Good morning lovely friends and fellow travelers

It never ceases to amaze me that when I visit here, in reading what you all so graciously and gratefully share, my soul is touched and healing occurs. It is a gift to be among you “wounded healers” and I am so grateful for your generosity in sharing your struggles because they make me feel less alone in my own.
It’s something of a miracle really that we have created this sacred community just by being open and vulnerable. I am so very grateful for everyone here.

Ose and Manda…I read your posts and thought “wow, me too!”.
I had a challenging day yesterday too! I was smack in the middle of a conflict at my substitute job yesterday and witnessed a cruelty that hurt my heart. It happened right before lunch time so I was able to leave the building and work through the emotions I was feeling so strongly. I had time to find my center, to release some anger, and to send a blessing to all involved. I reflected on my tendency to be judgmental and reminded myself that I have also not always been my best self. People react differently to stressful situations and we all are just doing our best with where we are in our journey. When I returned, the people involved must have sensed my disappointment and proceeded to give me the cold shoulder….it was like I was invisible. Perhaps they felt guilty for their actions, or maybe they were insulted by my anger….I left rather abruptly. I prayed not to be self-righteous or make assumptions and tried to sit with the emotions I was feeling. I didn’t try to fix it or be overly gratuitous and chatty which is what I have done in the past when I am anxious or self-conscious…just wanting everyone to have a good opinion of me. This driving need for affirmation and acceptance is dissipating and I realized that I’ve made some progress on my journey!
This morning I did a guided meditation that affirmed the peace that comes with acceptance and surrender to whatever difficult situation we find ourselves in. To be OK with letting it be what it is without trying to fix or change. I am by nature a “fixer” so this is an important step for me in my journey.

I am not working today and am treating myself to a trip to the library (oh how I heart libraries!) and then a therapeutic massage. I shall stop at the grocery store on my way home and pick up some necessities for our home and for my sweet elderly neighbor. We have a big storm in the forecast…right on the heels of the one that just passed. March is a fickle month….today the sun is bright and warm and am grateful for that.

I am grateful that during this last storm we did not lose power or have any downed trees as so many in our area experienced.

I am grateful that my younger daughter will be home in 10 days for spring break and that we have some fun outings planned!
I am grateful to be going to see my older daughter in Denver next month…we are shopping for my mother-of-the-bride dress together! It’s so nice to have these LFTs (Look-Forward-To)

Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and your very own LFTs dear friends.
~Blessings

Good morning lovely gratefulness friends

This morning I found find myself once again grateful for the slow and easy morning that I have been given. My substitute assignment does not begin until lunchtime…..I am soaking up the solitude, the sound of the mourning doves, the smell of the incense, the warm cozy blanket as I sit in the sun room and look out over the farmland.
I have been reading from my “Anam Cara” book on Celtic Spirituality lately….and am being made more aware of the gift of our senses.

So very grateful for this time of rest and reflection that I have had these past 2 mornings. Yesterday I was so refreshed that after my job I had the energy to drop by and visit with 2 of our elderly neighbors. Although they are always clearly happy to see me…..being with them is always a joy and gift to myself as well!

I am grateful for the contact I have made with a distant cousin via the DNA ancestry website I participated in recently. I recognized his name immediately from my childhood and we have started to correspond and put together some pieces of our shared ancestry. This is so meaningful to me because it is a connection to my beloved Nana…my Italian grandmother…and her husband, my French/Swiss grandfather who died before I was born. I have always regretted not inquiring more about my European relatives while my Nana was still alive…she lived with us and helped to raise me. I had no interest as a young person…alas. It was not until I have grown older that I have become curious about my heritage….this seems to be the case often, sadly.

Grateful for the new day, and the new month! I am hoping that March will be a gentler, kinder month weather-wise than January and February. This winter has been a rough one and I am looking forward to the warmth and delights of spring. My husband recently affirmed what I already knew….my anxiety and depression seems to kick in about now when I have just had enough of the cold, dark winter. My hygge practice this time around has surely been a help and a blessing….but I’m finding it harder to embrace those sensibilities as the winter drags on. So…..here’s to March and to the spring equinox that is right around the corner! 🙂

~Wishing you all a day filled with sunshine no matter what it looks like outside! Blessings.

Good morning lovely cyber-friends.

I am grateful this morning to have the time and clarity of thought and a slight easement from my anxiety so that I could visit with you after a lengthy “dry spell”

I am grateful to have the time this morning to sit in silence and solitude after a very busy week.

I am grateful for the wonderful visit I had with my youngest daughter who was home for an extended weekend from graduate school. I am grateful that she will be returning again in 2 weeks to spend her spring break here with us on the farm. I am grateful that we have this peaceful place for her to rest after the hustle and bustle of city life and the stresses of her graduate studies.

So grateful for the sun I felt on my face this morning as I sat in our sun room. Buddha fountain bubbling happily, mourning doves cooing, meditative music playing. It is just what my anxious and stretched soul and spirit needed.

I am grateful for a full work week. Since I am a substitute I usually work only about once or twice a week but this week I am working every day. I am grateful that 3 of those days are only 1/2 day assignments so that I could have the time I need for self-care.

I am grateful for writers like Rivvy Neshama whose words always resonate with me…she is so real and helps me feel less alone in my quirkiness and my fears and anxieties. My daughter bought me her book (Recipes for a Sacred Life) years ago and I love reading from it as part of my morning meditations. Recently my daughter discovered that she also has a blog. This morning I visited her blog and read exactly what I needed to hear…the reflection is called “The Tunnel at the End of the Light.” It reminded me once again that I am not alone when I am stuck in this dark tunnel of fear and anxiety. And she reminded me of the things that I could do during this time to practice self-care. Listen to music, meditate, take a walk, bless the day, pray for grace, be grateful…..the list goes on.

~Grateful to have this to share with you my friends…with love and blessings for a day filled with grace and peace.

Good morning lovely people

So grateful for the yummy authentic Italian pizza and live music by a local musician last night at our favorite little family-owned restaurant. We have become regulars and it’s nice to be recognized when we arrive!
2 years ago we moved to rural farmland after living in our small suburban town for 33 years. Both of our daughters went to the elementary schools there. Our older daughter was the recreational softball team’s star pitcher. And I was a teacher in the middle school and on the library board of trustees. Needless to say…..there wasn’t a place I could go in town without running into someone who knew me! At times it felt a bit suffocating and the anonymity that I had when we moved here was so liberating! But, now……I find that I am tickled when I go somewhere and am recognized and even greeted by name! The pharmacy, the hair salon, the library, even my favorite cashier at the supermarket! Surprisingly delightful 🙂

So grateful for the hot stone deep tissue massage that I gifted to myself yesterday. The therapist remarked how my muscles respond so happily to the warmth! She was able to get deeper into the myofascia once they relaxed, bringing me some relief from the fibromyalgia pain I have been experiencing this winter.

Grateful to see Brother Sun shining so bright and strong this cold winter morning and all of the means that I have to keep my muscles warm and cozy. When I find myself getting all grumpy and whiny about the cold, I think about all of those who don’t have what I do…simple things like a scarf around my neck or a warm blanket right out of the dryer. or a steaming cup of herbal tea. Things that I can so easily take for granted.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend a few hours this week volunteering at our local Meals on Wheels. Having retired from full time teaching, I have the time and energy to offer to the beautiful work that they do at MOW….assembling and delivering meals to the elderly in need in our community. Most of the volunteers are older folk themselves and I found myself feeling a little weepy at the sight of these gentle folk working with such joy to help others. I am honored to be a small part of their efforts.

I will finish by saying that despite all of the above, my heart is heavy. Another school shooting in this country has filled me with overwhelming anxiety and fear. My reaction to the news was so strong that my husband intercepted our paper delivery so that I wouldn’t be confronted with the headlines.
Through guided meditation I have tried to sit with the fear, accepting it and not trying to change it. Writing and sharing with all of you for the things I am grateful for is healing. It has been a very dark couple of days. I am overwhelmed by the powerlessness I feel.

Perhaps I need to hang on to the words of Mother Teresa:
“We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” I may feel powerless to have any great effect on this violence, but I can be intentional with small acts of love and kindness as I go about my days. Perhaps they will not be so “small” after all.

So grateful for the love and kindness that is always available to us here in this sacred space.

~Blessings and comfort to you all, dear friends.

Dear Ose…..do you live in Switzerland? My great grandparents were born in Switzerland and are buried somewhere there.I was told. Their son, my grandfather, was born in New York City so they did come over to the U.S. at some point. I am just now learning more about my family through a DNA ancestry website I have joined.

Maybe someday I will have the blessing of visiting Switzerland…it is a dream that I have along with visiting Northern Italy where my grandmother was born.

So happy for you to have this time of quiet and contemplation in such beautiful surroundings dear Ose.

Thank you Nancy…..I too have embraced my quirkiness as I have grown older. It is indeed such a relief to have that feeling of freedom in being comfortable in our own skin. It’s been a journey for me.

I am also embracing self-care at this juncture of my life….and I am encouraging my daughters to practice it in their lives as well. I don’t want them to wait as long as I did! And I want them to know that taking care of themselves…physically, emotionally and spiritually is a gift not only to them but to those who love them….and the Universe! It took me way too long to learn that.
~Blessings to you as well my friend
ps. You would love Rivvy Neshama!! Perhaps you can give a gift to yourself of her delightful book “Recipes for a Sacred Life”. It’s one that I read over and over again. Lots of wonderful little stories and reflections.
She’s a hoot! 🙂

Good evening dear Ose…..I am glad that the stress you have been experiencing has abated somewhat. It is always a joy to “see” you here in this sacred space.
I hope that your free time of pondering, relaxing, meditating and calm has been a balm for your soul.
I had a busy, fulfilling morning and a much needed afternoon nap…and was grateful to have some time this lovely evening for meditation, prayers…and some refreshing tears of release. These times are precious gifts.

~Much love and blessings to you dear friend

Dearest Ursula….I am hurting for you and will be praying for you throughout the day. I’m so sorry for the challenging time you are going through and wish that I could be with you and give you a big hug of reassurance that all will be well and that “this too shall pass”
I want to offer just a small bit of encouragement to you …do not be so hard on yourself dear Ursula. Us women put such a burden on ourselves by feeling that we always have to be strong. Please remember that you are being held gently in the palm of God’s hand and that you are loved unconditionally and eternally.

This piece of scripture comes to my mind….I hope that it is a bit of “help from heaven” for you:

” My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”
2Corinthians 12:9

~Blessings dear friend

Dear Pilgrim…thank you for sharing all these beautiful sources of peace that have helped you during these troubled days. From one “old hippie” to another, I’d like to share one that has always touched me deeply. It is a song from Woody Guthrie called “My Peace”. My favorite version always moves me to tears….Pete Seeger singing along with The Weavers on a tribute to Woody album that I am blessed to own.

“My peace my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you
My peace is all I ever had that’s all I ever knew
I give my peace to green and black and red and white and blue
My peace my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you.

My peace, my peace is all I’ve got and all I’ve ever known
My peace is worth a thousand times more than anything I own
I pass my peace around and about ‘cross hands of every hue;
I guess my peace is justa ‘bout all I’ve got to give to you

~Blessings for a peace-filled day my friend

Dear Manda: My Arizona-moved-to-Colorado daughter had a weekend full of birthday celebrations as well! ???? Her actual birthday is tomorrow, the 19th.
Among a host of other things, she and her fiance and a group of their best buddies went to a “Beer and Girl Scout Cookies” event at a local Denver pub! I couldn’t tell from your post if it is your birthday or if you were celebrating others?
It makes me smile to think that you and my daughter may share the same birthday month!
Lots of love to you (and maybe Happy Birthday wishes?) Manda!

Dearest Anna: I have attached the picture…it might be sideways but if you look carefully you can see the red rock formation that looks like the Madonna and child. Sedona, Arizona in the American Southwest is famous for its red rock formations. The rocks are a beautiful red color caused by the weathering of the iron in the rocks due to the very hot and dry climate in the desert. There are many different formations that have been given names like “Bell Rock” and “Cathedral Rock” that describe how they appear if you use your imagination! When we visited there my daughters’ favorite one was “Snoopy Rock” named after the dog in the Peanuts cartoon….are you familiar with Snoopy?

Anna….if you have the time maybe you can look up these formations on your computer. They are so beautiful. Many believe that the red rocks are sources are great energy, tranquility and spirituality. When I was there I was overcome with joy and peace being among them. It is a very special memory for me.

I hope you are having a beautiful and blessed day mi amica.

Good morning Manda….so happy to “see” you my friend. It sounds like you had a lovely “vacay” with your bestie! How wonderful.
I heart Sedona with all my heart!! In fact I have a framed picture of the “Madonna and Child” red rock formation sitting on my desk next to me as I type this. Our visit there is one of my most special memories.

I too am grateful for memories and all the times and ways in which they decide to visit. Aren’t our brains mysterious and amazing? 🙂

~Wishing you day filled with the sweetest memories my friend

Dear Aine…I am so happy to read your words this morning. Hope is such a powerful emotion….I love it in Spanish…Esperanza! That word just flows off the tongue. We gave our youngest daughter the middle name “Hope” because we literally hoped and prayed her into this world.

You said “I think I prayed a desperate Help-I-have-no-clue-what-I-am-doing prayer” and I immediately thought of Anne Lamott!!! And then smiled real big when, as I kept reading, you mentioned her 🙂 Years ago I learned a prayer from her. She said that sometimes she gets so tied up in knots that all she can manage is “Help me, help me, help me. Thank you, thank you, thank you”! I have used that prayer many times since then!
Aine, you are so right….growth is not easy. And struggle is an important part of growth I am learning. I love your analogy to a chick and a snake and I will add one more beautiful illustration from nature: A butterfly MUST struggle and fight its way out of the cocoon in order to pump enough blood and oxygen into its wings. If we take away this struggle by trying to “help” it emerge, we take away its ability to fly. And what a glorious sight it is to see a butterfly “fluttering by”!

We can learn so much from the wise and simply natural instincts of other living things. Us humans just tend to complicate things it seems to me! At least it is true for me.

I’m so happy for all that you are discovering along this journey and am grateful that you are sharing it with us….I am learning from you!

~Have a peace-filled day my friend.