Hello September

You feel different than usual to me... punctual yet gentle, alluring and yet wise. I've seen you creeping around most mornings of late, and I know you keep some dark secret locked within... as if you've gone to battle and returned, a silent, humble keeper of the freedom we reap.

You don't want to talk about it, I know - how everything is different now and most don't see. You're not here to forewarn or forebode... this is where you belong. But in the peaceful morning light I see you in the shadows, growing like a shy adolescent boy.

You're not revealing yourself fully, but you are here nonetheless. And good news or bad, I for one can't wait to hear the stories of where you've been and what you've seen. You remind me what it's like to be young and ever so excited to grow older.

Nature-Scapes for Sale

Hop Kiln Winery
Healdsburg, CA

Small Town Woodland

Morning

It is that time of day when the morning light outside my house glows equally as much as the inside, and for a few fleeting moments, everything is one.

Balance, Patience & Peace of Mind

Listening to the chimes and wind blow, watching the light, white and gray-layered clouds roll swiftly by; the honeysuckle bush in bloom, leaves reaching up and for the sky, tiny white flowers reaching out vertically, and bees dancing about.

The kitty that is my daily companion lays on her side near me, half in the sun, her own shadow cast behind her, large and still. She stretches as I watch her and rests her head upon a paw, tail tapping slow and gentle.

There is always time for this - this observing the world around me. Sometimes it is enough to stop and notice. Other times, I weave from out to in, connecting with, observing what is within the ocean inside. Today, it's a bit of a jungle in there, and I find simple solace in the bees on the flowers on the branches reaching for the sky holding the clouds softening the sun being mindful not to shine too brightly in one spot.

Even the cat remains - half in, half out.

[Photo: The Sea Ranch, CA]

Why We Laugh and Cry at the Same Time

Just picture a boy torturing his little sister's stuffed rabbit. Imagine his twisted delight, her exaggerated horror, and his increased titillation with her every escalating plea...

I came across this picture as I was searching the Internet for images of sand writing. Do I have to say how wrong this is?? You know this, right? But you're laughing at the same time, aren't you?

I've got to say, judging from the look in this cat's eyes, it's going to kill someone when it gets out. I mean, she may not come out swinging right off the bat, but she's going to get you at some point, in some way, somehow... most likely while you're napping on the couch.

And we wonder how it is we breed so much startling violence in our culture. First, there's the cat with its instinctive desire to lash out. Then, there's the little girl whose sensitive nature is exacerbated by not only her brother's lack of compassion, but increased pleasure from her pain.

We are curious creatures catting our way through life. Some of us are basking in the sun seeking harmony; others are trolling the alleys for kindred connections; while others always seem to be looking for trouble. Maybe there are also those of us just sitting on the sidelines watching it all - feeling helpless, wanting revenge or wondering why we're laughing and crying at the same time.

[Photographer: unkown. The torturer himself, no doubt]

Divine Re-Design

I love rainy Spring afternoons… For one, I know the rain will subside and the sunshine will come. In the meantime, however, the Spring rain makes everything so vibrantly green, reminding me of renewal and rejuvenation.

Rest. Recharge. Rewind. Reward. Renovate. Respect. Rendezvous. Relinquish. Recalibrate. Recalculate. Redeem. Reevaluate. Repair. Relay …

It seems many ‘re’ words are reminders to slow down, revisit priorities, reorganize and rearrange one’s life. Perhaps all it takes is an initial recognition of the need for a rest period, which is the starting point. Then comes the re-building process. And finally… the rewards... raining (or sprinkling) down upon us.

Until another season in our lives comes around and reminds us that we need to check it all again ~ for fit, comfort, affordability and the occasional bliss factor.