Meri's Musings

For those of you who celebrate a U.S. style Thanksgiving, have a joyful day filled with  friends, family and food. I had another day filled with the 3 F's earlier this week. . . . Oliver's first birthday party. Oliver's mom's cousin Margaret baked him a "1" cake  just so he could do a face plant, but he surprised everyone by going after  a finger full of frosting at a time (though, as you can see, he managed to grow a blue frosting beard and moustache). I found him this spectacular bouncy toy. His legs are barely long enough to touch the ground, but he'll soon be able to master the art of the bounce. (And yes, there's a gate at the top of the stairs.) Big brother Logan had plenty of fun decorating a gingerbread man and didn't have the least hesitation about ornamenting outside the lines. And he seemed to enJOY munching the gingerbread boy's legs. What sparked...

spontaneous find strolling along Cannon Beach this heart touched my heart

Blue skies and sunshine in November -- days like today -- make me energetic and full of possibility. Call me crazy, but the smell of oranges makes me happy. . .  as does wandering through a gourmet grocery story and delighting in the myriad of oolors and shapes (and sampling different kinds of cheese). . .   And speaking of oranges, I'm overjoyed and full of awe when I see a sunset like this. What sparked the fire of joy in you this week? Notice joy. Cultivate it. Celebrate it. Share it.   1. do a post that tells and shows what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post and paste it into  the Mr. Linky box along with your info. 3. Visit other players and let their joy infect you. Leave them a comment because everyone  enJOYS getting positive feedback. Let's keep the epidemic of JOY going!

Where do you find JoY? Is it in the decision of which treat will be yours or  when you take a bite and feel the flavor tickle your taste buds? When you see a silly green frog sitting on a table in the window of a shop and it makes you laugh? When you can hear your son's laughter  from two rooms away? When the night sky is clear and the moon  signals romance? Or two people in love, sharing secrets? What sparked the fire of joy in you this week? Notice joy. Cultivate it. Celebrate it. Share it.   1. do a post that tells and shows what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post and paste it into  the Mr. Linky box along with your info. 3. Visit other players and let their joy infect you. Leave them a comment because everyone  enJOYS getting positive feedback. Let's keep the epidemic of JOY going!

I hope you're all finding little pockets of joy to dig into this week. As for me, joy is taking a backseat to concern right now, as my mom was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. There will be a family gathering this weekend and there will be lots of decisions to be made over the next few months. She is a woman of great faith,  a retired minister in the United Methodist Church, and I'm sure it would give her great joy and comfort if you find it in your heart to add her to your prayers. What sparked the fire of joy in you this week? Notice joy. Cultivate it. Celebrate it. Share it.   1. do a post that tells and shows what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post and paste it into  the Mr. Linky box along with your info. 3. Visit other players and let their joy infect you. Leave them a comment because everyone  enJOYS getting positive feedback. Let's keep the epidemic of JOY going! ...