Happy Winter Solstice

Quote for the day;

“So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us – Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!!”

–   Susan Cooper, The Shortest Day

Balance & Perspective

It’s hard to believe that it has been three months since my last post. So much has happened since then.

Change can be very challenging at times especially when it involves residential and economic changes. We have moved out of our cute little house and will miss it sorely, especially the lovely garden we enjoyed over the past 12 years.

Although our new home is smaller, it is quieter and has many amenities that the old house didn’t have. The new place  has a dishwasher, washer & dryer and double paned windows. Love it!

Over the past few months I have chosen to view change as a beguiling invitation to a new and exciting adventure, rather than see it as a threatening and fearful situation that may get worse. One thing for sure there is always the opportunity and challenge to make things better.

Ah yes, and I give myself this pep talk every time I see the dark clouds of doubt and worry hovering on the horizon. These dark moments seem to come most often when I awake in the middle of the night and all the worries flood in, morphing into something much larger and darker than they are in the light of day.

It seems the night dresses our worst fears and worries into twisted, evil monsters which have no real substance. Thankfully, they take on a less sinister aspect once the sun comes up and our imagination isn’t in overdrive.

Balance and perspective is the key!

Quote For The Day;

‘It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. – Alan Cohen

Synchronicity & Life

Here is a wonderful animation about synchronicity and how seemingly unrelated events in our lives might play a very important role after all.The animation film is by Torill Kove and narrated by Liv Ullmann.

Over the next couple of months I will be taking some time off and will not be posting as often. There are some personal family issues that sort of unexpectedly came up over the past couple of weeks that must be dealt with.

However, I will be posting regularly again, starting in October.

Autumn Leaves

On my walk this morning I noticed the leaves are gradually losing their color, a tattle-tale sign that tells us autumn is here. I had my camera with me so I took a photograph of this tree near our home.

I always feel a little sad and reflective when summer ends and the days grow shorter. But I do love the subtle shift in the light especially in the early mornings, and the soft golden glow that wraps itself around our hearts reminding us, change is upon us.

quote for the day;

“It is time for us to kiss the earth again, it is time to let the leaves rain from the skies, let the rich life run to the roots again.” – Robinson Jeffers

Gaia’s Hideaways

My early childhood was spent exploring the fields and nearby ranches next to our family’s farm. I roamed the countryside riding my donkey, collecting feathers, rocks, and arrow heads. Catching tadpoles, climbing trees, and communing with nature.

Today, even though I live in the city, I still love to explore and find magical places where I can spend some time close to nature. I usually take my camera and photograph anything interesting I might find along the way.

It’s amazing what you can find even in highly dense residential areas. It seems nature always finds a way to carve a place out for herself even in the most inhospitable environments.

Here are some beautiful, peaceful places I like to visit.

quotes for the day;

“Those of us who consider ourselves to be somehow involved in the birthing of a new age, should discover Gaia as well. The idea of Gaia may facilitate the task of converting destructive human activities to constructive and cooperative behavior. It is an idea which deeply startles us, and in the process, may help us as a species to make the necessary jump to planetary awareness.” – James Lovelock

“Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself.” – Henry David Thoreau