• leaves,  quotes

    What we see…

    June 17, 2026

    “…drink in the beauty and wonder at the meaning of what you see.”

    Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

    Since I began practicing a simple and slower life, which means being awake and present to the moment and spending less time in my head, it seems I experience much more awe and wonder in life. And it’s the simplest things that catch my attention. This morning it was hearing the robins singing outside my bedroom window gently urging me to get up. And a couple weeks ago it was noticing the life giving drops of moisture on a leaf outside the coffee shop. With life getting shorter there is a desire within me to see and experience more of the beauty and wonder of nature. 

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  • Plants,  quotes

    New Life Emerging

    April 5, 2026

    It began as a seedling
    in the darkness of the soil.
    And within that darkness
    was found everything needed
    to emerge as new life.

    mws

    I noticed this plant growing among the rocks and wood chips outside the coffee shop this morning. It seemed fitting for today. Also fitting in my life as it seems after some of the darkest times there has emerged new life. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

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  • leaves,  Plants,  poems,  poetic journal,  quotes,  winter scenes,  writing/reading

    So Let Go

    December 17, 2022

    life is to be lived
    it’s our gift to the world
    so let go, fall freely

    and become who we were created to be

    mws

    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!

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  • quotes,  snow,  winter scenes

    Ice Crystals

    November 18, 2022
    A leaf found on campus this morning

    …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!

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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    Endless Chatter

    August 10, 2022

    “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.

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  • frost,  leaves,  Plants

    More Snow

    February 2, 2020
    Taken on a cold and frosty morning walk this past week

    “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.

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  • frost,  leaves,  quotes

    Believing it’s worth it

    December 28, 2019
    Morning frost on a leaf probably because it’s cold

    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
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