Happy Halloween Eve …

I love Halloween! Why (you wonder)? I believe it has something to do with people, the costumes and the excitement of all the spooky stuff. This past weekend, my husband and I attended a very fun party. It was a potluck and everyone was to bring a pot of their favorite soup. We were also invited to bring our kids, carved pumpkins and come dressed in costumes.

Did we dress up? Oh yes! Did we bring soup? You bet! Did we carve pumpkins? Three of them! Back to the costumes …we decided to go as Mary Poppins and Bert. We encouraged the kids to go as penguins (to help complete the scene) but they had their own costume plans.

Our costumes were inspired by the Jolly Holiday adventure Mary, Bert, Jane and Michael had after jumping into the chalk art photo on the sidewalk. We were quite the hit! I found a beautiful wedding gown at our local thrift store and my Mom and I altered it to be the perfect Mary Poppins dress. I enjoyed the little girls who oohed and awed over having Mary and Bert at the party and now have a little idea of how the people at Disney World or Land must feel like playing the part of famous on-screen personalities. I’ll have to brush up on my Mary Poppins signature. (An umbrella will definitely be part of it!)

All in all, it was a great night. We’re looking forward to a little trick-or-treating tomorrow (with the kids). Can you hear that? It’s a song … (sing along if you want) …

“It’s a jolly holiday with Mary …”

PS – Happy Halloween!

This little moment matters –
Be creative and wear a costume this Halloween! Come on, you’re not too old, or too mature or too sophisticated. Trust me, put on the costume and enjoy Halloween 2006.
You won’t be sorry… Be safe, have fun and cheers to the holidays that add magic to our lives!

Bumping into inspiration …

Have you ever just been minding your own business and bumped into something or someone that inspired you? This happens to me every now and again (and I love it).

Earlier this year, I was in the Seattle airport and had two hours before my connecting flight. It was late and I was returning from the East Coast and the time difference was really throwing me off. Honestly, I didn’t know how I was going to stay awake!

I decided that I’d better keep myself busy by visiting all the gift shops at the airport. At one particular gift shop, I decided to pass the time reading their greeting cards. I fell in love with the quote on the front of one (and bought it)…

This is what it said …

Walk in the rain,
Smell flowers,
Stop along the way,
Build sandcastles,
Go on field trips,
Find out how things work,
Tell stories,
Say the magic words,
Trust the universe.
- Bruce Williamson

The saying just really grabbed my attention and made me smile. I sat down in the airport and had a good ‘thinking session’ about the inspiring message …And agreed completely with every word!

The universe stepped up and helped me enjoy that little moment!
Cheers to field trips, sandcastles and adventures in the airport!

Do you have an inspiring quote or message that has helped you along your journey?
Please feel free to share it …

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Do you ever wake up and wonder ... Hmmm what will the weather be like today? I do that every now and again! And today was especially interesting because Mother Nature couldn’t decide what to do. There were patches of dark grey clouds in the sky mixed with bright blue clouds. In addition to the blue and grey, there was sunshine breaking through and gushes of wind and splashes of rain. It felt like Mother Nature was holding open her weather pallet. And it was truly amazing … the backdrop was sprinkled with fall’s vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. She was truly painting with all the colors of the wind!

I must say, today was an absolutely beautiful day! It reminded me of the song from Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’ … remember it? Below are a few lines to help jog your memory.

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

I love that song! And crazy weather days like today remind me that all the creatures on the Earth are different and unique and that to fully understand each other, we must walk in each other’s footsteps. I am thankful for days like today so I can understand the earth better and appreciate the seasons that come and go.

Cheers to the wind and the colors of fall… and to learning things we never knew…

I hope you take this little moment to look outside and appreciate the beauty of THIS day…

I’ll take a tree trunk shake please -

The other night, I was in the kitchen cleaning up (sound familiar?) and I could hear my three children playing together in the front room. They were full of energy, laughter and were quite excited about whatever they were putting together. I had to take a peek and see what all the fun was about! It was so cute, they had turned the entire room into a restaurant and I was their guest of honor! I was so amazed at how much they knew about the ‘food business’… They handed me a menu complete with a drink list, side dish options and dessert. Would you like to know what I chose from the lunch menu?

I ordered crab, a side of purple grapes and a large tree trunk shake. As you can imagine, all of the items were found around the house and determined what would go on the menu! I must admit, the tree trunk shake was simply wonderful… I had three refills on that one. And of course for dessert I chose a slice of pumpkin pie piled high with whip cream. (The pumpkin pie was a big orange light that goes into a carved pumpkin). Oh the power of imagination at work!

When it was time to pay, they simply handed me a pile of UNO cards and the bill. They assured me that UNO was the card of choice in their joint! Yes, I left them a very nice Wild card as a tip!

My children always remind me of the simple pleasures of being alive and creating fun with whatever is around. It’s refreshing to stop and think about the little people in our lives and the GIANT lessons they provide in every little moment.

Some of the lessons from this event were – Take time to imagine (it does wonders for the soul), Take time to play, and take time to love.

After the kids were all in bed, I couldn’t help but smile and wonder when I would be the fortunate honored guest at the Seafood by the Sea Restaurant again…. I hope it’s soon.

PS -
Just thinking about their menu makes me hungry…. I think I’ll tip toe to the kitchen and munch on a few tortilla chips and salsa. (And pretend that I’m really sipping down a thick, barky tree trunk shake!) You can pretend you’re having one too – if you want….

Good night.
Wendy