Now That It Has Been Said...And The Day We Got Ellie

Over the past couple of years, I have been trying to express how I feel while out walking under the trees, in the winds, and along the streams via numerous blogs. I think I have done a pretty good job (aside from the shizophrenic-ness of trying to find a journaling home and voice), but I came across these words yesterday morning that sum it up better than I've been able to:

" When you practice mindful breathing you simply allow your in breath to take place. You become aware of it and enjoy it. Effortlessness. The same thing is true with mindful walking. Every step is enjoyable. Every step helps you touch the wonders of life. Every step is joy. That is possible.

You don’t have to make any effort during walking meditation, because it is enjoyable. You are there, body and mind together. You are fully alive, fully present in the here and the now. With every step, you touch the wonders of life that are in you and around you. When you walk like that, every step brings healing. Every step brings peace and joy, because every step is a miracle.

The real miracle is not to fly or walk on fire. The real miracle is to walk on the Earth, and you can perform that miracle at any time. Just bring your mind home to your body, become alive, and perform the miracle of walking on Earth."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

And especially recently, I've been at a loss for words. Not that it has ruined my time out in the winds, it has just been frustrating trying to convey the spirit. I feel I'm free of that "burden" of trying to express it now that it has been said, even if by someone else.

So now what? Well, how about some photos of the day we brought home Ellie?

  

And what I woke up to today - 

It's just toys, you're saying. Yeah. She's fond of boots, too.