St. Patrick's Day Party

Yesterday was one of our favorite holidays of the year! It all started with a visit from our friendly leprechaun trickster Lucky. He always comes while we are sleeping or out for the day and this year was no different.

An Amazing Grace

I am but a single drop of rain, falling down from the heavens, in search of a body of water to become one with, to belong to, to learn from. I am but a simple spirit in awe of the world around me as I float once again down to this great earth’s painted landscape below. I am as always stunned by her beauty and the contradiction that makes up her very soul. She is both powerful and weak, made of water and stone and petal and leaf. She is violent in her fury and yet so soothing after its’ peak. She protects what she must to keep us all safe and forgives all that is; no matter how much of her resources it takes. It is my hope in life to be this great, this kind, this forgiving. Not just to be one drop of water by itself but to become an integral part of the whole that brings about a greater change. I aspire to be the one that completes what already is instead of trying to defeat what already was. I am a dreamer from a far off place that has been touched by the sun, transformed to a different body and brought back by the very same cycle from where I once began before. I once thought that I was something so small and insignificant that I could not possibly change what is, but I have been to the heavens and back and am all the wiser for it. I have discovered the secrets of beyond and understand the way of this magnificent gift called life. I once was unto myself and wanted to be apart from the rest of this world, to be on my own and accomplish my triumphs without any of my fellow travelers to lay claim to my glory. What I have realized from my past journeys is that it is not about the trail that you burn up and consume on your way to the stars, but about the hands that you hold and the hearts and minds that you touch along the way that matter the most. It is how you live this life and the paths you take to get there as opposed to how far you actually go. It is remembering that we are together for a reason and that to overlook what is so simply before us is to completely miss the lessons and life that we were set here to experience in the first place. Hold not to the pain and suffering but to the love and joy that you have the ability to give. Remember that any one of us can choose to strike back at those that have left us ravaged and broken in their wakes, but that it takes a scarred heart filled with an amazing grace to forgive and love those that have yet to figure this out. Choose not to avoid those before you but to leave this life having truly touched everyone you meet. Be known for the gentleness of your voice, the kindness of your eyes and the way that you freely give of yourself. Let the powers of your heart guide you and heal you along your way, and teach this way of being to as many as you can…

Melanie

Thoughts

A space in time to light the way,
Simple thoughts to guide my day,
After these moments may my soul receive,
The energy of well wishes that I need,
Shadow of doubts be cast aside,
As my very being be filled with pride,
Know thyself and trust in my sight,
And my inner most dreams will be brought to light,
Choose your path and walk it’s way,
Each step to strengthen me and bring what may,
Accept this journey and hold nothing inside,
And as this is done the earth will provide,
For I am water and she is me,
As I will it…so shall it be~

Off to Baltimore...

I'm off to Baltimore this weekend to visit Nik & Tony. I'll be back on monday...

Whirlwind

This year and the end of last have been a frantic ride on a whirlwind. I am just starting to get into the new rhythm of things. The blog has been silent for a while and I hope in the next months to make it a priority again because it is a release that I have missed. So hang in there and be on the lookout for updates and some more glimpses into the life of Melanie and Raine...

Birthday Surprise

Well let me start by saying that it is very hard to surprise me. I am one of those people that just kind of picks up on things if not outright knows them beforehand. So when Laura showed up on Saturday with all the makings for a special birthday dinner including live lobster to say I was shocked is putting it mildly!!! I think that was the best part. I had one of my favorite dinners made for me in my own kitchen by a great friend and my food loving daughter, she even had Raine make me a from scratch birthday card (the best kind). There was mashed potatoes, lobster, baby yellow carrots, and a chocolate birthday cake with rainbow colored candles to wish upon. I am officially thirty and loving it!!! Also a dinner like this in my cute little farmhouse on the ridge makes me feel very grownup!

Our Halloween Story

It twas a dark and stormy night (literally) and my sweet daughter was acting a little strange, she was putting on a creepy dress and asking for her hair to be artfully arranged. As the evening wore on I noticed a startling change, her face had drained of blood and she was growing a pair of fangs. Her eyes were vacant and looked rather glassy, and when I asked her if she was all right and her reply was quite sassy! She said' "I am fine mother" and I replied, "I do not like your tone!" She them look at me rather wickedly and said, "You'd best leave me alone!"Well I looked up to reprimand her and had to stifle a scream, because my little girl was no more and before me stood a vampire queen! Oh no! I yelled, "Please do not bite!" and she told me all would be well if I took her trick or treating tonight. I agreed right away and off into the night did we go, to find witches, werewolves, and big giant gnomes. There were a few scary moments but they quickly came and went,
And by the end of the night my little vampire was spent. So it was straight to her coffin with a kiss to this little vampire's forehead, and a prayer to up above that she would wake up as Raine instead!

I awoke with the sun and breathed a sigh of relief because the last nights events were simply beyond belief! I went downstairs to find my little girl all back to normal and watching TV, and our Halloween night a creepy memory...

Fond Mememories...

One of my favorite memories from childhood is of Joyce General Store located in Joyce Washington about a mile or two away from salt creek state park where we used to camp every summer. My brother and I and any friends that we brought along would get to go there at the beginning of our trip and fill up a little paper baggie of penny candy for 1 dollar (that's 100 pieces of candy) to snack on over the course of our vacation. This was a big thing and we looked forward to the sour patch kids and swedish fish every year. I will never forget it and was hoping to make it a memory for Raine as well but alas times are a changing and they no longer have penny candy anymore. Oh well we will have to make new memories and just cherish those of the past...A Replica of the store made from candy that resides on site greeted us this time when we visited and I found it to be fitting all considered...

By the Sea...

A few pictures from my recent trip home...

Autumn Home

Here are a few of the touches we made this weekend to celebrate the turning of the wheel. I hope to find all of you enjoying this beautiful time of year...Enjoy

Autumn Home

Mudroom Door

Front Door

7 year old mowing :)

Autumn fire under the stars - Sleeping not so little one who couldn't quite stay up

Autumn Wynter ;)

Very cool neighbors yard...