Halloween Joy

I'm missing this.. and this house.... and these little beans....

So, tomorrow I will pack my bags and go down to Pleasant Hill to visit with my family for a few days. I will give out candy for Halloween while my grand babies go out trick or treating with their Mommy and Daddy.
I just love this holiday! No matter what anyone says about the implications of this night and how we are worshiping the dark side, etc, etc, etc. I only have to say..... Lighten up. It's the one time of the year that your children can dress up and be someone else.. and you can be a kid again. Let your child see the generosity of others. If you think that it has to be productive take a little box with you and collect change for UNICEF or some other worthy cause. But, go meet your neighbors. Say hello, introduce yourself and give the evening a chance to work it's magic. Show your children what "neighborhood" is all about. Show them  less fear and a lot more "lets have a little fun". Life is short. Being an adult is a long journey.
When was the last time you were this excited....

When was the last time you carved a pumpkin?

Does that pumpkin look evil to you? I think not....

The sun isn't gone.... it's just behind a cloud.

Sometimes we aren't sure what is going to happen and we have insecure moments of doubt... so we find a good lap, tuck our paws under and hope for the best.




It's always good if someone finds the right place to scratch.
It can make all the difference in our day when someone bothers to stop and give us some one on one.


Then we feel the sun and forget the rain....and even though we know that there will always be something waiting to pounce on us....

We will look on it with compassion and without malice because it is what it is... and life needs to be accepted with all it's hidden chaos. It is our life and
we are here.

"The great sea has set me in motion,
set me adrift,
moving me like a weed in a river.

The sky and the strong wind
have moved the spirit inside me
till I am carried away
trembling with joy."
\
Uvavnuk (mid-19th-early 20th century)

Finding Joy

Joy's smile is much closer to tears than laughter."
~Victor Hugo~





"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Teddy Roosevelt~

My Grandson, the Bean, called the other night to tell me that he found a FIVE leaf clover. The excitement in his voice was a joyful noise in my ear. He had been looking for a four leaf clover in the lawn in his backyard. He kept at it and finally found the object of his quest.... even more. Not four but five leaves... for this little five year old. He was seeking, with his steady concentration and childlike hope, the proverbial "needle in the haystack". He found, to his delight, more than he wished for. It seems that effort is something that children understand when they are encouraged to try and that joy is the unexpected gift.

"Joy to the world,
All the boys and girls.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea,
Joy to you and me."

~hoyt axton~(1938-)