Author Archives: Diane

About Diane

Ciao! My name is Diane. Welcome to this most precious place, where I offer myself a safe place to be vulnerable and bravely grow throughout the life journey.

365 Days of Happiness (122/365)

365 Days of Happiness (122/365)

Mom is off to play Mahjong at the Senior Center.  Seeing her this week has lifted my spirits.  It taught me that depression is a serious issue for seniors.  For a while there, Mom was a bit of a recluse.  She stayed home too much, wasn’t getting enough social interaction.  Now she’s back out there — learning new things — laughing and enjoying the company of friends.  She has a rosy glow in her cheeks.   #SelfLoveAtEveryAge #CallYourMom  #ChooseHappiness365 (122/365) #Monday

mahjong

Ciao for now…..Diane

365 Days of Happiness — 2 days in one! (119 & 120/365)

365 Days of Happiness — 2 days in one! (119 & 120/365)

The past two days have felt like ONE enormously long day –so that’s how we will account for it.  2 days in one 🙂

The drive to Florida was 16+ hours — smooth sailing, not aggressive like some trips in the past.  The traffic wasn’t bad either — UNTIL we got to Florida.  Jacksonville (or Jville as we call it 🙂 ) is undergoing long-term road construction and we hit it right at 545pm Friday night.  N.I.C.E. is all that needs saying.

Then we hit the I-4 construction.  Ah-hem, I’m corrected — the ULTIMATE I-4 construction project.  Two lanes of traffic moving 5 miles per hour.  Hey — that was my marathon pace.  I could’ve kept up :0   That’s the bright side.   When we made it past the 2+ hour delay, the flashing lights told the story of an 8-car crash.  Horrible.  I suppose our delay was really just an opportunity for us to open the windows and breathe in some fresh night air.  In the grand scheme of life on Friday night…. we were lucky and blessed.  Perspective is a teachable moment every single day.

 

jumppool

Saturday was G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S!  Tonight — we jumped in my mom’s pool with our clothes on.  Hey — some things are just TOO GOOD to wait for!  #ChooseHappiness365 (119 & 120/365)  #FirstTimeForEverything

Ciao for now….Diane

 

365 Days of Happiness (116/365)

365 Days of Happiness (116/365)

There is something simple and (also) majestic about eating lunch outside in the sunshine on a picnic table.

picnic-table-public-park-11578447

I think it has something to do with being up close with nature.  Something comes over you that helps you connect with the ground, and the trees, and the grass, and the wooden planks of the table and bench seat, and all of a sudden you are reminded of how BIG the world is.  The walls of your home or workplace are gone.  You can stretch, and feel, and breathe!  B.R.E.A.T.H.E…….ahhhh.  The air never smelled so fresh and new.  The sandwich never tasted so good! SPRING.

Peter and I took a break from all of our work at home today — set out to Wawa and bought ourselves some sandwiches and iced tea for lunch.  We packed up our chocolate lab, Jewel,  into the truck and went to ….. n.a.t.u.r.e.

Lunch on a picnic table and a beautiful walk afterwards.  We saw deer, squirrels, birds…..lots of birds.  Oh and buds. Look at those trees and bushes the next time you are out…..the buds.  They know!   The promise of Spring.

68 degrees today.   It’s Coming.  #ChooseHappiness365 (116/365)

Ciao for now….Diane

365 Days of Happiness (115/365)

365 Days of Happiness (115/365)

An email arrived in my mailbox tonight.  A few simple words from a former colleague.  Former.  Such a peculiar word. Designating an end of some sort.  The only thing former about our relationship….is the work association.  The peculiar mission that put us together in the first place.  All the attachments…..that was our own personal doing.   Our friendship?  Quite present and alive, I assure you!

This Shutterstock image was downloaded on 3-30-06 for HSW: TREASURY OF GARDENING

Read the rest of this entry