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A Desert By Another Name (Archives)

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It is Sunday, time to relax, review the past week, take the good and leave the past behind after learning from the lessons it taught of course. Mine for the week was, LET IT BE.

As I looked through my messages, a picture popped onto the screen. It caught my attention because it was absolutely gorgeous. I stared at it for a few minutes and decided to go on my fact finding mission.

The picture was of the Atacama Desert sent to me by a Chilean friend. Little did he know that I would be awe-struck by it. I found out that it is located in the north of Chile. It is nothing much to look at during the arid period because it is considered hostile territory and touted as one of the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Detecting life there would be like detecting life on Mars because only the hardiest microbes survive there. Oh but what a transformation when the rains come. The Atacama desert flowering takes place from September to November which is the Southern Hemisphere’s spring. It is considered a miracle and it occurs when heavy rainfall saturates the ground causing the seeds and bulbs deep within the surface to germinate and flower. During this time, over 200 flower species can be seen waving their beautiful heads and covering the once arid landscape with color and stunning beauty. Unbelievable? It is.

What if life was like this phenomenon? Just like this desert, there are times when we go through dry patches and at times arid ones. It is a time when nothing seems to flourish no matter how hard you try. Then there are times when the rains come and with the watering we see life as it was meant to be. Full of beauty, joy and at times breath-taking. It does not last for long but then again nothing ever stands still in life right? Like the seasons, there is a time for everything so it is with the desert and with us. Keep moving is the message, work on the hard stuff and who knows just when you think it is impossible, the rains will come and reward you with a desert blooming of your own! Never say never and anything is possible.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Robert Frost

Have an amazing day.

Simply Beautiful!

My safe space…..

is in the wild open,

where there’s growing space……

and soul-searching space,

and where my fire is bright,

and my wings are wide,

and my breathing is all its own…..

and where I can always feel the way

my heart beats on its own. (butterflies rising)

I usually don’t go walking this early in the morning but my cat alarm clock, Chachi, the cat, and my other alarm clock set to wake me at 5:30 rang at the same time! Why so early? It is Chachi’s normal wake up time and my son who has his first job wanted to make sure he wouldn’t oversleep and since he is a responsible human, showing up for work is now his new normal even if he feels like he has “zero” life right now!

Coming back to the topic at hand. The sun is shining and it looks like a perfect morning for a walk. The air is crisp and fresh and the sun had found its nook in certain places while others remain steeped in shadow. It’s only a matter of time before the whole place is bathed in sunshine and the rabbits and the deer will come out to play.

My usual path feels rocky today or it just seems that way. On both sides, the rapeseed plants are knee-high and soon they will put forth their beauty and the whole landscape will be a striking yellow and simply beautiful to behold. Just another aspect of spring but a breathtaking one nonetheless. In the distance, the pear trees are in bloom their pink and white blossoms adding color to the scene before me.

Suddenly I realize “beautiful” doesn’t even begin to cover it. It is gorgeous, breathtaking, mesmerizing and solace can be found in its midst. As I stand here, one lone human being against the majesty of nature, I feel the power that nature has to soothe a ruffled soul, to calm a frazzled nerve, to whisper sweet nothings with a promise of more to come and to surround you with unadulterated peace.

I am grateful for all that I see and feel. It is going to be a wonderful day.

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.

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.

A Beautiful Day

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It is absolutely gorgeous today. The sun is shining and the sky is a vivid blue with not a cloud in sight. It is still a little cold but nothing a jacket and a pair of gloves can’t fix.

“I wondered 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, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” William Wordsworth

And my soul took off. Well, not quite. It is still winter and just like the winter tease of “no real snow” this too might be short-lived and winter might just make a showing again. Anything is possible these days.

The fields are coming alive and the sound of birds chirping noisily in the trees is deafening to the ear but still a lovely sound. The planes droning overhead is soothing and the criss-cross patterns they are making as they make their way to wherever they are headed looks like a tapestry of some sort. On a day like today, everything seems touched with magic.

Spring says: “Wake up darling. It’s time for your soul to bloom.” Ave Mateiu

I see two rabbits sunning themselves oblivious of my intrusion into their space. They couldn’t care less because they’re preparing for bigger and better things to come. Soon it will be “baby season” and when summer rolls around there will be an abundance of rabbits scampering around as they did last year. It was and will be a sight for sore eyes.

Just be patient my heart whispers. It’s just a matter of time before the next season rolls around like clockwork and my eyes will be greeted with what is taking place below my feet right now. In the deep and dark areas, nature is breathing life back into what has lain dormant all winter. When the time is right, it will be mesmerizing of this I am sure.

Suddenly I spot two herons standing like sentinels close to the forest line. Several Native American Tribes look upon the heron as a “symbol of patience and good luck”. They believe that a Blue Heron sighting brings a message of self-determination and self-reliance. Hmm….I especially like the part about good luck. Fingers crossed!

It was a great walk and I’m looking forward to many more in the days to come. I know each new day will bring new gifts the earth below is hiding for just the right moment to present itself. It will lift and nourish my soul, no ifs or buts about it!

“She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow head and whispered to her neighbor, “winter is dead.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.

RUMI

Jalal al-Din Rumi was a 13th century poet. He was born in Afghanistan and he was a Sufi mystic whose poetry embraces themes of “overcoming fear and persevering through challenges.” He speaks of finding strength in vulnerability and to be grateful for whatever comes. I find courage and beauty in his words and it touches my soul AND his words are one of great wisdom.

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”

I do act small when first faced with adversity but it is only a matter of time before I rise again knowing that I can deal with this too.

“I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.”

This one speaks to who I am, I am one with nature and I find freedom with the animals and the bird life and often I want to sing like I used to as a young child not caring who listens or who is watching. I do that with my writing too.

“If everything around you seems dark, look again, you may be the LIGHT.”

Simply beautiful and when darkness surrounds seeing the light in you doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me.

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.”

This one tugged at my heart when I first saw it. My first thought, I don’t feel the light but he is speaking of another kind of light, the kind that teaches and heals.

“The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.”

Moving on requires acceptance and that is precisely the point here. Done that many times over.

“When you go through a hard period, when everything seems to oppose you, when you feel you cannot even bear one more minute, NEVER GIVE UP! Because it is the time and place that the course will divert!”

I guess you have to hit ground zero before life turns around. Can we make it a little easier please?

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”

This one makes grieving a little less painful, at least it did for me.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

This last one is so poetic. Yes I wanted to change the world, I still do but nowadays it is more about changing “me” first.

Have an amazing day.

A Breath of Fresh Air

It’s been days since I took a walk in nature simply because the rain had set in and staying indoors is the thing to do when it is cold, windy and nasty outside.

Today it is different. The sun is finally making a showing and the temperature is going up. It’s a perfect day for a walk. Bundling up as I usually do, I head outside only to find that the tulips are sprouting. We are still in winter so there’s no way that could be happening or could it?

I make my way to the fields and it looks different too. The perpetual haze is gone and the mountains in the distance are clearly visible. The birds are chirping incessantly in the trees and the tempo is picking up, the tempo of life I mean. Something is definitely happening. Could it be the advent of spring?

Remember my article on, “The Tease,” where I spoke about the non-existence of snow this year? It still stands true and now everything is in a rush to show that winter is done with and better days are ahead. However, I’m still waiting for snow!

The walk itself was uneventful except for a neighbor walking her dog. She smiled and waved and when we were face to face she said, “It feels like spring doesn’t it?” with a great big smile plastered on her face. She took the words right out of my mouth!

Walking further out into the fields, I hear it. The cackling was strong and as I looked to see where it was coming from, I noticed the familiar V-formation in the sky above. A flock of ducks were flying high and making a racket as a few stragglers tried keeping up with them. They were not heading out but coming back in! I stood and watched this mesmerizing spectacle wondering if spring is really coming early this year or is it just a “tease” like with the snow that never got here.

Whatever the case maybe, change is coming and nature alone decides when and how it all takes place. What about climate change? That’s a different story altogether!

Have an amazing day.

Contrasts

“To me, a rich and satisfying life means one full of contrast. Give me sleep ins. And soft rains. Coffee shops and conversation. But also adrenaline and adventure. And drunken bellows to the stars. I am determined to embrace this extravagant life for all that it has to offer.” Beau Taplin

It wasn’t a great day for a walk, grey clouds were gathering and as promised rain was on the way. What a difference a day makes, weather-wise. Yesterday it was picture perfect, warm and absolutely mesmerizing but today it had turned tables and was ready to show another side, a grey and wet one. There was no beauty to speak off as I trudged nonchalantly through the muddy and leaf-strewn path heading for the forest line. Oh, but I was wrong for I had only to open my mind and my senses to see the contrasts between a beautiful day and a bad one. To my surprise, each had its own brand of beauty if only I wasn’t so quick to pass judgement.

The not so subtle rustling of the leaves caught in the interplay of wind and absolute silence was balm for my anxious soul. I needed peace but somehow it was missing today. Glancing into the forest, I noticed that it was quiet, too quiet. The trees were tight-knit and hidden in shadows of its own making echoing the onslaught of rain that was to come. I usually don’t like walking close to the forest because a feeling of unease usually envelops me and my senses are usually on high alert as it was today. There was no room to relax. I walked on in silence and in the distance, the hoot of an owl could be heard. I welcomed the distraction and made my way to the stream. It’s gorgeous in spring, its banks overflowing with golden daffodils but today it droned on in silence, devoid of color as it made its way to the pond where the storks gather. Today, there was not one stork to be seen. They too had gone hiding from the oncoming force of nature. Standing at the tiny wooden bridge, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was peaceful but the unease was still there. Enclosed spaces are not my cup of tea and neither are deep dark forests. I moved on, got back on the path and made it to the fields.

My mind began to relax as I took in the wild open spaces before me. I was free again and standing at the bottom of the hill as I took in the panoramic view. It was grandiose even through there was no sun to speak of, only a light purple haze enveloping the distant mountains. It was beautiful just the same. Just a different kind of beautiful.

Contrasts are necessary to show the light and dark aspects of life and today nature decided to show my jaded mind, come rain or sunshine, there is always something beautiful about each aspect if only I would open my mind to it and embrace it with open arms to reap the full benefits. The rest of the walk was uneventful, an ordinary walk but my mind knew that if I kept my eyes peeled, I would capture the extraordinary. It was just a matter of time and if nature was willing to throw it my way. As the first droplets of rain hit the muddy path, I pulled my jacket tighter around me and ran back home leaving nature to do what it does best.

The ebb and flow of life was at work and who was I a mere mortal to question the order of the day or how it was brought about to life. Just accept and enjoy was the message and I bowed my head to its all-knowing wisdom. I was at peace.

HAVE AN AMAZING DAY

Into the Quiet

The sun is shining as it has been for the last two or three days. Dreams of a snow-covered landscape is no longer a reality and if snow is making its way here, it sure is taking its time. I’ve all but given up on it.

The next best thing is sunshine on a clear morning even though the rooftops are frosted white and something tells me it is going to be very very cold out there. It is. No ifs or buts about it. Even though I am bundled up, the cold is finding places where it can creep in to show me just how “freeze your b*tt cold it is!” Heading up the hill and towards the open expanse I call the fields, it is quiet, very QUIET! The crows have gone into hiding although they are “die-hards” and are out in any kind of weather. Not today because they know what’s good for them unlike yours truly!

The ground is frozen with icy patches here and there. Keep your eyes focused I tell myself. One wrong move and it could send me tumbling! Looking around me, I notice that the field is wearing a somber look. Everything is brown and drab with no color to speak of. However, it still has a certain kind of beauty and charm as far as I’m concerned. A quietness that speaks to the soul and calms the mind.

Nothing much is at play today. The herons have taken leave and so have the ducks and the birds. The deer are huddled up in the woods somewhere and today the fields are mine alone except for the planes droning softly in the skies high above. It is a soothing sound and I welcome it as I trudge along, the sound of ice crunching under my feet.

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Rumi

Heading back, I realize that my mind, my overactive mind is sitting back and taking it all in as well. Nature has power and in my case, it has calmed the beast I call my mind and that is not an easy thing to do!

Have an amazing day.

The Tease Update

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I woke up this morning hoping to see the streets and rooftops covered in white but no luck there! “Magic” was what I was expecting but the weather decided otherwise and the forecasters were wrong again!

What a tease?!! Promise of snow has been in the forecast for the last few days but each time I get my hopes high and think tomorrow is the day I’m going to take the first walk of this year and be welcomed by snow-covered fields has amounted to nothing but disappointment.

I love SNOW! Let me take that back. I love snow as long as it is not accompanied by ice. I love the soft powdery kind that looks like icing on the cake and is sprinkled thick over the fields covering them in white, blinding white for as far as the eyes can see. A pristine and serene landscape that captures the imagination and takes off running to parts unknown. At least mine does but then again I have an overactive imagination.

So far, we’ve had a light smattering of snow in December but when I headed out to the fields most of it had melted and the pathways were a wintry mix of snow and mud, not my idea of “magic” folks.

We don’t get much snow in these parts. If we’re lucky, we might get some heavy snowfall two or three times during winter and that is it. I’m still waiting for it to dump some heavy duty snow but all it has done so far is to “tease” with promises of more to come. This morning I walked out the front door and a few flakes greeted my unbelieving eyes and hope springs eternal but alas, it was not to be. The sun is shining brightly now and those itsy bitsy tiny flakes were a tease as well!

I guess it will come when it is good and ready and not a moment sooner. Here’s the thing, the forecast says snow this weekend! Hmm…..not buying it until it shows up wearing bells and brings snow drifts to boot! It’s a wait and see approach now AND the “teasing” has got to stop! Put the snow where it belongs, right there in the fields and I’ll be quiet for a change. Please ! Pretty please!!

Update:

I guess it (the weather) decided to let me have what I was hoping for but on its terms! We got lots of snow during the night and I was up bright and early ready to tackle the day meaning in these parts when there is snow you need to get out there and clear up the sidewalk and salt them as well. I was ready and willing since I wanted to go walking in the fields afterwards and revel in the wonder of a snow-covered fantasy. I bundled up and headed out only to find that it was raining as well! Hmm…what a tease!! I guess it (the weather) thumped its nose saying, I’ve still got the upper hand! Oh well, no walk today since it is still raining and the forecast is rain for most of the day. I’ll leave it at that and it’s time for another cup of coffee.

Have an amazing day.