• coffee life,  coffee shops,  Food,  fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  writing/reading

    Spiritual Adventure

    I read a statement by Ilia Delio that says, “We are not called to maintain the existing order but to engage disorder as it lingers on the edge of new order.” Somehow that resonates with me. Seems nature is that way. Instead of accepting the chaos that is a part of my life, I want and try to keep things in order. Which doesn’t happen. What many consider chaos in nature is really the change, growth, transformation, metamorphosis, where something new is arriving. At the present I’m living with a certain level of anxiety, uncertainty, and doing my best to embrace faith, trust, hope, acceptance and even surrender. Let’s call it living this spiritual adventure.

    It has been overcast all day. The eclair in the above image is called an almond apricot eclair. I’ve never had one before today. It has an almond cream filling with apricot preserves over the top. Not as rich as I expected but had that sweetness that excited my taste buds. I will probably need to collect more data for my final analysis. Hope you had a good weekend! Stay warm!

  • fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  quotes,  writing/reading

    The wind and cold

    “We don’t change as we get older – we just get to be more of what we’ve always been.”

    Joan D. Chittister

    The 2-4 inches of snow I expected to wake up to did not materialize. Nary a snowflake. But, we do have the wind and cold. I understand that they do have blizzard conditions on the eastern plains. I am inside listening to the wind and feeling the deep cold. I met some high school classmates for lunch today. Sadly I find two more classmates have died in the past month. Have slippers on and I’m in for the night. Hope you are staying warm and dry.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fall season,  fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  musings,  Photography,  quotes,  seasons,  writing/reading

    A Reason to Journal

    “With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly. Finding the words is another step in learning to see.”

    Robin Kimmerer

    I believe that each pen, or any writing instrument, is a tool filled with words and that it is the task of the writer to find them. And, I define a writer as everyone! We just don’t know it yet. Just pick up the pen and put it to paper. I also believe words are found in blank journals and it is the writer’s task to find them. If you don’t believe me then get a journal and pen and begin to write daily. The words may be just for you but they are there.

    This morning we had a light frost with the temperature around 30 degrees. By mid-morning the sun and bright blue sky had melted it away. It has been a quiet day for me. This afternoon I sat in my chair in the sunshine and let the sun warm me, inside and out. I watched the wind blow leaves across the yard, making that rustling sound as they danced in front of me. Now it is overcast and cooling down. My journals are my attempts to find words that describe such moments. and they also help me see such moments. It is a practice where progress not perfection is the task. I love what I see in this world so I use photography and my journals as ways to describe them. That’s my reason to journal and why I love my photography.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journaling,  writing/reading

    Huskee Cup Review

    This past summer I received an unexpected package from Amazon. It had my name on the package but I did not order anything and thus it was unexpected. It turned out to be a Huskee Cup from the coffee gods. I did find out later who the specific coffee god was. They had seen my post about these cups. So, after a bit time using it this is my Huskee Cup review.

    First, I will say I like the cup. It is appealing to me in its looks. I also like how it feels in my hand. It is light as a feather. But, I am not in agreement with their claims on their website. They chose polypropylene for at least half of the cup material for reasons they specify on their website. Their reasons are the following: It produces a durable product that can withstand the rigours of the café environment. It produces a cup whose materiality complement and highlight the innovative design features. It creates a material that can be recycled, reused and re-purposed at the end of its life in an environmentally friendly and efficient way.

    They claim the cups materiality increases the cup’s thermal retention properties, while it’s fins protect your hands from the heat of the drink by minimising the surface area your hands come into contact with! In my experience so far I have found that with no insulation properties in the polypropylene it is not capable of keeping my drink hotter longer nor keeping my hands from getting hot, as their websites states. Their claims do not seem valid from my experience. I have since read other reviews with the same claim.

    Having said that, I like the cup and use it. It’s kinda Kool. The coffee shop Lima Coffee Roasters serves their coffees in them and the customers all seem to like them. It is also a conversation starter when I take it to other coffee shops. I offer a thank you to the coffee gods for the gift.

  • clouds,  horizons,  journal,  journaling,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    A Sacred Place

    The still waters of Dixon Reservoir

    A photo and excerpt from my journal this past July:

    Tuesday morning at Pineridge Natural Area. Sun just rose on an almost cloudless horizon. Our meadowlarks sing joyfully. Thank you! Bless this day. Love the birds. I awoke early this morning so had a short night of sleep and may need a power nap later today. The sun is a blinding bright orange orb. It will soon heat up this July day. It is a glorious time of the day for me. My young friend, Kate’s car is here, so she is already up on Viewpoint Spur practicing her morning yoga/meditation. It is also a glorious time of the day for her. This is a sacred place for many. Yet, even in this sacredness I find my mind wandering away to the busyness of the day, fretting, planning and no longer present to the sounds and beauty of creation. I take a deep breath and return. I believe these mornings transform the core of who I am and is an integral part of my own evolution, becoming who I was created to be. A process I will continue to take until my final breath.

    ms
  • clouds,  journaling,  landscape,  natural areas,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  sunsets,  writing/reading

    Journal Entry…

    Reflections at Claymore Lake

    … from yesterday evening: Now at RRNA. Silence. 8:05 pm. Nice and cool after the earlier rain. Love the smell of the wet grass in the meadow. Refreshing. Almost no birds to be heard or seen, but hear a distant blackbird and a killdeer. Love this sky. This is where I enjoy being. ❤️ More settled in my thoughts and soul when I’m here. I cannot run from life. No one can but this place is close. No wind! The sun has set and the light is fading. Two does and two fawns come up through the meadow, cross the parking lot towards the lake. My sisters. Pelikans drift on the lake. See some pink in the clouds. It is a good end to this day. Do not want to leave.

    Have a great week!