Mindfulness – Join me on a blessed and heartfelt journey of discovery!

Perceptions, Perspectives, and a Wildflower

June 1, 2023May 23, 2023
by admin

Wildflowers have always fascinated me. When I see them, my heart sings and I smile in wonder at their beauty and courage to grow in some of the most inhospitable places. Many years ago, I began taking pictures of ones I encountered when visiting different areas, admiring how there are so many varieties and knowing you can find them almost anywhere. Because of this, I have grown to recognize many of the ones I find along our local hiking and walking trails, and recently, I noticed a new one I didn’t remember seeing before. White, delicate star-shaped flowers sat atop a thin stem with long, blade-like leaves. The leaves reminded me of daffodil leaves or perhaps narcissus, and with these observations, I thought the plant had been placed along the trail by someone and not endemic to the area. I still enjoyed its beauty and took a quick picture, making a mental note of its location to point it out to my granddaughter on our next walk that way. Read more “Perceptions, Perspectives, and a Wildflower” →

Smiling at the Noise of the World

July 25, 2022July 25, 2022
by admin

Noise. There is so much noise right now. Whether it is the war in Ukraine, climate challenges, the stance that SCOTUS is taking, another mass shooting, the revelations of the January 6th Hearings, or a myriad of other perceived threats, there is a lot of noise. A lot of noise, discomfort, and for me this morning, a lot of overwhelm.

Wildflowers and Unexpected Opportunities

March 3, 2021
by admin

Looking forward to a couple of days with no work obligations, the weekend is always enticing as it sparkles with opportunity. A little time to catch up on my reading. A bit of time to take care of home finances and maybe even some housework. Spend sometime with my husband not worried about what time it is. Sleep in perhaps, or, perhaps take an extra long walk with Sierra, my dog. Better yet, a long hike on dirt paths surrounded by green foliage and maybe wildflowers or at the beach listening to the music of the ocean. Those are the enticing activities with which I so often look forward. And sometimes, I push those things aside when an unexpected opportunity presents itself for adventure, a new place to explore or people to chat with that I don’t normally see. Housework can wait. The bills can wait. My exercise routine can wait.

What If You Gave Yourself Gift?

December 10, 2020
by admin

It’s that time of year again when gifts seem to take center stage for many people. Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or some other celebration, December seems to have become the month for giving and receiving gifts. There is an importance, an emphasis, on making sure just the right gift is chosen for each person in our life. Something that will bring them joy or excitement and will not be saved for the White Elephant exchange next year.

The Magic of Embracing The Moment

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020
by admin

I recently had the opportunity to camp with my husband and explore some new hiking trails. We had chosen Death Valley as our destination as it was one of the warmest places in California in November and yet a comfortable daytime temperature, not to mention we felt we could readily practice our social distancing. I wasn’t sure what I expected of the desert and this national park but I was unprepared for the majesty and the allure we encountered. The diversity of color and land formations created beautifully unique scenes. A beauty that while very different, was comparable to other places I had admired that were lush with vegetation. Nature has an extraordinary ability to create magnificent works of art with whatever she has at hand.

The Truth of Happily Ever After

November 5, 2020
by admin

The world seems so full of noise and angst right now. The US election is over but still undecided and may well not be decided for many more hours, perhaps even days or weeks as ballot counts are contested. It is easy for me to get swept up in this whirlwind of anxiety, wanting oh so desperately for things to play out in a way that I feel they should. But I stop and remind myself this is not something I can control and that to argue with reality just leads me to frustration.

Blank Space in the Margins of Your Life

October 28, 2020October 28, 2020
by admin

Buried in work and responsibilities I have felt stuck these last few weeks with the space in the margins of my planner seemingly to have disappeared. We’ve had family birthdays to celebrate, future plans begging to be made, previous commitments needing to be honored and figuring out the whole voting thing, that in and of itself is a time eater. All this in addition to the day to day necessities to navigate. And, with the current COVID landscape, it seems everything takes. Just. That. Little. Bit. Longer. Leaving little time for the extras.

Walking the Path of Awareness and Healing

September 17, 2020November 24, 2020
by admin

I am an adult. Adult responsibilities. Bills to pay, children to lead, tasks to accomplish, a home to clean and maintain. And yet, there is still a little three-year-old inside of me demanding attention over and over again in the most inopportune times and the unlikeliest of places. I have also witnessed this with many other ‘adults’ who, regardless of their chronological age, are reduced to toddlers demanding what they want even when there is a lack of logic behind the request. I have pondered this for many years and joked with coworkers and friends alike, not understanding the significance of these tantrums, but the dots finally connected for me this week.

Turn by Turn Down A Mountain-A Lesson in Life

September 3, 2020November 24, 2020
by admin

Having a fear of heights is not uncommon and something that I have lived with since I was a child. While having a healthy sense of the danger present when being up high is normal for most people, for me it goes beyond the normal sense of caution. It manifests not just with spiraling thoughts but also physically with my palms becoming sweaty and literally aching. This is not limited to just my own physical presence of being up high. The fear and the sensations come to life also in witnessing others whether in person, in a still picture or in a video as they are perched in what appears to me to be a precarious position. For much of my early life it was easy to avoid most situations that would incite this uncontrollable reaction, but when I made the decision to learn to ski, facing this fear and figuring out how to tame it became a necessity.

Do You See the Moon During the Day?

August 13, 2020
by admin

At just a few months short of 3 years, my granddaughter is fascinated by much in life that I have begun to take for granted. She notices small insects as they travel to and from wherever they were going, notices the breeze as it talks to the trees and loves to feel the sand from the beach as she sifts it with her hands. At the sound of a plane she immediately scans the sky to identify where it is headed and is also ever quick to find the moon, night or day. I had forgotten how often the moon is visible during the day having relegated it to only my night time viewings. At this thought I wonder what other things I have missed by deeming the timing is not right.

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