Quotable Sunday: Soul Ajar

The soul should always stand ajar,

ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

::: Emily Dickinson :::

Sorry for the lack of updates this week. It may be quiet here, but we are busily working in our new house, preparing to make it a place of welcome…

Quotable Sunday: Not Quite Coffee

“He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.” – Douglas Adams, Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

This BBC recording has served us quite well for road trip listening. This cup of coffee however, makes me miss camping coffee, Le Colombe, our french press, even my Grandma’s afternoon brew. But it did the trick at least and we trek on…

Joy of a child

This picture is rather unrelated. It is the fountain of a park that we visited a few months ago.

There is not much more fun than walking up to a new park with young children. The pure joy comes squealing out of their mouths and the one who runs takes off without looking back. I love those moments of completely letting go…of just being happy with swings, a slide, and a field for running.

We went to a playground earlier today and I made this quick little list of joys:

:::swings:::fluffy clouds:::great coffee:::loyal friends:::encouraging words about our house:::taking a break:::moving in:::family time:::campfires:::moving water:::starts:::music:::the little sighs of sleeping babes:::

I am not usually coordinated enough to actually write down these little lists, but this simple exercise helps me to stop in the moment and see the joy. Pause for just a moment. What brings a smile to mind? What brings you joy?

Quotable Sunday: catch that train

When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that train
When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town.

- U2 with B.B. King, When Love Comes to Town

Love certainly came to town…but I never really followed up on the fabulous Chicago trip we took two weekends ago. I have been floating around a little more lightly after the U2 extravaganza.  The songs have been hummed through many an hour otherwise spent painting, sanding, etc.  <sigh> the lyrics! the showmanship! the music! the talent! I was afraid that I would regret spending so much money for two nights of wonderful, but I don’t!

So it’s not too late to get a little nostalgic, right? When I found these train riding pictures, I knew I wanted to put them with the lyrics that come from my favorite U2 album. How could I not? The girls also had a lot of fun riding the CTA trains. It’s much more fun to be above ground, whereas the Philly line we usually used is pure subway.  Oh! I would be scolded if I failed to mention that we also had a lot of fun with the family members and friends who we got to visit. We were fed, they played with our children, we slept, we relaxed…all the good marks of a weekend away. Riana got to swim in Lake Michigan with her Arizona Grandpas…My Aunt even sent me home with clean laundry. Great times, thanks for loving us and spoiling us.

Okay, back to the finishing up the house train for me (yes, there will be room-by-room pictures eventually).  After today we will have kitchen floors and a bathroom door in place.  Happy Sunday to you, wherever today’s train takes you. :)

Quotable Sunday: Eternal Summer

Autumn will be here soon enough.  And we will observe, appreciate, and celebrate its splendor in the months to come.  But for today, for this weekend, I am hanging on to the last days of summer.  With a trip to Lake Michigan, some playing in the water and sand, a simple picnic, a beautiful sunset…and a quick trip to the ice cream shop.  More pictures to be posted at nap time Nap time never happened, so I am lazily adding this link to the flickr set. :) Sorry!