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“Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples and pears.

Show them how to cry

when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand.

And make the ordinary come alive for them.

The extraordinary will take care of itself.”

― William Martin, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents

Tuesday 3 May 2015

15/100

Today was a deliciously ordinary day filled with the sorts of things you have to do when you run a household and a couple of businesses.

My day began in the dark like it usually does.  Early morning is a favorite.  I love the way morning smells and I like standing in the kitchen wrapped in the quiet of the house, listening to birds tune up.

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This morning I unloaded dishes while coffee was dripping and then wrote pages and pages.  I painted over top of every single word with Martha Stewart Granny Smith green. It was necessary.  Some revelations do their work quickly and make a great underlayer for the next thing.

My days often consist of simple, ordinary things like emails, conversations about logistics, lists…and even putting a load of stinky workout clothes in the washer. On days when I work from home and not the studio, I feel especially productive when I can hear the dryer constantly running in the background.

On a side note, painting the deck has turned into the house project that ate Manhattan.  We got rained out this past weekend, so it’s still not finished!  I listened to this podcast of Rob Bell interviewing Krista Tippett , while I painted this evening.

I am grateful for this life I live.  I often smile when I hear talk of “changing the world” and doing BIG things.  I guess…  I know it takes all sorts.  Personally, I think the ordinary is magnificent.

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Today, I’m in love with purple basil and the color chartreuse.

Garden plans sketched out on paper tablecloths over lunch and laughter.

Adult children who stop in.

and a proper cuppa made by someone who loves me.

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BE in your life,

Betsy