My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
life is to be lived
mws
it’s our gift to the world
so let go, fall freely
and become who we were created to be
It was bitter cold this morning, 7 degrees when I left the condo for coffee shop. Yet, clear blue skies and sunshine dominated the day. Today was winter graduation for some at Colorado State University so it was hectic around campus and a good reason to stay home. Expecting it to drop to 7 again tonight. Thankfully no wind. Stay warm and have a great day tomorrow. Live life!
…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.
Wendell Berry
We did not get much snow in Fort Collins but we definitely have the cold. It was 5 degrees when I left the condo to catch the bus. Sun came out of hiding around 9:00 so the ice crystals in the air were sparkling, glittering, and twinkling. Ice crystals form when it’s cold and the humidity is high (90% this morning). And, in case you don’t know what an ice crystal is, they are solid ice exhibiting atomic ordering on various length scales and include hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, dendritic crystals, and diamond dust. Now, aren’t you glad you asked what an ice crystal was. I tried to capture a couple images of them in the sunlight as I left the coffee shop but not happy with them. Definitely need more practice. I saw where we reached 22 degrees but the high humidity makes it feel colder.
I read about great hope this morning in my meditation time and then found this quote by Wendell Berry. Had to post it because I do have hope!
“What deadens us most to God’s presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more crucial to true spiritual comfort . . . than being able from time to time to stop that chatter . . . ”
Frederick Buechner
While waiting for a friend at the park I wandered around a tree and took a dozen photos of assorted leaves. I realized how accurate Paulo Coelho is when he states, “In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.” In the past I may have wandered around in my head waiting for my friend rather than noticing the leaves. I find it enjoyable at this stage in my life to have tools to let go of the chatter, allowing me to stay more present to the world around me. And when that happens I’m more engaged in spiritual comfort.
seen in simplicity…
ms
sea of sparkling blue snow
leaf riding the waves
bent down to observe
ms
heard whispers in fall colors
listening to leaves
“Wisdom is knowledge deepened by love. The wise person knows more deeply by way of love than by way of argument because the eye of the heart can see the truth of reality. Hence the wise person is one who knows and sees God shining through everything, even what seems ugly or despised.” Ilia Delio
They are predicting snow for us beginning tonight or tomorrow and into Tuesday morning. Seems strange as we are at 71 degrees today. Anyway, I need to prepare for the cold and snow like my dad does, “… stock up on the chocolate and peanut butter and everything will be okay.” Done! As long as I’m stocked then I’ll take the beauty of a snowfall but let’s keep it under 3 inches.
“Life’s too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.” -Dr. Seuss