Only Words

Rendered deciduous

Leaves of once-confidence 

Slip suddenly off their stems.

Then thin, new growth

Now thickened by life,

Fed by fruit -

Until outward progress

Firmed and fattened these

Trunk and branches

(Staid by girth

And rooted in the sameness

Of place): soil that surrounds

Awaiting the first drop...

Tender snap to en-lightened fall.

Crispness of age and final days take

A surprising last dance,

Thrilling sky waltz,

Before the sleep that softens

Unfurls and decomposes

One symphony

After another.

In the Misty Morning

The Goosethwaite Family

Down at the lake today...

Mother Goose avec her goslings and Father Goose guarding them. At one point Father Goose assumed a right menacing position and charged some passersby geese who were getting a bit too close for comfort.

Honk honk honkeroo!

The Unfurl - Secret Hipster Poem

It happens little by little...

We all have leaves

That shoot up full of life

From dark places.

Often they arise from pain;

Oftener still, they grow and collect

Any drop of sunshine's joy

And any coolness of the rain.

In so serving to feed us -

Nourish and be-deck us.

Wreathes of 

Garlands of

SWAG.

It's a Pink World

You better get to livin', givin'

A little more thought about bein'

A little more willin' to make a better way

Don't sweat the small stuff

Keep your chin up

Just hang tough

And if you think it gets too rough

Fall on your knees and pray

And do that every day

Then you'll get to livin'.

Chorus from "Better Get to Livin'" by Dolly Parton

Friday Finds

Parenting:

Sleep and Other Behavior Problems Linked to Food Additives

I've been thinking of cleaning up my food intake a bit (not that I do terribly as is).  This article is food for thought, but it's also just a no-brainer that we should be eating "real" food, or "clean" food as people are apt to call it these days.

Dressing:

Have you heard...Cropped Cardigans are BACK!  I love me some cropped cardigans.  And of course, I love me 

some Rory Gilmore as well.  And Kate Spade.  And books.  And coffee.   Oh well, you get the idea.

Eating:

Creamed Brussels Sprouts - I cannot deny, this recipe has been calling to me all week.  

I will be making it this weekend for sure!

Laughing:

Loving:

Sometimes, just looking at beautiful wedding photos is enough to kindle up a little love spark in your heart. 

Southern Weddings has been my favorite Wedding magazine for this purpose since its first issue.

Take a look!

Reading:

Homemaking:

I will be buying the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser this weekend to clean the scuffs off the base boards.  

Vacuuming with passion is only good to a certain degree.

Inspiring:

Would you give it back?  These kinds of stories make me so happy!


Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

xoxo

5 Months!

Instead of Blogging

 

Instead of blogging, I've been spending my time raising a child.

 

Who knew it would be this fun?!?

 

 

She even helped me take these photos of the gorgeous flowers in bloom around our house.

 

What a sweet little girl!

Coastline

We are visiting family in SoCal and so, because I love photographs, I figured it would be fun to post some pix. Silly me forgot to pack the big, nice DSLR so these are all grainy iPhone snaps. Sorry!

You are Four Months Old

My dearest girl,

You are now four months old, with eyes that shine, sparkle, and dart about; gleaning from, and gleaming for, all that is new and thrilling.

GUSTO! You have it in spades! Dad and Mama have to trick you into sleeping because all you want to do is play and explore. You are only calm in the face of chaos and crowds.

You greet each morning with dimpled smiles and giggles, shrieks of delight, and bounding happiness. As your energy wanes and you fight sleep, your patience, likewise wanes.

You love people and don't mind being passed around from strange face to strange face. After all, newness is always exciting for you, isn't it? Many people have commented that you are going to be a party girl. I like to think instead, that you will excel at fellowship and reaching out to lift people up.

All these hopes at only four months old!

~Milestones~
*Rolling over back to front
*Sitting up with the help of an adult finger
*Push-ups
*Laughing at Mama when she gets hurt (she thinks my loud exclamation if pain is amusing)
*Babble talking to mirrors and TV shows as well as yourself
*Testing putting weight on your legs when someone holds you up by your arms

~Favorite Playtime Activities~
*Airplane (on mama's shins...aka ab exercises for mom)
*Tummy time in front of a mirror
*Dancing with mama
*Playing with a soft, crinkly square with tags.
*Playing with hanging toys on a play mat
*Being held upside down

I love you my baby girl! You have brought so much joy to your mama and dad's lives and we can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

xoxo