Mindfulness....

I was in a really terrible mood all day. I mean REALLY terrible. Can't say why, exactly, but nothing pleased me. I cleaned the downstairs, did laundry, baked chocolate chip cookies, knit, and even watch a bit of an old movie. Still miserable -- sometimes the world is just too much with us, I guess.

So, I decided I needed to clear my thoughts by taking a walk and being mindful. As Thich Nhat Hanh said:

 Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future.

If we can acknowledge our fear,

we can realize that right now we are okay.

Right now, today,

we are still alive,

and our bodies are working marvelously.

Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky.

Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.

And the miracles I saw changed my whole outlook... 

Deer Trail Down the Bank..

Joe Pye Weed. I saw this as a specimen in New England. Here, it is a weed!

A bird's nest, empty, blown from a tree. I collect them. What a gift!

This lovely let me photograph it and then flew above my head as I walked. Angel? 

 

By the time I arrived back home, my spirit was quiet, my legs tired, a gentle moisture from the rain on my face. I was alive. My body worked. All is well.

First Day Musings: Finding Beauty

Whitetop Mountain

We live where it is beautiful all year round. Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Every season has something terrific to offer and dazzle the hungry eye and heart.

Creek apples we discovered on the far side of our creek. 

They make delicious applesauce.

Beauty surrounds us; however, isn't it so easy to overlook it? We see it every day. It grows familiar and, before we know it, we no longer see the beauty around us.

Coming home from Los Angeles, January 2,

after attending the Tournament of Roses Parade. 

It only takes leaving home, though, to bring that beauty fresh to our minds when we return to the place where we are loved. We are home.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. -- Confucious

Look for beauty this week!