As many of you know, each Friday I look back over the previous week and write about the special moments that I have experienced that I am grateful for.  Many weeks I am writing about the very simple pleasures of life.  This was an unusual week.  It was filled with several very big special moments and events.  It was a week filled with celebrations and special moments and I am so grateful that I was able to share them with some very special people in my life.  I was there when my son told his sons that the new baby would be a boy.  I could see my oldest grandson's eyes light up and his smile get bigger as he said, "Wow, that is great. I was sure it was going to be a girl who would cry all of the time."  Now there will be three brothers to play together and make plans as they often tell me they are doing.  They have even created a game called Plans which I get to play everytime we get together. 
I was also privileged to call a good friend Doctor after she received her Doctorate in Education.  This was a goal of hers and she made it because it was one of the many dreams that she wanted to accomplish and because of all of her hard work and dedication she made her dream come true. 
Another friend received a well deserved promotion to principal which we celebrated this week.  The children at the school where she is principal will be so lucky to have her as their leader.  I know that with all of the many hard decisions she will have to make in the coming years she will always do what is in the best interest of the children. 
I also got to celebrate my daughter-in-law's birthday as well as the birthday of a good friend of over thirty years.  So it has been an incredible week of celebrations. 
As I reflected over the week,  I was filled with awe when I thought of all of the wonderful events that I was able to share with so many people this week.  They are all at different places in their lives but they all have one thing in common.  They all have hopes and dreams and they have worked hard to accomplish their goals and make their dreams come true. Each one of them has a special place in my heart and I am so grateful they are part of my life.  This has truly been a week of special moments that I am very grateful for.

It is Wednesday which means it is time to make a wish with Jamie Ridler at Jamie Ridler studios.  Since beginning this practice several years ago, I have found that wishes do come true (sometimes with a lot of help from me).  This week Jamie asked "What do you wish to nourish?  I have found that my interests change. Some days I like to write, some days paint, and lately I have been enjoying taking pictures.  Since all of these interests complement each other,  I am glad I enjoy doing all three.  At this point in time, I would like to nourish my ongoing interest in photography.  I would like to take more pictures, meet people who are interested in photography, and take classes so that I will get better at my craft.  What are you wishing for on this sunny and hot Wednesday?

                                                       " The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention"
                                                                                                                                                        Julie Cameron
I am learning to breath more, slow down, and notice things.  When I do this I am almost always rewarded with something beautiful from nature.
Last night while at the lake, I was watching all the boats and the many interesting people.   As I was watching one sailboat go slowly by, I happened to look up and I was so glad that I did.  It was the beginning of a beautiful sunset and because I was quiet and taking time to pay attention to the things around me I got to enjoy it.  Rushing through life can become a habit.  We feel like we have so much to do and so much  to accomplish.  But slowing down definitely has its own rewards.  And last night I was lucky enough to receive a beautiful one.

I realized that almost every Friday I change the title of this post.  On Friday I write about things that I am grateful for but I have not found the title that says exactly what I mean. I guess I just have to keep on trying.
This was another hot summer week but it was full of special moments.  The thing I am most grateful for this week is that I have the time and take the time to enjoy and appreciate so many simple but special moments.  There were times in my life that I was so busy  rushing through each day that I did not see the sun go up or come down.  I would pull out of my garage in the dark and return home to my house in the dark.  I am sure in the 12 hours in between there were many special moments only I was too busy to notice them. 
Now, I have finally realized how lucky I am to be able to see the sun come up.  I appreciate how special it is to have the time to ride in my car to meet a friend for breakfast with the top down enjoying the breeze before the day gets too hot.  I am grateful for the time that I have to read a book, or write my novel, or paint a picture.  Time has become something I am very grateful for and that I won't take for granted again.  I hope that your week was full of special moments that you took the time to enjoy! 

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.  As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."  Henry David Thoreau

I wish to continue to simplify my life so I can always live the life I imagined.

                                         "Give yourself permission to be a beginner."
                                                                                 Julie Cameron

It's Friday.  Time to reflect on those special moments that I experienced this week. This week  I have been thinking alot about how important it is to share time with my friends.  I am lucky because I have the time to share and I am so grateful for that.  I have time to meet for coffee or lunch or take a walk with a friend.  Now I can add emailing, texting, or blogging with a friend to the list of things I do because that is how so many people communicate in this busy world.
  In looking back over my life there have always been people there to share things with.  Some have been there for just a short time and others I have been friends with for a lifetime.  Both types of friendships are important.  I remember as a teenager spending hours on the phone talking over every single special moment of the day.  Then when my son was young I spent time with other young mothers talking about the special things our children did or didn't do.  Next came all of my  friends in the school system .  We spent hours talking about our lesson plans, or the school play, or the crazy things our students said and  did.  Now, I talk about grandchildren, or writing classes, bridge games. or my blog which has become so important to me.  No matter what stage of life I have been  in there have always been people who I could share  special moments with.  I did not always realize how important that was to me but I do now and I try not to take any of it for granted.  Friends are special and to all of mine I want to say, "Thank you."  I have been so lucky to have so many good friends throughout my life and I know that I will meet many more people that I will be privileged to call a friend.  Each moment that we spend together is special and for your friendship and for those times we spend together talking, laughing, and having fun I will always be grateful!

Today Jamie of Jamie Ridler Studios asked, "What do you wish to ask for?"  Over the last few years I have really come to believe in the power of wishing and asking and letting the world know what I want and need.  I also believe in my own personal power to help make those wishes come true. 
What do I want to ask for?  I want to ask for more adventures!  I want to continue to learn and to grow and to meet new people.  I want to experience new foods, new sights, new places.  I want find more interesting places to visit right in my own backyard and to travel to places that are new and different.  I want to continue to live life fully with joy and honesty.  And I want to travel on a private jet. I am not sure where this last wish comes from but it is just something that I would like to do. It may be a little harder to make happen  but it seems when I write about things on Wishcasting Wednesday they eventually come true.   Who knows, one day soon I may be traveling on a private jet.  Just once would be enough (I think). 
What do want to ask for today?  If you haven't tried wishing lately, please join us. I have found that not only is it fun but that wishes do come true.

       "As an artist, I do not need to be rich but I do need to be richly supported." 
                                                                                                                                          Julie Cameron
This past week I was discussing with a group of people the importance of having the support of others when you are creating something new.  It does not matter if it is a painting, a story, or a new business venture most people appreciate and want the support of others.  We want to know that what we do matters and makes a difference to those we know.  We are all creative beings. It is when we share what we are creating with others that it makes it easier for them to share with us.  Building that bond and connection with other creative people can be intimidating at first but becomes easier and easier as we realize that many people are open to and excited about what we are creating.  The creative journey can be lonely but it can also be fun and rewarding when we share it with people who support what we are doing.  If you know someone is in the process of creating something new, let them know that you are interested in what they are doing.  I know that it will mean alot to them.  It does to me! 

Each Friday I take a few minutes to reflect upon something that has been special during the week.  This practice has really helped me to appreciate all the wonderful things, both big and small, that I am privileged to enjoy in my life.  This week was a big event.  My husband and I were fortunate enought to take a wonderful motorcycle ride to the North Carolina mountains.  We left early in the morning and had a great ride through the mountains of Georgia and got to North Carolina around noon.  After lunch we watched the kayakers and rafters go down the Nantahala, something we had fun doing several years ago.  This year I was very content to be a spectator.  Then after a downpour, in which we got soaked, we got back on the bike for another ride through the mountains.  We rode The Tail of the Dragon (381 curves in 11 miles) and then had dinner.  This morning we left early for our ride home.  One downpour was enough and we decided we wanted to miss the rain if we could.  Being on the back of the motorcycle, watching the beautiful scenery, and feeling the wind on my face was very special not only because it was fun but because my husband felt good enough to take the ride.  When you are fighting breathing problems even simple things become difficult, so we have learned never to take anything for granted.  We really appreciated all of the beauty that we saw, the wonderful people that we met but most of all the fun we were having riding together on a motorcycle through the mountains on a sunny and sometimes not so sunny day in July.