simple life

Life with Dogs: Somersault Moments

Posted by Barbara Techel

20150122_092941eI remember being a kid and how I loved to do somersaults. Isn’t there just something so magical about them? Head pressing into the soft grass—ready, set, go, as you begin to roll, your feet and legs flow up over your head— over and over you go, down the hill, lost in what feels like another dimension.

These days, somersaults don’t sit well with my stomach or my head, though my heart at times wishes once again for those sweet, warm and breezy somersault days.

Instead I now experience them in a new way. Life with dogs gives me the same feeling of rolling down a hill, my heart leaping with joy, and lost in a world that time does not seem to exist.

Watching Kylie fly through the snow, or the look on Gidget’s face as I leave out the door, as if to say, “Please don’t go.”

The wag of tails greeting me when I return home. Snowy nights sitting on the sofa, next to the crackling fire in the woodstove, Gidget’s head resting in my lap.

Sitting next to Kylie as she sits at the front door, gazing out into the neighborhood. Patting her head and feeling a warm gush of what can only be unconditional love that fills my heart like nothing else.

Seeing Gidget’s black eyes peaking out the top of her kennel at me as I place my feet on the floor each morning. Scooping her into my arms and smooching her on the side of her silky soft face.

Kylie greeting me with her still puppy dog eyes as I open the bedroom door. Hugging her gently around her big ole’ bear of a neck.

The drool hitting the floor from Kylie, and the impatient pitter-pat dance of Gidget’s tiny feet as they await their breakfast. Listening to the crunch, crunch, crunch as they eat their kibble.

Walks along the path that helps to assure me that everything in life is right. Kylie’s curious exploring nature often having me turning around, calling out her name, watching as her ears fly behind her, a smile spread wide across her face, and in a full out pony run to catch up.

Gidget’s tiny feet and lopsided get-along gait, trying to keep up with the pace of everything her nose wants to take in.

The content look on their faces as they nap away the day.

Tucking them in at night. Telling each how much I love them. Thanking them for being my friends.

Looking forward to the next day and doing it all again. These are my somersault moments of today.

Gidget’s Winter Perch and The Blessing of Acceptance

Posted by Barbara Techel

gidget's winter viewDuring much of the winter months, Gidget (as all other wiener dogs before her) get the luxury of a new perch to sit upon and enjoy a new view.

It is bitterly cold today, windchills of -20 and expected to be this way all week, getting even colder on Wednesday.

Even though my writing cottage is quite cozy and kept warm with my petite Heat ‘N Glow fireplace, there can still be a chill that comes through with the winds, especially felt on the floor.

“The Queen,” also known as Miss Gidget, can not be subjected to that chill that runs across the floor, so her bed is moved to higher headquarters upon my large wicker chair in the corner (Hail the Queen!). Here she is able to bask in the sun streaming through the windows. I love being able to glance over at her as I sit at my writing desk working, knowing she is happy and warm.

It feels incredibly good to have the holidays a memory as I move into the New Year and a new view of acceptance that has finally graced my heart. A fresh new start this week and I’m enjoying the solitude and stillness of this quiet season of winter.

I feel like I am finally on my way to feeling more like myself again. I’m welcoming it with open and grateful arms.

It was a tough fall. One in which I moved through the grief of a friendship lost. While this friend didn’t pass away, it has felt like  a death to me, because of what sadly transpired between us, with both of us going our separate ways.

While I don’t know if we will ever come back together again, I am finally able to take what it was, and find many blessings from it.

I’ve not written about this before in my journal, but hinted at a challenge I’d been working through in my newsletter a few times. I also won’t go into the details, because as always, there are two sides to a story (and as most likely always occurs, a misunderstanding that went astray).

But the point of me sharing this today is that with any struggle or heartache, there are lessons to be learned and blessings to be found in the challenge.

For awhile, I had a hard time finding the blessings, and when I did, I was struggling with the why of it – wondering why it had to be so painful in order for new blessings to reveal themselves.

I questioned, if I had to do it over again, would I have done so because of the positive that did come from it, knowing I’d have to endure the pain? The answer to that is that I can’t answer that. What happened, happened for a reason – time for me to accept and move on.

And this morning as I briskly ran out to my writing cottage, Gidg snuggled in my arms in a blanket, and as I sat down at my desk, I felt a shift inside.

We’ve only got one shot at this thing called life. I want mine to be the best it can be. I understand more clearly now that difficult and sad things happen to open us even more to appreciating our time on this earth. Without those hard times, we wouldn’t really know joy – true, pure joy.

We also wouldn’t know what we truly want for our life if we weren’t challenged by it at times.

I love my simple life. I love much of my time that is spent in my writing cottage pecking away at my keyboard, sharing my thoughts via my journal and newsletter. Time spent on dreams of new projects. Time spent in contemplation and reflection. Time spent on snuggling with my dogs. Time spent with my Johnnie talking about our tiny house someday we want to build in a warmer climate.

Time– that’s the thing, I don’t want to waste it worrying about something that was and may never be again. I give thanks right here and now in this moment for times that were hard to bear, but I made it through. I stand stronger today. I stand in this moment glad to be alive and have the life I love.

As always, feel free to leave a comment…I welcome them!

My Word for 2015

Posted by Barbara Techel

magicalI’ve been giving thought for about a week to what my word for 2015 will be. I had read some postings about it on Facebook and another author who encouraged her readers to think about a word they wish to carry them through 2015.

Last week I also did some new SoulCollage (R) cards because I had run across an image of “dancing trees.” I just knew it had to go on a card, which I did above and then added the other elements as you see.

Then yesterday someone mentioned the word magical. In in instant, I knew that was my word! And I knew just which image represented how I feel about it. Don’t you love it when things like this come together?

As I look at this image I collaged and think about the word magical, for me it represents something that is bigger than me in this world. The places and spirits I can’t always see, but know they are here for me to lean on as my guides.

The magic in a simple and meaningful life which brings me so much joy. The magic in the wisdom Gidget and Kylie share with me not in words but in feelings of deep love.

The magic in the sun setting and rising again. The magic in being authentically me – that when I am, I feel just like the dancing tress – free to be me!

The magic in listening to my inner wisdom and oh, the beautiful places it takes me when I pay attention.

Another word defining magical is enchanting. While we can’t just twitch our noses and hope for magic to appear in our lives, we can look for the magical in simple pleasures, and that I find, so enchanting.

Because it is how it makes me feel inside when I take the right path on this adventure, just “a tourist passing through” (as author Rick Warrens says) — it’s in those moments when I just know my life is right and the days flow with ease. That to me, is magical.

Early on in my life, I didn’t understand this, and my life was all about striving, achieving and proving my worth. But now that I’ve become a bit wiser and see the magical in the ordinary, it is what I want as I move through the rest of my years and days on this planet.

Have you thought about a word you want to be yours for 2015?  If not, I hope this encourages you to think of one. When you do, let me know what it is. I’d love to hear!

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Speaking of magical!  Magic happens for me when I create, and I’m busy behind the scenes updating some sections of my website. I hope you like my new banner, which I decided to share right away as I just couldn’t wait until the rest was updated.

As always, feel free to leave a comment…I welcome it!