The Ebb and Flow

Life has many waves. Some gentle and sweet others rough and exhausting. I view the currents of our lives as an ocean. Constantly moving and changing. Bringing forth all the rocks, shells, sand......these things that forever shape the landscape of our lives. Not to mention the lives that come through our waters......lives that shift our paths on a pleasant, floral path or a rocky, all up hill one. The ocean of our lives......complex, beautiful, and innocent.

The current state our our community of nations waters is a mirror image of our lives. If we take a good, hard long look at our current state of existence we might see how mired with toxins we are. Not on purpose, but a culmination of the choices we've made along the way. What we have chosen to affect/effect us, how we react to what gets tossed up on our shores, so to speak. This is a unique time in our lives. We are being faced with not only a catastrophe within our physically oceans but within our own personal oceans. A massive clean up is in order but it has become so large no one has any idea where to begin. It's akin to being told to clean your room as a child, seeing it as this stuffed, dirty, space that is filled to the gills with toys, dirty clothes, dirty dishes, garbage, stinky shoes, and who knows what else!!! Well, our spiritual rooms need an overhaul......if we as a people, living on this planet together, expect to see change.....clean water, clean air, an independence from fossil fuels, we need to clean our rooms first BEFORE we can deem what is necessary in our broader landscape.

I tend to lean towards the spiritual not religious. I have a clear vision of the God of my creation. My God is both male and female. Loving and accepting. All forgiving and possess the ability to create within me a spirit that can be cultivated and used for the better of all beings. My God is beautiful. This relationship I have with my God, when I'm willing to allow this relationship to shine and be at the center of my life, is what moves me to "be the change I wish to see in the world." I can't expect these changes to just land in my lap......nor should we as a people. This life, this ocean we're surfing in, requires work and commitment. If we were to actually be surfing in the ocean we couldn't just stand there and let the waves do all the work! It's an actively, seeking relationship. One that demands respect and unconditionality. Knowing that at any given moment we could be knocked off of our board and sent tumbling through the waters. "Life is like a box of chocolates......you never know what you're gonna get." We should be prepared to swim to shore, receive the broken and battered board and go out again!!!

When you fall down, pick yourself right back up and get going. "The here and now is a very small space; too small to fit in both God and a problem." Have faith.....have peace of heart......don't over think everything.......and most of all......KEEP YOUR ROOM CLEAN!!! It sounds simple but as we all know it's far from it! Cleaning up decades of mess it not an easy task completed in one single day.....or two, even. The honest, self reflection, the pain of admitting our mis-steps and lazy behavior. The dust bunnies that have been swept under the rug..... have no place there......

The bigger picture is this.......we as a world, each of us individuals, need to step up to bat and whack one home. Strengthen our relationships to our God of choice. Seek out a loving, unconditional, higher power that will create within us the passion and love to do better, be better, love better, accept better, create change for the better. Ride your ebbs and flows sitting side by side with your God. Talk. Laugh. Cry. Know that you are never alone and all that you seek lies within you. It is time! Time to make these changes to dust off ourselves, clean up our world, create our Heaven on Earth.

*******P.S.*******

This is an ongoing study on love, acceptance, responsibility, perseverance, and truth.

Be like the Flower........

......and turn your face to the sun! ~ Kahlil Gibran

A wise one once told me that whatever it is that brings you down is only allowing you to discover the tools to bring you up. Tools.

Merriam Webster's definition of tool: "a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task"

Well.....I'm not talking about those kinds of tools, per say. I'm thinking about the tools that bring us to another place in life. Tools that feed the Spirit, that Enlighten the mind. Tools that remind us of who we truly are. Flowers can be tools. They bring us joy, peace, they tickle our senses. Flowers have been an important part of this Spring transition.....more so than usual. I'm hoping it's because maybe I'm a little more awake than in the past......or at least aware. Some flowers have been actual tools, implements. We painted with flowers this past weekend. We adorned our Nature Table with beautiful blossoms. We wore flowers in our hair......and yet, somehow it meant so much more. We were all so aware with all five senses.

Be like the flower......

To be like a flower we must stand tall.....or heartily. Face the sun and absorb all her warm embraces. Dig deep with our roots and stand up to the storms. Provide a retreat for passing critters and maybe some nourishment. Give of ourselves without expectation......glow radiant light from our ever colorful petals.......and just BE!


As parents, our children really are like flowers. They are our garden bed that we must tend to everyday.......and still all day. We are the dutiful gardener that will keep our flowers safe from invasive species, make sure they have plenty of sunlight and food and water, talk with them and share time with them. Encourage them. Yet we are also flowers in our own bed......needing to be cultivated, loved, fed, watered.

I am lucky to be able to be home with my little flowers. Where I, too, can be a flower. All of us growing and loving and feeding each other. Soaking up the Sun's warm embrace and growing stronger everyday. Our rhythm in Life is one that we perfect as we go. I'm enjoying sharing our days with you here. A little piece of our history. Proof that when we're knocked down, or we loose a blossom here or there, that Life is good. We continue to explore, love, encourage, and.....well......jusr plain Live.

Tomorrow Charlotte and I will be making caterpillar's on leaves for our Nature Table. I'm hoping the weather will be nice enough to travel out of doors to spy on some real one's living their lives. Crawling......munching.......maybe......on a flower!

A Little Creativity

The dawn has broken through and even though clouds may block the sunlight, I know it's there. I awoke this morning with a very clear vision of my day. Get up. Wash my face. Kiss my husband. Say good morning to my oxalis. Enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy the flow of the rest of my morning. So far.......a raging success! Not all mornings are as glorious; of course, life takes its own path without any control on our part. All it takes is a little creativity to allow change, a shift, a jostle in the usual "rut", a little creativity and some will-power to accept that it MUST be done. A "rut" is no good to anyone. It makes life seem boring and predictable. Some folks may enjoy that.......not me! I'm a Libra. I need a balance of predictability and spontaneity. It just takes......a little creativity!!! See, you're getting it!

I've decided that our days will become rather structured with a simple rhythm that everyone will come to groove on, chock full of morning, afternoon, and evening rituals. Our life together as a party of six has become rather hectic. So much is going on all at once that everyone feels lost in the shuffle or swept under the rug! So.......I'm looking forward to the expectations of our life, the simple minute gatherings where we will just sit and be. Share a story or share a meal. Hold hands and sing a blessing, the little things that make life grand. The moments that when our children are grown and raising up their own family, they will think back and remember such traditions and put them in to place amongst their own rhythms. Isn't that what traditions are all about?

So.......there's the predictability, now for the spontaneity. The wonderful thing about spontaneity is that it can't be planned. My thought is that for all that will come with a simple rhythm, a little spontaneity will flow. We will actually have the time (external and internal) to allow ourselves to relax and just BE! Be ourselves with no fear of rushing to the next meeting or ball game. The time that will exist will allow us time for a game or walk in the woods.

Being a family just takes a little creativity! Relish in these moments that you share with your loved ones. Take the time to breathe and allow your gratitude for them in your life to shine. Amidst all the sports, school, church, work and other commitments a family will pursue, allow yourself a moment within your day to be thankful for your children, your partner, your pets, friends and family who mean the world to you. It’s these little moments where we can see the meaning and the peace that make our life worthwhile.
I hope that you find the love and gratitude that is yours today!

A Joyful May

Welcome to May. The May Day celebrations abound. The Celtic celebrations that mark the beginning of Summer......ahhhhhh........Summer. Warmth. Sunshine. Blue skies. Flowers. Bees. Fresh Vegetables. A Summer's Breeze. These are a glorious things and bring such joy to the human Spirit. *sigh*

To Welcome our May we had a little morning celebration. We weeded our flower beds. Gathered the dandelions that were plucked from the beds and used them to paint pictures. Then Charlotte, her Daddy and I sat around on a blanket in the yard and soaked up the morning sunshine while making a flower wreath that wouls adorn each of our heads! I think the only one who enjoyed wearing it was our faithful companion, Rosco!!!! We moved Charlotte's summer kitchen outside to the front of the house where it will be available to countless hours of play. Washing dishes, baking cookies, planting!

~ "Ahhhhh, the hours we will play and toil all the little things in the soil."

Thankfully where we live this day will continue to be a beautful day. The Sun will shine, we will wear bare feet all day, watch our eldest son play baseball later in the day and then.......just maybe we will burn our misgivings and other things that are unwanted or not needed in a celebratory bonfire this evening!

" THe moon shines bright and start give light a little before it's day. So God bless you all both great and small and send you a joyful May."

Earthen Delights

Today we made our Nature table for this glorious season of Spring and Early Summer. We lived the day feeling this quote within our hearts.......

"And forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." ~ Kahlil Gibran

We wore bare feet ALL day, adorned our nails with a new color of polish, and felt the wind in our hair! It was wonderful. Charlotte and I each held a basket, I the scissors, and off we went to bring the wonders of this season into our home and on our Nature table. We quietly trimmed, and placed, organized, and found all the little things that have made our table and delight.



Charlotte immediately took to playing with all the rocks, a little turtle, a clay cardinal and a little woolen gnome. Creating her world through her imagination. It was such a joy to watch. I'm lucky that I was able to sneak a few stares to soak it all in.

I've learned a lot from my two year old this week. How important it is to live in the moment. Forget the dishes. Forget the wash. It will still be there. But those little moments that occur when you are able to catch a glimpse of that raw power of a child.......it is MAGICAL!!! The wonder. The squeals of sheer happiness. The free giggles with no expectation except to just........feel. Experience. Love. Live!

The life of a two year old is grand. I'm so lucky to be in the space that I'm in to enjoy every moment (God willing) and be reminded that this little creation of mine has the will and the way to create her best life......without even knowing it. Thankfully I will be there to help her remember should she forget.

Peace of the running wave to you ~

Something is new......

.....and I'm not sure what. Either is the Spring in the air or just me in transition......or both. I feel accomplished. I feel happy. I feel at peace. Those 3 words rarely ever leave my lips, let alone at the same time! Let me make sure to count my blessings!!!

These past few days I have been eager to live in Charlotte's world. Charlotte is my 2year old daughter. I have had a 2 year old before......2 in fact, they are currently 10 and 8......so this time of life is nothing new to me. Or is it? Other than the fact that I am walking on a totally different path, with a new partner (new as in 6 years new) and am loved, respected, loved, cared for, loved, and well, you get the picture......I am lucky enough to be able to really enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, some days are, indeed, tough. In fact, some days when my husband returns home from work I'm ready to run out the door for a few hours solice.....but alas......these are the joys and the pains of Motherhood. All of my kids bring me joy. All different from the other. Lately, Charlotte has really inspired me to be ALIVE! Creative alive. Awake alive. Still alive! Such wonderful joys. I've dedicated this week to, everyday, doing something simple that will bring HER joy. Painting, playing in the dirt, making play dough. She so looks forward to our new "projects" and can't wait until the next one. Although, as a Mother, I do "projects" with my kids anyway. On occasion, when there is down time......I've never really been able to regimented. This is my new task. To regiment these little glimmers of sunshine into our everyday lives. It will only enrich us all.

Joy. Happiness. Peace. What can be better?!

A Spirit that envelops the Earth

A month has passed since my last posting. I traveled south for a week or so with my family, let the season have her way with me, got my hands dirty, and am now reveling at the beauties that sleep in my garden. It's glorious. All of it.

I've been through some serious contemplation this past month......as always. It seems as though my triathlon will be deferred until next year as my coach will be journeying on the Appalachian Trail until mid-August. WELL DONE, JOANNA!!! It's encouraging as it is momentous. To know that I've now been given a year to reclaim my body (that which has been at the beck and call of babies......and currently still is) to become strong, train, cultivate focus, endurance, and Spirit. Joanna has encouraged me to take the plunge, is continuing to encourage me by following her heart through this momentous occasion and looking forward to seeing each other next year. Just one more thing to LOOK FORWARD TO!!!

As it is with any decision/choice, we make them. Whether right or wrong, they're made. To better ourselves, each other, the World......or no one. Choices and/or Decisions are made so we know where we are going......they're landmarks to what's ahead. Whether fruitful or not, they happen......for a reason. That's something I have always said. "Everything happens for a reason." Some call it Fate. Others call it Karma. I call it Me. I'm the reason things happen. Just as You are the reason things happen. It's all connected. We are all connected. You make choose to tie your shoe, the person behind you has to walk around you and bumps into the person coming in the opposite direction! This my have just sparked an attraction that might have otherwise passed on by......had you not stopped to tie your shoe! So, well done!

Now, remember, this could all have negative impact, too! Should you be to impatient and choose to be nasty to the person ahead of you at the check out because they can't find their coupons, well, this not only puts all those negative feeling out into the ether's, but, it's also what you will then attract to yourself. I soundly believe in the Law of Attraction. What you give is what you get! This is the one lesson I try to instill in my children.

Please......be a positive Light in the World. For yourself and for others. It is so important that we remember that we are in this together.

Until the next time.....Peace!

The Unexpected

So as Life would have it, I've been fighting an uphill battle. Reading this book by Debbie Ford has created an unusual string of circumstances. None that are any less unappreciated than the other. It's been wonderful. The bottom line is, I don't think it has anything to do with the book.

Sometimes I think that when we are distracted from the path we are trying to walk it is because something bigger than us is wanting us to maintain the status quo. Something bigger than us doesn't want us to succeed, change our course, feel different, be different.......I'm sure you get the idea. Then there are the times when I feel like we are distracted because this path just is NOT the one we are meant to walk. At this moment, that is the conclusion I am coming to. I am not meant to continue, for now, on this path of discovery while following the guidelines within these book by Debbie Ford. Quite frankly, I'm not surprised. The things she's suggested have been lessons I've learned eons ago. I know what she's saying. So for me......it's old hat. I can't regurgitate information by reading something that has little meaning to me, as the lessons are cold and empty without any sort of experience to go with them. So......I bid the farewell. No longer will I blog on the readings of Debbie Ford. I feel as though if any of you, who might still be reading, are receiving any type of knowledge or feeling that Life is better having known what she's said, then......let me know and I will send you my books!!!

I'm not giving up! I just feel like without the chains that come with those books, my life is so much MORE......well......enjoyable. I'm not feeling the pressure of a contract that I should have with myself. I am clear with my intention that This Year will be the BEST year of my Life......regardless if I follow the steps within those books.

Let me give you a glimpse of how I know this already:

* I have decided to begin training for my first ever triathlon. This includes biking, swimming and running daily. Things I haven't done in upwards of 15 years. And it's wonderful!!!!!!

* I am baking and have decided to go to Farmer's Markets with my offerings.

* I am dreaming again when I sleep which is something that hasn't happened in 2 years or so.

* I am creating more joy in my life buy simply spending time with dear friends.....which, again, I haven't done in 2 years or more.

* I am actively participating in my Church, which I have been doing for 3 years now, but taking on more responsibility.

These are just a few of the things that have come to pass that have already made this year better than the last. And I don't have to thank those books for these changes in my Life. I get to Thank just.......ME! That's what sealed the deal. I already know how to make my Life better.......we all do. We don't need the help of people who cash in on other people's suffering. Debbie Ford has ostensibly made her millions on folks who have forgotten them selves. We are ALL able to be found. It's just a matter of seeking that within ourselves......not from someone else. Now, I'm not necessarily knocking Debbie Ford and her millions, just that, for me......how silly of me to think I couldn't do this on my own. I didn't give myself enough credit for the things I have experienced and learned in this lifetime. I've had teachers, mentors, friends, who have shown me time and time again what a precious gift Life is and how we are all living to Remember Who We Are.

And I'm Remembering.......you will too!

The Unexpected has happened, and I'm thrilled. So......if you're with me......put down those books and start experiencing your Life. Get up! Go out! Do what you have always been "meaning" to do.......and this year will automatically be better than last year!

~ Blessings

When Life gives you Lemons

Make Lemonade! Well what happens when most of the lemons are moldy and yucky and they're all mixed in with the decent ones? Well, you have to take time and sort through them all and pick out the good ones and toss the yucky ones. That's what I've been doing. Sorting out!
I forgot that when you make the choice to change the course your on.....everything is fair game for upheaval. It seems as if everything comes toppling down on you and then you have to literally rebuild that what was, your life. I chose to make a change, that this will be the Best Year of my Life. In that statement alone is a reasonable amount of things that can go "wrong". In wrong I mean not going the way I had intended simply because I was on my high horse to the Best Year of my Life. I still am, I'm just taking the precribed amount of time to make sure all my ducks are in a row. You can't make change until you are ready......and if certain things aren't ready to shift, its an uphill battle, in 10 feet of snow with no boots to wear! Like the "old days"!
So......in these past 10 days of no writing I have cried, gotten angry, a little depressed, confused, lost, and bewildered. I'm still seeking my Best Year yet, although taking a different route to get there. My body, my past, my resentments, old feelings, etc.....they need to also be released. That's what is happening. I'm allowing them all to come as they may so I can let them go and give myself a clean slate. I've made the declaration the this will be the Best Year of My Life, but not without hard work to make the shift.
Thank you for being patient with me as I continue on the this journey. Today will be more pleasant to deal with than yesterday and I know that I am one step closer to feeling the best I can to continue on my path.

This will be the Best Year of my Life!

In the dew of little things

"Let there be in your heart a song for each cup."

Yes, The Prophet. This book has so much to give. Have you read it? If not, I highly recommend it.

Today I gave endless Thanks for the bounty that created my meals. The bread, the milk, the potatoes, the coconut milk. All of it I ate with wonder and gratitude in my heart. Now, I will admit, I was half way through my meal at times before I remembered to give thanks, but I remembered nonetheless.

My first reaction this morning, was, well.......I couldn't think about eating meat. I couldn't bring myself to think about the process which takes place to create, say, breakfast sausage. Or a ham roast, or lunch meat......I just couldn't do it. So I didn't consume any meat today. And really, that's just fine with me. Maybe vegetarianism isn't too far from my view.

I ate today and thought about the process which took place. For example.....I had coconut milk ice cream today. And I quietly pondered the coconuts, the machines, the people running the machines, the people selling the ice cream. I hoped that the people working for this company were happy and taken care of. I hoped that the coconuts felt that they were appreciated for their gift. Its a strange thought process to have before a meal, but an important one. It makes the reality of food, the food industries, the farmers, the animals, that much more real when you consider the bounty and the sacrifice. We don't see everyday the goings on that takes place. Most of us just shop and eat and never bat an eye. Well.....its time to bat those eyes. Michael Pollan states that "Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we are consuming it - in the car, in front of the television, and increasingly alone - is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible food like substances" - no longer the products of nature but of food science." So, yes.....I may be becoming a little more thoughtful of what I put in my body, and rightfully so. I am pretty keen on keeping my kids in line, but myself......I'm all about convenience. Even our dinner meal tonight, there was no meat, but it was all processed, tofu, potato things. Oh and peas, but I forgot those on the stove! So.....this lesson has definitely reminded me that I need to be A LOT more conscious of what I eat and what I prepare for my family. How can I expect change to come when I'm not keeping our bodies nourished at their optimum levels?

The bottom line "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

I'm still waiting for my books, so......I guess I will continue on with another lesson from The Prophet.

"And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship. And he answered, saying: Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with Thanksgiving."

Friendship. I haven't had many friends in this last decade simply because I've been having babies and making a home. There are a handful of folks that I will indeed call my friend. One is of course, my husband, then there is a lovely lady I've known since high school, the other is her mother, the next is my teacher,then another lovely lady whom I've recently become friends with (we're still in the getting to know eachother phase), and last but not least, my sisters. These people are the ones I confide in. Cry with. Cuss with. Celebrate with. Take care of. Let them take care of me. Its an even trade all the way around. We show up for each other when ever, needed or not. A simply hello is just as welcomed and needed as an I love you. There are no borders between us and life strings as all together like pearls. Its really quite beautiful to think about.

"And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also."

"And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

So.....to honor those I call my friends....well, I would strive to treat them like family. Give them my very best at all costs. Create for them that which they create for me. I could only hope to be as giving and gracious and considerate as those friends in my life. And I will. I will shower them with the love and gratitude that they so surely deserve. Without reservation. Without hesitation. And when I feel as if I don't have enough to give, well.....I will try harder. What is a life without dear ones to call your own. Whether through friends or family or pets or plants or whatever it is we have that is dear. Let us be filled with GRATITUDE for their presence and be reminded that they, too, are grateful for ours.

Have you ever just baked a batch of cookies and brought them to your neighbor? Or sat and had a cup of unrushed coffee with your partner? Have you ever been able to offer up your services to help someone in need, maybe help with yard work, or fixing a broken gutter, or helping an older member of the community get out of their home for a few hours. These are also things that cross my mind when I think of friendship. We are not only here for those in our lives but also to those around our lives. Giving of ourselves is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Its something we can do that doesn't require any expectation. It's done freely and at will. Volunteering somewhere and helping out. Our neighbors. Treat our neighbor as we wish to be treated. What you give is what you get. What comes around goes around. So.....for all that we would strive to do for our friends, family and selves.....why not those we might call strangers? Why not touch the life of someone not so familiar......it will change their life as much as it would change our own. And there's no strings attached. Just the simple gift of generosity.

My family experienced that this Christmas. We have been struggling to get up on our feet,and of course it was through the Christmas holiday. Boy.....it sure did create some stress and anxiety and tears. But.....we received SO MANY GIFTS!!!!And we didn't even ask. Our friends and family and even some folks we don't know all came together for us. Not just with toys and clothes for the children, but food for our pantry and books to read. Money to keep our larders full and HOPE IN OUR HEARTS!!!! It was such a humbling time but an oh, so beautiful time. To be on the receiving end of such heartfelt, selfless generosity is so honoring. We were truly honored and blessed. So, I very much look forward to sharing those gifts and when we are able, to giving it back to another family. Or to whom ever may need it. Life reflects alot about how we treat each other.

Go out into the world with peace. Treat no one evil for evil. Strengthen the weak hearted and comfort the afflicted. Make certain in your heart that God would use you to be a light unto the world. Have faith in that, and know that you are loved and cared for and taken care of.

Be a Light in the world. Be that beacon we all search for and need. To all that cross our path.

"Be the Change you wish to see in the World."

~ Until tomorrow dear void, or to anyone that might be listening!

The Buds of your Tomorrow

Today was about speaking. How did I do you might ask, well, I fell into the same old traps, but......at least I caught myself. I realized that it is a total defense mechanism for me to clam up and not say anything. But why? For fear of retribution for of what I might say, for fear of saying the wrong thing. For fear. Well, that says it all, doesn't it?

"The psychological condition of fear is divorced from any concrete and true immediate danger. It comes in many forms: unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness, tension, dread, phobia, and so on. This kind of psychological fear is always of something that might happen, not of something that is happening now." ~ Eckhart Tolle

So in my fear, I decided to bite the bullet and talk anyway. I spoke from my heart. I spoke from that place of purpose, that place with meaning. I thought before I spoke. I honored that person I spoke with. As if this may be that last word I might say to them. I smiled when I spoke.....because you can hear a smile in someones voice, ya know! I spoke with enthusiasm. Since this is something new and different, I didn't behave like this all day, but, I did remember and I tried. And I will try again tomorrow.

And, what pray tell, did this do for me, if anything? Well, I felt good speaking. I felt like I was honoring not only the person with whom I was speaking to, but also, myself. I honored ME by being ME! Hmmmmm, most people don't do that anymore. Its amazing to me how we all have forgotten how powerful words are and what they bring with them and cast upon the Earth. A hurtful word will travel around the globe within minutes, hurting anyone in its path. A kind word will linger......dancing sweetly with the person for whom it was meant before drifting and flitting about.Dancing and swaying to the music that kindness brings. Touching the souls and hearts of people everywhere.

And then there's the attack. The powerful note that slices like a hot sword....swoosh! Out of no where. A word meant to be, I don't know what, but words that when put together create such a powerful smack in the face that you feel blind-sided. And, you are blind-sided. These are the most dangerous of words. They create hurt, frustration, disgust, FEAR!!!!

Words. Be kind with them.

So, I'm awaiting the arrival of my books. I can't wait to get started and then share with you the journey to begin a lifetime of change. In the meantime, I have randomly opened the book The Prophet (yes, I like this book) and will choose another new and different course to take. "Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, Speak to us of Eating and Drinking." Eating and Drinking......oh boy!

"And he said: Would that you could live on the fragrance of the Earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light. But since you must kill to eat, and rob the newly born of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship."

I was a vegetarian for eight years. I transitioned back to an omnivores diet after my first child was born. Since then, I have always quietly honored my food. Have I done that well? Probably not. I haven't ALWAYS thanked God for my meal. I haven't ALWAYS thought of the sacrifice of life, of energy. That seems terrible to me. Why haven't I. It really should be a ritual with every meal, snack, tea, treat. Something, someone, has given of itself/his or her self to give me what I will inevitably eat or drink.

"Let there be in your heart a song"

A song of praise. A blessing on this meal. May this meal be blessed and all that gave of themselves to make this meal possible.

"Earth who gives to us this food. Sun who makes it ripe and good. Dear Earth, Dear Sun by you we live. Our loving Thanks to you we give. AMEN"

I guess my buds of tomorrow shall blossom the ever fragrant praise and wonder of the food I eat and drink. I will become more aware of how I give Thanks for my nourishment.

Will you join me on this journey towards everlasting gratitude? Gratitude for new and different. Gratitude for words to speak. Gratitude for daily nourishment and the sacrifices that come with it.

"Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!" ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Let the Voice within your Voice Speak

Yet it begins again. Another year has passed. Another one begins. Millions of people laugh for their slates are now clean. Millions of people weep because this scares the sense right out of them. I.....am both. However, as John Greenleaf Whittier has said "No longer forward nor behind I look in hope or fear; But, grateful, take the good I find, The best of now and here." So.....this is what I shall be. Grateful. Grateful for all that is now behind me and all that is sure to come.

It has been an interesting experience to feel the urge to write down my thoughts. I'm not one for sharing, typically, and I'm not used to the feeling of....maybe I DO have something to share. This process leading up to the start of my Consciousness Cleanse and the re-organization of my life has opened up a vacuum-sealed shut door that is now releasing all of my inner thoughts that have swirled around, aimlessly, for decades. Whew! I'm glad I have some time to sort it all out first before I need to have my wits about me!

Today is a new day, as every day is. There is something so romantic about January 1. So glorious. So mysterious. What shall I do different today. Or new.......

"And the scholar said, Speak of Talking. And he answered, saying:
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime. And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.
When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue. Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear. For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the tast of the wine is remembered. When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more."

This is an excerpt from the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and is also the inspiration behind the name of this blog.

New and Different. Well, one could always speak in a new tone or with different meaning. I know I could. Many a time has someone mistaken what I've said for something that wasn't intended. Sadly, because I would never set out to hurt someone with my words.....and I know I have. Today I will seek to speak with new meaing and a different tone. One that is more thoughtful and meaningful. I will look my husband in his eye when I tell him I love him. I will greet those I know and those I don't with a smile and a warm hello. I will begin a conversation for once with someone just because I want to.....over nothing, maybe just a "What a beautiful day today. Happy New Year!" Why not! What do I have to lose except maybe that little frown line between my eyes.

Living sure is a LOT of work, but isn't it worth it? Otherwise.....well......hmmmmm

Anyway, won't you join me? Join me in speaking with thought and meaning. Join me in having a different way to communicate with those among us. It can only make our lives that much more enriched and worth living.

~ Blessings ~