Walking in light

I’ve read so many blogs recently; so many wonderful writings. Why bother to write one of my own? Why bother sharing my thoughts, experiences, and silliness? Why not? I love to write and when I’m ready the words just tumble out.

At sunrise I sat at my desk looking for my “Yanni” cd. It’s purely instrumental music that inspires me; “Music that soothes the savage beast.” Yes, there must be a beast within because I feel so calmed by this music. Lost in the music I allow my mind to travel, yet let go of thoughts. Where have I been?

Visiting other blogs allows me to glean from their life. I see a blog as a child carrying his or her light along a path. A path that may or may not intersect with mine and the light I carry. Adults honoring our inner child in ways we may not realize. It is always the child who carries the light. It is the adult that develops the strength to share their light. And in sharing, we light the entire path.

Thank you~

Picture credit: “The Graphics Fairy”

Forest Fruit

It is the first day of December
And the pine, in beauty glows
On its limbs the fruit await
To reach the forest ground below

Their silent fall will touch the earth
Where they wait until they're found
By happy children toting baskets
Gather all, then homeward bound!

Shopping time ~ Let it snow

Oh ~ it’s shopping time
People rushing to and fro’
Hurry, hurry, got to go
All I want is lovely snow.

Oh ~ it’s shopping time
Out to buy the perfect tree
Gifts that pile up to your knee
If only I had learned to ski.

Oh ~ it’s shopping time
Buy some hats with matching gloves
Gifting them to those I love
For snowballs from the stuff above

Let it snow.

Stress Management

Just in case you are having a rough day (week, year, and life), here is a stress management technique recommended in all the latest psychological journals. The funny thing is that it really does work and will make you smile.


1. Picture yourself lying on your tummy on a warm rock that hangs out over a crystal clear stream.

2. Picture yourself with both your hands dangling in the cool running water.

3. Birds are sweetly singing in the cool mountain air.

4. No one knows your secret place.

5. You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called the world.

6. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.

7. The water is so crystal clear that you can easily make out the face of the person you are holding underwater.


There!! See? It really does work. You're smiling already.

Tears

Tears like leaves do not fall until ready.

There are ten bags of leaves by the road, with more to rake.

I think the tears are on the way.

Meld with peace

Realizing my mind plays tricks
The days go by and I’m not fixed
But on the morrow of my sorrow
I meld with peace and find myself.

* * *

The nights of sleeplessness may have brought me, yes lifting up in crescendo, to a pain I don’t want to know. I lie there as if waiting for the axe to fall upon my neck; my life verily severed. It is then that I wonder how much more can I take? It is often the quiet moments that bring me an answer.

I sat and watched the movie, “Avatar” for a third time. There seemed to be something missing but I don’t know what it could be. [Now the television is advertising a new version, “coming to a theater near you.” Seems the director and producers are reentering some scenes they previously edited out. Okay.] During my third viewing I saw what I knew to be a problem with my own reality. There are people who want to destroy what other people believe in. Speaking metaphorically, the destruction of the “Soul Tree” in “Avatar” was meant to destroy their beliefs. Destroy it and you destroy them? Can that be?

The “bad guys” in the movie wanted the special minerals in the soil. They learn that the biggest deposit is under that tree. They learn that that particular tree is the most prized possession of the people living there. Does that stop the “bad guys”? Has it ever? It gave me a good idea of what “corporate-run military” looks like; soldiers of fortune for hire [call 1-800…].

There are many tragedies I do not understand. Life is full of painful actions and reactions. My own perceptions may mislead me. It is then that I must retreat to a place I’ve come to know as my sanctuary. My own “soul tree” waits as I learn from my behaviors, and move another step closer.

* * *

I meld with peace and find myself.

Welcome August

It's a cool day. The temperature is almost 20 degrees less than the previous weeks of days. The skies are overcast with a yummy gray... not to be confused with that dank looking dark gray. The colors found in the trees and surrounding foliage reflect their colors upward. It's quite mesmerising.

Hold on, I've found a small ray of sunlight. Welcome August!

outdoors

I’ve grown accustomed to my yard.
I stomp the earth beneath my boots.
The flowers growing make me happy
And the beans all make me snappy…
~inhale slowly-exhale slowly~
Ah yes… I’ve grown accustomed to my yard.

(Find some time to enjoy the outdoors.)

A prayer for Susan

My dear friend
please surround her with loving arms
invisible and yet
feeling your presence

Give to her more than you would me
give her so much more
stop her ache
dry her tears

Annointed one of everything good
I trust your way
help my friend today
and through tomorrows...

Summer warmth

All winter long I wait for this. I wait for temperatures to reach the nineties. Add some humidity and it's 104 degrees Fahrenheit. So warm, but to the bones it feels great! It's like a warm bath soothing my achy muscles.

This is one of my favorite places to sit. Thanks to a very dear friend who takes care of the yard. I miss the days when I could do it all.

Here's my 'cool off' tip: take a bottle of water when you're sitting outside. When you get too warm pour a small capful of water on top of your head. Even if the water is warm it will feel cool.

Have a great summer everyone!!

Accountability

Big fancy word, accountability. I had to ask myself, "how many miles would I be willing to give up driving, to save the oceans? Would I be willing to see family less often? What products that use petroleum would I give up as well?

So began my questioning of my actions. I can sit here and say I didn't cause this gulf mess, however, I do use fuel. So I could say they're drilling for me. Only I wish they'd ask if a five mile below surface drill seemed the smart thing? I would have told them to invent another product conducive to 'life's' continuance. Every night, on the news, a parade of animal life is dead arriving on the shoreline, or else floating upon the waves.

Alas, Global Greed at it's finest, forsaking accountability? Nah, I don't think so. I think there's more to it. More will be revealed as time goes by; keep watching.







*A correction for my previous post, please note: Joni Mitchell wrote the song, "Back to the Garden." A big 'thank you' to Paige!

Now...

"We've got to get ourselves back to the garden."

~Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Taylor, and Me.

Scallop fettuccine

Ah vacation time!

This summer all flights are being diverted to the Gulf Coast. It's a promotional thing that sponsors "fine dining by the sea; thus refueling the plane and the people simultaneously. It's an ideal idea. It will be fun to watch them pull in crabs and scallops from the shore's edge.

You may want to 'question' that scallop fettuccine with the brown sauce. Reminds me of the good old days and Oysters Rockefeller.

Monsters in the ocean

In the ocean
Where the monsters bleed
In the gorgeous depths
Where everyone can feed
Life is fast approaching panic
But the companies are having fun
There’s money if they wait
More money, if they’re late
Fixing the monsters

What is Celibacy?

Celibacy can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by
circumstances.

While attending a Marriage Weekend, Walter and his wife, Ann, listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."

He then addressed the men, "Can you name and describe your wife's favorite flower?"


Walter leaned over, touched Ann's arm gently, and whispered,'Gold Medal-All-Purpose, right?'


~And thus began Walter's life of celibacy.

Phil and Buster

Washington, DC was the sight of a giant protest today. Canines from across the country came in for the “take your pet to work day.” Congress showed a lack of concern for the loss of trees within the USA capitol.

“It is becoming progressively worse as time goes on,” according to one official dog, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “I cannot share with you the action we pursue, but stick around. When Congress breaks for lunch, you’ll see the problem we face.”

Several agencies, along with Phil and Buster, have teamed up to confront this head on. “We may have to bark quite loud, but we intend to be heard,” said Buster.

His pal, Phil, sat back, snickering: “Oh yes, and wait until Congress try to use their toilets. Those bones we flushed are set to return. That’s what we call “Phil and Buster to the rescue.”

Photo credit: came to me in an email with 37 others; I liked it.
Story: I made it up, though, there’s always someone protesting something, in Washington, DC.
Moral of the story: “Save the trees” or “can we simply flush bad politics?”
Resolution: Plant more trees? No more “take your pet to work” days?

Saturday's storms

A friend called to make sure I was okay, having been through Saturday’s storms. Sure I was fine. She said that on the TV news were stories of terrible winds, hail, and storms, in my area. Not me, I had wonderful breezes, gentle rain, and a nice cool wind.

Later when going to the store I noticed my neighbor’s house. Oh my! Just a couple of streets away from me and the damage is irreparable. One of the community’s two hundred year old trees had cut the house in half. Really; it looked like a raw egg had been cracked open, everything spilling out, onto the ground around it. The foundation cracked apart and the house shifted off of the foundation in many spots. I was grateful to hear it had been sitting empty for two weeks pending some renovation work.

I never heard a sound. My home was so quiet, except for the gentle rain against the window. I'm so glad that house was empty.

two rolls please

I step lightly, going forward, into my path; is this the way I'm supposed to walk? For now I think so. I think I need to move easy through what appears to be a maze or picture puzzle.

When I realized I had started another seven year cycle of age, I knew there would be changes. There always are things that I let go of, and things that I obtain. So it's not surprising that I rediscovered something from a long time ago.

I bought two rolls of bubble wrap. Here's to making it through this next seven year age.

in the yard

Most of my weekend was spent out in my yard; lots of flower beds to tend. This is a favorite Iris. It's a fast spring this year, as summer plants are already popping up.

~That's all.

living amongst the cheap

I made a reservation with the city-county office to take a special driving course. My own insurance company was allowing a ten percent discount for those who completed it. Oh hey, I can do that. Sure, I was calculating the monies saved and where I would use it; never gave a big thought as to where the course would be located.

The advert said, "Learn to drive on rough, rugged terrain. Wind-swept, breathe-taking dunes await your arrival. Enjoy your extra time at lunch visiting our shops!"

On the morning of the class I arrived at the chartered bus stop; just a one day trip, they said, so I packed light. It was slow going at first, with the driver verifying every one's reservation. Still I was so excited, I almost missed the fact that we only traveled half a mile before we stopped. We stopped?

Oh the visions of grandeur that left my brain in a two second flash. We pulled into this conglomerate of parking lots. We were at a mall that had been closed for quite some time. A gigantic oval of sand circled 'round and 'round, and I thought: "I don't know what to think about this!"

It was rough alright. The sand was anything but still, shifting constantly, with highs and lows that made me nauseous. Cute, little fake palms trees disappeared when Mr. Wilson did his "James Bond" spin. Then Mrs. Spencer ran over them, dropping her transmission and a load of trans liquid into the sand. "Not to worry!" she yelled as she stepped out of the car, "they use sand at the race track, to take up spills, all the time."

Finally my turn arrived, and I stood there looking at the utter destruction of the driving course. "Excuse me," I addressed the instructor, "how can I complete the 'sand dune run' without a sand dune being there?" The sharp shrill of a whistle met our ears, as he called everyone to go.

The bus driver handed out an 'exit surveys' - asking students' opinions of the course. "Oh well," he says, "there's always the great shopping here."