There are lots of examples of kindness every day but today I am especially grateful to all the people who took the time to write me a note. Yesterday I decided to share a post about my cancer diagnosis. It hasn't been a secret, it's just not something I have shared beyond close friends and family. 

People are awesome. That is all. 

Why is this beautiful?
It's all about the love. It is just so nice that people took the time to send me a quick note. I really appreciate the kindness, thoughtfulness and prayers for healing. 

This rock comes from a beach on Vancouver Island. The beach is full of rocks that are smoothed and rounded by mother nature. I keep it on my desk and pick it up when I am deep in thought or I need a bit of grounding. Or when I am bored in a meeting!

Why is this beautiful?
I have lots of crystals and polished stones but there is something about the earthy nature of this rock that I love.
- The shape of it fits perfectly in my hand and as I hold it, I can feel the energy of the ocean. It's freeing and grounding at the same time.
- The black speckles also sparkle which makes it even more special. 
- It reminds me of walking the beaches and listening to the ocean on Vancouver Island - a place and pastime I adore.

Although I haven't been posting here, I have been practicing gratitude. It really does make a difference. Posting to the blog helps me to solidify my thoughts so I will give it another whirl.

Today I am grateful for sewing and my sewing machine. I was on a sewing hiatus for many months but recently I was able to get back to it with some space modifications. I have a great sewing set up in the basement but alas for now, I am sewing in the kitchen. I'm working on sew along projects that I dropped in February and I am having fun catching up. 

Why this is beautiful...
Quite simply because it brings me JOY! I love creating and I have been crafting my whole life. Even when I am picking out stitches that aren't quite right, I am still enjoying the process. I love cutting up pieces of material and sewing them back together. 

Today is our provincial election. The antics leading up to this one have been interesting. We went out to vote during the lunch hour. Our polling station was pretty quiet. 

Why is this beautiful?
I really haven't like the direction of this election or politics in Alberta but we live in a democracy and by voting we have our say. I am so grateful that we can vote.

We had an absolutely gorgeous day today. I was able to sit outside and enjoy the blue sky and fresh air. 

Why is this beautiful?
We take fresh air for granted but when we don't have it, we notice. Last weekend, the air was so full of smoke from the wildfires burning in Northern Alberta you could not sit outside. It was really bad and I can't imagine what it was like in the communities closer to the fires. 

I was so grateful to be able to be outside and breathe in the fresh air today.

I abandoned this "what is beautiful today" project almost a year ago and I'm not really sure why. So much has changed for me in the past four-five months and it is really easy to get caught up in self pity and sadness. So...I have decided to make more of an effort to record gratitude and specifically to bring back what is beautiful today.

Today I'm excited to share these stunning tulips. James purchased a subscription from a local grower so we will have fresh bouquets every two weeks until frost. This is our first bouquet of the season. 

Why is this beautiful?
I love tulips, they are such a happy flower! They announce the arrival of spring and a sense renewal. 

Seeing massive displays of tulips makes my heart happy. Butchart Gardens (Victoria, BC) is spectacular in the spring (you can see some flowers in this post from 2019) with so many colours and varieties of spring bulbs. In April 2016 we had the pleasure of visiting Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. It was a magical (albeit freezing) day with family and friends - one that I am so grateful I have the memories of. 

These tulips are so unique in size, texture and colour. They make me smile every time I look at them.

I received a hand written thank you card today with the fabric I ordered on line. I love stationery and I am so touched when people put pen to paper to offer thanks. 

Why is this beautiful?
I loved the way the owner mentioned that I am helping her dreams come true. I thought I was just buying some fun fabric but at the other end of that fabric is someone who took a chance to open her dream business. Win-win! That makes my soul happy.

I really believe taking the time to write a note on paper is much more meaningful and personal than an email. I felt really good about the personal touch. 

I am trying to decide on the fabric I will use for the 100 blocks 100 day quilting challenge. This year I think I am going to go for a rainbow look because I have quite a bit of Tula Pink fabric.

Why is this beautiful?
Colour is joyful. I love looking at different colour combinations of fabric. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by trying to pick "the right" colour combinations and then I remember - it's all good. It's for fun and play. Just like life. 

We did an exercise in the Divine Self series where we asked to see a "sign" in the next week. The sign that popped in my mind to look for was "regal bee". What is that? A queen bee? Over the past week, I see bees everywhere. Bee tattoos, bee fabric, bee bumper stickers, bees in my back yard, bee jewelry, skin care products with the word "bee" in the name...but nothing that seemed like a regal bee. I finally decided to accept my sign of a bee - I am pretty sure spirit was playing with me. The number of bees I was seeing was ridiculous!

Why is this beautiful?
It is so fun to play with spirit. I just have to laugh and express such gratitude for the display of bees. I know I am being guided and supported every step of the way in this lifetime and that is beautiful!

We were on a quick road trip and since it was a warm summer day, we checked out The Little Ice Cream & Soda Shoppe in Red Deer

Why is this beautiful?
I love checking out new little places in other communities. It feeds a sense of adventure. I tried the ginger ice cream and it was superb. Definitely not a flavour I would typically choose but I was thrilled with it. Ice cream is a wonderful treat on a warm day!