Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourseles, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Yes, I am posting again! I know...I know...please hold your applause (did you ever notice that applause looks alot like applesauce? Weird, huh?). I have been totally swamped over the summer mainly with animals and rodeos and kids (it was really a blurry mess so it is hard to tell what is what!). Overall, it was great! Lots of fun, a few bumps and bruises and tons of laughs. I am so glad however, that the summer has come to an end and today really feels like fall. Could be that way because tomorrow if the first day of fall...duh, Mel!

I just LOVE autumn. It is my absolute favorite time of year. Not just because my wedding anniversary is in Autumn (I just was NOT a summer wedding kind of gal) or the fact that my husband and daughter were born in Autumn or that my son was born in December at the end of fall or even that my most favorite holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) are during this time of year. I love the sense of slowing down and settling in that takes place during this time of year. Things begin to move at a more relaxing pace. No longer filling the long days with running and playing and the need to get to the never ending work outside, but now there is time to store up for winter, stay inside together and enjoy quieter activities like playing board games and watching movies and reading. I feel ready to tackle the inside of the house and get it ready to spend more time in. During the summer I just run and run and run and the house begins to come apart. Time to restore order here.

I love the changes outside. The leaves turning from vibrant emerald to crimson and gold and covering the grass, the road and my car. The clouds masking the blue sky and the rain refreshing the ground. Shorter days lull us to bed sooner making the early rise on school mornings easier than the first days at the beginning of September. The horses and goats are showing signs of the wooly winter coat to come and Champ is finally going to stop shedding. The chickens are rising later and hurrying in earlier at night. Soon the Christmas trees surrounding us will be cut and loaded...headed for cities where no snow falls in winter...some will go across the oceans where Christmas trees don't even grow. The air will smell crisp and clear and set my heart thinking about the holidays soon coming. I can enjoy the smells of Christmas long before it is actually here.

We still have warm days (for the most part through October) but cold nights with cool evenings and snappy mornings. Autumn is like breathing again after the craziness of summer...as if a huge sigh of relief was released. I think that perhaps today would be a good one to make an apple pie and think of the hearty stew for dinner...

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

No spring nor summer beauty hath such graceAs I have seen in one autumnal face.~John Donne

Monday, September 15, 2008

I Go Tagged! Motivation to Post :)

I got tagged by Candlemom at http://www.candlemom.blogspot.com as a motivation to post to my blog...it has been way too long! So, here goes...

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random facts about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by commenting on their blog
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog.

Hmmm...6 random facts about me...

1. I am attending school at Willamette University as a Senior in Rhetoric and Media Studies...to simplify it, Aristotle defined rhetoric as the ability in each particular case to see the best available means of persuasion, or basically being able to develop the best possible argument for any given situation. Keith says it is a BA in BS.

2. I am terrible at housekeeping. Most definitely not the reason my husband married me!

3. I never dreamed I would actually own horses and we now have 5.

4. I have always wanted to live in Montana...as long as I can remember.

5. I knew I would marry my husband within 2 weeks of dating him.

6. I'm making homemade applesauce today...yum!

Oh my...who to tag! I love this part because I enjoy seeing what others will say...hmmm...how about Terri in Alaska, Amanda in British Columbia, Becky in Oregon, my sister in Oregon and anyone else who is interested! I do love these things :)