between passive… and proactive.

a day of:

great coffee- twice! huge, gooey date sqares (half of which i will lust after until i enjoy it with tomorrows great coffee- holllllaaaaa!!)

morning pages.  bessy.  blue sky. the playground.

yoga… a practice renewed.

work… without a doubt, work.  independent, self-employed, creating my own destiny/designing a life kind of work….

we are over two months into this leap of faith into determining our own destiny:  new, unfamiliar, scary… committed to making our living in ways that run true to our values and those things about our life which we deem vitally important… such as homeschooling our three kids, time with family and fulfilling, life and creativity affirming endeavors.

during a recession….

it’s a choice of considerable uncertainty.  some days are bad.  both of us overwhelmed with what we feel we might not actually be able to accomplish.

but more and more, as with this wonder of a day, we’re wrapping our heads and spirits around an attitude of calm.  there seems to be an underlying sense of ‘OK’ taking hold.  a feeling that, despite the bouts of fear and anxiety, we’re on the right path.

i’m guessing this is what ‘faith’ feels like.

today… warm kittens in my warm, warm office first thing in the morning(4:30?!?).  my freshly painted office.

coffee.  my morning cookie.

yoga.  yoga.  yoga!

guiding kids in meditation… even better, kids following guided meditation.  a clean kitchen.  fresh pumpkin muffins.  prime rib burgers.  caesar salad with fresh croutons.  the serenity that is november.

and … i booked another gig for next summer.  a neighbor called to offer a bit of work for now.

i chose a peaceful state of mind today.  chose and embraced.  to everyone’s benefit.

let’s try it again tomorrow, shall we?

this late summer blast of crystal clear, hot and delightful weather has been a dream.  the lake has been like glass and begs for the brief disturbance of our wake and laughter!

despite the look on her face, nan does enjoy a good ride.  it was a deliriously beautiful day, where the niggles of work took a back seat to the life sustaining sunshine, fresh cool water and clean air.

today… a saturday.  clear, warm, ripe for the joy of a new union… and i get paid to be a part of it!  freedom, time, ample work, laughter across calm water.

strong coffee, peaceful early mornings, kittens, and the nudge of honey bear’s huge head.

movement. strength. feist, great lake swimmers and the band.

trust.  faith.  knowing….

when we’d thought summer over, with weather grey and downright disagreeable, we got today. despite a sky vibrant with blue of intense late summer air, and the faint sniff of autumn, the temperatures exceeded predictions.

my morning coffee.  found purple flowers on the highway.  hoodoos and shadows. started to conquer mt. laundry.  snuck a snooze and enjoyed a quick walk with the dog and a neighbor to the river.  my girl told me she loved me.

time on the lake made it complete… still, warm, full of youthful energy… from where I’m not quite sure.

and with hundreds of images from the day, thankful for just one.