More about the sun

When my sons were little boys and the sun would set in the evenings, I made a point to show them the sky and to take notice of the colors that the setting sun would produce: pink, blue, peach, orange, red, yellow, you know. As we looked out over the horizon, we would name the sunset by the predominant colors we would notice:  peach/raspberry,  blueberry/lemon, clementine/raspberry,  apple/orange,  banana/blueberry, you know. From that first sunset that we named, to every sunset that we've shared in over 18 years, we gave them names. I name the sunsets when I am alone too and I think (hope) my boys must do the same. The funniest thing about our sunset names is that they sound like yogurt flavors! So when I'm buying yogurt and looking at the flavors, I'm thinking of sunsets, and my boys and the simplicity of it all and I can't help but smile :)

More from nature.....

Apocalypse Now?

The East coast is flooding, Japan has suffered the worst earthquake in it's history, the after effects of that earthquake have caused a tsunami in the Pacific, impacting Hawaii, Guam and the West Coast. We've had a winter of record snowfall, even in locales that never see snow. This was followed by a summer of record heat and drought all over the world. Haiti, New Orleans, what is happening? The experts say these things are cyclical and this kind of devastation is destined to happen. Without sounds spiritual or standing on a soapbox calling for the end of civilization, I think this may be nature's way of weeding out the population of the world. Weather, war, tyranny, disease, famine, earthquakes, fires, etc. certainly lessen the population of the world and maybe this has to happen so we can survive on the Earth. Who knows what and where will be next. Just a theory. On an up note: enjoy and appreciate nature for what it gives us. xo

A thought for today.....

You are the reason for someone else's smile :)

More Snow?

If you live in the Northeast or the South or just about anywhere in the U.S. you know that this has been a brutal winter. Record snowfall, ice storms and deep freezes in places like Georgia and Texas that never get a dusting of snow and ice! Worst of all, it's not over yet! I don't care that the groundhog didn't see his shadow, I can't imagine that Spring is very close at all. I'm bracing for more cold and snow. The good news is I have found something that has helped my dry, rough, cracked hands and uplifted my spirits. Before I disclose the good news, I must be completely transparent about these wonderful products.......I am an independent consultant for Arbonne International which produces these fine and life changing products. The magic hand cream is FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme coupled with FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil. Arbonne products are pure, vegan, not tested on animals, chemical + preservative free, made without animal by-products and petrochemicals (mineral oil). The essential ingredients in the hand cream are extracts of carrot, kiwi, pumpkin, mango and strawberry. The skin conditioning oil is a blend of essential oils with universal healing and skin repairing properties. No sales pitch here, just another bright moment on a snowy afternoon at my kitchen sink.

Vegetarian anyone?

I'm thinking about not eating any more meat! Kind of unappetizing, isn't it? More later.......

Random Love (A Valentine's Day disclaimer)

How random is it all? Love and all the emotions that go with it. The euphoria, the butterflies in your stomach, the sheer, maddening heartache of being apart from your true love, the pure devotion and intense feelings of wholeness and being complete with another human being. Most of us can relate to these feelings because we've been there once, twice or many more times than that. Did you ever stop to think about the pure randomness of being in love? Not the love you have for your children, parents, friends, dogs or Woody Allen movies but romantic love. Today you are in love with someone who you met on a plane or in college 30 years ago or the brother of your high school track rival or your boss or his boss or the woman who hit your car or the french waiter on the Left Bank or a cute guy on match.com -- you get it, right?
Ponder this - what if you didn't meet your "true love" and met someone else, your boss' secretary or your biology lab partner in college or your second pick on match.com? It's all so random and based on time, place, fate and circumstance. We could be "in love" with a multitude of people , completely by random chance and we wouldn't ever know the person we are "in love" with right now!  Any great stories out there?

Precious moments

So, the husband wasn't supportive of the young mom, and he let her slowly simmer while handling her young children on the plane (not an easy venue, to say the least). He sat back in his barely reclining seat and read his newspaper and let Mom handle everything - the fussy baby and the inquisitive toddler, the toys and the food and questions. Again I felt bad. Bad for him for being just an observer in his children's lives (flashback to Harry Chapin's famous song, "The Cat's In The Cradle"), bad for his relationship with Mom and not bearing his weight as a husband and equal partner in the management of his children, bad for the children whose father seemed more interested in current events than in them. So many lessons here but the most important one I can think of is to relish the fleeting moments we have with our children and our loved ones. Stop and take a moment to embrace and enjoy the moment. It's gone in a heartbeat and you can never get it back. The newspaper, the internet and the television will always be there. The moment will not.

In a blink

I recently sat in front of a young family on a plane to Florida where I soon discovered the parents and two young children were going to visit their grandfather and take a trip to Disney World. As I listened to the sweet voice of what I guessed to be a three-year-old and the fussy cries of an infant, less than one year of age, I was struck and saddened by the growing frustration of the young mother. Her husband was oblivious to her exasperation (that's another observation for another post) and useless in helping her manage her inquisitive toddler. Mommy dearest told the little boy he could not eat until the plane took off, she told him that the pilot would stop the plane and ask him to get off if he used his toy cell phone. She told him that if he didn't stop talking (he said the cutest things in a "phone call" to his grandpa) the trip to Disney World would be cancelled and that they would go right home. I really wasn't worried about Junior. The little boy will grow up just fine and understand his mother's limitations and pet peeves. He will adapt and learn how to keep her calm and how to push her buttons. I was so sad for the mother. That little boy will grow up in a blink and fly away from her nest and she may not ever appreciate that every moment is precious. She should have  fun and laugh with her children, be silly and giggle, hug and kiss them and stop micro managing. Set rules, find teachable moments and just relax and enjoy those babies. My baby (almost 19) left for college this Fall and I can't say I ever regretted a moment of my time with him, at every age and stage. I look forward to his next milestone and my sheer joy in being his mother.

Buddha-ful

I don't know why I love the image of the Buddha so much or when this obsession began. I am sure I am drawn to his smiling face and big belly and the peaceful acceptance he exudes.  He is hopeful and happy and a reminder to just be and not take myself so seriously. He calms me and makes me stop and reflect upon my day and to remember that the world is bigger than me and my issues. The Buddha tells me to slow down and see if I can do something for someone else. You should plan on seeing a happy Buddha pop up from time to time to remind me (and you) to take some time to breathe and think about others and to find peace. You haven't heard the last about Buddha from me.......... Namaste :)

Charming

Eight heads on a bracelet. Eight names, eight birthdays, eight people. I bought this charm bracelet for about $8 (coincidence) at a flea market on a sweltering summer day. As soon as I touched it I knew I had to have it. It represented so much to someone. Did these heads belong to the children of some lucky lady or were they the nieces and nephews of a woman who had none of her own children? Was this the bracelet of a proud grandmother or great grandmother? Was the wearer still alive and if so, why was this bracelet out of her possession? If she had passed away, why didn't someone want to have the bracelet? Where were the people who belonged to the heads? Were the heads still in touch with each other and as close as they appear on the links of the bracelet? Were their lives intertwined and clanging into each other or were they scattered all over the place, separate and distant? I am now the proud owner of this charm bracelet and whenever I look at it I imagine the noisy and happy family that the bracelet represents. I believe the rightful owner had it tucked away in a drawer and when her house was cleaned out after she passed away it was dumped into a box for the Salvation Army. Funny, I have more than one of these charm bracelets and I think the story may be similar. I will continue to look for others and salvage the heads and conjure up the people they represent because they are charming.

Who was she?

I love vintage jewelry. All vintage jewelry. Dime store plastic cracker jack trinkets, French paste baubles made to look like real diamonds, charm bracelets with tiny Eiffel towers and Venetian gondolas, bubble gum colored, pearlized, marble sized graduated beads, old buddha pendants with rubies stuck into their big bellies, rings with inscriptions so worn out the the names are missing except for a letter or two, lockets with faded sepia photographs of babies, signed pieces that I've purchased for a few dollars, only to discover they are worth 20 times what I've paid. I love it all but what I love most is the wonder and mystery of who the woman was who wore the jewelry. Was she happy? Did the piece of jewelry I now owned mean something very special to her? Where and when did she live and die? What did she look like? Who gave her the jewelry and what was their relationship? How did it end up in a store, flea market or garage sale? I've crafted many scenarios in my head and I will start sharing them here, complete with photos, so you can take a peek with me and think about the woman who owned each piece.

First things first

The kitchen sink. For me it's a place to contemplate. You can't really multitask because both of your hands are occupied either washing dishes, collecting utensils to put in the dishwasher, cleaning the innards of the chicken you are about to roast or bathing the family dog. The warm water rising up and the soap bubbles frothing around the stainless steel basin lends itself to thinking. I have the added bonus of a heat vent at the base of the cabinet at my sink so my feet are usually toasty warm. The kitchen. The heart of the home and the family and place where the comforting smell of food emanates. Whether your kitchen is grand or petite, has huge bay windows or is windowless, whether you can seat 12 for a meal or have to eat standing up, it has a sink.
I think about my grandmother at the sink. She would be 99 if she were alive today. I think about the meals she made and her love of the kitchen and the sink. Her hands were always warm and wet and bigger in proportion than the rest of her body. Her preparations didn't take long, a quick salad consisted of sliced raw vegetables. A lean meat, baked potatoes, more vegetables (usually steamed). No bread, no butter, fruit for dessert. She was health and diet conscious before it was trendy. She took supplements I couldn't pronounce and teaspoons of blackstrap molasses and cod liver oil. I think about how she would be in the world today.
She is with me a lot.

Welcome

Well, I think I created a blog. This will be a forum for ideas (old and new), musings, opinions (mostly mine),thoughts, dreams, reactions and favorite things (totally mine). The Kitchen Sink refers to the place I am standing when my thoughts take on a life of their own, where I am most creative and where I can dream in color. The window at my kitchen sink affords me an almost endless view of green and trees and wonder. Thank you for turning on the water!