“We need to be angels for each other, to give each other strength and consolation.” ~ Henri Nouwen

Good Sunday morning, my friends.  I hope you are seeing blue skies this morning.  This past Tuesday, here in the hills of West Virginia, we had our first dusting of snow.  Just enough to be pretty.  However, it was a reminder of the snowy days ahead.

Today, I would like to share something I feel is most inspirational.  When I began to gather my thoughts regarding today’s post, there it was, wrinkled and jaggedly torn from a magazine.  It is an inspiring piece, written by Elizabeth M. Gilbert, author of her 2006 memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love.”  (See notes at the end of this post.)  I hope you will also find it meaningful.

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ~ Mary Oliver

The following article was written by, Elizabeth M. Gilbert.

“Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated ~ with one another; with the rainy, sleety weather; with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.

But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. “Folks,” he said, “I know you’ve had a rough day and you’re frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here’s what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight ~ just leave ‘em with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I’ll open the window and throw your troubles in the water. Sound good?”

It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who’d been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious?

Oh, he was serious.

At the next stop ~ just as promised ~ the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this, some teared up ~ but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop, too. And the next. All the way to the river.

We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it’s extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn. There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it.

But what if you are the light? What if you’re the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?

That’s what this bus driver taught me ~ that anyone can be the light, at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy “influencer.” He was a bus driver ~ one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power, and he used it beautifully for our benefit.

When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world’s troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, What can I do, right now, to be the light? Of course, I can’t personally end all wars, or solve global warming, or transform vexing people into entirely different creatures. I definitely can’t control traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against, even if we never speak or learn each other’s name. How we behave matters because within human society everything is contagious ~ sadness and anger, yes, but also patience and generosity. Which means we all have more influence than we realize.

No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated ~ one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river.”

“Be a lighthouse of love because many of us are ships that are desperately seeking a safe place from the storms of life.  Sometimes we just need to know we won’t sink and that land is closer than we think.” ~  T. B. LaBerge

Dear friends, thank you so much for visiting. 

Know, I wish you and yours a beautiful day.

And…

May your path glow with kind and beautiful souls.

Amour,

Sandra

Authors notes: ~ Elizabeth M. Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, which as of December 2010, had spent 199 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, and which was also made into a film by the same name in 2010. 

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“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.” ~Jules Renard 

A New England sunrise.

Good Sunday morning, my friends.  I am so glad you could join me this morning.  It is true, isn’t it?  Pieces of Heaven are scattered all around us, just waiting for us to pause, open our eyes and see.  The magnificent beauty of this earth is incredible.  So, I hope you will enjoy the amazing ‘pieces’ I have found, as well as the thoughts and feelings of a few amazingly gifted souls.“Each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same fields, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There ought to be a way to combine “autumn” and “morning” into one word, the combination of the two is special enough to be its own entity.” ~ Terri Guillemets

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead ~ his eyes are closed. The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms ~ this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.” ~ Albert Einstein

“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” ~ John Muir

Dear friends, I so appreciate your company this morning. 

Know I am wishing you and yours a beautiful and peaceful day. 

May you notice ‘Pieces of Heaven’ along your path.

And…

I hope they will leave an imprint on your heart. 

Amour,

Sandra

Images: via tumblr

Good morning, my friends.  I am so happy to see you.  Pull a chair to the fire, make yourself comfy, while I clear the table and make us some toast and tea.

“Come along inside… We’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place.” ~ Kenneth Grahame

Is there anything better than the feeling of comfort and warmth?  I think not.  It is such a safe feeling and is only better when shared with loved ones and friends.   

Years ago, while living in Virginia, a dear friend stopped by for a visit.  She is the type of friend one is blessed to have, never caring what you or your house looks like and if you are involved in some task, she will jump in and help.  Anyway, on this particular day, I didn’t have a treat to offer her with her tea (unusual), so I made cinnamon toast.  The way my mom did, in the oven.  As I placed the toast on the table, she began to cry, and then jumped up and gave me the biggest hug.  She explained she hadn’t had cinnamon toast since her mom made it for her, too many years ago.  I have never forgotten this time with my friend and neither has she.

“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures. The bed is white and silent, and much life can hide beneath its blankets.” ~Cynthia Rylant

These early days of November are marvelous days.  With the garden tucked in for her winter sleep, I can enjoy the quiet and peaceful days. 

From inside my warm and cozy home, I enjoy watching the last of the beautiful leaves fall, mornings with the frost so heavy it looks like snow, and yes, the first snowfall too.  Which, by the way, is to come our way next Monday.  It seldom is a heavy snow, just enough to let you know autumn is slowing giving way to winter.

“In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the morning, can pull everyone from bed in a fog. Food is better in November than any other time of the year.” ~ Cynthia Rylant

Cinnamon and raisin scones will certainly ‘pull everyone from bed.’  But, they are grand at any time of day ~ in my opinion.  

And, there is nothing which speaks warm and cozy louder than a wonderful pot of soup.  Especially if it is roasted butternut squash soup.  Visit here for the recipe.

So, dear friends, I hope you have enjoyed your visit and are now warm and cozy, ready to face the elements.  As November is a month which calls our attention to our blessings and being grateful.  Know I am grateful for your friendship, even though it may be virtual.

Wishing you quiet and peaceful early November days.  Enjoy the beauty of the earth as she begins her sleep.

And…

Stay warm and cozy!

Au Revoir,

Sandra

Images:  Victoria and tumblr

“The only gift is a portion of thyself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good Sunday morning, my friends.  Well, October just flew by, didn’t she?  And once again, all too soon, the holidays will be with us.  Yesterday, I read the Christmas decorations are going up in New York.  So, I guess that is a definite sign. Please know, I am not a fan of Christmas before Thanksgiving.  However, I do want to share thoughts from an article I read from many years ago, which may give you something to consider as the holiday season approaches. 

The article was about how we seem to have lost much of the real meaning of Christmas, amid all the hustle and bustle.   It was written by a woman who decided to bring a new holiday tradition to her children and family ~ The Three Gift Christmas.  I don’t remember every detail of the article, but it certainly made me reconsider my ways.    

Perhaps, I am simply a slow learner.  Often I  need to read something in order to step back a moment and take into account my way of doing things.  During the many years I worked outside our home, I had to be organized.  And I think I often drove myself, and probably those around me, crazy trying to accomplish my tasks.  When it came to gifts for those I loved and held dear, I would wake in the morning with my head whirling, regarding the perfect gift or gifts.  But, then I read, “The Three Gift Christmas” ~ my ways changed.

The woman who wrote this article had endured years of rushing around like a crazed person during the holiday season.  Sound familiar?  She felt as though the gifts, she had driven herself mad to acquire, were not meaningful.  Perhaps, when Christmas morning arrived she was simply exhausted, who knows?  But, she decided to make changes.    

Her children were still small and she sat them down to explain that this year each of them would only receive three gifts. They could still make their lists, but she wanted them to know she had asked Santa to bring them only three gifts each.  Why three gifts?  The Baby Jesus only received three gifts.  Certainly, that would suffice for her children.

You see, this special mom wanted her children to stand in awe of a beautiful tree aglow, to sing wonderful Christmas carols, enjoy Christmas goodies and learn to see all the details of the exquisite beauty of the season.  And, she wanted them to have treasured memories of Christmas mornings and know the love behind the gifts they received.  

In reading her article, I was inspired.  I stepped out of the chaos and enjoyed, once again, the multitude of little things.  Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t love the fuss and the full days leading up to Christmas.  Because I do.  But, I have well learned, many times the simplest things are the most precious.

“For the gifts that are priceless are the ones that are heartfelt; their roots are within our soul. They are the greatest gifts, of all.” ~ Ellen J. Barrier

Dear friends, I hope you have enjoyed your visit today.  The holiday season will be upon us in a blink and none of us want this most special time to be stressful.  I do believe ‘simple’ is the key.  Because we all want to savor the moments and make memories for ourselves and those we love.  

Know I am wishing you and yours a beautiful and peaceful day. 

And…

May the month of November bring you great joy. 

Amour,

Sandra

Images:  via tumblr

Good morning, my friends.  It is hard to imagine today is the last Sunday of glorious October, but it is.  I hope you have enjoyed this beautiful month and made many sweet memories. 

“O’er the hills and far away, I spent my hours admiring the golds and ambers of October’s ripe deliciousness. Who’d of thought such bright skies and balmy air would greet us in such a manner that we might believe we were staring at the commencement of spring! I must be careful not to grumble as these rare pleasantries shall help to sail me comfortably into winter.” ~ Freya Turrill

“October breathed poetry ~ beautiful and glowing.” ~ Terri Guillemets

Sweet October morning, my friends.  Welcome to ‘Sunday Thoughts.’

As many of you are probably aware, I love books.  And as I am a gardener, naturally, I enjoy gardening books.  When I find one with solid gardening information along with a little poetry or beautiful words, well, the book is simply a must-have.  Such was the case with the book, “A Garden’s Grace” by, Nancy Hutchens.  The wonderful little book, published in 1997, has become a special friend to me.  It is loaded with good gardening information, wisdom, and even a recipe or two.

In straightening up the bookshelves the other day, I found my friend among the cookbooks.  Now, how did that happen?  Anyway, I had to spend a few moments with her.  In other words, I was easily distracted.  But in doing so, I found a few words of wisdom I want to share.  As it often occurs when I read this treasured book, I feel Nancy Hutchens knows me.  Because somewhere, I usually read something Hutchens tells me I should be doing.  But this time, it was her grandmother, Mamaw Tribby.  I heard her loud and clear saying,  “Sandra, it is well into October, you need to finish putting the garden to bed.  And not at your convenience.”  So for all of you who are gardeners, perhaps the following words from Hutchens and her grandmother will resonate with you as well.  But really the words are, in general, true about many things in life.

“Nature takes no account of even the most reasonable of human excuses.” ~ Joseph Wood Krutch

“When I was a girl it was my job to rake leaves in the fall, just about the time school started, bringing with it activities much more interesting than leaf raking.  I postponed the chore time and again ~ until it was too late.  Big, dry flashes of snow started falling early in November one year and didn’t stop until over a foot had accumulated.  This severe weather continued every weekend throughout the autumn.  All winter I looked out on a yard encrusted with caked and soggy leaves caused by procrastination.”

“Mamaw Tribby said this experience should teach me one of the most important lessons a gardener can learn ~ nature waits for no one.  We think we can control her, but all we can do is follow her lead.  As we puttered in her flower beds, she’d say.  “People are in awe of nature when they first start gardening and follow all the rules.  The trouble starts when they get cocky and think they can do things at their own convenience.”

So, my friends, as much as I want to take my wonderful book and coffee in the garden on this gorgeous October day.  I must get my sweet garden put to bed and tucked in for her long sleep.  Because, “As the garden becomes a dearer and dearer friend, I’ve learned that true respect for life is without boundaries.   The garden deserves as much of my heart in winter, when its energy has descended to its roots, as in the summer, when roses and lilies are blooming.”

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today.  Know I am wishing you and yours a beautiful day. 

And…

May your week ahead be golden and full of joy.

Amour,

Sandra

Note:  The ending quote is by, Nancy Hutchens.

Images: via tumblr and pinterest

“If I had influence with the good fairy, I would ask her gift to each child be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” ~ Rachel Carson

Good Sunday morning, my friends.  We finally had rain and now are enjoying cooler temperatures.  I do hope you are enjoying the same.

When I looked out of the window this morning, I saw the huge old maple on the street behind us.  She is golden and is inviting all the other trees to hurry and get dressed in their autumn finest. Looking at this lovely tree, my thoughts turned to my dear mom and how I will be forever grateful to her for instilling in me, “an indestructible sense of wonder.”

I do try to pay attention to even the smallest of things.  Although, sometimes I forget, and something as small and lovely as an acorn will once again capture my attention and my heart.  

“Some of the greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty in something that was so simple you had taken it for granted.”
~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Château de Sully sur Loire, France

Nature is not the only thing that makes me stand in awe.  Breathtaking architecture does also.  Such as  Château de Sully, built in the early thirteenth century.  To me, it is incredible how something so beautiful was constructed at this time in history.  Just imagine the primitive tools, by today’s standards,  these craftsmen used to create such beauty.   Amazing, isn’t it?

“Cherish sunsets, wild creatures, and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth.” ~ Stewart Udall

Windmill against a glorious sunset, Quitman, Texas.

Above all the many wonders of this earth, it is always the magnificent beauty of God’s brushstrokes that will steal my heart.  A rainbow, a sunrise or a sunset, all are so amazingly beautiful. 

“I walk the world in wonder.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Dahlia, Café au Lait’

Dear Friends, thank you so much for visiting this morning.  

And…

Until we meet again, I hope your path will be lined with things that will cause you to pause and wonder. 

Wishing you and yours a beautiful day.

Amour,

Sandra 

Images: Pinterest and tumblr

“Aflame, October’s leaves adore the wind.” ~ Carol Ann Duffy

“The early days of a lovely autumn come back to me. I remember the avenue of maples, the delicate smell of the fallen leaves, and the scent of autumn apples ~ that mix of honey and fall freshness.” ~ Ivan Bunin

Amour,

Sandra

Images: via tumblr