Beautiful World

One of the things I love most about living out of the country is that while I'm gone it is much easier to ignore  the negative stories that seem to saturate the media in the US.  While I'm in Delhi I almost never turn on the local TV - I get my news by picking and choosing from online sources - making it much easier to skip or skim through the really negative stuff.

I believe that living this way for the past four years has changed my view of the world.  I feel that without the media telling me what I should think and feel I'm better able to make up my own mind - and since I choose to see the world in a more positive light I think I'm in a happier place.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are problems in the world, I see examples of the ravages of poverty on a daily basis.  I just try to keep my focus on the slow improvements that are happening, the similarities we all share and the beauty in our differences.

This post is brought to you by a gorgeous song I heard this morning that got me thinking, "Beautiful World" by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin.

Dierks Bentley   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Pin It

What I'm Loving Today

Today I'm loving:

Sitting in front of the fire while I work

Tazo Refresh tea

My cinnamon & clove bud candle

Brandi Carlile's new music

Pin It

Over

My holiday is over.

I'm home and slowly getting back to work

Until I have a chance to post some highlights from Copenhagen and London, enjoy my newest love, The Avett Brothers with their latest, "I and Love and You"

Pin It

Reason

It's Friday.

I'm not planning to work tomorrow.

I'm getting on a plane headed homeward in 27 hours (but whose counting.)

One suitcase is packed.


Ain't no reason for this song, other than the fact that I love it.

Pin It

Glee

Have you seen it yet?  I laughed so hard at this scene I cried.  And I'm still singing along 12 hours later.

If you aren't watching yet, make it a priority next week, you'll be glad you did.

Pin It

Did you know it is National Singles Week?  Here's what I learned about single life in the US:

• 92 million Americans over 18 are not married (42% of the US adult population)
  
• For every 100 unmarried women in American there are 86 unmarried men
• 60% of unmarried Americans have never been married

Suddenly I don't feel quite so alone in my singleness.

Pin It

Love

I'm in love.

I'm in love with the Genius button on my iPod.  It made the most amazing playlist for me today.

On Monday I hit shuffle and then a few songs in got stuck on "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles.  I must have listened to the song 5 times.

Today during my commute I pulled the iPod back out and "Gravity" was still playing, but this time I hit the genius button, and look at the amazing messages I found in the music I listened to on the way to work.

Here I am and I stand so tall

I'm just the way I'm supposed to be

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

 Everything's falling, and I am included in that
Oh, how I try to be just okay

I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, 

God answered in silent reverie. 

I said a prayer and fell asleep.

Afraid to see that she's lost her direction
She never stays the same for long
Assuming that she'll get it wrong
Perfect only in her imperfection

An entire commute full of beautiful music with lovely lyrics that kept me going all day long. Pin It

Thirty-Six

For most of my life my lucky number has been 36.

It started when a fortune cookie that told me 36 was lucky.  But I also like the number because of the orderliness of it.  You add the 3 and the 6 up and get 9, which can be divided by 3.  You can divide 36 by 6, by 3 and by 9 - as a bonus you can break it apart and divide the 6 by the 3.  For a former math geek like me it is a cool number that is the answers to lot of multiplication and division problems.

The real reason I’m going on and on about the number 36 is because today I am 36 and I’ve decided that this is going to be my lucky year.  I’m looking forward to the adventures that are coming my way and I’m determined to make it the best year of my life.

One of my favorite musical discoveries this year is Missy Higgins.  She has an amazing voice and some incredible songs.  One of my favorite is "Steer."  Its lyrics are perfect for the way I feel today.  I've decided this will be the best year of my life, and I have the power to make it happen.

But the search ends here
Where the night is totally clear
And your heart is fierce
So now you finally know
That you control where you go
You can steer

Last year I enjoyed celebrating my birthday in Kathmandu so much I decided a repeat trip was in order.  Early Saturday morning I’m setting off for Nepal.  I’m hoping to catch up with friends, see  new sights, turn off the computer, and get a head start on the best year of my life.

 

Pin It

Balance

In our neighborhood in Delhi, most houses/apartment buildings have a guard at the gate. I suspect it has more to do with status than actual protection - but at least there are enough of them they can keep each other company on our very quiet street. The lucky guards have a small shack to keep them dry in the rain and to give them a place to keep a few of their things.

Our guard has a shack, but as you can see in the photos, the shack straddles a ditch in front of the house. To keep it level, Delhi ingenuity was put to work. Now, to me it seems a bit unstable, but I haven't seen it move or tip in the nearly two years we've had this place.

A beautiful song that popped up on shuffle today while I was at work proofing a document.

Pin It

Ewww

This sign has popped up all over the office. Enough said.

Pin It