Fave-O-Lit Friday

The Buddha took his disciples to a quiet pond for instruction. As was their practice, the Buddha’s followers sat in a small circle around him, awaiting his teaching.
 
The Buddha ascended the dais and, as doing so, reached into the muck and pulled up a lotus flower. He held it silently before them.  He spoke no words.
 
The disciples were greatly confused. The Buddha quietly displayed the lotus before them. In turn, the disciples did their best to expound upon the meaning of the flower: what it symbolized, and how it fit into the body of the Buddha’s teaching.
 
However, Mahakasyapa saw and only smiled.  The Buddha handed the lotus to Mahakasyapa and spoke to the assembly:
 
“What can be said I have said to you,” smiled the Buddha, “and what cannot be said, I have given to Mahakashyapa.”
 
Mahakashyapa became the Buddha’s successor from that day forward.
 
+ I don’t usually talk on Friday posts- I like to share other’s words that have touched me in some way. A fellow mom to a magical little guy with that extra chromosome shared this as her expression of the joy she feels with her dear son on his second birthday. I wasn’t familiar with it before reading her words. Her birthstory and love and seeing of her boy brought me back to the peace I enjoy. You can read her words here. I’ll be the broken record and say that it still amazes me what this little bit extra that we didn’t know we were getting brings to my heart and soul. How very blessed we are.

Quailday

 

What? Not the Easter Bunny pictures you came here looking for? Not into Hello Kitty Bunny Electric Toothbrushes and Princess Electric Toothbrushes? Well you should be. They rock. The kids actually like brushing their teeth now. For minutes on end! Best $5 spent ever. We’ve just returned from a trip to the West Coast for a conference for Lovey and a lovely little holiday weekend with our friends and family. So I promise as we get settled back in here there will be glorious beach and Easter pictures galore. In the meantime, the first photo of the trip will have to wet your appetite…

corner view: what’s for lunch?

 

Daily lunch for me really isn’t anything very photographable I’m afraid. I’m still in process of shedding those baby pounds and my priorities for when I get my calories are not exactly focused on body mechanics, so much as heart mechanics. I really want to be able to eat a healthy meal that is joyful in the evening with my family. We’re a family that does a very basic breakfast- the children eat fruit, cereal or cereal bars and Lovey and I function best with a light cereal-based breakfast we well, circled by a serious amount of coffee. We both love a hot breakfast, especially cooked by someone else. But we both find that pretty much puts us in a lull for the rest of the day. Since lunch for me on most days is at my desk at work I’ve spent the last 4 months trying to minimize work snacks so that I can happily enjoy my dinner and not set my daughters up to always be thinking in terms of diet meals, but rather learn by seeing their parents eating healthy portions of a variety of foods. I really want food to not be an issue for them. At a New Year’s Day brunch this past January, a friend who was doing an extremely strict diet noted that when we’re overweight we’re simply eating more calories than we need. It was such a profoundly simple sentence, especially in light of the diet books I had been reading and my history with Weight Watchers. I really found that this year I wanted to stop thinking about food so much. I. love. food. I love to read about it, to think about it, to have it with me, to plan for it, dream about it. I love to cook it and especially love to inhale- both nasally and gastrically what others have prepped. If someone wants to talk about food,  I’m all ears and all mouth.

Friends and family that know us but don’t spend every meal with us have often wondered how Lovey stays so fit, considering his deep love of BBQ, donuts and a series of other wheat-based delights. The thing is while he does seem to have been born with a hollow leg that he can fit the ribs of a pig in to. He seems to be more camel in nature and those meals others take part in with us are typically the exception to our daily routine.

So, corner view- what’s for lunch? Well if we aren’t on a weekend sidetrip- touring the local cuisine, like the Quail enjoying some of Big Mista’s , tasty, tasty brisket; or downing some fried apple pies and duck hash at the illustrious Grits & Groceries; you’ll find me at my desk eating the pb&j of my childhood along with a very plain salad sans dressing and an apple and carrots. Lovey refers to this practice as doping for the next BBQ we come across, but living in the south…you just never know when the opportunity will strike and its best to have yourself at the ready!

Corner view is a weekly Wednesday post hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by  Francesca. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic in form from around the world:

 Jane, Dana, Bonny, Joyce, Ian, Francesca, Theresa, Cate, Kasia, Otli, Trinsch, Isabelle, Janis, Kari, jgy, Lise, Dorte, McGillicutty, Sunnymama, Ibb, Kelleyn, Ninja, Sky, RosaMaria, Juniper, Valerie, Sammi, Cole, Don, WanderChow, FlowTops, Tania, Tzivia, Kristin, Laura, Guusje, Susanna, Juana, Elsa, Nadine

Zuzuday: Zuzuisms….

Is she in our land, Momma?

Are we going to Santa Claus’ lair?

I’m doing my homework!

Let’s send a story to Uncle Scott- he likes scary bats so let’s send him a scary bat story!

I get really cranky when my mom and dad put stuff on my way-up-high noodles.

Don’t flush me down the potty mommie, then I’ll disappear and I’ll get lost!

Stop right there Butcher!

Momma I had a bad dream and you had to come to to the castle tower to save your dears and bring the police!

Ok babies, sorry I can’t rascal with you today!

Cause we don’t know like leprechauns!

gratitude journal

1. fairly smooth flights

2. sleeping children

3. cousins- lots of cousins!

4. sparkley, sticky & sandy babies

5. strawberry kisses

6. sparkley cheeks

7. a baby walking more than she is crawling

8. a 4 year old remembering

9. Roberto’s

10. Buddies for the kiddos and buddies for us!

11. time off and away!

12. home again- home again!

13. too short trips

14. Love

15. healthy kin

16. beautiful weather

17. pelicans

18. being ready to go

19. playtime

20. pretty, pretty dresses

21. big, sandy smiles