Tag: life path (Page 4 of 4)

You Are My Only One (these 36 years) And I Still Believe In We

June 17, 2014 / laura bruno lilly

My hubby Terry’s twin (?)

Those baby blues. That attitude.
My future husband, my lover, my BE-ONE…and oh yes, he looks just like James Taylor.
What’s not to like?
Most of our family and friends know the story of how we met. Truncated version: Terry as best friend of my then fiancé convinces said fiancé to dump me and the rest is history. While it certainly was God’s plan for us to be married, it might not have been exactly His way of getting us together.
Over these past years we have celebrated June 17^th in various ways. Our first anniversary we did the ‘eat the frozen wedding cake top’ thing in our little square cinder block married student housing house. Living on love in the midst of typical newlywed poverty those first years proved to produce a firm foundation to our new union; along with three children!
Our tenth anniversary we threw a huge backyard party celebrating the fact that we had made it together that long. Sadly, many we knew who married the same year as we did, were no longer together. This was also the year in which we followed the dream and took a leap of faith in starting our own business. Continue reading

Celebrations & Inspirations

May 16, 2014 / laura bruno lilly

Note: In keeping with the theme of this previously written Swimming with Swans vignette (2012), we celebrate in spirit with our daughter Hava as she receives her J.D. degree this weekend (2014).

Celebrations and Inspirations

from-Swimming with Swans: vignettes of our three journey between homes
May 2012 (Westminster, CO)

In honor of this time of year: a time of graduations, weddings and new beginnings. It is a time of celebrations and inspirations.

Bobby is graduating College with a BFA in Studio Art this weekend.
Our daughter Michelle is getting married in September.
Our son Joe is in a few new bands and learning to balance work, play and school as a bachelor guy.
My husband and I are faithfully walking the life-path before us regardless of its many mysteries.
A colleague and friend Bill, has survived two years of intense cancer treatment and is entering into a new cancer-free life.

And there’s more, oh so much more to be thankful for and to celebrate… Continue reading

Longest Night of the Year: 2013 Reflections (part two)

December 29, 2013 / laura bruno lilly

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” -Victor Hugo

My homemade cannoli

What better way to ease into another set of 2013 Reflections than with luscious references to food?

My homemade sourdough bread

This past year, I resumed my life as a ‘good cooker.’ This family badge of honor, proudly reactivated now that I have a kitchen at my disposal, has provided nourishment to both body and soul.

~ 4/13 The unfolding of my ‘horse gentler’ skills learned during our time of horse rescue being placed within a new context of use. While making a final pilgrimage to visit Terry’s Mother in Dallas (just a week before she passed away) our ‘nephew’ Jeremy helped with a fundraiser for the ‘Horses for Heroes’ project in nearby Rocky Top Ranch. Himself a Wounded Warrior, he opened my eyes to this realm of horse therapy for returning veterans and their families.

Shortly thereafter, to my delight, I discovered a local established horse therapy group beginning to implement a Wounded Warriors component into their program offerings. I immediately contacted them and not only signed on as an active volunteer, but got in on the ground floor as part of the initial group starting the WW program. In addition, I work regularly with the other students. While my primary role is in enabling the horse(s) to be their very best while in use during therapy, I enjoy the blessings of working with the various students and their families, other volunteers sharing my passion, the therapists and owners of the stable…

Gracie on Freckles, First Annual BTR Horse Show (I’m wearing orange)

We all worked hard to put on the First Annual Bethlehem Therapy Horse Show this past November.

Matt’s victory salute after his horse show debut

Really, really cool.

~ The many loved ones who passed on this year. Continue reading

December 1, 2013 / laura bruno lilly

then
when

on the cusp

that’s
when

the adventure
begins

On the icebox door

September 29, 2013 / laura bruno lilly

Today the movers come to begin the transport of Dad’s things to his new Independent Living apartment. I pulled this quote that’s been behind a magnet on the icebox door for quite sometime, judging from its yellowed appearance. For me it is in keeping with the theme of this blog: The Road Ends, but the Journey Continues. Perhaps it’s message will speak to you. Peace, all.

“We are all pilgrims in this life, and as we trek further down the road, we also become philosophers, so as I retire, here are some of my thoughts – God Bless – Gordon R. Darnell, D.D.S.

It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.

Happiness is not a destination – it’s a way of traveling.

Don’t take life too seriously – it’s only temporary.

Life is difficult, Life is not fair, Life is wonderful.

Life is 10% what you make of it, and 90% how you take it.

He who dies with the most expensive toys – still dies.

The world is full of givers and takers – the takers eat better, but the givers sleep better.”

Between Homes

July 28, 2013 / laura bruno lilly

from-Swimming with Swans: vignettes of our three-year journey between homes
6/2009 ~ 6/2012

July 2010 (North Webster, IN)

“Sometimes, when you possess nothing at all, the only thing you can do is hang on to your dignity. But even simple words can take that away from you if you’re not careful.” *

We are in transition, my husband and I.

As of June 26, 2009, we have been living life on the road.

Having sold our home in Colorado, we stored all non-portable, and “to be used later” items in a storage unit; packed two duffels with clothes, books, Bibles, toothpaste, and meds; filled the car trunk with tools, hydraulic jack, an air mattress, fold-up sports chairs, and mini basket with important papers; and the rest of the car with a greatly reduced number of items needed for our livelihood. For my husband, that included a computer with two screens, tech stuff, a mobile wi-fi device, and business materials; for myself, two guitars, one ukulele and a satchel crammed full of selected musical scores, teaching/marketing/composing materials, and of course my journals. Throw in our two pillows, a small “food/domestic needs” box, CDs, DVDs, camera, coffeepot, water bottles, maps and there you have our home on wheels.

Whatever we continue to take with us, has to be able to fit in our 2003 Toyota Camry, so if we have a non-disposable need other than what we have on hand, we usually do without; not only because of financial considerations, but also because it all has to fit back into the car once we’re on the road again between destinations. Most destinations have been house-sitting/house fixing up assignments and/or visiting and helping out family and friends, with lots of cross-country traveling thrown in for good measure.

Essentially, we are between homes. Continue reading