Day 13 /365

Taking a deep breath.... and being present with this momentt...I lovingly reflect on my day...like a cosmic slide show of grace; I am filled with the Spirit of Gratitude...I am thankful for my rich, rich life...and I am thankful for:

1.) the unexpected joyful delight of a puppet show at lunch and on my way home from work!. ...thanks to the imaginative creator of Puppet Bike*. ...oh what a joy it was to watch those two kitty-kats dance and wave and pose for photos....the choreography of their dances was too cute. I am thankful that the guy that created this traveling show with charming puppets.. which feel very alive to me... they definitely have personalities! Thank you Puppet Bike creator... this is just what our world needs.. delight and fun and joy and expressed-creativity..and delighting in our unique self-expression. You bring smiles to the hearts and faces of the mulititudes.. thank you! *(click on "dance" and then "dance 3" ...and get ready to feel cheer bubble up within you :)

2.) connecting with my friend, Brenda...twice today... quite unexpectedly. Oh.. friends are such good medicine... and cheer for the heart; thank your dear friend.

3.) Howard Thurman's words: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - This is a big, magnificent key to the "joy of living" - it's a gift that keeps on giving. - Thank you Mr. Thurman!

4.) my new journal...and the revealing, centering and insightful process of writing

5.) working with the idea of "process" not "product" in my creativity - much like the idea that it's the journey...not the desitination; I am thankful for the deep journey my creative explorations take me on; I am thankful that Creativity is my mentor.

6. the lady who found my mittens and returned them to me.... mucho gracias!

Day 12 /365

Ah...the Spirit of Gratitude surrounds me...and abides in me. It sleeps with me, awakes with me, is my companion throughout the day and blankets me in its Love whiile I sleep... and for all of that I am immensely grateful. I am also grateful for:

1.) the song "My Heart Spinning" on Judith Cornell's Mandala Healing Kit CD... hearing the lyrics and melody.. "my heart spinning...is the un-i-verse... "- were with me this morning...singing themselves

2.) the power of chanting the sacred sound "aum" - and the others that resonate with each chakra

3.) the Blooming Heart mandala I created - it feels like a theme..."my blooming heart"

4.) the scent of Rose Otto essential oil by Floricopia

5.) my kindred-spirt-sister, Vimala Rodgers.. and her work with the sacredness of our handwriting patterns...and the history of the alphabet -- thank you dear Vimala

6.) book-ending my day with gratitude...and the gratitude sandwich I have throughout the day - feels wonderful.. like the quote by David Steindl-Rast says: "As I express my gratitude, I become more deeply aware of it. And the greater my awareness, the greater my need to express it. What happens here is a spiraling ascent, a process of growth in ever expanding circles around a steady center."