• reflections,  sunrises

    A beautiful start to this day

    October 11, 2023

    The day began with quiet time at home then a visit to Pineridge Natural Area to receive the gift we are offered. The sky was filled with ever changing clouds and colors. A gentle wind created small ripples across the waters surface. A quiet stillness surrounded me. These sacred moments are vital to my spiritual journey and a beautiful start to this day. I’m now at a coffee shop, surrounded with rather loud conversations and all the noise that comes with this lifestyle. I consider myself an introvert if we define it as someone who enjoys spending time with just one or two people, rather than large groups or crowds. Too much external stimulation can cause me to feel uncomfortable. I will meet Mark later for coffee and conversation then back home to the quiet. Anyway, what a beautiful start to this day. I’m looking forward to the forecast for rain later this afternoon. 😊 May you have a wonderful day!!

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  • poems,  poetry

    Squirrel of Worry

    January 25, 2023

    Sometimes when things are going well,
    the daredevil squirrel of worry
    suddenly leaps from the back of my head
    to the feeder, swings by his paws
    and clambers up, twitching his question mark tail.
    And though I try the recommended baffles —
    tin cone of meditation, greased pipe
    of positive thought — every sunflower seed
    in this life is his if he wants it.

    Ted Kooser, Winter Morning Walks, page 48

    Well, I did not receive the news I wanted to hear from my cardiologist yesterday. The valve is in the severe stage and something needs to be done. The valve that was replaced 4 years ago is, in the doctor’s opinion, too small for my body which is why it failed so early. An echocardiogram 1 month post TAVR echo shows elevated MG of 26mmHg and Vmax of 3.27m/s, consistent with PPM. Which in doctor speak says the valve is already struggling. So, they are recommending I meet with a cardiothoracic surgeon for a possible SAVR (open heart surgery again) with a root enlargement, making that opening larger to accommodate a larger replacement valve. I have an Left Heart Cath set for Feb 13th then meet with the surgeon on the 15th. If the cardiothoracic surgeon does not think I’m a good candidate for whatever reason, the groin procedure is still an option but they’d still be looking at a valve that is too small. Not what I want. My next appointment is with the Hematologist to look at my low Platelet numbers. They say I’m thrombocytopenia.

    Again, it’s not the news I wanted but it’s what I have. Another opportunity to live in the present moment by keeping an eye on my feet and wiggling my toes.

    About the image and poem by Ted Kooser. I’ve encountered this squirrel of worry throughout my life and in the past 4 weeks it has been quite busy. I must admit all my worries are based in fear (False Evidence Appearing Real). I do my best to face these worries as part of life by finding quiet time, practicing prayer and meditation, spending time in nature and reaching out to a listening ear or being that listening ear. Avoiding my fears or denying them has never been a solution. Hoping you’re having a great Wednesday!

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  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  lifestyles,  musings,  poetry,  still life,  writing/reading

    … with you

    May 13, 2022

    It was an overcast morning and cool. There was no need for a coat, my fleece would do fine. I slept well and felt refreshed. On most mornings I usually start my day by asking and relying on my intuition. Do I want to head to a natural area and all that it has to offer or do I head to a coffee shop and all it has to offer. This is a gift of retirement. After quiet time my intuition lead me to a local coffee shop. I was not disappointed as my barista, Devan, brightened my day with her latte art. Of course a photo needed to be taken followed by my feeble attempts to write about it.

    crafted with frothed milk
    a work of art now created
    no longer just a latte

    the sense of taste awakens
    as the visual sense is transformed
    when lips touch the cups rim

    now sharing this experience
    as a written memory in the journal
    … and with you

    ms

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  poetry,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  writing/reading

    the many gifts of nature…

    October 2, 2021

    sitting on a bench at the natural area
    I look out across the open meadow

    a light wind blows from the south
    softly whispering through golden grass

    taking simple breaths I remain present
    far from those places thoughts beckon

    a blue jay chatters from a pine branch
    joined by a chorus of barking prairie dogs

    I’m listening…

    but all goes silent with my unexpected sneeze
    an engulfing quiet settles upon the meadow

    silence is broken with a chickadees two-note song
    inviting the prairie dogs and blue jays back

    a squawking magpie joins in and so the
    concert continues much to my pleasure

    within this simple experience I am
    offered one of the many gifts of nature

    I’m listening…

    ms
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  • Black and White,  grass,  natural areas,  Plants

    Time in Nature

    July 26, 2021
    From a weekend walk at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    “Nature, too, supports our personal blossoming (if we have any quiet exposure to her) through her spontaneities, through her beauty, power, and mirroring, through her dazzling variety of species and habitats, and by way of the wind, Moon, Sun, stars, and galaxies.”

    Bill Plotkin

    It is a desire of mine to spend more time in nature. Hopefully, you already knew that. It is now obvious to me how deep these roots of solitude with and in nature have always been present. There is an awareness, also, that the more time I spend in the natural world, the more I desire to be there. My condo of bricks and sticks is not where I want to spend my life. It has provided a place of comfort but at a price. For many the house is all they need and want. Our culture stresses that. I’m not one of them. There is a desire to blossom. Have a great day and wonderful week!

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  seasons,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    Another Sunrise

    December 18, 2020

    What’s broken can be mended.
    What hurts can be healed.
    And no matter how dark it gets,
    The sun is going to rise again.

    Well, back to another sunrise. Took this image yesterday but this one is a bit different. I arrived at predawn when the sky was pink and took a few images of those colors. It was 18 degrees and a slight breeze from the northwest. What is different about this image is the young lady located in the lower left corner of the image. She is sitting on a small bench at the trailhead, wrapped in a blanket and sipping on a thermos of hot coffee or maybe tea. I was there about 45 minutes and she was there when I arrived, sitting on that bench the whole time. We watched this lovely sunrise as well as seeing a couple coyotes walk across the frozen reservoir in search of food. We did not talk. Not sure the reason she needed to be there but for me nature is a place to go when I need to find healing, answers, peace, serenity, silence, a boost, even a good cry and most often the need to slow down the chatter of my thinking. It had warmed up to 19 degrees by the time she left. I departed soon after. We’re expecting light snow today so right now it is overcast and windy. Happy Friday!

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  • clouds,  landscape,  mountains,  sunsets

    Its a strange time

    March 17, 2020

    Beams of sunlight over the Colorado Front Range

    It’s Tuesday, close to noon. Awoke to overcast skies and a light mist. The weather along with the worldwide changes going on added a gloomy feel to the day. After quiet time I headed to Cups coffee to use the internet and enjoy a mocha but that didn’t happen. They fall under the statewide ban on the closing of restaurants and bars that went into affect yesterday. Because they are being impacted financially with our situation I bought a mocha and headed home. I will read a new book I received yesterday, journal a little, have more prayer and mediation time, listen to the silence and write this post. It’s a strange time.

    The world looks strange to me this morning, almost unrecognizable and it is. However, I’m aware there is something different within me. I am seeing and feeling the world differently. I have been a solitary individual for many years now, choosing to spend a lot of time alone. However, knowing I can’t just go to a coffee shop and sit to read/journal/converse with the baristas, friends and a stranger is now not my choice. My feathers are ruffled. I don’t always deal well with the unexpected bump in the road or a pothole that wasn’t there yesterday. Daily changes in life require acceptance of the present moment and a shift in thinking and living. My task in life is to let go of what I think I think I need life to look like and live more solidly in the present moment. It’s a strange time.

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