Signs of Spring to Come

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I see it as a time for things to "begin again", a fresh, new start . I love everything about it - but mostly the abundance of beautiful spring flowers. And one of those flowers is the tiny little snowdrop. This flower is so brave and strong. It peaks through the last vestiges of the cold, winter snow to let us know that "yes, there is hope." There is hope that the air will become warmer, the harshness of struggling through the ice and snow will cease, the days will be longer with more sunshine. They don't die with the last winter snowfalls, in fact, they are bound and determined to bloom for us to share in their beauty.

I love to see them come up in my front yard. They give me hope. Especially this year, when my heart is broken with the passing of my Mother and I struggle each day to find beauty and hope to move on.

These little flowers greet me and tell me that there is beauty and strength even in the small things that are all around us.

I guess the moral of the story here is , look for hope even in the quiet, small corners of your world. No matter what is happening in your life - there is always something that makes you smile and gives you hope.

Kimberley

I Heard the Birds Singing Today!

I heard the birds singing today.

The cold harsh winter has taken its toll. the below freezing temperatures making it unbearable to go
outside for longer than a few brief minutes.
The wind whipping your face every chance it gets.
The piles of snow never seeming to disappear.
More falls from the sky each day.
Pipes burst, ice collapses tree branches into peoples houses.
An Earthquake rock our southearn states.

The earth is clearly having a tough winter and so are the humans and animals that
inhabit it's space.
Pneumonia strikes and relapses several times, cats are anxious and vomiting, the flu
lays us in bed for two weeks, the cats shed excessively at the wrong time of year and
a dear friend has a heart attack.

I heard the birds singing today.

So, as I sat quietly eating breakfast this morning, jotting my Morning Pages and my
to-do list, I thought I faintly heard something. It was a familiar sound but I couldn't
quite make it out. Was that a bird I heard?

The cats were sound asleep on the couch and not a beep could be heard inside the house.

I got up off the chair and gingerly opened the side door to the house and listened.

I heard the birds singing today!!!

A hopeful sign of Spring to come!         

Kimberley

The New Colors for Spring! BOLD

I am loving the BOLD new colors of Spring. When it's below zero outside and the Pottery Barn and West Elm catalogs arrive in the mailbox, I close my eyes and dream of all the new home projects that could be created! And all the new clothes that remind us of sun and warmth and of all good things to come!



Orange! Check this out!  I love orange! It reminds me of warmth and energy and sun! and I love how its paired with beige. A neutral and a bold color and notice how West Elm gives you some ideas to accessorize with those little pink carnations and that hint of grey stripe!

And then there's Pottery Barn's Indigo!  Not being a big fan of blue, I have learned to love it's various shades. This shade of blue reminds me of my favorite piece of clothing - my jeans!


The Power of Color to our senses is so strong.  It speaks to us.  It  uplifts us. Check out this new green at The Limited.  This is a color you see showing up everywhere in stores like Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, paired with navy.  It reminds me of my days in high school.  I was never a fan, but the look has certainly "grown up."




Pick up your courage and order a new piece of clothing for spring! Give yourself something to look forward to during these cold winter days. Or perhaps, buy some new pillows for your couch and change up that look that you have had in your living room for the last few years!

Go Ahead! Be DARING, Be COURAGEOUS, Be BOLD!


Kimberley

Realms of Grace

My Dearest Readers,

How have you been? Has your life been in a season of winter, fall, spring or summer?  What do I mean by that? Well, it is something I learned from a great teacher of mine Tony Robbins.  The seasons represent periods of our lives.

As I reflect over the last few months of my life, I have to say it has felt like winter for sure, with overriding feelings of depression and sadness as my mother struggled for life in a hospital bed.   The roller coaster of emotions was amazingly intense, too intense actually. Nothing else mattered but to do everything I could to save her life. I knew her time was not up yet and I was determined to see that it wasn't.  Yes, I know that God is the only one that determines the fate of our lives but the control freak, type A personality  that I have somehow wanted to believe I could play a part in His orchestra.

I am happy to say that she is recovering at home now and seems to be doing well. A gift of Grace for sure!  I pray everyday that she regains strength so that she will be with her family for another 20 years.

Most of my friends would tell you that sadness and depression are not emotions that would describe me. More like vibrant, alive, fun loving, energetic are the words they would use.  So, you could imagine how off balance I felt and how desperate I have been to come away from all of that and once again, feel happy and hopeful.

At the same time, I have to say there have been times of spring, meeting the  people that have walked through the front door as I began opening my house to guests through AirBnB.  AirBnB is an international website that allows people to stay in others homes for a fee, much like a Bed and Breakfast.  I began having guests in my home just about the same time my mother went in for her hip surgery in early May.  I have hosted folks from Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Oregan, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Texas and Ireland.  This diversion from my mother's illness , although requiring physical energy was a breath of fresh air.  Each guest brought a richness to my life as they shared their lives and their stories with me.  The guests who were more outgoing and talkative came to me as I needed the message they shared and their companionship.  The quieter folks, entered the door as I needed my personal space and time for reflection.

It was challenging to manage my full time job, taking care of my mother and having guests in my home.  At times, I wondered if I had the energy to make it through a full day, but I did, by the mere grace of God.  And I thank God that he blessed me with the priviledge of having met these people.

And there were those that showed me signs of summer, of protection. My darling and dear friends, who never, ever,  let me stay down for too long and held me up when I needed the strength of their arms and shoulders.  The texts that came in day, after day, hour after hour from each one of them was like an invisible net of love letting me know they were there in spirit even if they couldn't be there physically.  The hugs that came each time I saw them made life a bit easier to deal with.  You know who you are my friends, my love to you forever and always.  You all have showed me what true friendship is.  That true friendship never leaves us even in the darkest of times when you can't see the way out. These are the arms of grace that embrace.

The autumn has come upon myself and my family , not only from the temperature outside but from the love that bonded us together during this time.  Old wounds started to heal as forgiveness was offered as a gift to each other as my mom's life was held in the balance.  Courage came upon my sister to start life anew in Florida. My father has joined our family once again and in some odd way, I feel, he has taken his rightful seat at the table. For this , I am grateful as it feels like a weight has been lifted and all is in harmony once again with our family.  Grace has bestowed her fragrance upon us.