• clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  sunrises

    Mornings are a Gift

    The sage would remind us of the following:
    None should rule who hold themselves above the people.
    Only by living, working, suffering alongside them can one truly be a leader.

    Tao Te Ching (78) By Lao Tzu by: Julian von Bargen, John Braun, Jr., David Warkentin

    One of the blessings of growing older for me has been the discovery that mornings are a gift. Since I’m not the party animal of yesteryears, going to bed early and getting up early are the norm. There is something that comes alive in me when I experience the quiet and stillness of this time of the day. I feel more alive than I did when chasing things that I expected to help me be alive. I am aware of the need to participate within the world, to experience it, and receive it as a gift.

    It’s interesting to note how clouds are always shifting, changing shapes and colors. It is almost unperceivable to the human eye. Yet, a 28 second exposure lets us know of their gradual changing. Observing that is a gift to me. I am heading out to meet friends who are in town and catch up. Have a wonderful weekend!

  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes,  winter scenes

    Participation with life…

    Courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future. To be courageous is not necessarily to go anywhere or do anything except to make conscious those things we already feel deeply and then to live through the unending vulnerabilities of those consequences.

    David Whyte

    Will meet my friend Dennis this morning at 10:30 for coffee and conversation. We will meet at a coffee shop I have not been to in years called the Alley Cat Cafe ( be sure to play the opening video) 😂.

    Back in August during my physical they discovered my PSA numbers were high. Since I had a UTI the previous week and was on antibiotics they waited a week then retested. Still high. So we scheduled an MRI rather than do an invasive biopsy. Had an appointment with the urologist yesterday to discuss the results of that test. From the MRI results all looks good and he is not concerned about prostate cancer. We’ve come up with a plan to do another PSA test in 3 months, just to keep track of those. If the PSA numbers go up, then he wants to see me about changing our plans. He reminded me the PSA numbers are not the most exact test for prostate cancer. Otherwise, I have an appointment to see him in 6 months. For me this is all good news. So, I plan on continuing my participation with life as David Whyte says; coffee shop adventures, Natural Area adventures, reading and journaling, daily walks, blogging, photography and taking the steps necessary to stay healthy. And, it all takes courage. Stay warm and thanks for being the online community you are!

    Today is my oldest daughters birthday. Hoping she knows she is the gift! Happy BIrthday Christine!!

  • quotes,  shadows,  sunsets

    Sacred by Our Participation

    Sunset shadows at Cobb State Wildlife Area a few days ago

    “… we will recover our sense of wonder and our sense of the sacred only if we appreciate the universe beyond ourselves as a revelatory experience of that numinous presence whence all things came into being. Indeed, the universe is the primary sacred reality. We become sacred by our participation in this more sublime dimension of the world about us.”

    Thomas Berry

    I upgraded the fonts plugin so I could change the title font and size. Whadda ya think?