Sunshine, beauty and compassion

I awoke to sunshine today.  It is slipping away as the clouds close in but the sunshine was wonderful.  I walked out to get the paper, the smells of spring and growing were in the air.  In a far off distance a woodpecker reminded me that the woods around our house are full of wildlife as well as the spring flowers.  The Trillium are in full bloom in the woods around us and the green leaves are growing bigger every day.  The warm weather, sunshine and rain from yesterday are aiding the progress of spring here and I am thankful for the beauty around me.  By now the clouds are threatening storms or at least some more rain but I have projects to do inside my sewing room so a rainy day won't make me too idle or at least any more idle than my usual day of retired life entails.  

Enjoying each moment of the day is always a goal for me.  I sometimes forget to enjoy the beauty around me, especially on a day like today when there are so many people who have lost their homes to the storms in Oklahoma.  It reminds me to be thankful that the only storms that we have to deal with here in N. Michigan are winter blizzards and for them we just stay home.  My heart goes out to all those people who are struggling in Oklahoma and of course many other parts of the world.  I live a blessed life and sometimes need to remind myself to listen, smell and gaze lovingly on the beauty around me every day.  

I found these words on a picture in a magazine the other day and thought I would share it with you today:

This bright, new day.....complete with 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitudes. A perfectly matched set of 1440 minutes. This unique gift, This one day, cannot be exchanged, replaced or refunded.  Handle with care. Make the most of it.  There is only 1 to a customer.  

Words to live by. Words of wisdom. 

Last week I was in the Coleman area again.  Leo and I went to Bay City on Thursday morning to check out some housing possibilities.  I think we have found a possible 'couple wide' that could meet his needs and fall within his budget limits.  We agreed that waiting until some time in July would be a good idea but at least we have a possible plan and someone to work with.  

I also stopped at the cemetery and put a wreath on the grave before Memorial Day.  We are ready for the upcoming holiday.

 Thursday evening I was back in town in time to see Charlotte perform at her high school evening show.  She sang 'I'm Walking on Sunshine' and it was beautiful. Her voice is wonderful and I am amazed at her growth and beautiful voice quality.

We were proud and blessed to be able to pose with such a beautiful young woman.

I continue to volunteer in Kingsley twice a week.  Lately I have been doing a lot of teaching.  The last 2 times I taught Molly's class for part of the afternoon so that she could do some individual testing with students.  I still enjoy teaching and love just 'stepping in' and teaching a lesson now and then.  I still have those skills and it is fun to do when I don't have to do it full time. This has been a difficult year for the 3rd grade teachers. They have an average of 30-31 students in their classrooms and quite a few 'high needs' special education students included in that mix.  Many of the special needs children have emotional issues so that brings with it a difficult set of problems.  I NEVER regret my decision to leave the teaching field after my 35 years.  I do enjoy going back and helping and that is very rewarding.

The lessons today include, enjoy the life you have, share your talents with others and have compassion for those around you.  Do just one of those suggestions and you life will be better each day AND today.