catch up

I would love to be one of those bloggers who hits the keyboard every morning with new and interesting info, but I'm lucky if I can get here once a week. Not that inspiration doesn't find its way into my life more than that. By the time I'm actually in posting mode, I've been wowed more than once.
One of the moments that inspires me weekly is arriving home after a week in the city. Two hours or more in the car, and the week just recedes behind me. The weekly shuffle and constant packing and unpacking, loading and unloading gets old fast, but melts away with the warmth of the cat and the quiet of my sanctuary - the living room.
This week I came home to a package in the mail from Seido Chicago. It was the commemorative book from their 20th Anniversary Celebration in which I'd placed a small ad. Larry and I had hoped we might be able to attend, but I dropped the ball, and am so sorry I did. Reading the history of the karate school reminded me of how one person can make such a huge difference in the world. Kyoshi Nancy Lanoue, Thousand Waves' founder is an amazing woman, an amazing human being. I wish her story and the story of Thousand Waves were posted on their website for you all to read. But by following the links you can piece together enough to be inspired on your own.
For Thanksgiving, Larry and I went to the soup kitchen in Poughkeepsie, The Lunchbox, to help with their annual Thanksgiving dinner. There were more volunteers than there were diners. It's always an eye-opening and heart-wrenching experience. I'm just grateful that we've created this tradition for ourselves. And glad I can be of some small help to those less fortunate than we.
The weather itself has been an inspiration this week. Cold and clear. Nice to be bundled up at home, doing a bit of cooking, meditating, cleaning and napping, with afternoon jaunts into the woods.
I guess with Thanksgiving behind us, the holiday season has officially started. Every year I try to disconnect from its commercial overtones a bit more. Here's hoping your holidays are filled with more soul than shopping.