1. Giraffes : One never forgets the first giraffe she kisses. Mine was at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi, Kenya, and at that moment, I fell in love with this regal creature. Since then, I must confess, I've spent many hours with others. Those long lashes, that lengthy neck and miles of legs, the fantastic patterned coat .. Yowza, what a looker. However, I'm not a girl that falls in love on looks alone .. I appreciate their gentle spirit and wisdom of their approach to life. Giraffes languidly saunter through the day. They reach for the sky. There's a lot we could learn from giraffes.
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| Tiff asked JT if he built the giraffe puzzle for her; he replied, (quite vehemently, I'd imagine, if I know JT and his 'nos') "No, Sarah." The picture was taken and subseqently sent via iPhone. made.my.night. |
2. Rainbows : On my way to Brad and Amanda's my eye caught sight of an incredible rainbow .. we're not talking a double rainbow here, folks, we're talking TRIPLE-wide rainbow. The best part, though, was answering a call from Kate, interjecting my observation of the rainbow before she could even say hello back , and her response : "That's why I called you!! I didn't want you to miss it." That's a real friend right there.
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| As is virtually always the case, the picture doesn't do it justice. |
3. Yoga : My cousin recently joked with me that my yoga classes were becoming like others' AA meetings or something .. I always need to know where the closest and next one is, STAT. Well, starting yesterday I need look no further than my very own place of work. A group of us will gather on Monday afternoons for the next few weeks (though I hope it will catch on!) to work with Tommy Mack, yoga instructor and personal trainer. I've practiced with him quite a few times now and love his encouraging and gentle style. I won't gloss over the fact that it regularly kicks my butt, something I'm told makes him really happy. Anyway, he said at the end of class yesterday, "Maybe this is the first time you've taken a deep breath today." For me, this actually was true; it was just a blah day. That hour on my mat when I could stretch out my body in tune with the breathing and smooth tunes made for a mood-changing experience. Doing it with my friends/co-workers made it all the more enjoyable.
4. JT : Very little in life puts me in a better mood than "SexyBack". I know, I know it's overplayed but it's just so damn catchy! Now that it's a rarity on the radio I appreciate it all the more. This recent moment of joy came between the rainbow sighting and my Declan-time, which makes it all the more swoon-worthy.
5. Cupcakes : I.love.cupcakes. I love eating them. I love receiving them. I love sharing them. I love watching people go to the Cupcake Wars over them. It's not an obsession. Or at least it wasn't until Tiffany and I decided to take a cupcake decorating class and then .. well, they've taken on a life of their own, really. I've eaten a number of them in the last week or so and let me just say : there is not much better than a plain ole Vanilla cupcake with vanilla bean frosting. Or a Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake. Or an Almond Cupcake. Or a S'mores Cupcake. They're basically good for any occasion and they just make me smile. Do I need to defend myself further? Nah, I didn't think so ......
... and I saved the best for last ...
6. Engagements : My dear friend Kate became engaged this weekend to her love, Dennis, during the best/worst (depends for whom you root!) UM - ND match-up in years. You now know how much I love Kate that I reference football, of all things, in my blog. Even my dad commended these two Wolverines on the win once he congratulated them on their engagement. These two are a special couple and I look forward to spending many more hours in our future together playing Cranium and on the dance floor. What a gift they will be to one another - and to those around them . Cheers, Kate & Dennis!
Life is sweet, I just need little reminders sometimes. :)
