A year ago I sat in Applebees with dear friends and accidentally agreed to start this blog that very week. Happily, I did. I was snookered into taking the secret vision in my heart and bringing it into the light of day, unprepared, inexperienced and squinting in the sun. And now here it is, one very long, bumpy year later.

Has it blossom into all I envisioned it to be? No. Not yet. But strangely my heart is fuller, warmer towards this expression and towards you, my flagship readers than every before. The perfectionist in me wants to scrap it up to a half baked effort. But the visionary in me whispers, “No. Not yet.”

So, instead of apologies, let’s have a birthday party!

This month I choose to celebrate my first year of blogging by joining the 31 Days crowd over at The Nester. It’s a crazy thought, as my writing has been haphazard at best, and, of late, none existent. The commitment to 31 days of writing taunts my track record, but secretly I smile and I don’t care.

Grinning and nervous, I present you with 31 Days of Glancing Back and Leaning Forward. As we enter October it strikes me that this year has really been a whopper! Some good, some bad, all fast and furious. I’d like to take this month to again settle and center myself. Glance back in reflection on the moments that formed my year. Share what was missed in the sharing, when my heart was paralyzed and I simply had no power to put to words my thoughts. To prime the pump once again in the passions of my heart. To invite hopefulness to dwell with me as I look towards the months ahead. And to offer thankfulness for what is, in all its imperfections.

This will be a collection of personal reflections, splattered with lessons from my year. Welcome to my birthday party.

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It is pure joy to me knowing you are reading what I am writing. Thank you.

Day 1: 31 Days of Glancing Back and Leaning Forward: in which I welcome you

Day 2: Mourning the Invisible: in which I fantasize about stealing your children

Day 3: Swirl with It: in which I become like tumbleweed

Day 4: The Day our Plumber Went to Jail: in which I feel sympathy

Day 5: Be Kind to Thyself: in which I run from a train

Day 6: Sunday Break: in which I rest

Day 7: The Honesty of Waking Thoughts: in which I lean on the windowsill

Day 8: To You: My Leaders, My Followers and Me: in which I share my prayer

Day 9: Progressing or Arriving: in which I think about spiderwebs

Day 10: Blog Redesign Day

Day 11: Just Launch: in which I show you my new design

Day 12: About Me On the Weekend: in which I define myself for you

Day 13: Sunday Break: in which I rest

Day 14: Oops… I missed this one

Day 15: The Big Kitchen Reveal: in which I brag about being done!

Day 16: Speak to the Chaos: in which I name names

Day 17-19: Sigh… I don’t know.

Day 20: Sunday Break: in which I rest

Day 21: Let People Be: in which I stop “should-ing”

Day 22: The Girl on the Plane: in which lightning strikes

Day 23: Missed another one!

Day 24: Together: in which I get used to our new schedule

Day 25 – 26: Allume Break!

Day 27: The Reservoir of the Deep, Deep: in which I float to the top

Day 28: Quotable Allume: in which my weekend turns into nuggets

Day 29: Gems in My Pocket: in which life is Candy Crush

Day 30: Your Presence is Heaven to Me: in which it’s all I got today

Day 31: 3 Things I Learned for My 31 Day Challenge: in which I break the huddle

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