The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. To be with our own thoughts and feelings is probably the most courageous act most of us will ever do.
Richard Rohr
Coffee at Mugs earlier this morning then had a wonderful phone call with a friend. Hopefully a quiet Saturday from here on as there is little on my to-do list. Tomorrow morning my youngest granddaughter, Abbie, gets married. We will be formally welcoming our newest member, Patton, to the family. Blessings to them both!!
like tears of joy dewdrops cling to petals nature at its best
ms
A fog sits in the low lying areas and along the pond this morning. Almost expected after two days of clouds and intermittent light rain. Sunshine and clear skies have begun to dominate the day. Laundry is started, one of those much needed domestic routines. Couldn’t help but notice one the last hibiscus flowers for this year coated in tears of joy and thanksgiving after the rain. Happy Friday!
Rubber rabbitbrush occurs in the cold deserts of the Colorado Plateau, throughout much of the Great Basin, and in warm deserts of the Southwest from lower-elevation Sonoran to subalpine zones. Rubber rabbitbrush favors sunny, open sites throughout a wide variety of habitats including open plains, valleys, drainage ways, foothills, and mountains. It is particularly common on disturbed sites. Rubber rabbitbrush is cold hardy, and tolerant of both moisture and salt stress. There are several plants along the edge of my ponds between the grass and pond. They attract a wide array of native insects, including butterflies and small bees. It is one the few native plant species in the Intermountain West that provides habitat for pollinators during the late summer and fall months. Love the bright colored yellow that makes them stand out. In general, wildlife and livestock forage only lightly on this species during the summer, but winter use can be heavy in some locations. Fall use is variable, but flowers are often used by wildlife and livestock. A few leaves and the more tender stems may also be used. Surprisingly rabbits seldom dine on them except in winter but love to hide in them.
Everything is His. the door, the door jamb. The wood stacked near the door. The leaves blown upon the path that leads to the door. The trees that are dropping their leaves the wind that is tripping them this way and that way, the clouds that are high above them, the stars that are sleeping now beyond the clouds
and, simply said, all the rest.
When I open the door I am so sure so sure all this will be there, and it is. I look around. I fill my arms with the firewood. I turn and enter His house, and close His door.
Not sure what type of mushroom this is but I ain’t gonna eat it.
“Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us.”
Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
Each day I move towards believing this at deeper and deeper levels. Hatred and violence just are not the answers. Let’s try living the idea that love is the answer. Not just talk about it but truly love! It means learning how to open our hands and offer love to others.
Rainfall is an interesting natural phenomenon. Measuring how much rainfall we get is another phenomenon. I visit a website put out by the City of Fort Collins to see what has been measured in rainfall accumulation across the city. The city adds a disclaimer on the accuracy of the measurements but it does give some indication of how much rain we received. It rained yesterday afternoon and then began again early this morning. Plenty of lightning and thunder to go along with it. So, refreshing.
Ever notice how green is always greener after a rain? And, yes, I’m still asking questions. 😁
The inner spirit is who I really am. My body is alive in this nature and exists in its frame. I do not need to be spiritual to find this. I only need to stop believing that the ego, the small self, is me. If I do, a different knowing emerges which has a largeness and a certain beauty. It is an expression of power and love beyond the usual definitions. To live in its knowledge is to know yourself to be free.
from A NEW SET OF EYES by Paula D’Arcy
This is fern-leaf yarrow, and is an upright, clump-forming yarrow that is native to the Caucasus, Iran and Afghanistan and is in the sunflower family. Interestingly one name listed for them is nosebleed. (?) It is considered an invasive species by some states in the US. And, man is still not on that list. I find these plants in almost every natural area I visit. I really like how they look and the pollinators seem to like them also, as you can see with the heavily laden bee in this image.
I’m in a place in life where I resonate with the above quote. This process of uncovering who I really am, this knowing who I am, is exciting and freeing. Interesting that this bee does not consider what political party to belong to, what church to attend, what it’s favorite band is this week, and the other stuff we place in our lives. It lives in the knowledge of what it is and the life it is meant to live. It is free!
It’s interesting that I have used the word interesting three times in this post. Now four. 😂
