I'm loving the warm feeling of December

It's kind of strange for me to say I have a warm feeling being that I am in the great Pacific North West-Newport, Oregon. Where the weather at this time of year is chilly at night and is a plethora of ever changing weather during the day. I'm talking about the warm fuzzies you get inside yourself. Today I awoke to rain falling by my slightly open window ( I like it cold and fresh when I sleep). I love the sounds of the drops hitting the tree that is right outside. I love hearing the surf of the pacific ocean in the morning when the tide is up. It also helps sooth me to sleep some nights along with the fog horn on the nearby lighthouse when its foggy over the ocean. Thoughout the day while I was in my kitchen baking and listening to my holiday music favs on my stereo; it started to downpour the most wonderful large drops of rain. It was loud and drew me to my back sliding glass door. As I stood watching and inhaling the cool fresh air it was creating, it suddenly turned to hail. The hail stones grew larger and I grew more entranced by the sudden changes. About 10 minutes later all was calm and the clouds departed, quite fast, because of the high winds we commonly have here on the coast. What a fun distraction. The weather was gracious to deliver me a hauntingly beautiful rainbow over the sea. You really have to focus to actually see it. Can you? Do you have a keen eye for finding something special and beautiful after a little kaos in your day?

A sweet friend of mine wrote that she enjoyed the warmer weather in Florida. I have to admit, at times it would be nice. But I wouldn't trade the bigger changes in the weather throughout the seasons. Where I live- it doesn't get hot and cold in extremes, but the different kind of storms for me can be romantic. It's ever changing so there is no getting your moods in a rut. Some places are more hot throughout the year, some are freezing. I'm thankful for living in a place in the world where it isn't an extreme of either. I consider it one of my blessings.

My longtime friend Maria takes wonderful photographs. She took this one of me last September as I was walking the shore in LaConner, Washington after a reunion. She really captured what I do so often here at home. Walking the shore, listening to the water and quietly meditating on what's on my mind.

I'm doing a lot of pre-thinking about where life has taken me and where I want to start  pursuing a new path- 2015...forward. We can choose to stay comfortable in how things are- or we can wake ourselves up a bit and choose to shake it up a little. Give our life story some more interesting chapters to reflect on in the future. I mean why wait until New Years night to make some half baked promises that your heart really isn't into? That got real old, real fast, years ago...that I just simply stopped doing it .You know the saying, beating a dead horse over the head~ What's the point??!! Like I always preach, I want to continue to smile, but I surely want to make it my personal mission for the rest of my years on this crazy earth to laugh more, at myself- at circumstances- with other people in my life.

What are you waiting for?...a specific day, once a year to think about how much you want to do something different? Ponder all the positive and wonderful possibilities...then make a plan to set it in motion. It won't happen if you don't skip and jump out of that box your in!

Wishing you all the excitement of planning a new trail in life. Be thankful for what you do have now and use it to prosper towards the adventure of your own future. Have lots of fun with it.

Peace out ~Happy rest of the year~Smile!