Day 94, 95, 96, & 97: Best friends, growing things, and unexpected twists

The last of the tardy moving posts! Internet installed and working great (so far, fingers crossed, find something wooden to knock on).

Day 94
Friday, September 16
Today I am so grateful for my best friend Alex and getting to spend the evening with him. We went to go see Drive and had a lovely dinner at a place in my neighborhood, Chic. It was pretty delicious!

Also, I will admit I found Ryan Gosling rather delicious in the movie as well. I'm grateful for the eye candy.



Day 95
Saturday, September 17

Today I hiked up Runyon Canyon, my favorite hike, and this was at the top. It wasn't there a few years ago, so someone came in and built this little ...birdhouse sculpture that's got some notebooks with visitor comments in it, and installed it up there during my 3-year NYC hiatus. My only words for this are: yes. Amen. Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.

My heart is filled with solace here, climbing up, trusting my feet and my heart to make it to the top of these mountains. And every time, I see people climbing the same mountain ahead of me - all of us pushing ourselves to the summit, and it encourages me. I hope, too, that someone behind me is seeing me struggle upwards, and is encouraged and pulled up by my climb. We are all on our journeys, we are all pushing ourselves to get to the top so we can see the amazing view. Cause the view from the top is always better, and always worth it.

Day 96
Sunday, September 18



Here's a snapshot of my budding patio garden. When my things arrive, I'll add a little table. This morning I sat outside and had breakfast. The sky was bright robin's egg blue, and it was so lovely just to sit in peace and look at my plants growing.

I am so grateful to be closer to the earth again!

And, reporting back on my hydrangeas, my mother shared with me an interesting fact. Hydrangeas derive their color from the soil's Ph levels. So the level of acidity in these soils turn the blooms that gorgeous violet or pink. When I potted my plant, it was blue. It is starting to shift to a lighter pink, so I guess that the soil I bought and planted it in is different than what was in the pot. The result is a lovely mix of indigo and rosy petals. The lesson I extract from this is: a). bloom where you're planted, and b). we derive strength and color, life and vibrancy, from the situations we're in. Sometimes you just need to change your soil, and all of a sudden, you're blooming in a color you never dreamed of.

Day 97
Monday, September 19

Today I'm grateful for the internet! It's really helpful in getting things accomplished. And it means I can post my gratitude in a timely fashion, research things, and let's be honest, watch tv shows like Louie and Wilfred on Hulu.

I'm also glad to have a number of errands taken care of, as I start work on Wednesday. I could not be more grateful for the time that I've had between these two chapters of my life - to have the time to transition slowly, own it - rather than just jump off a plane and say, "New life starts now!" I've needed the time to process things, both emotionally and logistically (the CA DMV, among other things, requires approximately 300% more time than you plan). For once, I have taken things slowly and given myself the time to do it right, rather than just push through quickly. I have some things lingering that need to be tied off, or up, or processed, but I will remember with gratitude that this journey, these months, have taught me that things come in time, and exactly at the time they are meant to, and I can stop pushing and chomping at the bit. I'm thankful for that lesson, and that experience.

I have to say, too, I find it so much easier to be grateful here. I am happy. I am so thankful for my life - for all the good and bad in it, for the choices I've made, for the friends I've found, for the family I was born into. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I feel so lucky; I am filled with joy and gratitude that it keeps spilling out of me. Georgia O'Keeffe wrote, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else." I am so grateful for my blessings that it has brought me to an unexpected place, which is...wanting to share joy and blessings with others, to radiate happiness, to bring joy to others. And to think, this project came from wanting to help myself, but in the end, it is about celebrating life and others.