STANDING SENTINEL?

Watchful waiting

So much of time lately seems to be done in watchful waiting. Still, it behooves us to do more...to live life even as changes roll over us.

So...haircuts on the street. Dining only outside (Question:What about when weather comes?Answer:Deal with it. We are resilient humans after all) Wear a mask. Keep social distancing. Give up a few things to gain even more. Gardening (Who knew so many had a green thumb?) Zoom webinars (There are so many interesting things out there with which to connect.) Long walks. Reading (Again, so many good books and finally the time.).......

What are you doing to live life as the changes come?

EVERY DAY?

Postcards galore

"Create every day! Make it your job."

Well, my job got in the way of my commitment to twice a week on this blog. It was on my mind to write yesterday, but I just got carried away with a new series of fun pieces and worked on it way into the night. 

How I have found myself creating lately is by finding usefulness in the creations. Cards, postcards, etc.--small things that can be sent to hopefully brighten someone's day. And, it may be my "job,"but it also brings joy into my own day as I work.

So, back to work I go...heigh ho, heigh ho 😃 And maybe I can make up for my oops by posting three blogs this week. We shall see.

WHAT MATTERS MOST

Essential playtime

"Is your life organized around what matters most to you?" In my earlier counseling/coaching days this was a staple question asked of clients. It popped into my head again today as I commiserated with myself about the many things that seem near impossible these Covid days.

As the question and the commiserations rambled around in my mind I realized that, while there are so many things like time with family and friends and road trips and teaching workshops--things that matter A LOT to me--other things have begun to show up that still feed my soul. 

My brown-thumb gardening attempts are challenging and yet showing signs of success. Finding ways to stay in touch with friends and family calls on creativity at times. Enjoying the time for reading, watching webinars of unfamiliar, often intriguing authors reading their work and talking about the process of writing for them. Taking ever longer walks and exploring new pathways. These things have begun to fill the time in fascinating ways that have begun to "matter" too.

We humans are really pretty adaptive so perhaps what matters most can adapt and evolve as well.

The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. (John Muir)

LEST WE FORGET

Low tide

Feet mooshing in sand

Sun kissing skin

Breeze ruffling hair

Sanderlings skittering

Gulls squatting together

Waves lapping onshore

Glorious

Blessings

Gratitude

Joys of being alive in the moment

EARTH DAY 2020

A silly bird in a field of spring flowers

50 years! That's how many years we have observed Earth Day this day in the year of 2020. What have we achieved in those fifty years? 

Right now, with the Coronavirus keeping so many of us at home, we are able to celebrate cleaner air and cleaner water. Can we go out and celebrate the earth, though? Not so much. It is sad, but the blue skies are pretty wonderful to see, even from near to home.

However...what of the horrendous amounts of medical waste that are being generated (necessarily, of course) by Covid-19. Hospitals and nursing homes are using massive numbers of gloves, masks, gowns, etc--all disposed after use.
And what of the general public? No longer are we using reusable bags at markets. We, too, use disposable gloves for many things. We are ordering more online, which requires deliveries using much disposable packaging.

So, on this Earth Day I find myself wondering if in fact we have taken one step forward, two back. Only time will tell, I suppose.

WELL, NOT EXACTLY

A "sorta" poem

While this is not quite a poem, it also seems to somehow "fit" with our current situation. We certainly dream of how we would like to return to some kind of "normal," but the reality is not there...yet.

I'm trying each day to do some form of art and hope all of you are as well. Experimenting and exploring with a variety of materials and techniques helps to keep me engaged, often for many hours. As one of the "elderly" I am trying to observe strict regimens, though I walk each day (of course, social distancing), which helps also to keep me sane.

I hope all of you are doing well. This IS difficult (even for us introverts, by the way) and we SHALL see it end.

Stay well. Stay creative. Smile and be kind.

AH, THE SEESAWS!

Balancing time

Do you remember being on a seesaw as a child and reaching down with your toes, trying to maintain the delicate balance with your friend on the other end?

Sometimes life seems a bit like that...the balancing so very tenuous.

In my previous blog post I spoke of wanting to keep it simple. Talk about a balancing act! WOW!

Two weeks into January and the simple too often already gets out of balance with too much, too many, too busy, too crazy. 

But commitment helps. This morning in the darkness of pre-dawn as I scrunched down into the warmth of the blankets, I heard the hoot of the neighborhood owl. It seemed to be ever so wisely reminding me of the simple, the balance. So, though I wanted to stay snug and warm, up I popped and headed for that first cup of coffee, committed to the healthy and simple choice of a morning walk.

As they say, one day at a time.