• landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes,  snow,  sunrises

    We Are Enough!

    Cold February Sunrise

    There’s so much more to who you are than you know right now. You are, indeed, something mysterious and someone magnificent. You hold within you — secreted for safekeeping in your heart — a great gift for this world. Although you might sometimes feel like a cog in a huge machine, that you don’t really matter in the great scheme of things, the truth is that you are fully eligible for a meaningful life, a mystical life, a life of the greatest fulfillment and service.

    Bill Plotkin

    I’m posting this quote by Bill Plotkin because I also believe we are more than we know or think we know. It raises a couple questions for me, “What would the world look like if I believed that I am something mysterious, someone magnificent, a unique gift of creation?” And also, “What would the world look like if we all saw ourselves that way?” What if these words are considered inclusive, shared equally by us all, and that no one is seen as better than or less than anyone else? Then maybe who and what we may think of ourselves, of others, of creation, the cosmos and beyond, will allow us to live a meaningful, mystical life. We are enough!

  • Plants,  shadows,  snow,  trees,  winter scenes

    The Oval’s Shadows

    Shadows at the CSU Oval

    A bit warmer this morning at 14 degrees but still cold enough. Blue skies and sunshine predicted for today and maybe 43 degrees. Made my way to Mugs for an Old Town Moch made by the lovely Emma. Always a good start to my day. As I left the coffee shop I noticed the shadows stretching across the CSU Oval and felt compelled to pull into the parking area for a quick photo. The trees encircling the Oval and lining the inner sidewalks are all American elms. Many of the trees date from the 1880s and 1920s. There are 99 elms circling the Oval and lining its walkways. Some of the trees are 80 to 90 feet high, with roots that are one-and-a-half times their height. Many of the large elm trees that circle Oval Drive were planted in 1922, as 1-inch saplings, and until 1924, the center Oval was an alfalfa and grain field. In 1925, a grass lawn was planted. It was interesting to research the history of the trees and the oval this morning. I now have a bit more connection to them and those early morning shadows they offer. Have a wonderful Sunday!

  • poems,  poetry,  seasons,  shadows,  snow,  winter scenes

    The Source Within

    Everything you see has its roots
    In the unseen world.
    The forms may change
    Yet the essence remains the same.
    Every wondrous site will vanish,
    Every sweet word will fade,
    But do not be disheartened,
    The Source they come from is Eternal,
    Growing, branching out,
    Giving new life and new joy.
    Why do you weep?
    That source is within you
    And this whole world
    Is springing up from it.

    Rumi
  • clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  snow,  sunsets,  trees,  winter scenes

    My Wishes for You…

    When we live as if everything is sacred, which it is if you really think about it, we relate to the things in our environment in a much more responsible way.

    Jane Reichhold

    Not sure I can adequately list all that I wish for you but here is a short one… Wishing you oodles of joy, happiness, peace, good health, Dove’s chocolates, the miraculous gifts of each new day (sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, butterflies), a heart bursting with love and hope, a heart of gratitude, family times, new adventures, DQ Blizzards (at least the small size), the gift of the songbirds morning canticle, innumerable hugs, moments of silence and stillness, listening to your inner voice or the sound of the wind or the quiet voice of silence, more time with nature, a book or poem that nurtures your heart and soul, the lyrics of a new or an old song that touches you at some new and deep level, new friends, times of quiet prayer and meditation, and to live as if everything is sacred!!! ❤️

  • Metro Parks,  quotes,  snow,  trees

    Our Individuality

    A morning walk after a light snowfall at Blendon Woods (Ohio) – 2009

    “Really all we have to offer the world is the gift of our individuality. We can never be just like any other person. Our journey through life is an extremely personal contribution to the work of being human.”

    Jane Reichhold

    It’s Christmas Eve. Weather app suggested snow overnight but we awoke to overcast skies and a cold north wind but no snow. After my quiet-time I made my way to Mugs in Old Town for some journaling and a mocha. Met a young woman who is an artist and storyteller. I truly do like her work and the idea of storytelling. Her website is called Twelve Little Tales. Faye you may want to checkout some of her watercolors.

    What struck me about her was the passion she had for her art, and storytelling, and her energy to offer her gifts to the world. She epitomizes what Jane Reichhold says in her quote. She illustrates the individuality we are all given, our passion, that spark to create and give to this world. I found it exciting! When we choose to not be like other people and are able to let go of the voices of society attempting to tell us what and who are, let go of our self-doubts and fears, we find the gift of our individuality. Thank you Marna for sharing your gifts!

    The above image was taken in 2009 while I was living briefly in Columbus, Ohio. I was blessed to live near a wonderful area that was a part of the Metro Parks in Columbus called Blendon Woods. Hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas with family!!! 🌲 🎅 Not sure about you but it’s now time to binge on food.

  • quotes,  shadows,  snow,  winter scenes

    More Snow Bubbles

    “If we are to see a true reawakening to the sacredness of the Earth and harness the deepest energy of our being to serve this awareness, we need a strong inner authority in our own souls to challenge the religious, political, and social systems that have recklessly ignored or denied this sacredness and are imperiling the very future of the world.”

    John Philip Newell, Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul

    I write this post from the warmth of a coffee shop with a beautifully crafted mocha latte in front of me. We had a magnificent Colorado sunrise that brought a smile to my face and a spark of joy in my heart. This past snowfall gave us a taste of the beauty of our winter wonderland. We still have cold temperatures but with the help of the suns rays, the snow melts, offering its life source into the soil. I love the sacredness and beauty nature offers, even snow bubbles.