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Posts from the ‘Seasons’ Category

Jun 3

Summer BrEASY

“Then followed that beautiful season… Summer….
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

‘In summer, the song sings itself.” – William Carlos Williams

There’s an easiness and simplicity in summer. We overcomplicate our days, our lives – over committing, overdoing, over the top. Summer calls and reminds us of what could and should be in our hearts and minds all year long. Life is before us in this very moment to be taken in and given back out. Be present, gentle and generous as a summer breeze.

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own; and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress. “ – Charles Dickens

May 14

2 Comments

Praise

“Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit: we cannot flower and grow without it.” –  Jess Lair

Be grateful for the many gifts that we don’t see because we are too busy chasing the next “thing.” See the wonderment in each day and express appreciation to those right in front of you. It’s so simple and often too rare. Start today and repeat again and again and see what it does to your world.

“Wonder is involuntary praise.” - Edward Young

“Wonder is involuntary praise.” – Edward Young

May 10

12 Comments

Tree Funeral

“And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” - William Shakespeare

“And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” – William Shakespeare

For safety reasons, my sixty year old silver maple tree will be cut down and ground to its roots tomorrow. A large limb dropped off two weeks ago from no additional force – no wind, no lighting. Fortunately, no one got hurt when the limb fell, crushing the fence and taking down the power at 2:00 am.

I will miss swinging in the woven rope chair, listening to breeze flow through the branches and the sound of laughing leaves. I will miss the canopy of shade and the beauty it gave freely without condition. For so many sentimental and the practical reasons, the tree will be greatly missed.

So, I’m having a tree funeral – food (no casseroles), guests and all. Material things, even trees, can be replaced. Family and friends are to be treasured. So a tree funeral to say goodbye and to honor the gift of majestic nature in my backyard for so many years.

 

May 8

6 Comments

And the Clouds Break

“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.” – Lord Byron

Every three months for the past two years, we drive to the Mayo Clinic to see if cancer has developed in my Dad’s esophagus. He was diagnosed almost three years ago with stomach cancer and Barrett’s Esophagus. Today, they took a biopsy and now we wait, like we’ve done before. There’s never a conclusion, just a continuation of wait, pray, hope and be grateful for good news every three months. The gift in this reality is that each day becomes a blessing, not to be squandered on the futile.

As we drove home tonight with thoughts racing through my mind, probably the same thoughts others had in the car, I glanced to the left and the sun burst through the dark clouds. And it occurred to me that this is really the essence of life. There are moments of sunshine and moments of clouds, but most days are a mix of both. We can choose to see the sunshine or we can choose to see the clouds. I choose the light.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” - Rabindranath Tagore

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” – Rabindranath Tagore

Apr 19

9 Comments

Sweet Memories

The father of my best friend in grade school passed away from cancer and the funeral was today.  Patty and I still connect a few times a year (not enough) and each time we do, it’s like we just talked yesterday, one of those rare connections that doesn’t fade with time.  I’ve been reflecting a lot about the people and places that we grew up with and in – the neighborhood.

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Apr 17

13 Comments

Summer Promise

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

It’s been one of those weeks where everything feels complicated and hard, the running through wet cement hip deep kind. As I wandered through photos and quotes, it hit me. There’s nothing that symbolizes simplicity more than summer. And the promise of summer lifted the weight, shifted my perspective. So ponder your own summer memories and those you will soon create.

"In summer, the song sings itself." - William Carlos Williams

"In summer, the song sings itself." - William Carlos Williams

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxter

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxter

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." - Henry James

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." - Henry James

Apr 15

4 Comments

Buds

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of our thoughts, ideas and dreams remain as buds until risk that first step to open them up to the possibilities. We can also cast light on others so their thoughts, ideas and dreams can blossom as well. Imagine the fragrance of life if we nurtured more buds into blossoms.

Apr 9

2 Comments

Easter Fulfilled

“Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.”
– Clarence W. Hall

"He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mar 31

Easter Anticipation

“See the land, her Easter keeping, Rises as her Maker rose. Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping, Burst at last from winter snows. Earth with heaven above rejoices…”  – Charles Kingsley

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” —Harriet Ann Jacobs

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” —Harriet Ann Jacobs

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