Do you ever get that feeling .. you are not grounded?
When you get stuck… take a step back … When you are able to see things objectively, your viewpoint will change and you will receive new wisdom
Perfect Liberty 2022.23
Words, words words… so often we read something and say to ourselves.. “this is so true” or “yes, makes sense” sound familiar.. we tuck it away and then…. we move on… I am trying to be more aware of all the times I realize something, go ah haha… and then continue doing exactly what I’ve just realized I should perhaps consider “changing”. I’m lazy. Gosh that is a hard one for me to swallow. Changing means I have to move out of my comfort zone…
Today I will try to do better.. I will do my best to…. and here I went blank … the thought left me… time for a walk and some quiet reflection…
Whoa… what a “ride” the last 24 hours plus have been. However, the fog has lifted. I’m feeling human again. Sometimes we have no choice but to let the body deal with the intrusion in its own way. Certainly if it was lacking in rest, it got a lot of that in. Thank goodness for over the counter meds, i.e. Gravol and cold/flu tablets.
As you saw, I did manage to get in to cover a festival that is happening “inworld” however, I was so brain fogged, that I wrote it up on this blog instead of the virtual blog… oh well. C’est la vie… it was done.. It is one of those times when the little voice whispers.. “get over it” “move on”.
How are you doing? I finally got around to reading my e-mails and messages, thank YOU to each and everyone of you who reached out.. I appreciated your words and support.
Today I am going to try and see if I can find the turkeys and get a picture. The other day the little brats were lazing about in the P 21 parking lot.. it would have been a beautiful picture, but as soon as my car came to a stop at the end of the lot… they got off their various perches and sauntered off into the tall grasses and out of sight. No amount of sweet talk influenced them. In fact my arrival threw the raven who was visiting with them into a real temper tantrum and he began to verbally hurl his thoughts about my arrival at me. What a voice, loud and guttural, there was no missing his message or his annoyance.
Your smile can create an instant connection. A warm smile brightens everyone around you and has the power to break down barriers between people.
Perfect Liberty 2017.13
My smile has no effect on crows, ravens, or turkeys. just saying!
YOU are the result of your daily efforts. Put your whole heart into everything you do in your daily life. your true self will shine through.
Perfect Liberty 2022.20
Maybe, you need to simplify your routine. The past couple of years have seen a lot of “changes”.. working from home, wearing face masks, your daily routines have been in some cases drastically changed, your social and work lives have been affected.. Some changes were so gradual, you didn’t notice till you ran into an “ah hah moment” Or, you made a decision that at the time seemed the right one, but now, months later, you are questioning… “why did I do that?”
Yesterday it poured, not just gentle showers, no… the sky would suddenly get dark and the rain fell “in buckets”… then yes it would drizzle, then taper off … since I was in the woods depending on where I was, there was some cover, but mostly I got wet.. Which was OK, I was dressed for it. Did I ask myself “what on earth are you doing?” No, because I saw it was a good old fashioned downpour before I left home. I can be a bit of a cracked nut.. I like the rain, even better when it is steady rain, not an angry rain, just a steady rain that falls with a rhythm that is soothing.
My rain gear was long enough that I could sit on a bench and look out over the bog… it was beautiful to hear the different sounds the rain made depending on how or where it landed. Because the vista before me was multi layered with a variety of different vegetation and I was above the bog, I looked down over trees and the bog plants. It was magical. Have you ever heard the sound of rain as it trickles down from the top of a tree with open outstretched limbs laden with leaves?
It is easy to get lost in our thoughts .. and not always look around and take in the “whole” picture, or get caught up in one aspect of a situation. When we take mini ME breaks in the day, we are able to ground or center ourselves in a positive way that will enhance our total “being”
I wrote yesterday – hiding in plain sight – little did I know. The body is wonderful, when you over do or are in danger of causing serious damage to yourself… it shuts down.. In my case, it presented me with a problem I could not ignore. a whopper of migraine. So severe I had no choice but to lie down and let it fade and believe me, it was not going to make it an easy fix.
You can only change yourself. Before you start telling people how they should do things, think of how you can be more flexible.
Perfect Liberty 2022.13
If you have never had a migraine or suffer from headaches.. you will not understand or know that there is only one way what works, cuz your laid out, completely incapacitated…It is the body’s way of saying STOP you haven’t been listening. I encourage you all, if you are running from one “task/chore” to another and not taking the needed time for YOU… don’t fall into the trap.. Nothing is more important than YOUR peace of mind and making time for SELF CARE.
When you face difficulties start with anything you can do. When you are able to grasp the situation, you will surely be able to notice something that you can do.
Perfect Liberty 2022.12
I opened a magazine the other day… the bold letters splashed across the top of the page shouted at me LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE. It was followed by the quote ” To feel and think, and learn, learn always surely that is being alive and young in the real sense” Freya Stark I stared at the page and reflected on the words that were catching my attention.
I had just replied to a friend who had sent me message asking if all was Ok. I write another blog that covers the lifestyle, art, performers and entertainment in a virtual world. I have been doing that off and on in the Second life (virtual international platform) since 2007. With the networking, researching, photography, writing, publishing etc. 20- 30 hour a week and sometimes even more had to be dedicated to getting the posts out on time. We are now in 2022 and life has changed for me… In the last many years I lost my Mother, my husband along with his parents, several of my long time close friends, and the list goes on. My Father passed away when I was 10.. I miss him to this day…
Change is ever present and will always be. where do we get our inspiration,& motivation when we are no longer experiencing the pain of loss and the challenges of “new beginnings” for the first time, but find the sameness in the “opportunities” placed before us. Yes, when you recognize the “moment” but the “terrain” is different. The season is changing. I am checking to see if my gratitude meter is still working as it should, or does it need to be fine tuned. How about you…. Today is the start of another week.. you ready?
Did I mention that .. la vie est belle ( life is beautiful).. it truly is… it is just that there are days/moment when it is interrupted by a commercial(s) – and we can’t fast forward.
My spirituality is something I will never outgrow. it sustains me year after year and I truly believe that every day brings tremendous possibilities. ie a chance to live more fully, love more deeply and learn something new, no matter how old (physical age) I get. We can remain ageless – strong – healthy – happy and connected. but it isn’t always smooth sailing.
September is flying by all too quickly… Today is the 10th already! My morning began at 4 something .. yes a.m. I originally woke it was 3 something… after a wee break with Keeper… she now takes a break with me.. and we have for now almost eliminated accidents..(the vet has her on special food to control the acidity of her urine etc.) Balance is important even for dogs. Balance is important in all our lives.
It’s easier to adapt to something when we find it interesting. No matter how enjoyable a situation is, a slight change in our attitude can make it boring. Let’s face any situation with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Perfect Liberty 2022.10
bear scat (photo Daniel R.)
Daniel found his scat further along the trail, I found my scat closer to the parking lot on my out, heading down towards the research area ..(P23) a word of caution to hikers .. there are bears wandering.
Life will present you with many choices today, at some time.. make time for YOU. Not just the To Do list.
btw… on inspection yesterday, I saw that the bears are still finding and eating beautiful big black berries.
always and forever
Reminder. tomorrow the 11th. there will be service on Sunday, we will be doing the Ancestors Day ceremony at 10 a.m.
The tree in the first picture is at P7 (Sarsaparilla Trail) NCC Greenbelt – west end near the look out.
Chinese Lanterns, celebrations, happiness, they are such a joyful plant, I have the little lanterns at the entrance to my home, and in the house. I know fall is not far when they begin to show up, their happy colour peeking out from the green leaves. There is a lot of unhappiness in the world these days – share a smile, spread happiness – be open to listening – the only constant in life is change.
Think “now is the time” Instead of “it’s no use now” don’t give up by thinking it’s too late. Tell yourself that there is more that can be done.
Perfect Liberty 2022.7
Always and forever
Is Chinese lantern plant edible?
The fruits are edible and suprisingly, are higher in vitamin C than lemons. Care should be taken though, as all other parts of the plant are poisonous. The plant also has a long history of medicinal uses.
How long does it take for mushrooms to grow, and what determines how the fungus will take shape? Finding these little gems took my mind away from the annoying conversations it was having .. Really I had been thinking of totally irksome information that had come into my gray matter over the course of the last few weeks. I was out in the woods, having a lovely walk … doing what I don’t usually do, I was going the wrong way along the trail towards the bog boardwalk. (the boardwalk has signs that clearly indicate we are wanted to travel it in the direction indicated by the arrows) My reasoning was that I was not going to take the boardwalk, I was walking the path towards it and then planning on taking the trail that leads off in the opposite direction.
My plan and what actually happened are two different things. I’ve been tired lately, I have had a lot going on around me, my walk this morning was to let my thoughts clear, and let the morning air, clear and unclutter the gray cells. That said, I think the thoughts were all vying for the exit and rushing towards it at the same time.
When walking this way (my first time to do so) I had to look at my surroundings differently, I decided to take the small path that led me between very tall evergreens. (looking for wood for me to carve).. I was checking every fallen branch and log I came to. It was a short enough detour, but I was now juggling pieces of wood that I had picked up, and realizing that I would have to head back, since now I had my arms full carrying my “finds”. I came out unto the main path I had previously been on and there before me was the remains of a tree that had fallen during the storm, … while the main trunk had been removed from the path, cut into pieces and moved away from the area, there were still interesting pieces lying there for me to pick through, I had to put down what I was carrying, in doing so, I found the fungi seen above.
The feeling of exhaustion and the overwhelming parade of nattering that had been happening in my head, vanished. I was totally captured by the interesting pattern and textures of the fungi.
The best timing is when you notice. When you notice something, it is God sending you a message. Act right away so you don’t miss good timing
Perfect Liberty 2022.5
Sometimes we have to break away from the clutter and senseless chatter that happens when we go too long without taking a Me break. It is easy to get caught up in the “must do” “need to do” things that we think are so important… they are not. Our well being is what is important. think about it. You, yourself and only you … are responsible for your happiness and state of mind, YOU are the director of your life,
Every morning, as you all know .. I am out in the woods having my time with the birds/wildlife at one of the many NCC green spaces. There are two that I go to on a regular basis, where I feed during the winter season… with the big storm we had, everyone has had to adjust. (including the animals) The chipmunks are busy gathering. We’ve had a few mornings now where the nip in the air is refreshing. The chipmunks and squirrels are battling it out with the blue jays for the nuts and peanuts in a shell that get distributed when I do my morning round. These little critters can pack a lot of peanuts in their cheeks making their cuteness even more adorable.
Take action without thinking too hard. No matter how hard you try to foresee the future, you really don’t know how things will turn out.. Do your best and see how it plays out.
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.
