"It is only when you start a garden...that you realize something important happens every day."
Geoffrey B. Charlesworth
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Good Attitude
Trying to have a good attitude day in and day out can be a difficult undertaking to be sure. It's easy when you have chronic pain to start thinking "it's all over." or "my life is ruined." Pain can get you stuck. The madder you get the littler your life gets. Everything gets smaller and more bitter. Sow the seeds of a good attitude and watch what grows!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A few words about the Planet Earth Series
I began watching the Planet Earth Series a few days ago and after watching the first DVD put it on my favorite nature movie list that you see here. The Planet Earth Series is a feast for your eyes. This is a series of five (5) DVD's and just when I didn't think it could get anymore staggeringly beautiful, it does. If you live in the city, or have difficulty making the journey into the wilderness to harness the power and blessing of nature try going to the library. I highly recommend the Planet Earth Series to get your "fix" of the great outdoors. You will travel the world over and see rare events. If you look for the beauty, you will find it.
Monday, January 28, 2008
May the wind be at your back...
Yesterday was the 25th running of the John Beargrease sleddog race. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I've been making bird feeder wreaths and the Pine Grosbeaks and chickadees have been loving them. I mix orange juice and water together, then put blackoil sunflower seeds, bits of oranges, grapes, apples, or whatever old fruit I happen to have around along with some pine branches for perches into a bundt pan and put the whole thing outside to freeze. Dip the pan into a little water to release it and you have a wonderful treat for the birds. I usually make 3 at a time. The birds prefer the wreaths to be flat so they can just stand on them and "work" at getting the seeds out.
On the way to church a rabbit came screaming around the side of the garage with a Pine Marten hot on it's tail so to speak. Survival was foremost on there minds so they didn't even have a clue that we were there. Fur was flying. It was the rabbits lucky day. The rabbit kept going and the Pine Marten came to a screeching halt just about 4 feet from me. What a beautiful animal. There is never a dull moment around here.
Over the course of my life I have looked for comfort and solace. I have looked for that place to call home. I have traveled a thousand miles down dead-end roads and finally, finally, my journey has brought me here. To this place, that heals me.
I have chronic pain. I don't think that the "why" matters as much as the fact that I simply do. Anyone who suffers with chronic pain knows that it changes your life and "pain" will try to take away the beauty within and without. An instructor asked each member of our class to describe something beautiful that we had seen this past week. A man sitting next to me, who lives daily with chronic pain, couldn't think of one thing. I, on the other hand, thought of all kinds of things. I thought of the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Northern Goshawk and the Pine Marten and the flying squirrels that we see at night. I thought of the Bald Eagle I saw on the way to town yesterday and the way the snow sparkled last night when the moon was shining. Remembering these things helps me. Maybe they will help you too.
January 29, 2008
As the winds howl and the temperature drops I'm watching the Blackcapped Chickadees at the feeder and they are the epitome of perserverance. They are the first to come and the last to leave no matter what the weather. When I watch the courage of the small birds as they battle blizzards and gale force winds coming off the Great Lake I am once again reminded that I too am small.
Nature puts us in our place. There is a relationship between wilderness and sacredness. Many monastic leaders go to the desert, or to the top of a mountain or other places in nature to be at peace and reflect. Again, there is something greater than ourselves out there. To lose the love of nature should be considered a major personal loss. Nature Heals me.
Nature gives me something else to think about besides my pain. It gives me research to do and nature has provided me with some of the most glorious spectacles a human could ever hope to see.( No, it's not me sliding down the walkway backwards due to the glare ice that has formed on everything) Although that is quite a spectacle all by itself...
Until Next time...
On the way to church a rabbit came screaming around the side of the garage with a Pine Marten hot on it's tail so to speak. Survival was foremost on there minds so they didn't even have a clue that we were there. Fur was flying. It was the rabbits lucky day. The rabbit kept going and the Pine Marten came to a screeching halt just about 4 feet from me. What a beautiful animal. There is never a dull moment around here.
Over the course of my life I have looked for comfort and solace. I have looked for that place to call home. I have traveled a thousand miles down dead-end roads and finally, finally, my journey has brought me here. To this place, that heals me.
I have chronic pain. I don't think that the "why" matters as much as the fact that I simply do. Anyone who suffers with chronic pain knows that it changes your life and "pain" will try to take away the beauty within and without. An instructor asked each member of our class to describe something beautiful that we had seen this past week. A man sitting next to me, who lives daily with chronic pain, couldn't think of one thing. I, on the other hand, thought of all kinds of things. I thought of the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Northern Goshawk and the Pine Marten and the flying squirrels that we see at night. I thought of the Bald Eagle I saw on the way to town yesterday and the way the snow sparkled last night when the moon was shining. Remembering these things helps me. Maybe they will help you too.
January 29, 2008
As the winds howl and the temperature drops I'm watching the Blackcapped Chickadees at the feeder and they are the epitome of perserverance. They are the first to come and the last to leave no matter what the weather. When I watch the courage of the small birds as they battle blizzards and gale force winds coming off the Great Lake I am once again reminded that I too am small.
Nature puts us in our place. There is a relationship between wilderness and sacredness. Many monastic leaders go to the desert, or to the top of a mountain or other places in nature to be at peace and reflect. Again, there is something greater than ourselves out there. To lose the love of nature should be considered a major personal loss. Nature Heals me.
Nature gives me something else to think about besides my pain. It gives me research to do and nature has provided me with some of the most glorious spectacles a human could ever hope to see.( No, it's not me sliding down the walkway backwards due to the glare ice that has formed on everything) Although that is quite a spectacle all by itself...
Until Next time...
Yesterday morning a flock of 50-60 Common Redpolls made a stop under our feeder for some breakfast
. Since Redpolls are, more often than not, ground feeders they often go unnoticed. As the saying goes, they eat and run. Off to the next stop on their never ending journey for nourishment.
The black chin and red cap are the tell tale signs of a Redpoll.
. Since Redpolls are, more often than not, ground feeders they often go unnoticed. As the saying goes, they eat and run. Off to the next stop on their never ending journey for nourishment.The black chin and red cap are the tell tale signs of a Redpoll.
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