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Posts tagged ‘nature’

thank you SO much

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“Thank you so very much” said the voice, it was soft and cultured, without turning I knew that it would be someone older, of an “age” when courtesy and etiquette mattered.  I heard rather than saw the smile in the young woman’s voice that was serving the client.  The store was busy, crowded with shoppers looking for that special gift at the advertised discounted prices.”You are so welcome, it has been my pleasure” was the reply. The interchange between customer and sales associate  made me smile, I felt a nice feeling and thought what a wonderful way to start a day.  When I turned to the area where the voices had come from I was surprised to see not an elderly woman, but a young girl with faded jeans, and a torn T-shirt, her hair was dyed a fluorescent pink, her lips and nails were an ebony black, studded with blinking gems. When she smiled at me I saw that she had a tattoo of a rose on her  cheek and a gold ring in her nose. I must have stared, because she gave me a knowing smile, while   flashing me the sweetest of looks from the  bluest of eyes under the longest lashes I’ve ever seen.  With a mischievous nod of her head, she winked at me and said “A very good day to you Mam” and gracefully turned and walked away.

The sales associate who had witnessed this exchange gave a little giggle, and said, “isn’t she just the greatest”  I recovered my surprise and agreed with her that yes,  “she” certainly was.  That was …… and she named the actress who was playing at the theatre up the way.  Ah…. a light bulb went on in my gray matter….yes there was a play happening in the city, and they could have been having a dress rehearsal … yet … I knew I had just been given a “lesson”  a reminder, that I should not be judging a book by its cover, and I for sure, should not have made assumptions…. PL Precept # 18 – each moment is a turning point.

PL Principle #2 … … …. I will look for and be aware of shortcomings in my own thinking and actions  **the exact wording to this Principle is  “I will not have complaints about others, matters, nor the weather.  Rather I will always be creative and will look for shortcomings in my own thinking and actions.

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Take a moment to say Thank You for the lessons you have learned today.  I like to begin and end each day with a sense of appreciation for the gifts I have been blessed with, and the lessons I have yet to learn. To know true meaning in our lives, we have to sincerely believe and appreciate the blessings we receive.

Namaste  – Oyashikiri

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* found on topinspired.com (Great Britain)

** mmostbeautifulpages.com

A turtle day

a5af37145413a2c598e3eb044df0540fTo the Chinese and other Asian cultures, the turtle is a symbol of longevity.  My Mother had a collection of turtles,  I remember he coming home from her travels abroad with another turtle for her charm bracelet or for the collection that was growing in leaps and bounds in the curio cabinet.  When the turtle comes to mind for me is when I am having what I call a “Turtle Day:”…   Usually a mental health day, a day where I know I want to retreat into my “make believe” shell and just sleep or day dream.

Today is the 21st of the month, the day that in PL (Perfect Liberty) we gather to show our appreciation , saying Thank you, for all that we have experienced in the previous days and weeks.  We pray for guidance and renew our dedication to live with full Makoto (sincerity)  following the practices and instructions as laid out in Perfect Liberty.  Just as we must eat and sleep regularly to refresh our bodies, so too must we  pray and give thanks to God on a regular basis and say Thank you for the blessings of life.

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Whatever is meant to be, will be.  The results may not be what we expected or even wanted, but we are open to what life brings our way, we will be truly blessed.  Feelings of appreciation become real when you express them and mean them.

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*turtle totem wisdom teaches us about walking our path in peace and sticking to it with determination and serenity

( *Lena Townsend)

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BLESSINGS 

Namaste -Oyashikiri

*green sea turtle swimming among coral -Lee Rentz – Flickr

** found on contentinacottage.blogspot.ca

****pictures. furkl.com

 

 

I have a cold…

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Good day everyone….

I have a cold… blanket statement…  What does that mean exactly.  It is a response that I have used for a number of symptoms, and it usually satisfies the person to whom I am talking.  I realized the other day that my making that statement doesn’t always stem from my having the same symptoms, if I were to really examine and say out loud why I was making that statement, I think the listener would have lost interest and moved on.    Saying “I have a cold” is much like the other conversational throw away “how are you”  reply “fine”

They are openers that more often then naught are merely cordial greetings.  In conversation with Rev. Eugene the other day, when i verbalized that I had a cold/flu, his response was, “why”.  My internal response, “hello, why” of course that was an excellent PL reply.

Exactly … he brought the statement, the thought back to me for closer examination.  After all if I have a cold, or say I have a cold, what is it that brought this on, why do I feel like I do… No one can answer these questions but myself.

If my body is rebelling on me, giving me grief, I have to ask myself why. what am I doing, saying or thinking that is creating an imbalance in my thought pattern, or harmony in my body,mind and soul.  Speaking about me, I know that I have a tendency to get really busy, stay actively busy looking “out”… when I am not wanting to perhaps address something that is “stewing” “inside me.

Having a cold means that I can retreat with an excuse.  I can take to my bed and sleep the whole morning.totally oblivious to anything but the “mode of BEING” I’m in..  Since I can’t sleep all day.. guess what.. I will keep busy till I can hit my bed once more and sleep till next time I wake.  I have a cold.

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this is an ant pushing a drop of rain

found on huffingtonpost.com

-the diamond-

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Nature recreated…..

the diamond is cut to reflect light so that it sings and dances with unbridled energy.

A master craftsman can with patience and skill breath new life and luster where none shone before.

 In prayer and devotion, we too can shape our inner workings, to reflect and radiate a love as pure as the newly formed crystals of a snow.

Holy Spirit I pray unceasingly today and always, that I will continue to grow

as a person, welcoming life enthusiastically,

 I will consider the future my friend, and set courageous goals.

 Last but not least, I will overcome the negative confronting me by doing specific positive, good.

With these resolves as my commitment,

opportunities and challenges will be met, with full systems on go!

my smile will reflect the diamond of my soul…

Namaste    –    Oyashikiri

* dailymail.co.uk -world’s largest D colorless diamond 101.73 carat. carved from 236 rough diamond found in Jwaneng Mine,Botswana

Dentro das regras, viva livremente

Express yourself freely, within the rules.

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There are many ways to express ourselves, workout, find ways to keep in shape, not only in body but in spirit.  It was when I joined a gym that I got to really work with a punching bag.  Until that time I had only tried cardio kick boxing, where you bounce and jab into the air etc.  Then one day I found myself alone in the lower gym where the boxing classes were held.  No one was around so I tentatively  put on a pair of gloves and walked over to the punching bag.  I could only mimic what I had seen others doing, I made sure no one was around to see me (so conscious was I on looking foolish) before I took a punch at the bag.  It was a soft punch, but it felt good.  I liked the feeling of skipping back and forth and taking aim, then landing a punch.  I maybe played around with it for 2, 3 minutes, it was invigorating.  In those few minutes I had bumped up my heart rate and felt that I should come back and check out a class.  I did go back and what I saw the participants doing was a steady grinding workout, not just having fun doing what I had done, they were working out, warming up all the muscles, push ups, core work, it was total focus on whole body training.

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I told myself I’d have to think about it some more and returned to my old reliable treadmill. Still to do on my bucket list is to go back and have another go round in the gym with the punching bag.  You asking yourself what does exercise have to do with self expression?  In my humble opinion it has a lot to do with how we process thought and keeping physically active/healthy. 20 years ago I might have been more pro-active in attending a boxing class.  Now in my “senior” years, I tend to see my body in a different way, I want it to be strong, flexible, and healthy, but I recognize that it has limitations.  Often it is the voice inside my head.

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See what this gal is doing, this looks like fun to me.  This I would like to try.  I would also like to try the exercise where they run through tires that are laid out on the ground.  Mind you in slow motion.  When I do exercise, I feel that I am expressing a part of me that wants out, an energy that wants to be released.  Whether running backwards around the gym, or doing karate kicks while I do upper body punches, I’m  being active, I’m letting my body work out the kinks from spending hours at a PC.  The dialogue is with me, myself and I.

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When we learn to express ourselves freely and vivaciously, we feel better about ourselves, and we radiate an inner calm that benefits not only ourselves, but all around us.

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Namaste  – Oyshikiri

photo sources – sheknows.com, buzzfeed.com.wormenshealthmag.com, acelebrationofwomen.org

The gift of sharing

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Downtown is a busy place.  At this time of year the boaters arrive to tour the capital.  From my vantage point on the bridge I’m spending a few lazy moments watching the world drift by.  Behind me is a huge shopping mecca for tourists and locals alike. And across the street from the shopping center is a quaint marketplace where the trendy come to shop and sit in outdoor cafes.  Tourists enjoy the Designer shops, and the Farmers Market all blended in one big “Happening” environment.

Ottawa is laid out like a patchwork quilt, with different sections of the city offering it’s own style and colour. Chinatown, Little Italy, Westboro, The Glebe, each has it’s very own flavour to tempt and delight the visitors eager for an authentic adventure.

Friendships are like our own version of a quilt.  I’ve learned to appreciate each and every friend in my life for the gifts they bring to my “world”.  In a recent conversation, a friend I’ve not seen in some time, was asking me about another friend who I probably have not seen in a couple of years.  I was talking about the special qualities and the love I have for the person when my friend interrupted and exclaimed,”but you aren’t currently in touch!  And that was years ago?”

Hmmm I found that an interesting reaction,  if I love someone today, I will love them tomorrow, love is an opening of one’s heart to another, and involves genuine caring.  If that person, leaves or moves along a different path, or for whatever reason, there is a parting.  Love does not cease and become past tense.  Friendships that are genuine and true, last a life time.  Sharing love, caring, & affection is not a commodity, it is a gift and should always be freely given.  Not for what you want in return, but because you truly care, unconditionally.

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Good Morning Everyone – May your have a sunshine day.   Be Happy.    I love & appreciate you all.

Namaste   – Oyashikiri

nb* the bridge is behind the Rideau Centre the waterway is the Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada

Flowers taken at the Experimental Farm, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

text and photographs – Q

a tranquil & meditative attitude

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Life is never without changes

Some transitions are smoother than other.  When attempting to sort through the many potentials and possibilities, often more problems surface. There is a Chinese text (Tao) that speaks on how the benefits of a slow developing engagement usually produces a much more stable and satisfying union.  Same applies in Business relationships,  success comes if one holds firm to inner visions while adapting to established business policies.

Wise words spoken by a sage:  Refrain from hasty or passionate  action – lean instead towards the romantic cultivation of love.

Sometimes it is important to realize that we are in a slow, organic unfolding of events – there are no shortcut in the journey ahead.

Namaste  – Oyashikiri

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text-pictures -Q

Imperfections

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Last night I had word from a dear and wonderful friend.  I knew her dog had recently been ill and passed on, I had dropped in to see her to offer a hug.  I was with her when she first  got Peppino, and knew how much that dog meant to her and how much he filled her life with love, She was not home when I arrived, so after leaving her a note I went on my way  When she wrote me last nite she told me  how Peppino had met his end.  Rat poison!  He was a small dog, the vet said there was enough in his system to have stopped a horse in his tracks.  I had been oblivious to that bit of information prior to her telling me this last night. What devastation and renewed sense of loss,this time with a searing pain that a life was taken in such a horrible way.

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The world is not perfect, and neither are we.  The Universe works in strange ways.  Intellectually we can try to make sense and reason out of world events, but always when we view anything that is outside our own personal world, we are seeing things either through the eyes of a camera or hearing the views and thoughts of others.  If peace begins within, and that is really the only way it can happen, if we are at peace with our selves, then we radiate and share this peace with others.

Life on earth is fragile.  We are here to learn, to grow spiritually and to learn love for one another.  Tolerance and forgiveness are hard lessons. I ask today that we pray for those who are moving on into the Universe, mostly pray for their loved ones who suffer their loss.  Those who pass over into the “cosmic beyond” have been blessed with new beginnings.  No longer are they bound to mortal life.

lotus flower - flickr.com  Bahman Farzad

R.I.P.

Namste – Oyashikiri

Tarantula nebula

Astronomy, tarantula nebula 170000 light years away

This is Tarantula nebula, it is 170,000 light years away nestled within the Large Magellanic Cloud, which be seen in the Southern Sky just above the centre of this image there is a huge cluster of very hot stars called R136.  According to the post where I found this picture, these stars are among the massive known.  Impressive, at last I find such photos from the heavens fascinating, I marvel at all that is out there that I cannot see with my  naked eye. Astronomy has always been a subject that can keep me glued to the telly, especially when well done and documented..

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Landscapes like this one are just a drive away, they might not fill me with unknown wonder, but they do draw and instill in me a quiet joyfulness that comes from the serene moment of being outdoors surrounded by nature.  We can not see the life that lives and moves under the water, but it is there. We may hear the birds and the activities of the birds and animals who live int he woodlands, but they are there.

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This colourful border didn’t happen on its own, people were involved in the planning and shaping of the beautiful presentation, what we saw during our visit to the farm,(prev. blog) was the results of a lot of “love”.  Weeding is a task performed with a focused mind.   Take pleasure in the simple joys of today, step out side and listen to the world around you.  There is so much for us to observe, if only we open our “eyes” and hearts to the experience.

 

Namaste – Oyashikiri

 

smiles

 

 

 

 

 source of astronomy photo BabaMail
landscape photographs – Q

 

Bom dia, Good day to you all!

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is always such a wonderful experience to view life through the lenses of a camera. It is when I get home and actually see the “capture” that I am blown away by the moment shared in the cycle of the plant’s life.

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Saboreie a alegria de fazer gentilezas

Experience the Joy of Being Kind to Others.

Viva com sentimento amplo e receptivo

Always live with a Kind and Generous Heart

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Sometimes, we have to be kind to ourselves

To transform one’s Self

is a labour of love

Always remain True to Yourself. 

Namste – Oyashkikir

pictures & musing by Q

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