Good morning everyone, these were the colourful blooms outside the window of the social room at the church yesterday. The lovely pink flowers on the left were the subject of much conversation. No one remembers planting them, or seeing them before. In fact, everyone present remembered t hem as being an orange before? So dear readers… do these flowers have a habit of changing colours as they make their way through the growing cycle? I know that many of you are plants wonders….thoughts?
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 am reminding everyone early, that on August 1st. we will be celebrating Founders’ Day (Kyososai), watch for announcements. Service is usually at 10 a.m. through this ceremony we rededicate ourselves to the teachings of PL (Perfect Liberty) and the realization of World Peace.
Hognose Snake from Texas – Yeah.. how about that, a snake. In a conversation happening around me, I heard someone say they saw a hognose.. I had no idea, when I said, what is a hognose, that someone would send me a link and a picture(s). OK. I who walk across the road to avoid a small little garter snake, was slightly taken off guard. Not something I would go out of my way to see, or know about.
I’m a city gal, and I tend to live and frequent areas where if there are snakes they are not where I come across them. Plus I live in a climate that doesn’t encourage snakes to be part of the landscapes I visit In reading about this little wonder .. it seems that to some its so cute they have them as a pet. Yeah. that is something wouldn’t come to mind if I saw one near me. It is known to be a bit of a “drama queen” it seems when it is threatened one of its defenses is to play dead.. I’m not going to link you to that video, but it is interesting .. the snake does put on a performance. While its playing dead it is giving off a putrid awful smell to add to the deceit that it is rotting/decaying/dead.
If I am to transform my negative thinking, try to be more positive and open to new ideas/thoughts etc. then taking a moment to read about this little critter is a step in the right direction. I learned that this “animal” has a personality, it thinks (not like we do), it has some kind of intelligence that keeps it going during its lifetime, helps it hunt and survive… Aren’t we, also daily doing our best to adapt and survive.
Express yourself clearly so others can understand you. When you can’t communicate clearly, it can lead to problems. Always express yourself carefully to avoid any misunderstanding.
Perfect Liberty 2022.9
Till soon
Service tomorrow July 10 will be at 10: a.m.
service Monday July 11. Ancestors day, there will be a ceremony at 10: a.m.
A beautiful sunny day, the entrance to the site is still closed to visitors. The trees lie where they have fallen, the exposed roots lay bare for all to see. There is no access to the paths or the outdoor facility. Destruction is everywhere. The birds and wildlife are back to singing and going about their business, but to the human visitor, the paths are littered with fallen trees and branches. Very dangerous.
As I wandered on the outskirts of the debris.. I heard a chain saw. Curious I made my way back to the entrance, where a young woman had backed up her truck and was cutting away the limbs that were within her reach. She explained she was gathering up wood for the winter… some of it was obviously too green, but she said, it will be dry for next winter.
I am not an official of the conservation area, I could only caution her as to the risk she would be taking if she ventured into the woods.. I could understand her wanting to gather up the dead wood, her logic was that as people cleared up and put the fallen branches and tree parts to the curb.. there was so much of it, often it could not all be gathered up in one go. So she was in her own way, helping declutter. (her logic)
Since I myself collect fallen bits and pieces for my wood carving and whittling.. I could do nothing but smile and encourage her to be cautious. Life… is what it is…
Start by thinking “let’s do it” Once you decide to do something and put your whole heart into it, things will start moving forward.
Perfect Liberty 2022.8
Yes there is potential danger we had such a severe storm, and damage in areas is brutal. However, life is what it is and nature will continue to grow and recycle. I am drawn like a moth to a flame. I find comfort in being near and part of what IS. What will be, will be.. No more, no less.
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
Thursday Doors taken by good friend Nick Vrtis who was travelling in Germany recently, Grey door is the Cathedral in St. Ola, and the brow doorway is Kirkwall. Thank you Nick…! For more doors, please visit the Thursday Doors posts on Dan’s site. No Facilities https://nofacilities.com/2022/07/07/june-leftovers/
Tanabata is based on the legendary meeting of two stars, Hikoboshi and Orihime, which are represented by Altair and Vega, respectively. After his marriage to Orihime, Hikoboshi idled away and didn’t work. An angry god split Hikoboshi and Orihime apart from the two banks of the Milky Way. However the god permitted Hikoboshi and Orihime to reunite once a year on July 7. So Tanabata is held on that day every year, and it is said to be the day lovers can reunite.(translated from Japanese to English in Japan)
The romantic in me loves that there is a day set aside for “lost love/s/ers” There is always a place in my heart for someone who has brought me pleasure, shown me kindness, taken time to get to know me, spend time with me. In today’s “throw away” society/culture, we often forget that each moment we live/experience life… that moment is etched in our “being”. To know sadness, we have had to have experienced happiness. Love is in every breath we take, it is like the air we breathe. Unseen but ever present.
Simplify your routine – be gentle to yourself. Listen to the the sights and sounds around you. Eat more mindfully, tone, stretch breathe, and relax!
In Canada, .. July 1. is Canada Day!
Brighten up your day with happy thoughts, shared moments. Its been a long time since I’ve been inspired to just sit down at my computer and put together a visual thought. A thought /verse or moment that pops up in my head and simply needs to be visualized.* If you are a writer/artist, you know about those moments when “inspiration hits”… we say.. “Oh, great idea” and then we move on to doing something else or finishing what we were doing when the “idea” came to us. –hours later we have forgotten, that “moment” has disappeared, we vaguely recall some of it.. but the “bright light” has dimmed.
In trying to be more observant of my reactions, I am doing my best to notice my feelings – positive, negative and neutral… I know when I am mindful … I get a sense of freedom. The mind is always chasing who, what, why of our experiences. Today during service, I will do a mindful meditation .. to reconnect with the spaces between the many thoughts that bounce around in my head. I will let a thought come, notice it, and let it go.
Instead of immediately chasing after a pleasant idea, or instantly running away from something unpleasant, I’ll step back .. notice what is happening.. and simply observe. LOL sounds easy.. believe me it takes practice.. but so well worth it. Join me?
I was in Japan, studying .. it was an experience of a lifetime. Teachers like this one, spoke only Japanese, for International students like myself, we had a translator, English for those of us from North America, Spanish for those from the countries that needed Spanish, and Portuguese for members from Brazil and Portugal. Here it is 2022.. and I am still assimilating and processing the experience and the lessons,
Yes, I was back again, and yes, the experiences were always a total immersion in the culture and the philosophy. Nothing was familiar, similar but different…
Now many years later, I look back and reflect on the journey that led me to today, I woke with a sense that I had somehow been away and have just come home again. Looking at the clock I see it is barely after 4 a.m. and I am awake with a mind full of questions and … and what…
PL Precept # 19 Begin once you Perceive.
I seem to have something I want to do, think I should be doing, but… it is not gelling… not clear what it is my subconscious is trying to make me aware of. I have been doing a lot of clearing out, cleaning up, could this be a by-product of the new spaces opening up around me?
PL Precept # 15 All is a mirror
What am I seeing? The 21 PL Precepts reveal the true path of life for all humankind. Beginning with Precept #1 Life is Art.
Today I will try to Grasp what is most essential – Precept # 17
Each Precept is written in simple and clear language, but the truth revealed in their words applies universally to all humankind. To be mindful today, I will do my best to continue to observe and try my best to declutter more of my “inner” thoughts so that I can progress in a meaningful manner, and do my best to live today with “good intentions”
PL Precept # 7 Everything exists in relativity.
It was years ago, and I am sill there today – the sight/sounds became part of me
What happens when something happens that is out of your control. One minute there is a familiar and welcoming environment, and suddenly with a roar of a raging, angry, demented winds and torrential downpour, years of happy memories are wiped out. boom, crash, what was, is gone. Like a ripple in the calm waters. one casualty causes a domino effect.
The forest floor is littered with fallen trees, some have been standing for years, their arms had reached high into the sky, now… they lie broken, no longer able to stand, so damaged there is no way to heal. Because these trees are in areas that are frequented by humans, not all, but some will not be left as they have fallen, but will need to be removed, in most cases, relocated or repositioned so that they are not a safety hazard.
The damages have been so extensive (we are blessed in this Province with a lot of green space.) it will be not weeks, but months , maybe even years before there is a sense of “normal” again. People with special training from the Forestry dept. have been called in.. It is a huge project.
blocked path by a tree that finally fell – yes there is still danger of falling trees!
Some areas might look safe, but if the NCC has danger /caution tapes up, and the sign says THIS SITE IS CLOSED … there is a valid reason for this. I am amazed at just how many times these tapes need replacing because “some people” feel the need to rip them down, and enter when there are clear signs that the area has not been cleared yet and is still a potential danger/risk.
There are ways around the tapes, one can go under or walk to an area that is not barred, people determined to go in, do so at their own risk.. When you take down the caution tapes and rip away the signs saying the site is closed, that puts other people at risk.
It is not fun to be stuck in one place. Instead of being captured by what’s in front of you strive to broaden your horizons.
Perfect Liberty 2022.28
Please be aware that what you do, could have consequences for others.
Think /pause before acting out. or doing something that can impact a decision someone else may make.
PL Precept # 20 Live maintaining equilibrium between mind and matter.
Make today a memorable day. Let’s try to put out whole heart into whatever we say or do, as our unique signature.
Perfect Liberty 2022.26
When I see the picture …I remember the many times we drove there to let the dogs enjoy the water We had Canaille (Portuguese Water Dog).. she absolutely loved water.. On hot days like the heat/humid and sultry weather we’ve been having, we felt it was an obligation to find her water to swim in. At that time our other dog was a Labrador mix, the two could wade and swim while the human parents sat on the big rocks along the water’s edge and enjoyed their antics.
Fast forward to 2022.. could I find it today, I don’t think so… I seldom drive out to that part of the Province anymore, in fact, I think if I get over to the Quebec side a couple of times a year, that is a lot. I have become a creature of habit, and I stay pretty much “local”. My eldest dog now is Velcro who just turned 15 (whippet) he, nor Keeper (10) (whippet) have no interest in swimming and I of course am now a widow…. “THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE IS CHANGE”
Someone asked me the title of a book the other day, it was Atlas of the Heart (Brene Brown) the book takes us on a journey through 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. “We cultivated love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known”
“Love is not something we give or get; it is something we nurture and grow, a connection that can be cultivated between two people only when it exists within each one of them – we can love others only as much as we love ourselves”
Good morning.. I went back through my files.. to find this picture that Num took some time ago, this rabbit, (ok one like it) gave me a very pleasant visit yesterday. I had come back from my “mindful” walk earlier that I expected to. The mosquitos/biting insects* were just to hungry. Cloudy overcast, off and on drizzle kept the film crew away, so I was totally alone in that stretch of woodlands. I was feeling a tad grumpy I had been viciously attacked during my walk, through my clothes and despite the “keep away” bug sprays and lotions.
Once I took off my rain gear, put away my carving knife and the piece of wood I was working on, I felt watched. Closing the trunk I turned to walk around the car to get in .. and found that I was being watched. At a safe distance sat this young rabbit just watching me. I had seen him/her earlier as I came closer to the parking area.. running in and out of the tall vegetation that lined the path I was on. I was surprised that it didn’t turn tail and run.. it just sat there as if it was wondering what this odd two legged creature was doing..
The birds that had been feeding and going about their morning routine had also taken an interest.. was it because I was alone, there were no other beings around, certainly the film crew was not around, nor were any of the regular “bird watchers” or dog owners .. it was just too damp and muggy. I got in the car, started the car, and watched as the rabbit hopped away when the engine started. For some reason, I turned off the motor and just sat there… he/she reappeared peaking out from the brush. With the motor off, I simply sat there, turned the radio off and just watched to see what would happen.
LOL I got a taste of what the animals must feel like when humans come around pointing cameras /binoculars etc. at them. The rabbit boldly came up closer to look up and into the car at me.. then ran around so it could see from all sides of the car.. I won’t swear to it, but I think it was being playful, it began to run across the road down into the little gully and around the outer rim of the parking lot, showing its stump and long legs as it ran, pranced and explored the grounds all around the car. Always checking and looking back to see if I was watching. (fyi this is a dead end road that is only used by people who know this area exists)
I am not a person who just sits in my car. but here I was.. just sitting and watching the antics of my little friend who was obviously keeping me company. This took place for a good 15 minutes, till my phone came alive.. and broke the “spell”. I was given a reminder.. that one need not always be “doing something” or “on the move”.. maybe an old dog can be taught “new tricks” or reminded of past lessons that have been put aside or not practiced.
During my walk, even tho’ I was being bitten and bothered by flying dive bombers*… I did notice that my mindful walking has been improving.. I walk slower, quieter and even though I’m whittling, I’m finding a way to be present in a way that blends in with my surroundings. The birds along the way, were not flying away when I approached, they were accepting of my presence. I’m a long way from having the “stillness” and mindfulness that I am wanting.. but progress is being made.
Be cheerful and friendly with those around you. Other people* can sense how you are feeling. So be cheerful
Perfect Liberty 2022. 24
You never know who is watching or paying attention to YOU
just because we don’t see .. doesn’t mean there are no “eyes” on you.
* I had huge big bites/welts on upper arms and neck that itched like crazy (through my layers of clothing!!!
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.
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