beauty – Site Title

The Walk

It was windy today and I was bundled up in my down jacket, a scarf, and my feet were shod in winter boots. I had decided that I was going to go further than the 30 minutes yesterday and even though it wasn’t the greatest weather, I was going to do it come hell or high water!

I made it up the hill and as usual there was no one around. Deciding to take the rock-strewn pathway I usually take I made it to the apple trees. The apples had been harvested and the trees looked sad as they stood there bracing against the wind. Just then, a neighbor came walking up with her dog, a rescue from the shelter. We stopped, exchanged pleasantries, and talked about our children. She had twins, a boy and a girl and they are the same age as my son. After catching up for a while, we went our separate ways.

Just then, the wind started picking up speed and it was strong. The yellow leaves on the trees were spiraling down forming a carpet under my feet as I walked crunching underfoot. My mind was filled with negative thoughts again and I wasn’t happy with myself for some reason. Then a blast of cold wind sped by my face and it did a mighty fine job of clearing my head. It almost seemed like it had swept out all the negatives and my head was free again.

Pulling my jacket closer around me, I walked up the hill and once there, I stood and watched the panoramic scene before me. It was beautiful. There were trees still covered in their fall colors and on the other side the mountains stood tall and majestic in hazy shades of purple and grey. It wasn’t a spectacular kind of day but it had something that captured my attention and kept it there.

By then, I had walked 40 minutes and the slight twinge on my left side told me that I had done enough. It was time to make my way back and I took my time doing that. A thought crossed my mind. Fall had definitely arrived and it was busy making way for winter to show up. The ducks and geese had flown south, the colors had done their mesmerizing job of keeping us caught in their magic, and now nature was on the march. The year is coming to an end and it was time to make way for peace and rest.

Soon it will be dark and grey, cold and nasty, windy and barren, but nature has a way of doing its job no matter what. It doesn’t wait around, it is always on the move but perhaps, it will take a break once the leaves have all fallen and winter moves in slowly.

It was time to head on back. A cup of warm green tea sounds good about now and a slice of cheesecake to go with it will definitely make my day.

Have an amazing day.

A Gorgeous Day!

I finally made it to the fields yesterday and it was gorgeous! This is the beginning of my fourth week after the operation and things seem to be going fine except for a headache now and then. That bothers me as I never get headaches so I’m wondering if something could be wrong or I’m just a worrywart? I think it could be the worrywart part.

Anyway, I made it to the top of the hill and the view was spectacular. The sky was a bright blue with streaks of white and the mountains were visible in the distance. The trees were holding their own in colors of gold and yellows but the reds were nowhere to be seen. It didn’t matter as I was simply glad to be out there and if I spread my arms like wings, I would fly away! Exactly how I felt. Nature gives me the freedom to fly and my mind clears up from all the clutter that I carry around with me.

As usual, it was quiet there. The apples have been harvested, the crops too. The field was barren and the new haircut seemed to suit it well. I could see for miles around with nothing blocking my view, exactly the way I like it. It was cold but I had my Sherpa-lined jacket on and a scarf around my neck but I forgot my gloves so I shoved my hands in my pockets and that was enough to keep me warm.

I didn’t need the warmth as my heart was singing again and there was a glow surrounding me. I walked to the top of the hill and I didn’t feel any twinges, meaning the pain in the side where I have the wound that is still healing, so I crossed my fingers and hoped it would stay that way. At the top of the hill, I decided not to push my luck and turned back down. It was enough for today and I was happy to see my old friend, “the fields” again.

Tomorrow is another day and if the weather holds, I plan to go further, just a tad further, to see if the herons have gone into hiding. I wonder if the geese and ducks have flown south because it was awfully quiet where I was. There were no V formations flying overhead and no noise to catch my attention. Maybe I’ve missed their annual flight out of here before the cold arrives.

Oh well, I’m grateful that I got to make it out there yesterday and to take a deep breath of whatever nature puts out when the seasons change. Each season has a distinct scent and fall is filled with pumpkins, hay, and apples. A wonderful scent of good things to come.

I walked back feeling elated and nature does that. It gives me a sense of peace but more than that clarity and it was no different yesterday.

Have an amazing day.

Beautiful in Your Time

A beautiful worship song with a great message. Be patient.

Elias Grace

This guy is phenomenal. He not only looks like Jesus, my kind of guy, but his voice, his voice touches a chord within me. I listened to him last night and it brought tears to my eyes so I can understand the “tears” gushing in the arena where he was in Jerusalem.

Listen and you will see what I mean.

I know that name too. I grew up with it, I walked with it, I spoke to it, I walked away from it, but not for long. I came back to it. I know that name well and it is where I draw my strength from. It is a beautiful name.

The Garden

Sitting outside in the garden is just as nice as taking a walk out in nature. Today, it is exceptionally wonderful because the sun is out, there is a cool breeze blowing and a cloudless blue sky adds to the pretty picture. I’ve got my second cup of coffee on the table, a notepad and pen just in case I get some bright ideas. I love jotting them down before it flies out of my head never to be seen again.

All is quiet where “the three” are concerned. I’m talking about Larry, Curly, and Moe! Just kidding. I’m talking about the three cats, Chachi, Galli, and Shiro. They’ve had their food, have been cleaned and brushed and are taking their midday naps. It is peaceful for a change.

The garden is looking fantastic in all its spring glory. The cherry tree has lots of blooms, the fig tree is greening, the Magnolias have done blooming and the petals are now lying like a carpet of pink and white on the grass. It means work clearing them up but each year they put on a show and the neighbors appreciate their beauty as well. My neighbor told me last week that she loves standing at her kitchen window with coffee cup in hand and looking at that tree. According to her, it brings or rather puts a smile on her face. I can understand that because nature has a way of doing that if you just stop and stare for a while.

The Camelia bush is in full bloom dripping with white blossoms. It’s interesting how this plant stays green all winter and when spring creeps around, the blossoms arrive. They are gorgeous. The tulips are in full bloom as well in a myriad variety of colors. The apple tree is greening and it will just be a matter of time before it starts blooming as well. Last year, it was a bumper crop. Maybe, this year it will take time out. Two years ago, I planted some ground crawlers as they are called here and each year they take my breath away. This year is no different. When they bloom, the ground is nowhere to be seen. It is covered in shades of pinks, purples, and whites. It’s the same this year and it is beautiful. The roses are budding as well and when they do arrive in different shades, the garden will be filled with the scent of vanilla and something sweet. Another thing to look forward to.

The insects are not out in full force yet but they will show up sooner or later. For now, I am enjoying the quiet, the peace, the sounds of nature all around me and I can stay here forever but it’s time to go see what the little rascals are up to.

Have an amazing day.

Springtime Bliss

It was early when I ventured out this morning. The sun was already shining and spring beckoned telling me that there was beauty out there to be discovered and not to waste time! Besides, I needed to get out of the house and to get some fresh air. The cats had been fed, brushed, the house cleaned and everything was as it should be except I needed OUT and what better place than the fields to keep me company and to help herald in a new day.

“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” Lewis Grizzard.

It was cold in the shade as I zipped up my jacket and walked up the hill. Immediately, I saw them. Just three of them, slightly smaller in stature as they stood there in the sunshine with their heads turned skywards. Perhaps, they were this year’s addition to the herd. I am talking about baby deer or rather fawn as they are called. I was still a distance away but as I approached, their heads turned in unison as they watched me cautiously. Within minutes, they made a run for it and went into the clump of trees and stayed there as I passed, waiting for the human to leave them in peace. I did.

Just then, I heard the soft cooing of a pigeon in the tree somewhere. Usually, it would be the loud cawing of a crow, harsh and raw, but this time around the soft cooing blended in with the quiet of the fields perfectly. Nothing else seemed to be moving. It was still early and the world was just coming awake. I turned towards the forest line and wondered if they were there, their splendid yellow heads moving with the wind.

“I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils; beside the lake, beneath the trees, flattering and dancing in the breeze.” William Woodsworth

They were there and I was no longer alone, nature had decided to keep me company with a beauty so breathtaking that I could just stand and stare for a while. The slight gurgling of the stream as it meandered through the forest and the beauty of the daffodils standing like silent sentinels as they kept watch was enough to clear my mind of any cobwebs left behind from this morning’s stress and in its place was pure peace and wonder.

Walking back I noticed the rabbits as they showed up one by one, there were three in total, as they went about enjoying their breakfast of greens. There was plenty to be had.

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.” Charles Dickens

So it was. Back home, I decided to have my second cup of coffee out in the garden. There is much work to be done, the weeds are starting to sprout and nature is working extra hard to bring the “bloom” back in all its glory. The big old Magnolia is looking gorgeous again in her spring attire. It is a show stopper every year and this year will be no different. The smaller one out back is in full bloom, a beauty in white sprinkling its delicate scent throughout the garden. I had to stop and stare as I took in a whiff of its scent, soft, sweet and breathtaking like the tree itself. The roses are not in yet but they will show up soon enough and it will be spectacular when they do. For now, the Magnolias are first in line and it is enough to bring forth spring’s bliss.

“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.” Laura Ingles Wilder

Have an amazing day.

Nature’s Way

“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” Mary Davis

Walking is my favorite thing to do. It helps to clear my mind, helps me to get a better perspective on life and it’s good for the mind and soul not to mention my body so what’s not to like?

It is almost springlike in my part of the world but we are not quite there yet and after the snow, ice and sleet of winter, blue skies and sunshine is a nice change. After having been cooped up for a week, it is time to take advantage of the nice weather.

Zipping up my light jacket with a scarf around my neck and stepping into my boots, I am all ready to head out the door. I am not expecting much, just a beautiful walk in nature. I wonder if I will see the deer I’ve seen on my last few walks. We made eye contact several times and then he took off and went back into the woods. I hope I do because there is something about coming face to face with one of nature’s own. It makes me feel like I belong too.

“Nature is the purest portal to inner-peace.” Angie Weiland Crosby

I am surrounded by blue-tipped mountains on one side and the sporadic green line of the forest on the other. Today, I find myself alone as I am on most days. I feel the wind picking up speed and I pull my coat closer against me as I raise my face to the sky. It is clear and blue and perfect. A loud cawing draws my attention. I look further up the path I am on and see two huge black crows fighting over something. As I approach them, they let out a loud sound at the human who has walked into their space, it almost sounds rude to the ear. Then they flap their wings and take off to another part of the field where they would be left in peace. I understand them well, I crave peace too.

Approaching the apple trees, I see that they’ve lost all their foliage and now stand naked their twig-like branches reaching out to nothing in particular. Not too long ago, they looked bright and beautiful with globes of red, pink and green hanging from their green branches. The apples have been harvested and there is nothing more left to be done until springtime of course. Out of what stands before me will emerge pink and white blossoms bringing with them a faint delicate scent that is warm and delicious and the cycle will start again. So it is with life. There is no end and no beginning. It is a never-ending cycle. You get on at some point and you get off when your time is up but life never stops moving, it just keeps on going.

As I make my way back, I realize that I haven’t seen the deer. I hope it is alright. Feeling refreshed by the clean air and the open spaces for as far as the eye can see, I say a small “thank you” for the beauty, the peace and the graciousness of nature. It has accompanied me in good times and bad and will be my companion for many more walks to come. Suddenly, a sharp shrill sound pierces the air. I look up to see a hawk hovering above me. A smile crosses my face as I watch it stay there for a while. Almost weightless it hovers and then it lets out another shrill cry as it flies away into the blue yonder. Nature teaches us many things but most of all it has the power to heal, it shows us a thousand miracles if we are open to it and in its own way it shows us that there is a time and place for everything.

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Henry David Thoreau

Or this one,

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” John Muir

Have an amazing day.

Breathing In Life

It’s interesting how everything comes back to this one thing and that is breathing. We pay it very little mind as we rush through life and forget that it exists but only as something we take for granted. It is that motion of taking in a breath and letting it out that tells us we are alive but how are we breathing? Has stress made your breathing harder, has anger stopped it in its tracks or has sadness made it shallow and rhythmless? Probably all of those things and more. Yet, if we stopped breathing than life would come to a standstill.

I found some beautiful quotes that gets you thinking about this thoughtless process we call breathing. It speaks to just how beautiful and essential it is to breathe and to pay attention to the kind of breathing we are doing.

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful its ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living, heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” LR Knost

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“Stop your worrying, panicking and stressing.

BREATHE.

Remember, you made it this far through difficulties that seemed impossible. Remember how many times you were saved at the very last minute – this time is no different.” Bryant McGill

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“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.” Mandy Hale

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“As you waste your breath complaining about life, someone out there is breathing their last breath.” Appreciate what you have.” Unknown

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“Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Unknown

Did something or someone take your breath away today? The Magnolia tree out back took my breath away this morning. It is getting ready to bloom and soon it will be a showpiece as it is every year and it will be enough to take your breath away. The daffodils are shaking their yellow heads, their beauty simple but breathtaking. Most of all, the lone deer that ran through the fields this morning was mesmerizing and breathtaking as I stood and watched it do its spring dance of happiness. I got my daily dose of breathtaking moments today but I’m sure there will be more tomorrow, I just need to appreciate what’s in front of me.

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“Sometimes you need to slow down, remain calm, and simply let life happen. Take a deep breath and focus on the simple important things: you are alive, you are breathing, you are enough as you are.” Unknown

YOU GOT THIS.

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“Listen, are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?” Mary Oliver

Words to pay attention to. We deserve better don’t you think?

Have an amazing day.

The First Daffodil

As spring flowers go, nothing signifies spring like daffodils. There are others that show up earlier than expected like the Snowdrops or rather snowbells, tiny white blooms that appear at the end of winter and the crocuses ranging from deep purple to golden yellow and sometimes pristine white. We get the purple ones here. However, it is the daffodil that heralds spring with its trumpet-like flowers, waving its yellow and white head to the sun that tells me spring is here and is going to stay for a while.

I headed out the door this morning looking forward to my walk when I noticed that the sun was already there telling me that it was going to be a glorious day. As I closed the front door and looked towards the front garden, I noticed the first daffodil in bloom! A beautiful yellow one looking directly at me! Soon, there will be plenty more but this is the first one I’ve seen in bloom and it put a smile on my face.

Saturdays are not for walking as far as I’m concerned. Too many people out there and with such a beautiful day, there would be plenty more. I like having the fields to myself. Not today. I noticed several people already there turning their heads skyward enjoying the sunshine. I took the forest way hoping for peace and quiet. No luck today. There were a few people already there enjoying the quiet and as we passed, there was a nod of the head and, “Guten Tag,” which is the norm here of friendliness and perhaps politeness as well.

There was the sound of a lone woodpecker in the tree somewhere pecking away for all its worth! Rabbits were scampering around, a couple, not many but soon they will be out in full force. Spring is just beginning and they have work to do. No deer today but it is early yet. I walked to the pond and it was quiet there. No herons, storks or ducks there. The stream meandering through the forest was gurgling gleefully as it made its way to where it needed to go. No daffodils yet. They usually show up on both sides of the stream in a blaze of yellow and while. Not today. There is time yet. It was quiet in the forest so I decided to head back.

Spring is here, not in full force but it will get here soon enough. When it does it will be a sight to behold and that one daffodil in my front garden will take a backseat as others come to take its place. All part and parcel of spring. It is one of my favorite season of the year.

Have an amazing day.

Another Day in Paradise

My idea of paradise is open spaces, blue skies, mountains, forests and streams running through the whole shebang! It is beautiful, calming and at the same time mesmerizing.

Today is no different except spring is in the air and there is sunshine everywhere. It’s a great day for a walk and to let the imagination run wild. There is a herd of deer standing still at the top of the hill enjoying the warmth as I’m doing. I watch them and they watch me in return. A shrill squawk attracts my attention and looking skywards, I see a heron in flight. It is majestic as it glides effortlessly through time and space. Two more herons join the symphony in motion and the dance is graceful as they dip and take off again, weightless against an azure blue sky.

A movement down below attracts my attention and two rabbits take off into the bushes and disappear from sight. There is a different energy out here today. Nature is breathing life back into the fields and everything is waking up after a long winter’s sleep, energized and ready to go. The air is crisp but still a little cold. It is exhilariting.

The only problem, there are more people out and about and where once I was the only one paying homage to paradise, it is no longer mine alone. It too is a sign that spring is marching in and staying indoors is for the birds when you have “paradise” just a stone’s throw away!

A beautiful walk nonetheless.