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All content on this blog is copyright protected.~ask permission to use my content (including re-blogging)Margaret Barry Settlement House
I am a perennial optimist
I Am Becoming the Me I Was Born To Be
As I journey through this part of my life I have discovered my next mountain. The key is to be the me I want to be in the world, as my gift back to God.-
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- Architects of Change
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- Pause with me
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right
- I fell in love with the ocean
- H2O therapy
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June 2023 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Archives
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Smiling Jesus: by Frances Hook
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Category Archives: Nature
Pause with me
Happy Saturday. How are you doing today? Do you feel the need to pause and collapse this weekend?To pause to restore and regroup is a comforting way to put it. For me, striking a balance between stepping back to pause … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Family Life and Issues, God, Nature, stress
Tagged destress, Faith, pause, regroup
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I fell in love with the ocean
I grew up in Minnesota and Chicago. I loved the rivers and lakes. Beach time was precious. In my adult life I have lived within about an hour and 15 min from the ocean. Oh, boy, that is incredible. My … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Friendship, God, Nature, stress
Tagged happy place, ocean, self-care
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H2O therapy
Anyone else feel de-stressed around water? Yesterday afternoon, I headed to our community pool and went for a quick swim. Being in the water works like a charm for me. My favorite, of course,is the ocean. But, a river, lake, … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, God, Nature, optimism, stress
Tagged beach therapy, relaxation, stress
2 Comments
Not just a chore: a chance for gratitude
I hope your Thursday goes well. What is on your mind and heart today?Are you filled with wonder at God’s creation? When I hear the birds singing in the trees in my yard and see the sunny sky, I try … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, God, Nature, optimism, Positive Thinking
Tagged cascade of thankfulness, chore, gratitude
1 Comment
The need to feel at home
Roofs – by Joyce Kilmer ‘The road is wide and the stars are out and the breath of the night issweet,And this is the time when wanderlust should seize upon my feet.But I’m glad to turn from the open road and … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, Friendship, God, Nature, stress, time management
Tagged de-stress, self-care
1 Comment
“If you don’t climb the mountain, you can’t see the view.”
I lift my eyes to the mountains from whence cometh my help Harvey Mackay wrote “If you don’t climb the mountain, you can’t see the view.” Phoenix is completely surrounded by mountains. So as I drive about on any given … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, God, Nature, optimism
Tagged facing challenges, Faith, hope, Life, nature, Optimism
12 Comments
Is today a day for picking daisies?
My friend Linda is fighting cancer, once again. No, she isn’t just fighting it, she is determined to give it a knock-out, all the time prevailing with joy, laughter, and optimism. She inspires all who know her, with her zest … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Health and exercise, Nature, Positive Thinking
Tagged Courage, daisies, daisy, Faith, Friendship, inspiration, Life
10 Comments
Half-year resolutions: Things we can do
Here we are nearly half-way through the year already. I don’t know about you, but I know I like to assess things at about this point in the year. Martha Stewart and so many others have all kinds of suggestions … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Family Life and Issues, Nature
Tagged Faith, half year resolutions, Life, Optimism
8 Comments
The sea, the world, family, and more
I am half-Irish. Long ago my ancestors ventured here from Ireland. Is that why I love the sea (and all other bodies of water)? Is that why being near the ocean de-stresses me almost immediately? It restores me and relieves … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, Nature
10 Comments
Autumn Has Always Been Special to Me
I have to admit, I always loved autumn when I loved in parts of the country that had spectacular autumns. I love the gloriously bright oranges, yellows, and red that make the trees look ablaze with color. I love scuffling … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Nature
Tagged autumn, autumn leaves, Faith, fall, God, hope, Joy, jumping in leaves, perennial optimist, suffering, tulip bulbs, tulips, winter
19 Comments
Sweet Samuel L.
I am finally getting caught up. Jake’s Sunday challenge http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/sunday-post-nature/ this week is to post photo(s)words about nature. today I am posting a photo of one of my two kitties. His name is Samuel L. He is what is called a … Continue reading
Bossed Around By a Fortune Cookie
Today is Friday and life is good. My son and I had some Chinese food for lunch today, and of course had fortune cookies for dessert. They are so much fun, and sometimes even give you food for thought. When … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast
Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast. This photo was taken near where my niece and my sister-in-law play hockey at an indoor arena. I love how the colors and light, clouds, and shadow contrast in the gorgeous photo of the sky. I … Continue reading
God’s Love and Steadfastness is So Vast
We cannot outlast God. He is, of course more vast, more loving, more steadfast than we can ever be. When I saw the Grand Canyon I realized that compared to the size of God’s love, the Grand Canyon is like … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter
Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter. This is a photo of a dust storm from this summer here in the Phoenix area. We don’t get the amazing blizzards down here in Phoenix. I surely grew up with them, though, in MN and … Continue reading
Pretty flowers on a December day
Weekly Photo Challenge: Waiting.12/2/11 I can wait all I want. But in Phoenix there will never be a huge pile of snow for sledding. However—yesterday it actually snowed in Scottsdale. That is a northern suburb of Phoenix—about 25 miles from … Continue reading
Sketch Photo: Homesick for the Sea
When I am homesick for the sea I have some gorgeous photos on my wall of oceans at sunset. I must clarify that those are photos I did not take. Sometimes i need more immediacy than that. I am at … Continue reading
Pumpkin Girl Strikes Again
As I mentioned in my post on 11/26 I took a drawing class. Besides my other posts for the next few weeks I am going to post photos I took of my charcoal sketches. i was amazed that I could … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged Creativity, literature, nature, postaday2011, postaweek2011, Sketches, quilts, photography
8 Comments
The Joy of living Many Places
I was fortunate to move many times as I grew up. It stood me in good stead when I spent a semester in Italy in college. I bought a Eurail Pass and explored many countries (whether or not I could … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Wonder
Weekly Photo Challenge: Wonder. When I think of a photo of wonder I think of photos of sights that left you drop jaw amazed. I am not saying my photos are in and of themselves stunning. I am still not … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Fall 9/23/11
Weekly Photo Challenge: Fall. Even though I am in the south now, I still get to enjoy a bit of fall colors and fall weather even if it is through photos sent to me!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers
Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers. As you can see by the photo, the flowering bush towers over the fence. The fence was above 6 feet high—so you do the math 😉 . And Texas thinks things are big there!
Postaday topic #176: Find the nearest window. What’s the most interesting thing you see?
Topic #176: Find the nearest window. Look outside. What is the most interesting thing you see? What is the least interesting thing? If you don’t have a window, close your eyes and imagine one: what do you see when you … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sky
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sky. Arizona has gorgeous skies—at sunrise, sunset and anytime inbetween.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Worn
Weekly Photo Challenge: Worn. What could be more dramatically worn down than a meteorite? Quite other-wordly, I’d say!
Spring is different here
Spring is different here in the Southwest. Understand, I spent almost my entire life in the north, in snow country. Spring was an exuberant time there—when it was finally in the upper 40s to low 50s you felt an irresistable urge … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water 5/26/11
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water. Being around water has always been restorative to me. When I was a kid it was lakes and rivers and walking in the rain. As an adult it has included those things and expanded to include … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged perennial optimist, postaday2011, postaweek2011, relaxation, stress, weeklyphotochallenge
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Tiny 5/20/11
Weekly Photo Challenge: Tiny.
Posted in Nature
Tagged dragonfly perched on reed, nature, postaday2011, postaweek2011, weeklyphotochallenge
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Believe Anyway 