I was told that everyone who comes to that particular area of Minnesota needs to visit the small town of Nisswa.  Actually, Nisswa is about the size of an overgrown village.  It is very quaint and . . . → Read More: Travelling: Minnesota Tourists!]]> In my previous posting, God’s Creation: Minnesota, I shared the wonderful experience Rich and I had at our friends’ house.  However, we didn’t stay at home all the time we were there, even though it was difficult to leave that place so filled with the joy of nature.  We actually played the tourists for a couple of days and visited some very interesting places.

I was told that everyone who comes to that particular area of Minnesota needs to visit the small town of Nisswa.  Actually, Nisswa is about the size of an overgrown village.  It is very quaint and is filled with wonderful little shops (yes, I did some shopping!).  I love places like Nisswa because I’m never quite sure what exciting little treasure I may find.  For someone like me who has very unique antenna up throughout the year, Nisswa is rather like Aladdin’s Cave.

When I talk about my “unique antenna”, I’m referring to that constant awareness of the people in my life and what might make them happy.  When I’m out and about I have my bloodhound nose ready to sniff out gifts that will please my friends and family members on their birthdays or at Christmas.  And Nisswa did not disappoint.  I could have dipped into my wallet several more times than I did, but all the time I had to keep in mind that we were travelling on our Harley and there was limited space, even though Sherry and Greg offered to bring things back for us when they trucked back to Jacksonville in October.

Another day we drove out to visit Itasca State Park which is absolutely gorgeous.  The Park boasts pristine wilderness at its best surrounding the largest lake, Lake Itasca, and many other smaller lakes.  Did you know that Minnesota is known as the State of 10,000 lakes?  We took our time driving through the Park, stopping at several lookout points such as Preachers Grove, that overlook the lakes.  Our main goal at the Park was to go to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.  I was totally mind-boggled that this mighty river has its source almost in Canada and runs the full length of the USA before emptying itself into the Gulf of Mexico in Florida.

Sherry and I wading in the Headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park

Before taking the path to the Headwaters, we stopped at the Visitor Center, which I think is one of the best and most interesting of such centers that I have visited, to learn a little more about the Park.  I thoroughly recommend that you visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/index.html where you will find a wealth of interesting information, photos, and history of Itasca State Park, including the story of Mary Gibbs who was a feisty woman who risked her life to protect Itasca Park against the logging industry at that time.

Preachers Grove (left) and Lake Itasca

I’m sure that Minnesota boasts many other beautiful areas.  It is such a lush, green State and the presence of so many lakes, large and small, makes for the presence of plentiful wildlife and many interesting and beautiful places.  I know it’s definitely a place that I’d like to visit again and if you enjoy the magnificence of God’s creation in nature you will surely enjoy it.

Along the same lines:

• God’s Creation: Minnesota
• Minnesota: The Travelling Dinner
• Travelling: Family & The Kentucky State Fair
• Musings: Gratitude
• San Antonio: The Little Venice Of Texas

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And that’s what this post is about – our Harley trip from Jacksonville, FL, through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, . . . → Read More: Traveling: The Retirement Ride]]> It’s hard to believe.  Rich has finally retired from the Navy after 29 years active duty and one year “delayed entry”, for a total of 30 years career.  No more alarm clocks ringing at 4.15am. No more white t-shirts in the wash.  No more 24/7 being “beholden to Uncle Sam”.  It is still rather surreal and I’m sure I won’t feel the full impact until he has been home 24/7 for at least a month once we return from our bike trip.

And that’s what this post is about – our Harley trip from Jacksonville, FL, through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin until we get to north Minnesota where we will spend four days with good friends from Jacksonville in their summer home.  Between Illinois and Wisconsin we will be stopping in Zion for lunch with some old friends from Naples, Italy. We will then swing down through North and South Dakota into Missouri where we will spend a couple of days with some more friends from our time in Naples, Italy. 

After that we will head over to Louisville, KY, passing through Illinois (again) and even touching a tip of Indiana.  we will spend three days with Rich’s family in Louisville, taking in a few hours at the State Fair and enjoying a Bar-B-Q with the family.  We will then head south east to Asheville, NC for two days before going a little further east to spend two days in Fayetteville with LeeAnn, yet another friend from our Naples, Italy experience.  At this point we will point Harley straight down I-95 south for the home leg.

Today is Tuesday 16 August.  We left home yesterday morning about 9am and covered three hundred and eighty three miles, reaching our first night-over in Marietta, GA at about 4.30pm.  We had an excellent day of smooth riding.  There were no traffic problems, the weather was glorious, and we got to enjoy a lot of God’s creation along the way. Because we ate a light lunch at Subway just north of Macon, GA, we were very happy to see an old favorite, Cracker Barrel right on the door step of our hotel.  We enjoyed a great dinner there before retiring early for a good night’s sleep.

This morning saw us on the road by 9am.  It was perfect riding weather: slightly overcast yet warm and not a drop of humidity in the air.  As we made our way through the mountains of northern Georgia and then on into Tennessee, we really enjoyed cool-warm weather with balmy breezes.  Lunch time found us in Joelton, TN where we found a superb Mexican restaurant called Mazatlan.  If you’re ever in the area try it.  The food is really good and the service was excellent.

We arrived at our little B&B called “Escape” in Paducah, KY at about 4pm and we’re just relaxing down and chilling out before heading out somewhere to get some dinner.  There’s a hot tub with our names on it in a room adjoining our bedroom. Hopefully along the road I will get to share not only about our ride, but will also be able to catch up on some other news that I simply have not had the time to right about in the past few weeks.  Happy summer, happy trails!

Along the same lines:

• Travelling: Family & The Kentucky State Fair
• My Bonsai Tree–Finally
• Spiritual Growth: A Dream Realized
• Italy: Experienced Through The Senses
• Poetry: The Urchin From Naples

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He knew that I was a Reiki Practitioner and that I referred to myself as . . . → Read More: Spiritual Growth: The God Path]]> As I gathered my thoughts together to begin writing about the Healing Prayer Mission at our church last February, I realized that to tell that story I had to go back to October 2008.  Without the events of October 2008, we would not have had the Healing Prayer Mission this year.  Back in 2008, I crossed paths with a fellow parishioner and friend, Guy, and he told me about a conference that was to take place in Jacksonville, Florida in a couple of weeks. 

He knew that I was a Reiki Practitioner and that I referred to myself as a “healer”.  The conference was a joint effort of the International Catholic Charismatic Movement and Christian Healing Prayer Ministries and was focused on today’s need for Christians to recognize that Jesus invited us, the church, to continue his work.  “Those who follow Me will do not only the works I do but greater works.” (John 14:12-14)  After speaking with, Guy I realized that the conference was a week long and would cost quite a bit of money.  However, he gave me a name and number to call and invited me to trust.

The next day I called the number and told the gentleman on the other end of the phone that Guy had told me to call.  He said, “Ah yes, you need a scholarship; I’ll see you at the conference”.  I was blown away.  This was no two cent deal.  So a week later I attended my first day.  I remember feeling a little cautious as I wasn’t quite sure whether I could handle this “charismatic” stuff.  By lunch time I was raising my hands to the heavens and praising along side hundreds of strangers from countries all over the globe.

I thoroughly enjoyed the next few days.  The people were joyous and worshipped God joyously.  The presentations were both informative and interesting. I loved the informal music group and it was easy to begin to feel free and unrestrained as I learned to worship God in another way, no holds barred.  Every evening at the end of all the presentations and teaching, Mass was said at 5pm by a different priest.  Their were priests from all over the world in attendance and it was beautiful to experience the Mass celebrated by priests from different countries.

On the Thursday evening I had already planned to leave at the end of the presentations because there was an activity that I normally participated in with my Yoga group, and I didn’t want to miss it.  However as 5pm rolled on I felt compelled to stay for Mass. I sat quietly waiting and the music group began playing the entrance hymn.  People began singing and clapping.  Suddenly I was aware of a wave of energy coming from behind me.  I turned around and I’m sure my mouth must have gaped open. 

There was a large colorful group of people coming down the center aisle. Men and women of different nationalities dressed in their native costumes swung down the aisle smiling, clapping their hands, and singing joyously.  Bringing up the rear and rocking and rolling down the aisle was this tall priest who had an energy, a charisma about him that I have rarely experienced in a member of the clergy.  As I watched the procession make its way down the aisle I was aware of one strong thought in my head:  I have to get this priest to our church; we need this priest at our church.

By the end of Mass and after experiencing his wonderful homily, I was more than determined to make this my goal.  My friend Guy was helping behind the scenes at the conference, so before leaving after Mass I sought him out and gave him my “mandate”: whatever you do please get contact information for this priest.  And so it came about that Fr. Jim Curtin from St. Dennis’ Parish in Wisconsin came in 2010 to give us our first Lenten Healing Prayer Mission and returned again in Lent this year.  My church has never been the same since and we now have our own blossoming Healing Prayer Ministry. Alleluia!!

Along the same lines:

• Spiritual Growth: The Lenten Mission
• Vignettes: Signor Ludovic’s Story
• Spiritual Growth: Personal Prayers
• Spiritual Growth: Being Called To More
• Freedom: Also a Loss

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I haven’t written in a while.  I’ve given up trying to understand why this happens.  It’s not that I have nothing to write about.  I have been keeping, and adding to, a small list of topics that I want to express my feelings about. . . . → Read More: Musings: Dealing With My Frustration]]> I know that talking things through with someone helps to diminish the hold that anything that is frustrating me or causing me anger or resentment has on me.  Writing also helps in the same way.  So here goes.  Whether I’ll be able to post is another matter, and that’s where my present frustration is coming from.

I haven’t written in a while.  I’ve given up trying to understand why this happens.  It’s not that I have nothing to write about.  I have been keeping, and adding to, a small list of topics that I want to express my feelings about. But something is getting in the way.  The weather has been gorgeous lately.  We have been enjoying the best Florida spring weather – no grey, no de-pressing stuff going on outside, so that’s not the issue.

Now that I think about it, maybe there is still an issue connected to the weather that’s been keeping me from writing, but it’s the reverse of dealing with the de-pressing grey.  It’s been so perfectly beautiful outside of late that I have been called into the garden and have struggled to balance my time outside with all the other things that I want/am committed to do.

It has been really amazing to watch the garden come to life after the long cold winter.  It seems as though with each passing year I become more aware of the transformation that takes place as plants come back to life, buds appear, then full foliage and flowers blossom out.  The Confederate Jasmine, that I planted as two very small 20-inch tall plants at the base of the front supporting columns of my old gazebo two years ago, has now grown into thick, lush greenery that covers both 8-foot tall columns and trails upwards onto two of the roof supports and is also quite thick as it meets across the front horizontal bar.  It is also full of flowers which I hope will last so that I can see them and enjoy them when I return from this trip.

And therein lies another source of frustration.  I have been travelling on and off since 28 March.  Being out of my normal habitat and routine is always somewhat disconcerting and disruptive, and I haven’t yet learned to handle that with total grace and acceptance.  I drove up to Newport News, VA back then to spend a few days with my son who was there from Italy to attend a work related conference.  It was a gift that I had no intention of passing up.  We had a great three days hanging out together.  On the way home from there, I was then able to stop in Fayetteville, NC to spend an afternoon and night-over with my dear sister-friend LeeAnn.  She and I never waste time on pleasantries, diving deep into our sharing from the heart and soul which allows us to broaden, deepen, and strengthen our relationship on all levels, especially the spiritual level.  Another enormous gift for which I am truly grateful.

Arriving back in Florida after that trip, I had three days to catch-up (I always say that with tongue in cheek because, how on earth do you catch up with time that has already passed??).  So it was a flurry of unpacking and keeping up with some commitments that were on my calendar, before I then had to pack for the trip that I am presently “enjoying” ( barring bad internet connections – grrrrrr!) with my husband.

And therein lies the ultimate frustration.  Yesterday evening I had the first real longing, desire, to do some creative writing.  I sat down eagerly in front of my computer and – nothing.  I don’t mean nothing would come out on the page.  I mean nothing would come up on the computer.  No worries, I have my resident computer technician travelling with me, no?  But after checking things out he told me that there was nothing he could do.  There simply was no internet connection and he had no control over that.  Talk abut frustration!!!

As well as the creative writing I felt called to do, I also had a bunch of emails I wanted to send out, and there were several things that I wanted to check out on Google.  I was stuck.  Couldn’t do a thing.  So I called it a day and picked up a book and decided to read.  But the frustration was there, bubbling under the surface and even though I checked in with God and asked for inner peace, I guess I was wanting to hang onto the frustration and wallow in it for a bit because it was still there this morning, and so was the lack of connectivity!!!!!!!.

Rich has struggled all morning to give me some connection, but it has been been frustrating for him too.  Right now I have no idea if I have connection or not, but I did learn (thank God I can always learn something), that I can at least access my Live Writer programme and get the words out and down, and in doing so I have released some of the frustration.  Whether I will be able to post my writing is another matter, but at least it’s ready to go if and when we get a connection.           

Along the same lines:

• Traveling: The Retirement Ride
• Musings: Life’s Curve Balls
• Journaling: A Way To Heal
• Musings: Commitment Now
• Musings: A Day Off – Sort Of!

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Perhaps it is because there is nothing else to get in . . . → Read More: Musings: A Slow Return to Normal?]]> It has been almost twice as long since my last writing as it was since the one before that!!  My Muse has been battling a myriad of obstacles to claw her way out from the cold, the grey and gloomy weather, and dealing with pain.  Although I find myself in “grey and gloomy” Bellevue, WA and I left behind the now warmer climes of Florida, here she comes pushing and pulling the words with her, in her first attempt in almost two months to put words on the page.

Perhaps it is because there is nothing else to get in the way.  I am out of my normal environment, my usual routine.  Nothing is clamoring for my attention: no commitments, appointments, or general household chores.  I am free to do what I want, when I want.  But there is more to it than that.  There is a fizz and excitement within me that is quietly bubbling up from my heart like magma from the inner core of a volcano. 

However, I must also acknowledge, that just like returning to exercise, I struggle to return to my writing.  The weather back home in Florida over the last two weeks has steadily been improving.  I have been able to enjoy my quiet time on the lanai almost every morning.  I have been enticed out into the garden to begin springtime preparation, and several times have been able to wear shorts and tank tops.  But I have been slow to take the laptop out there, and I am well aware that I have made many excuses not to do so.  At least I have enough honesty with myself not to declare “reasons”.

So, back to the “bubbling excitement”.  And why am I here in Bellevue?  Those of you who follow my postings (and a huge apology here for such a prolonged silence), all know that my husband Richard is a techie-geeky type.  Well he has been invited by Microsoft, as one of their Most Valued Professionals (MVP), to attend their annual MVP Summit.  (He’s like a kid in a toy shop at the moment as he soaks up the techie-geeky air and worships at the Microsoft shrine.)  Well, he invited me to accompany him, and as he had plenty of frequent-flyer miles to cover the air fare and as I had never visited this part of the USA before, I said what the heck.

But it was more than the fact that I had never visited this part of the States before that had me saying yes.  Coming to Bellevue put me within striking distance of a very dear old friend who I have not seen in twenty five years.  George and I met at the same time as I met Richard and within the same Naples Little Theater group.  In fact, George directed me in my very first play with that group, “Goodbye Charlie”.  That was back in 1983.  George left Naples, Italy in either late 1985 or early 1986, and we haven’t seen each other since then!!!!!!!  I love George very much and he’s also Godfather to our daughter Melissa, and in just an hour or so I get to hug him and plant a big sloppy wet one on him.

So forgive me if I’m a little excited and somewhat nervous.  But, oh what joy that this is the cataclysm that is unleashing the reticent Muse!!   

Along the same lines:

• Musing: Evolution of Spirit, Body and Mind
• Musings: The Blessings In Life
• Musings: Time Away From The Muse
• Musing: The Muse Has Been Gone – Again!
• Poetry: The Urchin From Naples

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It is a gorgeous day.  Another one of those sparkling “Princess Di” days.  The sun is shining brilliantly from a clear blue sky and there is a slight breeze sighing . . . → Read More: Spiritual Growth: The Two Sides Of Life]]> It is Sunday morning and I am sitting in my lanai.  I relished a short lie-in this morning after our trip home yesterday afternoon, unpacking and sorting out clothes and getting them washed and put away. It is good to be home in familiar surroundings.  We had a great week in Orlando and it was good to be away from the usual routines.  But it’s always lovely to come home.

It is a gorgeous day.  Another one of those sparkling “Princess Di” days.  The sun is shining brilliantly from a clear blue sky and there is a slight breeze sighing through the pine trees out back.  Everything is gently moving and I can see all the individual needles on the pine trees fluttering in the breeze and shimmering in the sunlight.

I sit back in my chair and breathe in the soft, warm air.  Yes, it’s warm here in sunny Florida at the end of November, although I hear that temperatures are going to dip down later on this week.  In the meantime, I am enjoying this “Indian summer” and feel very happy and content.  In fact my heart is full joy right now as I look at the beauty that God has placed right here in my back yard.

I notice that the small brown birds, I believe they are sparrows, are back again as they pass through on their way to who-knows-where and they are clustering on the feeders.  There’s a flash of red as a colorful cardinal claims his place and the sparrows flutter away until he is done.  I can hear the squirrels barking in the trees as they playfully, or maybe not, fuss at each other. Mokka, our cat, sits in the sun, her tail slowly swishing as she thinks her cat-thoughts about the birds.

But even as I am aware of the joy that I feel I am also aware that there is sadness punching and poking at my heart.  It feels as though one ventricle is full of joy and the other is full of sadness.  My life is blessed in so many ways and I am truly grateful for that.  Yet I have a longing for a healed relationship with my sister who I miss so very much, and another longing for a happy, satisfying relationship with my daughter who I also miss very much.

And I am reminded of one of my favorite authors, Kahlil Gibran, who, when asked in his book The Prophet to speak about Joy and Sorrow, responds with these wise and wonderful words of wisdom:

“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.”…………..

“Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?”……………

“When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”………..

”Together they come [Joy and Sorrow], and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.”

And so hangs the balance of all life.  One moment we are in joy, and the next we are in sorrow.  And sometimes we carry them together.  And I can only learn to surrender to what is, to accept the gift of my emotions no matter what they are.  As a character in the movie Shirley Valentine said, “If I can feel it means I am alive.”

Along the same lines:

• Shared Wisdom: Grief
• Spiritual Growth: My Quiet Time
• Self Nurturing: God’s Great Outdoors
• Joy: Tis the Season
• Musings: The Evasive Muse

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However, there is another area of my life that I am addressing right . . . → Read More: Self Nurturing: Changing Lifestyle]]> About six weeks ago in my posting Going Raw- Part One, I wrote about the process I am going through to change from eating cooked foods to eating raw foods.  This is all part of a bigger process that I have embarked upon in order to get as healthy as I can.  The food area of my life is probably the last major bastion that I am attempting to overcome and, because it has its roots in my childhood, it is proving to be the most difficult.

However, there is another area of my life that I am addressing right now that is having a major impact on my health.  This is in the area of exercise.  Yes, I know, that’s a four letter word in my vocabulary too!!!  I have been struggling with exercise for many years.  Which is really annoying to have to admit when I remember being the athletic person that I was in school.

I played on my High School’s netball team (UK equivalent of basketball) in each year of school.  In several of those years I was the team captain.  I was fanatical about netball and just remembering it, I can feel my adrenaline level soaring.  We played netball during the winter season, September through March, which meant we played twice a week as part of our class PE program and then the team would also practice once or twice a week after school.  Matches were played on Saturdays.

After graduating from school I went on to a teacher’s training college, and sports and gymnastics continued to be part of the regular curriculum.  During my second year of college I “went off the rails” and left to get married.  A baby came along quickly and my new lifestyle was very alien to anything I had known up until then.  Physical activities disappeared from my life.

Many years and a divorce later I attempted to return to some form of exercise.  But I only hiccupped along in fits and starts.  I tried aerobics but felt very clumsy and because I am not good at multi-tasking I simply did not have the coordination necessary.  I tried working with a personal trainer but it proved to be too expensive, so I just gave up.

By now I had remarried and had another baby at age forty and had not been able to rid my body of the baby weight as I had when I was in my twenties. I think this was when I pretty much gave up on myself for a while and simply indulged in eating what I wanted.  The weight slowly crept up.  I remember pledging with myself that I would never allow myself to go over two hundred pounds.  I sat at two hundred for a few years.

About fifteen years ago, while living in Naples, Italy, I met a wonderful yoga instructor and started practicing yoga with her.  I loved the asana’s and working with the breathe. Moving slowly into and maintaining the poses under Meredith’s compassionate instruction, I began to feel somewhat reconnected with my body.  “Sun salutations” became my passion along with the “fish” pose. My weight diminished some and I felt healthy for the first time in a long time.

Then in 2004 I moved to Jacksonville, Florida and, in hindsight, I realize that it took me about two to three years to make the big transition from my European culture to the American culture.  My exercise pattern got lost in the shuffle for quite a while.  Every once in a while I would make a half-hearted effort to implement a walking regime.  I love being outside and walking puts me close to God’s creation which allows me to exercise my body and my soul.  I also found a good Yoga studio and began going regularly again.

Then I had a shoulder problem.  Had to quit yoga while I dealt with that and exercise got away from me again.  Once the shoulder healed I finally pushed myself back into yoga but shortly after that I had a knee problem.  Six months later I tried to get back into yoga again but found that it re-awakened the knee issue so quit.  I tried walking again but the knee was just too much of a problem and, again, I found myself at that quitting-on-me stage.

One day at the beginning of this year I got on the scales and realized that my weight had bloomed to two hundred and sixteen pounds.  I felt defeated and at an all-time low with myself.  I made the decision to try and go raw – again (I had been dabbling with raw for a few years), or at least vegetarian.  But underneath I knew that if I didn’t start exercising I would get nowhere fast.  However, I simply could not get myself motivated to do it.

I think God took pity on me – again. He has a habit of doing that from time to time and when I get to the end of my rope, he offers me the beginning of His!  But, as usual, He has a funny way of doing it.  My husband was hospitalized toward the end of February with chest pains.  Long story short: no heart problems  but he was finally forced to look at high blood pressure and cholesterol issues and the doctors were serious when they told him to make lifestyle changes.  Our diet swung drastically to mainly salads, lots of veggies and fruit, and we cut out most of the carbs.

Within a month or two we both lost weight dramatically.  Then I hit a plateau and stayed there and got depressed.  Underneath I knew the answer was exercise but I just didn’t want to have to deal with it.  Again God came to my rescue in His usual round about way, and in July I was introduced to Wendy, a personal Pilates instructor.  I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do Pilates because my only knowledge of this form of exercise was a memory of a friend who used to do it (a much fitter, younger woman!!!), and she would say things like “We were massacred at Pilates class tonight” or “I didn’t think I’d make it through the whole class today.”

I am grateful for the God-incidental way that I got to Wendy, for I’m sure I’d never have taken the leap otherwise. She is a compassionate but relentless instructor with a grand sense of humor.  I told her where I was at and she said something like “I guess I’ll have to work you”.  I have been doing Pilates twice a week with Wendy since about mid-July.  I have pushed below my plateau, not a lot but enough.  However what has happened to my body is nothing short of a miracle.

I have a level of sustained energy that I did not have before.  My body is so much more flexible and feels very alive.  There has been a shift in shape; I cannot explain it any clearer than that.  The first major change that I noticed was one day when I went to do up the strap on a pair of shoes and realized I did not have to get into a certain position to “accommodate my stomach” as I leaned down!  My tummy has definitely toned and my legs are so much more flexible.  I can climb a flight of stairs without feeling breathless.

This week Richard and I are enjoying our traditional week of Thanksgiving in our time share in Orlando.  Yesterday afternoon we went to Universal to watch the new Harry Potter movie (which was great by the way!).  We walked around for a while before the movie and I noticed that I had no problem keeping up with Richard (he’s over six foot and has a long stride).  Nor did I find myself getting breathless keeping up with him and, in fact, I felt quite invigorated.  Today we went to Sea World and the same thing happened.

As I sit here typing this post I have to make a confession.  I have been wanting to walk on a regular basis for about a month now.  The reason I have not is because I did not want to feel tired and breathless or realize that I couldn’t keep a decent pace for long.  Yesterday and today have shown me that I can get out there, keep a good pace, and feel really good.  I know that this is partly because of the diet changes I have made as well as the regular exercising with Pilates.  It is a total change of lifestyle that is allowing me to feel good about myself and to feel so much more healthy.  This is what self nurturing is truly about.         

Along the same lines:

• Self Nurturing: The Desert Experience
• Musings: Time Away From The Muse
• Shared Wisdom: Resurrection
• Musings: The Football Game
• Self Nurturing: Some More Writing About Reiki

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.

That was the first time I allowed myself to even consider that summer was ending and autumn was pushing through . . . → Read More: Musings: The Changing Seasons]]> In the last few weeks leading up to the change of clocks,  I would go out to my lanai and claim my God-time.  One day I realized, that even though I had gone out at the same time as usual – about seven o’clock – the morning light had changed.  In fact it was not fully light but rather that eerie time of in between when the sun has not quite risen but there is a pallor about the sky.

That was the first time I allowed myself to even consider that summer was ending and autumn was pushing through the door.  I sat and watched, and listened.  There was absolute silence.  Normally as I go out there in the morning, squirrels are rustling through the trees and the birds are beginning to awaken with soft twitters and small trills.  But on this morning I noticed the total quiet.

Although I accept the changing of the seasons, after all there’s very little that I can do to stop them changing, I do not like it.  In sixty six years, however, I have learned that lesson.  I think much of my non-acceptance stems from my British upbringing.  In England, once whatever precious little summer that we got was over, then we were always assured of grey cold autumn coming in, followed by an even greyer and colder winter.  Grey dooms my heart and soul.  I get de-pressed and sad, and I’m just not my usual bright sunny self.

So even though I live in Florida now and the summer blurs into autumn, and winter usually is not so cold (let’s forget about last winter,shall we!!!) and definitely not so grey, I still have  an imbedded expectation around this particular change of season, that the grey is about to descend upon me.  I am grateful to be living here because I soon realize that autumn-into-winter is not synonymous with grey and cold.  In fact, in the almost seven years that I have been here, I remember sunbathing frequently in the “winter” months and reveling in the fact.

So, as I was saying, in these past few weeks I have watched the morning light grow dimmer each day, even though I have gone out there at about the same time.  Then, suddenly, about ten days ago I realized that there was barely a glimmer of light.  I sat there and had to squint my eyes to make out shapes and forms in the un-light.  But then I had the unexpected pleasure of watching the dawn light creep across the sky and in those pre-sunrise moments I began to make out smaller shapes and forms, and the details of leaves, flowers, trees, gazebo, slowly filled themselves in.

Then, in one glorious instant, a shaft of bright light came across the side garden fence and illuminated a slice of the picture in front of me.  The trunk of a tree, a few branches, a small angle of the top of the gazebo, all became as clear as if in a naif painting.  Moment by moment, my back yard and the woods beyond were suddenly lit up like the opening scene in a live theater.  Almost immediately the rustling, the soft twitters, and the small chirps began until there was a full-throated burst of bird song.

Thank you God for the joy and the beauty of your creation.  No matter what the season, there is always something wonderful, something awesome, to see and marvel over.  I hope I always keep my open eyes and my open heart to appreciate the glory that is our world.  

Along the same lines:

• Musings: Sliding Into Autumn
• Musings: The Tapestry of Life
• Poetry: Awakening to the World
• Musings: Commitment Now
• Self Nurturing: The Garden – Remodeled!

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.

For about fifteen years now Richard has created and maintained a web site about techie things, . . . → Read More: Musings: The Blessings In Life]]> My husband, Richard,is a geekie-techie kind of guy and this helps to create a good balance in our relationship because I’m more of the arty-crafty type who, as already mentioned in several of my postings, tends to fly by the seat of her pants.  Even though my husband’s attachment to his computer and all things technological sometimes drives me a little crazy, I have to admit that I’m very blessed to have him in my life.  After all,  I have a resident expert computer-problem-fixer.

For about fifteen years now Richard has created and maintained a web site about techie things, mainly connected to Windows related stuff.  In fact his web site domain name is WindowsObserver.com just in case any of you other techies want to check it out.  Over the last few years he has developed a strong relationship with Microsoft and has been involved in their Beta testing, has written a few articles for them, and has been nominated a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional).

Because of this latter status, he was approached and asked to sit on a panel at a Customer Support conference to be held in Orlando, Florida this week.  When we looked at our planners and saw that I would be attending my Audire program in Winter Park from Friday to Sunday, we decided to combine our trips so that we would not spend five days apart.  Consequently I find myself in the lovely complex called The Villas of Grand Cypress (Golf Resort).  The accommodations are absolutely lovely, surrounded as we are by golf greens and trees, although I’m a little disappointed that a resort of this caliber does not provide a small mini refrigerator in each suite (I carry supplements and fresh juiced produce that need to stay cold).

So this morning as I woke up and came to, I opened the drapes to be met by a stunning scene.  Right outside my French doors is a small patio that over looks a retention pond, and swimming across the middle was a group of ducks.  The far side of the pond is flanked by the rolling dunes of the golf greens.  On the other sides of the pond I see lots of trees and plants through which I can make out other villas.

About fifteen yards from my end of the pond there is a small island, no bigger than twenty feet in diameter, on which there are five or six large trees, a couple of saplings, a few bushes and some small sego palms.  The sky was a clear blue, not a cloud in sight, and squirrels were scampering across the porch and chasing each other up and down the trees immediately beyond the porch.  When I opened the French doors, a flock of white egrets (I think they were egrets – white with long, skinny, curved yellow beaks), appeared out of nowhere and walked right onto the porch, obviously looking for a handout.

Although it was not warm-warm, it was warm enough to sit outside for my quiet time with God.  It was so peaceful and so lovely that the first thought was of gratitude. I read my morning reflections and then just sat back and took in the beauty of God’s creation and suddenly felt so blessed.  Today is Veteran’s Day, and I think of all those men and women in far-flung and dangerous war zones around the globe, separated from their families and everything familiar and comfortable.  My gratitude levels soar as I compare where I am right now and where they are.

I continued to contemplate and meditate and watched a small blue heron approach my edge of the pond and swiftly dip his beak into the water, drawing it out a second later with a tiny wriggling fish which he quickly devoured.  The air is clear and fresh with a hint of wood smoke, that unique smell that permeates everything during the Fall.  Then suddenly I see a small movement on the island.  There, perfectly camouflaged in the shadows, was a “Big Blue”.  He stood perfectly still keeping a watchful eye on the water, waiting for the slightest movement which would indicate breakfast!!

As I took this all in, I was overcome with emotion.  My throat filled up and I felt tears spill down my cheeks.  I am so blessed, my life is so rich in many ways.  I may not be rich in the conventional meaning of that word.  I don’t have lots of money, nor do I have a luxury car or a boat or any of those high-ticket items.  But I do have the money that I need, a car that is more than functional, the possibility of being in this place at this time.  I have an amazing, loving husband, and so many good friends.  God has filled my life with so many gifts and I am truly grateful.

Along the same lines:

• Vignettes: Gratitude in Central Park, NYC
• Spiritual Growth: The Two Sides Of Life
• Musings: Feeling Blessed
• Musings: Kicking the Spiritual Doldrums!
• My Bonsai Tree–Finally

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I think . . . → Read More: A Night of Fun: Carrie Underwood]]> Back in the day when I used to watch American Idol, I saw this little country girl come out of nowhere and dominate the show from start to finish.  No matter how many people cannot stand Simon Cowell, many of his predictions about talented people in show business are uncannily right on target.  From the very start he said she would be one of the favorites to win, and after her performance during the top eleven finalist’s show he predicted that she would not only win but that she would go on to outsell all previous Idol winners.

I think one of the things that impressed me most about Carrie Underwood as I watched her rise to fame during and after Idol is her “sweetness”.  To me she came across as this sweet girl with no false pretenses or airs.  And then there was that voice!  An amazing voice that allows her to cover a range of styles with no apparent effort.

Well, last week I was given the opportunity to see Carrie live in concert here in Jacksonville (Jax), Florida.  What an unexpected treat that was.  My friend Carol had secured two tickets way back in the spring of this year so that she and her daughter could go and see the show together.  At the last minute Carol’s daughter could not attend and so she offered me the ticket – as long as I did the night driving in downtown Jax.  Now that’s what I call a bargain!

So off we headed to grab a bite to eat and then on to the Jacksonville Memorial Arena.  I have seen a couple of shows at this venue in the past few years and they were good but nothing spectacular.  Little did I know that was about to change.  There were two opening acts before Carrie: Sons of Sylvia (watch out for them in the future, they are three extremely talented young brothers who I believe will go BIG on the country scene), and Billy Currington (already well known in country circles).  The stage setting for both was pretty simple and pretty standard for a basic opening act.

That all changed when Carrie took the stage.  I was expecting a good show from her because I know she is talented and has made a real name for herself since winning Idol.  However, I was totally unprepared for the next two hours.  The stage settings were fabulous to say the least.  Carrie literally exploded onto the stage with both her voice and her presence.  She is such a class act.  I was completely amazed by the show that she put on.  The word “professional” just does not cover it.  “Consummate professional”  comes a little closer.

Her warmth and genuineness as she interacted with the audience was tangible. She puts her whole heart and soul into her singing and it’s obvious she is also having a lot of fun. Her style in both the clothes she wore and her comportment and attitudes was just top notch.  It was very obvious that her band adores her and loves working with her.  She is still the sweet country girl she always was but now she has a lot of polish with it.  She carries no fancy airs and even openly yet appropriately talked about her faith and God.  I came away from the evening somehow feeling a little better about myself.

If you ever get the opportunity to go see her live, please do so.  I do not think you will be disappointed.  I am not exactly a big fan of country music but my experience with Carrie last week may just have changed that.  

Along the same lines:

• Vignette: The Young Fan
• Sacred Riding: My Harley Prayer Time
• Vignette: Another Concert Story
• Dolphins: A Mystical Experience
• Spiritual Growth: Grace

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I don’t normally put sub-titles to my postings, but I felt this one deserved one.  There is no way I can share my “adventure” at going raw without giving some background as to my relationship with food.  And it is a love affair.

I have had an intimate relationship with food ever since I can remember.  Some of my earliest memories of food are:

- sitting under the dining room table in the middle of the night eating rice paper (don’t even ask!!)

- sitting for what seemed like hours on the garden gate . . . → Read More: Going Raw: Part One]]> (My Life-Long Love Affair With Food)

I don’t normally put sub-titles to my postings, but I felt this one deserved one.  There is no way I can share my “adventure” at going raw without giving some background as to my relationship with food.  And it is a love affair.

I have had an intimate relationship with food ever since I can remember.  Some of my earliest memories of food are:

- sitting under the dining room table in the middle of the night eating rice paper (don’t even ask!!)

- sitting for what seemed like hours on the garden gate or at the front room window waiting for Aunty Polly to arrive with ice cream and candy

- going to Aunty Peggy’s to have wonderful four course dinners that included incredible appetizers, cheese and crackers, dessert with coffee (like in a “grown 
   up’s” restaurant)

- going down to the kid’s secret den to eat as many candies as I had been able to take from the pantry without it looking as though someone had taken them
   (I’m sure my mother realized!)

- finger-swiping the frosting off a freshly baked “chocolate horror” cake (bliss!)

- sneaking teaspoonful’s of Fry’s chocolate spread (pure paradise!!)

- biting into the crusty heel of a fresh loaf of country bread slathered in real butter

- English cheddar cheese and crunchy pickled onions

So as you can see I was pretty much addicted to food from an early age.  I could describe in detail, and still can, the sensations of different foods hitting the different taste buds in the various areas of my mouth just the way someone can describe the details in a picture.  I think God proved that He really, really loved us when he gave us taste buds.

I discovered “ethnic” restaurants in my mid to upper teens and a whole new world of tastes and flavors opened up to me.  English food is usually so bland and much of it, particularly vegetables, is simply boiled into oblivion and mush.  Indian curry and crisp Chinese vegetables were like heaven, and the awesome blend of herbs in authentic, freshly cooked, Italian cuisine can still send me into a swoon today. I think you get the picture.

Moving to Sardinia, Italy in 1979 was a dream come true for this foodaholic.  The Sardinian cuisine is unique and is as beautiful as the island itself.  Home-made pasta was the norm in a Sardinian home in those days and if you have never eaten fresh home-made pasta you need to before you die.  Roast lamb, kid, and pig are nothing like anything over here.  I have eaten some of the best bar-b-q pork since coming to the States but nothing touches a succulent roast-in-the-ground pig in Sardinia. 

From Sardinia I returned to London in 1978.  It was mainly a “big mistake” but forms part of my life journey so it was important.  During the five years I remained in the UK back then the only time that I ate well was when I cooked Italian pasta or I ate ethnic.  I missed Italy badly, not just the food but the whole culture.  So it was with a happy heart that I returned in 1983 to live in Naples, Italy.

Naples, rather like Sicily, gets a bad rap in some tourist books, but I fell in love with Naples very quickly.  There’s an Italian saying that goes, “see Naples and die”.  There’s a Neapolitan saying that goes, “Napoli ti prende per la gola” – Naples grabs you by the throat.  The people are warm-hearted and friendly and the food, well I’m not sure anything I could say about Neapolitan food would do it justice.  There are amazing pasta dishes with incredible sauces and fresh seafood cooked in the simplest but most divinely-tasting ways. “Dolce” (cakes) are out of this world and the pizza, oh the pizza!!!!!  You have not eaten real pizza until you eat pizza prepared and baked in Naples.  Not even the pizza in other parts of Italy is as sublime as Neapolitan pizza. 

And then there’s REAL mozzarella cheese freshly dripping in its own liquid.  This is an absolute delicacy that is only made in Naples, Italy.  There is only one place over here that I know of where you can find real, fresh Mozzarella cheese and that is at the Fratelli La Buffala restaurant in the beaches area of Miami.  They have it flown in fresh from Naples two or three times per week.  

So, with all this love of marvelously prepared and served food, how do I get to going raw?  With great difficulty let me tell you!  I guess with age comes some sort of wisdom, and my brain began to tell my body that two hundred pounds on a five foot four inch frame was not so healthy.  And, as usually happens with the fat accumulation, my blood pressure had risen and my cholesterol was fast following it.

Thankfully, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.  Back in 2005, about eighteen months after getting to Jacksonville, Florida, my church hosted a series of classes on the vegetarian diet.  I was interested not only because I thought it would help me lose weight, combat the BP and cholesterol issue, and improve my overall wellness, but also because the classes were offered by the Cancer Society as a way to help people prevent cancer or live cancer free once they were in remission.  Because there is a history of cancer in my family I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns.

I’ll leave the “vegetarian experiment” for my next posting in this series.  

Along the same lines:

• Italy: Experienced Through The Senses
• Spiritual Growth: Thoughts On God
• My Italian Roots
• Italy: My Soul Home
• Self Nurturing: GrillSmith Of Tampa, FL

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Since we have been here in Jacksonville, we have hooked up with Bob to go . . . → Read More: My Bonsai Tree–Finally]]> Last weekend Richard and I travelled south to Melbourne, Florida. We had been invited to help celebrate the wedding of an old friend and colleague who we got to know during our time in Naples, Italy.  Bob is also a Harley guy.  In fact he infused Richard with the desire to get his first Harley, and he also made a three day motorcycle trip with Richard from Naples, across Italy to Bari, then on down to the “boot” of Italy and back up to Naples.

Since we have been here in Jacksonville, we have hooked up with Bob to go watch a shuttle launch from Space View Park in Titusville a couple of years ago.  Rich also hooked up with him back in February of this year and they braved the bitter cold of an un-Florida like night to see a night launch actually on the NASA site down at Cape Canaveral.  Unfortunately that launch was postponed and neither of them could make it back for the following night when the launch finally took place.

So it was with great pleasure that we accepted the invitation, along with about forty other people, to join Bob and Angelica in the celebration of their union.  We drove down from Jacksonville on the Friday afternoon.  It was a gorgeous day and I think we said “it would have been a perfect day for a ride on Harley” only about a dozen times!  When we got there we quickly discovered that many of the guests were retired navy and/or Harley folks!

The wedding ceremony, which was held at 6.30pm in the lovely open courtyard of the wedding venue, was short and sweet.  Angelica looked as beautiful as any bride should and our dear friend Bob was obviously very happy and, even though he said he wasn’t, he seemed quite nervous.  Friends were asked to give them advice or share special thoughts with them before the minister, another friend, declared them man and wife.  I told them, “don’t stop dating”.

The rest of the evening was spent socializing and enjoying a lovely dinner.  The DJ was great and spun some good “old music” as well as playing guitar and singing himself. Some of us even managed to get up and boogie a little.  The cake was duly cut and eaten and,shortly afterwards, we headed back to our hotel for the night.

On Saturday morning we got up slow and easy.  After breakfast we packed our bags and headed out to go visit Bob and Angelica in their home.  As we turned onto A1A heading south to Grant, we noticed a Bonsai nursery to one side of the road and made a decision to stop there on the way back.  And so, a couple of hours later we found ourselves in the company of Mr. Feng Gu who proudly showed us his trees and explained the art of Bonsai.  It was absolutely fascinating.

Well after looking at all the different types of trees, Richard said, “so pick one Babe”.  Oh sweet music to my ears.  I have so wanted a Bonsai tree for many years.  But it wasn’t one of those desires that I had ever spoken out loud.  In the bigger scheme of things owning a Bonsai was not a pressing need.  It was simply a secret desire.  Yet here I was, just a choice away.

Some of the trees were quite expensive but Mr. Gu was very patient and kind and showed me a small tree in a beautiful cobalt blue dish. My soul leapt but I was a little hesitant because it was bare; exquisite trunk, branch, and root growth but no leaves.  Mr. Gu explained that he had just recently pinched all the leaves off, which needed to be done twice a year to encourage the tree to produce smaller leaves than normal but in proportion to the size of the tree itself.

My heart was captured and the deal was done.  I had my tree, and while I was waiting for Mr. Gu to run my credit card, I noticed he had two baskets on his desk with miniature clay Japanese figurines.  So I picked out a little wise man reading from an ancient scroll.  He had a long blue robe of cobalt blue which perfectly matched the dish of my newly acquired Bonsai.  So there he stands, among the roots of my tree which, by the way, is already full of minute new green shoots .          

Along the same lines:

• Vignettes: Angie’s Wedding
• Traveling: The Retirement Ride
• Poetry: The Urchin From Naples
• My Italian Roots
• Vignettes: Giulio’s Wedding

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.

Our local streets have filled with more traffic than there has . . . → Read More: Musings: Sliding Into Autumn]]> I am a spring-into-summer person.  I love the awakening of the land; the buds on the trees and bushes, the early daffodils and tulips, the birds and the bees awakening from a winter lethargy, and the sun rising higher in the sky and giving more warmth.  I am not a fan of the arrival of autumn, even though I think autumn itself is a very beautiful season.  I simply don’t like the fact that it heralds the coming winter and the cooler temperatures and the presence of grey days.

Our local streets have filled with more traffic than there has been for the past couple of months.  Yes, school is back in session, the beginning of another scholastic year.  I have no little ones at home any more, so the only way I am aware of the school year is through the wax and wane of traffic volume and the occasional comment from teacher friends as they gear up or gear down for the start or close of the school year.

However, as all the children go back to school and the traffic somehow seems to double on the roads, I get that first hint that summer is over.  I fight the arrival of autumn with everything in me.  I have friends who talk about not wearing, or accessorizing with, white after the first of September.  Why ever not?  The sun is usually still as hot and bright as it was on thirty one August.  So, rebellious as ever, I wear white until it gets grey and rainy or just too cold to seem appropriate anymore.

It seems like the first of September, or at least the Labor Day weekend, heralds the beginning of “we can’t do that any more” season.  Despite the act that we are blessed with extended summer weather here in Florida, people seem to stop doing everything overnight.  No more picnics and bar-b-q’s, no more going to the beach, no more back yard parties, and everyone pulls their boat out of the water.

The two things that Floridians do hang onto, however, are shorts and flip-flops.  Year round, those two articles seem to have become the unofficial state symbol of the State of Florida. Even on a cold and rainy day, which fortunately we get relatively few of, there are those die-hard southern guys and gals who staunchly wear these two items as proudly as if they were the State flag.

But back to autumn.  The Fall season always brings a feeling of melancholy to my heart and soul.  I know that all the seasons are God-given and I appreciate them as such.  Perhaps in the bigger scheme of things the yearly passing of the seasons reminds me of the seasons of my life.  Although I have enjoyed them all, some more than others, I am well aware that I am in my own personal autumn.  This means that winter is just around the corner.

I am well prepared for this, at least as well prepared as any human can be.  Because of the Christian faith values that I hold and adhere to, I do not fear the winter years because I know they will culminate in a new life.  It’s just that I still have a lot of living that I’d like to do and many more things that I want to accomplish.  But, like everyone else on the planet, my time will come when it’s meant to and I have little control over that. 

So in the meantime, I’ll wear white until it’s too cold, I’ll go to the beach as often as possible after Labor Day and, although I don’t own a boat, I’ll imagine floating out on the sea with my hand trailing in warm waters.  I also have my beloved lanai at home and as usual will spend as much time as possible out there doing my writing, reading, or just enjoying the incredible gifts of nature that surround me.       

Along the same lines:

• Musings: The Changing Seasons
• Musings: The Tapestry of Life
• Musings: Commitment Now
• Poetry: The Urchin From Naples
• Musings: A Slow Return to Normal?

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.

We spent three days on the road to get to San Antonio, and three days to get back to Jacksonville, Florida.  That’s a lot of God’s creation visited . . . → Read More: Spiritual & Physical: An Incredible Journey]]> Wow!  I am still overwhelmed.  Two thousand two hundred and fifty three miles completed on the back of the Harley.  That was the sum total of the mileage of our trip to and from San Antonio, Texas.  And Rich added another five hundred and seventy five miles to that as he travelled from San Antonio to Arlington, Texas and back.  He just had to smell the sweat in the new Cowboys stadium:-).

We spent three days on the road to get to San Antonio, and three days to get back to Jacksonville, Florida.  That’s a lot of God’s creation visited and appreciated and a lot of private God-time as we rode.

I am not completely isolated when I ride passenger on the Harley.  Rich and I have interconnecting speakers and mikes so that we can communicate as we travel.  If either of us sees something interesting we are quick to point it out to the other.  And it’s always good to say “I love you” as we ride.

But most of the time is spent individually.  Rich obviously has to focus on the driving part of the experience, which leaves me with a lot of time to communicate with God.  I get to pray for our safety and protection as well as our enjoyment as we travel the highways and byways.  This is always primary before and during any trip that we take whether it be on Harley or in the car.

Next on the list to God are all the people that are under my “prayer candle” at home.  This is a candle that I keep on the Italian granite island in my kitchen.  The candle rests inside a candle jar, and the jar sits inside a metal holder. When people put out requests for prayers for either mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical healing, I put their names on a piece of paper which goes inside the metal container under the candle.

When there are too many names on any one piece of paper, I start a new one on which I always write, “for all those who have gone before and…”  Under this I add the new names.  So once you make it under my prayer candle you’re there to stay!  When I light the candle I do so “with intention” that all those named be lifted up to the Lord while the candle is burning.  And as I go about my day and I see the candle I offer more prayers for everyone.

Once this is done I then turn over my sorrows and heartaches to God and ask that He relieve me of them, that He resolve them for me, if it be His will.  That last phrase is always the hard part of praying to God.  But if I am to practice total trust in the God of my understanding and His plans for me and others, then I must add that phrase, otherwise I am dictating to God what I think He should do!

And then it’s on to world intentions.  Now that could take up a trip to the moon and back!  We, mankind,  have made such a mess of this world and continue to do so today.  Sometimes I get a little despairing when I realize we are still making the same mistakes, doing the same things as we did thousands of years ago, and expecting different results.  I read somewhere that’s a true definition of insanity!!

I spend a lot of time asking God to please change peoples’ hearts, to lead them on the path of love and compassion. I ask him to remove hatred and greed and the quest for power.  I ask Him to take care of the defenseless ones and to bring food to the hungry.  I ask Him to shower humankind with His love, His grace, His light, and His energy.

So as you can see, my Harley time is put to great use.  It’s usually a very intense and focused time for me and the tears flow frequently.  I have accepted this as part of my mission in life and I am very willing to do it.  As I pray for others and their needs, I also benefit because I am deepening my own spiritual life and my relationship with God.  So it’s a real win-win situation for me and the tears are a small price to pay.

I almost forgot.  Some of my Harley prayers are simply words of worship and praise.  I forget who the singer is but the song says something like, “Our God is an awesome God”.  I like to let Him know that I see that and appreciate it.  And let me not forget the gratitude.  My soul is full of gratitude for the many blessings in my life, and so I thank God for all He has done and is about to do.  Amen!!       

Along the same lines:

• Travelling Light: An Extended Harley Ride
• Vignette: Prayers in a Parking Lot
• Sacred Riding: My Harley Prayer Time
• Return To My Spiritual Sanctuary
• San Antonio: The Little Venice Of Texas

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Harley is packed and waiting patiently to rumble out of the garage.  Rich has cleaned her beautiful blue chassis to a sparkling shine.  The side saddles have been packed since yesterday, and once the king-pack is packed with “last bits”, the remaining two bags will be strapped . . . → Read More: Travelling Light: An Extended Harley Ride]]> The butterflies are dancing all over my stomach.  We are about to embark on the most adventurous Harley ride ever.  Today we leave Jacksonville , Florida and head to San Antonio, Texas.  That’s almost eleven hundred miles one way!!.  My biggest wish:  that God protect us and give us safe and joyous riding.

Harley is packed and waiting patiently to rumble out of the garage.  Rich has cleaned her beautiful blue chassis to a sparkling shine.  The side saddles have been packed since yesterday, and once the king-pack is packed with “last bits”, the remaining two bags will be strapped on top and we will be ready to roll.

It’s amazing how much stuff you can get on a motorcycle if you plan carefully.  I cannot believe that we will be gone for ten days and I have packed so little!  The only real “rule” I created for myself was, only one pair of jeans for the three-day ride: they can be washed and readied for the return ride home too. Oh, and I also made myself not pack deodorant.  We can share for this trip:-).

We are keeping a careful watch on Alex as he blows across the Gulf towards Mexico.  Rich has been calculating times and distances and although we may run into some outer band rain showers, we should be arrived at destination before anything too strong might hit.  We have good rain gear and so are well prepared for riding in the wet.  If things should change drastically then I guess we will have to “hole up and hunker down” while we evaluate and readjust.

I am looking forward to seeing some new country and more of God’s great creation along the way.  We have been as far as New Orleans going west from here but this is much further west.  Our first stop is projected to be Pensacola by this evening.  Tuesday we plan on heading for Lake Charles in Louisiana and then Wednesday will see us arriving in San Antonio.

I also need some personal down time, and there’s nothing like riding the back of the Harley for that.  I know I will be spending much time in prayer and there will probably be tears too.  But that’s OK because my “Buddy” will be with me upholding me and getting me through.  Harley time is great for some private personal self nurturing.

Why the tears, you ask?  Because of sadness surrounding my daughter, and more sadness surrounding my eldest son.  Then throw a deep sadness in there for the shaken relationship with my sister and voila, the makings of a good country and western song!!  Hopefully there will be much joy along the ride and even greater joy at our destination to balance out any sadness I may be carrying in the depths of my heart.

So I may be “off the grid” again for a few days.  Richard will be taking his trusty Netbook with him so I will have ability to write if the urge comes.  I will just have to see how my availability happens around the events that are planned for San Antonio.  Safe travels to one and all and have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Along the same lines:

• Sacred Riding: My Harley Prayer Time
• Vignette: Prayers in a Parking Lot
• Spiritual & Physical: An Incredible Journey
• Vignette: Lunch At Arby’s
• Musings: The Muse Is Back

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The first couple of days are usually the worst for me.  My body clock is so off kilter that I’m never sure when I’m going to sleep and when I’m going to be awake.  But this time was different and I thought perhaps I . . . → Read More: Musings: Re-Entry]]> I’m recently back from an unexpected trip to the UK to visit family.  It has taken me almost a week to feel truly over my jet-lag.  I guess this is about normal because it is said that it takes one day for each hour of time differential, and there’s five hours between here and the UK.

The first couple of days are usually the worst for me.  My body clock is so off kilter that I’m never sure when I’m going to sleep and when I’m going to be awake.  But this time was different and I thought perhaps I was going to get back on track quickly – but it didn’t happen. 

I didn’t sleep at all on the return flight which was almost nine hours long.  This would have been understandable because it was a “day flight”, leaving London at about 9am.  However, I had only slept for three hours the previous night, the three days prior to departure were extremely emotional, and I was still recovering from jet-lag from the flight over there!!  I felt sure I would sleep.

I got into Atlanta, GA at about 1.35pm local time (already 6.35pm by my body clock!).  I was very pleasantly surprised at the ease and speed of the immigration (I’m a green card holder), baggage claim, customs, and re-check in process for my final flight home to Jacksonville, Florida.  We had plugged in a good five and a half hour layover for me here to allow for any hold-ups, but I was already cleared and through by 2.30pm.

Because we had only had brunch and a snack on the flight from London, and I knew there would be nothing served on the one-hour flight to Jax, I decided to get a decent meal before heading to my gate.  If ever you are passing through Atlanta airport and you’re near Concourse B needing a meal, check out the Intermezzo Cafe.  Great menu choices, excellent food and presentation, terrific service from super-friendly staff. 

Once my tummy was happy I headed over to my departure gate.  There were plenty of empty chairs and not too many people.  I made myself comfortable took out my book and settled in.  An hour later I could feel the waves of sleep wash over me but there was no way I could sleep in an airport chair without ruining my back or my neck – or both!  So I figured I’d take a walk around, get some water, and clear my head a little.

It was coming up on 5pm when I settled back into the gate area and I thought I’d make it through to the 6.30pm boarding and 7pm departure. (Keep in mind that’s midnight by my body clock; I’d been up and on the go since 2.30am!!)  But fate was not working well with me.  A delay announcement was made for the flight pushing it back to 8.49pm.

I was about to get frustrated when I suddenly remembered seeing a sign for “Minute Suites” at the entrance to Concourse B.  I decided to go and check out what that meant. This is another recommendation coming: if you’re passing through Atlanta airport and you have a long layover and want some quiet rest time or just some privacy to do some computer work or watch TV, go and check into “Minute Suites”. 

It costs thirty dollars for an hour then you can add on in increments of fifteen minutes.  You get a small private room with a comfortable pull-out couch with blanket and pillow.  There’s a TV, a work station, an alarm clock, and a white noise machine.  The light is on a dimmer and you can control the room temperature.  It is an absolute God-given gift for the weary traveler.  I managed to get a wonderful 50-minute cat-nap and I was good to go.

We finally got off the ground at 9.30pm and landed in Jax about an hour later.  By the time I got through baggage reclaim, made the shuttle, and got into my car it was 11.15pm.  Thank the Lord attendant at USA Park, which is the parking lot we regularly use at the Jax airport, hands out small bottles of water as you leave the lot.  I was running on fumes by now (4.15am of the next day on my body clock!!) and, with all the windows open, headed home.

I walked in my front door shortly after midnight.  My beloved husband had a plate of fresh fruit ready for me and he put on the kettle and made me a nice cup of herbal tea.  I fell into bed about forty five minutes later and thankfully slept until morning.  But it has taken my body until now, making small adjustments and taking the occasional nap during the day, to truly get back on track.

Along the same lines:

• Musings: Life And Lemons
• Dolphins: Panama City Beach
• Self Nurturing: The Desert Experience
• Musings: Friendship
• Dolphins: Marineland, Florida

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.

So much has happened in my life in the last couple of months. Oh nothing monumental or earth-shattering – just life.  But it has been so much more than the various bouts of sickness that I have had to contend with.  Towards the end . . . → Read More: Musings: Unblocking Again]]> I have been in a “dry spell” again:-(.  And yet I have so much I want to write about.  So many things running around my head.  But it all seems stuck inside and I haven’t been able to release it.  It is so frustrating. So let me start somewhere and see if I can unblock something.

So much has happened in my life in the last couple of months. Oh nothing monumental or earth-shattering – just life.  But it has been so much more than the various bouts of sickness that I have had to contend with.  Towards the end of February we had an amazing Lenten Mission at our church.  A man fired with the Holy Spirit, Fr. Jim Curtin from Wisconsin, came and woke up a new spirit in our parish.  I will eventually write a full posting about that.

One morning in March (fortunately in one of my healthy periods!!), my husband suddenly experienced chest pains and was hospitalized.  I discovered through that experience that I have a weird way of dealing with unexpected shocking news when it involves my loved ones.  That’s another posting too.

Easter and the celebration of the risen Lord came around again.  With each year I become more and more aware of the passing of the seasons and the special church and State feast days and festivals.  And each one seems to come around faster and faster.  I am sure that this has something to do with what happens internally to us as we get older.  Food for another posting.

At the end of March we had the joy of a fleeting visit from my eldest son Marco.  He was flown from Naples, Italy to DC for a conference.  That was a chance not to pass up and so he came a couple of days early and we flew him down to Florida so we could snatch some time with him.  It was a happy time, yet tinged with sadness:  his ten year relationship with the love of his life is seemingly at an end.  The culprit? Words – those said in anger and those left unsaid.  I know in my heart that I can write something about that.

And then came my birthday.  Thank God by then I was done with being sick and I was able to celebrate with joy.  Dinner with friends one day.  Lunch with “the girls” another day.  Cards and telephone calls from family across the sea as well as those close by.  And wonderful gifts that showed just how much people cared.  Beautiful flowers from my husband.

Celebration followed celebration as Mother’s Day came just a week after my birthday.  What a day of bitter-sweet emotions.  Mother’s Day this year occurred on the fourteenth anniversary of the passing of my own mother.  I miss her so much.  I still have times when I want to telephone her to share a special moment.  I often think how she would have enjoyed a visit to my home here in America.

Again I received calls from my sons overseas.  My husband showered me with more flowers and a lovely card.  And of course my “baby”, my beautiful daughter Melissa, also telephoned.  I was out in the garden and had just seen three butterflies in quick succession.  They are my special connection to my mother but almost always cause the tears to flow. 

I shared my memory of my mother with Melissa and we both cried some together.  Between the tears she said, “I wish I could spend the day with you Mum”. But we both know that while she makes the choices that she makes today, that cannot be possible.  And my heart is broken all over again.  Sometimes being a mother just plains sucks!!

In the last few days I have realized that much of this being blocked, of my inability to write, is connected to this particular heartbreak.  I have to put so much energy into staying upbeat, into not walking around looking miserable, that I have no energy left for play dates with my internal Muse.  By the end of the day it leaves me totally exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

So now I have to figure out a way to break through this situation so that I can reclaim my inspiration, my time with the Muse.  Perhaps I have taken a small step in this direction this week.  I have found a support group that may help me to walk through the difficulty in my relationship with my daughter.  Then I hope to free myself and my energy and move back into daily regular writing.     

Along the same lines:

• Musings: Parenthood; Life; Death; Faith
• Vignette: Mother-Son Love
• Vignette: Another Concert Story
• My Italian Roots
• Musings: Dealing With My Frustration

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©2012 Life Coach: Spirit, Body and Mind. All Rights Reserved.