It's been a long day...

It's been a long day. Here's Gavin and his absolute hero...Cookie Monster!

...a nice day, poor Cookie is the pinata at Gavin's birthday party

but ...a long day. ooo three batters up and Cookie is still standing!

It was my grandson's 3rd birthday. Ollie makes it 4 and Cookie is still triumphant.

Yes, the big t h r e e. ...but the 5th batter takes him down in one crashing connection

And it was a lot of fun. after a mad dash for the candy, a mad splash in a limpid blue pool.

But now I am home, the birthday cake buzz is wearing off yes the buzz shmuz is wearing off as the calories fight for the prime realestate known as my derriere

and my thoughts turn to the more mundane things of life, here is a pic of the pinata victor!

...money. meet the future president of the United States and the Vice President, my grandchildren :0)

So much is accomplished by having loads and loads of the stuff. One can buy birthday presents,

take out for dinner,

a mortgage payment,

therapy maybe...

and....

Ros Hommerson

shoes!

Don't tell me... you had to guess that was coming...

Sergio Rossi

I gave you a clue! shoes shoes glorious shoes!! That's right, retail therapy- or in my cashless case, the stuff that fanciful fluffy indulgent dreams are made of.

L.A.M.B. Fabia

Money (that's what I want) the Beatles
The best things in life are freeBut you can keep 'em for the birds and beesNow give me money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeahThat's what I want

a.testoni

Your lovin' gives me a thrillBut your lovin' don't pay my billsNow give me money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeahThat's what I wantMoney don't get everything, it's trueWhat it don't get, I can't useNow give me money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeahThat's what I want

Marc Jacobs

Money don't get everything, it's trueWhat it don't get, I can't useNow give me money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeahThat's what I wantWell, now give me money (that's what I want)A lot of money (that's what I want)Whoa, yeah, I wanna be free (that's what I want)Whoa, a lot of money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah

D&G Dolce & Gabbana

That's what I wantWell, now give me money (that's what I want)A lot of money (that's what I want)Whoa, yeah, you owe me money (that's what I want)Oh, now give me money (that's what I want)That's what I want (that's what I want), yeahThat's what I want.

Cole Haan

Ah. There's just s o m e t h i n g about a beautiful pair of shoes to set the mind to dreaming and put everything back into perspective.

It must have been spending the afternoon in the presence of the small creatures with hats,

and the blue sugar monster,

but I needed a large dose of toe pinching, just smell that leather and look at that heel (!) elixir.

Like the Doctor says, "take two shoes and call me in the morning"

Seek Pray Grow

Art from the musings of a merry heart

I just listed this sweet little shelf sitter in the shop, I love the words painted on it, seek, pray, grow. Seek what? I seek the will of God, the word of god, the mind of God, the Heart of God. What about you? What do you seek, the answer? the way? the truth? the path? Well me too. I find that life is a shape shifter, what was yesterday, is not today. That's a good thing unless I miss the whole thing as I have done before. I usually miss it by dwelling on the past or the future. It is difficult for me to be in the moment. Do you pray? I do. A lot. What do you pray about? I pray for the health and safety of my family the most. I know I'm supposed to pray for everybody else first, but I don't. I have to think hard to remember to pray for -not swear at- the governing authority, and pray for that jerk who has been on my bumper for the last 10 minutes in traffic. (come on, where am I going to go, OVER?) oops again, anger, yes I pray pray pray about my anger. It comes on swiftly, unbidden, and it is in control not me. But then, like the cavalry, here is the last pot in the row, grow. Thank goodness, the result of this life is growth. My opinion is, no God no growth. I know there are some who will click right past that channel, but I'm right. no God no growth. You can bury, you can sidetrack, you can rationalize, you can Narcissisize. But no God, no growth. I wish you three pots today, may your garden increase with the fruits of the seeds you have planted.

The Blessing Tree

Do you ever just take a minute and just count your blessings? I think it's a wonderful practice. Corrie ten Boom was one who could make a blessing out of a commandment and I've always been in awe at how people see that glass as half full, when I view it as half empty.

In the blessing loop, I was just blessed by a visit from my husbands family. How on earth they stuck it out at my house for 5 days of toddler chaos and 106` heat, I will never know, but they walked out (rather briskly now that I think about it) to catch their plane (...oh maybe that's it) on two legs and upright. So I guess that's a good sign that they made it through the week none the worse for wear.

I am always blessed by my online buddies, and a conversation with Judy sparked a memory of when I was 4 years old. I had one grandma, my mother's mother, and she lived in Arkansas, and we lived in Los Angeles. So we would go back to see her every summer when I was a kid up until about when I was 12 years or so then I just don't remember if we visited that often or not. We would drive accross country.

It would take us about 4 or 5 days I think, my memory is a little foggy. We didn't have airconditioning and we would drive through the deserts at night in Nevada, Arizona and Texas. We would get a big block of ice and put it in the car to try to cool it down, my dad would dip a wash cloth in the melted water and try to cool off with it, I don't know how we did it all those years ago. We had a coup.

It would be pitch black and they would have the radio on. I remember Doris Day singing Che Serah Serah and I would just sing along at the top of my lungs in the pitch black desert in that car. I'm lucky they didn't pull over. But I do remember desert stars, the sky is filled with them suspended in mid air. There were always a lot of turtles on the road. And the biggest bugs that you have ever seen in your life!!! Or maybe I was a itty bitty kiddo, and it all just looked bigger. I don't know.



In my snoopings and ramblings I found a really nice poem/song from Amy Grant that she wrote about her grandmother. Find complete here: http://www.amygrant.com/amysblog.htm. Its a wonderful story that inspired this;

We sowed our seeds. Watered with tears. Waiting for signs of growth.

Took months of days and then took years.

We took our steps. We took our falls.

Somewhere along the way we just got lost and we lost it all.

Nothing ventured nothing gained. The risk of living is the pain.

And what will be will be anyway.

Oh, it's better not to know the way it's gonna go.

What will die and what will grow? It's better not to know.

Those tiny stems became these trees.

With dirt and storms and sun and air to breathe.

Like you and me.

And some fell down and some grew tall and those surviving twenty winter thaws

Have the sweetest fruit of all.

But innocence and planting day are both long gone. So much has changed.

And if we got to do it all again ...

Oh it's better not to know...

(Amy Grant)

Take a look at the canopy of blessing words overhanging my house. I hope you allow your self a handful today!