small-town philosophy

-A cool, delectable iced mocha from the coffee shop inside the antique store at the bottom of the hill in Cameron.  It was the perfect pick-me-up for a Wednesday afternoon.

-Running into 3 church members and the granddaughter of another between the local gas station and the post office one morning.  What fun.

-Discovering in my James Rollins book that there was really a Nicolas Flamel, a 15th century French chemist who developed a gold powder he called the Philosopher's Stone.  J.K. Rowling really did her homework for Harry Potter.  When I pointed this out on facebook, my cousin Lee (my reading twin) said she had the same "Aha!" moment.

make yourself at home

-A recharging Saturday that began with a delectable pastry from a local bakery, coffee and a leisurely read of my captivating novel as the cool morning breeze danced around me.

-Discovering new bedding that adds a fun exotic feel to my room.  I adore this shade of green.  I must have inherited the love of olive green from my Grandmother.  The furry pillow is, of course, my favorite.

-That first bite of creamy, cheesy rosemary-roasted butternut squash risotto, that made the flavors of Fall explode in my mouth.

let's sit a spell

-An unexpected moment of respite in the middle of my day where I had twenty minutes to just sit outside on a bench and appreciate the Fall breeze before heading to my next meeting.

-A great chat with my sista.

-Being brought delicious soup by a church member, just in time for cooler weather.

moments that warm the soul

-A warm, fragrant cup of camomile tea with a hint of honey to round out my day.

-Watching a husband look at his wife with pure adoration and say, "You're so pretty."  They're newlyweds.  He's 83.  She's 93.

-A deep breath of fresh fall air in the morning.

Remembering

Of course I will remember this day. You don't need me to tell you that. How can any of us forget? But I will not only remember the tragedy that happened on this day, I will also remember that we are not defined as a nation by that tragedy. We are defined by so much more. We honor those who lost their lives and loved ones on that day by remembering the freedom, compassion and unity that make us who we are. By remembering that we belong to each other and that if such an act of violence did not divide us, then nothing should (especially our politics). I remember.

fantastic firsts

-Kicking off youth group in our wonderful new youth room.  I was so impressed with how open and insightful these teenagers were, sharing stories easily and talking deep theology with wisdom.  Hayden enjoyed being the group mascot.

-My first day of a conversational Spanish class where the teacher was a delightfully feisty woman from Spain and the other students were warm and friendly.  ¡Mi gusta!

-The feel of Fall in the air that puts a skip in my step no matter how full or challenging my day is.

taking care

-A man working in the hospital who really cared about his job.  His name was Eddie.  He came to move a patient (my church member) to a room and said that "When he's transporting someone, they become the most important person in the whole hospital."  And he treated him that way.

-Looking out on the congregation during the prelude and feeling grateful to know such lovely people.

-My precious pup rallying after getting pretty sick and spending hours at the emergency vet.  He is a strong little guy, and is doing much better today.