Hey, hey! It's the month of May!

Love this silly and light poem! Celebrate May Day!

 

 

 

MAY

 

By Maurice Sendak
 

In May I think it truly best
 

to be a robin lightly dressed
 

concocting soup inside my nest
 

Mix it once, mix it twice,
 

mix that Chicken soup with rice.
 

 

 

Do You Dare?

This past weekend I was determined to slow down and take myself out of being in a state of constant hurry.

There is a time when quiet is needed.

A time to dare to dream.  A time to dare to just veg out.

Instead of picking up the newspaper first thing in the morning and digesting the day's hard hitting news with a cup of freshly made hot tea, I sat for about an hour and read a book of fiction.  It was great!  I went back to the newspaper much later in the day.  Loosing myself in my book was just what I needed; to mentally go someplace with someone I imagine I know.

 

When I was finished reading, I went through a pile of magazines and newsletters I received in the mail during the week that I hadn't had a chance to really explore.  Within one of the newsletters was this timely short essay on savoring life and all it has to offer us.

 

After you read it, maybe you will decide to do something different today!

Do You Dare?
By Nadine Stair

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.  I'd relax.  I'd limber up.

I would be sillier than I had been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously. 

I would take more chances.

I would take more trips. 

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans. 

I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

 

You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.  Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had it to do again, I'd have more of them.  In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. 

 

Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.  I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a water bottle, a raincoat, or a parachute.  If I had it to do over again, I'd travel lighter than I have.

 

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. 

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds. 

 I would pick more daisies.

Weekends Go Too Fast

I hope your weekend was a good one and that you had a chance to relax and renew yourself.

 

My weekends always seem to fly by and just when I'm feeling as though I have totally brought myself down from the workweek, it's time to begin a new one.

 

It's okay though; I selfishly wring every minute of down time out of the weekend that I can.  Even if I am grocery shopping or running other errands, I try to enjoy the outdoors and reduce the pressure to get everything done in record time!

  

 

I try to unplug myself, even briefly from my electronic gadgets because I think they make me less patient.  More and more is supposed to happen in an instant today and life doesn't always follow our wants.  We become frustrated when phones are busy, computers freeze up, ATM machines run slowly or the checkout lines are long.

 

Waiting for something to work is an opportunity.  It is.  Come on, you know it is.  This is what I tell myself because no matter how much I want something to work faster, it never does.

It's an opportunity to pump the brakes and slow myself down.  I may feel like I am trying to beat the clock when I set out to do my errands but I really don't need to accomplish all my wants in one day. 

 

So when I miss a green light or have to reboot my computer and open all my programs up again, I try really hard to use that time to take a couple of deep breaths and remind myself that whatever I am trying to do will get done. . .eventually.
 

Good Luck to Marathon Runners

 

Good luck today to my son and a great friend of his who are

 

running a marathon in Richmond, VA!!

 

It's a beautiful day, perfect for being outside and running, and I hope their race is successful!!

 

Hopefully, no one pulls anything or gets dehydrated.

 

Stay strong runners!  Your efforts are amazing!!!

A Beautiful City

This is how the weather works in Washington, DC:  a few days ago I was bundled up in a winter coat and wishing the sharp, chilly wind would die down.  Today, I am walking around the city without a coat and feeling so warm I wish I had shorts and flip flops on.
 

The temperatures in the nation's capital may turn on a dime but it doesn't affect the beauty of the city.

 

And now that it is warmer, I'm taking full advantage of all it's splendor.

Spring in Washington, DC is when you can see the city at its best.  And spending time outdoors in the city right now is so healing.  It is truly a form of stress relief!

Japanese cherry trees in full bloom near the Jefferson Memorial

Between the airy and tranquil blooms of the cherry blossom trees surrounding the Tidal Basin, the bright and cheery daffodils popping out of the grass in the various parks around the city and on the hills of Rock Creek park and the brightly colored tulips spilling over the sidewalk planters; it's hard not to take a deep breath and say, "Finally! Spring is here for sure this time and it feels great!"

 

Being outside in nature makes people instantly feel more alive.  The warmth of the sun on your skin, breathing fresh air in deeply and just looking at natural scenes activates the happy parts of my brain and give me a burst of hopefulness and relaxation.

 

I hope you are able today to go outside and connect to the natural world around you.

 

I bet you'll feel energized!

 

Closeup of Cherry Blossoms