Soil for the Soul

TEDxNextGenerationAsheville - Birke Baehr - "What's Wrong With Our Food ...

2010-10-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

Nature Deficit Disorder

2010-09-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

There are many studies that can be found showing the importance of nature to overall health and doctors are actually beginning to "prescribe" this to their patients. Thankfully I'm finding many movements around that strive to get kids outside, be it in a park or just in their own backyard. Check out more information & news stories on Richard Louv's website: http://richardlouv.com/

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T13:54:00.000-04:00

"What do you mean I can't come in? It's just mud ... I've been embracing nature."

Ok, I'll get it, is this better?

Hope you get the opportunity to get out and embrace nature today. National Wildlife has a drive on to get kids and families outside and I encourage you to check it out and consider signing their pledge. You can discover more at getoutthere.org where they have activities, articles, and more. I just noticed they have a study up detailing how much time kids spend "plugged in", I guess my terminology was correct in that previous post.

I know I'm not writing much/any and I do have a few things I'd like to share with my cyber friends. I cherish your input and motivation to keep striving and growing. I've been reading your post but been in a writing lull, maybe I should say I've been busy living. Hope to get more things up soon, but you know I couldn't let Earth Day pass by without a little something.

Imagination Playground

2010-03-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

We finally went to see Alice in Wonderland this past weekend and what a playground for the imagination it was. It really got me thinking about my dreams for our little place unfortunately I'm having a hard time finding talking flowers. What I can find are bushes, trees, and vines that bear berries and fruit so I can have my own little garden of Eden. There are also many other plants I'm learning about that offer other multifunctions in a landscape. I want to use all of these to create meandering pathways that open onto random courtyards and conceal little niches and hideaways. Little rooms created with living walls to sit and read or just stare up at the sky above while enjoying all the fresh nutrition nature is providing. What I see in my mind is really quite fun, now I just have to acquire the motivation to actually put it on the ground. I still haven't posted for you my "walk about" where I photographed our place as it actually exist today. Hmmm, am I hiding that reality from you or me. I am taking workshops and reading books .... but need to do more to take it from a dream in my head to reality on the ground. The last workshop I took was on designing and constructing rain gardens. These are simply bio retention systems designed to retain stormwater while blending in with the yards landscaping and preferably using native plants. At this workshop I hit the jackpot by meeting Sarah Vroom from Bountiful Backyards. As quoted from an article at treehugger.com, they are "an “edible landscaping collective” based in Durham that designs gardens, provides ongoing training, and organizes workshops on everything from vermiculture (worm composting) to mushroom cultivation". Being true permaculturist they work within the area they live, which is still a little ways from me, but I hope to be able to use their consulting service to help springboard some designs, learn more about the plants, and gain inspiration to move me beyond my comfort zone which I seem to be well rooted in these days.

Contracted Time

2010-03-21T10:57:00.001-04:00

I've been away for a bit seeing family and attending workshops which I'll hopefully write about soon. I'm continuing on my quest to absorb as much environmental knowledge as I can and motivate myself to get out there and live it. This week though I want to explore something else that's been on my mind, purge my thoughts as I often do here at KAP. A few days ago, quite suddenly and unexpected, I lost my beloved sweet boy C C. He went into intestinal distress and after trying for hours to save him we had to make that most dreaded decision to put him down. Last Sunday morning started off promising to be a beautiful day with the boys happily eating their breakfast, after which I turned them out to pasture. By mid afternoon the nightmare began and ended just as the sun was about to rise on Monday with my husband and I pulling out of the parking lot of the NC State animal hospital with an empty trailer and heavy hearts. This began my pondering of if I'd known would I have done anything different? It was a long miserable winter but would I have braved the elements and spent more time with my guys if I'd known he wouldn't be with me come spring? We all think from time to time how would we act if we knew how much time we had here and have been momentarily moved by the many songs on the subject such as Tim McGraw's "Live like you were dying". My question though is how would you act toward another if you knew you had a set contracted time to be together. If the day you met you filled out and signed a contract stating a start and end date for the relationship. Would we speak kinder, look one another in the eyes more, have more patience and let those pet peeves fall by the wayside. Would we snap less and bite our tongue from correcting them over trivial things they may say or do. Would we be more attentive and less distracted when we were with them. The list goes on and on and as I mull it all over the next question I have is are we even capable of maintaining that sort of intensity in all our relationships even if we knew it was not to last forever?

Unfortunately I had not done a post for C C yet on either blog so I've put one up for him now over at Sweet T Farm if you would like to see more pictures and learn a little about him.

Pimping Myself

2010-03-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

Meadow Linn of Savor the Day posted a competition to name a drink. My husband and I had so much fun with this and I really want to share it with ya'll. I have it at my new blog Sweet T Farm and since I have more people visit here I just had to come and pimp myself. I hope it makes you laugh.

Gardening for Wildlife Habitats

2010-03-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

“More than just plants grow out of helping a child tend a garden,” says Judy Sedbrook, a Denver-based master gardener with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. “Gardening gives children a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, and it enables them to learn about the environment.”

I found this quote on the National Wildlife Website. I was excited to see they have a section giving tips on gardening with children. I went to the site to get information on having my yard designated as an official Wildlife Habitat. I found not only the above mentioned information but that currently there is a drive in progress to create 150,000 Wildlife Habitats. I thought some of you might be interested and you may find your yard already meets the requirements.

As to my previous post, I've been working on the flip side to the dream - the reality check. I've walked the property, taken photo's of where it is now and look forward to one day looking back and seeing how far it's all come. At first I was seeing how far I've yet to go, but now I can see that a little progress toward the dream has been achieved. I'll get some pictures up soon to share as documentation and to lay out a path to lead to the next step.

The picture shown above is our group of ladies along with some children planting our first vegetable garden last year. I have to give all the credit to the ladies for that happening, I tend to say someday or next year too much. They have been wonderful motivators to just go for it and I thank them and many of you for that as well.

Unplugged

2010-02-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

"It is so true! that jungle that we create for ourselves can be very tricky to get out of sometimes. We need to teach this stuff to our children when they are YOUNG so that their jungles don't grow so thick and dense."

This comment was recently left on one of my post by Dawn of Today and Everyday. It is one of the things that got me thinking about what I started this blog for. What are my dreams for our little farm and what am I doing to accomplish that. Well to put it simply I want it to be a place to get unplugged. I want to create an environment where kids can come, connect with nature, and just BE. There is so much stimulation in the world today and things that desensitize kids to the point they feel little empathy, compassion, or connection with life. I want a place where they can come and get their hands in the dirt, plant seeds, and watch life grow from the care they give it. I want them to know where there food comes from and what the body was designed to eat. A place where they can feed chickens and gather eggs, taste honey straight from the hive, learn the importance of all life and how it is interconnected and dependent on one another. Learn to respect nature not fear and destroy it. I would like them to have the opportunity to groom and care for the horses to see what they need as well as enjoying riding them. I want them to play around the pond, float in the canoe watching the clouds drift by overhead, and interact with the frogs and other life that reside there. I want them to swing beneath the Live Oaks and dance freely under the sun. I want to give them a place to sit quietly, listen to their thoughts, and learn to understand their emotions. I want a place for kids to learn to self regulate in any situation, to observe and respond rather than judge and react. Hopefully our little farm will become a place that in some small way helps kids journey through life without creating jungles.

Snow at the Beach

2010-02-14T12:22:00.001-05:00

We don't often get snow here on the coast especially more than a dusting. This weekend we received 7" -8" which is melting pretty fast and leaving me with a lot (more) mud and slush to tromp through. On top of that I awoke to down tree limbs and pasture fence and we were supposed to be travelling this weekend. Needless to say I was not seeing a winter wonderland. I half heartedly took pictures anyway thinking the moment needed to at least be documented and I'm glad I did. The fence is fixed, the boys are safe, family came here, and life is somewhat in order again. Now I can look back at these photos and see the beauty that was right before me the whole time. I need to practice what I preach, I always tell my girls when they are in a delimna "things always work out".

Over at my blog Sweet T Farm I am beginning to introduce all the animals. I started with my littly guy Gapi and I'm putting a link to each in my sidebar. I had introduced Rebel here so I used that link for him.

Exploring Sweet T Farm

2010-02-10T20:16:00.001-05:00

In the beginning KAP was solely a place for me to sort my thoughts concerning a need I felt for children to learn mindfulness. Somewhere along the way it became more of a therapeutic place for me to find my own way and share some of my life with others. I have had many reminders lately concerning the root of this blog and I would like it to stay a place to explore those thoughts. I want it to be a place to ask questions and share thoughts with you as I continue to grow and learn from your wonderful comments. I also want an outlet in which to just play and free write. For this reason I have started another blog and I hope that you will join me there as well. This blog is named for our little place, Sweet T Farm, and through it I would like to share a bit of life along the southern coast of NC. So come on over for a visit, Rebel is waiting to welcome you in.

Nature's Painting

2010-02-08T18:58:00.001-05:00

As the days grow longer it reminds me of a post I wrote last winter. I hope you don't mind me recycling but it is still true even with all the rain we've had this winter and this is a nice reminder.

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.

Blank Page

2010-01-28T09:02:00.018-05:00

One night earlier this week as I was dreaming I saw before me a notebook. I watched as it opened to reveal a crisp, clean, fresh blank page. It radiated warmth, beauty and a sense of importance, yet it was only a blank piece of paper. My initial feeling was puzzlement which then turned to slight disappointment. Why was there no story, life directions, or words of inspiration to motivate and guide me? I continued to stare at the page and then a smile began to spread across my face. The realization that this was for me to write on was making it's way into my thoughts. This was my page and I could write ANYTHING I wanted. This was my place to write my story with no limitations. It was no longer a blank page but a page full of promise and possibilities.

Leaping

2010-01-24T09:49:00.007-05:00

A knowledge of the path cannot be substituted for putting one foot in front of the other."

M.C. Richards

There are two thoughts along these lines that battle for supremacy in my head:

"Look before you leap"

"Leap and build your wings on the way down"

Whenever I am planning a project or setting a life goal I tend to want to know absolutely everything before I begin. I want to read the books, shadow someone, ask every one's opinion, weigh the options and the pros and cons, think of all the ways it could fail and have a back up plan ..... Yet with all this I can still feel unprepared to achieve the goal and that usually leads to never beginning. At the same time I also believe most skills and knowledge are acquired best by doing, getting your hands dirty, making mistakes and picking yourself up and starting again. I am constantly in a debate against myself between the one side shouting acquire the knowledge and skills first and the other pushing and saying just get in there and do it. I know there is a balance that lies somewhere in between and that each situation is unique as to how it should be approached but the battle rages on as to which side gives and when.

1st Person 3rd Person

2010-01-13T19:25:00.007-05:00

When I began playing with fictional writing recently I started by writing in third person. As the story began to turn semi autobiographical I found myself at times slipping into first person. I had to decide one way or the other from which viewpoint the story would be told. I thought about which each meant: 3rd person - an observer, 1st person - living the moment. As this went through my mind it brought up the question, from which viewpoint was my real life story being told?

Look Within

2010-01-03T19:49:00.013-05:00

"The greatest wisdom is in simplicity.Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way."

Carlos Barrios Mayan Ajq'ij

Enthusiasm

2010-01-01T15:33:00.016-05:00

"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm" Henry David Thoreau

As I sat today watching the rain fall yet again, I found my enthusiasm running low on this the first day of the new year. As the drops sent ripples across the pond I thought of one of my own post, Exchanging Energy. Rereading it and Dawn's post about Joy reminded me that finding my enthusiasm is not something I should do just for myself but for all those I encounter along my journey. Now this isn't to say that I should always be Ms. Perky but I do hope to maintain an awareness of how I'm effecting those around me. The path to peace and happiness in the world is created by each individual finding it in themselves.

Blue Moon

2009-12-30T02:59:00.046-05:00

As the day's activities draw to an end, my husband and I can usually be found on the porch breathing in the refreshing night air, collecting our thoughts, and forging new plans. To me the night sky seems to provide cleansing and nourishment for the soul, raining down energy on the weary thirsty traveler. As I gaze upon the stars, I also feel a connection to a greater whole as if the night sky is a unifying force connecting all life, now and throughout time. For New Year's Eve the night sky will be brightly illuminated by the moon in all her full glory, the second full moon in December. What a unique blessing with both the night and the moon symbolizing a time of reflection and new beginnings. During this time of saying my farewells to the past and looking forward with great expectation to the coming year, a word that comes to mind is gratitude. I am grateful for all that has transpired, the good and the bad, for it has brought me to where I am today, and I look forward with gratitude for the many blessings yet to come.

I've noticed on your blogs that some of you are participating in a one word challenge for the new year. I had not planned to do this until I noticed the one word that presented itself as I finished this post. I will go into 2010 with the intent of using gratitude as my rudder to steer me on my travels.

Happy New Year and I wish you all many blessings throughout the coming year.

Desiderata

2009-12-27T10:27:00.005-05:00

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, 1927

Discovering Self

2009-12-05T14:38:00.022-05:00

"I write not to be understood, but to understand." C. Day Lewis (father Daniel Day Lewis)

I have found writing to be quite therapeutic, a way to peel back the layers and see what is underneath. I began writing to organize some of the thoughts rambling around in my head, but I never consciously envisioned that I would discover my core self in what came out in my written word. I even recently began playing with some fictional characters just for fun and before I knew it the story began to turn semi-autobiographical. Although the story is totally fictional, I have found I was writing in characteristics of my past, present and even future self. The future characteristics have become motivation to propel me toward some of my goals, which is still, and always will be, a work in progress. I am sure many of you bloggers have found this to be true as well, but I highly recommend to anyone that writing can be used as a way to explore themselves and life in general.

BTW I don't know if anyone is still out there, I've been away for a while. I wasn't actually away as I've been keeping up with your blogs and have even written a few post but never seemed to feel like hitting that publish button. I've been on quite a knowledge quest the last few months, getting my green building certification, studying permaculture and sustainable living, wetlands workshops, planting rain gardens for which I plan to get certified for in January, just took a fascinating beekeeping course and am presently studying soil microbiology. Hmm what have I forgotten, oh I got semi-hooked on Facebook which I swore I'd never do. Hope everyone is having a great weekend, the weather is a bit damp here in the South (by that I mean I'm living in the middle of a swamp that used to be my yard).

No Worries

2009-09-07T11:38:00.009-04:00

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

2009-08-26T09:18:00.023-04:00

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

2009-08-24T11:49:00.018-04:00

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

2009-08-20T20:28:00.012-04:00

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

2009-08-07T10:48:00.069-04:00

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

2009-07-31T22:27:00.019-04:00

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

2009-07-15T21:17:00.018-04:00

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

2009-06-25T15:15:00.013-04:00

"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

2009-06-16T14:18:00.032-04:00

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?

2009-06-12T09:25:00.009-04:00

"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

2009-06-08T10:01:00.012-04:00

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

2009-05-31T14:11:00.013-04:00

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

2009-05-22T22:32:00.027-04:00

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

2009-05-15T14:27:00.016-04:00

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

2009-05-12T21:24:00.010-04:00

"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

2009-05-09T08:19:00.049-04:00

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

2009-05-05T20:13:00.021-04:00

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

2009-05-04T10:45:00.019-04:00

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

2009-05-01T14:15:00.014-04:00

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

2009-04-28T21:26:00.027-04:00

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

2009-04-27T14:41:00.030-04:00

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

2009-04-24T19:49:00.013-04:00

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

2009-04-22T07:23:00.013-04:00

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

2009-04-20T20:37:00.049-04:00

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

2009-04-18T20:48:00.014-04:00

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

2009-04-14T19:01:00.020-04:00

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?

2009-04-13T20:55:00.009-04:00

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

2009-04-11T21:35:00.012-04:00

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

2009-03-29T11:43:00.016-04:00

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

2009-03-25T21:00:00.017-04:00

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

2009-03-24T10:51:00.017-04:00

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

maybe add

a little boy

Visitors

2009-03-22T20:22:00.016-04:00

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

2009-03-22T00:01:00.008-04:00

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

2009-03-18T21:57:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-17T14:44:00.013-04:00

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

2009-03-15T20:05:00.016-04:00

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

2009-03-12T21:56:00.004-04:00

"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

2009-03-09T21:12:00.025-04:00

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

2009-03-08T20:20:00.011-04:00

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

2009-03-07T13:07:00.010-05:00

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

2009-03-05T13:12:00.018-05:00

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

2009-03-03T19:37:00.009-05:00

"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)

2009-03-02T15:02:00.008-05:00

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

2009-03-01T15:27:00.016-05:00

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?

2009-02-24T14:40:00.040-05:00

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

2009-02-20T15:46:00.003-05:00

"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

2009-02-18T13:50:00.013-05:00

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

2009-02-15T20:12:00.036-05:00

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

2009-02-12T18:22:00.027-05:00

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

2009-02-11T18:33:00.008-05:00

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

2009-02-09T18:04:00.005-05:00

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

2009-02-08T11:03:00.019-05:00

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?

2009-02-06T14:52:00.016-05:00

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

2009-02-05T18:30:00.009-05:00

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?

2009-02-04T14:19:00.012-05:00

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

2009-02-03T18:09:00.011-05:00

"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

2009-02-02T19:38:00.021-05:00

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

2009-01-31T10:41:00.066-05:00

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

2009-01-31T10:36:00.033-05:00

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

2009-01-29T21:04:00.024-05:00

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

2009-01-28T14:34:00.029-05:00

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

2009-01-26T15:26:00.014-05:00

Comfort Zones

2009-01-25T11:56:00.013-05:00

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

2009-01-21T13:52:00.033-05:00

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

2009-01-20T19:56:00.021-05:00

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

2009-01-19T20:23:00.030-05:00

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

2009-01-18T09:27:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-16T09:26:00.015-05:00

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

2009-01-13T19:33:00.044-05:00

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

2009-01-12T13:22:00.028-05:00

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?

2009-01-11T12:12:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-10T20:13:00.012-05:00

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

Time Travel

2009-01-10T07:24:00.009-05:00

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

2009-01-09T18:22:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-05T16:30:00.013-05:00

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

2009-01-03T11:07:00.008-05:00

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 !

2009-01-02T15:33:00.006-05:00

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

2008-12-18T21:14:00.035-05:00

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

2008-12-17T18:29:00.055-05:00

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

2008-12-15T11:06:00.029-05:00

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

2008-12-04T19:21:00.013-05:00

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