It is Friday, the birds are singing, the sun is coming up, and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful day.  It is so different than it was just a few nights ago when the sirens were screeching and the wind was blowing while the rain pelted the windows.  We were very, very lucky that the tornadoes went north of us and that all of our family and friends remained safe.  So as I continue my weekly ritual of sharing with others what made me happy each week, knowing that my family and friends stayed safe throughout this ordeal would be the thing that I am most grateful for. 
I began the practice of writing down the events that  brought a smile to my face or peace to my heart as part of a weekly online bookclub over a year ago.  It has been a wonderful practice that I know I will continue for a very long time.  This week one of the events that has really made me smile was working with Sara Healy as a guest blogger.  This was a new experience for me and Sara made it so much fun.  I hope that you will visit Sara's blog, The Sharing Connection, and read my short story. 
One other thing that really made me happy this week was the support of my friends both in my real world and online.  I find that as time goes on I realize more and more the importance of friendship.  Each week I meet with a group of writers.  We met in a writing class almost a year ago and now meet once a week to share the progress of our work.  It is so inspiring to see the progress each person is making and watch the direction they are taking their writing.  This week after reading an article written by our instructor, we had a lively discussion about the many ways there are to get our stories out into the world.  Writing is not always about having a best seller but sometimes about having your voice heard and there are many avenues you can take to accomplish this. 
I hope that your week was filled with many simple but happy moments that made you smile.  Sharing happiness with others is one of the things that makes me smile each day.  I would love to know about the simple happy moments that you experienced this week.

It is Wishcasting Wednesday and Jamie Ridler's question this week is, "What do you wish to focus on?"  All types of answers immediately came to mind and then I realized that at this time of my life, right now, today, I don't want to focus on only one thing.  I want to focus on many different things but not all at once.  I want to focus on each minute, each hour, and each day. When I am involved in a project whether it is blogging,  writing a short story,  painting, or taking a picture I want to be fully engaged in that experience.  I don't want to be thinking about what I did yesterday or what I will be doing in a month or a year.  I want to live fully and completely in the moment, enjoying it for all it is worth.  This week one of my short stories will be presented to Sara Healy's readers on Friday.  I want to fully enjoy the experience of being a guest writer on Sara's blog A Sharing Connection.  Making connections online with other writer's and bloggers is something I have been striving for and now I want to enjoy the experience. 
When my son was young I exposed him to all types of activities so that he would know what he really wanted to do with his life.  Now, I want to give myself the same gift but I hope that with age also comes the wisdom to know that I can't do it all, at least not all at once.  So I want to experience life one minute at a time and
 focus on really noticing, enjoying, and appreciating every single special experience and moment.  What do you want to focus on?

We all dream.  When I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a teacher, get married and have children.  If you asked me what I wanted to do with my life that is what I would tell you without hesitation.  And that's what I did.  Now that I am in a different stage of my life, I believe that without realizing it I made my dreams come true because I was so sure of them and because I was very specific about what they were.  My dreams did not always follow the path I thought they would, my husband had blonde hair, not black.  I had one child, not two.  And it took me much longer to become a teacher than I thought it would but I did eventually join the ranks of teachers after my son was older.  I believe that my dreams came true because I could articulate them and I believed in them and myself. 
When I retired I really did not know what my dreams were.  So it took five years to find them.  It took a lot of time to reflect about who I was and what I wanted in this stage of my life.  It took talking and listening to other people about their dreams and then realizing that we all have dreams but in order for a dream to come true it has to be our own dream not a copy or imitation of someone else's dream. We have to be very clear about our own dream and be able to articulate exactly what we want. Then I believe we have to tell people about our dream and last but not least work very hard to make it come true.
Now I have lots of dreams and one by one I see them coming true. My latest dream is about the woman in the painting.  I have started painting again and I am enjoying painting women who I think have a story to tell.  My dream is that I would meet a teacher who would help me make these paintings much more whimsical and a lot more interesting.  I don't care if we work one on one, in a group, or online.  I just want someone who can see my vision and help me to create it in a fun atmosphere.  So if you are reading this and know someone who fits this description, please let me know. 
I believe in the power of dreaming.  I believe that we all have the power to make our dreams come true if we know what they are, let other people know what we are dreaming, and then work really hard to take the action or actions necessary to make our dreams come true.  What are you dreaming about this week?

It is Friday once again and time to reflect upon the things that made me happy this week.  Usually, as soon as I open my eyes I know what I am going to write but today was a little different.  Not that I don't have lots of things to be happy about but I seem to be writing about the same thing each week and I like my posts to be different.  But then I realized that this weekly post isn't about making up things so the post will be interesting but acknowledging to myself and the world the good things that I experience each week.  It is about not taking life for granted and about being thankful for the gifts both large and small that I receive each day.  It is about enjoying the sunny days as well as the rain.  It is about cherishing the spring when the weather is warm and the colors of the flowers and trees are so vibrant.  It is about thanking friends for their friendship and help and about taking time to tell those we love, "I love you!"  This post is written to remind me to stop and take a breath each day.  It is written so that I will never forget how many wonderful simple but special moments I experience each day and each week.  It has been another quiet and peaceful week for which I am very grateful. I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with special moments that you will not only enjoy but also acknowledge and remember forever.
                                      What special moments did you enjoy this week?

It is Wednesday and that means it is time to make a wish as part of Jamie Ridler's Wishcasting Wednesday.  Today Jamie asked, "What do you wish to tend to?"  The answer did not come right away.  As I sat at my computer, I turned to my right and looked at my vision board and of course there was my answer. The images on my board are very quiet and simple this month. The words that I placed on the board are also simple but speak volumes to me.  So this week and this month I would like to tend to creating a "beautiful life" that allows me to" simply be me".  I will "live my yoga" while "dancing".  And last but not least, I really want to continue to grow my "online connections" while writing, painting, and taking pictures.  Once again I realized that if I take the time to look, the answers are right in front of me.
What would you like to tend to this week?

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  This is a saying I remember often.  When I look at the above picture I don't see all of the things I might have done differently or better.  I see or remember so much more than just this picture.  I see the day last August when my husband and I went to take pictures at the local nature center.  I remember how hot it was yet how much we enjoyed being surrounded by nature and all of its beauty.  I see and remember how much fun we had taking pictures separately yet still together sharing shots and encouragement. 
When we look at our own art, or pictures, or read something we wrote it is all too easy to find flaws in what we created.  But it is so much more important to see and remember the beauty of the experience or journey that resulted in the final project, flaws and all.  When you look at something that you created recently, what do you see?

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust

                         Is there something you need to look at with new eyes this week?

Each Friday I take a few minutes to recognize and celebrate what makes me happy.  This week I decided to do something a little different.  I picked an unnamed picture that I took over the last year and placed it on my blog.  I decided no matter what picture I chose it would be something that made me happy since I don't take pictures of things I don't like.  And I was right.  The picture that appeared was one of the lake that is close to our house. Being close to water always, without fail, makes me happy.  It can be a river, a lake, the ocean or even watching the raindrops on the windows.  I love the sound of a gurguling brook, the roar of the waves crashing on the shore or the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof.  For me water is calming and invorgorating all at the same time. 
There was a time, many many years ago when we lived close to the ocean. At first we went to the beach all of the time but then life seem to take over and we took for granted what was so close to home.  Eventually we had to move and we no longer could go to the beach whenever we wanted to and we missed it.  Now we live close to the lake and we go all of the time.  We make a point to go even if it is only for five minutes.  It is too easy to take things for granted.  I realize the lake is not quite the same as the ocean but it is beautiful in its own right. 
So for me this week happiness is remembering how lucky I am that I once lived close to the ocean and how lucky I continue to be to live close to the lake.  Happiness is also acknowledging that although we may always have our favorites (for me it is the ocean) there are other things that can bring us just as much joy if we allow them to.  
                                          What made you happy this week?

It is Wednesday and time to join Jamie Ridler's Wiscasting group once again.  Today Jamie asked, "What do you wish to read?"  That one is easy. Ever since I was very very young I loved to read and I loved to read a good mystery.  Nancy Drew was my favorite detective when I was little.  For me there was nothing better than sitting on the couch alone on a Saturday morning with Nancy Drew while everyone else was grocery shopping.  It didn't  matter how long the rest of the family was gone I never left the couch because I was too afraid to move.  So not only was Nancy Drew a great detective she was also a wonderful babysitter.
Things have not changed much as I have gotten older.  I still love to read.  I still love a good mystery and I still love to sit on the couch alone while other family members  grocery shop.  What might be interesting is to reread a Nancy Drew novel and see what it was about her that made her so fascinating that even today I can remember so much about her life and adventures.