Barbados sunsets

My favorite part about our recent trip to Barbados wasn't the white sandy beaches or the turquoise blue waters. It wasn't the eighty degree weather or our beloved morning walks on the beach. It wasn't the delicious meals down at St. Lawrence Gap or even the rum - although that came in a close second. My favorite part of our trip was the sunsets. Each day as the sun dipped low in the sky, the beach emptied and every last person made their way back to the hotel to change for dinner or catch the evening news, completely missing out on the most beautiful part of the day. It was as if the sun waited for everyone else to leave before hiding behind the clouds and exploding into golden rays that stretched all the way across the sky and embraced us with its warmth. It was one of those moments I will take with me forever and return to whenever I close my eyes. 

Wordle

If you've gotten even a sliver of enjoyment from one of those magnetic word poems, then you should check out Wordle (www.wordle.net).

Click on the link to visit my word cloud about the things I love: http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/553111/Things_I_Love

Charleston

We celebrated my birthday in Charleston this year and I have to admit, it was so refreshing to be in a new place as I embarked upon a new year of my life. It's amazing how a simple change of scenery allows you to breathe a little bit slower, take in your world more carefully, and regain your center.

Wishes

There's something magical about the fountain in Prospect Garden. Surrounded by tall trees and abundant gardens, you're hidden from the world. It's the kind of place you stumble upon by accident and then never want to leave. It's where Dave and I first kissed and talked about our dreams. It's a place to be in love; to make wishes on pennies and watch them float to the bottom. Though the years pass quickly we visit our fountain from time to time and sit where we once sat and share a kiss. We visited our fountain a couple months ago, right as the leaves were beginning to turn magnificent shades of red and yellow. And as we sat on its concrete ledge and shared a kiss a little girl approached with a penny clutched tightly in her palm. She knelt near the edge and closed her eyes, silently mouthing her wish to the fountain gods. She held the penny so tightly her hand shook and her lips moved rapidly as she made her wish. Finally, after some time of this, she tossed her penny in the fountain and ran away. I've never seen anyone wish that hard for anything. Whatever it was, I hope her wish comes true.

Greatness

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." - Coco Chanel

Did you have a chance to catch the Lifetime special on Coco Chanel?  I'm always intrigued by stories like her's...people who achieve greatness even though the odds are stacked against them. Coco Chanel, for example, was once nothing more than a poor seamstress with a knack for how to pull an outfit together. It makes you look inside yourself and wonder...what am I capable of?

Precious Things

There are few things more precious than a newborn's first smile at his great grandfather.

True Love

Sunday; a sixtieth wedding anniversary.  The following Saturday; a wedding. Contrast as stark as a black and white photograph balanced by the sanctity of their vows. The older couple holds hands, sixty years of marriage embracing them.  The younger couple holds hands, the promise of forever unfolding before them. Everyone around them holds hands, humbled by the power of true love.

The Gold Man of Norway

You may remember my May 25th post entitled, "Grimstad," in which I talked about the time we spent exploring my family's heritage in Norway.  When you consider how much we discovered about Dave's heritage, we didn't find much at all about the Neilson family tree.  That is, until now.  Since returning from Norway, my Dad has been working with a research assistant from Stavanger who filled in a bunch of missing pieces for us.  It turns out the story of my great, great, great, great grandfather, Captain Christian Paulsen is true!  He did strike gold in the California gold rush and when he returned to Norway he was known as "The Gold Man of Norway" or "Guldmannen" in Norwegian.  In addition to building the ship yard (for pictures, see the May 25th post) he built a beautiful waterfront home (pictured above), which recently sold for the equivalent of $5,000,000 USD. The current owner is professional Norwegian bicycle racer, Thor Hushovd, who recently won stage 2 of the 2008 Tour de France (check him out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_Hushovd).  We were so surprised when Thor responded to our e-mail inquiry.  He told us he was familiar with the story of Christian Paulsen and the house.  Plus, he was kind enough to send  us photos!

 

Beautiful Celebration

Yesterday Dave and I celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. It just so happened that our big day fell on the last night of Musikfest, which our town commemorates every year with a magnificent fireworks display. Living downtown, we were able to enjoy the show from the comfort of our front porch. We sat in complete darkness, holding hands and exchanging a few kisses, as the fireworks illuminated the night. And in that moment, it felt like the whole world was celebrating with us.  

The Universe at Work

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." - Buddhist proverb

Have you ever noticed how people appear in our lives just at the right time?  There seems to be a pattern of this in my life and I can't help but feel that it makes our journeys here that much richer.  My favorite example of this was on a trip I took to Australia several years ago.  It was the summer before I graduated from college and, at the time, I was constantly wondering what I should do with my life.  As I boarded the plane to Sydney I got to talking with a woman in the waiting area who revealed that she worked as a new age therapist, helping people find their paths in life.  I thought that was coincidental, but then when she ended up in the seat right next to me for the 18 hour flight, I knew it was the universe at work.  This is how I felt a couple days ago when I met Cathy at my mother in-law's birthday party.  Cathy is my husband's step-father's niece, but we had never met before.  Over the past month or so, I've been trying to fit more creativity into my life - both personally and professionally.  Despite how much I love all things creative, it's easy to melt into the couch after a long day at work and let my creativity sit idle.  Cathy, I learned, is into anything and everything creative...just like me.  We talked for hours about our projects and creative ideas and we both left that evening feeling inspired.  Now I've got a 'creative buddy' who will not only continue to be a source of inspiration, she will hold my feet to the fire to make sure I'm being true to my creative soul.  It's comforting to know that the universe is always at work for you, even when you least expect it.