reflection upon our patterns ~

holiday treats ~

rolling in the sunshine ~

enjoy! ~

looking back ~

these were taken from the car on our drive to nova scotia from out west...

peace as a turning ~

This week I have been grappling with the wind. These last several days the wind has been relentless, blowing fiercely all day and all night. I found that everything rose up in me in resistance to it, or maybe I should say, everything I am in resistance to rose up in me. I raged at the wind and the wind raged right back. I was running against the wind in more ways than one.

And then today it seemed quieter. The wind though still strong had died down a bit, was no longer gusting or howling. I decided to go out for a long walk along the shore. I watched the waves hit the rocks and then rise up like big beings only to suddenly fall back down again. I walked into the face of a north east wind.

On my way home, I had the wind behind me and was being pushed along. The words from the Irish blessing came to mind: may the wind be always at your back. All at once these words made sense not just conceptually, but reverberated throughout my body as a physical truth.

Yes, may I go forward with ease, may the road rise up to meet you. When I experience resistance of any kind I can always change my direction, and have the wind at my back, even in the most imperceptible way.

And so in my battle with the wind this week I came to a deeper understanding of peace. Peace as an action. Peace as a turning. Peace as a choice to turn toward what is, and a turning away from inner and outer resistance. Peace as a turning of the face towards the sun. A turning of the other cheek.

*words in italics from an irish blessing

prayer of st. francis ~

introspection ~

peace on earth ~

david bowie and bing crosby

old mr. g ~

earrings before they receive their hooks ~

brilliance ~

gusting winds ~

I was just contemplating whether or not to brave the weather and go out for a walk when I heard on the radio that winds were gusting to 99km/hour in our neighbourhood. Come to think of it the trees do seem to be swirling around and about. Think I'll hold off for awhile.

the places that scare you ~

If we look for that soft, unguarded place, we always find it.

Pema Chodron - from The Places That Scare You

an old buoy ~

I was amazed at how much the old paint was like lichen.

transitioning ~

it seems like effort is needed to move from one dimension to the next...but once there maybe less exertion is required.

keep walking your path ~

even if it sometimes feels like a long hard slog...

love ~

is what is left when you let everything go...

erich schiffmann

how do i love thee bob ~

let me count the ways...!
ps. sorry for the ads, they get a bit more bearable after the one minute point...

the cove this morning ~

sunrise ~

the magic purple ribbon ~

with a little focus can help you to achieve transcendant states of consciousness.

neighbourhood starlings ~

I like the one sitting on his/her own wire.

new stuff ~

claudia and kimba ~

The amazing thing about having the kitten around was how it changed my perception of my two cats. The kitten, by the way, was discovered to be female and is now named Talia. She is settling in just fine to her new home. Talia was feather-light, holding her was like holding a leaf. My two older cats seem so heavy and substantial by comparison. They loom large and seem almost dangerous. I feel like I am living with two cougars. A new respect for them has descended upon me. I had forgotten who they had become. How they had transformed. These magnificent weighty beings. Over the years (twelve or so) Claudia and Kimba have lived with us in many different settings and have been very cooperative throughout, adapting to their different environments without much fuss or complaint. It feels like a renewed honour to have them around.

the best medicine ~

november resurgences ~

It was in November that I called my dad from a craft faire that I was doing and he told me that the results of his medical tests were not good news, and it was later that month that I went to Calgary to see him and to go to the hospital in Canmore for more tests. The silver lining was that we also went to Lake Louise, which by then had become a pilgrimage for me. The plain of six glaciers trail was one that I had followed my dad up many times over the years. I remember as a child looking up ahead and seeing his slow and steady gait, arms behind his back, one hand clasped on the other forearm, placing one foot in front of the other. He never really looked back that often to see if we were following. But we were. On many levels I have followed him on pathways which have enabled me to have access to higher worlds. This is the essence of what I received from him this lifetime. And in November I feel the gratitude strongly.

fast friends ~

the story of midway ~

In the dark we followed the piteous meowing to the edge of lake midway and under the moss in the hollow of the bank beside the lake we pulled out a kitten. Something like six weeks old and probably abandoned there. We knew we couldn't keep him ourselves, so we loved him up, and then began to search for a home for him. A young girl came over today and he joined their family who have just moved to town. I cried of course! In what seemed like no time he had such a firm grip on my heart, with all of his vulnerability and attendant trust.

starlings ~

OM ~

taking flight ~

irresistibly red ~

magic hour ~