no words necessary

I love you, Pop Pop

Pop Pop and I at my wedding...

Pop Pop holding my son, Andrew as a newborn...

Pop Pop on the left being a good sport and wearing a lei for my party when I was little girl.

My butt. :) This is a pair of panties my grandparents brought back from Hawaii for me when I was an infant!

My first daughter, Emily, visiting with Pop Pop



James showing Baby Rachel, my second daughter, to Pop Pop



Pop Pop holding my oldest, Emily, in the hospital, shortly after she was born.

Pop Pop visiting with Baby Raychie, my second daughter...

My grandparents and I when I was baby...

My beloved "Pop Pop" died yesterday morning at home. It was such a privilege to spend most of the last two days and nights of his life with him as he slowly but surely passed out of his body and into what comes next. Feeling a lot of mixed emotions but overwhelmingly grateful I could be right there with him, that he is out of pain and that I learned to love and what it feels like to be loved from this incredible man. He isn't in his body. But his spirit hasn't moved or changed a bit. He is is right here. I love you, Pop Pop. Thank you for loving me so perfectly, unconditionally and extravagantly. No one has ever loved me the way you do, and I don't think anyone else ever will. I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Today

Feeling a lot of love for my sweet friends, several of whom are hurting today. Wish we could all just put our burdens, responsibilities and jobs aside for a day and hang out together somewhere peaceful, quiet and just-warm-enough. We'd eat pinic lunches, pick wildflowers, laugh our heads off, cry if we needed to and hug one another. We would lay on a blanket, watch the clouds and listen to the sounds around us. We'd find a little creek, take our shoes off and wade in. And then when the day faded and the stars came out, we'd have a delicious alfresco dinner under the stars with good wine and plenty of cheese and chocolate. And though we can't actually pull that off in real life, maybe we can feel some of the sweetness of that kind of day as we move through "real life." I hope you can imagine my hug, friends, know you are loved and breathe that love into your heart.

Find this pic here.

"These Are a Few of My Favorite Things..."

As a little girl, one of my favorite movies was The Sound of Music. I still love it. One of my favorite songs from the film is "Favorite Things."

So yesterday when I found this incredible cover of the song by a...wait for it...KOREAN JAZZ MUSICIAN named Youn Sun Nah, I was absolutely delighted. So I'm including a youtube video of her charming rendition of "Favorite Things."

This morning I've had this song, plus some other new ones I put on my ipod lately, playing on my itunes while I work. And I decided to make a photo collage about the song, which is below the video in this post.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Photo credits:


1. Make Me Smile, 2. Apfelstrudel, 3. Cabled natural white handknit woolen mittens, 4. Brown paper and String..., 5. February 20 - Day 51, 6. Blue Ballerina, 7. Cream Colored Pony, 8. Vintage European Copper Tea Kettle, 9. Whiskers

How do I stop wanting to dance?

Understanding that foot binding was a deplorable practice
Doesn't mean the women whose feet were bound since childhood can dance.
A change of policy
Doesn't heal the tiny nubs for feet that women can only hobble on.
Not binding their own girls' feet is good,
But it doesn't mean they can run with their whole, big-footed daughters.
Understanding that they should have been allowed to dance on their big, lovely feet
Doesn't make the desire to dance disapear.
How do I stop wanting to dance?

Embracing the Loneliness

It might not be logical:
Never a moment to myself,
Friends all around
Who know me,
Love me,
Accept me
And yet...
I feel lonely.
So I am accepting it.
Or trying to.
So I say,
Out loud,
"I feel lonely."

Vintage Strawberry Yumminess!

1. Strawberry tart, 2. Strawberries!, 3. strawberry-free, 4. Delicious!, 5. Strawberries!, 6. vintage strawberry, 7. Strawberry Framed, 8. Vintage strawberry basket purse, 9. Fresh Strawberries, 10. Strawberries!, 11. Strawberries!, 12. Avon Strawberry Pitcher, 13. Strawberry Clogs, 14. Vintage Strawberries, 15. My first submission for the 'Willie find love?' pool, 16. strawberrie, 17. Fresas, 18. New York Cardigan, 19. * strawberries, 20. Strawberries!

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A Vision

A recent "waking vision" I had...still working on writing about it in words, but here are some images that capture it for me....


























1. Looking for Treasures ..., 2. Loneliness, 3. With ravaged limbs and wet souls., 4. look, 5. Reflections by the Looking Glass River L1110558, 6. Day 103: I'm not good enough, 7. New Babies, 8. Peak District, 9. Seeing Forever From Olympic Mountain Tops

Silence

*Photo from ♥ artkat0116 ♥ away on flickr