Did You Notice?








Did you notice the moon tonight? Full in her evening gown but wrapped in a gray shawl, perhaps to protect herself from the frigid air that numbs my exposed face. Did you feel the snow today? When it ever so lightly and so politely landed on my nose and I went cross-eyed to see it--for it was the first of the season. It dropped in for a quick "hello" and then melted away on the tip of my nose and slipped down my coat as water. 

Please join me in the challenge of taking the time every week to reflect upon the moments: a giggle from your baby cousin, a shooting star, ANYTHING. It can be funny, happy, sad, whatever catches your attention! You can post your findings as a comment on this page, and please feel free to expand on some of them too! Taking just five minutes to sit back and reflect upon your day, your surroundings, is healthy and I hope you also find it enjoyable! When I told my friend about the challenge, she said it reminded her of the song, "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" from "Bridge to Terabithia" by Annasophia Robb:


It's so true. Open your senses: your eyes, your ears, your heart. You'll be surprised what you find!

Thursday, January 22, 2012:
See: the snow in the streetlights
Feel: my little cousin's hand 
Smell: sweet potatoes frying
Taste: Grandma's homemade soup on a cold afternoon
Hear: the old record player struggling to hit the high notes

Thursday, February 2, 2012:
















































See: the mischievous grin of a Cheshire Cat moon, the bubbly-pink of the sky




































Feel: the swoosh of a pretty dress






Smell: a brownie warming in the microwave
Taste: homemade bread, light and fluffy and perfect with honey












Hear: my brother's excitement at being a starter in basketball, the giggles of my blue-eyed baby cousin


















































































































































Thursday, February 9, 2012:






See: the steam from a cappuccino

Feel: a freshly-made bed, sheets still warm from the dryer
Smell: Mom's sweet perfume after a weekend away from home
Taste: Grandma's crepes, hot off the skillet, perfectly cooked, adorned with berries and drizzled with syrup
Hear: awkward Shakespeare read by 9th graders


Week of Feb. 14th:
See: heart-shaped pancakes on a heart-shaped plate,
Hear: the excitement of a special Valentine's Day treat, 
Smell: roses in my locker
Taste: a cupcake so rich I close my eyes to savor it
Feel: a perfect spiral curl in my hair

Week of Feb. 26th:
See: the yin-and-yang of water and ice, 50 different toppings for my frozen yogurt, my school's name appear on the CLOSING list (a snow day!), snowy woods like Narnia
Hear: the crunch of almonds and granola in oatmeal, my stomach rumbling at a new recipe
Smell: ginger tea
Taste: hot soup on a cold day
Feel: the curl of soft-serve frozen yogurt, snow melt on my tongue, rosy Santa Clause cheeks from an afternoon in the cold

Thursday, March 8, 2012:
See: puddles, people jogging, my calves after a long winter of pants
Hear: birds chirping
Smell: Spring is in the air!
Taste: a garden salad
Feel: a warm breeze, the urge to sing

Thursday, March 15, 2012:
See: pretty dresses under the spotlight
Hear: the raspy British accent of an absent-minded nursery maid, the musings of a Modern-Major General, the ditzy giggles of young girls over a handsome pirate
Smell: a rollicking band of pirates
Taste: breath mints, sweet honey after a spoonful of olive oil (which is supposed to help with your vocal cords)
Feel: a poofy petticoat bouncing around my waist, 

Thursday, March 22, 2012:
See: a full house on opening night
Hear: cheers and whistles after a job-well-done
Smell: bread rising in the oven
Taste: a cinnamon Pop-Tart before track (my good luck charm)
Feel: my fellow cast members on either side of me as we hold hands and take our bow, my phone vibrate in my pocket (a text message!)

Thursday, March 29, 2012:
See: the sky and ocean blend like spilled watercolors, a herring fish struggling upstream
Hear: a playlist of my favorite songs, a magic show from my brother
Smell: the salt air sharp through my nose
Taste: honey melting on warm peanut butter
Feel: butterflies in my stomach, a heart rock the size of two fists weighing me down as I jog along the beach

Thursday, April 5, 2012:
See: my little brother running with the older boys, my little brother all dressed up for his sports banquet, my little brother growing up (though still not taller than me)
Hear: my own humming, the excited chatter of friends happy for one another
Smell: the faint and sweet scent of cologne
Taste: a warm brownie swimming in a pool of purple cow ice cream (I can always talk about brownies!)
Feel: a loaf of bread warm out of the oven, wrapped in a towel and cradled in my arms like a baby, sand beneath my feet, my face hot with excitement







Thursday, April 12, 2012:
See: my little cousin's face in a bubble, an elderly couple holding hands on a Saturday stroll through the park, my best friend driving to track to pick up her brother from practice, a mixing bowl wiped clean with a rubber spatula like a greedy tongue
Hear: the excitement of a little boy turning 6, an empty soda bottle filled with jellybeans
Smell: an omelet frying in the pan, brownies in the oven
Taste: a hard peanut butter shell on plain vanilla ice cream (here's the link if you want to try it!), glazed carrots, slippery and sweet
Feel: grass beneath my feet as I stride barefoot, a soft touch of the hand 


Sunday, April 22, 2012:
See: loopy cursive in my journal, so many stars I could arch my neck back forever and never run out of new constellations (it is moments like these I know for sure the Earth is round), a chalk-filled driveway chockfull of bright colors 
Hear: the squeak of an achy swing, a beautiful soprano voice like Snow White calling for her animal friends, the buzz of a bumblebee, a dog barking
Smell: campfire, a summer night (there's no describing it...it's just summer), hamburgers cooking on the grill
Taste: chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter ice cream and all things chocolate and sweet, watermelon, lemonade with a strawberry for decoration (and of course for eating, too)
Feel: "Yes" dangling on the tip of my tongue, the sun warm my back, a cool breeze through my window on a warm summer night, water cool on my back after a hot run

Thursday, April 26, 2012:
See: the world from 3-inch heels (which I know isn't a significant difference, but I felt so much taller!)
Hear: the crunch of an ice cream cone, pretty poetry from my classmates, my little brother recording magic tricks in the room next door
Smell: flowers in my bedroom
Taste: a veggie burger with guacamole, a chicken-bacon-lettuce-tomato wrap with guacamole, guacamole
Feel: warm rain run off my shoulders, a tight hug, the rolling hills of the trails beneath my feet, a form-fitting dress







Sunday, April 29, 2012:
See: blue eyes on blue eyes, a nervous smile, a satisfied smile, an "everything is right in the world" smile, 11:11
Hear: a car pull up in the driveway
Smell: the familiar sweet scent of cologne
Taste: spearmint
Feel: a brush of the cheek, a part of the hair, my heart sprout wings, my mind race like my life flashed before my eyes


Thursday, May 3, 2012:






See: a handmade card, the toothy grin of an old man
Hear: the comforting voice of my cousin home
Smell: sneakers after a run in the rain
Taste: crepes off the skillet––all different shapes, like a snowflake, granola warm out of the oven (brown sugar and coconut and oats...you can't go wrong)
Feel: a squeeze of the shoulders, a smile


Friday, June 22, 2012:
See: the sun setting––a golden orb hanging in the sky like a brilliant lantern, strawberries take over the garden, a firefly like a lighthouse blinking in the distance
Hear: the excited and sad goodbyes as we break for another summer, the waves crashing, a mosquito buzzing in my ear
Smell: burgers on the grill, sunscreen
Taste: all different kinds of fudge, a picnic lunch, a sandy sandwich
Feel: my forearms scoop the water, a clam burrowing into the sand, 100+ degree heat

Sunday, July 1, 2012:
See: a large soft-serve ice cream, candy apples, caramel apples, the setting sun from 5 stories high, a loop-de-loop
Hear: excited screams, wind through the windows, a squeaky fan,
Smell: fried dough, french fries, overpriced chicken fingers
Taste: a mango smoothie with a big fat straw, pink lemonade with seltzer water, a 5-star grilled cheese
Feel: my body rise with the swell of the wave, my stomach in my throat, Disney nostalgia, Zero Gravity, a 90ยบ drop

Friday, July 6, 2012: 
See: a seal poke his head above the waves––like a periscope surveying the area, pea pod twins hiding behind the leaves,
Hear: a male a cappella group, a resonating bass, the swish of a "nothing'-but-net" (not my doing, of course)
Smell: clam chowder steaming in a pot
Taste: a tart blueberry, homemade whipped cream
Feel: ice cream dripping on my skin, sea salt in my hair, a weed give way, the wave drop beneath my board

Monday, July 23, 2012:
See: a shooting star, a family-style dinner, the world beneath a waterfall, a boat's wake like the train of a wedding dress
Hear: a thunderstorm, rain on the rooftop
Smell: sunscreen
Taste: sweet corn and shredded carrots and dark greens over ginger quinoa, a peanut butter s'more
Feel: my eyes sting cold with water, warm in a sleeping bag

Saturday, August 18, 2012:
See: the flashlight dim and brighten like a flickering candle, a ridiculous dress
Hear: little Johnny begging for one more story, a whale's flipper slap the water
Smell: a dewey air mattress
Taste: toothpaste (mint), blueberry pancakes
Feel: black sand caked underneath my fingernails

Sunday, September 2, 2012:
See: a moonrise
Hear: corn snap off the cob
Smell: my coffee stained sweatshirt
Taste: a sandy hamburger
Feel: comfy in a favorite pair of jeans

Sunday, September 22, 2012:
See: my dragon's breath cloud in the crisp fall air, the trees changing color
Hear: a crispy apple
Smell: hot apple cider
Taste: pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin iced coffee, pumpkin muffin, anything and everything pumpkin
Feel: a new turf field beneath my bare feet, a warm mug

Sunday, October 28, 2012:
See: Jack-O'-Lanterns, a baby in a cow suit
Hear: a noisy blender
Smell: a fire in the fireplace
Taste: apple cake, apple crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, toasted pumpkin seeds
Feel: pumpkin guts

5 comments:

Maddie Busick said...

Meg- I think this is a great idea and I love that you posted the song! Here's mine for this week:
See: The smiles on the faces of a room full of twirling, dancing, eight-year-olds
Feel: The crisp pages of a brand new book
Smell: The warm woodyness of sanding wood in tech-ed class
Taste: A juicy clementine from my lunch box at lunch
Hear- My friend's first garage band attempt in music class- a beautiful melody that i helped her clean up later

Maddie Busick said...

This week, mine are
See: Snow dusting the ground
Feel: The rush of wind in my face as we practice our recital dance
Smell: The sweetness of Valentine's lollipops
Taste: Ruby Tuesday's parmesian chicken pasta
Hear: The rolling of bowling balls down the alley on our school bowking trip

Maddie Busick said...

Haven't done one in a while! but here's mine from this week:
See:Patterns in the ice, snow covered trees
Hear:Little kids finally getting good with tap-shoes, the crowd at a hockey game
Smell:baking chocolate-chip cookies
Taste:a hershey kiss melting in my mouth
Feel:snow on my eyelashes, a new comforter

Maddie Busick said...

See:sun shining through the trees
Hear:birds chirping
Smell: Fresh spring air
Taste: cool oranges on a hot day
Feel: Warm breeses on my skin

Maddie said...

See: Sunset reflecting off bird feathers
Hear: Dolphins clicking
Smell:Salty Air
Taste:Key Lime Pie
Feel: Warmth of the sand