A few days ago I was inspired by Kim at So Many Places to stop, take 5 minutes and write a letter of gratitude to my life.  At the time I was reading her blog post I was particularly tired, it’s a busy life – that of an innkeeper, and it struck a chord with me right at that moment that I should be grateful I have a life that gives me the opportunity to feel good about the work I do… and that I have this life.  So I took Kim’s advice and wrote my letter right then and there.

Sometimes, you just have to break with the norm; throw caution to the wind and do things you ordinarily wouldn’t do in an average day.  You know, things such as –

Sometimes, we just need a little whimsy to brighten our day.  You’re welcome.

If you’ve ever “popped” open a Pillsbury dough product, you well-know the Pillsbury Doughboy. I can’t remember where/when I first read, what you are about to read, but it makes me giggle every time I read it and I like to bring it into the spot light from time to time.  I have no idea who the author is, but he/she has a wickedly wonderful imagination.  Enjoy!

Let me start by saying that #1 on my “top 25 things I want to do before I die list” is to live an obligation free life and I’m holding on to that.  #2 is to live in Italy for a couple of months and learn to cook authentic Italian food.  Beyond those, the order of the rest of my list doesn’t really matter.

I read a post written by Kerri at Travel Junkies and at the end of her post she posed the question, “What do you want to do before you die?”  I answered, “I want to live free of obligations.”  It’s a big want, but I’m thinking it can be done.  It just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of planning and enough time to get all of our ducks in a row.  Where did that saying come from, anyway?!  As if we really go through life lining up ducks?!

We’ve just hiked our way to the top of a plateau known as Upper Table Rock and the view is breathtaking!  It’s so quiet I can hear my heart pounding as it settles back into a normal rhythm after our ascent.  The dark gray rain-filled clouds are hovering and ready to burst.  The air is cool while the birds soar in silent flight.

Allen Saunders: Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.
—Publishers Syndicate

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

— John Muir