once upon a time, there was a tiny puppy. he had big blue eyes, silvery grey fur, and velvety soft ears.

the thing no one knew about this puppy was that his coat was actually a soul. it was a beautiful soul. his job was to keep the soul safe until the person he was holding it for realized that it was hers.

it took her a few years to realize that her soul was lost and to find it again but her soul was there beside her all along, caring for her, watching over her with love, waiting to be reunited.

on the day she welcomed her soul home again, there was a silent clap of thunder and a chorus of hallelujahs.

even without the soul, the puppy’s coat was silvery grey and beautiful. the only change was the addition of two tiny dim spots on his shoulders where the soul had been connected.

the end.

if you like this story, you might like the story club.

think fruit of the month club, only instead of fruit, it holds tiny stories that remind you of joy, magic & wonder.

i am especially fond of the story club because i created it to be something in which you both give and receive. when you join, you get to invite a friend to join with you. and, part of the cost goes to help me gift subscriptions to children in the hospital.

it is going to be magical.

won’t you come and join me in the story club?

i would love to have you!

remember my ice cream photo walk?

well, it was a success! yay!

it turned out to be a very hot day in portland so it was extra-perfect for ice cream.

i want to host another one – probably starting at salt & straw this time – but i can’t schedule it just yet. i am holding space in my calendar for a teeny tiny dream of adventure.

next time, i might also offer a way to identify me (perhaps a balloon or a straw hat). i do look like all my profile pictures, but i did wonder if someone might show up and not be sure who i was and then we’d miss out on their company.

this is your last chance to sign up for postcards from atlas!

based on this photo, it’s a good thing he’s practicing. i think i need to show him how to hold a pen.

because sometimes i so wish i could sit down with you and share a story over a cup of coffee, i thought i would do so in the form of a video.

in case you don’t like video, here’s the short version.

i have been through a lot of hard in my life.

one of the ways i made it though all the hard years and experiences – and the way i continue to make it through – is by using the power of imagination and story.

i write the stories i need to read when things are hard.

my tiny stories come from the part of me that always believes in hope & joy & magic & possibility & wonder.

no matter how hard things get.

regardless of whether everything around me seems to indicate that they are impossible and improbable.

i share my stories because i want to remind YOU of hope & joy & magic & possibility & wonder.

i want you to have stories that you can use as a lighthearted reminder, a touchstone, for the moments when they seem impossibly far away.

imagine if you lost the twinkle in your eye.

where do you think it would go and what do you think it would do? how would you find it again?

as you know, i am a storyteller.

if you love my stories –

if you want a touchstone for hope & joy & possibility & magic –

if you have children in your life and want a regular infusion of story –

i have a new offering – the story club – that just might be for you.

intrigued? delighted?

then you will want to read all about the story club.

(you can even listen to me read you a story.)

there are special bonuses if you join before july 15th.

and it is going to be full of magic.

hello, folks. atlas here.

wouldn’t you love to get actual postcards from me?

well, you can.

registration will close in the next week or two but there are still some spots available – and i’d love to have you.

happy happy arrrrrroooooooooooo! come on in, you know you want to!

i remember how when i saw the sun melting the sidewalk i stopped and blew dandelion kisses into the sticky summer air.

and the light was like a benediction, a blessing, a prayer – whispered all around me.

and what i mean by that is grace, offered freely and openly. i felt the magic and mystery in my heart and i opened myself to it.

{with thanks to the lovely sabrina ward harrison for the prompts.}

i can’t, she said.
i feel, she said.

i’m scared, she said.
i’m alone, she said.

i’m lost, she said.
i don’t know how, she said.

i need, she said.
please, she said.

hush, she said.
i’m here, she said.

it’s time, she said.
you’ll see, she said.

you can, she said.
you will, she said.

trust, she said,
please.

i thought of a brilliant way to combine my love for ice cream, photos, and exploring portland.

it’s an ice cream photo walk!

if you live in portland, and also enjoy those things, mark your calendar for june 30th and join me.

::

my latest tv obsession is a show called the pretender. it aired in the mid 90’s, so possibly i am the last person in the world to hear about it. the show stars jarod, a genius with the ability to quickly master any topic and flawlessly impersonate anyone in any profession.

it’s fascinating to watch him go from a fireman to a navy commander to a forest ranger to an exterminator to an attorney, but the thing i find most enjoyable about the show is something entirely different.

jarod’s character is such a beautiful portrayal of childlike curiosity and openness.

whenever he doesn’t know something or understand something, he asks questions. “if the hole is here, why do they call this the donut hole?” “who is the man in the yellow hat?” “why is he called mr. potato head when his whole body is a potato?”

i want to be that open and curious.

i don’t want to stop myself from asking questions because i’m afraid of looking foolish.

::

atlas decided he wanted his very own facebook page. now he can express his opinions 24/7.

speaking of atlas, do go see my magazine feature parody. i giggle every time i think about it.

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this week, i stumbled upon a beautiful post about prayer from jena strong.

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if you ever spy creme fraiche from vermont creamery at the grocery store, you might want to try it, particularly the madagascar vanilla flavor. i discovered it last week and am on my fourth container. it is delicious with fresh strawberries.

::

what is delighting you lately?