• flowers,  Plants,  poems

    The Storm Has Passed

    Salsify found at Pineridge Natural Area last week

    There is buried within us
    a beauty hidden so deep
    that we would think
    it would sleep forever.
    But there are those,
    whose eyes so luminous shine,
    they reflect upon our universe
    the light of the Divine. 

    Reflection by Edwina Gateley

    High winds began around 7:00 pm last night. About the time I went to bed we were experiencing lightning, thunder, rain and hail.  Made for a rather noisy night. This morning it is overcast, gusting winds and cold at 48 degrees. Does not feel close to what we’d expect of a June morning but the storm has passed.

    I sit here watching the trees sway with the wind. As clouds move east, patches of blue sky appear allowing the light of the sun to peek through clouds. I choose to see it as a promise of a brighter day.

    I have met people whom the poet is describing and what a difference they make in this world. They are the ones who shine their light when the darkness of the storm is all we see. I believe more people are shining that much needed Divine light in our world. So, I choose to see that as a promise this morning. Maybe the storm of our troubled world has passed over.

  • flowers,  gratitude,  Plants

    Gratitude Lists

    It's in the details
    It’s in the details

    Saturday afternoon and sitting on the patio of a local coffee shop. CSU is playing a football game so pretty much have the place to myself. A beautiful day. It was 47 degrees this morning at 7:00 am and is now 83 degrees with clear blue skies. The cool breeze is refreshing.

    Every day is a day for gratitude. Over the past few years I’ve acquired the habit of making gratitude lists in my journals. Some days it’s only one thing and some days it’s a longer list. A list is important for me as a visual person, something written in black and white that I can see. Today I’m grateful for the details in this dandelion.  Do you write out a gratitude list? 

    Enjoy your weekend! 

  • flowers,  natural areas

    Down to Earth

    Dandelion
    Dandelion

    On a walk at the Environmental Learning Center I encounter two mothers and three little ones exploring nature. They were smiling and running all over the place. A good time was being had by all. I was surprised by the answer I received when I asked the kids if they had seen any bears or mountain lions. Their answer: a bug. I couldn’t make out what bug they had seen but it sure left an impression.

    As I walked on my way I thought about how they were seeing this nature area compared to how an adult was seeing it. Since they were somewhere around 4 or 5 the world they were seeing was from my waist down. So, it was a whole different perspective for them and me. As I walked on a phrase kept coming to mind: “down to earth.”