Holidays
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Spring blooms
“Giving flowers is a disarming way to remember another person, but flowers were first a gift from nature to all of us. They look beautiful, they smell beautiful, and they make us feel beautiful.” Victoria Moran, Younger by the Day This week I spotted a hyacinth and a miniature daffodil starting to bloom in my garden — the first of the spring bulbs to surface this season — so much earlier than usual. Like some of the other bulbs scattered around our yard, the hyacinth was an Easter gift, years ago, and I’m always delighted and amazed to see it reappear every spring. Flowers are living symbols of perseverance and…
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Welcome, April!
“It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.” ~Max Eastman Happy April Fool’s Day! Though I don’t have any pranks or jokes today, my mood always lifts as soon as I flip the wall calendar to April 1st. The sound of the word “April” works like an antidepressant. Mother Nature might have a few tricks up her sleeve, but no matter what the weather brings in the next couple of weeks, my sense of optimism tells me that winter is behind us. I’m thinking about my garden again, making plans, feeling hopeful. Happy weekend to all! ~CL
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The heart of the matter
“When you love someone, you love the whole person as he or she is, and not as you would like them to be.” ~Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Most of us idealized love when we were young. If we were raised on fairy tales, for instance, we imagined marrying the perfect partner and living happily ever after. At the same time, we also held our friends and family members to impossibly high standards, and were disappointed when they didn’t behave like the best friends or families portrayed on TV sitcoms. As we mature, we discover that real love isn’t always picture-perfect; sometimes it gets as messy or as complicated as real…
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Room for potential
“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…not looking for flaws, but for potential.” – Ellen Goodman, American journalist Last week I read an article suggesting that we consider renaming our New Year’s resolutions “intentions” — and to forgive ourselves if we fall short of our goals later on. But I think Ellen Goodman has a better spin on the whole resolution thing. Instead of simply correcting our bad habits or repairing our shortcomings, why not explore…
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Post-holiday musings
“Today is the day the post-holiday blues usually drop in for their annual visit. After any strenuous exertion, especially one that’s lasted several weeks, there’s a natural letdown in energy and enthusiasm.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance Like clockwork, holiday letdown almost always follows a festive series of events — no matter which winter holiday we celebrate. At the beginning of December, our energy runs high as we plan for parties and concerts, decorate our homes, and create special memories for loved ones. Our usual routines and responsibilities — even our worries — are temporarily suspended. Then the holiday arrives … and then it’s over … in a minute! We…
