"Wait for it"

This sweet pup was in a truck as I pulled into the Post Office parking lot. Look at this face! ❤️ 

I am a dog lover and one of my very favorite things to do - in the whole world - is to watch dogs in cars waiting for their owners to return. I love being able to witness that happy moment in their life. To be there and see them when their owner has come into their sight - it is something I will never get tired of seeing. You see it first in their eyes, then the rest of the body gets into the action! To me there are few things sweeter, or so full of pure admiration and goodness, than this.

So, I sat in my car watching the dog and also waiting for his owner to return. Every so often he would move his eyes slightly towards the entrance but he never moved his head. I think it had to do with the perfect sun placement.

And there it was! That look!  I saw it in his eyes - a spark of happiness!  And then I heard his tail thumping on the seat! He didn't move much, but his eyes, and tail, said it all - his owner had returned. He was rewarded and so was I. 

I learned from talking with the owner, Pete, that this sweet boy's name is "Taz" and he is 13 years old. Taz has been taking rides with him his whole life and it is still one of his favorite things to do. He said that it is a bit harder for Taz to get in and out of the truck so now he carries a ramp in the back for him. Pete said that Taz is always ready and eager to go for his ride each morning, so they go for a ride. Bless. 

I stayed and talked with the owner for a bit longer, all the time scratching Taz on his head and ears. This dog was just so gentle and sweet. I left the Post Office that morning so grateful for the opportunity to witness, again, the love between a dog and his owner. The devotion and commitment and dedication of both Taz and his owner to each other, it was pure and it was deep. 

I am once again reminded that there is love and joy everywhere, if you look for it.  Even in the Post Office parking lot on a Tuesday morning. ❤️🙏

Nesting

We turned the clocks back an hour this past Sunday. The gain and loss of the hour means little to me - what I am most excited about is the change in season!  I am a cold-weather gal through and through. I love the crisp air and I love being in the house all warm and cozy in my layers with at least 14 candles burning at once1. 

Turning the clock means that it's going to get dark earlier and I LOVE that too! I have a strong nesting instinct and the colder, darker weather draws me in tight and cozy. I do believe, if it were feasibly possible, I would be content to never leave my house again2.

Just inside my front door I have a wire basket filled with vintage wind-up clocks. I love their simplistic design and function.  Nothing fancy about them, just the basics to do the job. 

In addition to their visual appeal, I am comforted by the memories they provide me.  I am also soothed by the repetitive sound they make. When we were younger, we often slept over at our Vo-Vo and Feety's house3. They had a wind-up clock on the mantel and the sound of a vintage clock always takes me back to that time of being taken care of.

I am out with Missy around 5am every morning. I love that first hit of cold air this time of year. The first thing I do when I step outside, no matter the season, is look up. I look up at all the stars and think about the vastness of the sky. As I look up, I also take in the beauty and the glory of it all. I feel renewed and deeply blessed to be able to be here now as a new day begins. 

I know that they say that you only live once, but my thoughts are that you only die once - you live every day. And I never want to lose the grateful heart for as long as I have a new day. 

1. As opposed to 9 candles burning all the other times

2. At least from November through February

3. It's what we called my mom's parents