I Wish You A Very Merry Christmas Season and A Happy New Year!

I adore Christmas cards. The tradition of sending and receiving. Reading enclosed sentiments, personal notes and newsy letters. Looking at photographs and paying attention to all that has changed. Wondering how yet another year has passed so quickly. 

Sweet and sappy or simple and to the point. Handwritten, handmade and hand-signed or created, addressed and signed in printer's ink. Pictures of friends, families, pets and favorite adventures. They all carry more meaning than the card stock conveys. I have favorites I can remember from years ago. I love the way they help us all keep in touch; how taking the time to send a card reminds someone that they remain in your thoughts.....and vise-versa.

My friends, however, may not receive that message this year.....as it is well past Christmas and not-a-single hard-copy card, photo or piece of news has been stamped and mailed from this address. (I think for only the second year I can remember.) I'm still hoping to get something put together for New Year's.....but have a feeling that I won't. Just in case....see below.

I took particular joy in re-reading the cards and notes we received this year, then stringing their wishes together like a colorful paper chain for my own holiday message. I know it's almost too late, and that I've played around with tense and possibly taken a few other liberties with their text, but the wishes are heartfelt and come from a very sincere place. Cheers!

~~~~~

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Winter Wishes. Seasons Greetings. 

Joyful Greetings!!

Here's hoping that the season came softly and gently......bringing you a feeling of wonder. That it brought a flurry of fun! That you were at the top of Santa's list!

I hope you found nice surprises waiting for you everywhere. That you Celebrated with the Merriest of Friends! That your days were Filled With Love and Happiness. Warmth and Joy. May they continue to be Merry and Bright (as bright as the star on the top of the tree)......and filled with Joy and Peace.

Cherish the Season.Wishing you laughter and memories that shine brightly all year.

From Our Home To Yours......Our Family To Yours: Wishing you Special Joys, Warmest Thoughts and the Very Best. May the New Year bring you continued Health and Joy! 

Best Wishes for 2013.

Peace. 

Joy.

With Love. 

Warmly, Margaret

(PS. Let it Snow!)

Twenty-Five

A few (many) years ago....when I was twenty-five, I lived in an apartment in Seattle. It was a one bedroom, where, for the first time in my life, I lived by myself, with my cat, Eddie. At first that apartment felt strange and spacious and sort of decadent, since I had only lived with groups of others up until that point: a family of seven, a dorm, college and post college houses and apartments full of friends. I paid affordable rent for digs that had a view of Lake Union, the Space Needle and Queen Ann Hill. From my large window I watched morning light, sunsets, a famous lighting storm that I think the Seattle Times still sells photos from and lighted Christmas ships pass by throughout the holiday season. The building was in a neighborhood right in the city and had an actual asphalt parking lot where I could park my car. I started my job at the hospital at 7 and made it home by 4, which left plenty of time for an afternoon walk around Greenlake or to Pete's Market to see what sounded good for dinner.

At that point in my life, my sister and one or two other friends met up nearly every weekend for Breakfast at Julia's Fourteen Carrot Cafe which I could walk to. Their Tahitian Toast with a side of fresh fruit and yogurt was, and still is, one of my very favorite breakfast food memories of all times. For awhile, on Thursday evenings, my sister and one of these same friends took turns making dinner, after which we would tune in to the latest episodes of Family Ties, The Cosby Show and Cheers......one of the very best TV lineups of all times. 

At twenty-five I took the occasional weekend trip, understood I had never met someone like Marc before (we had been dating for about a year and a half at that point) and dreamt of going back to school. I enjoyed my friendships, loved to cook, walked for exercise, read and made things. I chopped enormous salads topped with cottage cheese, shredded cheddar, raisins and crushed saltines many nights for my dinner. I drove into downtown Seattle to shop and look and dream. I loved all kinds of music but had a special passion for classical. I knew I loved the out-of-doors, writing and taking pictures, and had a sense of adventure. I liked where my life was and where it was going. I didn't know exactly what the future held, but didn't really feel the need to either.

At twenty-five I didn't know that within the next five years I would be married, move all the way across the country and then back again, or have twin boys. I didn't know I'd have a husband who would give me flowers the day before our anniversary (which is, by the way today!) so that I could enjoy them the entire day of, or that another baby boy would come along. That I would explore my political views, quit a paying job to stay home and raise kids or exchange a vibrant city for the suburbs. 

About a week ago, my older boys turned twenty-five and I am (blank) years over twice their age. I think they live in a more complicated world than I did at that age.....but perhaps my parents felt the same way about me and their other children.  The one thing I do know is that certain themes have carried on throughout my life: my interests, what I value and the purposeful ways I spend my time. I can look back and see a similar pattern in my boys; activities each of them showed an interest in from an early age and the ways those have translated into how they currently choose to spend their time and energy. 

Have they noticed this pattern? I'm not sure and I don't really want to point it out....just to encourage them to pursue whatever it is that they're interested in. I want them to have the same sense of discovery about their own lives that I did and still do about mine.

Contact Sheet

Above is a contact sheet of images from a calendar I recently put together for 2013. A gift I enjoy making for friends and family. It is my way of keeping in touch, of remaining in contact (if you will), with them throughout the next twelve months. I try to use photos shot during the year in which I will give it......with the exception of those taken in December. I've made an executive decision that due to time constraints, December's can be drawn from the last month of the previous year.

I enjoy the hours of perusing computer files and blog posts. Of sifting through and remembering. Of eliminating, narrowing choices and then narrowing them some more. Of figuring out the one photo that......at least to me......best represents each month. I enlist Marc's help, see what he has to say about all of it (because he is totally willing and I respect his opinion), but make the final cut myself. 

As I do this I am looking for the best possible combination of subject, color, tone and feel. It's like putting a puzzle together. Each image is sized to 3 1/2 x 5" and printed on heavy 5 x 7" cardstock (the month underneath) so I want an image that can be viewed easily from across the room. I want the viewer to know what they're looking at from a few feet away, so the simpler the better. 

The whole process is fun and rewarding and something I love to do. It encourages me to slow down during a busy season. Allows me to take pause and feel thankful for some of the beauty I've come across during the year and for those I want to share it with. I know it might sound silly......but if I can actually match a photo to the month in which it was shot, I somehow feel as if I've scored a point in this game!

I have to say, putting 2013's calendar together has been a welcome distraction from the construction that is still (!) going on downstairs at my house. Call me naive, but I didn't think it would take as long, cost as much or be as noisy and dusty as it has been. No complaints here. I know that by changing these few elements, for the first time we are making our home into 'our home'. Can't wait.

Hope your Holiday season is going well! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Warmly, 

Margaret

(PS. This post wasn't meant to be a shameless attempt at self-promotion.......but yes.....I am willing to print a copy for you. $20 plus shipping. Look for a link to my Estsy shop within a couple of days or send me an email at thisfriendlyvillage@gmail.com.)

 

Holiday Dream

Last night I had one of those dreams. You know the one: Where you wake up engulfed in panic because you arrived late to a test or slept through a job interview. Nearly everyone I know has experienced a version of this dream at one time or another. 

My own personal twist on this nighttime theme of missing-out-on-something-important was that I showed up on time but forgot to bring my camera. In this scenario I was at a photo workshop, riding along merrily with a few others toward the location of our shoot. I remember being happy and chatty and looking out at the passing scenery, excited for all of its potential...... but as we piled out of the car and onto a rocky beach near sunset, I realized I had forgotten my gear. As everyone else, carrying cameras and tripods and backpacks with lenses in them, raced toward a variety of shooting possibilities, I stayed behind to dig through the trunk and circle 'round the vehicle in order to scan its seats thoroughly just one more time. 

Nope. I had arrived without a camera, I was away from home, and the hotel we were staying at was miles away. In this dream I wasn't the driver of the group of photographers, but a passenger, and I remember thinking that I couldn't very well ask him or her to drive me back to collect it. There would be no use, because by the time we both returned, all of that glorious evening light bathing the sand and rocks and driftwood and shore life would have disappeared. While normally I check and double check to make sure I have every piece of equipment I might need for a shoot, apparently I was so distracted by the fun and conversation of the people around me that I had neglected to bring any of it. To focus on the one necessary thing.

In the next scene......because, you know, my dreams have scenes......I was sitting back on a log watching the others in their excitement, wondering how to creatively stretch the limits of the Instagram app on my cell phone. 

~~~~~

So 'What is going on in your life, Margaret?' you might ask? Well.....a lot. Wonderful things, but a lot. And I'm theorizing maybe too-much-at-once, because...... I had that dream last night. 

We are inching closer to the Holidays......what am I saying? The holidays are HERE. 
Meanwhile, the remodel on the main floor of our house is inching along. I will not complain (not one bit) but I've been without use of a kitchen since October 29th. And without my favorite writing, gift wrapping, photo editing, and gazing-out-the-window-into-the-backyard table. The table where I set my baked goods on racks to cool, work on Christmas projects and the one which, I think, prompts me to write a few lines on this blog. (See, I knew I could fit in a great excuse for skipping out on a post for last week!) The Holidays are......errr......HERE, not one cookie has been baked and I'm feeling a bit stressed and behind and wondering if I will be be able to pull it all together by the time two of our boys return home from afar. Or at the very least by Dec 25th.

Amidst all of this sort of chaos, I do, every day, know and understand that I have much to be thankful for. Here is a list I made last year: Thankful . It still applies. I'm going to re-read it now as a good reminder to myself. Then I will take a few deep breathes and try to slow down and compartmentalize and do what I want/need to get done. I will visualize and dream about it all coming together.....or at the very least appreciate each moment as I move forward.

Wishing you a Wonderful Week ahead!

XO. 

Warmly, Margaret

Cool. - Empty Nest Repost #8

I have to admit I've wondered ever since I wrote a certain piece a few months ago, if I'd have occasion to refer to it again. The opportunity to say, "Yes......that happened. I hoped it would.....and it did." Well, tomorrow evening it will. Tomorrow evening Marc and I are heading into Seattle to hang out with a couple of our boys at a concert. They WANT to go with us. The only difference between tomorrow's concert and what I originally wrote about is that we'll be seeing someone current and not from our......you know......and oh, I-can-hardly-say-this-because-it-makes-me-feel-sort-of-oldish-and-uncool, but......our 'era'. 

I've had warnings that 'It will be loud, Mom........and long', but except for the fact I'll be missing the one of ours that now lives in New York......I don't care. It'll be cool.

Click here to read the original post:  Cool.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Warmly, 

Margaret

From Beach to Mountain..... and Empty Nest Revisted - 3

Good Wednesday Morning!

Saturday I returned home from the Oregon Coast.......and tomorrow will be heading in the opposite direction. Switching gears from a focused week behind my camera to a few days focused on our youngest.

Within a weeks time, I will have traveled from sea level to a city built in an ancient lake. 

From work to play. From 'me' time to family time. From colorful beach towns to Rocky Mountain fall colors. From the muted tones of the Pacific horizon to a Saturday football stadium sea of maroon and silver. 

Last week was about raucous fall waves, windy beaches, working harbors, sea stacks, seabirds and sand. This weekend......about a raucous group of twenty year olds, music, listening, fun, football and food. 

For sure it will be about food! Reservations are secured at his favorite restaurant. Cookies are in the oven. Spicy marinated soba noodles packed in containers and ready to go. And I know we'll stop for a sandwich and cup of 'Hangover Stew' or enormous 'Mondo Burrito' at a couple of our favorite lunch places.

Last week I was anxious to find out what the ocean and it's coastline had in store for me. This week I'm looking forward to seeing what my son has in store. Finding out how he has planned our days. Living in his world for just a bit. Observing what he thinks is important and worthwhile.......how he expresses himself and what he is proud of.

Below is the link to the third in a series of re-posts about the 'Empty Nest'. It is an essay I wrote a while ago that was picked up by Mamalode Magazine.....so by clicking on it you will be directed to their website.

Commencement

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly, Margaret

Renewed

I often peruse the books, blogs and articles of different writers and photographers. Although I love reading what they have to write or taking a look at spectacular and interesting images, there are times when I what I'm really interested in finding out is what they have to say about their own successes or failures. To learn what inspires and motivates them. To collect thoughts about the creative process. To gather advice about what one does with a  fuzzy and overly-tapped creative portion of the brain......when nothing worth placing on either a computer screen or fine piece of paper rises to the top with enough clarity to pursue. What I consistently find.......and what I already know......is that in order to come up with something interesting enough to share, you must also at least attempt to live a life that is interesting to you.  And that it is important to become aware of the ratio of work vs. play that allows and encourages you to produce what is most important to you to produce. This makes sense to me not only as a creative person, but in the rest of my life as well.


There is a quote I refer to often that is attributed to Benjamin Franklin: 

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing". 

Another favorite from Abraham Lincoln is:

"Whatever you are....be a good one."

What I have personally found is that in order to 'write something worth reading', take a meaningful photograph or make a 'good' attempt at anything, I need some balance in my life and that means getting enough of a few important things: 


Enough time spent with close family and friends. Enough opportunities to meet new ones. Enough time spent watching and observing. Enough connecting with the natural world. Enough physical activity. Enough time spent doing things I love simply for the sheer enjoyment of doing them.


These activities and relationships encourage, inspire and restore. They remind me that I am connected to, and part of, something much larger than myself. They allow me to rejuvenate in order to work and think and process and produce. 


And so, this is how I spent the past week: I checked out of my regular daily routine and spent time in a small mountain community. I walked into town with Marc for breakfast and a bit of looking around. I hiked along a foaming aqua stream, watched a black bear amble along a high ridge......(a safe but still thrilling distance away) and purposely put my fly rod down in order to gaze at the river flow along the winding path that it took years to create. I tasted new food, toasted good friends and hung out with my dear husband and parents. I found a place on the beach to watch the sun tuck the lake in for the night and then left our window open in order to fall asleep to the sound of a train chugging and whistling along its tracks. I looked forward to waking to the early morning busy-ness of  the birds.


And now.....I am renewed.


Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.


Warmly, Margaret

13.1

I've always loved to walk out of doors. It is a low stress activity. It releases any tension I may be carrying around. It is fresh air and discovery. It is purposeful movement and unexpected moments. It encourages both acute observation and becoming lost in thought at the same time. The repetitive motion puts my world in perspective. It is good for me. 


Throughout my twenties, I took long walks around Greenlake in Seattle several times a week. With my earphones on and my Walkman (it was the 80's) tuned to the classical station, I made my way around the 3 mile path (often more than once) and watched it change with the seasons. At the time I worked in  a hospital lab......a fairly precise and uncreative way to spend 8-10 hours a day......but on the path around the lake, bird calls, breezes and a multitude of instruments provided background music that highlighted the movement and drama of nature.


At some point, as they say, 'life happened'. My walks became fewer and farther in-between, and since I no longer lived close enough, were rarely around the lake. Now and again I've picked it back up, but other responsibilities regularly began to take precedence over the time I used to give myself.  Sometimes I have stopped for weeks or months or ended up walking only when I was either out of town or on vacation. 


This fall a few friends and I decided to meet up twice a week to walk. We had the same goals in mind:  fresh air, exercise,  friendship,  fun. I love that I've made a commitment to show up, not only for myself but for the others as well, and that we spend time out of doors rain or shine. One of the women is a realtor, which translates into the fact that she knows just about every steep hill in the area. We push and/or wait for each other. We encourage and support each other. 


Early on we set a goal of walking the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon together and on Saturday we did it.  Although we had planned to keep a somewhat slower pace than normal......for some reason no one did. In fact, I think we all walked faster! We strode past shops, the Public Market, sports stadiums, industrial areas, neighborhoods, schools and parks. We walked into and out of two tunnels, across a couple of over-passes and along the shore of Lake Washington. It was a beautiful and priceless opportunity to view our city in a way we never have before. And......although it had been pouring rain for the couple days previously......and although rain was predicted to fall on that day......the sun came out and there was not a drop that fell on us during the entire 13.1 miles.


3 hours and 37 minutes, and lots of encouragement from bands and bystanders later, we crossed the finish line together. I've been outside walking several times this week. I have my sites set on next year.


Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.


Warmly, Margaret

Discovery

Hello from Missoula, Montana. This is Day 5 of a six day photography workshop at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography and I am practically buzzing with all I've learned. What a great experience this week has been so far.

I have been pushed in ways I had not yet imagined...which is, I guess the beauty of putting ones self 'out there'.  The pay off of paying attention to an urge. A dream. An intuition. Of listening to what makes you happy. Of taking a risk.

The truth is that doing what makes you happy, I have found many times over, isn't necessarily easy. The fact that there are angst inducing decisions involved....that there are times I am forced to stretch and grow and see things differently....tempts me to allow my life to remain, every day, 'as is'.  The past few days I have been busy and tired and missing my home. I've gone to sleep late,  jumped out of bed early the next morning and needed an extra cup of coffee in order to make it thorough the following afternoon. I have entered a room full of strangers and made an effort to get to know them all. I've carried heavy equipment for blocks, been caught out in rain, wind, sleet and snow for hours and managed not to fall into a rushing creek.

Has it been worth it? A definitive 'Yes'! Every single moment! I have learned to see subtleties that one week ago I may not have noticed, improved my technical skills, scrawled pages of notes and asked a lot of myself creatively. I've explored options on my camera's menu I have not used before and discovered further all the places this camera of mine can take me. I have had wonderful conversations with wonderful people. Been challenged to see and compose and shoot in new and different ways. I have defined what I'm capable of...... and realized I'm capable of even more than that. I've settled comfortably into what previously seemed...... uncomfortable.

I have fallen into bed happy each night. Challenged and fulfilled and encouraged and wanting more and more and more of this. And feeling, most importantly, that the pursuit of continually learning and improving my photographic skills is the absolute right path for me to be on.

Wishing you a wonderful week of your own kinds of discoveries!

Warmly, Margaret

A Few Things:

Evening light on a vineyard in Sonoma Valley. The wild mustard is in bloom.

A few tidbits from a busy week:

*I learned how to make rack of lamb. Lamb is something I love to order in restaurants, but for some reason have never made at home until recently. I checked out several ways to cook it, thinking it must be complicated because it tastes so good....until I found this recipe from the New York Times. Simple. It's what we're having tonight.

*I watched two movies this week that I'll recommend: Midnight In Paris and The Big Year. Both are fun, entertaining and have beautiful scenery. They had great messages and stories that made me think. (Anyone who knows me knows that I don't watch dark, violent or super-suspenseful movies.) Each of them are about pursuing something you love and finding balance in your life while you do it. I'll say no more.......

*A group of friends and I are working our way up to walking 13 miles......a half marathon. Yesterday we walked over five miles in a freezing snowstorm, then sipped coffee afterwards, dripping-wet and cold, at a nearby Starbucks. We stuck it out and didn't call our morning walk off due to the frigid weather (I really wanted to.....). I was proud of us (me)!

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Warmly, Margaret

Their Turf

We've spent some pretty special weekends during the past six years with each of our boys on their college campuses. They've taken a bit of planning on our parts, what with arranging time off work and travel plans. The older boys started college when Joey was a high school freshman, so during those years we needed to line up places for him to stay, and rides to and from football practices and games before he could drive. There were hotel  and dinner reservations to make, football or concert tickets to secure, activities to think about and weather to plan for.  I often cooked or baked something to bring along so they each could enjoy a taste of home. We otherwise loaded the car with seasonal items such as coats, hats, gloves and boots; things they may have overlooked as they packed up during a warm week in August.

These weekends took some planning on the boys parts as well. For as excited as we were to go see them, they seemed appreciative and genuinely happy when we showed up. It was obvious that they put some thought into what we would do. They showed us around campus and around town. We were introduced to their friends, their friends parents and their professors. To good music and cool cafes. They showed us the best places to get hot dogs, sub sandwiches, burritos, steaks, burgers, pancakes, pizza, cups of coffee or great beer. We saw where they lived, studied, hiked and played. We were able to experience snapshots of their college town and campus life.

Looking back, it's been fun to see that traditions have formed surrounding these weekends. We have almost always done certain things or eaten at certain places from year to year. There are requisite parental runs to Costco, Walmart and Target. Trips to the mall or REI. Marc and I have both found things around their towns or on their campuses that we enjoy doing while the boys are in class, taking a nap or otherwise engaged.

I had kind of a lump in my throat during the last weekend I spent with Patrick before he graduated. At his school they have separate Mom and Dad Weekend's, so Marc and I were each able to have a couple days of good one-on-one time with him each year. At the University of Montana, where both Peter and Joey attend(ed), it's a Family Weekend. Last weekend was Joey's second. Just a couple more to go and I will have a lump in my throat about that campus, too. Peter was such a great sport. Although he still lives in Missoula, he kept reminding us that it was Joey's turn, allowing and encouraging his brother to make the plans and call the shots.

What a great opportunity for parents to see the adults that their children are becoming. We've returned home each time feeling so proud. I'm hoping they want to continue with some kind of similar weekend tradition, even after graduation.

On the website Make It Missoula I wrote about......you guessed it.....Family Weekend this week. To look at some photos and take a quick read, click here: GRIZ Family Weekend


Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Margaret

The Way It Goes

We're planning a Road Trip to Missoula to visit Peter and Joey. Life has been somewhat of a whirlwind these days as far as our family is concerned.....our front door seemingly in constant motion with all of the comings and goings. No longer is the time we spend with each other predictable. Gone are the days with schedules; knowing what time the boys will get up, leave or come home on a daily basis. When I know exactly when or if  they will be able to show up. Jobs, school, opportunities......It's a different stage of life and any attempts at predictability are futile..

We see each other when it's possible with no expectations. Each visit will be made the best of.  As it turns out, the one who now lives the farthest away will be home for a few days while we are in a different state visiting his brothers. When we return, we'll see him for just a few minutes, if at all.

We're home, they're not. They're home.....we're not. Our relationships are about love, priorities and timing. Appreciating each visit for what it is. Being thankful that we live in an age where long distance communication is fast, inexpensive and easy. 

And that's the way it goes......

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

XO, Margaret

PS. You can read about my love of a good Road Trip , specifically our trips to Missoula MT, here!

One Week.....

Hey Friends,

Guess what I haven't done yet on this blog. Taken a week off!  So......that's what I'll be doing, with not much new for today (Friday) or next Tuesday. I'll be back the following Friday, August 25th. Everyone deserves a little time off, eh?

In the mean time, I invite you to introduce yourself either by leaving a comment or sending an email to thisfriendlyvillage@gmail.com  After nearly 8 months, you know quite a few things about me and I'd like to know a little something about you, too. So far I've made it a point to share snippets of what I think is important, some of what I value, so let me know: What is important to you? What kinds of things do you value? I'd also love a couple of good book suggestions as fall is rolling into view and reading on the couch by a fire sounds kind of good for some reason!

Feel free to let me know what you'd like to hear more about (or less about!) or if there are any particular posts or photographs that have made a difference. If you haven't read them all, I would just love it if you did!

I'll pass along a link to my August 18th contribution on the website www.makeitmissoula.com. In it I share ten things I love about that city and talk a bit about each. Since there is so much I enjoy when we're there, I hesitated calling it my top ten....Let's just say it's a list of some of my current favorites, with more to come!

Here is the link: http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2011/08/my-top-10-things-about-missoula/

Cheers! And have a great week. I plan to......

XO, Margaret

Priorities

Peter rolled in the other night around midnight. I knew he'd pull into our driveway about that time and so went to bed figuring I'd wake up when he got home, just as I have since he was in his teens. A few random noises nudged me and then I became fully awake when his dog, Lewis, sprinted into my room to say hi. He jumped on the bed and looked me square in eye with an invitation to go downstairs and hang out that I found irresistible......so at 12:15 AM, in jammies and my robe, I gave myself permission to sleep late the next morning and then settled in to my awakeness at the kitchen table to listen and watch for awhile. To point out the left overs in the fridge and the raspberry pie on the counter.

Pat was still up, Joey not home yet and Marc asleep upstairs, so it was just the three of us in the kitchen. I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of watching those two boys interact, just as I have since the minute they came into this world one right after the other. They're mesmerizing, the two of them together, and although they would roll their eyes at this, still look at each other, still laugh at each other, the same way they have since they were toddlers. Predictable, guttural, twinkling belly-laughs that have changed only in pitch, not timing.

When I got up the next morning, this is what I found strewn about: A Glacier Park ball cap, a pair of sandals, a guitar...... and every door and a few of the drawers in the kitchen left open. Random silverware, six plates, two bowls, three glasses, pie crumbs and raspberry stains on the counter, along with an empty bottle of wine. They were in the middle of figuring out how Pat could end up in Montana for a few days next week when I decided to go back to bed and must have stayed up for quite awhile after that. Soon after I crawled into the sheets, Joey came home, so I'm sure these and other future plans then included the three of them.

Will I ever tire of this? No. Will I mention my interrupted sleep or the mess I cleaned up the next morning? Never. Someday they'll figure it out. I had 'one of those days' all week this week. You know the ones. One step forward, two back. Days where the best laid plans didn't come together. Ones where I questioned some things that only a short time ago I felt very sure of. This late night noise, this messy mess that occurred was oddly comforting. It stopped the clock for awhile. It was balm for my soul.

Ahhhh....priorities. Have a great weekend!

Warmly,

Margaret

PS. I would love it if you took a look at my new post on Make It Missoula.  It's about how two of my boys ended up choosing to go school at The University of Montana. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about the city of Missoula or are considering attending the University of Montana, you might want to take a read. Here is the link:

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2011/08/so-why-missoula/

Again.....Commitment

We were so fortunate this past weekend to have been invited to celebrate with my friends for their 25th wedding anniversary. Fortunate that it provided us with a fun weekend away. Fortunate because we were able to partake of their gracious hospitality. That they are our friends and have been for so many years. 

There were many highlights to the evening, not the least of which was how thoughtfully it was put together. Drinks on the patio that took advantage of a serene and beautiful view. Dinner in their orchard that stretched into sunset. It was festive, casual, fun.  

I came away with a renewed appreciation for staying in touch; remaining in touch. An appreciation for those I've met but a handful of times who have enriched the layers of my life. The entire evening was warm and meaningful, but perhaps the best moments were when my friend held the microphone for her 94 year old mother as she read a couple of handwritten pages she had prepared on the topic of marriage. She spoke slowly and clearly so that we all might hear and understand her, pausing occasionally to look up at her daughter, her son-in-law and their guests. Her words were wise as she spoke of what marriage and other relationships take to survive. They were fair, not sugar-coated and real. She encouraged those listening to understand that difficulties are part of the process and that each relationship will encounter its own unique set. She also stressed that many times, most times, the difficulties are not insurmountable. I hope I've done her words justice. 

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Margaret

The Power Of Nature

Last week I had the privilege of watching an evening thunderstorm travel through a mountain valley. Lightning strikes flashed while the smell of electricity hung heavy in the air. Thunder echoed deep and low and loud against surrounding rocky faces. A train whistle added interesting layers to the noise.

I watched as a mama Grizzly and her two cubs played on a snowbank across a lake....at least that's what it looked like they were doing. It was close enough to be thrilling; far away enough to be safe.

I hiked a trail I'd been on many times before only to find that this time, at a certain point, trees were strewn every which way on either side like a pile of old fashioned pick-up-sticks. I noticed the strong, sweet splintered-wood perfume before I made it to the spot of the avalanche swipe.

I hope that I'll always be in awe of the power of nature to provide, to astonish, to tear down, to rebuild, to amuse, to soothe. To encourage wonder and understanding and peace. To give places from which we can look deep within. Places where we feel real connection to the earth and to those around us.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Margaret

Markers

Within the past couple of years I've been a part of an 85th and a 90th birthday party and have attended celebrations honoring a few other ages as well. I've been to both high school and college graduations. Planned gatherings celebrating our children and attended ones that celebrated their friends. Been a part of events centered around family, good friendships, a Football Championship, the birth of a baby.

Sometimes I've been a part of the planning and sometimes lucky enough to simply show up. I've put cards in the mail, wrapped gifts, made food, set tables, arranged flowers and cleaned up. Bought new clothes, found accessories and fixed my hair. Charged my camera battery and checked for space on the memory card. I've met new friends and reminisced with old. Realized how past events helped my current life to fall into place. I've stayed up too late. Fallen into bed. Put my feet up. Been too excitied to sleep.

In my last post I shared a picture of a sign that has  an arrow pointing to the 'M' trail, a short trail we like to hike. It is steep and has several sharp turns. How easy or difficult it is depends solely on the shape I'm in and my attitude at the moment. The view from the top is beautiful and changes with the seasons, so climbing that hill is always worth the time. I love the sign at the bottom and am almost always moved to take a picture of it. It reminds this 'M' to pay attention......to life, to relationships, to putting time in, to what might be around the corner. There have been many signs I've paid attention to and some I haven't. Sometimes I've asked for a sign, sometimes they've been right in front of me and sometimes, in retrospect, I've understood that one had been there all along. I've had a few 'aha' moments along the way.

Marc and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this fall with the trip of a lifetime.  We're making plans to attended an anniversary dinner for good friends next month. Last weekend we went to a wedding reception for a couple who obviously and unabashedly showed their love for one another. This week I'm starting a sweater for a new baby.

I love these markers; what they signify and what they celebrate. I feel strongly about honoring both the people and events that shape our lives. They help me remember to pay attention to where I've been and the choices I've made. To recognize the important people folding in and out of my life. They are fun and perspective and reality and sweetness. They recognize hard work. They wrap me in warm appreciation and knowledge. They nudge me toward an intentional future.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with something to celebrate.

Warmly,
Margaret

On Writing....On Blogging

I decided to begin a blog for a few different reasons but mainly to use as vehicle during a time of transition. I wanted to find out what would surface and figure out which way to go. I hoped it would teach me important things about myself, my changing role, goals and priorities. At the same time I devoted more hours putting pen to paper and writing. It all fits together.

This is what I've found so far:

** I enjoy the process of recording the day to day twice a week on this blog and the direct interaction that comes with it. It is casual and spontaneous and has a different feel than writing an essay or short story.

**I enjoy finding photographs to accompany each post. Whether they fit the topic directly or rather obliquely....they make sense to me.

**Hardly anyone puts pen to paper anymore....more like fingers to keys to LCD screen. However it happens, collections of words still appear. Marc gave me a red Moleskin notebook a couple months ago so I would have a place to jot down thoughts and ideas. And I do......so there is my pen to paper. 

** Outside of this blog, personal essays and short pieces of fiction are where I've landed for awhile.  I like the challenge of saying something within the confines of an assigned word count. The way it makes me distill a piece to the bones; a contrast to how wordy I am in live conversation.

 **I'm pretty sure I could tell the most embarrassing tales about my boys here on this space and would never hear back about it. So very tempting........but of course I won't. 

**Some days I don't have a clue what I'm going to say. The steam of a shower, a long walk or baking usually helps. I'm without an oven at the moment. It's been tough without cookies.

**Spending time doing something I truly enjoy has been a great way to move through life's changes. They're inevitable, right?

Hope there is something you enjoy spending time doing as well!

XO
Margaret