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| GRATITUDE. (photo by Hallelujah Truth taken at The Sacred Place) |
Hallelujah for new beginnings and cultivating practices that make our lives delightful! In 2013, I fully intend to cultivate habits that perpetuate movement, voice, and fulfillment! However, the single most important habit I intend to practice is GRATITUDE!
I will practice my GRATITUDE by blogging once a week for what I am thankful for. Today, I will begin by posting California photos taken with my Chiboogamoo during the first week of our winter holiday.
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| THE VOEGELI FAMILY. My Chiboogamoo and I got to celebrate the homecoming of the Voegeli's daughter Elyse, who had spent the semester abroad in Ghana. Their son Hans is notorious for his collection of hats. Here he sports a fish hat which he selected especially to wear to the performance of "Spamalot" that we had just attended at the Golden Bough Theatre in Carmel by the Sea.(photo by Halllelujah Truth) |
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| ANNIVERSARY KISS! (photo by Sandy Voegeli) |
This past week brought the spectacular acknowledgment of eight wonderful years of my marriage to Chiboogamoo, husband extraordinnaire! We had the good fortune to elevate this occasion by tasting wine with Sandy at Heller's, an organic winery and eating a yummy meal with the Voegeli family at a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. I am so grateful for my Chiboogamoo, friends, and celebrations.
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| HIGHWAY 1. Wow, on our way to Santa Barbara from Carmel Valley, my Chiboogamoo and I got to see spectacular mountain scenery accented by the deep blue Pacific Ocean! (photo by Hallelujah Truth) |
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| ELEPHANT SEALS! Along our Highway 1 journey, we stopped at Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony and witnessed these seals' life-cycle in all of its resplendence. This photo shows male elephant seals and younger seals resting after their long and perilous journey to this location. Females were on another part of the beach and some had already given birth. We were able to see the pups nursing. Thank you MOTHER NATURE! (photo by Halllelujah Truth) |
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| CARPINTERIA, CALIFORNIA, HOME OF CURIOUS CUP. I am so happy and grateful that we got to visit Kiona and her bookstore, Curious Cup, in Carpinteria. I knew Kiona long before she moved to California and began this wonderful bookstore. The city of Carpinteria is delighted to have her, and her business is blocks away from this beach! (photo by Halllelujah Truth) |
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| IMPROMPTU ART SHOW: COSMOS OF HALLELUJAH. Saying "yes" to Kiona is always an adventure. She asked me at the last minute (a day before we left Atlanta) to have an art show at Curious Cup. Along with Santa, author and illustrator of The Three Sunflowers, I showed my current art project, The Cosmos of Hallelujah, and got written up in the local paper! Thank you Kiona, thank you Carpinteria, thank you Chiboogamoo for being my bestest supporter and photographer! (photo by Chiboogamoo) |
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| KIONA and SID(photo by Hallelujah Truth) |
Hallelujah for visiting former neighbors! We first met Kiona and her daughter Sid in Decatur, Georgia. At that time, Sid was only 12 years old. They were great next door neighbors and we miss them dearly. On this visit to Carpinteria to see Kiona and Curious Cup, we were happy to welcome Sid home from college. She arrived by train from San Diego. The train station is just a few blocks away from Kiona's bookstore. Here Kiona and Sid pose for a picture at the local Carpinteria brewery, Island Brewery. No Sid was not drinking beer!
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| LISA and KERRY. Words can't express the gratitude I feel at seeing Lisa Graye again, a college friend from the Pepperdine University days! And I got the added bonus of meeting her husband Kerry! Why do we let so much time go by without reconnecting with friends! They have an adorable house! (photo by Hallelujah Truth) |
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| RAINBOW ALONG HIGHWAY 101. I am thankful for the safe drive back to Carmel Valley from Santa Barbara. The universe smiled on us with this rainbow after we had been driving through rain for several hours. My Chiboogamoo commanded the wheel of the car and got us home without incident! (photo by Hallelujah Truth) |
That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me about a new important habit you will cultivate in 2013.
Gratitude is a good one. It requires taking time to notice and be thankful. You are already way on that path.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking truth would be mine. It requires a delicate balance of courage and not hurting others feelings. In the past I've leaned toward not hurting others' feelings to the point of imagining what they may want me to say.