A Million Thanks

Handmade cards for the troops!

Recently, a few scout troops, college students, families and individuals joined me in a letter writing campaign to show our support for the brave men and women who serve this great land of ours.

It was a wonderful way to get involved and to remember just how it is that we are able to live the FREEDOMS of the AMERICAN DREAM!



And may you have much Peace and Love and Joy as well as Happiness and GREAT HEALTH in the New Year of 2016!

Winter Warmth

When old man winter decides to grace us with the windy chill in the air, that can only mean one thing...snow is coming, it is time to load the wood stove!

Thankfully, we have an abundance of wood fuel this year just in case we get dumped on and faced with the bitter below zero temps.

However, with the warm days and an expected 70 degree very unusual Christmas Day, the wood pile gathers strength for its intended use as HEAT, just as soon as the temp drops.

It's a beautiful day, as the fog and light rain provide us with a beautiful backdrop for the much cooler glow of Christmas lights.  They are mysterious and glorious rays of light to attract you to your very own light within.  Remember the little song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Well, find your light and sing that song...it's the most wonderful time of the year, and I am very happy and grateful to be celebrating it this year with my AB FAB family and friends!

So here's to you and yours...from my own winter warmth!    With much Love, and Peace and Joy!

Peace On Earth

I am blessed with an online blogger friend who very often sends me these beautiful hand made cards through good old fashioned snail mail, with such great quotes and sentiments, and I wanted to share the one I received today.  From Deborah at Temenos of the Blessing Light.

"Among other wonders of our lives, we are alive with one another, we walk here in the light of this unlikely world that isn't ours for long.  May we spend generously the time we are given.  May we enact our responsibilities as thoroughly as we enjoy our pleasures.  May we see clarity, may we seek a vision that serves all beings, may we honor the mystery surpassing our sight, and may we hold in our hands the gift of good work and bear it forth whole, as we were borne forth by a power we praise to this one Earth, this homeland of all we love."
                                                    - John Daniels

So, at this time of year, look within, and may you find the peace.  

A great big MAHALO to Deborah for including me in your journey of Peace and Joy and Love throughout the Universe.

Aloha

                                                                               

Attitude of Gratitude

A friend of mine wrote about an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE in the church bulletin and it resonated with me deeply.  The daily practice of gratitude is essential if we are to connect to one another in the Universe.  Now more than ever, we must reach out to one another, extend a hand, a greeting, share a smile and simply acknowledge that we share this place on this Earth, and that we should strive to make it a peaceable kingdom for ourselves and those around us.  These are very simple gestures, but can be very powerful on the receiving end. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it presents a formality of that which I personally practice each and every single day, without fail.  Even in the light of turmoil, or strife, because it allows me to adjust my attitude or the nature of that which may be presenting itself as some sort of obstacle.  

Giving thanks is a release of anguish, and an invitation to peace.
Afterall, Thanksgiving IS for giving thanks...and there is always something to be thankful for!  And if you have doubts, get a camera and go out of doors, and capture a moment with Mother Nature.  You might be surprised what you see at the end of the lens. 

And as we approach the Christmas Season, I am always reminded of my favorite Christmas show...Charlie Brown's Christmas and these very special words from Linus to Charlie Brown...

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,

 good will toward men."    

Now, more than ever, let it be so.

Linking up with Kara for Tuesday Afternoons...stop by to say "hello"!

Challenges

 

Challenges bring us closer to our true selves.  We can pretend they don't bother us, and ignore these challenges, but they will return.  Perhaps with a new face, a new name, but the only way to conquer a challenge is to face it head on.  

It was last year around this time, that my daughter was gravely ill.  We were told that she just may not recover.   Well, we did not name her Kelly, which means, WARRIOR WOMAN, for nothing.  

And suffice it to say, from a coma, a ventilator, an artificial lung machine affectionately known as ECMO, dialysis, learning to walk again, learning to talk again...this beautiful child was on a mission to fulfill her true destiny in this life.  Although, she is not quite sure just what her true purpose on this earth is just yet, and she has yet to fully understand everything that her young body has had to endure, since she was in a coma for so long.  

However, she understands enough to know just how precious this life is.  As such, she has created a bucket list for herself.  And this past weekend, she was determined to check one more thing off.  A 5K run.

Now this was no small feat, for it was her lungs that failed her last year leading to her long hospitalization, with so many machines and meds to keep her alive.  And it is her lungs that she had to gently nurture back to working order by playing her beloved clarinet that she was so fortunate to play with her symphonic colleagues at Carnegie Hall last year.

She has triumphed in her quest to overcome the lung problems stemming from a bout with pneumonia, so much so, that she ran her very first 5K, checking it off of her bucket list.  The 3rd place trophy she received was icing on her pretty little cake.  And we are all so very proud of her!

More, she is proud of herself!

We are grateful.  We are blessed.  And the practice of gratitude is something that I do on a daily basis.   I urge everyone to be mindful of the moment at hand...this very moment, and give thanks!

Yes, it is a present...a gift!  Make the most of it!  Enjoy it to the very fullest!  

Connectedness

"Accept the present moment and find the perfection that is deeper than any form and untouched by time."             

~Eckhart Tolle, Oneness With All Life, page 28


Lately, I seem to be attracting people to me who are on the same spiritual path as I am.  And it seems to be an instant recognition that transpires allowing for a beautiful conversation of enlightenment to take place.

During these conversations it becomes obvious that we are tuned into the same spirit world, thus bringing forth those "aha" moments that others would chalk up to coincidence.  However, we know better.

Once the pathway is opened, and there is an awakened recipient out there, BAM, it happens, just like that...the wavelengths connect, and synchronicity makes its mark!  And it truly is a moment in time, to make you pause and soak up what the awakened soul has just brought to you.

The Universe is speaking to all of us...all the time!  WAKE UP AND TUNE IN!


Today, I am connected to Kara and Friends for Tuesday Afternoons!  Stop by to say "hello"!

Silence is Golden

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.”  

~Deepak Chopra                   

                                         

The Glory of Autumn

Autumn is my favorite season...ok, for the record, whatever season I am in is my favorite.  Yes, that is what living a mindful life is all about.  Even the one that graces us with the beautiful white stuff as it falls so peacefully (dumps is more like it) to the ground like these colored leaves that let go as they sail away with the gentle breezes that blow...or fall to the ground and become mingled with the acorns as the squirrels skitter here and there stocking up for my next fave season to come.

folks enjoying fishing in Autumn on the Delaware River

 

But until then, the glorious colors and that bounty of fall, which includes pumpkins, gourds, beautiful mums, and wonderful, wonderful apples, is something to look forward to.  It is sad to think that some folks have never experienced the full blown beauty of Mother Nature at this time of year.  

Yes, be mindful of this moment.  Wherever you are.  And enjoy it in all of its glory!

With Much Aloha...

Glorious~ness

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Today

"There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done.

One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow,

so today is the right day 

to love,

believe,

do

and mostly 

live."

-Dalai Lama

 

We Are One

Now more than ever, we, as humans must realize that we have all come into this world from the same life force.  The same life force of these beautiful sheep that have provided me with wool. We are connected in so many ways that there is no reason for one to think that they are better than anyone else.  We are different from each other, in our looks, our appearance, in our likes and our dislikes, and culturally speaking, we may have been raised to have different belief systems.

However, we are still ONE IN THIS UNIVERSE! 

We must make the human effort to reach out to others to express a sense of unity with one another.  For those who live their lives in darkness, you must trust that your soul truly does seek the light.  It is in the light that the soul was born into your physical body.  Circumstances that may have placed you in a field of darkness, can be averted and can certainly be changed with the power of the light.

The truth is:  WE ARE ONE!  And each of us has a very basic choice in which we choose to live our lives.  In darkness, with pain, and guilt, and shame and hatred...or in light, where there is love and peace and happiness and most of all freedom.

Yes, it is as simple as that.  For whatever reason you may have found yourself in the dark, turn on the light.  And continue to seek the light.  The past is gone, the future is just that...all we really have is

NOW!!! 

Don't wait...you may not get another chance.

Peace be with you!

Long May She Wave

God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above;

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.

You're My Blue Sky

The lingering moon in this glorious blue sky is the perfect backdrop to this wonderful red barn on an early morn in March.  Very patriotic, in fact, as the snow continues to melt away.  The great thaw is underway here in New York. FINALLY!  The birds are singing their beautiful songs, and all is well.  

Linking up to Skywatch Friday

 

Pop in to say hello and have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Gratitude in the Snow

Yes, the practice of gratitude is especially important when the Universe connects us through the various attributes of Mother Nature.  On this day before we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the northeast United States, the wet snow falls...ok, dumps is more like it because it's coming down really fast.  Yet, I walk outside to feel the wetness as I raise my face and hands to the sky and Give Thanks for all that is NOW!

    “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite — only a sense of existence. ”

 –Henry David Thoreau

Morning Has Broken

 

Yes, the last of Autumn has met the first dusting of snow from Old Man Winter, and every bit of 22 degrees was felt this glorious morn.  

TRIPLE C kind of morn.   CRISP, CLEAN AND CCCOLD!!!

How sweet to greet the sun and the moon at the same time, from my backwoods, with the last leaf on this tree clinging, clinging.  Oh, to live in the country!  Gratitude in abundance has rewarded me this fine day. 

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”   ~ Dalai Lama

Universal Language of The Setting Sun

My last sunset at Waikiki...awesome!

Since I have returned from my journey to the island paradise of Hawaii, I haven't fully retrieved all of the zillion photos I took on many devices during my stay with my "bruddah" and other family members.  And since I always enjoy the wonderful island shares from my new friend Cloudia of Comfort Spiral, I thought I would share a few of my own for Skywatch Friday.

Now, I have been to the islands before, long ago as a young girl with my Beautiful Kauai Island Mama.  I was strictly a tourist on that maiden voyage.  But this time, I connected in true Aloha Fashion with the island people who are my family.  The language, the music, the food, and of course the scenery will forever be embedded in my soul.  There is something quite spiritual about the peaceable kingdom that is Hawaii.  Including the current work of Pele, the Goddess of Fire who is spreading hot lava from Kilauea on the Big Island to ensure that her people stay grounded on this earth, as they tune in to the vibration of the Universe, connecting each and every one of them with cosmic joy that is shared by all living things.

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” ― Lao Tzu

The Aloha Spirit is alive and well.  We are all connected in this Universe.  Tune in and feel the peace and joy in abundance. 

Coming Home

Sunset at Waikiki

"Nothing is worth more than this day"

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I have been absent from blogland, so that I may honor my Mother in a very unique way by carrying her heart and soul back to her island paradise of Hawaii.   It has been many years since she left the islands, before the commercialism and tourism took hold, and before Hawaii even became a state.  

It was wartime when she met my soldier father, married and started a family, and I have discovered that I have many family ties there among the many islands, though Kauai is her birthplace.  And it truly is paradise.  I even got to strum the ukulele on Waikiki Beach...

Meeting family for the first time and being so far away from home was abit overwhelming, since I made the 5000 mile journey all by my big, bad girl self.  But I must say, all the anxiety and worry was for nothing because it was an incredible trip, full of great joy.   And I am very happy to say that my island family members are so full of the true Aloha Spirit that has been a part of my own soul as well as my siblings', and even my own children.  They are beautiful people, so harmonious, and I am truly blessed at this stage of my life to discover an extended family so full of life and love.  I even have a lovely 13-year old hula dancer cousin.   

Even though Mama passed away many years ago, she was with me, and I know in my heart that she is happy and resting in peace.

Aloha O'e Mama...until we meet again...

LP/Vinyl Comeback

Going back in time...to the day when LP/Vinyl records were the only way to listen to jams is very gratifying.  (No, I'm not even going near the 8-track phase).  Especially since I saved most of my vinyl and still have a turntable to listen to them.

Not really using it in many years, I was quite amused when the youngest child came home after completing the first year of college with the above STEPPENWOLF album claiming it was a much deserved present to self...because it has BORN TO BE WILD on it!!!

Well, all I could do is smile, because it's what I used to listen to and it's not a bad album.  Though, as the mama, I could've done without the "born to be wild" comment.   

So, those of you of the age who may have a stash of vinyl in the basement, drag them out.  Vinyl is making a comeback, and there are many "record" stores popping up, especially in college towns.

I dragged out my Beatles, Traffic (Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys...yay), an awesome George Harrison (my fave Beatle) ALL THINGS MUST PASS...along with many, many others.  Seems I need a new needle for the turntable, though.

  

Incidently,

According to the Billboard Hot 100, who was the first ex-Beatle to have a number one hit in the U.S.?

George. George had the first number one hit in the U.S. with 1970s "My Sweet Lord." The song reached number one in December, 1970 and stayed there into January, 1971. George was hesitant to release this song as a single because of its obviously religious meaning. Eric Clapton plays acoustic guitar on the track, while Billy Preston plays piano, and Ringo plays drums.

Dig Eric Clapton, too!  And can't wait to see Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers fame) up at Bethel Woods(tock).  So tell me, all you vinyl heads from the past, what was (or still is) in your vinyl collection that you dug ruts into with the needle playing it over and over and over again???  DO TELL...

Dance, dance, dance...

 "Life is the dancer, and you are the dance".

~ Eckhart Tolle

Can I get a hula~la???

Memories

The Canadian Geese are back to the pond.  It is nice to see them after such a long winter.  Though, I often wonder...are these the very same ones who mated here last year?  Did they bring some strays?  Are the "extras", the goslings of last spring that have returned back to the nest with the folks?

Well after reading several pages of facts online, I believe the original pair has returned with the now grown goslings of several years. Some of them now old enough to mate.  This year I have spotted 7, and I only remember 5 from last year.

It's always great when the eggs hatch and those fuzzy little birds make their way out and about.  Fun to watch them cross the back country road, just following along to see if the grass is greener over there.

One thing I do know, is that they are a constant reminder, that some things will never change.  There will always be geese on the pond.  They may be generations older than the ones we first spotted when we first moved out into the sticks, but they always return.  And they stay for our natural enjoyment until is time for them to gather together with other flocks of geese, and head to a warmer climate for the long cold winters that the northeast provides.

Yes, it's nice to see a natural bond, without any of the human daily grind that some humans seem to thrive on...stress! 

The geese are there at the pond.  And that makes me smile:)

It's a beautiful day...even in the rain...enjoy!