Fall is Creeping In

This morning as I was out walking, I noticed that fall had crept into the valley hills.  I have noticed that it felt like fall for a while now, but today I actually noticed the browns, yellows, and golds beginning to colour the hills.  When did this happen?  It crept in so quickly I didn't even notice -- until today!

Am I ready for this?  I love the gorgeous vibrant colours of fall, but I'm not so sure that I'm ready for the cooler temperatures.  I've put up enough dill pickles, relish, applesauce and juice to last the winter.  But there's still the high-bush cranberries to pick and make into jelly.  Most of the tomatoes haven't even started to ripen yet.  Not to mention the long list of other things I had hoped to accomplish before fall, and especially winter, set in. 

But some of those things are maybe better suited to do in the winter when the busy, vibrant, harvest energy of fall makes way for the quieter, inner reflective energy of winter.  With the cold temperatures and sometimes lots of snow, it's often nicer to stay inside then and do things like writing books, designing a website, creating online classes, sewing, knitting.....  For now, I think I'll just put some warmer clothes on and go sit in my chair under the crabapple tree in our backyard and soak up the last of the summer energy! I hear it calling..... There might even be some weeds to pick or flowers to trim back or ..........

Feeding Our Children

A few weeks ago I spent some time at our oldest son and daughter-in-law's little farm.  It was a sacred time mostly playing with my almost two year-old granddaughter and enjoying the world at the farm.  Not to mention cuddling my newest granddaughter, born July 3, and visiting with my son and daughter-in-law.

Little Ruth and I spent a lot of time out on the roofed patio - Ruth playing in a pail of water and me watching her as well as some little house wrens who had a nest in an old coffee pot hanging there for just such a purpose.

I never did see any baby birds but I did see a couple of adult birds often bringing worms to the nest.  It amazed me how cautious they were.  They would come and sit on the fence quite a distance away.

Looking around to make sure they weren't seen, they would fly up to the rafters and again sit for a time.  Eventually they would fly into their nest with their feast - usually a big fat juicy worm!  Moments later they would re-emerge and off they would go again to find another such tasty morsel.

These are some pictures from last year when some sparrows had a nest in another can secured in the rafters.  However, the cat this year cleaned out the nest from that can (before the birds arrived I hope) but couldn't quite reach the old coffee pot dangling from the rafters.

All of this started me thinking about what we feed our children.  No, I'm not talking about meat and potatoes and veggies.  I'm talking about love and compassion, anger and frustration, honesty and truth and those sorts of things.

My kids have told me that the most important thing we fed them was the opportunity to be themselves - they didn't need to be little cookie-cutter miniatures, they were free to be themselves.  I remember several people commenting when our children were small how they were such free spirits.  I wasn't sure at the time quite how to take that but I guess it was a good thing.

Another thing that we fed our kids was the opportunity to make their own choices from a young age.  Packing for a camping holiday, for example, being the mother of three small children I let them each pack their own suitcase.  I looked through it, of course, to make sure they had enough of the major essentials but that was after they had packed what they thought they needed.  This continued through to our fourth child as well, letting them make small decisions on their own which turned into bigger choices as they grew older.

Later in life, as teenagers and then adults we could trust that they would make good choices but we were there to offer support and encouragement when they didn't turn out as well as expected.

We also gave them lots of opportunity to try new things - swimming, dancing, skating, Karate, ball, whatever, but not to the point that they had no time for themselves to play or just be.  We tried to find a happy balance.

As unsure as I felt at the time, I guess we didn't do too badly since they all turned out to be just awesome adults!  (Just a little bias there.)  All of this we did mostly by instinct, I guess.  We never actually decided this is what we wanted to teach our kids; I guess a lot of it was just because of who we are/were.  I know there were also times when we fed them anger and frustration and things like that but there was always an ample helping of love as well.

So I would be very interested to know what all of you are feeding your children, or grandchildren?  Is it lots of big juicy gobs of love, patience, honesty, respect, and kindness with just a small smattering of anger or frustration?  Or is it a lot of greed, impatience, and being miserable?  Have you ever thought about it?

This all then begs the question "What are we feeding ourselves?" to be able to feed others well.  But that's a whole other topic for another time!

Zentangle Reverie

A few weeks ago I was having a terrible week.  Nothing seemed to be going right at all.  Everything I did took ten times as long as I thought it would and nothing happened the way I expected it too.  I was getting a little discouraged to say the least -- alright I was getting downright depressed!

Then came Friday.  That afternoon a friend came over and after giving her an energy session, she taught me how to do Zentangle.  I had seen this before but didn't have a clue how to do it.  She took out all of her supplies and showed me some patterns and I was away.  After she left, I took out some blank greeting cards I had on hand and my gel pens and started doodling (that's basically what it is).

 

I could not believe how it changed my mood right around. I felt energized, ready to take on the world.  It relaxed me and left me feeling content and at peace with myself and the world!  By the end of the weekend, I had finished eight or ten of these cards already.

I continue to find that when I'm a bit stressed, I take out my cards and pens and start doodling.  Just the act of doing a pattern over and over again, discerning what pattern wants to go where, and just being fully absorbed in it, brings inner (and outer) peace to my life.  As I doodle, all the cares, worries, and anxieties just drift away.  I am transported to another place -- that place where I am connected to, and a part of, the inner Love of the Universe!

Thank you Zentangle!

Connecting with Family

Life is all about connections -- connections to the earth and nature, connections to our bodies, connections to our inner beings, and connections to others.  Last weekend we spent a few days strengthening family connections as we visited with two of our sons and their families.

At the Kindersley Farmer's Market on Saturday I connected with a lot of old friends that I hadn't seen for awhile, and made some new friends.  More connections!

It rained a lot of the weekend, but Tuesday, Canada Day, was glorious!  In the morning we went for a walk with our little granddaughter, Ruth, and her mom.

Ruth brought her baby along.

Little legs tire out sometimes, but Grandpa didn't mind!

She loves her baby!

Ruth made connections with the earth as well.  She picked up little handfuls of rocks and then dropped them to the ground again.  It was so quieting to the soul to watch her play with the stones.




On our way home we stopped to take in some of the Canada Day celebrations at the museum in Kindersley.  Another son was demonstrating blacksmithing.  He is a born teacher and I learned so much from listening to him, as did the two young lads who also listened and watched, I'm sure.  It did my heart good to see him in action!

 We also connected with our grandson and his mother that day again.

Felix drank most of my water!

What a beautiful happy pair!

All in all it was a weekend of wonderful connections with loved ones.  A time for enjoying family and friends.  As I get older, those connections seem all the more precious and life-giving to me.  May we all take time for strengthening and deepening connections we already have and for building new ones!

Perfect Evening

Last evening I went down to the lake with my husband.  He threw his fishing line into the lake while I took out my camera to see what I might find.  The first thing I noticed was the clouds floating about in the sky.

So I spent some time watching them as they moved and changed across the sky.




Some flowers caught my eye. 

It rained again and I sought shelter under the trees.

After the rain -- a beautiful rainbow appeared.

I noticed the raindrops left on the leaves, sparkling in the last rays of the sun.

We stayed until the last of the sun was fading off in the west.

A perfect ending to a perfect day! 

"The Gift"

Last weekend I attended "The Gift" in Moncton, New Brunswick.  I know that's a long way to go for a course, especially since it was also held in Calgary and Edmonton, which would have been closer.  I chose to attend in Moncton so I could spend a few days in Fredericton with our daughter.  I hadn't seen her apartment since they moved to Fredericton almost two years ago.  So I decided this course would give me a good excuse to go to visit her.  As it turned out, she attended "The Gift" as well so we had a few days afterward to talk about it, make even more breakthroughs and gain more insights together!  Awesome!

Daughter Nicole at her place in Fredericton, New Brunswick

But, I digress.  I want to tell you about "The Gift".  I went to it thinking I might learn a little something that would help me on this life journey.  I've done a lot of personal growth kind of stuff so I didn't think I'd learn a lot, but one more tool in my toolbox wouldn't hurt.  I must say, I learned more than just another tool -- I learned a whole new way of being in the world.  I learned how to notice when I'm in that resistance cycle and then ways to get myself out of that cycle so that life happens from and through me rather than to me!  I learned how to create what I want in my life.  I learned that "I am a creator; You are a creator; We are creators" together in this world.  And that means each and every one of us, not just those that were at the course.  I didn't just learn all of this in my head, though, we actually worked through it so that when we went home we could continue to apply it in our lives in order to create the kind of life we want.  WOW!

The bouquet Nicole and I bought to celebrate completing "The Gift".  (We were encouraged to celebrate more often!)

Another plus for attending "The Gift" was to meet a lot of wonderful, fantastic people who became friends and whom are staying connected in all kinds of ways - Facebook, Creation Circle, more courses together........  "The Gift" was just that -- a real gift to myself in so many ways.  I thank Jay Fiset and The Creator's Code, Leanne Cochrane, and Josh Hayward for setting this up and for delivering such a powerful, heartful weekend!

Living From the Core

For awhile now I have tried to live life from the centredness at the core of my being.  When I can do that, I feel a deep sense of peace and content.  Life is easy.  Life is vibrant and full of all kinds of possibilities and opportunities.  But it's not always easy to do.  Life happens and sometimes I get caught up in all that's going on and forget to keep centred.  Last week was a good example.

I am doing a lot of homework for a weekend course that I'm taking soon.  The date of the course is creeping up on me so I'd like to get it all done before I go.  I'm also taking an online course through the community college - an introductory course to a program I purchased to format my books, etc.  I have agreed to do some work for the place where I used to be employed.  Monday night I came home from a meeting of a community group I am involved in, with a long list of things to do.  The Scotties curling was also on TV and for the first time in many years I am able to watch it.  So Tuesday morning I set out to accomplish something on my long, long list of things to do.  I tried one thing, and I just couldn't focus on it.  It just wasn't working.  I tried something else and the same thing - I just couldn't concentrate.  Then it was time for a curling game so I put the list aside to sit and watch the game.  But I wasn't even enjoying the curling -- my mind was too busy thinking about all the things I needed to do and the short period of time I had to do it all!  I finally realized this and simply said to myself - "It's okay to watch and enjoy the curling, everything will get done in its own time."  Just that one simple statement, giving myself permission to enjoy the curling game while I had the opportunity, was all it took.  I felt myself relax and a deep sense of peace and contentment settle over me.  The list and all the things on it disappeared from my mind to leave it clear and quiet.  I totally enjoyed that curling game and all the others the rest of the week.

This is what my mind felt like at first - cluttered with all kinds of things.

This is my mind after I gave myself permission to enjoy the curling.

Everything seemed to work itself out after that.  In between games I did a few little things that were important to get done right away.  I realized that a lot of the things on the list I had brought home from the meeting, really didn't need to be done for another month.  I sent an email and received a week's extension on a deadline for the other work I had agreed to do.  The online course only sends out two lessons a week and each lesson only takes me about an hour or two at the most to complete, so I really had lots of time to get them done. 

It happened again in another area of my life as well.  I love to walk and be out in nature.  The last couple of winters I have had pneumonia so haven't been able to get outside and walk as much.  Our house has no windows that the sun can get in so I can't even sit in the sun.  I was bemoaning these facts to myself one day and feeling really bad about it, when the thought popped into my head - "You are your own jailer."  WHAT?!?!?  I thought about it for a moment and decided that thought was right!  I was going to go out for a walk with my dog!  It was a nice day, sunny and a bit warmer than it has been and I wasn't going to cough (which was what had happened every time I went outside up to that point).  So I bundled up, put Sandy (our dog) on her leash and set out.  It was only about a fifteen minute walk but boy, did it feel good!!  I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy that cool refreshing air on my face and just being outside.  It was awesome!  And I didn't cough, not even once!  I've been out for a walk almost every day since, and plan to go as often as I can, if only for ten or fifteen minutes. 

Here is the lake with the beautiful valley hills in the background where we often walk.  What a breathtaking view!  It fills my heart and feeds my soul!!




Below is another part of the path home from the lake that we often take.  Sandy likes to wander off ahead of me.

These two incidents have made me realize how wonderful it is to live from the centredness at the core of my being.  I certainly hope I can continue to do this.

The Miracle of Birth

The beginning of a new year is a good time to be thinking about new birth.  But I had even more reason to be thinking about birth.  On November 1, 2013 our second grandchild made his appearance into this world.  It was a home birth and I happened to be staying with my son and daughter-in-law at the time.  Although I didn't witness the actual birth I did get to see the little miracle about two hours later. 

 

This little fellow reminded me of the births of my four children.  It wasn't the pain of labour I remember so much but the exhilaration of the actual birth and the incredible wonder of being a part of creating this beautiful creature within my body for nine months.  And then helping this little miracle make its way into this world.  What a privilege it is to be part of this miracle!

Since this was a home birth, Mom and Dad and baby camped out on the futon in the living room for the first few days.  Surrounded by love, this little fellow couldn't help but thrive.

Mom, Dad, and Uncle Ryan with the new-born baby

And the miracles just continued to happen.  From day to day, sometimes even hour to hour, we noticed changes in him.  His thin little lips suddenly became fuller and actual lips, not just a line.  He smiled for the first time -- and not just from gas but a real smile -- as he looked at Mom and Dad and even gave Grandma a big smile!  He would scratch his face and there would be a bright red mark that only a few hours later had disappeared.  His umbilical cord dried up and fell off within four days.  So many wondrous things that I don't remember noticing with my babies.  I guess I didn't have time, or take time, then.

Even tiny little feet.....

and hands... seem to be miracles! (By the way, these are Ruth's hands, our granddaughter, at only a few days old)

How does all this happen -- a baby form from a simple sperm and egg with all the parts of a person in miniature.  It truly is a precious miracle!

Even the task of discerning his name is something of a miracle.  I remember having lists of names prepared for our babies, but when they were born none of them seemed to fit.  It takes a day or two of just being around them, getting to know them, and letting them help you figure out their name.  Sam and Hallie did just that, and settled on Felix Omally, which suits him perfectly!

little Felix Omally a few days old

I am so thrilled that I was able to be close by to experience this miracle of birth and the miracle that is Felix, our grandson!  I hope I will have opportunity to spend plenty of time with both Felix and Ruth, our granddaughter (different son and daughter-in-law) and so experience all the miracles that happen as they learn and grow.