No Worries

Try letting go ....

and see what happens.

Skyward view through my magical Live Oak as I float along on my homemade swing.

Ch Ch Ch Changing

The above is a photograph I took recently of a barn on my uncle's property. Things have changed a bit there since my childhood. No longer is this barn surrounded by cows and horses grazing contentedly on green pastures. No longer are the lofts stuffed with hay or the tack room lined with saddles. But as some things in our lives change some part of them always stays the same. For me I will always love the aroma of hay and leather and they still have the power to transport me to another world full of adventures.

Some of my friends think I've been doing some changing myself although I don't really see it. I think the difference is I have always been this person on "the inside" and now have begun to live it "externally". I think you call that being more authentic. All those thoughts, ideas, "voices" I'm now letting out to make their way in the world and the I cant's are diminishing. One of the sources of letting those "voices" out has been through blogging. I am not writing much on this blog these days but this marks that blogosphere milestone of being my 100th post. The whole writing thing came after suggestions from a few friends and then my husband telling me to write it down so I did. I wrote my first post on August 26, 2008, which I guess means I have also just had an anniversary of sorts although at first it was a private journal only. This did help sort some thoughts, but then a few months later I read my first blog, yes I had never even read a blog before. Shortly after that I went public and began to read and write more. I have found this form of opening up and sharing with others therapeutic and probably the anonymity of it all made it easier. I now don't have so many voices in my head bouncing around and running into each other, arguing and debating life. I have gotten out this year and done many of the things I only thought of before and have so much yet to do. So to all of you out there in blogland I say thank you for inspiring and motivating me, for sharing your time and listening to my voice.

Life's a Beach

It can be quite odd when your office is at the beach, on an island actually. I have a schedule and wear clothes, many times feeling a bit overdressed, while everyone around me is on "island time" and walking about in basically their underwear. I'm sure these people wouldn't be caught dead walking onto their porch at home in their actual underwear yet here they walk or bike around town in even less. Since we are becoming more populated by year rounders I do see more people in the stores actually dressed now but there are still those walking around in nothing more than butt skimming sheer cover ups and I have in the past walked by girls in bikini's in the grocery aisle. The oddest thing is that no one finds this odd and most don't give it a second thought. What would it be like where you live to pass someone walking around in their underwear pushing a shopping cart while going about their daily chores? On the plus side our business attire is shorts and sandals or loafers. It is strange here to see someone in a tie and do they still make hose, not sure if they even sell those torture devises around here. If you are spotted wearing anything like that you are immediately outed as a salesperson in town for the day. On occassion we feel a need or desire to dress up so we may break out the khaki's.

Alien in the Garden

In my studies of permaculture this summer I have learned a lot of interesting things and a few I wish I could wipe from my memory. I am mostly speaking of the interplay between the many little creatures that crawl, hop, and buzz all around us. It is like something out of a horror movie, in fact one is believed to have inspired the movie Alien and it began a showing in my garden last night. I am speaking of the wasp vs. the caterpillar and to keep from creeping myself out with the details (hint - the 1st movie showing how the Alien is incubated and then "born") you can read more here if you are so inclined. Also I did not take a picture, in fact I do not want to go back, and definitely don't wish to record one here for eternity so here is a link to what it looks like right now. The interesting part though is the plants role in this, who knew a plant could send out an SOS. By the way, if you can't tell by his gruesome actions, the wasp is the beneficial one and for the healthiest garden you have to sometimes just walk away. I am learning that in order for nature to be in balance the best thing I can do is stay out of it's way.


I didn't take a picture of the poor little worm but wanted to show you the canteloupe the horses planted, yes that's my manure compost pile. This isn't the first garden they have attempted to grow, once they gave me back some beautiful watermelon plants, that is until the deer ate them. Who says gardening has to be so complicated, just enjoy a cool watermelon on a sunny day, give what's left to the equine, and then let nature do all the work :). This is an aged pile so if I can beat the deer it should be safe to transplant it and see what happens.

Update: Well I was too late, when I checked after work today the canteloupe was gone roots an all. They probably chowed it down last night, hope it was enjoyed.

Tattoo

Tattoo's have come up in conversation a bit lately so I thought I would explore the topic here. Feelings about tattoo's can be controversial so I hope no one takes offense one way or the other from this post. While some people view it as the body being used as a canvas for a work of art, others see it as defilement. That word did come up in a conversation about tattoo's recently so what exactly does it mean. The definition of defilement is to make filthy or dirty or to make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple. Hmmm, I always thought tattoo's were a part of ceremony in many cultures, a way of marking landmarks in one's life. I personally do not have a tattoo (yet anyway), but many of my family members and friends do. In most cases I see their tattoo's as a visual narration of their life or either as an outward expression of an inward journey. I gain much insight into who they are from hearing the stories, meanings, and their feelings behind each one. To me they are a form of expression, kind of a pictorial freedom of speech. If you have a tattoo, or even imagine what you would get if you had one (that'd be me), I would love to hear your story.

The visual pictorial above is of my step-sister's story. The circle on her back is her birth sign representing the day she was born and the tree, a work in progress, symbolizes the tree of life. The art work is of an actual Live Oak tree that has special meaning for her. (Getting off topic, but adding to the uniqueness of Live Oak trees, you can see my feelings about them from what I have written before here.) Getting back to the image, you can also see my favorite, her sons baby handprint. She has now added her second sons handprint as he was just about to be born when this photograph was taken.

Beltline - Battle or Ballet

I recently attended some workshops in Raleigh, NC. The classes I found to be enjoyable but driving on the beltline not so much. Although I used to live in this area, before the population and road system became what it is today, I now am very much a small town girl. The beltline is three and four lanes of steady in a hurry commuters. The most intimidating part for me though are it's continuous on and off ramps, and heaven forbid you are not in the correct lane when you get to your exit. It feels like you are being charged on in battle, not only being trapped from both sides, in front, and barrelling down on you from behind, but they are constantly charging down on you from off ramps, one after the other, like a battalion of warriors coming down from the cliffs above. As I was in the middle of what seemed to be chaos, feeling assaulted and attacked, I began to wonder if from a birds eye view that this may look like a well choreographed dance. My problem was that I had wondered on stage and didn't know the steps.

Potential

This billboard was ironically outside the hotel I was staying at while attending a workshop. I was down in South Carolina this past week working on a green building certification and seeing this billboard gave me much pause for thought. What is potential and is it a fixed element or are the possibilities endless? One definition of potential is the inherit ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being. "Coming into being", I really like the sound of that and inherit is to gain as one's right or portion. Another definition is existing in possibility, capable of development into actuality. This signifies to me that an action is required. Just imagine that whatever we can dream our life to be is just right there waiting to be claimed if we just step up and go for it. We are only limited by our vision and our determination to bring it into being.

Many Paths

"To become a complete person, we must travel many paths, and to truly own anything we must first of all give it away. This is not a riddle. Only those who share their multiple and varied skills, true friendships, and a sense of community and knowledge of the earth know they are safe wherever they go."

Bill Mollison

Playing Tag

I was tagged a few weeks ago. I always want to play these games but never get around to it. You can see by the date when I started this post and am now just answering the questions, a little slack if I do say so myself. I always feel honored to be thought of so here goes a little about me, maybe more than you want to know :) .

What is your current obsession?

Permaculture, Passive Solar, Sustainable Living, and Green Construction Methods.

What is your weirdest obsession?

Maybe my fascination with how all things are interconnected and dependent on one another down to the smallest microorganism. I imagine touching the ground and being able to feel the heartbeat of the planet resonate through my entire being.

Or some may say it's my donkey :) .

What are you wearing today?

White jeans, sage green and white top and sandals.

What's for dinner?

Spinach salad with lots of veggies from the garden

What would you eat for your last meal?

Since it's summer it would have to include fresh melons and berries of all kinds. My favorite meal, however, is not about a certain food but having a hodgepodge of things like a lot of appetizers and sharing it with a group. Oh, and finger foods, I think everything taste better eaten with your fingers. Doesn't the image of me sticking my fingers in everything and passing to you sound so appetizing :)

What's the last thing you bought?

Fresh blueberries and roasted peanuts at the roadside produce stand, my favorite place to shop.

What are you listening to right now?

I have a classic rock station on from the internet and right now 38 Special is playing.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Hands down Breyers Rocky Road.

What do you think of the person that tagged you?

Amazing incredible soul. Her talent with words is beyond what I can hope to describe, she moves me, she pulls me in. Her talent for being in the moment and describing it is magical. Her photographic style is so unique and so Sheila. It's like she is truly touching life with her soul and then expressing it back to you in way so you can feel it also.

If you could have a house today totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

Well, I live on a small farm on which I have horses, in a small coastal town in NC .... that's hard to beat. If I did move it would be to a warmer climate, no lows lower than high 40's in the winter and have lots of acreage with a comfortable cottage overlooking the ocean (for hubby) and contain a large lake or river running through it for me.

Which language do you want to learn?

Spanish

Who do you want to meet right now?

Goldie Hawn, I love how she is always smiling and so comfortable in her skin. She is also the founder of a great educational mindfulness program that I would love to learn more about.

What is your favorite color?

That changes as I do but I always seem to come back to blue. My favorite shade of blue would be somewhere between teal and turquoise.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?

Light weight jogging pants and a tank top (really they are undershirts, shhhh)

What is your favorite quote?

It's not the destination, it's the journey

What is your dream job?

Having an educational site for permaculture, passive solar and sustainable living and teaching workshops and seminars. On that site having a market where I could sell my own organic compost, fertilizers etc. along with handmade nature oriented crafts such as bird houses from scrap material (repurposing).

What is your favorite magazine?

The only magazines I get now are Home Builder magazines, like it when they have a good green article. I used to like Better Home and Garden.

If you had $100 dollars now what would you spend it on?

Right now, fruit or pecan trees once I decide exactly where I want to put them.

Who is your favorite designer?

Anyone who can make me a pair a jeans that really fit me, currently that is Levi 550 Relaxed Boot Cut (does that count as a designer)

Describe your personal style?

Comfortable! I would love to be bohemian chic, but mostly I'm just plane jane blue jeans (and barefoot, my signature would be dirty bare feet)

(Dawn I want to count the picture for this post as self portrait #1 & it may be the only one)

What are you going to do after this?

Give the horses hay then catch up on your blogs

What are your favorite movies?

Pirates of the Caribbean

What's your favorite fruit?

All of them, loooove fruit. I guess if I have to pick it's blueberries or watermelon.

What inspires you?

Stories of everyday people doing great things (even if they seem like small accomplishments)

Nature and its amazing ability to take care of itself and us if we only let it

My family

Your blogs, many have warmed my heart, made me smile or laugh, motivated me to do more

What music do you like this week?

Almost always classic rock, my favorite is Credence

What is something you know with every fiber of your being?

The love of family, me for them, them for me

The rules:

1. Respond & rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.

(OK, I only changed the currency on one, it was 100 pounds)

2. Tag five other people, I'm tagging the following people:

Again I want to break the rule because I honestly want all who come here to do this (this includes you guys especially). I follow all your blogs and would love to learn more about you.

That being said, it is kind of fun to see yourself actually mentioned on someone else's blog so I will pick five, but again others please play.

Sherry - Everyday Possibilities

Dawn - Today and Everyday

Deb - Drivin 55

C-ingspots

Hayseeds and Horsefeathers

What's On Your Mind?

"What you think upon grows. Whatever you allow to occupy your mind you magnify in your life. Whether the subject of your thought be good or bad, the law works and the condition grows. Any subject that you keep out of your mind tends to diminish in your life, because what you do not use atrophies. ---"

Emmet Fox from Make Your Life Worthwhile, 1942

Simple Joy

Who says you have to spend a lot of money.


A scrap piece of wood

A hay tie down strap

And a faithful ole Oak tree

Still enjoying the swing my husband & nephew made, I've even seen hubby swinging a time or two. How many of you still love to swing? Besides being meditative, it also cools you down in the heat of the day, great for little work breaks in the shade.

Revenge of the Birds

We love all the different birds that visit or live on our property, but I have to say we are just as (if not more) partial to the squirrels. Other people complain about the squirrels getting into their bird feeders and we put up squirrel feeders. While others are swapping tips on how to keep them away we are enjoying watching them scurry around and play. I mean really, look at that face and they are all such characters as well.

Last year my husband had some scrap wood so he built this little house that we would occasionally put some nuts or corn in through the winter. Well this spring the birds seemed to say thank you very much and proceeded to move right in. Now, instead of being a squirrel hang out, it has become a bird duplex.

Not only have they commandeered the squirrel house, I think they eat more cat food than the cats. Of course the Blue Jays have always been brazen and seem to feed only on cat food at times, but now other birds are following suit. The other morning a Blue Jay was at the bowl getting his standard breakfast and a Brown Thrasher was standing in line behind him waiting his turn. I guess I will just stand back and applaud them for going after what they want.

Family Fun

Hmmm, I've been at a loss for words. OK, all those who know me can get up from rolling on the floor with laughter now. I have lots going on but just no words to put on paper, plus you just wonder sometimes how it could possibly interest anyone else. I will say we had a great time with the family visit last weekend, enjoying loads of fun, love, laughter and of course food. I think I did alright for someone who's claim to fame doesn't include any hostessing skills. We visited and the ladies rode the horses while my nephew hung out with my husband. Everyone thanked him for entertaining Sammy, but I wondered who was really entertaining who? I am still reaping one of the benefits from their male bonding, they made us a tree swing which I have enjoyed all week, yeah.

The top picture was taken by my step-sister Lynne. What a special moment she captured with my sweetheart C C and my niece Hannah. The last picture was taken by my daughter Kristin, she got a lot of great photos for me that day so I could visit and play a little.

Before I leave I do want to pass on the recipe for pies I made, they were a big hit. I give thanks to Willow over at Willow Manor and if you don't read her blog here is the link for the pies. Yummy and so easy, that part is important for me :).

Also I would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Memorial Day Weekend and more importantly thank all those who serve or have served in our military forces.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm: a feeling of lively interest, positive expectancy. We have all heard and believe the saying by Mr. Cousins that “laughter is the best medicine”. I propose that enthusiasm is very good medicine. What do men, women, children, parents, employers, co-workers, friends want? They want what we are all naturally drawn to - the apparent joy and happiness expressed by enthusiasm in “ourselves and others”. Without it, the destructive stress of too much “don’t want to” and “have to” and “shoulds” is significant. Depression, anxiety, negativity, procrastination, passive-aggressive behavior, lethargy and many other symptoms can result. Complaining becomes too central to the conversation. Most of us have responsibilities that are not always “fun” but if we lose our “want to” we can become increasingly negative in our interactions with ourselves and the world around us. There is no need to settle into helplessness or long for dreams far out of our reach. Look within your current context and practice looking for, and focusing on, specific “want tos” and build your mood there. Even specific positive details, no matter how seemingly minor, can improve your health.

Wayne Townsend (recent post from his website under the title Best Medicine)

I especially love the last few sentences and am presently working on filling my life with "want tos" and enthusiasm. Some of the things I'm enthusiastic about today are:

that our community garden is growing beautifully and all the plants are flourishing

that I got into an intriguing looking wetlands workshop next week

that my daughters lives are going so well and they are happy and healthy

that my family is coming down to the beach and spending the day with me tomorrow

What are you enthusiastic about today?

Expectation

"Energy follows thought;

we move toward, but not beyond,

what we can imagine.

What we assume, expect, or believe

creates and colors our experience.

By expanding our deepest beliefs

about what is possible,

we change our experience of life."

Dan Millman

I have found in my life that I live up to expectations whether they're from someone else or expectations I set for myself. The problem with this has been that too many times the bar has been set pretty low, sometimes even kicking up dust. They say the first step is acknowledging the problem and now it is time to start raising that bar.

A Mother's Day Story

In the past year my step sister and her family moved to a farm. They immediately jumped into the farm life, purchasing cows, chickens, horses, goats, and probably more I don't know about. This story is about their most recent additions. A cow on a neighbor's farm had twins and was only feeding one. Milly was a tiny calf and mom didn't feel she had enough for two; you know how that story goes in the wild. Lucky for Milly she wasn't born in the wild but next door to my step sister.


They took her in and for the last few weeks have been bottle feeding her. This week one of Lynne's cows named Sarah gave birth to a big boy they named Little John. Immediately Sarah took Milly in and began nursing her as well.


Little John is Sarah's first calf and even though she is a Jersey dairy cow with plenty of milk it is still beautiful how she has taken Milly in equally to her own calf. I love when a mom's love and instinct are so great she just cares for all who need her. Instead of having no mom, Milly ended up with several, a few human and one bovine. Not only is Milly now able to nurse from a momma cow, giving Lynne and the boys a break, Little John and Milly have bonded as well. Can I get an Ahhh for this one?

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who nurture and care for others, whomever or whatever they may be.

All the pictures are taken by Lynne. The top picture is Little John and the next is my nephew Sammy feeding Milly. Even though Milly is a few weeks older, she is the smaller one in the last two photo's.

Size Is Relevant

Five acres seems hardly enough when you are trying to provide grazing and exercise/play area for 2 1/2 horses*. Five acres is too much when you are trying to find a bull headed bull dog who has run into the woods hot on the trail of his favorite delight, deer poop. "Ain't I beautiful and I smell so good too, it's doggy cologne".

* 1/2 may be an exaggeration, donkeys don't need much .... maybe 1/4 is closer.

This is a recent picture, those are Live Oak leaves on the ground. As I said in my post The Majestic Live Oak, they shed in the spring.

Sometimes You Just Have To Move

I am sitting here listening to some great classic rock and doing a little chair dancing. It is the best chair dancing you've ever not seen. I know this because there is no one here to tell me otherwise :). I only dance alone, when I can be free to do whatever I want. My girls once walked in on me dancing around the house and said earnestly, "mom please never do that in public". You may, however, catch me chair dancing if you pull up next to me at a stoplight. Also, if you happen to pass by my office, you may occasionally catch me contorting around the room. Just think of me and realize it is not someone having a seizure. Any other fabulous chair or closet dancers out there?

I try to reference pictures that are not taken by me. This is obviously not mine and can only assume is a snippet from the show. I would like to think I am a better dancer than Elaine at least.

Quotes

I have a quote a day on my sidebar because I love to read new quotes each day. A recent quote was "The cat is the mirror of his human's mind .... the dog mirrors his human's physical appearance". I kept reading this quote and couldn't decide whether to like it or be scared by it :). Of course I think all my dogs have been gorgeous, and even though I think all my cats have been brilliant, each in his/her own way has been a bit off. Hmmm, that does kind of fit me, the bit off part that is. I wonder if this means that the horse mirrors his humans soul.

I have always had cats, but the current two resident cats pictured above are technically my daughter's cats. You know, those daughters that don't live here anymore. :).

Gardening Party

Here are some pictures from our afternoon of gardening. It was an absolutely wonderful afternoon. Everyone jumped right in and naturally found a place within our little garden cage. It seemed as if I just turned around and it was done. The kids were wonderful to be around and fabulous gardeners. I'm thinking of starting a business and hiring them out. Hmmm, what are those child labor laws again. All the ladies in our group are such wonderful women, each so unique yet we mesh so well together. It's as if we have a script and all come prepared each time we meet, knowing our lines and on our marks. I have found them all to be a blessing in my life.

In the picture above Pam is getting us started.

Kelly, our resident school teacher, is so great with the kids and leading lessons. Oh, and see the jersey's, it was soccer tournament weekend. Everyone that had a game that weekend won their championship, how cool was that.

Here we are down to the last row and still smiling. The children gave off nothing but happy, joyful and refreshing energy all afternoon. They left our property more blessed for their presence there.

After the plants were in their place, we moved on to my boys. They got pampered and loved on and were totally soaking it all up. Gappi even gave some donkey hugs.

One last stop before they left, catching tadpoles in the pond. It was catch and release so no tadpoles were harmed in the taking of this photo :). The day was perfect and a good time was had by all. Now we'll see how they like the weeding part. I'm told Beth's sons are great at that part, my back says yeah! I look forward to the day we are enjoying fresh tomato sandwiches together followed by sticky watermelon juice dripping off our chin.

Green and Gardens

I have written my first official post for the Coastal Green Alliance site. I also added a short comment to the opening post from earth day. The new post is on VOC's so if you are interested check it out at the link above and as always feedback would be greatly appreciated.

In other news, we planted our kids community garden this weekend. It went better than I could have imagined, the kids were absolutely fantastic. Before we started, Sue, one of the ladies from our group who is also a Wildlife Biologist, noticed this Brown Thrasher nesting in the bush next to the garden site. As the children gathered close to observe, one of the girls called it our little garden angel. In the picture above you can see one of the babies in front of mom, beak open wide, waiting to be fed. While we were planting, the vigilant and protective mom never left her nest. As soon as everyone left she came out and surveyed our work. I hope it met with her approval. Later I will post more pictures and information on our gardening party.

Update: When I came home from work this evening, mom wasn't in the nest. I attempted to blindly stick the camera through the bushes to see what I might capture of the babies. Mom was evidently not far away because she quickly swooped in cursing all the way. Look at that evil eye, she was not happy with me. I apologized and quickly walked away. This little lady is all business about guarding her young.

New Kid on the Block

We have a new little colt on our road. I have been waiting to post in hope of getting a better picture, but this guy is just not interested in having his portrait taken.

Our neighbor breeds Arabians and it gives me a chance to see a little baby each spring. My favorite moment is when they first discover their legs and start dashing around the pasture. They make it look like it must be the most exhilarating feeling. It always gives me the biggest smile that stays with me throughout the day.

This one picture was close to what I wanted to capture. He gave me his attention for about 3 seconds. Unfortunately I had something in my left hand and quickly zoomed and clicked one handed. As a result he has no feet, aaagh.

Earth Day and New Beginnings

Happy Earth Day everyone. I wanted to write a real thought provoking post today, but it ain't happening. I will take this time to briefly mention another one of the projects that I am involved with. The local home builders and realtors associations have joined together to start a green alliance. I am the chairperson representing the builders (that's what happens when you say you'll do anything). It's a little tough starting something from scratch and with people that are just getting to know one another. I did set up a new blog site for the alliance today and another member has set up a website. They both sit empty at the moment, but hopefully will soon be filled with our many activities and inspiring thoughts. You can see the beginning of the blog at Coastal Green Alliance and you get to see my green bag again. I'm just full of creativity today :).

Imagination Manifest Into Reality

At times the blogosphere feels like an imaginary community I have created. Much like a fantasy football team, it feels like I have picked fantasy friendships. That is until today, when a part of this imaginary world manifest itself into my physical world. There it is, laying on my table, in my home, proof that you are real people out there :). Sheila describes this surreal feeling much more eloquently in her post Being Real.

The photograph you see above was gifted to me by Charlane from over at Ramblins. I received this prize of sorts for being a snoop. They say curiosity killed the cat, it got me a Three Parts Whimsy original. It was very hard to pick just one. I find Char's photography not only a visual pleasure, but it speaks to me as well. I love photography that you can not only see, but feel it in your soul. I also love Char's writing. She makes me think, she makes me laugh, she makes me feel, and at times all of it at once. Like many of you, Char is also a great inspiration for me. Many days she will just take a ride in search of that perfect photograph, turning down rodes she has never traveled before just to see what is there. You can see this spirit in her post rural adventures. It is about one such road trip during which she captured this wonderful image. (You can also see a much better view of this photograph than what is pictured above.) Also inspirational is her devotion to family and her upbeat attitude no matter what is happening in her life at the time. Thank you Char for the photograph and for all that you share here in this not so imaginary blogland.

The Law of Presence

I am presently re-reading the book, The Laws of Spirit, by Dan Millman. It is written as a fable and as stated on the title page it is "simple, powerful truths for making life work". He calls the law for living in the moment the law of presence. In the chapter introduction for this law, Dan states, "Time is a paradox, stretching between a 'past' and 'future' that have no reality except in our own minds. The idea of time is a convention of thought and language, a social agreement. Here is the deeper truth: We have only this moment." Dan Millman provided some of my first introductions to mindfulness and is still my favorite author on the subject. Even though I am currently juggling many projects at the same time, they all seem to be clearly focused in my mind. I credit my attempt at living mindfully for this sanity.

The picture above was taken recently during one of those special moments in my life. I was having breakfast with my dad on his sun porch and was privileged to witness this little bluebird and her mate go about their duties of preparing their home. My dad is an avid bird lover and his backyard is a birds' paradise. Along with the bluebirds, there was also a visit from a cardinal and a woodpecker. The beauty of the birds was enhanced by the backdrop created by the newly blossoming dogwood trees.

Energy

As much as there is to learn from observing animals, they are not the only ones with lessons to share. I first touched on some of the opportunities for learning in my post We Are All Students, We Are All Teachers. After writing about the Resurrection Fern this weekend, it presented me with another opportunity for awareness, and to show you the plant in it's dormant state. Monday the weather turned cold and miserable, and in response to this stress, the fern pulled it's energy in, curled up, and protected itself. The picture above was taken before work on Tuesday, which turned out to be a warm and rainy day. When I returned home the plant was as lush and green as I have ever seen it. It made me aware of how so many of us continue to charge forward when our mind &/or body is telling us (sometimes screaming) it needs a break. How many of us go to work when we are sick only to end up wondering (and complaining) why it takes us weeks to get over this little cold, and how productive are we anyway. Many of us are planting our gardens now with visions of large plump tomatoes or fresh colorful blossoms all summer long. We will then be disappointed if our plants do not produce well. These non producing or scraggly plants are stressed in some way, and they have wisely chosen to give something up in order to survive. They pull what little energy they have at that moment inward. When the day comes that they have the energy they require, they can burst forth and be the productive plant they are meant to be.

Who's Wiser?

WE NEED ANOTHER AND
A WISER AND PERHAPS
A MORE MYSTICAL
CONCEPT OF ANIMALS.
Remote from universal nature, and living by
complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys
the creature through the glass of his knowledge
and sees thereby a feather magnified and
the whole image in distortion. We patronize
them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate
of having taken form so far below ourselves.
And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal
shall not be measured by man. In a world older
and more complete than ours they move finished
and complete, gifted with extensions of the
senses we have lost or never attained, living
by voices we shall never hear. They are not
brethren, they are not underlings; they are
other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of
life and time, fellow prisoners
of the splendour and travail of the earth.

From the Outermost House by Henry Beston.
Copyyright, 1928, by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York

I ran across the excerpt on a rescue site, donkey rescue to be exact. No, I am not looking for another donkey, I repeat, I am not looking for another donkey :). I really do not know how that site appeared on my computer, it must have been some kind of virus attack - ha. Shhh, here comes my husband. Seriously, in a world where I had an endless supply of horse feed, acres and acres of land, and more time I would definitely have more. For now, I am quite grateful for and satisfied with my little farm/zoo as it is.

Resurrection

I thought resurrection was a fitting topic for today, though it is not a religious resurrection I have chosen to write of, but a botanical one. The plant pictured above is the resurrection fern and it grows on some of the Live Oaks on our property. This fern grows on living trees, but does not rob it's host of nutrients. It is a member of the air plant family and derives it's food from the air or moisture that forms on the surface of the tree. This plant is unique in the aspect that it can survive even when depleted of 97 % of moisture. It will shrivel up and turn brown as if dead and when water is added will unfurl and return to a green state. You can learn more information in this article by a university horticulturist, including the plants prospects to be used in space.
A third resurrection this article could have represented was the resurrection of my blog :). I have a few projects going on, as I have stated before, and just do not seem to have the focus to write. Although my comments are less often or brief, I still enjoy keeping up with your blogs. I am finding I like this more than writing my own. You inspire me and brighten my day with your writing and photography, so today I would like to take this opportunity to wish many blessings for you all.

Animal Instructors

Everything at it's own pace.

Much of what I have learned (and continue to learn) about living has come from observing animals. Some of these instructors have been constant companions, and some I have just crossed paths with, such as the snail above. They all seemed to have a purpose in my life at the time and I am appreciative of what they have shared. A lot of what I have gained from them is the simplicity and joyfulness of how life can and should be. They have shown me daily the importance of living in the moment and through simple actions have made such profound statements. One new blog site that uses dogs in a photo essay format for such lessons is The Charlie Project. Journey on over, it's a quick visit that will leave you with much to ponder.

Tres

Last Saturday was part three of the beginnings of our little philanthropy group. Kelly overdid herself creating wonderful authentic dishes made with fresh ingredients. I learned a lot of new foods such as chorizo, which is a Mexican sausage that was used in the New Mexican chicken dish shown below. I also learned of a new root vegetable called jicama that she used in a salad called Guaymas Salad. I loved this one, it also had avocados, oranges and olives with a homemade avocado dressing. There was of course real tacos and for dessert she made Flan, which is something else I'd never had before. Now these foods might not be new to many of you, but I don't get out much. Oh, and I can't leave out the best Margarita ever. (We were good and only had one each.)
Our groups central focus is children and nutrition. With this in mind, Kelly invited a professor, Dr. Arunas Juska, from East Carolina University to join us. Besides information he shared with us in our dinner conversation, he also brought with him a documentary. Through this we learned how commercial farming is not only running independent farmers out of business, but is also affecting the nutritional quality of our food and the health of the environment. The film we watched dealt with the hog farming industry. While it was a bit disconcerting, it was also very enlightening. I will share this in another post, if I can handle rehashing the memory of what I saw. Arunas, being from Lithuania, also brought a traditional Lithuanian poppy seed cake. Hmmm, two desserts. What else could I do but have both :) .
For more on Dr. Juska see the following sites:
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/soci/upload/Juska.pdf
http://core.ecu.edu/soci/juskaa/
For our next gathering we are trying to get our act together and start the community garden we've planned to be the foundation for our educational program (we are pushing it time wise for NC weather). To be better prepared, Pam and I have been taking a horticulture class since February. Most of the other ladies know more about vegetable gardens than me, but I'm learning. I hopefully will get around to sharing some information and pictures from our class in an upcoming post.

Ingredients For Fun

A dog, a stick, a pond .... is there need for anymore

Oh

maybe add

a little boy

Visitors

Agapios and the boys had some visitors on Sunday. My friend Pam came by with her five year old nephew Nathan and her dog Jack. Gapi took immediately to Nathan. In the photo above you can see him sharing some love and making sure he is the center of attention. Gapi then proceeded to chase Jack around the pasture until Jack tried to hide behind his mom.

Can you just imagine what Jack is thinking?

Even though Nathan had no problem working C C from the ground, he thought the horses were too BIG to ride, (maybe another day). From his point of view there was just too much distance from their back to the ground. He still looks like a cowboy in the making.

Nathan said, "the donkey is more my size", so .....

Just look at the enthusiasm on Gapi's face.

Wedding Bells

This is a picture I took this weekend in Wilmington, NC. I thought it was just a perfect spring scene. Downtown Wilmington will just take you away to days of sipping mint tea on a veranda or under a grove of Live Oaks dripping in Spanish Moss. It has cobblestone streets, southern historic mansions and churches, lots of churches. It is just so much grander than my little fishing village. The architecture of the churches alone will take your breath away, or it at least it does mine, with steeples that seem to reach into the heavens. Below is but one example and you can also see one of the homes to the right of the church.

I was there on business of sorts, looking at venues for my daughters wedding. The grooms family is from Ohio, so they want to have it in a larger city with an airport and more access to hotels etc. Since she is presently living in Texas, I will be busy traveling back and forth to set up details. They became engaged just a few weeks ago, but notified me this week they wanted the wedding to be this November, so I had to get busy. I will try to share some of the beauty and history of this town with you as I can, and as best I can. It is turning out to be a very busy 2009 for me, many things coming to fruition that have been in the works, which is a good thing, but did it all have to happen at once :) I will tell you of some of the other activities I am involved with in future post, if I don't become to overwhelmed :)

March Winds

March winds, much like life, can be handled in one of two ways. You can sit around and complain; or you can embrace it and go fly a kite.

Nutritional Research - Update

Update for clarity purposes :)

I think this is one of those you have to know us to get it kind of jokes. We are Steven Wright kind of people if you have ever seen that comedian. First, I confused you with the pictures, they have nothing to do with the joke, I just wanted to post some pictures as well. Second, that is the end of the e-mail. If you will notice the time sent (which I had wrong if you read it last night) it shows that it had been exactly 5 hours and then it wore off abruptly. Now, he probably never actually took any, he is just entertaining his little sister. If anyone did get it let me know, if you didn't sorry to have baffled you today. I didn't set it up well and you do have to know the family dynamics. I guess inside jokes don't work well on the blogosphere.

My brother always brightens my day by sending quirky off the wall notes. Here is an e-mail I received this morning in its entirety.

Subject: Nutritional Research
Date: Mar 17, 2009 10:48 AM
Morning,
There is a nutritional product called 5 Hour Energy. Lots of B vitamins,
amino acids, etc.
Gets good press. I wondered if it could substitute for coffee so I
took some this morning.
I took it around 5:45 and

The pictures are some I took last fall as I spent the morning just being with my dad and brothers. It was such a great day full of gorgeous weather and very fond memories.

Glimpses

Well, as predicted, it did turn cold here again. I am back to being stifled beneath layers of sweaters, coats, socks and boots. It was a nice reprieve though, and a glimpse of what lies shortly ahead. Speaking of glimpses, here's a brief glimpse of the historic fishing village / tourist shopping and dining destination where I live.The photograph in my last post is one I took of a sunset over the intracoastal waterway. In that picture you can see two of the commercial fishing boats in operation today.

In the picture above you can see some of the other boats at the local marina standing ready to hit the water.

Many of the old anchors no longer go to sea, but some have found a home as yard ornaments. While most of the houses are still used as residences, many of them have become shops or businesses such as the one below.

I will try to show a little more of this area throughout the summer and give you more of its history. It is a growing area, but still maintains its quaint little charm.

The Beauty In This Moment

"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again."
-Emerson

Warning, Pretty Day Post Ahead

I almost feel guilty doing this, but we had another gorgeous day today. You can get me back this summer when I'm sweltering, but for now, after record lows and snow last week, I'm just soaking it all up. It was so nice I went over to the beach access for my lunch break and decided to eat under this great Live Oak. I had complete solitude here as the beach was filling with sun seekers. After I ate I just had to climb up on a limb. Well maybe climb is an exaggeration, more like hop up. Oh look, happy toes again.

After this I did wander to the beach to see what was happening. Lots of people out as expected, enjoying the weather before it cools again this weekend.

There were even a few nuts venturing into the surf. Now the air may be warm, but that water is still only about 50 degrees. Wishing you all warm weather soon if you are not already there.

Changing of the Guard

As I drive around town I am intrigued to see the pansies and daffodils growing together. It seems to symbolize the changing of the guard, one season blending in and giving way to the next. The pansies, beginning to look tired and ready to rest, and the daffodils glowing brightly in the sun.

It reminds me of this quote from http://childlightnursery.com/

"Seasons come and go. The sun rises and sets. We breathe in and out. Rhythm is at the core of all existence."

Happy Toes

What do you see in this picture (besides how pasty my feet are)? I see happy toes, so utterly glad to be out in the fresh air and sunshine! It was so beautiful here today I eventually had to come out of these jeans. You don't want to see a picture of that. There are not many things uglier than bare skin the first time it's seen daylight after a long cold winter. That look is even worse when you add in a lack of routine shaving. Since I brought that up I have to ask all the ladies, who keeps their legs shaved in the winter? As for you men, if you keep yours shaved I don't want to know about it. Now, getting back to the original topic, here's to more happy toe days to come.

The Men In My Life

This post is to give a shout out to my dad and the other top men in my life. My dad is venturing into the world of web logs and has started following my blog, everyone say hello. In true daddy fashion he says it's fantastic and he loves it. I have two older brothers; the oldest is one of my first followers, and the other I don't think has ever seen a blog, yet. Of course my husband has no choice but to hear my thoughts on a daily basis and I am quite sure he is happy I have this additional outlet. My family ties in well to recent thoughts about how I came to this point of focusing on mindfulness. I don't remember it being a sudden realization such as many people have after suffering from an illness or tragedy. One of the conclusions I have come to is that it has always been in me. My dad was a wildlife officer and pilot for the state of NC and both of my parents came from farming families. We were taught to appreciate wildlife and nature, respect the balance of things, and have gratitude for the blessings in our life. We also learned from our parents example to be caring, compassionate, and thoughtful. This was a pretty good foundation to start life with. All of this has carried into the life I now share with my husband and hopefully have passed on to our daughters.

This Is Your Life

"It's your movie, write the scene just as you'd like it and ENJOY!"

Upon needing to make a decision, I ask my friend Rosie for her opinion. This was her response.

Freezing (Update)

I awoke to a light dusting of snow this morning. I thought we had missed out on the snow that blew through the south this week, but I guess it had just a little left. This gives us two snows this winter, and although I am not overly fond of snow it has been nice to see. Somehow the snow makes the cold seem not so miserable.

Well now I have some pictures to post. We will be warm again by the end of the week and I can quit whining. I will be thinking of all of you in colder climates, and wishing you sunshine and warmth.

It is freezing here right now. With the wind chill I think it's the coldest I have been this winter, and yes, I know I am a wuss. The weatherman said that it is air dipping down from Canada. I had to post this because I follow a lot of blogs from Canada and a few actually follow me, so thank you very much guys. I have two questions for you. One - how do you survive up there and two - can you take it back now? I do not have a picture to post because I am huddled in a corner with my little space heater.

Ladies Night

We had another fun and insightful evening last night! This was a continuation of what we started in January with the addition of three more friends. Last nights dinner was at my friend Pam's house, a superb hostess and even better cook. The theme was Asian, the food was incredible and fun, the Saki ... not so sure about. We also started a fund to contribute toward needs within our community and discussed what needs we wanted to address. After dinner Rosie led us in a guided Qi Gong session. Our next dinner will be at Kelly's and my mouth is already watering. She is a native of New Mexico and makes delicious Mexican dishes and the best Margaritas. Kelly will be inviting a speaker and we plan to settle on a mission statement to pull all our thoughts together into a structured plan. We are all excited about having lots of fun together and giving back to our community. To date we all seem to be focused on children, nutrition and mindful awareness. Would love to hear about other similar groups already existing out there, or if anyone else is interested in starting such a group. It would be fantastic to see a multitude of small community awareness groups having fun, sharing, learning and growing together. For your comical amusement, this is me doing my best Jethro Bodine impression. This was the left overs after we made Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps, YUM! Pam also had Sashimi Tuna and Chicken Stir Fry with Basmati Rice.
Oh, and of course there was wine.

What Did I See?

While working in the pasture this past weekend, I had the sudden urge to just lie in the grass. What I noticed was how heavy 65 pounds feels when it was pouncing and crawling all over me. Our dog T-Bone thought lying on the ground meant we were playing a game, but then T-Bone thinks everything is a game.

I also noticed how ineffective it was to say stop while giggling uncontrollably.

Once he did settle quietly beside me I looked up at the sky. For the first time that day (I'm embarrassed to say) I noticed how completely cloudless the sky was. I also noticed that it was a beautiful shade of deep blue.

After we got up, T-Bone proceeded to instigate a game of Chase Me with the donkey. As I watched them dash about I noticed how exuberant, fast, and utterly happy he always is.

As I walked passed our little pond, I noticed the new buds on the Willow tree. At night I have noticed that the chorus of frogs that live there have begun to sing and call to one another.

As these new signs of spring have joined the Robins and Daffodils, the temperature once again has been dropping below freezing. With this I noticed what a tease February can be.

After I went in for the night, shut away from the chilling temperatures, I noticed how much I appreciate a good hot cup of coffee.

I would like to make this a regular challenge to myself and to anyone else who would care to play along. It will also become part of the Kids Awareness Program, kind of a twist on I Spy. Even though I say, "what do I see", this activity is meant to use all the senses to see what you may notice. I'm a visual person so whether I hear it, taste it, sense it .... I tend to say I see it. In case you are new and curious about this concepts beginning you can see it at my post What Do You See. Now tell me.... what do you see?

Discovery

"We all wish to live happy, joyful and satisfying lives, but moments of deeply felt happiness are often fleeting. The path of mindfulness is one of discovery. Through the practice of mindfulness, we become more fully aware of our true potential and awaken to the precious opportunities for happiness, joy and meaning present in each moment."

This quote was taken from the website Mindfulnesscenter.org

Communication in the Computer Age

Let's talk

E-mail has so many advantages, you can send a quick note when it is inconvenient to have a long conversation, or an inappropriate time to call; you can send pictures of your new puppy to family that is far away; and at work you can send messages to people that are hard to reach by phone, and hopefully in a short time receive a reply. I'm wondering though if we are forgetting how to have an actual conversation with one another. In one of the houses we are presently building the homeowner chose an unusual and expensive wallpaper that the hanger has not used before. The hanger promptly e-mailed the company, but is at a standstill because they have not e-mailed her back. Upon hearing this today, I went to the website and saw a toll free number written in large type above the smaller typed e-mail address. When I called the number I got an immediate answer from an actual real live person. He was very helpful and informative and the hanger is probably still sitting by the computer waiting for a return e-mail.

No Ordinary Moments

I came to the computer to write a post about my horses' farrier appointment. The question is how to make this interesting to anyone other than me. I could try to relate it to mindfulness by describing my observations of the Robin who sat on the fence post watching us; or by discussing the trust and bond there needs to be between the horse and the handlers. Having one person hold its head while another takes one leg out from under it takes away the horses ability to flee, it's primary means of survival. At any moment a horse eating monster could jump out of a tree or come around the corner of the barn.

I could attempt some humor by pointing out that my horses are getting a pedicure for Valentine's Day (and no spa day for me), or how excited Angel gets when she sees the farrier's truck. She acts much like a kid (that category includes me) when they hear the ice cream truck. Only a dog could find such joy in what is basically dirty toe nails.

That brings up a third option, the structure of the hoof. The outer layer or horn is made up of much the same material as a fingernail. It too is constantly growing, cracks, chips, and needs routine clipping and filing to keep it healthy. Good hoof care is very important, for no hoof, no horse. This leads to the question if the horse requires so much care how do they ever survive in the wild? The answer to that question could lead to an entire essay on human interference with the natural order of things.

As I pondered these different options over the weekend what came to mind was a excerpt from Dan Millman's book The Peaceful Warrior. Dan must sit in one spot until he comes up with something truly significant. If I attempted that I would never post again. I will just leave you with what he finally realized as he sat there watching and pondering life, "there are no ordinary moments".

Heartprints

You may have already surmised, but these are hoof prints in the sand. I have never noticed them looking like hearts before, but it's quite interesting timing. Could they be a Valentine wish for all our hard work, sacrifice and devotion .... yeah right. Maybe they are trickling down from Hayseeds.

I would like to share these heartprints with all of you, for you have inspired me to see more, to think more, and to feel more.

Daffodils

Look what I saw earlier this week, yeah! Daffodils are the first flower I see blooming around here and what a sunny way to say Hello Spring.

Also, I loaded new pictures to my post Fragmented. This is the magical girl that grounded me and turned my day around. I had taken these that day, but had not seen the family to get permission to post them. The first one blurred unintentionally, but I kind of like it. It works well with the theme of the post at least.

Enlightenment

How Enlightened Are You? A Test:
Well. . .
If you can live without caffeine or nicotine;
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;
If you can resist complaining;
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you any time;
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;
If you can ignore friends' limited educations and never correct them;
If you can treat the rich and poor alike;
If you can face the world without lies or deceit;
If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;
If you can have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender, sexual preference, or politics —
— then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog.

I received this in an e-mail, the author is unknown. I don't remember where I got the picture so I have no reference for that either. I just loved them both so if the originators ever happen upon my little blog, my apologies for not referencing you.

A Color For All Seasons

Looking at sites from other areas, with their barren trees and landscapes glistening from the suns reflection off the snow, brings stark realization to how oddly green we are here. Of course I have known that our area is engulfed in evergreens, but the contrast has become weirdly evident as I see pictures from other locales. There have been mornings this winter that I walked out to a frozen pond yet everywhere else I look I see green, even down to the winter rye growing somewhat in the pastures.

We have such a variety of green as well. There are Southern Pines, Cedars, Bay Trees, Live Oaks and more. Spring, summer, fall or winter, every direction you look it's green, green, green.

Speaking of seasons, I saw a pair of Bluebirds yesterday, surely that's a sign that spring is almost here. It has been fantastic here this weekend, please don't go back to freezing.

What Did I See?

I thought I would list a few things I noticed this week.

I noticed how woolly my little donkey has become, then I noticed the biting, bitter, cold wind (time to go inside).

I noticed the pretty shade of blue in my husband's eyes; as for the rest of his face, it's presently hidden behind whiskers, but I will strive to notice when he shaves it this spring.

I noticed the enthusiasm in my daughter's voice as she updated me on her life, then I noticed that I should be as passionate, well, maybe almost.

As I lay on the floor with my dog Angel, my big teddy bear, I noticed how soft and snugly she is, then I noticed how dirty the baseboards are and there's a tennis ball under the couch.
So how about you?

Ice Garden

There is a house on the beach with an old Florida Heat Pump System. It releases the water through a sprinkler system and when temperatures drop .... voila, an ice garden. Even though we are freezing now, we are supposed to be in the mid to upper 60's this weekend (sounds like a repeat of a January post). I am hoping that ol' man winter has exhaled his last breath of cold bitter air.

What Do You See?

The quote I posted yesterday was one of the first things I read on mindfulness. I printed it out and put it on my bathroom mirror so that I could see it each morning. There it has been day after day, waiting to be a daily reminder and inspiration. Funny how over time things that are right in front of us can become invisible. After I posted Nature's Painting, I was ask about my commute to and from work. As I thought on what a blessing it is to have such a journey each day I realized that the challenge lies in remembering to notice it.

Mindfulness is about using all our senses to fully experience our present moment. I think the challenge is to be aware of not only the new experiences, but to notice the details and textures in the everyday routine. What can we see, hear .... in this very moment that has always been there.

Be An Island

"Mindfulness is not just a word or a discourse by the Buddha, but a meaningful state of mind. It means we have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have to know what is happening internally and externally. It means being alert to our motives and learning to change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into wholesome ones. Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering. "

Ayya Khema from her book Be an Island

Gotta Laugh

Is that your ass or mine?

I wanted to post some landscape photographs, but decided to share a little humor and tell on myself. That is my husband in the background fixing a water line. He is fixing a water line because I broke it Saturday. I was driving the tractor and rode across a water hose and it happened to catch on the tire tread in just the right way to roll up, over, and around the axle. When you play tug of war between a tractor and a faucet the tractor wins. Lucky for me as I was reaching under the tractor and around the axle to unwrap the hose I unknowingly smeared dirt and grease on my face. I had smears on my forehead and what looked like whiskers above my lip. This was lucky because when I walked up to where my husband was surveying the damage (that would be added to his to do list) he could do nothing but laugh.

Rebel

How do you describe any animal in words? They each have a unique presence that needs to be experienced and felt to even come close to understanding who they are. Rebel especially, it's hard to find the words to describe his soul.

I love connections and knowing the history of things and that is one of Rebel's qualities. My uncle bred Appaloosa's and owned his grandparents. My dad acquired one of their fillies and later bred her for us to have Rebel. I cherish that I have had the honor of riding his grandmother and his mother before him. My dad picked a small, docile paint to be Rebel's sire, wanting a small quiet horse for his granddaughters. Funny thing genetics, haven't seen much of the docile little paint in him, seems to have taken more after his grandfather who was quite large and intimidating at times. Although his spirit inspired many a curse word in the early years, now it inspires the soul. He was born to run and run he can. My husband has commented he would have been a great pony express horse because of his stamina and speed. If I were to visualize him anywhere else it would be leading a herd of horses across a prairie or better yet racing across the ground underneath a great warrior. What makes his essence so powerful is that his spirit is coupled with such a big heart. He may give novice adults a hard time, but melts into the most caring and concerned of horses if a child is on his back. Rebel has been one of my greatest teachers and therapist. He has helped (forced) me learn more about myself and the energy I project. A horse is a mirror of the person handling him, and the energy I projected at that time in my life had much to do with any earlier issues. That was the past and here we are now and I can not think of a more intelligent, compassionate and magical horse and it is an honor to have him as part of our family.

Pride

I wanted to say a little about Rebel's mom in order to describe a special trait they share. It is a unique gait we have recently come to know as the Indian Shuffle and that horses that present this trait are known as Walkaloosas. If you are interested in learning more click here. My dad's description is, "it's like sitting in a recliner", to me it looks like they have wheels on their feet and they are literally shuffling them. This trait made Walkaloosas a much sought after horse back when they were used for transportation, but as their usage became primarily for shows it was almost bred into extinction. Points were deducted or a horse could be disqualified if it broke into this gait while in the show ring. Thankfully it is now a recognized trait and breeders are once again breeding for it. I wander if any of the other horses my uncle raised had this trait or if it just genetically appeared in Rebel and his mom.

The above are older pictures of my dad on Pride and my daughters on Pride and their other horse Noel.

New Day

What a difference a day makes, feeling more like myself, releasing my obsessive thoughts and moving forward. I have realized some of the benefits of blogging. It is a place to find release, inspiration, and friendship. I may still zig zag my way through topics, but such is my life. Working now on my post to introduce my Appaloosa and tonights sunset was amazing, was able to capture it from two different bridges, choosing the best one to post will be a tough decision.

"The beauty and mystery of this life is not in arriving at answers, but in the process of seeking."

Susan Sarandon

Stuck in Neutral

Maybe it's the winter getting to me, but I have so many questions and thoughts rattling around in my head and bumping into one another. I'm stuck in neutral and no matter how much I try to move forward I go nowhere, everything just circles around and back again. I've wandered off my mindfulness path and need to sort this out in order to return. One question is why am I here, not in this time and place, but just why am I here in the world of web logs. I look back through my post and they appear to have been written by several different people. There is no theme or consistent writing style and it seems to have lost it's original purpose. What am I trying to accomplish, do I know, does it matter? I can see why I relate so well to the Mockingbird as I wonder if there is one true voice hidden there somewhere within these post. I think I'm coming to realize and accept they are all me and that it's alright to be so. Maybe I have been searching for a truth that has been right in front of me, waiting to be acknowledged. So here we go with yet another voice, the introspective analyst who drives me crazy. I may question why I am here now, but I do know where it began, in a similar state of mind with too many thoughts, ideas and goals rattling around in my head and my husband (probably going insane from being my sounding board) saying, "write it down". So excuse the personal stroll inside my mind, but I think I'll try that again and write it down over the next few post. Maybe then I can get out of neutral and be on my way once again.

On another note, I have been ask about my animal family and also met a new horse blogger today, so bear with me and I'll break up the internal journey post by interspersing post introducing each one.

Nature's Paintings

The days are gradually inching their way longer. I always dread when the time changes and the days shorten. In these winter months the sun has started setting by the time I leave work and it is dark shortly after arriving home. This leaves me doing many barnyard chores by the glow of a few solitary lights. I so yearn for the long days of summer when I can come home and there is still time to stay out and play. A time when more can be done on weekday evenings to lighten the weekend load and I am not relegated to shut myself away so early. But there is a bright spot in the winter darkness as there is beauty to be found in any season. During these shortened days the light around the coast is somehow more serene, the air crisp and fresh. It seems to cradle the soul and create a dreamlike state of mind. My drive to and from work involves crossing four bridges over three different bodies of water. As the sun is setting on my way home, I can forget for that time about the darkness that awaits me, for it is as if I am driving through a painting.

Comfort Zones

I stepped a little out of my comfort zone last night and totally enjoyed it. As I've said before, cooking is really not my forte, and last night I invited girlfriends over for dinner. After reading in some cultures it's a symbol for moving forward, I wanted a menu that included fish. I prepared an indoor clam bake, sort of, and served it on my mom's china. It was a fun way to warm a winter night. The dinner was alright, but the fellowship was fantastic, I called it a melding of brilliant minds.

Fragmented

Do you ever have those days where you feel fragmented, as if your soul is trying to live in different realms at the same time? You don't feel centered, you can't focus or see things clearly, and nothing seems to pull the pieces back together. It feels as if external forces, like little mischievous goblins, are playing tug of war with your essence. I recently had one of those days, and then late in the afternoon I came upon a child. She sat there coloring, just quietly being in the moment. I only spent a few minutes in her presence, but as I walked away I realized I could breathe again.

Give It A Day

There is a saying in NC, if you don't like the weather give it a day.

We had some snow today, back to freezing temperatures again ....

and the weather forecast for Friday is 60.

(same trees, another day, still magical)

The Majestic Live Oak

The majestic Live Oak, a standard backdrop in many southern tales such as Gone With the Wind. They are sturdy and strong trees, the hardest of hardwoods, used for such things as ship building. They stand through the trials of nature, from biting frost and hot humid summers to the destructive winds of hurricanes. They get the name Live Oak due to the fact, unlike other oaks, they are evergreens. They do shed leaves in spring, but are never barren, for the new growth is already in place to fill the void. Live Oaks stand guardian around our property like tribal elders. In one breath they impart the wisdom of the ages, in another stir childhood imagination.

Bottom picture is the Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, SC

Brrrrr, Baby It's Cold Outside

A rare sight for us, our pond frozen all the way across. Can't really complain, our lows have been other areas highs or in some places they would see it as a heat wave. Thankfully it's warming today, thinking of all of you that are still frozen.

Crayon Colored Sunset

The sunset tonight appeared as if it had been drawn in the sky by a child with a box of crayons. The sun seemed to dominate the horizon with distinct rays eminating outward in shades of yellow and orange. I was witnessing this as I was driving, my view partially obscured by trees, buildings, and power lines. By the time I reached the bridge, a spot with a clear shot down the waterway, the sun had finished setting. The sky was still colorful, but in a matter of minutes the painting had changed. While all sunsets are beautiful, no two are ever precisely the same, just as with all the moments of our lives.

Winter Cheer

Today was a gray, dismal, and rainy day. Not only did it rain non-stop, the temperature continually dropped as the day wore on. I know every moment can't be full of joy, or it would lose it's flavor, but today it was hard to peak above melancholy. During the afternoon I dropped some information by a client's house, and after dashing through the rain drops I arrived on their large, wood plank, front porch. As I love a good southern front porch, this began to light a spark, then as I looked to my left there was a lone pot of a purple pansies. It just reminded me that there is always beauty waiting to be discovered, we just have to be open to it.

True Voice

My favorite bird is the Mockingbird, a bird of many voices and constant song. There are many majestic and colorful birds, but none I find as intriguing. The next time one is near, stop and truly listen to his song. Like the Mockingbird, we have many voices. There is one for work, one for home, one for friends and so on. We change and blend as we move through our day and interact in different segments of society. I sometimes wonder though, as I sit and listen to his repertoire, which is his true voice hidden there within his song, or has he lost it in his desire to sound like others.

The picture above was taken from http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/

What is Meditation?

This post is a copy of a page from an informative site on meditation, here is the link to read more:
http://www.1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation.htm

There are various types of meditation - prayer is probably the best known, but there is also TM (Transcendental Meditation), mindfulness meditation, and from the Eastern tradition, Zen meditation, Buddhist meditation, and Taoist meditation.

The meditation encompasses such diverse methods as:
Formal sitting in which the body is held immobile and the attention controlled. e.g., Zazen, Vipassana
Expressive practices , in which the body is let free and anything can happen. e.g., Siddha Yoga, the Latihan, the chaotic meditation of Rajneesh.
The practice of going about one's daily round of activities mindfully. e.g., Mahamudra, Shikan Taza, Gurdjieff's "self-remembering".

All these practices have one thing in common - they all focus on quietening the busy mind. The intention is not to remove stimulation but rather to direct your concentration to one healing element - one sound, one word, one image, or one's breath. When the mind is "filled" with the feeling of calm and peace, it cannot take off on its own and worry, stress out, or get depressed.

According to Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of mind/body medicine, meditation can be broadly defined as any activity that keeps the attention pleasantly anchored in the present moment. When the mind is calm and focused in the present, it is neither reacting to memories from the past nor being preoccupied with plans for the future, two major sources of chronic stress known to impact health. "Meditation," says Dr. Borysenko, "helps to keep us from identifying with the 'movies of the mind."

Carolina Moon

Fifty eight degrees and look at that sky, no other words needed.

Time Travel

I find myself drawn to anything historical. Old dilapidated buildings, with broken panes and weeds growing through the decking, always beckon me to come near. I want to lay my hands on everything and immerse myself in the energy from all that has been before. This even applies to photographs. While looking over a favorite blog site I came across the above picture. I was captivated by the scene. I longed to step into that town and that time, walk the dirt street, and peer into the storefront windows. I wondered if this conflicted with my desire to live in the present moment until I realized this is my present moment.

The above photograph taken from:
http://willowmanor.blogspot.com/2008/02/glenn.html

Animal Bonding

I always love the stories of different animal breeds existing peacefully side by side and the lessons they hold for us human animals. Here is a link to one I received today in my e-mail.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4696315n

A Child's Imagination

One of the greatest gifts I can think of is to be blessed with a child's imagination. I work in new residential construction, and today I had a walk through with a client to finalize paint colors. Her four year old son was with her, and I felt blessed to be witness to the magic of his wonder. Every nook and cranny was a door to another world, and a stack of bricks became a castle. What a wonderful movie that must have been playing inside his mind. Why does it ever need to stop? What happened to the days of a tree limb being a galloping stallion or a simple box being a fort, race car, or sailing ship? Today I would challenge you to pick up a stick or rock and see what your mind can transform it into, make a mud pie or, body willing, climb a tree.
http://www.medieval-castles.org/pictures/fairytale_like_castle.htm

Where's Your Focus

I have recently taken up bowling and for all you avid bowlers please excuse me if I butcher any terminology. With my first few attempts there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for where the ball went. I lined up with the pins, picked the balls destination, and let her go, yet it always seemed to choose it's own path. I was then given the tip to line up with the arrows on the lane and this proved somewhat better. It still went right one time then left the next, but I was staying out of the gutter more. I then realized the trouble originated in my wrist. Now when I approach the lane I acknowledge the pins (my goal), address the arrows (survey my path to my goal), but before I release the ball I bring my focus back to my hand and wrist (the beginning - where I am at that moment).

Best Wishes for 2009 !

We celebrated the first day of the year in our traditional southern way, having black eyed peas and collards with dinner. I have never been much for cooking, so the exciting new twist this year was that I made the entire southern meal from scratch. Also new, I sauteed the collards in olive oil rather than cooking with fat back. Thanks to all who recommended this, yum. We had a bonfire, played some games, and enjoyed the other American tradition of watching football. The best part of the tradition was starting the new year with family, sharing laughs and lots of love.

Exchanging Energy

I was quite mesmerized the other day by raindrops falling on the pond. Each individual drop sent ripples outward, crossing over and combining with others.


We do much the same, sending out ripples of our energy and mood as we interact with one another. We should consider what impact we want our ripple to make.

To Each His/Her Own

Mindfulness is as simple as acknowledging the present moment and can be incorporated into anyone's daily life. Meditation, which takes many forms, calms the mind and relaxes the body to increase awareness of the present moment.

Missy prefers deep silent meditation in lofty places.

Angel is more grounded and prefers being close to nature.

Yoda finds meditation music helps him maintain focus.

Seriously though, mindfulness and meditation are as individual as the individual themselves.

Soul Life

Have you ever wished to have someone else's life? They seem to be so together and content and if you just had that career or spouse or lived in that neighborhood ... then life would be perfect. I believe it was Pat Parelli, a well known natural horseman, who said, " when choosing a horse, don't base your decision on the desire to have a certain breed or color, but choose a horse that is your soul mate". If you haven't had direct experience with horses, you probably have seen the chaos and stress that arises when an inactive person chooses an active dog because it's the "in" breed at that time. When making life choices, look inside, get to know you and find your perfect fit or "soul life". True contentment lies in finding the life that is meant for you, not trying to live someone else's.

Above are my horses at their first face to face meeting, sizing up how they fit. While I love them dearly, I have to say that I found my equine soul mate in my Mediterranean Donkey, Agapios (Gapi). It goes to show how important it is to stay open & present, because what you are looking for may come in unexpected packaging.

Peace and Love

The time of year for sharing thoughts of peace and love is upon us. This is my first card I received today with a message too good not to share. This message could apply to how we treat our planet, and also to how we treat each other and ourselves.

This year may the hands that touch the earth be a little gentler

and the hearts that care for it a little wiser

Mind Over Malady

Mind Over Malady is an article posted today on MSN Health. It is written by Nicola Nieburg from Prevention Magazine. Here is a brief excerpt followed by a link to the complete article:

Once the catchphrase of 1960s counterculture, "mindfulness" has finally graduated from the fringe to the mainstream. "Staying in the moment" is now the guiding principle of millions of devotees who faithfully practice mindfulness meditation to enrich their daily lives. Just as impressively, mindfulness has also attracted another group of admirers: clinical researchers, whose latest investigations document its surprising and powerful physical and mental health benefits-achieved in as little as five minutes a day.

She goes on to state that researchers have learned that brief sessions "improve memory and attention, ease anxiety-and even deepen personal relationships". She then list four other proven health benefits along with simple techniques to try.

See full article at:http://health.msn.com/health-topics/mental-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100227263&page=1

We Are All Students, We Are All Teachers

Knowledge is available on an ongoing basis, the only requirement is to be open and receptive. While it is obvious that we are taught by our parents, classroom teachers and supervisors, learning goes beyond these places. There are lessons for growth and knowledge all around us; from everyone we meet, in nature, by observing animals and in the act of living itself. One lesson that nature teaches time and again is resilience and adaptability. The trees during tropical storms that bend and give to the force of the wind and as the storm passes return to their natural position, reaching for the sun. The pine tree growing out of a fence post and each time I pass by it says, "see, anything is possible". There is much to be obtained by observing animals. Besides the many lessons on living they teach, they are also wonderful mirrors of the energy we project. We are not only students in life, we are also teachers. Just as we have learned from others they are learning from us, from our every action or inaction. What are you teaching today?

There is no better teacher than a child, from the joy of simple things to bringing awareness to our need for unconditional love. By teaching a child mindfulness they will maintain that wide eyed wonder of the world and grow to be a part of it, rather than building walls around themselves.

It Depends On How You Look At It

Can there be a better holiday than one for celebrating what we are thankful for. A time for family and friends and acknowledging what we have, not dwelling on what we do not. Like the Rolling Stones songs says, "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need". The quality of life often depends on how you look at it. Here is a portion of an e-mail from a friend that reminded me of just that point.

I am thankful

For a lawn that needs mowing

windows that need cleaning

and gutters that need fixing

because it means I have a home

For the taxes I pay

because it means I am employed

For the pile of laundry and ironing

because it means I have clothes to wear

For the mess to clean after a party

because it means I have been surrounded by friends

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours

because it means I am alive

The e-mail ended with Live well, Laugh often and Love with all your heart, what better to wish for than that.

Take a Chill Pill

I could become high strung quite easily when I was younger, not to say I can't get that way still, and my brother would always tell me, "take a chill pill". Well I now have a recipe for a chill pill and here it is. The first and primary ingredient is to breathe. Place all your focus on your breath, breathe in slowly through your nose, let your stomach expand as your diaphragm drops then breathe out slowly through you mouth, completely exhaling, pulling your navel toward your spine and repeat. The second ingredient is my favorite visualization for grounding, the tree meditation. As you are breathing, visualize your feet growing roots like a tree, going deeper and deeper into the ground, your legs become like the trunk of an old oak tree, large, heavy and solid. As you are breathing in, you are breathing in light, freshness, life, like the leaves of the tree basking in the sun and fresh air, and as you breathe out you release all toxins, stress and worry. As you come back to earth you can feel your heartbeat get slower and steady and your vision of the situation becomes clearer. Now, look again at whatever had you so wound up, if there was a problem take care of it, one item at a time, or you may see there is no issue there after all.

Letting Go or Not

The other morning I awoke to a lizard on my bedside table. Now, I love lizards, but they are not meant to live in the house. When I reached over carefully to catch him he clamped down as hard as he could on my finger. My first thought was, "you go dude, never give up", but once we got outside he still held tight. He was so set in his mind that he couldn't see that now it was better to let go. This is a dilemma we all face from time to time, when to hold on, when to let go. These are decisions we have to make ourselves and for the situation at hand. Sometimes it's hard to see the best solution and harder still when our minds are noisy. Mindfulness helps to quiet the mind and clear the vision, it's the difference between looking into a cloudy pond churned up from the bottom or one that is still and clear.

Mindfulness and meditation is a way to look within ourselves and by teaching this to kids, they will have the tools necessary for clearer vision of themselves and the world around them.


(This might not be a tough decision on whether to hold on or let go.)

Letting Go - Attachment to Outcome

Letting go will always be a work in progress for me, especially letting go of attachment to outcome. We get a vision or an idea and lock it in, sometimes it may seem too grand and we get overwhelmed or things aren't playing out the way we planned and we get frustrated. A great example of this is a wedding, so much planning, so many details, so much dreaming and it's almost a tradition for something unforeseen to happen. When my daughter recently got married the most important thing I wanted her to keep in mind was that no matter what happens, just breathe, or better yet laugh, do not let anything upset you. When you look back you will see how minor it was and you will have regrets if you let it ruin your enjoyment of your day. While we do need to set goals and make plans for our life or certain events, once it is set in motion we need to release attachment to the outcome, it may not all go as we originally envisioned, a lot of times it actually ends up better.

Finding Center

My favorite playground equipment when I was younger was the merry-go-round. I loved spinning around on it, but it seemed more time was spent running beside it to get it going than riding it. Where you sat changed how fast the ride felt, if you were on the outside edge the world seemed to be zooming by in a big blur, but move to the center and the ride became much calmer. Life can feel like sitting on the edge, teetering on falling off as things spin faster and faster out of control with no vision of where you are or what lies ahead and you feel you are aimlessly burning up energy running in circles to keep it all going. The spinning can be fun for a while but after some time you can get "sick" of it and burn out in an attempt to keep it going. Mindful Awareness is like moving over to the center of the ride, there your vision is clearer, you won't become dizzy and you'll be safe from falling.

Through learning mindful techniques, children will be equipped with the ability to always find their center when the world starts spinning around them.

Journey

One of my favorite sayings is "It's not the destination, it's the journey". When at the beach I sometimes imagine the journey the sand and water have traveled and what it has been witness to. We are all on a journey, sometimes alone, sometimes with others or we may just briefly cross paths. At times the path is clear and the footing easy, other times it may seem rocky, treacherous, or we feel like we are wading sluggishly through a bog. Where ever you are on your journey be present for that moment because good or bad there are lessons to be learned, joys to behold, laughter and tears to be shared. Don't get so lost in the past or fixated on a certain destination that you miss all the beauty in the present. Things change along the way just as the currents move the water and sand to other beaches and we need to be present and open to each moment. My friend Rosie uses the analogy of someone wanting to go to California, but along the way they fall in love with Montana. If they had not been enjoying and living each moment of the journey or have been so obsessed with California, they may have missed Montana all together.

With K A P, we hope to teach children there is beauty in each moment just waiting for them to behold, to learn to be present and enjoy the journey and also to be aware and respectful of others on the road.

Connections

We are all unique and individual but at the same time connected and interdependent on each other and the planet as a whole. This dependence is illustrated within our own bodies. Our bodies are made up of many parts and each of these parts are separate entities that handle different task, yet each one part, down to the smallest cellular level, is dependent on the health and functioning of the others. It is much the same with our planet, we are like separate little cells living and working together on this one big rock, and just as the parts of our bodies are interconnected so are we connected to each other and our environment. We need to be aware of how our actions directly impact our lives and the lives of future generations. In doing so, we can learn to use but not abuse our resources and to respect one another. This planet, and all that's on it, is one big living breathing organism. Just as each of us would not consciously damage any part of our body, we should have the same awareness of our fellow humans, animals, plants, down to the smallest microorganism. We need to understand that everyones' well being is dependent on (interconnected with) the well being of others.

Kids Awareness Program will teach children a respect for their world and everything in it and what they can do to protect it. There will be environmental walks and lessons on the roles that different elements play in our lives and in keeping the planet healthy. An awareness will be given on the importance to get out in nature and stay in tune to their surroundings.

Where Are My Keys?

Tired of losing things, late for work because you can't find your keys in the morning, try doing things on purpose. We have become a society that is proud of their abilities to multi task but are we really doing any of it well. We drop our keys and other objects mindlessly as we enter the door while we are on the phone or preoccupied with the days events and then think we are losing our minds since we can't remember where we put things. In essence we are losing our mind because we are not using it, but it's not a sign of lost memory capabilities, since we were not really present during the action there is nothing to remember, we never experienced putting our keys down. Just take one thing, such as your keys, and pay attention to them, do not let them leave your hands without stopping all other thoughts and actions, decide where you want them to be and witness yourself putting them there. Do things on purpose, be present. This is never more important than with our interactions with others especially our children. I heard it said of John Travolta, "that you can be at a crowded party full of interesting people and if you are speaking to him he makes you feel like you are the only person in the room and whatever you are saying is so intriguing". Imagine how it feels to be that passionate and focused, to be that attuned and respectful in each moment as it's happening, now, in the present, whatever it may be, and to be living that moment on purpose without judgement.

With Kids Awareness Program, we hope to instill in children the ability to live their lives on purpose, be present in the moment, and not be hampered and stressed do to living mindlessly.

A Matter of Perspective

While at the beach on a warm July afternoon, I was standing in the surf watching the scene play out before me on the beach. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and there was really no where else anyone should be but in water somewhere, so it seemed most everyone had come to the beach. As I was looking and seeing hardly a spot of sand not occupied I thought it sure is crowded here today. As quick as that thought passed through my mind I turned back to the horizon and looking out across the vast blue sea, all I saw was water and sky, not a sole, and then I thought no it's not (crowded that is), it's just a matter of perspective. Perspective can be a view or vista or also a viewpoint. Your perspective or opinion about things is based on how you view the world around you. How anyone views things is based on a multitude of different factors, from genetics, birth order, age of parents, environment, culture, exposure to religious beliefs, events that happen and on and on. With all the infinite possible combinations that go into making who we are and shaping our perceptions how can we possibly be so confounded by the fact that everyone does not share our every opinion, lifestyle, reactions etc. In order to find harmony in our lives, whether it be with co-workers, family, or friends, we need to come to an awareness that we are not the same and we cannot possibly judge another when we cannot see from their perspective, it's hard enough understanding our own selves. Look first at yourself and try to learn the reasons for your own reactions to others. You cannot change others, you can change your reactions and if necessary your environment but we all need to learn to respect others for who they are not what we want them to be.

Kids Awareness Program will help children identify with the differences in all of us and that it is ok, even good to be that way and help them learn to respond rather than react in situations. It will also help them learn to be secure with themselves where ever they may go in life, to have that safe haven within themselves always.

Tune Your Instrument

I saw an interview with Goldie Hawn in which she was asked about being happy and she replied that we are all instruments and hers just happened to play a happy tune. What is most interesting to me about this analogy is that instruments can be tuned. We may be different instruments, one person may be an upright bass while another may be a flute, an electric guitar may be more suited for rock music whereas a sax may play jazz but all instruments can get out of tune or play sour notes and with little effort can be brought back in tune. This is what mindful awareness does, it tunes our instruments and not only to our individual beat but puts us in rhythm with the rest of the band. Can you imagine a world that is playing in tune with one another. It does not require changing which instrument you are or even what type of music you play, but just keeping yourself in tune. This can be achieved simply through meditation and mindfulness. Meditation comes in many forms and is not just sitting like a monk in a monastery in solitude and silence for hours. You can do a walking meditation or other mindful exercises such as tai chi and yoga. Even everyday activities such as raking or sweeping can be meditative just by mindfully focusing on the activity. There are more ways to meditate and they can be done for long periods or a few minutes. Some good resources I have used are books by Jon Kabat-Zinn or Dan Millman. You should also be able to find local groups and mentors if that is more motivating for you or CD's and DVD's that can help you at home with different guided meditations. So here is to us playing some happy tunes together.

Kids Awareness Program will give children the tools to stay in tune with themselves and the world around them.

Just Move

I have found no better way to awaken and refresh my mind than to get up, or better yet, to get outside and move. Step away from whatever you are doing, physically and mentally, and just move. Go for a walk while focusing on your breath or your steps. Feel the sensations beneath your feet, pay attention to the muscles that are moving you, this will not only clear you mind but by mindfully focusing on your body parts while they are working you attain more physical fitness with less effort. Also, by moving and exercising in a mindful way you are less prone to injury and always focus on your breath, do not hold your breath or pant erratically but breathe naturally, in and out through the movement. Some other forms of exercise that bring the mind fully into the movement are yoga, tai chi and Dan Millman's Peaceful Warrior workout. These exercises not only clear the mind and reduce stress, they build strength and develop balance and coordination among other benefits. They give you a great start to your day and can be incorporated into the day by doing it for a few minutes or a full workout. When you return to what you were doing, or as you go through your day, you will feel renewed and able to accomplish much more. By taking time for mindfulness and movement you are not losing time but gaining more quality of time and quality of life.

In the Kids Awareness Program, mindful movement will be incorporated into the day to teach the children focus and to clear their mind for better learning and retention.

A Day at the Beach

Harmony, on any given day, can be found at the beach. The water and sand belong to no one and yet to everyone and there you can find such a mixture of life coinciding peacefully together. Interspersed among people are birds searching the surf for crabs or the water for fish while dragonfly's dance in the wind among the sea oats. People of all ages can be seen alone, in couples or as groups of friends and families of all types, throwing Frisbee, playing volleyball, walking dogs, riding surfboards as others play in the surf and jump the waves or build castles in the sand. The beach is dotted with umbrellas, chairs, towels and coolers. You can find people from every race, creed, religion and culture sitting and playing side by side in total peace and harmony. As they leave, each person waits respecfully for their turn at the hose to wash away the salt and sand. If we could only bottle this peace, harmony and respect and take it with us as we return to our lives away from the beach what a great world it would be.

One of the goals of the Kids Awareness Program is to teach children to carry this peace, harmony and respect for all with them throughout their lives.

Mindful Eating / The Wine Diet

No, this post is not about drinking your way to health, but about viewing food much like a wine connoisseur views a bottle of wine. What and how we eat is one of the most integral parts of living, yet it is one of the most mindless things we do. Studies have shown that people who kept a food journal lost more weight than those that did not. Keeping a food journal requires you to pay attention to what you are eating, it makes you fully aware of your choices and the quantities you consume. Paying attention also signals your mind and body that you have eaten, rather than mindlessly over stuffing yourself. You can also achieve this awareness by eating your food much the same way as a wine connoisseur partakes of a glass of fine wine. When choosing think carefully of the qualities of your choice, how are we designed, what does it take to run this machine we call our body. A wine connoisseur puts thought into their choice for the exact wine to compliment the meal, put thought in your choice of food for your body, ask what would your body choose. When the food is before you, give it your attention, truly see it just as the wine is given full attention as it is swirled in the glass. Take small bites, much like a small sip, and before it enters your mouth look closer, smell the aroma, pay full attention as it enters your mouth. Once in your mouth, chew slowly and feel each sensation, notice the texture and taste as it hits different parts of your mouth. As you are eating, don't forget that you can put your utensil down and just pause or take a deep mindful breath between bites or to reply to a comment, then go to the next bite giving it your full attention. Also, as you take each bite, think of what it took to get to you, be thankful for all the hands it passed by, every ray of sunshine or drop of rain, from it's beginning of life to sustaining your life.

In the Kids Awareness Program there will be activities to awaken the children to use all their senses when eating, to eat mindfully and to then have them journal or blog their descriptions. They will also be taught some basic nutrition, the "whys" of eating certain foods not just do it because and how to, as well as importance of, reading labels and to be fully aware what it is they are eating.

Picking Up Sticks

I would like to share an example from my own life on how mindfulness has helped me. Hanna, the tropical storm, blew through this past weekend and thankfully she didn't pack much of a punch but when you live on five acres the amount of debris can add up. When I went out that morning, as the wind was slowing down, I walked around and looked over the array of branches, limbs, leaves, and a few small trees that had been strewn around the yard and instead of grumbling and seeing a wasted Saturday afternoon my first thought was, "Well I know what my exercise routine will be today". It took my husband and I about three hours together in muggy weather to pick up, rake, and sweep but it seemed like no time. Here is how mindfulness helped, besides enabling me to start the morning with a upbeat attitude, it helped get me out there instead of dragging around and building up a mental image of an unending job. More importantly it enabled me to not see it as an overwhelming job but that I just had that one stick right there in front of me to pick up, once it was taken care of, I could see I had that next one stick to pick up .... Periodically I would look back and see a clean patch and feel a since of accomplishment. Also, as we were clearing away the yard, I noticed that it was the dead, weak and overburdened limbs and trees that were toppled over and could see that nature was just spring cleaning and making room for all the new growth to come and how the solid growth remained to show the way. In order to stay strong and keep growing we too need to clear out all old habits and attachments that many of us aren't even aware we are clinging to. Travel lightly and you'll get further with less effort. It is also a reminder to make sure the top of our tree (see Grow Your Roots Deep) is not heavier than the trunk and roots can hold up.

Kids, especially, are overburdened with expectations, schedules and stress. We try to cram more and more into their developing minds and bodies, don't want them to miss out or get behind. One lesson from Kids Awareness Program will be to help them know that they just have that one thing to do at this moment and how to practice living moment by moment. The best way for them to succeed at whatever they choose is to learn to be there as they are doing it.

Just Breathe

Mindfulness is as simple as this most basic element of life. It's the first thing we do when we are born and the last thing we do before we die. It is the essence of life and the most suggested remedy for whatever ails you, be it physical or emotional pain, anxiety, fear, stress etc. - just breathe. The thing with breathing is it starts out so natural and easy and as we have life experiences we begin to change that. We may breathe more shallow, hold our breathe in tension, breathe faster or we sabotage our health to the point of inhibiting the ability to breathe. Breathing is the root of our well being. An analogy of how simple it can be to change our lives through awareness of our breath is an example from Caesar Millan, the dog whisperer. The position of a dogs tail shows its emotional state and when Caesar wanted to help a dog become less anxious he didn't try some deep psychological technique but simply physically raised the dog's tail from between it's legs. Consciously coming back to a natural state of breathing can change our emotional state in the same way no matter what is happening around us, that is why we know to just breathe in moments of stress. Just as natural breathing can bring us to a natural grounded relaxed state the opposite is also true, shallow or erratic breathing for no reason can send you into a stressful state, just like changing the position of the dogs tail.

One of the healthiest changes I have made in my life is to practice natural breathing throughout the day, just take a minute wherever you are, breathe in slowly through your nose and as your diaphragm drops, allow your stomach then chest to expand and then let it all out pulling your navel inward and repeat. This is the first lesson to be taught in the Kids Awareness Program, learning to focus on the breath. The activity will be to place their hands or an object on their stomach to watch it rise and fall and to feel the breathe as it enters and leaves and how they can come back to that relaxed state at any time by focusing on their breath.

Grow Your Roots Deep

An analogy of mindfulness and awareness as well as the importance they play in life can be seen by examining a tree. Awareness; knowledge and consciousness of what it takes to function at optimum levels through nutrition, fitness (activity & rest) and our relationship with the world around us is represented by the trunk, the main support of the tree where strength and solidness are needed to hold the tree upright. Mindfulness; being present in the moment with purpose and focus is represented by the roots from which the tree is nourished, as well as holding the tree in place and grounding it from external forces. The deeper we grow our roots the harder it is to uproot the tree, the stronger the trunk the bigger the tree can grow and expand for the fullest possible life. The branches, limbs, and leaves represent the many facets of our life. For many of us this is where we put most of our resources, in the top of the tree, while paying little or no attention to the roots and trunk, then wonder why we are prone to disease and topple over at the least external disturbance.

Kids Awareness Program

Kids Awareness Program was created to develop or support a program to educate children, and by extension families, about mindful awareness. We strive to promote the implementation of a program in school systems and/or through community groups. Mindful awareness is a foundation for optimum living. It teaches, among other things, that life is a series of moments and how to be present for each one. Through mindfulness education, an individual learns to understand their emotions and thoughts, to be able to self regulate in any situation, to observe and respond rather than judge and react. As a result they are able to find the calm from within in the midst of any storm. By teaching this to children, we provide them with the tools to be more focused, to achieve a higher level of concentration, learning and retention. They will also gain a better understanding, respect and appreciation for themselves, others and the world around them. They will have the ability within themselves to live happier and less stressed lives.

The post to follow will illustrate different aspects to be taught in lessons and activities. These lessons will center on using all our senses to bring awareness to daily activities. The program will teach breathing and simple meditations to clear and refresh the mind and relax the body. Mindfulness will be taught as it pertains to eating and movement and a basic understanding of what the body needs through nutrition, exercise and rest. There will be activities to promote appreciation and respect by teaching that we are all interdependent and connected to one another and to the environment, that the health and welfare of one affects the whole.

Mindful Awareness

When searching for the definition of awareness and mindfulness this is what I found. Awareness came up with different dictionary choices, the Merriam Webster definition is: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge. Allwords.com defines it as: The state or level of consciousness where sense data can be confirmed by an observer. Mindfulness, however, came up with different sites by individuals or organizations rather than dictionaries. The definition of the root word mindful is attentive & careful. Most of the sites and programs promoting mindfulness have their basis in work done by Jon Kabat-Zinn and he gives a good understanding of mindfulness: "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally." While the two are similar, awareness and mindfulness are both about being conscious, awareness is more about having knowledge and mindfulness is being in the moment and living on purpose. We live our lives so mindlessly that we are truly not present for it. If we learn just some basic knowledge of what we need and combine that with paying attention in this moment we can truly learn to live and not just drag from one thing to the next with no joy or purpose. Mindful Awareness to me is paying attention to knowledge gained, being conscious to what is happening now, living, truly living, each moment and finding peace with life.