love, Dove

Be the first to hit the dance floor.
Don't settle for a spark...light a fire instead.
Give a little love today.
You have a great laugh!
You should charge for your great advice.
Stir your sense of pleasure.
Someone is thinking of you right now.
Smiling is free.
Love every moment.
Love rules, without rules.
Happiness looks great on you.
You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Daydreaming is free.
Take a deep breath and exhale.
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

blackberry promises

Today, my bff and I travelled to now-wild lands where once two plantations stood. We drove past the rice paddies, now untamed and growing in fractured row. The little white-billed, black-backed ducks floated on the cold waters, dipping their bills from time to time. A dark lavendar crane stalked through the greenery on the side of the road, fluttering away as I approached for a closer picture. I hurried back to the warmth of the car on this chilly, blustery, overcast day.
We drove and talked, talked and drove, watching the drifting ducks and rippling waters and streaming moss raining down from the limbs of the trees and bushes and vines.
It was as if we had stepped into a long-ago once upon a time.
We had reached a place to pull to the side of the narrow lane, so we exited the vehicle to take a quick walk around the ancient cistern... and the sky became bluer and the sun shone and breeze slowed. We walked the path, admiring the flora and fauna. The giant dandelions, standing waist-high and already boasting new yellow flowers and older wish-puffs of seeds. The lovely five-lobed periwinkles, blue-purple amid dark greenery. The tiny gray sparrows and more black ducks and even a white crane.
And the blooms of the blackberry brambles. Among the tiny sharp thorns of the woody vines, the small white flowers promised the arrival soon of succulent, sweet fruit.
I hope that is a harbinger of future success for me after the recent prickliness of my job search.

chocolate words of wisdom

Lately, I've been enjoying a piece or two of dark chocolate before bed. (Note that I said "before bed" as opposed to "in bed", for those who know my singing bird.)
Anywho, a dear friend here in town introduced me to the joy of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises. At only 41 little calories per glorious piece, they're a nice little treat before bedtime, just a little something to signal the day's end.
One of the perks of this treat is this: there's a little saying on the inside of the wrapper. It's almost like getting a fortune cookie! When I first started eating these fine chocolates about three years ago, the sayings were all supplied by Dove. Not so anymore! At some time between the last bag of chocolates (sadly, a few months have elapsed in my chocolate ingestion!) and the ones purchased just a couple of weeks ago, a big change had occurred. Dove now has sayings from women all over the USA. Well, perhaps I generalize, perhaps not. This far, I have only seen women's names and have only seen cities and states in this part of North America. What a surprise! The bag has nothing to indicate the change in origin of the sayings, not a word. So, either this change occurred long enough ago that it is no longer noteworthy or I have missed something in the fine print.
With no further ado, here are a few of my favorites:
"Dance like no one is watching." Sally, Locke, NY I am a firm believer in the power of dance to free one's soul. As I have said many times, dancing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!
"Here's to something more powerful than chocolate. Hope." Leah, New York, NY Another one that I live by. If ever I lose hope, that thing with feathers that perches in my soul, then I have truly lost myself.
"Keep moving forward; don't look back." Sally, Griffith, IN You can't do anything about what happened in the past. At worst, you learn from it and move on. At best, you enjoy the memory of a golden time!
"Blessings only come to those who notice." Jean, Houston, TX Tiny little miracles occur every day - EVERY DAY - just waiting for you to look outside yourself and see them. My latest passion is taking pictures of clouds, for every formation is different and unique and never to be repeated.
"When you can't control the wind, adjust your sails." Brenda, Schofield, WI What better way to end a day at the beach?