A Mantra for the New Year

I went on an Adventure recently. I'm not one for Adventures. I'm a stay-at-home-body. I like to not be far from my books and my pencils, my pets and my slippers, my coffee....

But Adventure I did, and afterwards I found myself walking along in foreign territory, hyper-aware, paying attention....

And during this time I discovered some things in my path, one of which was a Snapple cap. (I'm like a magpie sometimes; you should see some of the stuff that comes out of my trouser pockets on laundry day....) And inside the cap was this 'fun fact': "Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens."

I love this message. I instantly took it personally. To me it was saying:

"Small can still be fierce."

"You are a force to be reckoned with."

"Never underestimate the power of little things."

 "You are not as insignificant as you think you are."

Since then I've adopted it as my mantra for the year.

What is your mantra for 2013? 
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Summer's Here!

First Fruits of the Season

The peas are fattening, the mulberries are ripening -- it's the second week of summer and already I feel as though it's nearly over!

I've yet to set up the hammock in a shady spot and haul out a comic book or two for some summer vacation reading. I still have to tie the cushions on the patio chairs, and throw the faded cloth over the bistro table. I must set the jar of sun tea out to strengthen in the heat of the front step. I need to bring down the iced tea glasses -- the ones with the ripe-cherries-and-checkerboard pattern -- from their top shelf. I must remember to clip a daylily and stick it in the Coke-bottle vase for the center of the table.... And for heaven's sake! What am I saving all those brand-new bottles of Bubble Stuff for?? I must get the Grandbug over here so the two of us can spill it all over ourselves in our attempts to create the world's biggest backyard bubble, one that will bring Glinda the Good Witch here to Tumbledown!

Holy cow, I'm a little behind on all the play....

So here's this week's mantra, everyone: Summer doesn't wait, but housework does. Let's leave it and enjoy the sun!
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