I am always so amazed when I walk by my husband when he is working at his computer. I really should say “computers” – plural, because, . . . → Read More: Musings: Further Along The Road]]> Once again I have been on a writing hiatus.  It has led me to realize that I am unable to multi-task on many levels.  I have always understood “multi-tasking” to mean the ability to do more than one specific task at a time.  I am sure I have already mentioned in previous postings that this is very difficult for me to do. My brain and my body just don’t function well in multi-tasking mode.

I am always so amazed when I walk by my husband when he is working at his computer. I really should say “computers” – plural, because, although he has one computer (on his main desk – I’ll explain in a minute!), he has two screens and sometimes he is multi-tasking between the two and sometimes he is also multi-tasking on each screen.  My brain just cannot hold that!  It’s way too mind-boggling for me.

Apart from his main desk, he also has a secondary desk which holds another computer and recording equipment which he uses to create his “podcasts”.  When he is all set up to record in that space, it looks rather like an old-fashioned radio show.  He wears headphones and has a microphone in front of him and I almost expect him to break out into acapella singing.  Since he has been indulging in this activity, which is all linked to his web page work, (www.windowsobserver.com), I sometimes think of the computer room/office as a recording studio too.

The lessons I have learned about myself in the last couple of months are myriad.  I have lost three friends in that time frame.  Two were “expected”.  Is death ever expected?  The two people, although unconnected in any other way, had actually been struggling with the same lung disease over several years.  The third friend’s death came out of left field and left me, and many other common friends as well as his wife, completely mind- and heart-slammed. The first friend, died on 26th October 2011, the second friend died about mid-November, and the third friend died 16 December.

In other words, just as I was absorbing the news of one death the second occurred, and so it was for the third.  In the meantime, as death was occurring, life was going on.  Normal everyday events, commitments, and activities continued on despite what was going on in heart and mind.  Meetings were attended, friends were attended to, school and its accompanying homework had to be dealt with, volunteer commitments were kept, I participated in a retreat, Thanksgiving came and went as did Christmas, and on and off, in the back of my mind, was the little nagging voice that said “I need to write”.

As I look back, I realize that I was actually multi-tasking in general across the board of all these events.  Just to be able to deal with everyday life as well as grieve, and support others who were grieving, was a huge multi-tasking effort of its own, and I am so grateful for my relationship with God and my strong support network of spiritual friends who help me to get through tough times such as these and still stay sane. 

But to hold all this together and allow the Muse of creativity to come forward is, for me, an impossible task.  I have to put great energy into honoring and dealing with difficult situations and emotions such as death and grief, and there is little energy left for anything else.  And I need to honor myself and where I’m at in all of that and allow the various processes to sweep through me.  It is all important to my personal and spiritual growth.

So now, as I sit here and look out my window (no working on the lanai today, we had a near-freeze last night!), I feel some of the tension surrounding these recent events slipping away.  Even though it is too cold to sit outside right now, the sun is shining brilliantly, the sky is that crisp, clean, light cerulean blue that only winter can bring forth, and I am breathing deeply and easily as I notice the hawks circling above the pine trees, the other birds swooping across and into the garden, and the squirrels frolicking on the backyard fence.  Muse is creeping slowly back into my heart, honoring and respecting where I have been and gently inviting my fingers to once again play across the keyboard and put the words on the screen.

Along the same lines:

• Musings: A Day Off – Sort Of!
• Shared Wisdom: A Found Treasure
• Journaling: A Way To Heal
• Musings: Life As Water
• Musings: Unblocking Again

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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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It’s a pretty standard time share condo: a lounge/dining area with a small compact half kitchen, a decent size bathroom with a shower in the tub which has some whirlpool jets, and a bedroom with a nice comfortable king-size bed and the prerequisite double closet and chest of drawers.  There . . . → Read More: Musings: Gratitude]]> Today is Thanksgiving Day.  Richard and I are on our traditional Thanksgiving week vacation.  We own a small time share in Orlando and it has become our custom to take the Thanksgiving week and enjoy a break away from all the chaos that leads up to the Holiday Season. 

It’s a pretty standard time share condo: a lounge/dining area with a small compact half kitchen, a decent size bathroom with a shower in the tub which has some whirlpool jets, and a bedroom with a nice comfortable king-size bed and the prerequisite double closet and chest of drawers.  There are two TV’s and a boom box and all the necessary accoutrements for cooking, cleaning, and ironing.  The furnishings are nice with small touches of tasteful décor, but nothing extravagant.

However, there is one item of pure luxury as far as I am concerned.  We have a large screened-in balcony that accommodates a table and four chairs and there’s still plenty of room to move around.  This is my “lanai away from home”  and where I spend the vast majority of whatever time we do not spend running out and about.  Over the past few days I have sat out here and written about one hundred and forty Christmas cards, remembering friends far and near as I always do at this time of the year.

This is where I come first thing in the morning to have my quiet time with God and do my reflection readings and pray and meditate.  This is my small sanctuary where I find safe haven where I can reaffirm or reclaim my inner peace and gratitude for all my blessings. I also bring my laptop out here to do my writing, as I am doing at this very moment.  I feel like this is a special gift from God to me.

As I sit here on the lanai I look out over a small artificial lake with a fountain set in the middle.  The lake is surrounded by other condo buildings but they are spaced out enough that we are not crowded.  There is lush green grass everywhere dotted with flowering trees and shrubs, and pathways offer the opportunity to walk or jog everywhere.

Today is a glorious sparkling blue day – a Princess Di kind of day.  The sun is shining brilliantly and shimmers on the water in the lake.  There are a few white clouds softly smeared across the sky and the temperature is warm and inviting.  I’m thinking about going for a walk and a swim.  There is a balmy breeze blowing and the palm fronds wave lazily as it moves through.  The smaller leaves on other trees are fluttering like myriads of green butterflies and everything seems to be in gentle motion. Along the banks of the lake a small blue heron is gracefully and stealthily stalking a prey that only he can see.

I sit here and feel the sun warming me to the very depths of my bones and I am so very grateful for all of this, that is so much more than my basic needs.  I am grateful for food on my table and a roof over my head.  I am grateful for fresh-smelling soap to wash myself with.  I am grateful for a closetful of clothes (mainly purple!!) that I can chose from.  I am grateful for a loving, kind, patient husband (he needs to be patient with this purple creature he has married!). 

I am grateful for the whole of my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Yes, there are some bad and ugly parts to my life and yes, I am grateful for them too.  They serve as humble reminders that I still have more work to do to improve.  I am grateful that today I can recognize, admit and accept that I am not perfect and that there is room for growth.  Amen!!!    

Along the same lines:

• Musings: Further Along The Road
• Vignette: Paula in Minnesota
• Musings: The Evasive Muse
• Musings: Endings And Beginnings
• Self Nurturing: God’s Great Outdoors

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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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When I got off the phone, I took my planner and went and sat in the lanai and just . . . → Read More: Musings: Rest And Pause]]> The other day a friend called asking if we could get together.  I opened my planner and started checking for my next available free time slot.  As I shuffled through the pages I began to feel a hint of panic rising in my chest.  I had nothing available until after Thanksgiving – at least a week after Thanksgiving!!  Feeling guilty, I took a few deep breathes and managed to squeeze a small space of time for a cup of coffee together.

When I got off the phone, I took my planner and went and sat in the lanai and just breathed in God’s air for a few minutes.  There is nothing calms me down quicker than sitting out there, surrounded by God’s creation, and just breathing.  Then I slowly checked through my planner.  Yes, it was very full but I could see that some chunks of time were carved-out-for-me (and husband Rich) time, and I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed and enjoyed the outdoors for a few more minutes before I went on with my day.

I think the panic had come because somewhere inside of me there was this little voice saying, “so you still haven’t learned the Time Lesson yet?”.  This has been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn on my life journey, to rest and pause and give myself some dedicated time to relax and restore.  My life has been so much about doing for others and being busy and productive.  I was a do-er, not a be-er. I was always taught not to waste time, and some of those lessons die hard, even when they no longer serve me.

This all got me thinking about how even more busy life seems to get around this Holiday Season, and I think that’s what caused the panic.  I thought I had fallen into the old trap of getting ridiculously over-busy just because it was the Holiday season.  However, a whole week of time is a mini vacation for me and Richard.  Right now I’m also enjoying a sort of two-day vacation in Orlando as Richard is involved in a conference and I’m “along for the ride”.  And on the way home from here on Friday he will drop me off in Sanford for my Audire program instructional weekend.

I have time slots marked down for Christmas card making, and other spaces for doing my Audire homework.  I have some para-professional appointments with people and a doctor’s appointment too.  Scattered in and among these appointments are my Pilates classes and a massage appointment; I have most definitely learned to take care of me even in the midst of busyness.  There’s a concert with a friend and a Christmas party, even if it is an “official function” connected to Richard’s job.

I know I have written several postings about resting and pausing, sharing some of the reflections from the books I read each morning.  Just a couple of weeks ago in the October Daily Word, I read:

When I am out of alignment, my body feels out of sorts, my mind races with thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow.  I feel unsettled.

At such times, I have not lost my connection to Spirit, I’ve just become distracted.  In conscious awareness, I pause, say a prayer and step away for a few moments in the silence.  I immediately begin to feel the Spirit flowing within and through me.

I don’t think we can have enough reminders to “be still and know that I am God”.  Fortunately I have a good husband, friends, and many tools that I use to remind me constantly of the need to give myself time, to just simply be.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are times to be enjoyed, times to relax, times to give some thought as to why we are here in the bigger scheme of things.  Frenetic shopping and filling our calendars with too many activities are not conducive to our inner peace or the harmony of our souls.  I encourage everyone to make a commitment to plan some personal quiet spaces in the busyness of the upcoming Holiday Season.

Along the same lines:

• Musings: Gratitude
• Musings: Time – Flying Or Not?
• Musing: The Muse Has Been Gone – Again!
• Musings: Life As Water
• Musings: A Christmas Story

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The joy of sitting in . . . → Read More: Return To My Spiritual Sanctuary]]> Much as I loved and enjoyed my trip to San Antonio, I am so grateful to be back in the spiritual sanctuary that is my garden.  I try very hard to keep my small personal routine on schedule when I travel but it is never quite the same.  Perhaps if I had lots of money and could stay in the kind of places where I could be guaranteed a quiet terrace, garden, or patio where I would not be disturbed by anyone or anything except God’s incredible creation, then it might be a little different.

The joy of sitting in my lanai fairly early in the morning, surrounded by hummingbirds, butterflies, cardinals, titmice, and mourning doves, as well as the flowers that bloom in my garden and the pine woods out back, is indescribable.  The quiet and the beauty restore my soul and fill my heart with happiness.

In my solitude here each morning there is a peacefulness that fills my whole being, a tranquility that I am blessed with, that allows me the perfect start to each day.  My meditation books are there within easy reach and I am called to a place of quiet communion with my Creator that sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Here I can bare my soul to the One who loves me always, no matter what.  Here I can tell Him my concerns, share my joys with Him, and make any specific requests that I may have.  I read recently that, “Faith functions in connection with prayer and persistence.  Persistence cultivates the belief that prayer will be answered.  A person with a persistent spirit will be blessed.” (The Power of Prayer by E.M. Bounds) 

And so I continue in my prayers for special causes that I have, for the many people who have asked me to pray for them, and for all those who have no one to pray for them.  And in my praying I am drawn closer to my God.  In my praying I go deeper on my spiritual path.  And in my praying for others I am released of the bondage of self-importance and of self-centeredness.

I am immensely grateful for my sanctuary.  For my special place where I can retreat from the chaos of the outside world.  For the quiet that offers me the time to recharge and regenerate to face whatever challenges the day may bring.  For the time each day that I am blessed with to nurture my soul. Amen!!    

Along the same lines:

• Prayer: A Tool Of Spirituality
• Spiritual Growth: Friendship & Prayer
• Spirituality: More about Prayer
• Musings: The Power Of Words
• Spiritual Growth: My Quiet Time

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I have worked hard to make this creation but it is work that I enjoy and find to be very therapeutic.  Gardening is good physical exercise and therefore is a great workout for my body.  It is also wonderful spiritual exercise because I usually combine plenty of prayer work . . . → Read More: The Garden: Hummingbird Haven]]> I created my garden to be a place of joy and happiness.  Somewhere that I could retreat to and rest.  A sanctuary away from the chaos that is the world outside.  I created it to be full of God’s natural beauty with flowers and plants and small items of garden art.

I have worked hard to make this creation but it is work that I enjoy and find to be very therapeutic.  Gardening is good physical exercise and therefore is a great workout for my body.  It is also wonderful spiritual exercise because I usually combine plenty of prayer work as I dig, plant, prune, and weed.  So the garden offers me the chance to nurture myself on the physical as well as the spiritual level.

For me there is nothing like being close to God’s creation to fill the heart with happiness and the soul with joy.  Watching green shoots emerge from seeds sown several weeks earlier is like having access to my own personal miracle show!  And when the plants grow and flowers bloom, filling the garden with perfume and color, I experience a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment like no other.

However, what I did not plan or expect was the incredible daily show that the hummingbirds put on for us.  In past years I have certainly been aware of the presence of hummingbirds in my garden.  But this year has been an amazing experience.  It is almost as though they have made my backyard their official playground.

I have a wonderful plant, which I know as Orange Trumpet Vine, that grows along much of the border fence in the back yard.  It also grows up and around the mailbox out front, and climbs up one of the columns on the front porch, trailing over towards the other column about six yards away. 

When I made the major renovation to the garden this spring, I “transplanted” the trellis archway from the back yard and made it the focal point of the newly enlarged front flower bed.  With the help of my friend Linda I managed to transplant the original Orange Trumpet Vine (I grew it from seeds from the island of Ischia in Italy) that grew all over the archway.  Thankfully it tolerated the move well and is now healthily flourishing in its place of pride out front.

The hummingbirds love the nectar in the glorious globes of trumpet blooms that hang richly from the Vine, and so I have always seen them in the summer gorging on their sweet treat.  But I also put a new hummingbird feeder out back and would see them from time to time there.  I moved this feeder a couple of weeks ago and had my husband hang it on the back wall of the house fairly near the window near my desk computer.

I noticed immediately that there was great activity at the feeder on a very frequent basis during the course of the day.  Richard and I also realized that the birds seemed totally unfazed by us being on the other side of the glass and he was able to get some great video and photos of them.

Then it occurred to us that we were hidden from them because Richard had applied a mylar screen to the windows to cut down on heat in our office.  So we began to spend quite a bit of time at the window watching these amazing creatures really “up-close-and-personal”.  They are nothing less than miracles.

Over the last few days we have keenly observed them.  Several times we have noted there were about seven or eight of them zooming in and out of the garden,  up into the trees of the pine wood behind our house, then swooping down to “dive-bomb” each other off the feeder.  This evening in particular we watched them as we ate dinner in the lanai and noticed some very interesting behavior.

One hummingbird would zoom down, seeming to go the feeder.  But she would pull up short and just hover there as though suspended from an invisible thread – a minute angel-like figure with wings spread, beating furiously.  Then a second bird would swoop in and hover about a yard above the first.  And they would both just hang there, in space before suddenly zooming off up into the trees.

A little later another couple came buzzing across the yard like two F-16’s on a training flight.  They twisted and turned, mirroring each others movements until suddenly one turned to face the other in mid-flight and they seemed to do a short dance in mid-air.  I am not sure if all this activity is part of mating behavior or if they are just being naturally playful.

Whatever the reason, Richard and I are thoroughly entertained.  These delightful creatures are truly amazing to watch.  This evening among the many we were treated to the company of a handsome male.  As he moved around his ruby-red throat coloring was quite spectacular.  I am very happy that my garden has become Hummingbird Haven.

Check out these HD videos of the hummingbirds feeding.

Along the same lines:

• Self Nurturing: The Garden – Remodeled!
• My Garden: God’s Creation
• The Garden: An Inspiration
• Vignettes: My Kingdom
• Self Nurturing: God’s Great Outdoors

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

I am so tired of being sick this Spring.  It seems as though I have been dealing with unhealthy demons since about 20 February.  First my really bad upper respiratory deal that knocked me out for two to three weeks.  Then, after just one week of feeling good I was plagued by a bad cold/allergies (I never did decide which it was).  That dragged on for more than three weeks before I was hit by the gastric flu bug.  I am so ready to be done with all this and be truly healthy for the rest of this year!!

This year I decided to shake things up a little in my garden.  The St. Francis flower bed, so named because his statue oversees this part of the garden, had developed a deep-rooted weed system which was hard to control.  . . . → Read More: Self Nurturing: The Garden – Remodeled!]]> Finally the sun has deigned to grace us with his presence, his light, and his warmth down here in (normally!) sunny Florida.  The biting cold, the frosts, and miserable grey are hopefully a thing of the past.  And not a day too late; my garden Muse was absolutely itching to get to work because I had major projects to accomplish!

This year I decided to shake things up a little in my garden.  The St. Francis flower bed, so named because his statue oversees this part of the garden, had developed a deep-rooted weed system which was hard to control.  So I decided to dig deep, dig out as much as possible of the offending growth, and put in a fairly large (10’ x 6’) paved patio center-front of the bed to eliminate some of the back-breaking work of weeding. I have dressed up the patio with pots and urns of various sizes and colours which are planted up with bulbs, seeds and some partially developed plants. 

The Quan Yin flower bed, obviously named because her statue reigns supreme here, is much the same as before.  However I have decided to fill it with even more flowers this year.  There are also hundreds of seeds lying just below the surface of the soil which hopefully will germinate and bloom as the year goes by.  I also plan to add to the collection of brightly coloured chimes and wind twisters that hang from the wrought iron framework of the old gazebo that I moved to this bed when the lanai was built last year. 

The front yard has undergone the biggest transformation: the side two of the three small flowerbeds have been eliminated and returned to sod, while the central flowerbed has been enlarged to four times its original size.  I have walled it in with rustic stonework, elevating the back part to a higher terraced level.  The front area has been filled to overflowing with brightly coloured spring flowers and hundreds of seeds are also germinating here for later in the season. 

However, the central attraction of this new terraced bed is the weather-worn, trellis arch that originally sat just outside the screened-in back porch room.  This arch, which was deeply rooted into the ground on each side with six years of steadily growing orange trumpet vine, was dug up and relocated to the center of the raised terrace part of the new bed out front.  A couple of extra trellis panels have been added on each side of the arch to accommodate the copious trailing branches that grow from the vines, and I have planted several rose bushes in this elevated section too.

All of this was done with much help from my assistant gardener, Linda – a very dear friend without whose help I could not have achieved this major overhaul!!  This morning, after many anxious days of waiting and watching, new green growth showed on the winter-hibernating vine that wraps itself intricately around the arch:-).

As I sit in the lanai writing, my heart is full of joy and my soul sings in gratitude as I survey the end result of much hard work.   It continues to be a work in progress and God’s creation will become even more beautiful as seeds develop into plants and then bloom out in a riot of colour.  And this joy and gratitude are magnified because I know that passers-by can feast their eyes and experience their own heart joy.

My happiness is complete as I watch the birds swarming at the feeders. Squirrels are scurrying in the grass and chasing each other up and over the back fence.  Lizards and frogs are awakening from their winter lethargy and today I have seen at least a dozen butterflies. 

Richard has taken some lovely photos of the garden today, some of them early this morning in the subdued sunrise light, and some of them around lunch time.  Enjoy!!

You can see all 45 photos at the Spring Garden Update Photo Album.

Along the same lines:

• The Garden: An Inspiration
• The Garden: Hummingbird Haven
• Gardening: Spiritual & Physical Therapy
• Fantasy: The Dandelion Fairy
• Musings: Back Again!

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

As I have been sitting here, stopping from time time to just breath in deeply, I have been checking the news on my info page.  I guess the biggest item that has rocked . . . → Read More: Musings: The Discomfort of Personal Growth]]> I actually started writing the following three paragraphs in the middle of the last posting that I wrote.  However, I quickly realized that they did not belong there so, rather than delete them, I saved them as a draft.  I figured that if the words had manifest themselves on the page they were important to come back to.  Here are the three paragraphs as I wrote them.

As I have been sitting here, stopping from time time to just breath in deeply, I have been checking the news on my info page.  I guess the biggest item that has rocked the world in different ways is still the news coming out of Haiti.  I have followed this story, as I’m sure many millions of other people have, and have come to realize how difficult it is to take in the reality of such a situation.

No matter how many photos they print, and there have been hundreds, even though they depict the grim reality of the circumstances it is hard to make it a reality in my own life.  Story after story carries an underlying sadness, pain, and desperation.  It is heartbreaking to think of the level of suffering and helplessness that overwhelms the surviving Haitian population in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Yet even as I understand the meaning behind the words in these stories, and even as I can see clearly what is depicted in all the photos, there is a part of me that is unable to truly comprehend the magnitude of this tragedy.  I went through something similar after the tsunami out in Thailand and Indonesia at Christmas a couple of years ago.

So now I will try to pick up the thread of my thought process a week after writing this.  As I said, at the time I was sitting outside in my lanai on the first really warm day after much freezing cold weather had not allowed me to take my lap-top outside and work.  I have just reread the three paragraphs and remember now sitting out there in the warmth and sunshine, catching up on world-wide news and feeling so strangely detached from the horrors taking place in Haiti.

I am not sure why this is so.  I try to practice compassion in a very real way on a daily basis.  I am a Christian person who “loves his neighbor”.  I am also an intelligent person, so it’s not that I don’t have the brains or the smarts to grasp what is going on over there in Haiti.  Neither am I afflicted by learning disabilities that slow my thought processes or skew them somehow.

I have read on numerous occasions that we, the human race, have been so saturated with violence in today’s world that events such as those taking place in Haiti don’t reach down into our hearts, our guts, or they only get halfway there.  Modern media thinks nothing of throwing blood, gore, and downright evil at us in the name of “action movies” and the like, and as a result we become inured to the real life stuff. 

As I said above, I see the pictures, I read the stories, the facts, but I have a hard time bringing it all into my own perception of reality. I’m not sure where I want to go with all this, or if I need to go anywhere in particular.  Of one thing I am sure,  the words presented themselves on the page out of my mind so they must have some specific significance.

I know that I do not feel very happy or comfortable about this posting.  It has come out in fits and starts, between one interruption and another.  Half way through I found myself thinking, “maybe I should just delete it and start a totally new posting”.  But there is a part of me that knows the words need to stay on the page.

Perhaps the discomfort that I am feeling is because this article makes me look at a part of me that is not so nice.  That part that wants  me to just stay in my comfort zone and get on with my ordinary life.  After all, don’t I deal with enough of my own pain without taking on the pain of others?  But I know that I cannot do that.  If I do, I will experience even more discomfort.

So the words stay, the article stands as is, and I battle on through the stuff that maybe I would prefer to ignore.  I ask God to help me find the growth that this is leading me to.  Hopefully there will be a quantum leap in my spiritual growth, in my prayer practice.  Maybe a little more honesty, another small slice of humility, and just a smidgen more courage to keep me on track.  

Along the same lines:

• Shared Wisdom: Kahlil Gibran
• Self Nurturing: Reading and Writing
• Shared Wisdom: A Rush of Words–Part 2
• Traveling: Las Vegas & Sedona
• The Garden: An Inspiration

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

That done, I prepared my breakfast and brought it out here.  Because it is Sunday my husband is home with me, and he . . . → Read More: Self Nurturing: God’s Great Outdoors]]> Finally I get to sit outside in my lanai with my laptop and my Muse.  The temperature out here today at almost 1.30pm registers seventy seven degrees Fahrenheit.  It was already seventy one degrees at about 11am this morning:-).  I was able to enjoy sitting out here in the warmth, with the birds singing and eating greedily from the feeders in the yard, the breeze sighing gently through the pine trees, and truly appreciate my quiet time.

That done, I prepared my breakfast and brought it out here.  Because it is Sunday my husband is home with me, and he too made some breakfast and came out to join me in the lanai.  It is such a simple thing, a husband and a wife sitting and quietly enjoying breakfast together in the open air, but it brings me much joy.  

I am happy!!  There is nothing I enjoy more than to be out in God’s creation, breathing in the fresh air and watching His creatures in their natural habitat.  My head seems much clearer.  Not sure what it is with artificially controlled air, whether it be winter heating or summer air conditioning, but I do not feel right in my head when I am forced to breath in that kind of air on a regular basis.

The sun has been shining on and off all morning.  But even now, with gray clouds obscuring the sun, the underlying feeling is one of natural warmth and life.  I can even smell the warmth in the air.  Real oxygen energizes me in a way that nothing else does and the warmth makes my body feel alive, open, and at the same time, comforted.  I could just sit outside and experience this all day, every day, and feel totally content.  I guess I am a very simple person at heart.

Yesterday I added a new bird feeder to the garden.  This morning it was swarming with birds.  A short while ago my husband put up another hook and we added yet one more feeder.  The little guys have yet to discover it, but I’m sure it won’t take them long. And as I watch them, a black butterfly with bright markings flutters outside the lanai screening as though trying to enter: good morning Mamma:-)

And in the meantime, Mokka cat is also enjoying the gift of this wonderful day.  She is lounging luxuriously on top of the storage chest here in the lanai, basking in the sun’s warmth.  Her tail is swishing slowly from side to side as she watches the bird activity outside the lanai.  From time to time her nose or an ear twitches, and I am wondering what is going on in her cat brain.

There is nothing exotic or grandiose about all this, and that is the true beauty contained therein.  I do not need riches or an extravagant lifestyle nor do I need to be surrounded by material wealth in order to feel rich.  I just need a day like today and the undeniable gift of being able to enjoy it.  

Along the same lines:

• My Garden: God’s Creation
• God’s Creation: Minnesota
• The Garden: Hummingbird Haven
• Musings: Open And Closed
• Musings: A Day Off – Sort Of!

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